Atlanta Hawks at Knicks, AKA Trapped In A Zone
Super commenters Najeh Davenpoop and O’Brien voiced their concerns about the Hawks vs. zone looks after the Heat used one to stymie the Hawks late in the game Saturday. The Mavericks did the same thing to come back and win on Feb. 26, and you’ve got to think the Knicks will show some zone tonight. Why wouldn’t they? The Hawks tend to seize up and waste possessions when they see it.
There’s even less player movement than normal, there are pointless passes around the perimeter and there are rushed shots. Woody has said most opponents back off the zone once the Hawks shoot them out of it. But what about those games like the two recent losses where they don’t shoot them out of it? Then it’s another “We missed good shots” lament after a defeat.
Clearly the Hawks have to figure out something else. So what exactly is the plan vs. a zone? “Good ball movement, attack the defense and penetrate and dish,” J.J. said after the loss to the Mavs. Sounds good. Now maybe the Hawks should try doing it.
– The New York Post says J.J. is “on display” tonight. The story notes J.J.’s good relationship with coach Mike D’Antoni and agent Arn Tellem’s good relationship with Knicks boss Donnie Walsh and speculates that Johnson could end up in New York. New York media desperate for the Knicks to be relevant again clearly covet LeBron–notice how the stories are about LeBron even when they aren’t–but now they seem to be focusing on J.J. as a consolation prize.
– D’Antoni wants to “speed up” the game by possibly giving Toney Douglas more minutes at point guard. Or maybe it will be Sergio Rodriguez. Either way, I don’t have to tell you that “quick point guard pushing the pace” isn’t something the Hawks really want to see.
– T-Mac is questionable because he’s feeling old.
– All Hawks players were at shootaround today and are good to go, reports FSN South/SportSouth Hawks sideline reporter James Verrett. I’m not with the team but will blog off television.
– Talk amongst yourselves, Hawks fans.
MC
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493 comments Add your comment
vava74
March 8th, 2010
8:01 pm
Woody has little or no interest on offense but our DEFENSE IS PUTRID…
Something is definitively wrong: we are living on the back of successive personal performances, mostly by Josh, JJ and Jamal with Al providing the glue.
joBjo
March 8th, 2010
8:02 pm
OMG! ZONE! WHATTDOWEDO
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:03 pm
Anybody interesting in seen Harrington in a Hawks jersey next year?
vava74
March 8th, 2010
8:03 pm
Yep… Zone defense and we start jacking up bad jumpshots…
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:04 pm
Josh playing Point Forward….LOL
joBjo
March 8th, 2010
8:04 pm
FINALLY SOME D!
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:05 pm
Crawford need to use the backboard more on his drives…
nunna yo biznezz
March 8th, 2010
8:06 pm
northcyde 3:34pm said:
So who do you put in O’Brien?
Teague? Who can’t make an open jumper and can’t finish in traffic when he goes to the hole.
Mo Evans? Who can knock down the open jumper, he just hasn’t done it with any sort of consistency this year.
Zaza? He can’t make a jumper nor finish at the rim. It’s embarrassing to see how many point blank lay-ups he misses.
Mario West? Who in his entire career has made 3 . . count them . . THREE JUMPSHOTS in his career.
Joe Smith? Who can make the midrange jumper at a higher rate than Smoove, but isn’t worth taking Smoove out of the game.
———————————————————————————————————————————
ok,
if your a head coach like your coy is,shouldn’t you play by your players and teams strength??
why play into the other teams hands?
why play or counter with what is a known way of countering a team with anything short of your “A Game”?
P.S. Everybody,look for jamaal to go off in his homecoming and go for 40 or even 50 plus tonite
!!
KevinA
March 8th, 2010
8:06 pm
Well, Al has his limit – time to shoot jumpers
O'Brien
March 8th, 2010
8:06 pm
I’m surprised that D’Antoni went zone already. I would have probably saved that until the second half.
joBjo
March 8th, 2010
8:10 pm
Harrington would look good coming off the Hawks bench.
HawksFan11
March 8th, 2010
8:10 pm
Nice D JT0
JeJe
March 8th, 2010
8:11 pm
Is this team ever gonna have a good defensive game again?
I thought Woodson is a defensive coach. Why can we not defend anymore?
Oh wait, Mike Bibby is our point guard
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:13 pm
Seriously man the hawks just are….. I don’t even know what to say
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:16 pm
hmm… dribble penetration and kick…
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:17 pm
lol.. at Nique commentating with food in his mouth…
Ole Hawk's Fan
March 8th, 2010
8:17 pm
Keep pounding the ball inside to the BIGS.
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:17 pm
hmm… the young whippersnapper splitting the zone…
Wabe
March 8th, 2010
8:18 pm
Keep this lineup on the floor.
This is what I mean by experiment.
JT0/Jamal/JJ/Marvin/Zaza
Wabe
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
lol never mind
i’m obviously seeing things because JJ isn’t on the floor
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
Woody going to take Teague out of the game b/c his man scored on a back door play but Bibby guy can score all game and he will leave him in there…
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
man.. id leave Jeff out there..
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
don’t take teague out u damn fool.
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
Woody is so dumb
Wabe
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
JT0 played well. I can’t get why Woody gets him out of the game so quick.
joBjo
March 8th, 2010
8:19 pm
that’s O bigdave. Woody don’t care about O. It’s all about D, can’t you tell?
Wabe
March 8th, 2010
8:20 pm
Sometimes, I hate loving the Hawks.
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:21 pm
this is how you use a bench.. sprinkle them in w/ starters…
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:21 pm
Great bal hogging JOE
joBjo
March 8th, 2010
8:21 pm
me too Wabe.
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:22 pm
Teague and Mo deserve to play extended mins in the 1st half…
Jody
March 8th, 2010
8:23 pm
The Hawks shot selection to this point has been ATROCIOUS! Bob Rathbun made a great point. With Josh and Al having the size advantage inside tonight (something they don’t always have), the ball should be going there first every time down the floor. If it had been, the Hawks would be up by a lot more right now.
vava74
March 8th, 2010
8:24 pm
Teague was getting into rhytmn and Woody pulled him.
Yes he turned his head and was burnt on that back door cut but he responded with a lay up of his own and then a good defensive sequence contesting a shot which rebound went our way.
The first possession with Bibby on the floor, he looses Toney who fortunately misses the lay up…
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:24 pm
Rodriguez is running circles around Bibby…
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:26 pm
Man I seriously don’t see how Teague can get any better under Woodson. It’s like he doesn’t want Teague to be better than Bibby.
Clyde
March 8th, 2010
8:26 pm
FIRE WOODY
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:26 pm
misses the shot.. and then his man burns him..
Melvin
March 8th, 2010
8:27 pm
Rodriguez blew right by Bibby and Woody says nothing…
Jody
March 8th, 2010
8:27 pm
For the life of me, I can’t understand why the Hawks are not running a post offense. They’re shooting themselves in the foot trying to play perimeter ball when they don’t have to.
NCBravesFan
March 8th, 2010
8:27 pm
My question for northcyde & others re: the zone: is the problem that they don’t make their good, open shots … or is it that the Hawks are not patient enough to work for a high quality shot?
(In other words, are the Hawks settling for the jumpers the opposing team WANTS them to take?)
Ole Hawk's Fan
March 8th, 2010
8:29 pm
Does Bibby know what “Defense” IS?
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:30 pm
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck meeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:32 pm
draw that iso up Woody…
Sleepy
March 8th, 2010
8:32 pm
Well the problem is that only Crawford and Joe are feared jumpshooters at this point in the season .Everyone else you will live with them taking a few jumpshots because you know they can never beat you shooting that shot.
We should not be wondering why we cant shoot against the zone but instead ask why we dont push the ball hard before they can setup the zone and try to get easier baskets .
When the knicks miss outlet the ball with the pass not the dribble and try and attack the rim they are the second worst fg% defensive team in the league
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:33 pm
listen fake me, get off my nuts, hey every one the post at 8:30 isnt me
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:33 pm
Bibby couldn’t defend a disabled person
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:33 pm
iso Horford 18 ft away from the hoop out of a time out…
Jody
March 8th, 2010
8:33 pm
We run a play out of the timeout where Al catches the ball 15+ feet away from the basket?
bigdave
March 8th, 2010
8:34 pm
then let a 6′10 shooter continue to matchup against your 6′ lead footed PG..
TheBark n' TheBite
March 8th, 2010
8:34 pm
smooooove attackin the zone thts wut im talkin bout