Bobcats at Hawks, AKA Here Comes Yet Another Gritty Opponent
Remember those stretches this season when the Hawks were running opponents off the floor? Forget it.
Here come the Bobcats Charlotte, who follow the Kings, who followed the Thunder. Different levels of talent among those teams. Similar levels of energy and effort.
The Bobcats allow the fewest points per game in the league. Adjust it by possessions, and it’s the same thing.
It won’t be easy for the Hawks to score. They tend not to like that. If they abandoned (or just failed to execute) the offensive plan at times against Oklahoma City and the Kings, it’s not hard to imagine them doing it more often against the Bobcats.
“We are going to have to grind for 48 minutes,” Woody said, “which is OK. Last year we didn’t have a lot of blowouts and we had to grind. That’s good. It helps keep guys on their toes. With blowouts, you start to take things for granted.”
The Hawks insist they aren’t doing that with the Bobcats. Of course, they said the same thing against the Thunder and Kings yet still lost focus for stretches. Maybe those Woody-Larry Brown-Stephen Jackson-Flip Murray connections will have them alert from the jump.
“They are a good team,” Smoove said of the Bobcats. “They are buying into that (toughness) philosophy. That’s how Larry Brown has his teams play. It’s going to be a fight.”
– You are concerned about this one. At Peachtree Hoops, hawksdawgs explains how the Bobcats tend to play with his emotions:
I did not circle this game as being a must watch game before the season started. Not because I thought the Bobcats were going to be bad but because the Bobcats make me cry. They find ways to eek out victories against the Hawks in the most painful way possible or they just beat the ever living crap out of Atlanta. Neither is good for my soul.
Blog commenter Astro Joe fears a Bobcats beatdown:
Anyone else concerned that Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace and Flip will come in tonight and punk us in our own gym? I am… I still think that we are a soft team. Charlotte may try to take our lunch money tonight and the Hawks will go whining to the refs (as opposed to fighting back). I have a nasty feeling that the Bobcats will wear their bully hats and we’ll be grousing about another heartless (effort).”
That was pretty much the theme of Woody’s post-practice speech to the team Thursday (regarding the Bobcats coming in straight gangsta, not about his team being soft). So the Hawks are aware, at least.
– Woody’s desk was piled with letters from an elementary school class in Charlotte asking him to vote Wallace as an All-Star reserve. Nifty PR move.
– The fans loved Zaza’s dunks the other night. But he’s from the leave-’em-wanting-more school: “If I do it every time, then it’s not as exciting anymore,” he said.
– The league announced the All-Star starters on Thursday night. The reserves, voted on by coaches, will be revealed next Thursday.
John Schuhmann at NBA.com thinks J.J. makes it, Al Horford gets a “tragic shaft” (hey, hey, easy) and Smoove is a “wildcard.”
– Talk amongst yourselves, Hawks fans.
MC
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237 comments Add your comment
KevinA
January 22nd, 2010
7:00 pm
If we play inside out we can win. But if we are out rebounded by 19 like the last game with the Cats it won’t matter what we do on offense.
northcyde
January 22nd, 2010
7:02 pm
What up Trace,
I came down on Monday to watch the Thunder game. If I lived within 90 minutes of ATL, I’d definitely be at tonight’s game. But I probably won’t get to make it to another Hawks game until right after the All-Star break.
Blast
January 22nd, 2010
7:16 pm
Northcyde,
Hope your predictions are correct. The Cats are a nightmare matchup for the Hawks. If Hawks don’t show early, they could easily get blown out of their own gym. I’ve been worried about this game for days.
I predict Hawks will sign Mario for remainder of the year.
O'Brien
January 22nd, 2010
7:24 pm
On PTI, Kornheiser and Dan Levetard (sp?) said JJ or Rondo should have been the choices for starting the All-Star game, not Allen I.
Blast, by the time his second 10 day contract is up, it will be very cheap to sign him for the rest of the year, and we will still have an extra roster space available if the Hawks want to sign somebody else. Long story short, I agree with your prediction lol.
I will be watching the chess match between Larry Brown and Woody (assuming Woody knows how to play chess). I would like to see who has to make an adjustment, and what adjustments are made.
Hawks need to defend the 3 point line.
bigdave
January 22nd, 2010
7:27 pm
lets get it…
Dukester9
January 22nd, 2010
7:37 pm
Lets trade Joe for D Wade straight up right now!!!!!!!!!!
jj
January 22nd, 2010
7:40 pm
I have been saying that LB and his Boys would give us a licking,but tonite I believe The Hawks will defend Their House.GO HAWKS…….Come on Woody……
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
7:43 pm
Alright everybody I’m here.
Ready to see Woody get outcoached.
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
7:44 pm
For someone with a pretty jumpshot. Why does Marvin’s jumpers not fall?
niremetal
January 22nd, 2010
7:44 pm
Snozzola. Nique’s greatest contribution as a broadcaster.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
7:51 pm
Trade that Albino Bibby
J.J.M.
January 22nd, 2010
7:52 pm
its official marvin is the most clumsy person I have ever seen
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
7:53 pm
LOL @ Mac
Bibby look like an albino frog. Albino Kermit lol. sounds like him too.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
7:54 pm
lmao
KevinA
January 22nd, 2010
7:55 pm
we can’t rebound and they can’t handle the ball
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
7:55 pm
We need to jump on these guys while they are sucking
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
7:56 pm
Good job on not tripping Marvin.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
7:56 pm
amazing how good they are at home but so dreadful on the road
Blast
January 22nd, 2010
7:56 pm
I’m loving it!
Go Hawks, Go!
Sautee
January 22nd, 2010
7:59 pm
Josh Smith, with his low or non-existent basketball IQ, has 4 assists in nine minutes.
Musta got lucky.
Jody
January 22nd, 2010
7:59 pm
It’ll be interesting to see how Josh Smith fares defensively against Boris Diaw. Like Josh, Diaw plays power forward, but is more of a small forward size wise. Josh gets labled (unfairly) by many as being a poor perimeter defender. We’ll see how he fares tonight.
Blast
January 22nd, 2010
8:00 pm
Who knew Jamal could block shots before he became a Hawk?
Mad funny watching Hawks fly the court on the break.
Nice to see defensive hands getting in the passing lane.
Knew wrinkle to the switch defense. Hawks are trapping.
JOE GET THE HELL'ON JOHNSON!
January 22nd, 2010
8:01 pm
REMEMBER PEOPLE JOE JOHNSON IS PLAYING FOR A CONTRACT! JUST LIKE REGGIE BUSH!
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:02 pm
See Marvin u can do it
O'Brien
January 22nd, 2010
8:02 pm
Hawks looking good. I like the ball movement to get JJ some easy looks.
I expect the bench to get some minutes in the second quarter.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
8:02 pm
lmao…maaan marvin’s been playin a lil better..
Sautee
January 22nd, 2010
8:08 pm
Starters are 15-20.
northcyde
January 22nd, 2010
8:12 pm
The starters more than did their job in that 1st quarter. Probably one of the best 5 starts we’ve had all year.
NOW . . . .let’s see if our “great bench” can at least hold the 14 pt lead going into the 2nd, or extend the lead. If they play it right, they all could play 6 minutes in this quarter.
O'Brien
January 22nd, 2010
8:16 pm
northcyde,
We have a good bench. With consistent PT, they might become a great bench.
But I agree that our bench needs to keep the lead.
Sautee
January 22nd, 2010
8:17 pm
LOL at ‘Nique saying “Flip Mary”
tiger woo
January 22nd, 2010
8:19 pm
So far, Joe Johnson has this ALL CAPS Joe Johnson hater looking like an idiot!
KevinA
January 22nd, 2010
8:24 pm
Teague survived his 6 min. Barely
J.J.M.
January 22nd, 2010
8:28 pm
and here comes the bobcats
Blast
January 22nd, 2010
8:28 pm
Intensity and ball movement has reduced for the Hawks.
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
8:28 pm
when Bibby’s jumper isnt going…he’s more useless than Mario West…send him to go play for Mario’s D-League team the “Maine Red Claws”
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:28 pm
How many times are the hawks gonna blow leads. damn
Mac-Town'z Finest 478
January 22nd, 2010
8:29 pm
lol nique said the hornets
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:29 pm
Bibby is garbage.
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:29 pm
Now where taking jump shots. Just great
Blast
January 22nd, 2010
8:30 pm
Joe drove in too deep. He might have banged his knee. Lead dwindling even more as we type.
J.J.M.
January 22nd, 2010
8:30 pm
thats why this team will only be good and never great
joBjo
January 22nd, 2010
8:30 pm
Hawks losing focus. put the subs back in.
Sid
January 22nd, 2010
8:30 pm
Cmon Joes gotta make that pass . Sometimes I just dont know what is going through these guys heads. .
terrell
January 22nd, 2010
8:31 pm
Bought to give up hope on Marvin. Trying to stick with him, but if I didn’t know he was out there, I wouldn’t know he was out there. And I knew it was about time for us to blow that 16 point lead.
joBjo
January 22nd, 2010
8:32 pm
Al hit one.
J.J.M.
January 22nd, 2010
8:33 pm
lol wow marvin
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:33 pm
Choking again
J.J.M.
January 22nd, 2010
8:34 pm
ill just watch this hope for haiti for the night….donated 30 dollars by the way
BONE
January 22nd, 2010
8:35 pm
Like I thought, Larry Brown would coach circles around Woody.
Gun Play
January 22nd, 2010
8:36 pm
TBA – Thug Basketball Association