Thunder at Hawks, AKA Kevin Durant: Dat Boy Good
– Woody says Thunder forward Kevin Durant should be considered for MVP: “His numbers are ridiculous right now.”
– Indeed. Durant has scored 30-plus in five straight games, including 36 in Oklahoma City’s 98-80 victory against the Heat Saturday. Miami coach Erik Spoelstra has seen enough:
“I’m glad that we don’t play (the Thunder) again this year,” Spoelstra told The Oklahoman. “Give us some time to figure him out. He is so big and skilled and can shoot it over the top of you. Even if you are there, he doesn’t even notice you. When he shoots it like he did (Saturday), it just makes it that much tougher. He has grown a lot. I remember in his rookie year, he was nothing like this.”
– Zaza is back.
– Jamal Crawford is quoted in an MLK Day/NBA piece in the Contra Costa Times:
“For the most part, players of this generation try to treat everyone equal no matter their color or gender. … Try to respect one another. There are still situations in life we can improve on, but overall, I think Dr. King would be proud of how far we’ve come.”
– Pretty ho-hum field announced for the All-Star Slam Dunk competition: Shannon Brown, Nate Robinson, Gerald Wallace plus the winner of a “dunk-in” between DeMar DeRozan and Eric Gordon.
Smoove, slam dunk winner as a rookie in 2005, still says he’s done with it for good. Can’t blame him. He’d rather be an All-Star.
– Fire alarm went off in Philips Arena before the game. Joe Johnson ducked in Woody’s office to see if he should panic. Told that he shouldn’t, J.J. told the coach and reporters: “Y’all gonna burn up by yourself.”
– Super commenter northcyde took issue with my critique of the Hawks’ switching D against the Suns. He (you’re a dude, right?) notes that Steve Nash didn’t get his usual numbers and credits the defensive strategy for that. Says northcyde: “It was a great defensive game plan that will go unnoticed by traditional basketball fans that feel that a guard should always be matched up against a guard.”
Well, I don’t think it always has to be that way, but northcyde make some good points. Props.
– After the Hawks overcame a four-point deficit in the final six seconds against the Suns Friday, the Elias Sports Bureau says the last team to come back from a four-point deficit with six or less to win was the Lakers. The did it with four seconds left against the Heat on Dec. 24.
– I see you are accustomed to an open game thread, so talk amongst yourselves.
MC
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217 comments Add your comment
G-Dot
January 18th, 2010
1:35 pm
Happy to be FIRST!
Hawk Str8Talk
January 18th, 2010
1:45 pm
I think what northcyde fails to mention is that – for as many times as the switching D strategy has worked against a Nash – it has NOT been anywhere close to successful on several other guards of Nash’s quality. Not only that – it took a miracle to win the game, so I’m not sure that I’m going to give a lot of credit to the strategy until I see a trend of it being successful vs. taking one moment in time to prove something that we can use so many other examples where it was being roasted. I will say it’s a good strategy to have in our toolkit, but it’s failure is in the fact that we don’t have a Plan B or Plan C when it’s not working. That’s what I think most fans disagree with. Similar to the isolation plays, by themselves – they aren’t bad. They are just bad as the only 4th quarter options, particularly on nights when Joe and/or Jamal are not being successful with them OR when we’ve built leads by using other offensive sets and methods. To go away from those things is what makes us question whether it’s a game plan that was devised to win the game vs. a flawed strategy that was overcome by superior athletic efforts.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
1:56 pm
Hawk Str8Talk,
co-sign
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
1:58 pm
Co-sign Hawk Str8talk . Good post.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
1:58 pm
lets get it…
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
2:00 pm
The alarms went off because Dominique yelled, “HEAT CHECK!!!!”
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:01 pm
LOL@ Hawk n the Ham
Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:03 pm
I read somewhere that others teams like the Lakers and Raptors have also used it against Nash by switching a big man on to Nash every time. The first time they lost by 1 and 19 the second time. My take is, why not? See if it works and go with it, but at the end of the day it’s still Steve freaking Nash and I doubt any one adjustment can make that big of a difference.
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
2:07 pm
I hope Marvin took his 5-Hour Energy.
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
2:15 pm
Look for KD to put up big “nimbers”
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:17 pm
Damn why couldn’t Marvin be like Durant
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
2:22 pm
Put in Zaza to lay out Durant a couple of times.
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:30 pm
Foul on Horford, but good defense of the rim.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:30 pm
Josh wtf
Carl
January 18th, 2010
2:31 pm
Josh Smith is garbage
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
2:31 pm
J Smoove…..don’t be a point guard, don’t be a point guard.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:33 pm
Josh thinks he’s Magic Johnson 2day
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
2:33 pm
Ryan Cameron, “Defense?? Defense??”
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:33 pm
See what happens when u gotta athletic PG
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
2:34 pm
Man, they have a LOT of good young players. How often do we see a team more athletic than we are?
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:35 pm
How many Hawks did Westbrook run by on his way to that dunk?
Thunder are outhustling us, pure and simple.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
2:35 pm
Carl,
Hey, I thought he was a thug…..;-)
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:35 pm
BONE ,
You mean an athletic pg that gets to play….
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
2:35 pm
Just read the string on the last blog in reference to Stackhouse and Mo Evans. If you all thing Mo Evans is an better option than Stack I beg the differ. Mo defense is highly overrated along with him being a guy who is not capable of creating his own shot. Stack is a better defender than Mo and as on offense, there’s no comparison…
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
2:36 pm
Sometimes Josh takes it down the court and makes a really good pass, or takes it to the rim strong. But everytime it works, I cringe.
Becuase that gives Josh enough motivation to keep doing it. I wish he would give it up to the guards…
And I wish the Hawks would give some hard fouls.
Sid
January 18th, 2010
2:36 pm
Josh and Joes intensity level at the start of these games is very disturbing .
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
2:36 pm
*think Mo
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:37 pm
yea ur right Big Ray
Carl
January 18th, 2010
2:37 pm
He is @ Sautee
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:38 pm
These guys are all over us. We can’t even inbound the ball. WTF…
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:39 pm
bad qtr
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
2:40 pm
O’brien ,
I agree. But Josh’s turnovers are down this year, and his assists are up. I only cringe when he is dribbling too close to a guard with quick hands. Other than that, I don’t mind him bringing it up as much anymore. I agree that in theory he should give it to the guards. My only issue with that is the percentage of time that the guards are walking it up….
Carl
January 18th, 2010
2:42 pm
The second the Hawks get rid of “J-Smoove” they will contend for titles yearly.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:43 pm
At least Teague is gettin mins
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
2:45 pm
Mike Woodson is jealous of James Harden’s beard
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:46 pm
I hate that stupid look on Woody’s face
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
2:46 pm
Mo is a foul magnet…
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
2:46 pm
expect some aggressive coaching this afternoon
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:47 pm
Damn the hawks are clumsy as hell
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
2:47 pm
Big Ray,
True. But the problem with Josh is he does not do a good job of picking his spots about when to bring it up.
Westbrook already has 4 pts, 5 assists. When teague gets minutes, he better make the most of it.
And Durant is a beast. Its frustrating to see other SFs light it up, and all we can expect from Marvin is good defense and some rebounding.
And Mo Williams is better off as a backup SG. He is too small to play SF
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:48 pm
The hawks are gonna lose if they keep playing this way
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
2:52 pm
O’Brien,
Mo Williams? You’ve been listening to ‘Nique!
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
2:52 pm
Carl,
We haven’t heard from you on the blog since Jamal hit the game winning shot against the Suns. In which, you said the Hawks would lose prior to that shot… I see you are back to bring the Hawks some more luck today…
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
2:52 pm
Even with OKC’s plus .500 record…you get the feeling the Hawks just expected showing up would win them this game.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
2:57 pm
the hawks are starting to suck
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:02 pm
Bench is 3-14. Ugh.
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:02 pm
J SMOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!!!!!
niremetal
January 18th, 2010
3:03 pm
What was that, Bone? For some reason I can never hear you when the Hawks are doing well.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:05 pm
That Horford to Josh dunk is a good reason why the Hawks bigs bring the ball up the court alot b/c they push the ball and our guards (mainly Joe/Bibby) like to walk it up court…
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
3:07 pm
Josh should pass more than dribble
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:08 pm
Nire,
Add Carl to that list…
niremetal
January 18th, 2010
3:08 pm
BS, Melvin. We haven’t been in the top 5 in fast break points with a backcourt that walks it up. The bigs certainly are a big reason, but it’s just BS that the guards don’t like to run.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:08 pm
Co-sign, Melvin
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
3:10 pm
bet teage would run
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:10 pm
Horfy + Smoove = All Stars
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
3:11 pm
Sautee,
I dont know where that came from lol.
Is something wrong with Marvin? I see that he has played only 6 minutes.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
3:12 pm
niremetal if u don’t shutup
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
Go ahead and sign Mario for the remainder of the season…
BONE
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
LMAO @ PaFoolia. No hops lol
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:13 pm
Zaza, “D’OH!!”
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:18 pm
Durant has 15pts(9 free throws). If Joe could get to the line at that rate, he would avg close to 30pts a game…
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:20 pm
The reason Joe doesn’t get to the line as much as other stars, he doesn’t take it to the hole hard enough. Not a lot of fouls are made when your main inside game is a running floater.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:20 pm
I posted this after Friday’s game and I’ll say it again — the Hawks held the Suns to 44% shooting in that game, so the contention that the switching D didn’t work doesn’t hold water. It seemed to me that the Hawks’ problem in that game was more on offense (particularly from long range) than on defense.
To me, the times when the switching D is least effective is when the Hawks play against a team whose offense is centered around a good low post scorer (like the Spurs for example), because it allows opponents to get their low post scorer mismatched on a guard very easily. The Suns, even with Amare, are not really that kind of team because their offense revolves around Steve Nash getting inside and creating shots for people.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:21 pm
O’Brien,
Marvin had two early fouls.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:22 pm
Joe is not the kind of explosive athlete that Durant, Kobe, LeBron etc. are, which is the main reason why he doesn’t get to the line or finish with authority much around the rim. His ball skills are right there with any of those players. The lack of explosiveness is the main thing that holds him back from being a true superstar.
Wabe
January 18th, 2010
3:23 pm
I honestly don’t get it. I love what Mario West did for the Hawks last season. He’s a hustle guy that can play pretty good defense. He didn’t make the roster this season. But the second he gets called up from D-League and signs a 10-day contract, he sees meaningful minutes and has been asked to defend some solid scorers.
If Woody is that confident in Mario’s ability to play defense, why hasn’t he been on the roster from day 1?
Marvin Williams/Mo Evans – mind showing up? We had a D-League player get on the court and have more success than either one of those guys had in the 1st half combined.
cp
January 18th, 2010
3:25 pm
If it wasn’t for Josh the Hawks might be down 20. Hopefully they keep this energy up. And do we consider trading Marvin around the trade deadline? I’m tired of waiting on this so called potential… The Thunder have a lot of nice young players. If they were in the east they might be fighting for a top 4 spot.
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:25 pm
CoSign – Najeh
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:27 pm
Durant made 3/9 FGs and 1 of his FGs was a dunk. Is he really lighting the Hawks up. By then you have his 9FTs… Ouch..
Wabe
January 18th, 2010
3:28 pm
Kevin Durant – SF – played one year of college ball at Texas – drafted #2 overall = superstar
Marvin Williams – SF – played one year of college ball at UNC – drafted #2 overall = ????
Sid
January 18th, 2010
3:30 pm
Good point Wabe but the difference is in the energy level . Neither Marvin nor Mo seem happy with there roles to me while Mario seems ecstatic and always looking at the opponent as some type of challenge .
Mo is not happy being the spot minute stopper off the bench he thinks he has some offensive game.
Marvin should be salivating at durant and all the other top forwards he gets matched up against as a way to make a name for himself . He should be thinking all defensive team all the way.
But for this game as I said before Josh and Joe has got to match Als energy right from the start if they do then its not even a game. The thunder are winning because they played hard for all 24 minutes while we played hard for 16.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:31 pm
“If Woody is that confident in Mario’s ability to play defense, why hasn’t he been on the roster from day 1? ”
I think it may have less to do with how good Mario is perceived to be and more to do with keeping an extra big man on the roster and maintaining roster flexibility. I think if they had him on the roster all year they would have been paying him guaranteed money, whereas this way they gave themselves some room to maneuver if a player got injured.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
3:33 pm
“RIGHT IN MARVIN’S FACE”
LMAO
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
3:35 pm
Najeh,
The switching does work at times. I just wish that when we play those teams for which it doesn’t work (or is not working), Woody would have enough sense to adjust. But he doesn’t. The Hawks switch every game, all the time.
Wabe,
Another possible reason for Mario being a late signee. Maybe early on, Woody had bigger expectations for Teague, but for various reasons, (including his inconsistent shooting, which is not all Teague’s fault)Teague has not performed well enough on offense to give Woody the confidence to trust him on defense.
And this is KD’s 3rd year. Isn’t it Marvin’s 5th? But remember, that Marvin was a 6th man in college, and Durant was a star at Texas. I wonder if there’s ever been a bench player in college who went on to become a bonafide star in the NBA?
I dont understand why Sund gave Marvin the money he did, because his role on this team (defend, rebound, and hit the occasional jumper), he is overpriced.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:37 pm
Najeh,
Kevin Martin avg 25pts last season and he’s that the most athletic guy but avg 9 FTs a game.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:37 pm
The Thunder are showing what a team can do when their coach gives a sh-t about offense. You can tell from the way the ball is getting moved around and the way players are moving without the ball that they are making a concerted effort to target the weak spots of the Hawks’ defense. On that last play they rotated the ball around until they got Bibby guarding a bigger man in the low post, and came away with an easy basket.
Sid
January 18th, 2010
3:37 pm
that was only the second foul of the game against the Thunders starting 5 . Our starting 5 needs to man up and take it to them .
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:38 pm
Steve on the radio just said, “…oh No Josh is going to dribble it…” LMAO!
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:41 pm
If the Hawks had a good offensive coach, they would be finding ways to get Josh Smith isolated in the low post against Nenad Krstic. That’s the weak link of the Thunder defense. They are more athletic and quicker than the Hawks on the perimeter, but inside is where they can be exploited. Instead, it’s the same old same old offensively for Atlanta.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:46 pm
Switching D led to two quick fouls for Horford
rms
January 18th, 2010
3:47 pm
I told ya’ll SAP’s after the Phoenix game the Hawks were gonna get their butt whipped by the Thunder come Monday and sure enough they are proving that they cant handle them at all. They will get frustrated and rely on jacking up jumpshots and not attack the rim. And when they do attack the rim they will miss their free throws.
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
3:47 pm
Najeh,
Exactly. I am okay with keeping Woody, but more than anything, he needs an offensive coordinator. You cannot rely on defense alone to win games. There will be games where your defense is failing you, and you will need to rely on your offense sometimes.
But this has become a trend for the Hawks. Against Cleveland twice (in the 4th), against Miami (in the 1st quarter), against Phoenix early in the 4th, and now against OKC in the 3rd. Our offensive is too inconsistent.
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
3:48 pm
Our offense is offensive at times.
That being said, I still expect the Hawks to make a run in the 4th quarter. And I will not be surprised when they come back and win the game
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:49 pm
I’d really like to know what Marvin does in practice. Because if he’s not making that open 3, I wonder what use he is on offense at all. That’s pretty much the only thing he has to work on in this offense, so that shot really should be automatic.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
3:50 pm
i like it…!
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:51 pm
Man, Hawks can’t seem to get over the hump….
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
3:51 pm
Rod from CP always makes the point that although Marvin gets a lot of open looks (especially from 3), he can’t make the shot consistently. And he can’t make it at critical times during the game.
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
3:54 pm
Crawford should just start shooting his free throws from the 3 point line.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
3:55 pm
eeeew…. MARVIN!
Sid
January 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
jamal is gamer !!
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
“His nimbers speak for itself”
–Nique, on Jamal Crawford’s All-Star candidacy
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
3:56 pm
Will Woody go with this 5 to finish the game? Well maybe 6 six b/c I’m sure Horford will be coming back in…
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
3:57 pm
Marvin from 3= Josh out of the post
hit or miss…
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
3:57 pm
nice to see we have a go to man for the playoffs
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
3:59 pm
Co-sign Najeh and O’Brien.
We almost never set up a mismatch in our favor on offense.
Remember that Woody had to “plead” with Bibby to get the ball to Horford against the Suns.
There is such a thing a being too laissez faire on offense.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:04 pm
would’ve like to see Jamal lay off the dime there…
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:04 pm
We let too many chances to tie or get lead to start the 4th qtr go by…
Sid
January 18th, 2010
4:05 pm
Jamal has got to finish those layups >I have no problem with him attacking the basket over chucking the jumpshots but he has go to go for that dunk and make sure he gets the foul call.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:08 pm
8 missed shots. Can you say tired legs….
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:08 pm
What a terrible time for this brick festival. If there ever was a time the Hawks could retake the lead, it’s now, with Durant on the bench. Instead, OKC has stretched their lead back to 6, and Durant’s going to be back any minute now.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:10 pm
Dang it, bad shot by Jamal
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:11 pm
hmm…. gonna have to fight for this one…
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:13 pm
6mins left Hawks down 7. They gonna have to win this one with defense.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:14 pm
thats right… get it and go young fella…
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
4:15 pm
Kevin Durant has played 33 minutes, while JJ played 39. I wonder how many minutes would JJ play if we didnt have Crawford to help him out? I like the efficiency of JJ this game though. 8-19.
That being said, Hawks shooting 42%, Thunder shooting 48%. Hawks need to man up, get some more stops, and take good shots.
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
4:16 pm
J Smoove’s 3rd straight double-double game.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:17 pm
hmm…
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:17 pm
Drive the ball to the rim.,…
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:17 pm
Joe dog tired…
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:18 pm
Other than that Josh Smith And-1, I don’t think the Hawks have taken a single good shot in this entire quarter. If they had, they would probably be leading. That last possession was just atrocious.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:18 pm
oh…!!
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:20 pm
Can we give the ball to Crawford on offense and let him create. Joe is taking to long to make his move….
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:21 pm
another reason why i cant understand the lack of mins for Teague or the defense of it… sure you will take away mins but is that really a bad thing??
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:22 pm
finally tied it
Hawk n the Ham
January 18th, 2010
4:22 pm
Clutch = Smoove
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:23 pm
smh
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:23 pm
brutal possession…
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:24 pm
Get the ball to Crawford…
Sid
January 18th, 2010
4:24 pm
sometimes all you can is WTF
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:25 pm
We got a break from the refs with that out of bounds call
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:25 pm
Would kill to see what Woody had drawn up on that chart
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:26 pm
And MR. Anti Clutch blows the game
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
Joe looked tired bringin it up…..horrible
2 of the last 3 shots were joe and josh tryin to do too much….
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
Worst shot I have ever seen.
Sid
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
wasting so much of the clock ? WHY !!!!!!!!!!
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
Terrible shot by Joe..
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
sorry folks… thats a foul call for even mid level performers… Joe gets no whistles…
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:27 pm
Mr. anti clutch
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:28 pm
Antoine Walker and Glenn Robinson would have cringed at that shot Joe Johnson just took. You gotta be kidding me.
If the Hawks had played like even an average offensive team in this quarter, they would have this game in the bag.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:28 pm
Put Mario in for defense…
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:28 pm
damn.
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:28 pm
Embarrased
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:29 pm
Nice play by Green….
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
4:29 pm
Hawks 3-14 (21%) from 3. Bibby 1-5, JJ 0-4. Brutal. While OKC 4-9 from 3 (44%).
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:29 pm
Where are all the Joe defenders LMAO
Sid
January 18th, 2010
4:29 pm
We put in defensive subs and then give up A DRIVE A DUNK and A FOUL ROFLMAO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:30 pm
And no that wasn’t a foul Joe just made took a bad shot
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:30 pm
bigdave,
Joe should have lean into his defender not fade away. Refs not going to call that. Joe have to sale the foul…
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:31 pm
Notice how Horford didn’t step up on that Jeff Green drive… because he had five fouls.
Worst offensive quarter I’ve seen the Hawks play this entire season, and yet another example of how far the Hawks are from beating a healthy Cavs, Magic, or Celtics team, regardless of what ESPN.com’s power rankings think.
Clyde
January 18th, 2010
4:31 pm
When you don’t have a offense to run you go one-on-one
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
4:31 pm
I swear JJ takes tougher shots than he has to. It’s as if he LIKES a high degree of difficulty.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:32 pm
Melvin…
before the fade action there was body contact..
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:33 pm
Nobody is gonna call a foul on that unless your Lebron. Why don’t u understand that.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:33 pm
Can we bait the defender into a foul while attempting a 3pt shot…
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:33 pm
there you have it folks. happy..
Clyde
January 18th, 2010
4:33 pm
Najeh Horford does that all the time. He just stands there flat-footed with no desire to protect the basket. Sean Williams would have atleast gave a hard foul and sent him to the line.
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:34 pm
Dang….
BONE
January 18th, 2010
4:35 pm
The hawks coulda won this game if the Hawks actually had an offense. How many times are the hawks gonna have bad 4th qtrs. LOL @ all of u who think we can compete with the Cavs or the Magic.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
4:36 pm
I gotta give you props, Clyde, you stick to your guns. Who does Sean Williams play for now? Tulsa 66ers? Efes Pilsen? Shanghai Sharks?
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:37 pm
bigdave,
I hear ya but he has to sale the foul. forget trying to make the shot. make sure you get the refs to blow his whistle by throwing your body, hands, yelling or even flopping to get the refs attention…
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:37 pm
bigdave,
I hear ya but he has to sale the foul. forget trying to make the shot. make sure you get the refs to blow his whistle by throwing your body, hands, yelling or even flopping to get the refs attention…
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
4:38 pm
KD played 39 minutes. Joe Johnson played 46 minutes. I’m not a basketball player, but correct me if I’m wrong.
When you play that many minutes, doesn’t that make you physically and mentally tired? And when you’re tired, its easy to take bad shots (like JJ is known to do in the 4th and down the stretch, especially when he’s dead tired).
And our defense played well in the 4th, because OKC only scored 15 points. So I’m sure Woody is pleased with that. Unfortunately, our offense only scored 16 points. Woody, get an (offensive) clue.
Samuel,
Scott Brooks for COY?
Astro Joe
January 18th, 2010
4:38 pm
LOL @ Najeh.
If Al didn;t rotate to save his 6th foul, that was a very bad mistake. A mental error by someone who doesn’t make many mental errors.
Thunder move to 15-4 against the East this season.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:39 pm
from now until the all star break and the west coast swing directly afterwards will probably tell us all we need to know about the Hawks,
Melvin
January 18th, 2010
4:39 pm
16 pts, in the 4th. I wonder if Woody still not worried about the offense….
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:43 pm
Melvin…
sure… but hey, i cant fault him for not thinking about the whistle. you would think he could just focus on the shot without trying to play the role of ref or actor… i just would like to see him get a consistent whistle. its not a matter of explosiveness, Paul Peirce lost his years ago… Durant got touch whistles… if there was contact, body or follow through… blow the whistle.
Wabe
January 18th, 2010
4:45 pm
Offensive execution was horrible. Losses are always disappointing, but losses at home just p!ss me off.
We played solid DEF and forced the Thunder to make tough jumpers, but we lost this game because once again, we were ice cold to start the 4th. If we had come out shooting a higher % to start the 4th, we would’ve probably ended up cruising to another W.
cp
January 18th, 2010
4:45 pm
Add Jeff Green to the list of guys I would rather have than Marvin.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
4:46 pm
Bench was 6-27. We won’t win many that way.
Guards were 4-15 from 3. We wont win many that way.
Crawford saved us on Friday, but hurt us today.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
4:50 pm
i dont want to hear another thing about Joe being selfish or “hating Jamal”… he clearly deferred to and looked for Jamal late, all the while making plays and shots helping the Hawks cause.
jay dubu
January 18th, 2010
4:53 pm
The Hawks have the players to be an upper echolon team, but they thy need an offensive identity. I read the nice article of the reporter who followed the Hawks for a couple of days, and how Woody stressed defense. That’s good and well, but how much does the opposing team have to stress defense, if you’re only bringing ISO plays.
I’ve seen too many 4th quarters from the Hawks where they can not score a basket. The coaching staff has to put something in place to help eliminate these types of 4th quarters. Either you’re not getting key guys enough rest, or you need an offensive play other than ISO Joe, or clear one side of the court and let Crawford go one on one. That’s good until the defese adjusts, or the player you’re going to gets tired…but then what.
I like Woodson, and I hope he continues to learn on the job, but there as to be some new schemes put in place asap.
You can’t continue to loose games that you should win, and not expect it to take a toll mentally on the players first, as well as the fans.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
4:57 pm
The hawks will be inconsistent until they:
1) Get some kind of nice-to-decent offensive scheme/playbook
2) Get more players that fit better into woodson’s ISO one on one style of offense…..
going into the 4th…depending on a tired Joe Johnson and an offensively challenged Josh Smith (in one on one…dribble drive situations) is just not going to cut it
Get Woodson out of here or get more players in that fit his “system”
J.J.M.
January 18th, 2010
4:59 pm
I posted this on mark blog
Joe will only and always be a all-star. He will never be a super star. hes not consistent like a kobe or wade. I would consider trading joe for chris bosh and let crawford start…there’s no way teams will double crawford leaving bosh one on one with players…only thing bad bout this bosh might nog re-sign with the hawks and hawks will end up with nothing but last time i check bosh played for ga tech right?
Ken Strickland
January 18th, 2010
5:03 pm
All of you WOODY LOVERS who think he deserves to be COY need only look at HC Scott Brooks to see what a real COY candidate is all about. He used strategy, made ajustments, PLAYED HIS ROOKIES and used his bench effectively and extensively. He’s managed to do more with his team in approximately 1yr(spread over 2seasons) than Woodson managed to do his 1st 4yrs. And nobody can say he’s had far more talent to work with than Woody had, because Brooks inherited the 1st or 2nd youngest and least experienced team in the NBA. He’s just done a much better job of developing and utilizing the young talent he’s had than Woodson, especially rookie talent.
Having said that, Woodson did an overall good job of coaching today. We lost this gm because of our extremely limited halfcourt OFF, which is something I’ve been harping on all yr. I guess those who’ve complained about those of us who’ve make an issue of the team and Woodson’s shortcomings, will once again pretend not to notice the ineptitude of Woodson’s halfcourt OFF.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
5:04 pm
big dave,
about this:
“i dont want to hear another thing about Joe being selfish or “hating Jamal”… he clearly deferred to and looked for Jamal late, all the while making plays and shots helping the Hawks cause.”
No hate here. Only the facts. Joe had more shots in the 4th quarter than any other Hawk including Jamal.
Fourth Quarter shooting stats:
JJ – 2-7
JC – 0-6
MB – 1-4
MW – 0-1
JS – 1-2, 2-2 FT
AH – 1-1
Looks like our guards should have looked inside a little more.
I’ll say it again. We need to start feeding Josh and Al with the game on the line. That crucible is the only way they will grow into what we need them to be to reach a Championship.
little dave
January 18th, 2010
5:15 pm
im sick of hearing jjs tired.its just hes really not that good
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
5:16 pm
It would pay off to feed Al, but I dont know about Josh Smith.
his post game is so weak with his back to the basket (not to mention free throw woes)….I dont trust one of his wild hook shots to go in any more than a Joe or Crawford jumper…
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
5:19 pm
Didn’t get to see anything beyond the first quarter, but the box score tells a familiar tale. I’ll watch the rest of the game on DVR to see how much the box score really told. Observations early on showed the Thunder outhustling us. Then there’s the rest:
Hmmmm, Joe takes as many shots as Josh and Al combined.
I would have said that our advantage was in the paint against this team, but I guess two guys going 12 for 23 from the field wasn’t convincing. Meanwhile, our top 3 backcourt players were a scorching 19 for 47, with Jamal being the worst culprit. Gotta love a guard-heavy, jump-shot happy offense.
They won the battle of the boards thanks to some guy named Ibaka. What’s an Ibaka? I don’t know, but it sure knows how to rebound.
We didn’t show the maturity that they one day hope to attain. If we don’t find a way to stay focused, we will lose more games like this one. Good thing they don’t play in the East.
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
5:23 pm
his post game is so weak with his back to the basket (not to mention free throw woes)….I dont trust one of his wild hook shots to go in any more than a Joe or Crawford jumper…
Josh Smith today: 18 points, 12 boards, 7 assists, 3 blocks, 6-6 from the charity stripe, 6-11 from the field.
He doesn’t have to have his back to the basket. He scores by charging to the basket. Call it what you want, but the guy is shooting over 50% from the field this season. It must all be by accident, huh?
buick59
January 18th, 2010
5:26 pm
this is why no one takes this team seriously.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
5:28 pm
Big Ray,
You beat me to it.
terrell
January 18th, 2010
5:30 pm
Chill out everybody. Cant win em all. Orlando will loe at LA tonight. Nio big deal. We played hard. The shots just weren’t falling. Not to mention OKC was on fire in the 1st half. Coulda fed Horfor more, but not disappointed in the effort today. And btw, OKC is pretty d… good.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
5:31 pm
Think about this:
We are an answered prayer away from having a two game home losing streak.
SOMEBODY needs to give a sh!t about offense.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
5:31 pm
I dont question or doubt Josh Smith’s rebounding, passing ability or overall hustle out there. He gets alot of his points from dunks, put backs off offensive boards, wild plays from hustling to loose balls, etc.
but in the half court, Josh Smith isnt a guy you can just dump the ball down to and expect consistent results……pointing out his 6-6 from the line today is useless….considering he isnt good from the line USUALLY…..
I wouldnt mind the guards throwing it down to Horford more though.
terrell
January 18th, 2010
5:38 pm
That prayer was answered Sautee, so it does’t matter. I’ll take 1-1 vs. Phoenix and OKC. Think about this: We had a chance to win BOTH games after being down early. A couple of years ago, those kinda games would be over at halftime. At least they’re fighting till the end.I’ll give em that much. And btw, where in the hell is Jeff Teague. And one more thing, I think it’s time to give Morris some burn. Pachulia is awful.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
5:40 pm
How many games has Josh Smith took over offensively…that wasnt uptempo, didnt involve a bunch of high flying dunks OR wasnt one of those wild, sloppy games???
In the playoffs the game slows down which is what kills the hawks, I’m not all for the guards shootings jumpers all day (not for it all all really), but if you guys think we’re just gonna get in the half court then toss it down to josh and expect consistent results IN THAT MANNER….then you’ve also got another thing coming. His hook shots or whatever he throws up while attempting to post up someone are just as wild and often bricks like his jumpers…..and even if he gets fouled it’s not like the points at the line are guaranteed..with his poor free throw shootings….
like I said..I respect the man’s bassing ability, rebounding, defense and hustle….lol but one of the answers to solving the offensive woes is not simply dumping it down to josh more….maybe horford…def. not josh though
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
5:42 pm
passing*
terrell
January 18th, 2010
5:44 pm
Woody’s back to his 6 or 7 man rotations. Sund cant be happy with that. Where’s Morris? Where’s Joe Smith? Where’s Teague? Better get these guys ready for the Playoffs Woody. Ever heard of injuries?
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
5:55 pm
We all have to admit…no matter if we agree on the remedy strategy or not….Woodson’s one on one offensive “scheme” is not gonna cut it,.
terrell
January 18th, 2010
5:55 pm
Here comes Charlotte. They’ve won 5 in a row and sit 5th in the East. That Jackson trade was huge.
Loserville USA
January 18th, 2010
5:56 pm
Another unintelligent performance by a group of immature athletes.
Unless they stop losing to Oklahoma City, New York, etc by taking DUMB outside shots they will NEVER compete for an NBA title. Every time Woody treats them like adults they revert back to being children. No critical thinking on the court — EVER.
richbrave
January 18th, 2010
6:04 pm
Astro Joe
January 18th, 2010
9:27 am
Ray, my apologies… but I think the Thunder will own a 15=point lead (at a minimum) today.
Vava, I think it is in their DNA. And feeling like they can now win close games probably won’t help their drive to take care of business by the mid-3rd quarter.
Check out Eric Maynor today… another guy I lobbied for pre-draft (along with Dajuan Blair). He doesn’t have much flair… he’s old school like an Eric Snow type.
MANNY T:
RICHMOND has a point guard from ATLANTA that’s excellent as well. A junior named KEVIN ANDERSON. Averaging about 20 a game this year. Although about 5′11′ he’s definitely got game. He tore up LaSALLE in our last game. He’s so good I’ve started going to ATLANTIC CITY for the A-10 tournament in March just to see him play. Last year and this coming.
cp
January 18th, 2010
6:06 pm
Once again Marvin gives us pretty much nothing. I don’t know who has had more games with less production this year him or Bibby. Its time to explore some trade options with Marvin. Whenever he has a chance to step up or get aggressive he does nothing. I don’t want to hear about his age, how he is being used here, or he still has potential. Get somebody at the sf position who is going to show up nightly. If Travis Outlaw was not hurt I would try to trade Marvin for him straight up. Marvin will be 30 and people will still be talking about his potential and this other crap. Ive seen more fire out of Mario in 3 games than I have seen out of Marvin all year and I’m not even a Mario fan.
Ken Strickland
January 18th, 2010
6:08 pm
We have only 2 players that can be consistently effective playing penetrating one on one, ISO basketball. Those 2 players are JCrawford and JTeague, and Woodson has Teague under strict control, while using him sparingly. JJ is a good one on one, ISO player, but he lacks the speed and quickness to be effective consistently.
We simply don’t have the type of individual talent needed to play Woodson’s preferred jumpshooting, one on one, ISO style of ball. But, regardless of that fact, he insists on making that the basis of his halfcourt OFF, and certain players and the team continue to suffer as a result.
When an individual’s understanding of what constitutes an effective halfcourt OFF is limited, you can expect the actual halfcourt OFF designed by that individual to be equally limited. It’s much easier for Woodson to state he doesn’t care about OFF than to admit his knowledge is very limited.
How many of you WOODY LOVERS think we’d be 26-14 at this point if Scott Brooks was our HC? Bringing in Green or any other player to replace Marvin won’t make a damned bit of difference if Woodson and Bibby exclude him from the OFF like they do Marvin, as well as Horford for that matter.
Our starting PG was tied with C AHorford for 4th on the team in assists with 4. As active, mobile and athletic as our frontline is, we need a PG that does more than stand on the perimeter shooting jumpshots, or passing to jumpshooting teammates. We need a PG that can penetrate, breakdown the DEF and score or create easy scoring opportunities for others. How often have we seen the Hawks DEF victimized by guards who penetrate on us and score or pass to an open player?
WE CAN DO BETTER THAN WOODSON AND HIS EXTREMELY LIMITED HALFCOURT, ISO, ONE ON ONE OFF.
terrell
January 18th, 2010
6:13 pm
Loserville, you cant be serious. Evidentally you dont watch too much basketball. The Knicks can beat anybody when they get hot. And OKC is one of the best young teams in the league. And like my man said, who you gonna go inside to, besides Al? We definitely should feed him more, but I dont trust Smoove’s hook no more than I trust a jumper from the guards at this point.
Loserville USA
January 18th, 2010
6:24 pm
Terrell — they don’t play inside enough and use their athleticism to go to the line.
Why shoot 3s all the time when you’re down by 2?
And I do watch a lot of basketball man, and whether OTHER teams are young and good you need to hold serve AT HOME against these teams who are STILL INFERIOR to you.
And by the way, NO ONE should get a nickname until they’ve done something. Anything. Smith takes games off and gets into foul trouble. He b!tches at the refs so they usually give him nothing.
This team is 3-0 against Boston because in their SMALL MINDS they get fired up.
Against Oklahoma City and New York they mailed it in.
It is a very immature team at this point.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
6:37 pm
If Josh is SO erratic around the hoop with his post ups, then explain how he’s shooting over .50%? To me, it seems that most of his misses are long jumpers just inside the 3 point line. How is he missing so many of those, and so many post up shots and still shooting .50%?
Answer: Perception, not Reality.
Blast
January 18th, 2010
6:37 pm
Josh said it best. Hawks were complacent coming into the game, they thought they could turn it on and off. Obviously OKC is too good for that. Worrying thought. Hawks have been playing from behind last few games and managing to win but it caught up with them tonite. Hope they learn a lesson from it. They were lucky versus Phoenix.
Two consolations:
1. Teams have to play really hard and really well to beat the Hawks, and OKC did that.
2. Hawks tied with Majic for division lead. Magic plays at LA tonight. LA goes on a long 8 game road trip after tonite. Magic has been slumping on the road. So, let’s hope LA brings it tonite and beat orlando.
Now I’m gonna go back and read the comments.
Go Hawks, Go!
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
6:42 pm
Ken Strickland,
“As active, mobile and athletic as our frontline is, we need a PG that does more than stand on the perimeter shooting jumpshots, or passing to jumpshooting teammates. We need a PG that can penetrate, breakdown the DEF and score or create easy scoring opportunities for others.”
Actually we ALSO need a freakin’ system that would value those very things. If we don’t have a system, then today’s 4th quarter will always rear it’s ugly head.
Loserville USA
January 18th, 2010
6:46 pm
Actually, when you’re 19-3 when you lead at halftime and you’re 7-11 when you’re not, it’s easy to see WHEN THE HAWKS COME TO PLAY.
Today, down 51-48 at the half.
BRICK CITY.
DUMB SHOTS.
LOSS.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 18th, 2010
6:54 pm
The Hawks are 15-12 after their 11-2 start.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
6:56 pm
Mac-Town,
I’m reallynot trying to start something about Josh. It’s OK if you don’t appreciate him to the degree some of us do. But I’ve go to point something out.
You said this:
“In the playoffs the game slows down which is what kills the hawks, I’m not all for the guards shootings jumpers all day (not for it all all really), but if you guys think we’re just gonna get in the half court then toss it down to josh and expect consistent results IN THAT MANNER….then you’ve also got another thing (sic) coming.”
Mac-Town you DO realize that Josh was our leading scorer in the playoffs, don’t you?
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
6:57 pm
Najeh,
Well THERE’S some perspective.
Jody
January 18th, 2010
7:00 pm
If this team in SO intent on winning a title without a superstar, then a LEGITIMATE third scoring option is needed. I’m talking about a guy who can manufacture points on the offensive end either at or above the level of Joe Johnson or Jamal Crawford.
Right now, Josh Smith is playing that role, and honestly, that’s just not his game. Don’t get me wrong, I really appreciate what Josh brings and what he does on the floor and it is CRUCIAL to the success of this team. However, the Hawks need another guy who can get it done consistently night in and night out. A guy that both Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford could play off of. Unfortunately, that guy is not currently on this roster.
cp
January 18th, 2010
7:07 pm
Upgrade the sf position and get another big in here who can rebound and block some shots. Our rebounding has really slacked off since the start of the season. And Bibby continues to look older as each game passes. He couldn’t guard a lawn chair at this point. And like many have already stated, when you don’t care about the offense shid like today happens. Come playoff time when the game is slowed down and we have to play half-court we are going to be in trouble.
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
7:17 pm
Sautee…
my comment wasnt about hating on Joe, it was the “Joe hates Jamal talk” that pops up regularly here. you watched the game right… dont recall moments in the 4th (including critical possessions) Joe usually takes it upon himself to do everything, score play make; he looked to feed Jamal. as far as your stating the facts… 2-7/0-6 what a difference of 1 shot? im sure you wouldnt have preferred another miss?
Just Saying
January 18th, 2010
7:25 pm
So the Hawks are not better than Oklahoma City but can beat the Celtics and Suns same week? Too many ups and downs with this team and season will end with another down in the playoffs.
We are a REAL head coach away from the next level.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
7:35 pm
big dave,
My point was that with all of Joe’s “deferring” he STILL took the most shots.
To me, if Jamal took 6 and Joe took 7, he wasn’t deferring, he was sharing.
If he took fewer shots than another teammate, then I’d say he was deferring.
And maybe that’s all semantics, but THAT’S how I’d define “deferring”
But my main point was that maybe the guards all should have “deferred” to Al and Josh in the 4th quarter.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
7:37 pm
Sautee, so you believe Josh Smith can be a go to guy down on the block???? I’ll believe it when I see it.
Josh Smith is at his best running and gunning, up and down the floor. I havent saw anything from him that makes me comfortable in a half court set.
I see of bunch of trying to beat guys off the dribble (a definite NO!!!) and a bunch of ugly shot attempts while in the post barely drawing iron.
I’d rather have horford sorry…better FG % and Free throw %…better ball handling…better mid ranged jumper from what I can tell
O'Brien
January 18th, 2010
7:39 pm
“Upgrade the sf position” cp
This offseason when Marvin’s contract was up, I thought it was a good idea for Sund to resign him. At the time, I wasn’t sure what to think about his contract though, 5 years, $37.5 mil. But looking back, I think Sund bid against himself and overpaid. No other playoff team would give Marvin that kind of money, and the teams under the cap wouldn’t give him that much either.
I used to have this discussion with Rod from CP as to whether or not Marvin was a top 15 SF. But now that I think about it, he is barely top 20. I was looking at the list of SFs in the league, and in no particular order, these are SFs I would take over Marvin.
Pierce, Gerald Wallace, Luol Deng, LeBron , Carmelo, Ariza, Granger, Al Thornton, Artest, Rudy Gay, Durant, Mickael Pietrus, Matt Barnes, Grant Hill, Hedo, Richard Jefferson, Josh Childress, and Caron Butler. That’s 18 SFs that (I think) would have the same impact on this team that Marvin does. Maybe Rod from CP is right.
Sure, Marvin has talent, and he does have a good game here and there, and flashes here and there. But overall, he has been a big disappointment. But we have him for 4 more years, and he is a Hawk, so I will root for him to turn it around.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
7:52 pm
Horford and especially Josh Smith would benefit more from Teague getting more burn. Josh performs better when things are going “fast”
a guard able to drive and kick to Smoove right at the rack or 1 or 2 quick dribbles and finish makes for a MUCH better Josh Smith on offense than letting him have the ball in his hands for too long trying to “create” for himself
Astro Joe
January 18th, 2010
7:53 pm
Offensive systems are nice, but does the triangle guarantee a 50% team field goal percentage? How about Eddie Jordan’s Princeton offense, does that system ensure a made last second shot?
Did the Hawks lose this game in the 4th or did they lose it when they were down by 12 in the 2nd quarter and again by 14 (one point away from my prediction) in the 3rd quarter? Yeah, they tied the game in the 4th but they were fighting from behind for most of the contest.
Offensive system my left rear cheek. Y’all all know that the Hawks historically play poorly in early games and often take alledgedly weaker opponents for granted. The Thunder are 15-4 against the East, likely because the East isn’t paying attention to how good this team has become. If we had scored 120 points today, we still would have found a way to lose… because we simply lose these types of games.
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
7:55 pm
O’Brien,
For me, you could add Jared Dudley to that list. Good defender, leading the league in 3 pt. %.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 18th, 2010
7:58 pm
atleast the Magic will probably lose
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Mac-Town,
“Sautee, so you believe Josh Smith can be a go to guy down on the block???? I’ll believe it when I see it.”
So did you see the Suns game Friday? With 2:40 to go, we fed Josh on the low block on the right side. He faked a pivot back and then shot a lovely half hook (nothing but net). His footwork was terrific. I thought to myself “He should make that his go-to move”.
So yes, I think he has it in him but I agree with you that Horford has it even more.
I said in the offseason that Al and Josh were ready for a larger role and that to deny them was asking for chemistry problems. We’ll see as the season progresses if I was right. Already, after the Magic game, Al said publicly that he was surprised to not get the ball more (He was 6-7 that game).
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
8:13 pm
AJ,
“If we had scored 120 points today, we still would have found a way to lose… because we simply lose these types of games.”
And who, pray tell, would be responsible if this happens over and over?
Sautee
January 18th, 2010
8:21 pm
new blog up
terrell
January 18th, 2010
8:22 pm
We need a Zach Randolph type of scorer(pf) in the post if we’re going to stick with Woody. He’s just a bad fit for the players we have. When is he going to realize that this team needs to run?
bigdave
January 18th, 2010
8:42 pm
so b/c he ended up w/ more shot attempts in the quarter he didnt defer in role? defer by definition; implies a deliberate putting off to a later time. now my point was to the claim that Joe hated Jamal, or was not willing to share the basketball… so what are you saying? if Joe ended up w/ 1 less shot than Jamal he deferred at that point… ummmm… ok.
“(he clearly deferred to and looked for Jamal late), all the while making plays and shots helping the Hawks cause.”
i dont think deferring is limited to shot attempts but its fine if you do.
Ken Strickland
January 18th, 2010
9:01 pm
OBRIEN-it’s not the players fault they have to function within a system that caters to most players weaknesses rather than their strengths. It’s the fault of a system that’s more focused on jumpshooting, ISO’s and one on one exection rather than ball movement, back picks and/or using a series of picks to free players to either take pullup midrange jumpers or continue to the basket.
When we go ISO and one on one, everyone has to clear out, plus we never send players cutting to the basket. With everyone standing on the perimeter during the clearout, we can’t take advantage of our size, speed, quickness and athleticism to get put backs on missed shots.
HOW IN HELL CAN ANYONE WITH AN OUNCE OF BASKETBALL INTELLIGENCE SAY THE HAWKS ARE VERY WELL COACHED WHEN OUR HC INSISTS ON STARTING A SLOW, NONE PENETRATING, NO D, JUMPSHOOTING PG THAT WON’T LISTEN TO HIM, AND WHO OPENLY ADMITS HE DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT THE OFF, WHICH REALLY SHOWS LATE IN GMS? And how interested can he really be in DEF if he continues to play NO D Bibby 28MPG while ignoring Teague?
Watch, we’re going to have trouble with any young, athletic team that’s well coached, like the Grizzles, Bobcats, Thunder etc.
Big Ray
January 18th, 2010
9:30 pm
Mac-Town’z Finest ,
Josh Smith is at his best running and gunning, up and down the floor. I havent saw anything from him that makes me comfortable in a half court set.
You say that, and I hear you. But guess what? That doesn’t just apply to Smith, whom you have targeted. It applies to THE HAWKS.
I see of bunch of trying to beat guys off the dribble (a definite NO!!!) and a bunch of ugly shot attempts while in the post barely drawing iron.
Exactly. That’s our halfcourt offense. The one that Josh is so wild and sloppy in. Yep.
All I’m saying is that the problem doesn’t lie with Josh. He’s one of our key guys. Do you play to your key guys’ strengths, or do you play to their weaknesses?
jay dubu
January 18th, 2010
10:31 pm
The way that this team is built can be successful, but all the pieces have to perform at top level.
Bibby is the deadly 3 point specialist, which will open up the defense down low.
Joe is the mid range score, that draws the double team, which leaves someone open.
Josh is the defensive stopper, who’ll help control the paint offensive and defensively.
Al is the low post scorer that will rebound.
And Marvin has to become the jump shooter with the killer instincts.
If these all line up, then the Hawks can play with anyone. It’s only when the pieces don’t perform to the expected level that days like today happen.
darrell starks
January 18th, 2010
10:56 pm
Okay lets get down 2 it and keep it real.
1.if we are going 2 compete for championship we have to either trade marvin or give up a first for andris biedrins or may be and caron butler.
2.marvin is hurting us bad at the 3position he is not effective at all there for he must come of the bench an make us stronger bench wise.
3.making a trade for andris biedrins and moving horford 2 power ford will make our front court with JOSH, HORFORD, BIEDRINS, the strongest defensive team in the nba witch will create more easy basket in the transition game.
4.woody i repeat woody have 2 stop this 7 or 8 man BS rotation and devolop teague to play with the second unit. i will be back for in a min.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2010
11:06 pm
Okay im back
we must make a trade because during the playoff in halfcourt game this current roster will get killed.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2010
11:11 pm
STARTER BIBBY, JOE, JOSH, HORFORD, BIEDRINS
BENCH JAMAL, MOE, MARVIN, JOE SMITH, ZAZA
RESERVE TEAGUE, MORRIS
THIS TEAM CAN WIN IT ALL PLUS I THINK MARVIN IS A BETTER PLAYER COMING OF THE BENCH.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2010
11:14 pm
DEFENSE CREATE EASY BASKET PERIOD.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
January 18th, 2010
11:24 pm
AS MUCH AS LIKE MOE EVAN TRADING HIM AND 1ST FOR BIEDRINS WANT BE BAD EITHER.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!