Spurs at Atlanta Hawks: Win and They Are In (Game is at 8)
So the Hawks can clinch a playoff berth with a victory against the Spurs tonight. Before you say “So what?” remember from whence the Hawks came.
“It wasn’t even pro basketball,” J.J. said of his early days with the Hawks.
Clearly the Hawks have higher aspirations than just making the playoffs. Still, making it official means something.
“It definitely does,” Josh Smith said. “When you go from the bottom up you appreciate the moments of winning.”
“That’s what makes it so special,” J.J. said, “knowing what you had to go through to get to this point.”
“It would be fantastic,” Woody said of clinching tonight. “It’s what we all push for. The first three years we wasn’t playing for nothing. Well, I can’t say that third year–we had a legit shot to make it but we had a lot of injuries. We finally made it in the fourth year, and now here we are.”
Then there is Jamal Crawford, whose losing goes back even further than the Hawks. Jamal asked Bibby how long he was in the league before he made the playoffs.
“Three,” Bibby said.
“Imagine 10,” Jamal said.
Jamal said he “always had faith” he’d make the postseason one day, if only because each season is a fresh start. He thought he had a chance in 2004-05 with the Knicks but they faltered in the final three months of the season and Crawford struggled with injuries. He also thought it might happen in 2006-07 but the Knicks were eliminated in the final week of the season.
Now (unless he’s really cursed or something) Jamal will finally make it.
“I’m going to reflect but not celebrate,” he said. “It’s been a long time coming.”
– I took a look at East teams Nos. 5 through 8 for my Sunday notes and briefly examined why the Hawks may or may not want to face each opponent.
Smoove said he’s not doing the same because those teams are closely bunched in the standings. If the Hawks remain fourth behind Boston (which would get the tiebreak over the Hawks due to winning the Atlantic Division) it’s looking like they’d get Milwaukee in the first round. If they finish third and the Bucks stay hot, it could be Miami, Charlotte or Toronto.
“It’s so crazy down at five through eight, you don’t know who you are going to play,” he said. “So we’ll just see how it plays out. Everybody is right behind each other.”
– I also wrote a story about the Hawks raising premium season ticket prices by nearly 50 percent next year. Today I got the following email and it made me think back to this post from hawksdawgs at Peachtree Hoops.
Interesting article on the Hawks attendance. I want to tell you why I think they can’t draw with a decent team. First many people, like me, who can afford to go live north of the city and I went to a recent Hawks game with Cleveland and it took me over an hour to drive from Johns Creek. Traffic was horrible that time of day. Marta is no better. The trains don’t run often enough, you have to change trains and they are always dirty and crowded. And to top it all off , I went to a basketball game and a Rap concert broke out. Every time out, half time and in between all I heard was rap. And they even introduced all the Atl Rappers sitting in their prime seats during one timeout. Never Again. Horrible traffic and they cater to the Rap crowd. They can have it.
I won’t respond to the bulk of his comments, but I feel I must defend Marta. I ride it all the time because I hate driving and I’ve found it to be safe, reliable and clean. I’m still trying to figure out why some people in the city hate on it so much.
– Remember, the game is at 8 tonight. Apparently some fans missed the numerous notices from the Hawks about the time change for the Feb. 26 game vs. Dallas.
MC
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512 comments Add your comment
Clyde
March 21st, 2010
8:31 pm
All I gotta say is when JJ drives to the hole 2 or three people are in the lane contesting his shot. But when Ginobili or Hill drives the lane its wide open.
FIRE WOODY
Taylor
March 21st, 2010
8:32 pm
When was the last time we won an ESPN game?
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 21st, 2010
8:32 pm
When you have a team that’s poorly coached with an unsystematic style of play on both Offense and Defense..Vs. one of, if not the, best coached/most fundamental teams in the league…this is what happens.
The Hawks have more overall talent…and if they win or make a game of this..it will be solely based off that alone.
CAN WOODSON.
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
Nobody can convince me that Al should be playing Center for us.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
NO.
You see teams drive on us consistently because we can’t stop their penetration at the perimeter , and because there is a good chance that our beloved switching defense will have a big guy trying to guard a smaller, faster guy.
Taylor
March 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
Great D 31 in a quarter
heartofdarkness
March 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
Hubie is running a clinic tonight. It is a treat.
Taylor
March 21st, 2010
8:33 pm
33
northcyde
March 21st, 2010
8:34 pm
Woody with the quick sub of Horford and Smoove. They were definitely being outworked. JJ and Marvin at least trying to play defense.
Sleepy
March 21st, 2010
8:34 pm
If I was Woody for the next 5 games I would invoke a pg/sg only dribble the ball up . We have entirely too many turnovers where we dont give it to the point guard and someone else tries to bring it up and turns it over
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:34 pm
Venom Spitter ,
Nobody has to. But tell me WHO on this roster do you want to play center INSTEAD of him?
northcyde
March 21st, 2010
8:34 pm
That quarter could’ve been much worse. We’re lucky not to be down 15
Sleepy
March 21st, 2010
8:35 pm
@ Taylor – We have played very well on espn this year
Wabe
March 21st, 2010
8:35 pm
“But tell me WHO on this roster do you want to play center INSTEAD of him?”
Bingo. It seems that sometimes, people completely miss that part of the equation.
O'Brien
March 21st, 2010
8:37 pm
You compare Hubie’s analysis to ‘Nique, and you realize how far Nique has to go.
He usually just agrees with Bob, or he states the obvious.
Clyde,
You dont see Duncan trying to guard JJ do you? Didnt you see Josh trying to guard Manu on multiple occasions? Thats what the beloved switching defense does.
Hawks need to turn up the defense.
S Hawk Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:38 pm
Woody should come coach the local guys that play up the street.It is see who can shoot the quickest and shoot the long ball. Oh yea!!! dunk! Just watch the Spurs pass and actually have set plays and oh yea block out on the rebound. Atlanta could use guys like Tim Duncan that are incredible team players and even better people!
Won’t happen under this hillbilly ownership group and awful coach!
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 21st, 2010
8:38 pm
Pop’s like “coaching against this guy is too easy”
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:39 pm
Oh Big Ray we can’t do anything about it now. And thankfully Al is not bad at playing C, I just think he would be an even better PF.
Dawgie Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:39 pm
I almost hope the Hawks get bounced in the first round so Woody gets canned. He is such a joke.
northcyde
March 21st, 2010
8:40 pm
People blame Woody, even though they know EXACTLY what is going on in this game. LOL. . it’s hilarious. They’re bigger than us, thus, our frontcourt guys are struggling.
But I guess that’s on the coach. He did see what was going on, and subbed them out a lot earlier than what he usually does. But when Horford and Smoove come back into the game, they have to simply outwork the Spurs.
In the game in January . . . Horford went 2 – 10 FG, scored only 4 points and grabbed 9 rebounds.
Smoove was better. 16 points and 14 rebounds . . . he was an unusual 8 – 12 FG, but he went 3 – 9 FG
If they continue to struggle ( especially Horford ), it’ll be interesting to see if Woody goes with Zaza a little more in this game.
But this team has to simply play better defense.
Tankready
March 21st, 2010
8:40 pm
By all means lets give it to the point gaurd who will dump it off for 23 seconds of dribbling to another guard who is shooting 3-8
Wabe
March 21st, 2010
8:41 pm
No Hubie, “they” didn’t lose confidence in him, because “they” never had confidence in him.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 21st, 2010
8:41 pm
lmao@woodson wired up…..no strategic guidance….just “we gotta pick it up”
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:42 pm
Even funnier are those who think the defense begins and ends with Horford and Smith.
I didn’t know basketball was a game of 2 on 5. Gee, guess you learn something new every day.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:43 pm
I wish Hubie Brown was still coaching. What a fantastic basketball mind. I’d hire him right out of a nursing home.
But I think the nursing home is exactly why Hubie stopped coaching. He didn’t want to prematurely put himself into one…
S Hawk Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:43 pm
Woody wired… the best he could come up with is that we are being beat everywhere! How about pointing the finger at yourself! That’s right……………. it’s never your fault! My Bad!!
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:43 pm
Big Ray I don’t think these defensive breakdowns are becuz of Al. A big part of it is the Terrible PG defense and the stupid switching defense.
Wabe
March 21st, 2010
8:44 pm
Don’t blame JT0 for that, he cutoff the easy two.
Taylor
March 21st, 2010
8:44 pm
This is so much fun to watch
Jody
March 21st, 2010
8:44 pm
Jamal trying to do too much right now.
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:44 pm
U can just see how much better the spurs are coached compared to the hawks.
Dawgie Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:45 pm
LOL at the Spurs shooting 75% from the floor. Hawks will be swept in the first round. PLEASE FIRE WOODY.
S Hawk Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:46 pm
I love the ONE person who will support Woody! I can’t watch this anymore it is sad!!!!!!!!!!! So Sad!
Sautee
March 21st, 2010
8:46 pm
Hey northcyde, are you watching this on your big 52″ flat screen rich guy?
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:46 pm
Venom Spitter ,
I’m not arguing the idea of having a more traditionally sized center. Never have. Back when we drafted him, I was one of the loudest ones on here talking about him being a natural PF (hey, didn’t Joakim Noah play center for the Gators?).
Just saying…you make the best with what you have. And to be honest, unless a guy fits exceptionally well…you don’t trade for a guy who isn’t as good in the pivot as Al is. Getting a “traditional” center who can start for you for the next 5-10 years ain’t easy. They don’t grow on trees, and nobody gives ‘em up without asking for everything in return…
northcyde
March 21st, 2010
8:47 pm
Big Ray . . . Horford and Smith are the keys to our defense. If those guys don’t battle on the boards and deter shots, we’re going to look bad. You already know that. They aren’t responsible for guys knocking down jumpers and guards penetrating. That’s all on the guards. But there’s no denying that Horford and Smith were getting outworked on BOTH ends of the floor.
When they come back in the game, they have to play with much more energy . . . period.
Marvin has 4 rebounds . . . Smith has 2 . . . Horford has 0
That tells you that our PF and C have to pick it up.
northcyde
March 21st, 2010
8:48 pm
Sautee . . who in the hell said I was rich?
O'Brien
March 21st, 2010
8:48 pm
Horford has 0 points and 0 rebounds. Crawford 1-5.
But we need to play better defense.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:49 pm
S Hawks Fan ,
Nope, never his fault. Not ever, not even one iota. Seriously, I don’t blame the guy for everything, and I don’t hate him (but don’t ask Truth Serum about that, he’s made his mind up…). Some things a coach is responsible for, and that’s all there is to it. Other things, the players are responsible for.
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:49 pm
Your right Big Ray they don’t grow on trees.
Blast
March 21st, 2010
8:49 pm
Hawks getting chances to get it under single digits, but not taking advantage.
O'Brien
March 21st, 2010
8:50 pm
northcyde,
We definitely need to rebound better.
And Horford needs to stop forcing it. Focus on playing defense and rebounding.
J.J.M.
March 21st, 2010
8:51 pm
Horford and these fade aways
Dawgie Fan
March 21st, 2010
8:51 pm
Wish I was at the game tonight. BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 21st, 2010
8:52 pm
Hubie is the man
J.J.M.
March 21st, 2010
8:53 pm
come on josh finish strong
Jody
March 21st, 2010
8:53 pm
The Hawks aren’t going to get anything inside in the half court tonight unfortunately it looks. The Spurs are too big and too good defensively up front.
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
8:53 pm
Northcyde ,
Yes, I am aware of that. And I’m not talking about YOU. I agree that our two “bigs” are being outplayed, bar none. And they do have to pick it up.
But if you listen to some people, they aren’t just blaming Woody for global warming, a bad economy, and all else that is troublesome in the world. They also think that these two guys have to be there to cover up for the mistakes of their teammates EVERY SINGLE TIME…without getting into foul trouble.
And while I won’t blame the switching defense for everything that goes wrong, it just doesn’t help in some matchups. Like against teams such as the Spurs, who are extremely well-coached, extremely smart, and extremely disciplined.
You can outwork the Spurs, and we have to do exactly that. But it’s also a battle of wits. That might just have something to do with why we haven’t beaten them in FIVE YEARS .
J.J.M.
March 21st, 2010
8:53 pm
lol im glad I picked the friday game over this one
VenomSpitter
March 21st, 2010
8:53 pm
Al is not Hakeem the Dream he needs to stop with the fadeaways. He’s not good enough to do that.