Atlanta Hawks Squawks: Hawks 105, Wizards 99
– After the game the Hawks were pumping up the Wizards as tougher than they seem because they had been competitive in losses lately. “We’ll take it,” Horford said. “They’ve been struggling but I’ve seen them play close games against good teams. We weren’t taking anything for granted.”
– I understand the Hawks taking a victory any way they can get it against whichever opponent, especially after what happened at Miami and New York. And I know all heck would have broke loose with a loss so give the Hawks credit for surviving.
– But come on, man. It’s getting a little late for that “all teams are tough, sometimes you have nights like this” stuff. The Hawks got outworked for most of the game by a team headed for the lottery. They let a bad offensive team have an easy time scoring for long stretches and let a so-so rebounding team dominate them on the boards.
– How does that happen considering what’s at stake? “It is disappointing,” Woody said. “We can’t rely on just mSmoove and Al to get rebounds. They were lacking in that area tonight (too). Blatche and McGee had their way on the boards. We’ve just got to get better.”
– The Hawks had to sweat out a victory against the Southeast’s last place team when they supposedly are trying to win the division. It’s one thing to have a bad shooting night but Woody stressed defense and rebounding and then got neither.
– Woody is putting together a video highlighting his team’s problems in those areas so he can see show his players how they need to pick it up. He will need to splice in plenty of new footage from this game.
– How bad was it? Rookie Alonzo Gee, recently signed to a 10-day contract by the Wizards, got his first NBA basket on a dunk in the second quarter. He should know it’s not supposed to be that easy against good teams.
– But was that easy for the Wizards. They shot 53 percent and scored 28 of their 51 points in the paint in the first half while taking a 19-11 rebounding advantage, including nine on offense. How can the Hawks come out with that kind of effort?
– OK, don’t want to be too negative here. The Hawks forced 21 turnovers with 11 steals so they were active at times. They survived the Wizards’ final surge while reducing their head-scratching offensive plays even when Washington played zone.
– “Good teams find a way to win,” Al said. “We lost the last two close games so it feels good to come out on top like this.”
– The Hawks can thank Jamal’s hot shooting and aggressive drives to the basket for this one. He made two 3-pointers to start that 19-7 run that gave the Hawks some breathing room. He also made 9 of 11 free throws, all in the second half, when nobody else was making them.
– “At this point of the season everyone understands what they are supposed to do,” Jamal said. “When they make a run, it’s up to certain guys to step up. That’s a part of my job description.”
– Good thing because J.J. had another off shooting night (8 of 19) and Josh wasn’t doing it all like usual (noticed a few times he didn’t seem to have the same energy). Also big that Bibby came through with 16 points and 7 of 11 shooting. Zaza made a couple big shots, too.
– But, man, I keep coming back to Washington’s 49.4 percent shooting and 42-29 advantage on the boards. I can’t stop thinking about how listless the Hawks looked most of the night when they were supposed to be desperate. It’s like they think they are much better than they are despite plenty of evidence they aren’t as good as they can be.
– And I don’t care how many close games the Wizards have been playing. They are headed to the lottery and after that trade have maybe three guys who could get major burn for the Hawks.
– Dang, there I go getting negative again about a victory. I think J.J. feels me, though. “Our effort defensively has to pick up for the playoffs,” he said “We’ve been to pretty much the highest level and we know what it takes. We have to come out and execute and play with effort.”
– Iso-Joe in the fourth: missed fadeaway jumper, missed straight-up jumper.
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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160 comments Add your comment
LY Munz
March 11th, 2010
11:30 pm
Well said, nothing more to say. Another no show by Marvin, and barely escaping a pitiful Wizards team.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:33 pm
Fairies.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:33 pm
Bubbles.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:34 pm
Rainbows.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:34 pm
Unicorns.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:37 pm
Stop being so negative, MC. Even if the Hawks beat the Nets on a last-second buzzer beater we should be happy because they are winning and they are not 13-69.
Positivity!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2010
11:37 pm
Woody, you’re doing a heck of a job.
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
11:41 pm
@MC, this is the type of game the Hawks have routinely lost in the past. Playing a bad team on a weekday night on the road. No energy in the building. No external motivating force. But the team is now one road victory from matching last year’s total road wins.
JOE
March 11th, 2010
11:46 pm
“Marvin the invisable” rather than C. Paul or D. Williams , the only less effective ( and worse) second overall pick I can think of is Darko M. picked by the Pistons instead of Carmelo or D. Wade
Astro Joe
March 11th, 2010
11:46 pm
Najeh, I think that beating the team in front of you bodes well for the playoffs. Playing better on the road than last year bodes well for the playoffs. Having a more diversified offense. Overcoming poor seasons from 40% of our starters and still being in a dead-heat for the 3rd seed. Finding new ways to exploit Josh’s talents. Featuring Al in the half-court sets. Creating an offense less dependent on the 3-ball. Having a winning record against .500+ teams. Valuing the ball and reducing careless turnovers. Responding to almost every bad lost with a 2-3 game winning streak. There’s a lot that is happening this season that suggests a deeper playoff run than last year.
I’m not feeling the comparison between the concerns of the fan bases’ of Boston and Atlanta. One team is clearly on the decline with little hope that they will recover (they won’t get younger and McHale isn’t around to hand them HOFers for pennies). The other team is in better shape than last year by every possible measure and is in a 3 year climb. Just because both stock prices are at $25, doesn’t mean that both sets of shareholders are equally satisfied/dissatisfied. It’s all about where the price was when you purchased the stock. And for most of us, the Hawks stock price has been at $7 for so long, we can’t even remember the days when it was in the $20s consistently. Meanwhile, the Celtics stock… well, you know the rest of the analogy.
But please, don’t let my platinum lining interfere with a bromance for the rain cloud.
Melvin
March 11th, 2010
11:49 pm
Maybe if the Hawks could allow their bigs to defend the opposing team bigs in the paint instead of chasing guards around on the perimeter, they could rebound better. I don’t how many times I saw Joe, Bibby, Crawford trying to box out McGee and Blatche b/c of the switching defense…..
Hawk n the Ham
March 11th, 2010
11:54 pm
I hear ya MC. Get after them!!!
Fire Woody! Hire…….MC!!!
doc
March 11th, 2010
11:55 pm
MC great comments. NOW YOU KNOW. These are the way our guys have been playing for two years. Jekyll and Hyde: enjoy the ride with us.;-)
Ree Roe
March 12th, 2010
12:05 am
@ Astro Joe, sometimes I read your posts & see the ironic & sarcastic statements and I wonder what exactly your expectations of the Hawks are? We looked BAD against a BAD Wizards team, but you seem to be intentionally ignoring that. Yea it was a win, but for a team trying to win a division & contend deep into the playoffs, is this the kind of performance you’re gonna give a pass?
-REEcently Roe!!!
Brad Smitty
March 12th, 2010
12:06 am
Guys (Astro and Najeh), you’re saying MC should stop the negativity, but I LIKE that he’s calling this team out right now. If the Hawks players and their fans are going to consider the team elite, than certain expectations need to be met.
It’s not like the kind of performance we saw tonight or the one against New York or the one against Golden State was some kind of aberration. For “elite” teams to play like this, even against poor teams, from time to time is perfectly acceptable. However, it is becoming the NORM during the second half of the season for this Atlanta Hawks team to play horrible defense, not move the ball on offense, and play close games against sub-par competition. The fact that the players and the coach say all of the right things in the media but then consistently fail to improve upon these aspects even against the worst of teams is something that DOES call for some negativity. Especially when we have shown earlier in the season that we can be an extremely good, maybe even elite, team in this league (yes, even defensively).
Hawk Str8Talk
March 12th, 2010
12:07 am
I LOOOOOOVEEEEE my Hawks to death, but there is nothing in the on court psyche or the comments of this team that gives me one iota of confidence that we’ll be winning a 2nd round playoff series. If I hear Woody say that a game is huge when it isn’t, I’ll scream. Beating the Wizards on the road is not huge for any team that wants to be a contender. No team is winning with a 7 man roster. So, it’s just sad because we accept it as an organization and as a fan base.
Brad Smitty
March 12th, 2010
12:08 am
I think you were being sarcastic, actually Najeh. My bad!
kwooden1
March 12th, 2010
12:11 am
I saw parts of this game and I’m just happy the HAWKS got a win. The Wizards have been playing pretty well as of late. They should have beaten Boston on the road and had a nice win against Denver at home a few weeks ago.
The Good:
1) Crawford was on fire and Bibby knocked down some shots.
2) Woody played the bench in the 3rd and 4th which gave the starters some rest
The Bad:
1) Terrible Fundamental Rebounding!
2) Terrible pick-and-roll defensive
3) Terrible Help defensive by everyone not named Smoove
The HAWKS always struggle against long athlete teams, but tonight was one of the worst performances ever! Usually Portland is the team to do this to us, but the HAWKS knew they were playing a bad team and didn’t bring the right level of intensity. I’m glad Woody gave the starters some rest in the 4th quarter, but the starters almost lost the lead the bench had built. Overall rebounding and transition defensive can be corrected, so I’m not overly worried. I did like Horford attacking McGee inside though, its a good test for when we play Orlando. Horford has to challenge Howard as often as he can for us to be successful against the Magic.
Take the win and get ready for Detroit on Saturday
GO HAWKS!!!
Geemack
March 12th, 2010
12:32 am
Astro
The points you made are valid and should be commended.
However you can not ignore the fact, that the Hawks have regressed defensively, and often lose focus in the 4th.
We’re currently in 3rd place battling a Boston team that clearly taken a few steps back this season. Yet as a team the Hawks have failed to put distance between us because we have given away games we had controll of, and we were better than the teams.
You are correct we are winning, but we are not seeing the play of our team progress as the playoffs approach.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
12:37 am
Theme of the night:
“Good teams can sometimes play sloppy, and still win.”
With us playing on a Thursday night, the Inside the NBA crew will be discussing us a little tonight. Will they talk us up a little, since we’ve won 7 out of 10 . . . or will they dog us and go negative?
Charles may be a little positive, but Kenny will definitely go negative.
The Hawks played like how the Lakers play, when they play bad teams on the road. The Lakers will let a team hang around and hang around. But they’ll play real good for about 3 minutes, and take enough of a hold on the game to win it.
Geemack
March 12th, 2010
12:40 am
Astro
That stock analogy is classic. lol.
Geemack
March 12th, 2010
12:47 am
northcyde
The difference between the Hawks and Lakers…..The Lakers are bored and the regular season will not define their season only a championship matters.
The Hawks on the other hand are defined by what they do in the regular season, because seeding will determine how far they go in the playoffs.
Grandad
March 12th, 2010
12:51 am
Do we ever play well and just beat somebody’s butt?
Have we had a run where we won 6 or 8 in a row and looked
both skilled, and polished? Have we ever looked like a well
oiled machine operating with precision @ optimum level?
I would think elite well coached teams would do this
from time to time.
The Truth
March 12th, 2010
12:58 am
The game ball goes to MC for keeping it real and calling the Hawks performance appropriately. Near the end of the game, it seem like JJ did everything in his power to give this game away. It appeared as though he was more pre-occupied with “being the man” then winning the game; coming off the bench cold and playing ISO Joe against 3 defendants.. We all know about the Hawks terrible defense but I also notice the team struggles to finish plays. Again, we keep teams in games because we can’t capitalize well on turnovers.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
1:35 am
What I don’t understand, is how or why people are correlating how we play against these bad teams, as how we’ll play in the playoffs? What does look bad against the Wizards have anything to do with how we’ll play in the playoffs?
You’re talking about a totally different level of intensity and focus once the playoffs come around. How the Hawks look in early March against a bad team, has nothing to do with how the Hawks will play come April.
Even if we’d blown the Wiz out, that has nothing to do with a potential 2nd round matchup with Cleveland or Orlando or Boston or whomever . . . because the playoffs are a totally different animal.
What are we gonna do? Break out the game film of the March 1st Chicago blowout, in preparation for Orlando in the playoffs?
Yeah, there’s plenty to complain about with wins like these. But like Astro said, if this game were played a year ago, this game is a LOSS. But this group of Hawks are a mentally tough bunch. Even when they don’t play great, they can pull a win out of their butts.
I don’t worry about this team nearly as much as you guys do. You guys are going to run yourselves crazy thinking about how we’ll supposedly will play in the 2nd round ( which won’t be played 2 months away ), instead of simply watching this team for what it is, and enjoying and savoring every win . . regardless of how pretty or ugly the win was.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 12th, 2010
1:45 am
Mark Fox > Mike Woodson
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 12th, 2010
1:52 am
northcyde: “You’re talking about a totally different level of intensity and focus once the playoffs come around”
………
talkin about that same intensity our leader Joe Johnson had in the playoffs last year?
The Wiz arent the Magic or Cavs, obviously, so of course even blowing them out wouldnt necessarily mean we are then prepared to take down those teams. However, looking horrible against horrible teams, would make one wonder, hmmm, how we are going to look against much better teams (particularly ones we have yet to even win a game against this season) when we are barely winning and losing to mediocre and below teams.
For you to say you arent worried is perfectly fine, but if you atleast cant even see why some of us would be very worried, then you’re blind. There is valid reason to be worried.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
2:01 am
Do we ever play well and just beat somebody’s butt?
Yes. We’ve had 2 games recently like that, in Chicago and Philly. And a lot more games like that all throughout the year too.
Have we had a run where we won 6 or 8 in a row and looked both skilled, and polished?
Yes. See the 6 game win streak in December and the 7 game win streak in November
Have we ever looked like a well oiled machine operating with precision @ optimum level?
Yes. See both Toronto games. And the recent Chicago game, plus a few others.
I would think elite well coached teams would do this from time to time.
We do. Even if we’re not elite yet.
(( shrugging shouders )) . . . just stating the facts, and not perceptions.
Grandad
March 12th, 2010
2:11 am
When do we ever play with efficiency, focus, and intensity
on both ‘O’ and ‘D’? When, when, when is this team gonna jell?
It’s always something, one excuse right after the next.
As I said before; “when is this team gonna put it all together
for 6 – 8 games and play with precision and authority in so doing”?
We win ugly…we lose games that elite well coached, ‘mentally tough’
teams don’t lose.
Really – Wdsn’s putting a tape together [brainstorm].
Sorry Michael, I appreciate the reporting, I sincerely do.
Don’t elite coaches do this on a daily/nightly basis. (watch tape)
A team’s leader (Coach) sets expectations.
Then, ‘dad blame it’, he ensures that those expectations are met.
I really didn’t intend for this to turn into an anti-Wdsn rant.
Good night everyone.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
2:14 am
Mac . . . you guys are ALWAYS WORRIED though. The fact is that we may not simply match up against Orlando in the first place, to expect to beat them. That’s the reality of the situation. Regardless if we were blowing these sorry teams out or not, doesn’t change that fact.
To beat Orlando, JJ AND Crawford are going to have to play at damn near a superstar level . . both of them. They’re going to have to be lights out from the perimeter for us to take down Orlando. That’s the only matchup advantage we have over that team.
To beat Cleveland, our frontline is going to have to come up HUGE. No nights off for Horford and Smoove, and we’re going to need Marvin to show up EVERY NIGHT. No disappearing acts from him offensively or defensively.
Those two things would remain true, regardless of how we play against sorry teams.
The only thing I can say, is that it would make some of you guys feel a little better, if we were blowing them out, giving you a false sense of hope for the playoffs.
But the reality of the situation, is that those games have no correlation to how we’ll play in the playoffs. Let’s see how this team plays starting next week, when we play playoff caliber squads. Let’s see if playing against teams fighting for playoff position, enhances their focus.
Meanwhile, it’ll be nice to take care of Detroit on Saturday night.
As for how we’ll fare in the 2nd round . . we’ll play games vs 2 of those possible teams in about 3 weeks. If we beat one of those teams, no one will be talking about how bad we looked in a win vs Washington. All people will be talking about, is how we beat one of our potential 2nd round opponents.
Grandad
March 12th, 2010
2:29 am
northcyde:
Good answers all.
My memory rarely extends beyond what I had for breakfast.
However, my queries were more about prolonged periods of time.
or sustained excellence. [consistency]
Also, I never seem to remember, excellence running our half ct. sets.
I was talking about all phases of the game.
Lastly, if we’re so darned good, then why do we gripe all the time.
*NOTE* Your points were well taken!
Lacsho
March 12th, 2010
6:40 am
MC you nailed it, I think your assessment was on point. SMH The hawk’s look bad winning!! Crawford was hot, but as usual his defense was awful. Then you got hop along Cassidy running the point. He couldn’t stay in front of my 7 year old son. I won’t get started on ISO. What’s really funny, now every team plays zone against us.
Hmmm, perhaps Woodrow will install a zone offense this summer. (He’s a joke)
The Real Hawk
March 12th, 2010
7:15 am
Marvin Williams plays for the Hawks? Since when?
ant banks
March 12th, 2010
8:19 am
boston is garbage and it is lookin’ like we will face orlando in the 2nd round. here is the strategy for beatin’ orlando. “HACK-A-HOWARD.”
you have 18 fouls between joe smith, collins, and zaza. anytime they go into the post foul him!! he is a 50% free throw shoota. play good defense on the perimeter, throw some salt over the left shoulda, give out rabbit foot in all the lockers, and hope for the best
Mike Jay
March 12th, 2010
8:23 am
This team lacks a tough veteran leader on the floor. One who won’t put up with slacking play. One who expects, no demands that everyone else play to his level of intensity and effort. It certanly will never be JJ, though it should be. I think J. Smith or Al Hofford could grow into that role but we need one NOW.
ant banks
March 12th, 2010
8:23 am
jj shrivels up ever year around this time. think back to the last 10 games of last year, the 1st rnd and 2nd rnd playoffs. he needs some “male enhancement.”
O'Brien
March 12th, 2010
8:26 am
Did not see the game, so all I have is the box score.
It was good to see Bibby have some good numbers. I hope he can keep it going, (as opposed to one good game out of every 5). And Crawford looks like he is officially back as the SMOY. I also like Josh’s contribution in other ways (5 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocks).
The 2 things that concern me are missed FTs (15-25), and the rebounding (42-29). Those are stats that can cause you to lose a game. I do think the switching contributes to missed rebounding opportunities, because our bigs are out of position sometimes.
Hawks just need to stay focused and get back to playing good defense.
That being said, good win for the Hawks. This Wizards team gave Boston all they could handle (in Boston) a few games ago, and almost won that game. So I’ll take the road win and move on.
Lacsho
March 12th, 2010
8:37 am
O’Brien trust me it was not a good win. We should’ve blown this team out by 20.
Iso - Who cares
March 12th, 2010
8:38 am
Can you please stop your iso analysis? No one cares about it. Stop wasting your time
The Truth
March 12th, 2010
8:44 am
ant banks
So JJ needs some “male enhancement.” You think that’s the problem? Viagra to the rescue!!
Khao$
March 12th, 2010
8:59 am
Honestly, the reason the Hawks were crushed on the boards was because Javelle Mcgee and Blanche are bigger than our tandem of Horford and Smith…and they are athletic. On most nights, Josh and Al hold an advantage on other teams. Although other bigs may be bigger, typically Al and Josh are quicker. Thus, they have a mismatch. In this case, Blantch and Mcgee ran the floor and were bigger. Mcgee has given the Hawks problems in the past. It’s not that those guys are good, it’s just that they match up well with our bigs. Rarely will you see a game with both Josh and Al perform that badly on the boards, but I believe this was the reason why.
TheJerk
March 12th, 2010
9:01 am
FIRE WOODY
FIRE MC
FIRE NORHTCYDE
PMC
March 12th, 2010
9:15 am
Maybe Joe is checking out already. Nice to see his hustle and scrap on display.
ILL-logical
March 12th, 2010
9:16 am
Marvin Williams plays for the Hawks? Since when?
Lately, Marvin has been playing WITH the Hawks-you know like as a guest MC.
Seriously, the one thing that I have noticed about the team’s performance as of late is that they are not having fun on the court. Remember early on the towel waving, the fast breaks where the ball never touched the floor? Well some of that is missing and it could be the grind of the season catching up/ the pressure of great expectations; whatever it is the team needs to address it .Soon.
Maybe that was what the eyebrow shaving incident was all about- bringing a little levity to the locker room. Now the club’s leader (s) need to step up and help lighten up the tension. A good frst step would be for the current incumbent head coach to stop micro managing every game situation. No one likes it when their manager is looking over their shoulder evry minute. Have him sit down and only stand when there is a time out. And calm down; majoring in the minor over 100 plus games gets old real quick.
Fire Ken(TheJerk)
March 12th, 2010
9:17 am
THANK YOU MICHAEL VICK!
Girl has third surgery in three days for dog attack injuries
ncat96
March 12th, 2010
9:23 am
In reading the posts today you would think that the Hawks were in danger of missing the playoffs. But the last time I checked the Hawks are the 3rd best team in the conference, the 7th best team in the league of 30, 7-3 over the last ten games, and on pace to win 52 games. Am I missing something here.
I understand that the Hawks need improvement. I would love to see them in the championship this year. However, if you study most NBA teams that have made elite or championship status you would see that it takes more than a few playoff seasons. The Hawks are a work in progress. This will be only their second straight winning season. Much has been accomplished by this team. Now last night’s win was ugly. But they won. And yes they have lost these kinds of games this season. But not as many as they would have lost in past seasons. So if you want to continue to look at the glass half empty . . . so be it. I like the progression that I have seen over the past three seasons. What may happen in the future . . I don’t know. But I surely am enjoying what is happening now. I may not agree with the coaching style at times . . but they are doing well with what Coach Woodson has done so far. Just my two cents.
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
9:30 am
I wonder if Woody had told MC before the DC game that he was going to start experimenting with playing his bench at the start of the 4th quarter, if you all would have felt better about last night. Because it’s been a long time since we’ve seen Teague, Joe Smith and Zaza at the beginning of a 4th quarter in a fairly tight game.
I wonder if Woody had told MC before the Knicks game that he wanted to see if Al or Josh could be featured at the end of a tight game as the primary scoring option. Because Josh took about 4-5 shots in the last two minutes of that game and learned valuable experience.
I wonder if fans had advanced notice about attempts to make subtle changes, if it would be met with less cynicism. Because unless something is repeated about 50 times, many seem to miss attempts at changing facets of this team. Heck, some still rant about iso-Joe despite all of the evidence that shows it is run around 2X a game.
Seasons change.
March 12th, 2010
9:31 am
Our center plays no defense and is very lazy defensively but loves to shoot the ball. Every coach runs plays to get him under the basket and then drive on him because he cant defend. All opposing centers suddenly look like superstars when they play Horford but only average against the rest of the league. Why? If we had a legitimate center we would be in the top 2 teams. This team is playing well above their potential but once JJ and Woodson leave it will be “rebuild city” for the next five years til we realize what a slothful defense Horford is.
The bottom line is Id like to thank the team and management for the outstanding seasons of late. Its been a very nice run and Ive got to see some good and fun basketball.
JJ will leave because he wants a ring and is nearing his prime, Woodson will leave because he can make more money, have a better contract and stick it to M. con & ham , ken s. and the rest of the Bubba Crew.
Both of you will be love and missed. You guys did an ” OUTSTANDING JOB! ” and will be missed!
Thanks to the entire organization last few years.
We were a center away………
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
9:38 am
Ill, one of this team’s greatest flaws is that they don’t have a vocal peer leader. This team can’t maintain their emotional edge over 82 games (most teams can’t) so they sleep-walk through weekday games against lesser competition. It’s frustrating but it is unrelated to a forecast of postseason success.
Joseph
March 12th, 2010
9:45 am
Hawks will be out in the first round of the playoffs it looks like. Sad for a team with so much talent.
b.j.
March 12th, 2010
9:50 am
okay the hawks sometimes look lost on D and why does everyonejust stand and watch when JJ and Crawford handle the Rock on “O”, I dnt know but on the flip a WIN is a WIN and ill take it understand folks for all the hate the HAWK are going to Win 50 GAMES, think back to when they won 13 not to long ago everyone takes nights off in the nba ask the lakers they lost to the heat and the bobcats last week as far i see it the team will be judged on how they play iin the PLAYOFFS-GO HAWKS
O'Brien
March 12th, 2010
9:57 am
One thing about the Hawks, is they are known to play up (and down) to their level of competition, so even though I have been very critical of them and Woody, I think they will step their games up in the playoffs.
In ‘07-’08, the Hawks limped into the palyoffs going 3-5 over their last 8 games (they finished 1 game in front of the Pacers, who lost 2 of their last 3 allowing the Hawks to get in).
Now raise your hand if you thought they would push the Celtics to 7 games in the first round.
I dont see any hands.
The players are much better this time around, so I think this team will be more focused in the playoffs. I just hope they will learn from the mistakes they have made during the season.
Dukester9
March 12th, 2010
10:09 am
Didnt see the game but going by this article sounds like we need a center. O well ho hum. Like i said a fun 50+ win season and out in the 2nd round of the playoffs and depending on who we get in the 1st round and we continue playing like this we might get bounced in the 1st round. Front office you should have traded Marvin and Zaza for Sam Dalembert, instead of Mario West a deadly 3pt shooter. Coach Woodson stop half of the perimeter shooting and come up with more plays driving to the basketball. This team says “we gotta get out an run” Um gents you must rebound the ball FIRST!!!!. The ball is shot and Josh and Al takes off running for a fast break. LOL thats ok for running power forwards man. But real centers dont think like that they think rebound and outlet pass. Our center barely take the ball out of bounds. Nothing against Al love him to death. But he is a power forward thats so good he can play center.
Dukester9
March 12th, 2010
10:21 am
I mean the Sam Dalembert trade made so much sense. 1st you would have unloaded 2 dead contracts (Marvin and Zaza)with 2 or more years on them for one dead contract (Dalembert)that ends next year. You would have instantly had 2 of the top 5 shot blockers on your team (Josh and Dalembert)also instant rebounding. A legit big man to at least be a force on the block against Shaq,Howard or anyone other team in the playoffs. Yes Al could have continued his minutes at center. When they needed to go big Josh at SF Al plays PF Dalembert C. Playing small ball ok JJ moves to SF Josh at PF Al at C Crawford at SG. Read my text the last 5 minutes of the playoffs will haunt us in the paint.
vava74
March 12th, 2010
10:25 am
I’m sure that Truth Serum will be having a ball in the coming days on account of the 8 dunks by McGee and Al’s alleged lack of interior presence…
Nacho
March 12th, 2010
10:25 am
Season Change: If think that someone will disagree with you, must you try to label them by calling them “Bubba Crew”. I am apart of no crew but I still can have an opinion on Woody or the Hawks that may or may not agree with you.
We are on this blog because we are Hawks fans.
Westurd
March 12th, 2010
10:36 am
Bibby signed for (3) years
Marvin signed for (5)years
GULP!
21st Century
March 12th, 2010
10:42 am
So Woody is putting together a video to show the team what they are doing wrong?
Excuse me for my ignorance, but I assumed that each team in the NBA would take videotape footage from each game and review it with the players sometime before the next game. Is this not S.O.P. in the NBA? I mean, the technology is there; I’m sure they have a full-time AV tech on staff. Why would they not do it? Time constraints? What could be more important than correcting simple recurring mistakes: pointing out each time MW doesn’t drive when he should. Pointing out players when they take plays off and the consequences;
Each game I say to myself, “Are the Hawks really that dumb as a team? They keep making the same mistakes over and over and over……..and OVER! Surely Woody showed them the film of last nights game and pointed out their mistakes and how to correct them.”
If this idea of making a tape and showing it to them is not the norm; WOODY HAS TO GO.
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
10:52 am
AJ,
From the previous blog:
You said this: “Sautee, you overlooked the number 4 and the word “consecutive” in my previous post.”
Joe, I didn’t overlook anything. I just go back to JJ’s own words before the season: “I’d like to play well enough to join the elite”. He obviously didn’t think THREE consecutive All-Star games had made him elite. Good for him to be still striving upwards.
And my point was and is THAT IF THOSE ARE HIS OWN EXPECTATIONS, THEN IT’S FAIR ENOUGH FOR US AS FANS TO JUDGE HIM THE WAY HE WOULD JUDGE HIMSELF.
Oops, sorry about the caps lock thing. I wasn’t shouting at you. And it’s fine if YOU think that four All-Star games makes him elite. I just don’t think that primarily because of his defensive lapses.
Ken Strickland
March 12th, 2010
11:19 am
MICHAEL CUNNINGHAM-damn good analysis, and right on point. There are fans who chose to make excuses and overlook the inherent problems that have been lingering for sometime and go HURRAY, HURRAY, BUT WE WON!
Yes, we won, this time, but by continuing to make excuses and overlook obvious problems, we are losing too many winnable gms to lottery bound teams by consistently collapsing in the 4th quarter on both OFF and DEF.
In last nights gm, Woodson did a very good thing and it got positive results. He realized he needed to get more DEF, and inserted Teague in the 4th quarter. Teague’s one the ball DEF made it very difficult for them to make easy entry passes. It also made them go almost totally perimeter, and we got a number of steals and deflections as a result.
Woodson finally got it through his thick stubborn head that he can’t effectively pressure the ball and increase overall DEF pressure with Bibby in the gm, and depending on his beloved switching DEF. And Crawford, while an OFF machine, doesn’t do well pressuring the ball against opposing PG’s.
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
11:23 am
It kills me when I hear folks saying “the Hawks are winning, why all the negativity, a win is a win, blah blah blah..” I really enjoyed what MC had to say cause first of all, we are fans who not only want to see our home team ‘win games’ or ‘be good sitting in 3rd, 4th or what ever place it may be’ but to also make it to the big dance. We want our team to STRIVE for the big prize and that’s the Finals. Now I’m not saying we have a 100% chance of getting there cause we dont..plain and simple, but our goal in this NBA experience is to, again STRIVE to get there.
northcyde and ncat96,
I see you guys are only interested in how well the Hawks record is or the fact that we are in 3rd place but yall seem to not care weither the Hawks perform up to par with bigger and better teams that we are going to face in the playoffs. MC and all the confirned fans of this blog wants the Hawks to know how to take care of business against these lesser teams because we are not going to have these same opportunities once the playoffs begin. We should go into these games as if we are in the playoffs right now. When we play Detroit this Saturday, Woodson needs to have his team mind set as if it is Orlando, New Jersey team as if they are Cleveland, Charlotte as if they are Boston cause going into the playoffs to play Orlando, Cleveland, & Boston like we did against GS, New York, & Washington, we would definely be heading fishing quicker than we wanted to.
darrell starks
March 12th, 2010
11:53 am
KEN I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, THANKS MC FOR KEEPING IT REAL.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!
S Hawk Fan
March 12th, 2010
11:56 am
Woody has to go and take his PR man with him…. that is you northcyde!! I bet you can sell swampland in Florida too,right?
b.j.
March 12th, 2010
12:04 pm
Question for everyone the hawks have games left with Orlando,Clevland,and the lakers 3 real games (its 4 total but the last one is the end of the regular season with the cavs and wont matter)if they win 2 of those games do u think they are truly elite?and if they lose all three and only win one are they just an average team with a strong recored?
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
12:24 pm
MsDee . . I’m not going to disagree with you on that. But people have to understand that in an 82 game season, it’s virtually impossible to play at a high level every single night. MC knows this. Shoot, he used to cover the Heat. Even the Heat team that won the title wasn’t a world beater every night.
Like I said yesterday . . a team that wins 50 – 55 games . . is also going to lose 27 – 32 games. If we lost the vast majority of our games vs .500+ teams, people would think we’d have no shot in the playoffs. If we were 3 – 1 vs the Knicks, but 0 – 4 vs the Celtics, the 3 Knick wins wouldn’t matter one bit in the eyes of Hawk fans.
The Hawks definitely have defensive issues right now that they need to work out. A lot of that simply has to do with effort and awareness, more than anything else. We’re winning, despite the lapses on defense.
You say people focus on our record instead of how the team is playing, but I wonder what the talk would be if we’d beaten Dallas, New York, and Miami? Because if we’d won those games, we’re on a 10 game winning streak.
I guess the, people would be changing their tune, sayng that we’re “elite”, despite playing the same way, but making a play or two at the end of the game to win it.
THe Hawks are mentally tough, from the coaches to the players. They won’t panic one bit. That’s the great thing about this team.
vava74
March 12th, 2010
12:27 pm
Ken S,
I don’t think Woody learned anything, at least not enough (I hope that he proves me wrong).
Every once in a while, against weaker opponents, Woody does the right thing and makes a few adjustments (like resting Joe before the end of the 3rd and a few minutes in the 4th or playing JT0 in the 4th).
However, as soon as we face a stronger opponent, I think that Woody will go back to using the starters + Jamal for the whole 4th quarter.
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
12:28 pm
northcyde,
again u are talking about how much we win with the 50-55 win to 27-32 loses..Who cares is a seed 8 team wins it all from heart!!
ncat96
March 12th, 2010
12:41 pm
MsDee. If you have read my post you would have noticed that I do understand that we need improvement. I am not blind to that fact. What I was pointing out is that there are a lot of “the sky is falling” mentality on these posts. Are we only going to point out the bad? I get fact that we are inconsistent in our play in addition to a lot of things that have been stated regarding this team. I, just like you and everyone else on these posts want to see the Hawks win the championship. But is the season a total failure if that does not happen? Or is it a building block for next season?
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
12:42 pm
northcyde,
sorry I rushed this statement..what i’m saying is, who cares about the regular season record with us being 50-55 wins if a seed 8 team comes and win it all from the heart?? The only purpose for the regular season record is for placement seatings only in the playoffs..that’s it!! Its a totally different season once playoffs starts so I could care less about our regular season record right now cause we are going to the playoffs. My concern is how far we go in the playoffs, and what ness changes need to take place in order for us to STRIVE for the GOAL!!
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
12:53 pm
I’m just not a panic-stricken fan folks. The Hawks are notorious to playing down to teams, especially on the road, but flipping the switch and playing at a high level against “good” teams.
I just look at this team a little differently, from what I think is a realistic standpoint. You want the Hawks to be elite. I KNOW they aren’t elite. Therefore, I don’t expect them to play like Cleveland, even if I desire them to play that way. This team plays more like Utah, Denver, and Portland . . . very good, but not elite. And they are vulnerable on the road at any given time.
It is what it is. No way I’m pulling my hair out because the Hawks don’t win pretty enough. I’m just happy that they win in the first place ( especially on the road ).
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
12:55 pm
ncat96,
Well yes, the season could be a total failure if coach Woodson continue to make the same IDENTICAL mistakes as past years have proven. We make it to the playoffs in past years just to lose the same way we lost to GS, New York, Miami..etc..So yeah, I say ‘the sky is falling’ cause Woodson refuse to catch us!!
I MUS WRITE
March 12th, 2010
12:59 pm
For everybody bytchn and moaning -we are currently #3 in the EC.We’ve played well all year -if you know basketball at all you had to know the team would go thru sum rough periods. Its an 82 game season for cry’n out loud…….
Hypothetically-if Woody and JJ walk this summer we will not be in rebuilding mode again. We have good peices without JJ. Smoove,Horford,Crawford will keep this team relevent even without JJ. Just look at the mans stats from last night 8 for 19…JJ has plenty of subpar nights and now he seems disintrested-let hiz azz walk if he doesnt wanna be here.
We could get another solid player for his price tag(14 milli)
Honestly-I would like to see Bibby,Marvin and Woody gone by training camp-Yeah i know what the record is yada yada yada but its time. Bibby looks awful except for the occasional 3, Marvin absolutely dissapointed this year -I want him gone -after 5 years and a big pay day he’s in lala land most of the time and doesnt really show me much.
I know its a long shot but there are options.. EX. Marvin/1st for Marc Gasol or jason thompson, dont know if hes on a rook contract but i would do it. Pick up Rudy Gay with the cap space from JJ leaving and pick up a Pg capable of scoring and playing D… Problem solved
I MUS WRITE
March 12th, 2010
1:02 pm
O before I forget MC please stop with the AKA crap=It makes no sense at all the way You use it….AKA= Also Known As
AKA- Will should Joe Johnson Go?….WTF Come On son You’re better than that- I think
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
1:02 pm
ncat96,
And what are we building on if again Woodson never make any changes. To build up is to improve you rookie play, allow your starters to have ness rest time, to play your bench, not just with all the bench players but in and out with your starters esp if its not the starters night that night. Play the hot person if they are on..The only person I see Woodson doing that to is Jamal. If he isnt on, Woodson sits him for long periods of time but never Joe if he is off a Jamal is very much own..not Bibby if Teague came in a produced very well, not even Mo Evans if his stroke is on..I could go on and on, but I wont.
HawksFan (AKA Fire Mike Woody
March 12th, 2010
1:08 pm
FIRE MC
HawksFan (AKA Fire Mike Woody
March 12th, 2010
1:08 pm
FIRE LEBRON JAMES
ncat96
March 12th, 2010
1:16 pm
Okay . . . we will just have to agree to disagree. Northcyde, I am with you. I am not a panic stricken fan either. I can still appreciate the season for what it is. Is there a better coach out there who can get us a championship next year . . . maybe. There might be a “Phil Jackson” for every “Doug Collins” that exists (Chicago Bulls reference for those of you who don’t know). But until that happens then I am will be satisfied for now with what I have seen so far. That is continual progression in the regular season and the playoffs. Every year under Woodson this team has experienced progression in both areas. Don’t get me wrong, it will be nice to see the progression accelerated. I sometimes don’t like the process that Woodson uses but I appreciate the results.
vava74
March 12th, 2010
1:26 pm
IMUS,
I think you should read the blog more often and take a peek as well into the Hawks’ Nest where niremetal has explained our salary cap constraints.
If JJ walks, we cannot offer any serious money to a top free agent since we will only have our mid-level exception available which given next years’ salary cap should be only 5,5 million per.
So if we consider the possibility of JJ walking the best we can hope for is a sign and trade for which we would need JJ’s cooperation.
O'Brien
March 12th, 2010
1:29 pm
northcdye,
To your (and AJ’s) point about the seaosn being a grind, I think it would benefit the Hawks if they had a more vocal leader on the court.
Vocal leadership is one of the main things that KG brought to the Celtics, LeBron does it in Cleveland, Kobe does it in LA. That way, when our team is looking disinterested on the court, they could light a fire under them (although Chauncey is Denver’s leader, and they have their struggles like we do).
But the Hawks are who we thought they were. Coming into the season, we all predicted the Hawks would get 50-55 wins. We didnt know how they would get there, but thats where they’ll end up. They probably won some games we thought they would lose, and lost some games they should have won. I just want to see more consistency.
Because when the playoff comes, I would not be surprised to see the Hawks struggle to score points in the 4th quarter, I wont be surprised to see Bibby get too many minutes while being abused on defense, I will not be surprised to see our bigs trying to guard the opposing guards and being outrebounded, I will not be surprised to see our starters play the entire fourth quarter and struggle down the stretch.
Thats who the Hawks have been all year, and just because they will be more focused in the playoffs does not mean these issues will go away. I just hope I’m wrong.
vava, Ken S
I give Woody props for giving the bench some PT in the 4th, and I was glad to see the bench played well enough so they should get some more PT next game. Hopefully Woody will keep playing them, because I think they will get better the more PT they receive.
tyger
March 12th, 2010
1:30 pm
Gotta like the Wiz…
Yes, they are tougher than they look, its called addition by subtraction. Minus Arenas, Butler, Stevenson, Jamison, Haywood – the new look Wiz are young, athletic, long and scrappy.
McGhee, Blatche, Thornton, Young, Miller are a nice core to build around. And the Hawks should feel good that they beat them. Losing to them wouldve been awful.
But that’s just like the Hawks and just their problem…they’ll beat most of the also-rans, but fold in the face of adversity. It only takes a couple of mismatches and the Hawks are rattled and consider there’s a mismatch out top every night.
Bibby is the weakest link and he’s signed for 2 more years. Most every team has a quick PG and they exploit Bibby for easy buckets. In order for the Hawks to elevate they’ve got to man up and address that. Bibby has value as a shooter if he’s on, but thats like a sunny day in ATL – rarely.
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
1:35 pm
Sautee, I guess it’s all relative and all in the eye of the beholder. Just like Eastern Conference coaches seemingly don’t share the opinion of Horford that TS has, so do they have a different view of Joe (for the past 4 seasons) that you may have. The definition of “elite” is also up for discussion… we have no idea how Joe defines it and therefore we have no idea when he may reach that level in his opinion. Fans may still be judging him after he is convinced that he has achieved the goal. Kobe just spend the off-season learning from Hakeem… maybe Kobe feels he has noot reached at “elite” level and is still looking to improve his game and hit that goal. It seems hard to judge someone like they judge themselves without knowing how they define the target.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
1:57 pm
ncat96 . . . it’s obvious what is going on here.
They fully believe that the lackluster play vs Washington, Golden St and New York are going to be the reason why we don’t do well in the playoffs. It’s obvious that they put more stock in those games, than they do in the good wins we’ve had this year. The only thing that will change their minds, is if we beat Cleveland or Orlando.
The sky IS falling to some of these fans, despite us winning 7 out of 10 . . . instead of 10 out of 10.
The other thing is that the majority of our fans simply overrate our talent. They’ll freely take shots at JJ, saying that he’s not “elite” or clutch, but what about the rest of this team?
* Smoove and Horford, because of their size, can and will get outplayed by athletic big men
* No go-to back to the basket scorer
* We only have 2 guys on our team who can legitimately create their own shot ( JJ and Jamal )
* We don’t have a big center that can bang effectively on offense ( key word . . effectively ) against other big centers
* We don’t have a good PG who can run the show ( sorry Teague lovers )
* Our best outside shooters are more streak shooters than pure shooters. ( JJ, Bibby, Jamal )
* No great spot-up shooters that can hit wide open outside shots at a high percentage ( ala Kyle Korver )
* Our bench, outside of Crawford, is one of the worst in the league. Most of you, deep down, know this. You cry for more PT for them, but those guys just aren’t good on a nightly basis.
Those are the facts folks.
But the one special thing about our team, is our interchangeability and athleticism. And when we effectively use these things to our advantage, we routinely overcome all we don’t have as a team.
But to overcome what we don’t have, we do have to scrap and fight. That’s why Woody constantly talks about the defense. Because if we don’t defend, it severely take away what we can do as a team overall.
Offensively, yeah, we’re going to struggle to put away teams, if JJ isn’t knocking down shots. If he’s not making the tough shots, along with Crawford, games are going to be closer than what they should be.
Just let all of this play out folks.
About last night: A tale of two JJ’s « control+ATL+delete
March 12th, 2010
2:24 pm
[...] lost defensively at times and again got abused on the glass, but it was a road victory nonetheless. Michael Cunningham listed some of the negatives from the lackluster [...]
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
2:53 pm
northcyde,
Now I agree with all those points u just mension except for this one,
* Our bench, outside of Crawford, is one of the worst in the league. Most of you, deep down, know this. You cry for more PT for them, but those guys just aren’t good on a nightly basis.”
Our bench is not the “worst” in the league. Woodson said it himself in the beginning of the season that now he has a full 10-man rotation. But, of course, he yet re-nigg on playing the full 10-man and continues to settle for 7-man. No, our bench isnt the greatest either but that’s when you mix them in and out with your starters. Dont just ONLY play the bench together cause again, they are not ‘the best bench in the league’. A coach should use the ness pieces at the right time in different situations, like Teague for instance. No Teague is by no means ready to carry a team in the NBA (esp being under Woodson) but you use him in ness situations like last night when the bench gave us a nice lead. In the 4th when Woodson was beginning to bring back the starters, he should have left Teague in, esp right after his DEFENSIVE steal!! Teague made no turnovers at that time, forced no shots, played within his game, and could had gotten some assists with both Jamal and JJ and Horford too along side him.
Lacsho
March 12th, 2010
3:03 pm
Looks like Kirkinga is back LMAO!!!!!!!!
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
3:21 pm
Oh and is it me or do coach Woodson have certain offensive plays for Bibby only?? I have often seen 2 very noticable plays that BIBBY and Josh Smith has like the alley Josh often gets off a time out and also that back cut alley under the basket..why dont Teague get those plays/assists as well??
MsDee
March 12th, 2010
3:22 pm
If anything, Teague should have some plays drawn out for him since he is a rookie and all and let Bibby create plays from his own experience.
Simpdawg
March 12th, 2010
3:29 pm
The Hawks are in a little trouble concerning all-star Joe Johnson, because Joe Johnson’s agent has a deal in place for his client to go to the Big Apple. The Knicks will try to sign and trade for Chris Bosh, and if they include David Lee in the trade it’s a done deal. With Chris Bosh in New York it will be easier for them to steal Joe Johnson from the Hawks. I’m just saying the writing is on the wall.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
3:50 pm
Simpdawg . . . that’s just NY wishful thinking.
HawksFan (AKA Fire Mike Woody
March 12th, 2010
4:16 pm
northcyde,
Go outside. Get some friends.
Your posts suck and it’s obvious you just put words in our mouths
O'Brien
March 12th, 2010
4:31 pm
I think the 2 biggest challenges for the Hawks to resign JJ are Chicago and NYK.
The Bulls are a good young team (they already have Deng, Rose, Noah, Hinrich, and JJ would help them take another step forward), plus they have a more consistent fan support (unlike ATL), which JJ has publicly acknowledged
And if the Knicks can get one big name FA, then they will have a better chance of getting JJ. I dont see him as the type to sign in NY unless one big name signs there first.
Maybe D’Antoni can convince Amare and JJ to sign with the Knicks. I think they would both put up huge numbers.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 12th, 2010
4:45 pm
“But people have to understand that in an 82 game season, it’s virtually impossible to play at a high level every single night.”
Yes, but it’s not impossible to play smart every night. Of course you are going to be tired on some nights, and that’s going to limit your ability to get rebounds, drive inside, and move your feet on defense, among other things. But fatigue is not a valid excuse for not sharing the ball, not getting the ball in the post, not playing talented bench players more when starters are struggling, etc. Those are entirely mental mistakes, and those are mostly what I complain about.
A few years ago, a Utah Jazz team that was one of the least talented above-.500 teams I’ve ever seen managed 42 wins. This wasn’t because they had better stamina and never got tired; it’s because they played smart every game. It’s no coincidence that their coach is one of the greatest in the history of the league.
I want to see the Hawks play smart every game. If they play smart and get tired and lose, or if they play smart and lose to a more talented team, that’s just fine. But it is my opinion that if they played smart every game, they wouldn’t be losing by 35 points to Orlando or losing at the buzzer to New York or struggling to beat Minnesota and Washington. I think they would play Orlando much closer and they would beat New York, even on their most tired day, if they played smart. In fact I’d even be happy if they played smart in the majority of their games, like they did early in the season.
Jones
March 12th, 2010
4:48 pm
JJ really has no reason to go to NYK. Hawks are better, can offer more money (which they will) and have trading pieces in Marvin and Bibby if anyone takes them.
D’Antoni is a highly overrated coach who will never get close to a ring because he knows nothing about defense. You don’t win rings not playing defense
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
4:57 pm
LOL @ HawksFan.
Like Jack Nicholson once said . . . “You can’t handle the truth.”
If you guys wanna jump off the cliff, go right ahead. Just make sure you give me your playoff tickets, so I can pick out the best seat, and sell the rest.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
5:07 pm
Question: What games have the Hawks played smart in, but lost?
ant banks
March 12th, 2010
5:10 pm
HOME AWAY
06-07 18-23 12-29
07-08 25-16 12-29
08-09 31-10 16-25
09-10 25-7 16-16 (AS OF MARCH 5TH)
9 HOME GAMES LEFT 9 AWAY GAMES LEFT
despite their efforts, the numbers don’t lie. the hawks are playin’ jus’ as good or better than last year. they should finish up the year better than last year.
Jones
March 12th, 2010
5:40 pm
No teams play smart in games and lose them. Record defines how good a team is, contrary to what Woodson said idiotically 4 years ago. The Nets have played “smart” in a lot of games, but have a horrible record
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
6:45 pm
Najeh,
Would you then say that the mentality of that Jazz team took on the mentality of their head coach?
If so, that’s a frightening observation for us.
Or, put another way, does this Hawks team reflect Woody’s mental approach to the games?
There’s a lot of good AND bad in that take.
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
6:56 pm
Najeh,
Just took a look at the Jazz roster. 42 wins, wow. Smoke and Mirrors, indeed.
One thing that jumped out at me: Sloan played a rookie point guard named Mo Williams 13.5 min / gm. even though his shooting % was .380 and only .256 from 3. Sound like anybody we know?
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
7:09 pm
Didn’t we beat the Jazz twice?
Truth About It » Best Wizards Links – Blatche on Turnovers: “It’s not like I’m just giving the ball away.”
March 12th, 2010
7:38 pm
[...] [Michael Cunningham - Hawks Blog, AJC] It’s getting a little late for that “all teams are tough, sometimes you have nights like this” stuff. The Hawks got outworked for most of the game by a team headed for the lottery. They let a bad offensive team have an easy time scoring for long stretches and let a so-so rebounding team dominate them on the boards. [...]
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
8:14 pm
I think that a lot of rookie guards get time on 42 win teams.
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
9:09 pm
Strange. I checked out one of those NBA Draft websites to see if I recognize a few more names since I’ve been watching some of the college conference tournaments… anyway, they have the Hawks drafting around 23-24 in the upcoming draft. I thought we picked at #19 last summer, why are we dropping in draft position?
Blast
March 12th, 2010
9:09 pm
Yes, we beat Utah twice.
What people fail to realise is this.
Hawks are NOT an elite team!
Hawks are not big enough, deep enough, or talented enough right now to be considered an elite team. The elite teams in the NBA now are LA, Cleveland, and Orlando. Maybe Dallas, if they continue their torrid pace. Next comes the 2nd tiers: SA, Denver, Portland, Utah, Hawks, Celtics, OKC…
I’ve noticed that most of the so called Hawks “fans” so critical of the team are just come lately fans. They were not on the blog when Hawks won 13 games, 26, and so on. They jumped on the wagon when Hawks took Celtics to 7, despite a losing season record.
Now these same “fans” are frothing up thinking Hawks should win 82 games in the season, sweep the East and thrash LA for the NBA finals! LOL!
Folks, get your mugs out of the grass! Hawks are improving, taking progressive steps! They will not win a championship this season, but they will have an improving season. How far they go in the playoffs depends on the team, not bloggers! This is professional sports. How Hawks fare should not have a bearing on your mental state of health!
Take a chill pill, folks!
Go, Hawks!
Sauteed
March 12th, 2010
9:18 pm
what an idiot.
Cool
March 12th, 2010
9:21 pm
A Blast of Truth!
Excellent post and refreshing. Thanks blast but the haters con only do what they do, hate.
Truth-Serum
March 12th, 2010
9:46 pm
* numbers dont lie.
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
9:47 pm
AJ,
I’m not going to take time to look, but do you think Acie got 13+ minutes in 07-08 AFTER the Bibby trade (on a 37 win team)? I doubt it, but I’m not sure.
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
Yeah, all the Head Coaches got together and made a cabal to promote Horford so that the Hawks would stick with him.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
LMFAO!!!!!
Dude, you just lost whatever credibility you ever had. A conspiracy among all the coaches to bring us down?
OK, riiiiiiight.
Well, I guess it makes as much sense as calling a bunch of Obama supporters the Bubba Crew.
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
I guess you still think there were WMD’s and Mohammed Atta met with the Iraqis.
I doubt it, but I’m not sure.
March 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
THEN SHUT UP!
John Konkract
March 12th, 2010
10:00 pm
What conspiracy?
John $ Konktract
March 12th, 2010
10:03 pm
There was no conspiracy, I was worth every penny. Just because a guy doesnt play defense doesnt mean he aint an allstar!
Sautee
March 12th, 2010
10:09 pm
Go ahead, T-s, tell us all about this vast conspiracy.
Which dastardly Head Coach got ALL THE OTHERS to go along with his nefarious plot?
Who was behind this evil design?
And how in the world were you able to unearth it?
Inquiring minds….etc.
John $ Konktract
March 12th, 2010
10:11 pm
Lets see, the number 2 center has almost a millon votes and the number 3 center has 270,532
A half million difference and then the coaches are told to pick one more and what do you know all Hoe ford is number 3 on the list of also rans AKA scrubs….An allstar? Yea, right!
Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 2,360,096; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 856,056; Al Horford (Atl) 270,532; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 265,024; Brook Lopez (NJ) 223,246; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 202,072;
Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/all-star-voting-results.shtml#ixzz0i1Rs0dZZ
Astro Joe
March 12th, 2010
10:12 pm
Sautee, probably not. But Mo Williams was playing behind Carlos Arroyo and Law was playing behind the guy who was instrumental in the team making the playoffs. I think that there is a relationship between playing time and the quality of the other players at your position. Also, didn’t Law have a few injuries in his rookie year, like a wrist or a back or something like that?
I’d also venture a guess that Jerry Sloan ONLY plays guys who have earned the playing time. Didn’t he sit AK-47 for almost a half-season AFTER he was paid a fat contract because he didn’t like the way dude was playing? If Mo played, it was likely because he earned the time relative to the other guys at his position. In Teague’s case, he is not just looking at Bibby, but also Jamal (and to a lesser extent, Joe).
His time will come. He looks better now than he did a few months ago.
John $ Konktract
March 12th, 2010
10:12 pm
Brook Lopez (NJ) this is w h o r e f o r d Daddy!
Fire Teague Express!
March 12th, 2010
10:25 pm
Teague is a loafer and a turnover waiting to happen. Sign the petition to fire Teague now.
paid for by the locale chapter of the Bubba Crew.
John $ Konktract
March 12th, 2010
10:28 pm
He does look better.I like the way he sits on the bench now. Thats a much more sloped position than when he sat on the bench earlier this year.
northcyde
March 12th, 2010
11:05 pm
LOL you guys are crazy.
….can anyone tell me one time Woodson has ever had a bad game of coaching?
….We are THIRD in the East right now. We ARE winning the championship….
You guys are crazy
drmaryb
March 12th, 2010
11:51 pm
NBA TV
Cheryl Miller & the crew just called out this biatching azz BLOG: Qoute …
“Hey Hawks Fans..Your Hawks are #3 in the East..& your’e STILL complaining? If Yall want to complain about something..How about complaining about this weather!”
For all you miserable people on here – Remember This…we are not the Lakers nor the proud Celtics.. This town is a perenial loser in the NBA .. What the Hell are you biatches complaining about? … Winning?
You want to Run Woody & Joe out of town? & Replace them with exactly – Who?
NoBody wants to come here… Hell, Ugly azz – Bald Head – Sam Cassell wouldn’t even get off the Bus 5 years ago. Kenyan Martin. Only visited here to get a Nugget Contract. Yall need to be kissing Joe’s toes & azz & whatever else is exposed.
We may not have enough to win it all this year, be we are competitve & fun to watch. This team is very entertaining. That’s a good start. After all , it’s just a silly game of basketball.
drmaryb
March 13th, 2010
12:03 am
BLAST
909 PM POST. Nuff. Said! Youi are a real man with a real perspective!
I can go to sleep now!
Melvin
March 13th, 2010
12:10 am
Who said Josh is not a coach’s pet…
http://www.nba.com/hawks/What_I_Do.html
drmaryb
March 13th, 2010
12:21 am
One More Thing:
Phil Jackson is not walking through that door. (T-Shirt Clyde could win 10 rings with his teams.)
“The King” is not walking through that door.
2nd Tier scrubs have refused to walk through that door.
We are soooo LUCKY that JOE JOHNSON walked through that door.
Joe made the sorry azz HAWKS relevant…Now get off his back & say thank you Mr. Johnson. He’s the closest your’e gonna get to Magic-Johnson round here. Oh yeah & show Mr. Bibby some love &
Respect too. He took a huge pay cut to stay here.
Josh & Horford – were lucky to have you too! You gotta love this team 1 thru 12!
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 13th, 2010
4:25 am
Get rid of fake superstars and fake coaches and get real ones and we’ll be elite.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 13th, 2010
4:30 am
John Wall > Mike Bibby
serbian
March 13th, 2010
5:36 am
there’s too many people missing the point, especially cheryl miller… why not complaining? it’s not easy in this league to gather a group of talented players that mesh well… especially if you hit the bottom few years ago… so now that you finally have this group, you should just be happy that they are 4th in the east although their potential could take them further? and now that you have a coach who was good enough to bring them here you should be thankful to him for the rest of his life? well i don’t think so… not every coach can get you over the top… few years ago pistons were on the right track with carlisle… they increased the number of wins each year, went further and further in the playoffs, kept adding right pieces to the puzzle… and still joe dumars realized carlisle can’t get them where he wants… so he brought larry brown in who got the job done… it’s time for the hawks to do the same this summer… but on the other hand there’s not much out there on the market…
i won’t brag much about hawks’ defense, because it’s terrible… this ain’t no winning team’s defense, that’s a fact… i know not of one single team that is switching all the time and allows other teams so many mismatches… not only that but good passing teams make them suffer big time…
and the offense is the most simple and predictable offense i’ve seen for a long time… i would like someone to comment on this, perhaps MC himself… i will illustrate… when crawford is hot, they give him the ball, he takes it over the halfcourt and starts attacking… or bibby takes it gives it to the crawford on the side, and crawford attacks… and sometimes hawks call play after play like that… then if hawks go to jj, bibby takes the ball, throws it to jj, the rest of the guys isolate him, he starts his thing… if they go to smoove, the same thing… if they go to horford, dribble over the halfcourt, the ball to horford… my point is, can’t our coach create a play, that would first of all enable all of these guys to work less for the basket… make them come out of the screens, while some other guy comes out of the screen on the other side… help them lose their defenders for a step or two… it will be easier for jamal if he wouldn’t need to go face to face to his defender every time he attacks the basket… it’s so much easier to have few screens, to get some space, to have your defender out of the position, running after you and standing still on his tow feet… and then there are so many plays where only two guys touch the ball… the point guard and the one who finishes the play… now look at the lakers and the triangle offense… pay attention to the number of people that touch the ball… ok, the ball probably goes to kobe, but still they try to exploit opportunities for easy baskets first… they switch their positions, they make a few screens, they do cutting, kobe touches the ball on one side behind the arc, then gets the ball on the other side near the paint… while kobe is moving the other guys have a freedom of reading the defense and attacking the basket as well… but hawks do the opposite… they have one pass, or sometimes none… truthfully, hawks players are talented enough to share the ball once they are doubled or someone is open, but this offense is too simple for teams like magic, lakers or cavs… we don’t have to wait and see, we saw it already… greetings from serbia!
Saint Richt
March 13th, 2010
8:08 am
Fire Mike Woodson. Same story, different day…….he can’t motivate this team.
Richt Saint
March 13th, 2010
8:17 am
Im not ashamed of my disease, Ive been a hater for a long time. I would like to change and admit that Woodson and JJ have done a wonderful and excellent job. Just think, four years ago this was a 20 win team. I apologize for my earlier postings.
Josh may clean glass but I spew hate. Yall forgive me and look the other way when you see me vomiting. Im sorry.
Truth-Serum
March 13th, 2010
8:21 am
What the hell is so great about Phil Jackson? Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryrant! How in the hell can you lose with that kind of talent.
Truth-Serum
March 13th, 2010
8:21 am
*?
Al Horford
March 13th, 2010
8:39 am
OK, who’s the funny guy that taped “Dunk on me” to the back of my jersey? Real funny. Hahaha mudder fruker.
Lacsho
March 13th, 2010
9:45 am
It’s funny; some of you kill me with this name calling (cowards). You guys are a bunch of internet gangstas. See you in the street, and your rolling up your windows and locking your doors. You can get a way with insulting people online, but you’re the same cowards scared to voice your opinion in public.
I’ve been on this blog since back in the day. Here lately I’ve seen a bunch of bi-polar mental patients.
Some of you people need a life. OH I FORGORT THE BLOG IS YOUR LIFE, B/C YOUR SCARED TO INTERACT WITH REAL PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE SITUATIONS.
So I challenge you today, walk away from the blog and spend some time with your family. Here’s a better challenge take your cheap azz to the game its chic-fil-a family night.
Wow, the Hawk Fans are not allowed to critic their team. I forgot our team is perfect and we fans are not worthy to offer criticism we can only praise Woodrow and his great zone offense and his fantastic in game adjustments, bibby and his hop along azz (you say Teague needs to improve his jumper, so tell me what does bibby need to improve? Iso Joe playing for a contract (this guy is a 6’7” two guard and he never rebounds, yet he will take a play off every quarter. Then you have Jacking Jamal who never plays defense, and don’t let me forget Marvin who averages five shots a game (sure someone will look up his stats and correct me).
Please people give me a break; the blog is utilized so everyone can give their opinion. Their will be times we don’t agree, keep it moving, and chill with that name calling.
If you ever go to a game, I’m sure you won’t be hard to find. Tell us where you’re sitting, so we can continue this dialogue face to face!!!!!!
HawksFan
March 13th, 2010
9:50 am
We need to win tonight (AKA Randolph Morris is the Man)
Astro Joe
March 13th, 2010
9:57 am
I wonder how bloggers who seemingly take every word uttered by a player or caoch as gospel will respond to the link that TS posted? (here it is again)
http://www.celticsblog.com/2009/12/7/1189120/should-woodson-get-extension-hawk
Sautee
March 13th, 2010
10:06 am
OK, Let me try to get this straight……
The FANS voted Shaq #2 in the East among Centers for the All-Star game. That’s not surprising since he has by far the best “name recognition” of Centers in the league.
The COACHES, whose task it is to choose who THEY thought played best, voted Al as second best center.
So because the COACHES thought that Al had played better than Shaq, regardless of Shaq’s “name recognition” with the FANS, Truth-Serum thinks that is evidence that the COACHES entered into some vast conspiracy to use a vile psychological ploy of making the Hawks feel they have a good enough center, so they won’t acquire another?
Turuth-Serum, do I have this right?
Melvin
March 13th, 2010
10:16 am
For those would wants to let Woody go, you can probably strike Bryon Scott and Avery Johnson off your wish list… Mo Cheeks anyone???
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=15560
Mike Woodson,
March 13th, 2010
10:17 am
Enter your comments here
No, idiot
March 13th, 2010
10:21 am
Howard and Shaq were the fans choice for centers, its normal for the coaches to select an additional player at each position. There was a HUGE drop off in fans voting after Shaq, the next player in line with the most votes was Hoeford, who was in the middle of the pack. He was selected because he was the next player in line.
Saltee you are a very lazy researcher. You alway make charges with out foundation and then beg others to confirm your stupidity as stupidity. You are a lazy researcher like hoe ford is a lazy defender.
Do your home work and stop posting your opinions as fact.
Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 2,360,096; Shaquille O’Neal (Cle) 856,056; Al Horford (Atl) 270,532; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 265,024; Brook Lopez (NJ) 223,246; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 202,072; Jermaine O’Neal (Mia) 159,327; Rasheed Wallace (Bos) 131,084; Brad Miller (Chi) 102,994; Kendrick Perkins (Bos) 90,278.
Read more: http://www.insidehoops.com/all-star-voting-results.shtml#ixzz0i4Q3T8zR
Sautee
March 13th, 2010
11:38 am
Truth-Serum,
You said this:
“Howard and Shaq were the fans choice for centers, its normal for the coaches to select an additional player at each position. There was a HUGE drop off in fans voting after Shaq, the next player in line with the most votes was Hoeford, who was in the middle of the pack. He was selected because he was the next player in line.”
So, tell me again, why, if Shaq had the second most votes, the coaches skipped over him to name Horford?
TROTTINGHOME
March 13th, 2010
11:41 am
Hawks are done goin a be toast in 2 round with woody doing da exit stag right for the last time.
who dat going to be next ball coach you ask?
I hope it my momma.
Sautee
March 13th, 2010
11:47 am
Truth-Serum,
With a LOT of research, I discovered that Shaq was not on the All-Star team.
Did YOU know that? You act like Al was picked because he was third on the list.
So why wasn’t Shaq picked instead of Al?
I MUS WRITE
March 13th, 2010
12:01 pm
Vava im not a salary cap wizard like the guy you mentioned…My point was there are other options if JJ walks, no we wont be as good without him but I dont want a dam diva on my favorite team-if he doesnt want to be here then hit the bricks. Sign & Trade would work im just tired of hearing -is he going is he staying – Read Tygers post addition by subtraction……
I MUS WRITE
March 13th, 2010
12:02 pm
Lascho -u aiight man? did i miss something?
Lacsho
March 13th, 2010
12:40 pm
IMUS- I’m good, back in the day people would debate and go at it. Nowadays, people defer to name calling b/c they cannot construct a decent rebuttal. Back in the day everybody utilized one name. Nowadays, people are blogging under multiple names to push their agenda.
Clyde
March 13th, 2010
12:52 pm
FIRE WOODY
Wabe
March 13th, 2010
2:15 pm
“You are a lazy researcher like hoe ford is a lazy defender.”
Is Horford a lazier defender than our guards that let EVERYBODY blow right past them?
Wabe
March 13th, 2010
2:23 pm
We’ve got no PG play.
We’ve don’t get enough from the 3-spot on a consistent basis.
The bench doesn’t get enough minutes.
We don’t have any offensive scheme.
We hit lulls in key points in the game.
We struggle to execute down the stretch.
And you’re biggest gripe about this team is that our All-Star center? I get that you’d love him to be 2 inches taller, but truthfully, we’ve got more important issues to resolve. I understand you may feel that Horford’s size is what’s ultimately holding us back from winning a title, but I think there are other factors that play into this teams inconsistent play that you always fail to mention.
northcyde
March 13th, 2010
2:30 pm
Cheryl probably said what she did, because you’d think we were the #8 seed in the East, instead of the #3 seed. The majority of fans here pretty much find things to complain obout . . win or lose. It’s funny, but it’s sad at the same time. But it was definitely predictable.
If we win 45, the fans complain about us not winning 50
If we win 50, the fans complain about us not winning 55
If we win 55, the fans will complain because we didn’t win the division
If we won 60, that may make the fans happy, but they would complain because we wouldn’t be the overall #1 seed
And all the while, the coach would get dissed . . JJ would get dissed . . so would Marvin . . and Bibby. Buit this team is mentally tough. Even with all of the JJ to NY talk recently, the coaches and players are simply going to go out and do what they do.
Critiquing the Hawks is fine. It’s the flat out HATRED of the coach and certain players, regardless if they’re doing a good job or not, that makes me lol and shake my head.
The fact that most in this fan base couldn’t even say a good word about Bibby and his shooting in the Wiz game, speaks volumes about the hatred around here.
Race Baiter
March 13th, 2010
2:33 pm
I suspect that his problem with horford is his heritage. Lots of asian guys I know hate hispanics.
northcyde
March 13th, 2010
2:38 pm
LOL you guys are crazy.
….can anyone tell me one time Woodson has ever had a bad game of coaching?
….We are THIRD in the East right now. We ARE winning the championship….
You guys are crazy
And this pathetic post is a fake.
LOL . . see . . that’s what I’m talking about. Instead of addressing me HEAD ON about the FACTS that I state, some of you kiddies would rather make fake posts of people.
That’s why I “LOL” all the time.
The fans under 18 on this board should DEFINITELY be more appreciative of this 2010 Hawks team, seeing that none of you can’t even remember the last time the Hawks won 50 games in a season. That’s how long it’s been since we’ve even been remotely a very good team.
northcyde
March 13th, 2010
2:46 pm
LOL you guys are crazy.
….can anyone tell me one time Woodson has ever had a bad game of coaching?
….We are THIRD in the East right now. We ARE winning the championship….
You guys are crazy
And this pathetic post is a fake.
LOL . . see . . that’s what I’m talking about. Instead of addressing me HEAD ON about the FACTS that I state, some of you kiddies would rather make fake posts of people.
That’s why I “LOL” all the time.
The fans under 18 on this board should DEFINITELY be more appreciative of this 2010 Hawks team, seeing that none of you can’t even remember the last time the Hawks won 50 games in a season. Dominique is nothing more than an urban legend to you guys. Most probably don’t even remember the “Master of the Take and Give” gigantic Nike ad that used to be on one of the sides of a downtown building.
Hawk fans . . Can you name who the “Master of the Take and Give” was . . . without Googling it?
That’s how long it’s been since we’ve even been remotely a very good team.
All I know . . is that for all of you who constantly rip into this team, the coaches, and the players . . don’t act like you were down with this team from Day 1, if we DO pull off a 2nd round upset over Orlando or Cleveland.
It’s all good though. We “Hawks Supporters” will save a seat on the bandwagon for you.
Sautee
March 13th, 2010
4:05 pm
LOL at Northcyde thinking that his viewpoint has a monopoly on “Hawks Supporters”.
We all have our own ways of fanhood. Some have unrealistic expectations, but that doesn’t make them less of a fan. Some would think that having too high of expectations is actually a sign of GREATER fanhood. And that would ALSO be a valid way of being a fan (for them). That’s not how I feel, but obviously many do.
There is an entire continuum of fanhood and it’s not just at one point along the continuum that is where “Hawk Supporters” reside.
Northcyde, you have good points, but please don’t try to claim fanhood for yourself and those who share your viewpoint. It’s bigger and broader than that.
Wabe
March 13th, 2010
4:11 pm
I don’t think anybody hates Mike Bibby. He’s played a major role in the Hawks turnaround. I think what you often hear from people on this blog is the frustration of Woody’s inability to have enough confidence to play any meaningful minutes in games. Let’s be real, you’re big on Woody. Or at least it seems that he has your support. But, when Mike Bibby clocks 21+ minutes in a game and registers 1 point and 1 assist, and Woody doesn’t do a damn thing to make an adjustment (EVEN THOUGH BIBBY’S DOING NEXT TO NOTHING) is what irritates me. I think that if you’ve gone as far as to say you see JT0 being the future at PG for the Hawks, then you should portray the confidence you have in the kid by INCREASING HIS PT ON NIGHTS WHERE BIBBY’S MEANINGLESS.
This right here is my biggest gripe with Woody. Acie may or may not have been a great PG prospect, but we would’ve never known here because he never really had a SOLID OPPORTUNITY TO DISPLAY HIS ABILITIES. I was just as frustrated with the ACIE situation as I’m becoming of the JT0 situation. The only difference between then and now is that Bibby was much more capable a couple of years ago as opposed to what he’s shown us this year. I think if Woody seriously thinks JT0 is the future for the Hawks at PG, then give him the PT.
Wabe
March 13th, 2010
4:23 pm
And some may suggest that we don’t know the what goes on off the court or in practices, and those of you who say this are exactly right.
But we do know that Mike Bibby’s best years are behind him, and if we’re serious about developing our young PG, then we should be giving him minutes consistently. JT0’s shown flashes, and he’s clearly got a skill-set that we don’t utilize. His ability to penetrate should be able to do things for us, but it’s as if we’re too scared to experiment with it because we’re having a “great season” according to some. I think great teams understand their deficiencies, and play to their strengths. We’re clearly hurting at PG right now, yet we see absolutely no indication that this is the case from Woody based on how we see him coaching-out these games.
Ken Strickland
March 13th, 2010
5:38 pm
NORTHCYDE-If only you had the ability to think beyond your flawed emotions. The only way for any team or individual to get better is by expecting more than the status quo, and working toward a higher goal. If you’re willing to accept the status quo and not strive to do better, your progress will end there. HOW INTELLIGENT DOES ONE HAVE TO BE TO FIGURE THAT OUT?
WHY BE A COMPLETE HYPOCRITE BY CRITICIZING THOSE FANS WHO WANT AND EXPECT MORE FROM THEIR TEAM, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME YOU’RE GLORIFYING WOODSON FOR EXPECTING AND GETTING MORE FROM THE TEAM EACH YR? If the team and all of its fans were as limited in their thinking as you are, we’d all be satisfied with wanting nothing more than finishing 3rd or 4th in the East, winning 50 gms, making the playoffs and getting bounced in the 2nd rd, while never considering the possibility of wanting or expecting the Hawks to compete for an NBA title.
Dezz Nuttz
March 13th, 2010
7:13 pm
“we’d all be satisfied with wanting nothing more than finishing 3rd or 4th in the East, winning 50 gms, making the playoffs and getting bounced in the 2nd rd, while never considering the possibility of wanting or expecting the Hawks to compete for an NBA title.”
WE DO! BUT WE ARE REALISTIC NOT RADICAL. WE KNOW THAT WE CANT WIN IT WITHOUT A CENTER! GET REAL!
Dezz Nuttz
March 13th, 2010
7:19 pm
SHAQ WAS INJURED, DUH?
drmaryb
March 14th, 2010
8:48 pm
Bill Parcels…
Said it Best, “I didn’t buy the Groceries!”
It is not Woody’s fault that B-Knight didn’t draft a Point Gaurd – Billy passed on Chris Paul & Deron Williams.
Woody has to cook what’s in the fridge! So, if you don’t like Bibby? Then call Billy – he’s at home pruning his trees for the wife! & If JT0 was such a phenom then why was he sitting there at the 19th pick? Or whatever pick he was.
Get a point people. If we played JT0 heavy minutes this year we would not be the #3 seed. How do I know, because we are the #3 seed!
Ken Strickland
March 14th, 2010
11:40 pm
DRMARYB-You’re wrong, it was Woodson’s fault. It was Woodson, not Billy Knight, who publically stated his doubts about the ability of both PG’s to be successful at this level. He basically claimed CPaul was to frail and DWilliams was too fat. It was Woodson’s insistence on having a veteran PG run his team, rather than a rookie, that caused the rift between the two, and prompted BK to try and fire Woodson.
Haven’t you noticed how Woodson embraced and gave extended mins to every veteran PG that’s been on his roster, no matter how limited he is, and basically ignored every rookie or young PG that’s been on his roster? Also, your flawed attempt at logic to justify not playing PG JTeague is extremely weak at best. IF WE MANAGED TO MAINTAIN THE 3RD SEED WITH PG MBIBBY BUTCHERING ANY ATTEMPT AT PLAYING DEF, AND THE WAY HIS OVERALL OFF PRODUCTION HAS DRASTICALLY DETERIORATED AS THE SEASON HAS PROGRESSED, WE SURE AS HELL COULD’VE MAINTAINED THE 3RD SEED WITH THE ADDITION OF TEAGUES SPEED, QUICKNESS, PENETRATING ABILITY, DEF AND IMPROVED CONFIDENCE, EXPERIENCE AND PRODUCTION.