Hawks Squawks: Bucks 98, Hawks 95
J.J. took over in the fourth but faltered late.
– The Hawks couldn’t make a playoff berth official on their second try. Elias Sports Bureau screwed up by telling the Hawks on Friday they could clinch with a victory over the Spurs, but waited until Monday to tell the league “Oops!” The Bulls won tonight so the Hawks couldn’t even back in.
– It’s tough to get down on the Hawks too much after this one. They’ve still won four of their last six. The Bucks are hot. The Hawks played a tough overtime game against the Spurs and arrived in Milwaukee early this morning.
– But just when you are ready to say the Hawks are one of those rolls that might last into the playoffs, they squander a 12-point lead and fall apart at the end in front of rowdy road fans. At least they could say they didn’t have J.J. when that happened at Toronto.
– But he was out there this time, and his Iso-Joe duel with John Salmons in the fourth quarter gave the Hawks a chance. But then Dick Bavetta called him for grabbing Salmons, a play so perplexing I looked up at the scoreboard and figured the Hawks actually had a foul to give.
– What the heck happened there? “I was just being aggressive and trying to deny him the ball,” Johnson said. “But he called a foul. That was at a crucial part of the game. That’s a tough call.”
– J.J. then missed a runner that would have tied it. That was the ninth Iso-Joe of the quarter. He made five in a row at one point but missed the last two to finish 6 of 9. “Late in ballgames, these guys look to me to make plays,” he said. “That’s what I was trying to do.”
– The Hawks could have earned a second chance on J.J.’s miss at 7.9 seconds but Luke Ridnour chased down the loose ball. The Bucks beat the Hawks 11-6 on the boards in the fourth quarter and made 11 of 19 shots. That’s how the Hawks lost despite shooting 53 percent.
– “It was a good effort considering we had an overtime game and then got in late,” Woody said. “We had our chances but we had a bad fourth quarter defensively. We gave up 31 points. We were solid on defense up until then. They got hot, made some shots. We matched shots but we couldn’t get stops when we needed top get them. We couldn’t control the dribble. Everybody just picked and choosed when they wanted to drive the ball.”
– Woody played Joe Smith and Mo 15 minutes and Zaza 10 minutes and the bench guys were effective. So you can’t say he rode his starters too hard but was fatigue a factor?
– “Out starters logged a lot of minutes in the overtime game so coming down the stretch you would think they would start to get a little tired and shots would come up short and that’s what happened,” Mo said.
– The Hawks looked to be in control after they took a 74-62 with two minutes left in the third. Even after Milwaukee started creeping back in it and the fans came to life, the Hawks still looked OK when Mo scored for a 76-67 lead to open the fourth.
– Then Salmons, Ridnour and Carlos Delfino started making shots. “They just turned it on,” Smoove said. “We had them in check pretty much the whole game and then they shots lights out early in the fourth quarter. It was hard to defend.”
– At the same time that was happening the Hawks stopped looking to Al. They were creative in getting him the ball in the first half but, just like at Toronto, they seemed to give up once the Bucks made their entry passes more difficult.
– Another invisible night from Marvin, who only took two shots. Consider his three rebounds and three turnovers vs. Delfino’s 23 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
– The Hawks might see the Bucks in the playoffs. I used to think it would be a tough series for the Hawks but I’m not so sure now. The Bucks play hard and are a good defensive team but for three quarters you could see how the Hawks boast much more offensive talent than the Bucks. Too much for the the Bucks to handle over a series, I think.
– “They play hard. All Skiles teams play hard,” Josh said. “They’ve got a low-post presence who demands a lot of double teams and a lot of shooters on the perimeter. They are a pretty good team.”
– “They’re deceptively good,” Mo said. “You look at their roster on paper and you don’t think they’d have respect. It’s not a team you would say is going to win a championship or go deep in the playoffs but somehow they are still able to contend and earn that respect.”
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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190 comments Add your comment
Blast
March 23rd, 2010
7:44 pm
I have no confidence that Hawks will beat Orlando tomorrow, sad to say.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 23rd, 2010
7:52 pm
Sam’l
March 23rd, 2010
7:29 pm
It now seems Hawks may finish fourth…due to the number of away games, 2 games against Cleveland, the big one against Orlando (go Hawks!), 3 back to backs, and all the various problems mentioned previously.
………………………………………………………..
from reading that and considering the way the Bucks are playing…..I wouldn’t be totally shocked if the Hawks finished in a HORSE RACE with MIL for 4th
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 23rd, 2010
7:54 pm
but also….with those games remaining..it also gives the Hawks a chance to prove to themselves, the league, and CLE/ORL that they are gonna seriously challenge them in the playoffs.
O'Brien
March 23rd, 2010
8:18 pm
Ken S,
Woody is blind when it comes to the switching. The Bobcats abused the Hawks down the stretch by getting the matchup they want. Felton made a shot over Josh that would have been the game winner.
The Spurs abused the switching. We saw Manu and RJ drive by Smoove and get to the rim. The Bucks abused the switching. Even Ridnour was making shots over Horford.
MC,
Could you ask Woody about the switching defense? Ask him if when he watches film, does it look like teams are running the pick and roll until they get the matchups they want?
He implied we use the switching defense to hide guys on defense (which I assume is Bibby and Crawford). But yet, even when Bibby and Crawford are not in the game, we still switch. Why?
Or maybe you can share some of your comments (if possible) on the effectiveness of the switching.
As for the Magic, Hawks dont have a plan B, because Woody does not have a plan B. Woody’s plan B is to try harder at plan A, because the S#*t works.
I say play Howard straight up, but foul him and send him to the line often. We have Horford, ZaZa, Collins, and RandMo. Even Joe Smith. That’s a lot of fouls. I am okay with sending Howard to the line 20 times (based on his average, he will make 12). But stay on the shooters.
And then hopefully JJ and Crawford will have what it takes to lead us to victory. And we need the Marvin from the Spurs game.
northcyde
March 23rd, 2010
8:23 pm
Still talking about JJs ISOS, when it was the defense that lost the game for us.
HawksFan11 is still talking about the number of shots JJ took, compared to others. Here’s what he doesn’t tell you though.
* The Bucks went on a 24 – 10 run after Evans made that basket, in about a 6 minute span.
* During that sequence, JJ went 5 – 5 FG, to prevent the Bucks from completely blowing the game wide open. He was 7 – 11 FG for the quarter ( 14 pts )
* Also during that sequence, the Bucks missed only one or two shots
* In the 4th, Smoove took 3 shots ( went 2 – 3 ) and Bibby took 2 shots ( 0 – 2 . . . . he had a lay-up blocked and a missed jumper )
* Horford didn’t dominate offensively. He was 5 – 5 FG, but I believe 1 or 2 of those FGs were from offensive rebounds put back into the basket.
* Hawks shot 50% FG, scored 21 pts, and committed 1 turnover in the quarter. Bucks shot 58% FG and scored 31 points.
* Hawks missed 3 out of 4 FTs in the quarter
* Hawks were outrebounded 11 – 6 in the quarter ( including a critical offensive rebound late in that game )
********
Can’t blame this game on the offense. This is all about defense. After pretty much holding the Bucks to 3 consecutive 20 point quarters, we let them hang 31 on us. That can’t happen. The 21 points, with good defense and defensive rebounding, probably turns into a 27 point quarter, and we win that game comfortably.
But it’s the defense that let us down again last night, not the offense.
It’s funny though. People criticized Woody for not riding the hot hand in the Toronto game in the 4th ( Horford ), but have a problem with Woody riding the hot hand ( JJ ) in Milwaukee.
So I as again. What’s the REAL REASON behind this?
Sautee
March 23rd, 2010
8:48 pm
Truth-serum said this:
“Play some freaking defense in the middle and the hawks win. Just that simple. When ever the hawks lose check and see, you will find we were outscored in the paint 99% of the time.”
OK, I checked all of our losses this year. 99%, eh?
In EIGHT of our 25 losses we OUTSCORED our opponent in the paint.
99%? Try 68%
But it’s “just that simple”.
LOL in the game here against OKC we scored almost TWICE what they did in the paint (46-24) and STILL lost.
But we who talk about defense starting on the perimeter are all wrong.
Obviously.
BTW, we outscored MIL in the paint last night.
Hey, maybe it’s NOT “just that simple”.
Truth-Serum
March 23rd, 2010
8:52 pm
“Truth-serum said this:
“When the Horford nutt huggers are planting wet kisses they never mention his defense, because they cant.”
I guess he’s forgotten this lie:
northcyde posted stats a couple of weeks ago that showed (at that time) that Horford gave the fewest points to the opposing center per 48 minutes of ANY center in the league.”
The truth is northcyde posted a analysis that showed more than 50 percent of the time when the opposing center decides to shot over horford he scores.
Not only the opposing center but forwards and guards also show case their dunk over horford.
The breakdown also showed that the elite defensive centers kept the opposing center under 50% scoring against them.
No matter how much germs of misinformation you, bubba’s nutthugging jerks publish, at the end of the day horford is still a power forward play center who averages 14 points a game and plays very little defense, preferring rather to pick up garbage rebound while ranking near the bottom of all center in blocking shots and protecting the rim. At last check he was 26th or 27th for centers in the block shots category.
You are entitled to your own opinion saltee, but not your own facts. No matter how you try to glorify 14 points the man play no defense and thats why we keep losing games in the paint.
Finally, the man cant create his own shot and must be lead or set up and thats why he goes cold in the forth quarter.
You and the idiots who think Horford doesnt need to block shots and protect the middle, just score his weak azz 14 points a game and the hawks win are sadly, very sadly mistaken!
Sautee
March 23rd, 2010
8:55 pm
northcyde,
Do you think Horford should get more than 5 shots per game?
Truth-Serum
March 23rd, 2010
9:00 pm
In EIGHT of our 25 losses we OUTSCORED our opponent in the paint.
99%? Try 68%
IDIOT ON THE LOOSE!
Try 68%
HAWKS CURRENT WINNING PERCENTAGE.
45 25 0.643
OK IDIOT, HAVE IT YOUR WAY,
IN 68 PERCENT OF THE GAME WHERE WE WIN IN THE PAINT WE WIN.
hc2537
March 23rd, 2010
9:01 pm
like i have been saying MARVIN WILLIAMS is garbage He is a starter in the NBA and goes nights with sometime’s 2point’s-5point’s like lastnight he had 2 ponits he looks lost at times like he’s scared are have some wear to go his hands seem’s like they are too small he fumble the ball alot when he’s going to the basket. I hope this ATLANTA nightlife isn’t messing with my man.
CYDENORTH
March 23rd, 2010
9:02 pm
I WOULD LIKE IT IF HE GOT 3 OR 4 BLOCKS A GAME AND 5OR 6 SHOTS ALTERED AND PUT A COUPLE OF GUYS ON THE SEAT OF THEIR PANTS SO THEY WILL QUIT WALTZING IN TO THE RACK ON US.
IN CASE YOU HAVENT NOTICE YOU CANT WIN GAMES WITH OUT DEFENSE.
Sautee
March 23rd, 2010
9:09 pm
Truth-serum,
Ironic name since you are LYING yet again about Horford.
He is currently 19th in blocked shots among centers, NOT 26th or 27th as you lied just now. Here’s the link:
http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Blocks.jsp?league=00&season=22009&conf=OVERALL&position=1&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=
In fact here are the current rankings for other categories. In each case, I’m listing Horford’s ranking among centers:
Points 4th
Rebounds 5th
Assists 4th
Steals 6th
Dbl-dbl tied 4th
FG% 7th
Eff. 6th
FT% 6th
Blocks 19th
Well, it looks like our undersized center is playing larger than most of the centers in the league.
Sautee
March 23rd, 2010
9:14 pm
Someone’s math skills are questionable.
8 (the number of times we outscored the opponent but lost)
divided by 25 (the TOTAL number of losses) is .32
Now subtract .32…. am I going too fast?
subtract .32 from 1.00 and you get 68% of the LOSSES (25).
Geez. *sigh*
lewis
March 23rd, 2010
9:23 pm
i love al horford’s determination. hawks are holding his potential back big time. looking phenomenal in his 3rd year, he knows how hard u gotta work and how much u gotta want it to win it all. hawks players who are anywhere from 2-8 years older need to learn from him. he’s one of the few guys on the hawks who hits jumps and posts up with a high %. as he gets more post moves and his jumpshot gets even better, he will continue to make the all star team. I didn’t understand w hy he made it at first, but after watching him since the all-star break he reminds me every game. Josh Smith is athletically gifted and can be tough posting up in the paint, but he makes so many mental errors it almost cancels out his good hustle. gahhhhhhh…..i love this team but they drive me crazy
HawksFan11
March 23rd, 2010
9:29 pm
Northclyde
As usual, your stats are above reproach. All true, but t me they don’t tell the whole story. To me, the entire flow changed when the Hawks went from what was working to a new strategy, and it showed on all of the faces and body language.
“HawksFan11 is still talking about the number of shots JJ took, compared to others. Here’s what he doesn’t tell you though.”
* During that sequence, JJ went 5 – 5 FG, to prevent the Bucks from completely blowing the game wide open. He was 7 – 11 FG for the quarter ( 14 pts )
** Joe went 5-5 FG because he was drawn into an unecessary shootout with Salmons. The Hawks still had the lead when he went on the selfish tirade. This froze the rest of the team out and took them out of their rhythm. When JJ ran out of gas, as he always does, there was nowhere elase to go, so he kept chucking.
* Horford didn’t dominate offensively. He was 5 – 5 FG, but I believe 1 or 2 of those FGs were from offensive rebounds put back into the basket.
** This speaks for itsself when he’s playing this well over a 7 footer. And you co-sign to stopping this kind of play when they can’t stop him in the inerest of JJ going 5-5 and then ……?
* Hawks shot 50% FG, scored 21 pts, and committed 1 turnover in the quarter. Bucks shot 58% FG and scored 31 points.
** And what were the assist totals in the 4th? 4-0 Bucks. Team ball? I think not.
northcyde
March 23rd, 2010
9:42 pm
Of course.
The question is, who do you take shots from, to get Horford more shots?
Crawford was red hot in the 1st half. JJ was red hot in the 4th quarter. They both were a combined 22 – 41 FGs last night and scored almost 50 points.
So in a situation in which our 2 star guards have it going, the complimentary scorers may have to find other ways to score, outside of plays being called for them. The offense will almost always defer to JJ and/or Crawford, when they’re on.
The misconception about Horford and Smoove, is that they’re good enough offensively to be counted on a nightly basis. That’s not true, because both of them are merely average scorers, when you talk about them creating their own shot.
Horford did get one look in that 4th quarter, got fouled, but then missed 2 FTs.
But when you look at last night, our offensive scoring mismatches were JJ vs Salmons and Crawford vs Ridnour. We shot 53% FG as a team. But we didn’t defend well at all in the 4th.
Sautee
March 23rd, 2010
9:51 pm
Ok northcyde, one more question:
Which do you prefer to watch………..assuming a win:
a team moving the ball with balanced scoring
or an ISO heavy team with a dominant scorer?
northcyde
March 23rd, 2010
10:20 pm
@ Sautee . . . I prefer the style that gives us the best chance to wn that particular game. If it’s bal movement, great. If it’s someone individually taking over the game in ISO, that’s great too. It’s not about how “pretty” you play. It’s about winning the game, no matter what.
I personally can’t stand those high scoring – no defense games. What Golden St does is NOT CUTE, even if it is “exciting” basketball. They score a lot, but they don’t stop people. That’s why they lose a lot.
rusty
March 23rd, 2010
10:41 pm
northcyde
it seems every time that joe goes iso-joe(ballhog) ourball movement stops & we almost always lose.it seems in some of our games with orlando he did it early & we got blown out. we are not going to win anythink with iso joe. he is too streaky of a shooter & eats up way to much of the cloak which jc does not.jc will hit a man underneath for an easy basket. joes assist come on passes to the outside with time running oiut
nunna yo biznezz
March 23rd, 2010
10:43 pm
great stats everybody,
questions for all of u,answer any or all..
1.Are we playing the kind of ball at this point of the season,that you thought we would be playing?
2.Do you think there is a chance that sund might suprise us all and sign woody before the playoffs or during the playoffs?? if so,would you agree on it or think he should wait till the end of the playoffs??
3.You might not like this one,but if u were advising the hawks playoffs opponents,how would you tell them to beat this team?
4.Having asked that question,what would you do differently with the hawks current roster and scheme to insure that we not only go far into the playoffs(including the finals)? Or,would they play the same scheme on offense and defense?
5.Looking at the current hawks roster we have now,(in any order and with any number of players)who are the locks to be this team next year?(Even if u had to eat contracts by trading or releasing someone)..
6.In now his 2nd year,are you satisfied or disatisfied with the performance,wheeling,and dealing with GM Rick Sund??
7.I know we’re all hawks fans,but,when the hawks are not playing,is there a 2nd team that u try to follow and keep up with? Who and Why?
8.Looking at the hawks coaching staff,is there a coach on this staff that you think other teams are interested in talking to after the season for a possible head coaching job? Whom would u think and why?
9.Are you satisfied with the ASG as owners,or would you prefer a “1 person owner”? And,which one of the ASG would u think would be the better owner of them all?
10.If the hawks should go on a roll,and beat the lakers,magic,and cavs(whom they play twice),would it be fair to cast them the team to take the eastern conference title and possibly the finals as well?? If not,why not?
11.And,If they were to lose all or most of those games,would you be suprised or not?
Lets play a game.
1st you are named the hawks GM for 2010,and the ASG says to you,”we want you to build our team to take us to the finals and win it this year”..
Who’s your coach??
Who’s on your coaching staff (if u had to pick them)?
What do you do with joe johnson?
What are your immediate needs?? and list if u would draft your needs or if they would be brought in thru trades or free agency..
What type of offense and defense would you run??
And if joe is gone,would you move crawford to the starting 5??
———————————————————-
Last game..
You are a current atlanta hawk player or coach,and im interviewing you..
how would you think these players would or should answer these questions:
To Josh Smith:You got a knock on being hard headed,taking dumb shots,your not focused in a lot games as well..do you think they were fair criticisms,or people just hating because they did not know your situation and what the coach asked you to do? also:what motivated you to play like your playing now? coaches?? fans who criticised your game?? someone you know personally?? or you????
To Jeff Teague: What is the deal with you and coach woodson? We see him get on you hard..To correct your play, what does he say to you or try to do with you in practice?? and are you one of those players who learn more from watching or more from playing?? And,if he is the coach of the hawks next year,do you think you will get more playing time next year?? if not,are you willing to sit around and wait another year or 2 before you do??
To Joe Johnson: Iso Joe is the normal talk among the blog talk on the hawks.Speaking to the fans,are the isolated calls for you helpful to the team in your opinion and if so,why?
To Coach Woodson: YOU GOT HATERS!!
WHAT WOULD U LIKE TO SAY TO THE HATERS WHO SAY YOU CAN’T COACH,CAN’T TEACH OR DEVELOPE YOUNG PLAYERS(ESPECIALLY PG’S),YOUR TEAM IS CONSISTENTLY INCONSISTENT,THEY CAN’T PLAY AGAINST A ZONE DEFENSE,AND THAT YOU ARE RUNNING JOE AND OTHERS INTO THE GROUND WITH THE MINUTES HE AND OTHERS HAVE PLAYED THIS YEAR??
THATS ALL…
darrell starks
March 23rd, 2010
11:05 pm
Yes joe doing the same thing over and over is not helping the team at all get the ball and shoot it joe dont dribble 20seconds of the 24second shot clock, joe should no ball move ment make every one better including him.
A lot of this i blame woody for not running more low post plays for joe and let him touch the ball in the paint so he can go straight 4 a shot,
and how in the H do you play good 1 night and the next night shoot 2 times this is crazy and no excuse, again i blame woody for not running more low post plays for marvin and getting him more involve in the paint thats poor recongnition as a coach.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
Melvin
March 23rd, 2010
11:11 pm
Nice article on Josh.
http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/woelfel/2010/03/23/slight-fuels-smith/
darrell starks
March 23rd, 2010
11:12 pm
Why dont woody play teague last night this that same bull he have been doing as a coach 2 inconsistent as a coach with no rotation pattern at all, not noing what he might do the following night, next thing you no he might for get 2 put jamal out there LOL.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!
northcyde
March 23rd, 2010
11:21 pm
Dang . . . now I feel kind of slly going back and forth with HawksFan11. His name is HawksFan11.
11 = Crawford
HawksFan + Crawford
HawksFan11 = Crawford fan
So even though I’ll prove him wrong once again about that 4th quarter, it won’t matter, because as long as JJ is jacking up shots, it prevents Crawford from doing the same thing.
HawksFan11, all you have to do is go back and review that play by play transcript of the game on our ESPN site.
Ridnour ( twice ), Delfino, and Jerry Springer Stackouse all scored when JJ came back into the game. Luckily for us, JJ made 4 shots in a row, to keep us ahead of them.
THEN Salmons hit a shot.
So JJ wasn’t involved with Salmons in some shootout, he was simply keeping us in the lead. And then look what happened on the next 2 possessions.
* Horford draws a foul and goes to the line . . . he misses 2 FTs
* Next possession, a questionable offensive foul is called on Smoove.
Two possessions . . . no shots for JJ . . . but we lose our 2 point lead because Salmons hit two in a row while that was going on.
THEN JJ hits his next shot for 5 in a row for him.
********
The fact is, even before JJ took 4 shots at the end, the other guys DID have offensive chances to contribute
* Your boy Crawford misses a jumper
* Bibby had a 3 blocked
* Smoove scored on 2 close range shots, before missing the long jumper with around 3 min to go.
* Then JJ hits 2 shots in a row to put us up 2
*******
It’s all right there sir. If you didn’t record the game, simply look at the transcript to see what REALLY happened.
I’m sorry your boy Crawford didn’t get a chance to score 35 on Milwaukee. Maybe he’ll get a chance to do that against ORLANDO.
If he’s as hot in the 4th as JJ was last night, I’m not going to complain if Woody decides to go ISO CRAW . . . and it’s working.
HawksFan11
March 23rd, 2010
11:28 pm
northcyde
March 23rd, 2010
10:20 pm
@ Sautee . . . I prefer the style that gives us the best chance to wn that particular game. If it’s bal movement, great. If it’s someone individually taking over the game in ISO, that’s great too. It’s not about how “pretty” you play. It’s about winning the game, no matter what.
Can’t disagree with a single word here. That’s exactly what I want to see out of the entire Hawks team every night.
HawksFan11
March 23rd, 2010
11:34 pm
Northclyde
As far as the 11 is concerned, sorry, wrong guess, I’m not that simple minded. If you must know, I’m a former military pilot and my callsigns always ended in 11.
And just because you offer a difference of opinion doesn’t prove anyone right or wrong, we just see different things and draw different conclusions as to why they happened. Not about to get into a personal fight with you, but I do love a good debate with a worthy advesary.
Keep ‘em coming pal
HawksFan11
March 23rd, 2010
11:35 pm
Oops, and all this time I’ve been calling you Northclyde. Sorry.
HawksFan11
March 24th, 2010
12:08 am
@Nunna
Great questions, let’s see here:
1.Are we playing the kind of ball at this point of the season,that you thought we would be playing?
No, I thought the Hawks would be leading th division based on their preseason and early season play. Midway throught the first half of the season, they began to look like last years team and here we are.
2.Do you think there is a chance that sund might suprise us all and sign woody before the playoffs or during the playoffs?? if so,would you agree on it or think he should wait till the end of the playoffs??
No, no surprises from Sund there. I think he should wait and see what happens in the playoffs. Many have said in the blog, and I agree, that Coach Woodson may have taken this team as far a he is capable. Go prove us all wrong coach.
3.You might not like this one,but if u were advising the hawks playoffs opponents,how would you tell them to beat this team?
This one is simple. Run if you can, the Hawks don’t get back on transition D. Stay close until the 4th qtr, and play zone D. You’re right, I hate it, but there it is.
4.Having asked that question,what would you do differently with the hawks current roster and scheme to insure that we not only go far into the playoffs(including the finals)? Or,would they play the same scheme on offense and defense?
Kill the switching D, they’ve all figured it out and use it against us. Let your bigs work the middle and they will, they’ve more than proven that they can. Make Josh play his position and ONLY his position. It’s a team sport, so play it like one. This team doesn’t have a closer, so stop tryimg to make one.
5.Looking at the current hawks roster we have now,(in any order and with any number of players)who are the locks to be this team next year?(Even if u had to eat contracts by trading or releasing someone)..
If I’m king for a day, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson. Everyone else is on the table.
6.In now his 2nd year,are you satisfied or disatisfied with the performance,wheeling,and dealing with GM Rick Sund??
You’re kidding, right?
7.I know we’re all hawks fans,but,when the hawks are not playing,is there a 2nd team that u try to follow and keep up with? Who and Why?
No other team. I’m loyal, if nothing else.
8.Looking at the hawks coaching staff,is there a coach on this staff that you think other teams are interested in talking to after the season for a possible head coaching job? Whom would u think and why?
Hard to tell, I never see any of them doing any in-game coaching. Hell, the only one I ever see do anything is Wally the trainer; he keeps track of the timeouts and tells Coach Woodson when to take them.
9.Are you satisfied with the ASG as owners,or would you prefer a “1 person owner”? And,which one of the ASG would u think would be the better owner of them all?
Don’t know enough about the business aspect to offer an opinion here. I do wish that they would have given themselves a chance this year with some mid-year deals though.
10.If the hawks should go on a roll,and beat the lakers,magic,and cavs(whom they play twice),would it be fair to cast them the team to take the eastern conference title and possibly the finals as well?? If not,why not?
As nice a thought as that is, it isn’t realistic. First, the guys themselves don’t believe they’re capable of it, and secondly, the league won’t allow it. We’ve all seen how little respect the Hawks get from the officials, even at home. And beating the Cavs is not going to happen this year, the league has too much invested in LeBron James to let that happen and the officials have made it perfectly clear all year long.
11.And,If they were to lose all or most of those games,would you be suprised or not?
Now that would surprise me. This is a good team with some very talented players on it. It’s what’s kept them in the hunt all year, raw talent. With a little leadership and cohesiveness, they could go all the way.
Misery loves....
March 24th, 2010
12:21 am
HawksFan11 is a very lonely man and a hawk/Woodson hater with out any knowledge. Who would spend so much time talking to themselves.
Other than grandad and sautee, there arent many guys as lonely and lost as H-F11 are lonely.
Get a life dude.
Go Hawks. Another good job Woodson!. I hope you get the talent you need to go to the next level. Great job the what you do have.
JeJe
March 24th, 2010
12:32 am
LOL @ Woody calling timeout to set up the Joe Iso so we had no Timeouts left with 5 seconds to go. LOL!!!!!!!
Truth-Serum
March 24th, 2010
12:32 am
“He is currently 19th in blocked shots among centers, NOT 26th or 27th as you lied just now”
The last time I checked he was 26th amongst centers for block shots. that was about 7-9 days ago. Ok If you say he had a good week and is now the 19th best defensive shot blocking center, why am I not impressed?
Would you agree that this is disgusting? Vulgar? How in the HEAVANS can you get out of the second round with that kind of CRAP? Never mind. Go blame it on Bibby!
WTF am I talking to you for any way. NOBODY ON TEAM BUBBA HAS ANY SENSE ANY WAY.
GOOD NIGHT!
Atlanta Fawks
March 24th, 2010
12:33 am
THE HAWKS WILL BE KNOCKED OUT FIRST ROUND OF PLAYOFFS.
REMEMBER THIS POST WHEN IT HAPPENS…….. AND IT WILL.
JeJe
March 24th, 2010
12:34 am
WHY DID WE DOUBLE TEAM G.HILL/MANU SO THAT DUNCAN COULD ROLL ON THE P&R FOR LAYUPS AND NO ONE WOULD SHIFT?
THAT IS A SIGN OF A RETARDED DEFENSIVE SET.
ALSO, WHY DO WE SWITCH ON P&R’S? WHY DO WE WANT AL ON MANU?
FIRE WOODSON ALEADY. JESUS CHRIST. THIS IS SO DAMN RETARDED. PUTTING YOUR “CENTER” WHO DOESN’T EVEN ENJOY PLAYING DEFENSE ON MANU LOLOL
northcyde
March 24th, 2010
12:39 am
I’ll be at the house within te next hour or two. I need to answer those 11 questions before I go to bed.
PAJASO
March 24th, 2010
12:47 am
JeJe MAYBE WE COULD HAVE PUT THAT DEFENSIVE EXPERT HORFORD ON HIM.
northcyde
March 24th, 2010
2:06 am
1.Are we playing the kind of ball at this point of the season,that you thought we would be playing?
Yep. I thought they would be a 52 win team before the season started, and they’ve pretty much played like a 50 – 55 win team all year. I also thought that Boston, Cleveland, Orlando, LA Lakers, San Antonio, and Denver all had a shot to win 60 games, making the league very top heavy. Seeing that those teams aren’t as dominant as I thought they would be, I definitely like where the Hawks are right now, in comparison to everyone except LA and Cleveland.
2.Do you think there is a chance that sund might suprise us all and sign woody before the playoffs or during the playoffs?? if so,would you agree on it or think he should wait till the end of the playoffs??
No chance in Hades. I think he’s already said that he’ll wait until the end of the year to evaluate Woody. Maybe if we won our last 12 games and finished tied for the best record in franchise history . . . maybe.
3.You might not like this one,but if u were advising the hawks playoffs opponents,how would you tell them to beat this team?
Keep them off the offensive glass and prevent transition baskets off of your missed shots. In turn, turn Hawk misses into transition baskets the other way, seeing that we’re a pretty bad transition defense team.
4.Having asked that question,what would you do differently with the hawks current roster and scheme to insure that we not only go far into the playoffs(including the finals)? Or,would they play the same scheme on offense and defense?
I’d reduce the bench to a solid 8 man rotation, and not try to go 10 deep. This would give Evans and Zaza a chance to play a little more and make a solid contribution on a nightly basis. Jeff Teague, Joe Smith, and Mario West would only play if people were in foul trouble or in a blowout.
On offense, I’d encourage Horford to post up less against the big centers, and rely more on the 15 foot jumper. Against guys his size, I’d tell him to attack. Most everyone’s else roles will go unchanged.
On defense, I’d keep challenging Crawford to be a better on the ball defender and fight through screens more. This would give Woody the ability to switch up defenses more frequently. And I’d stop double teaming post players who aren’t a big offensive threat.
5.Looking at the current hawks roster we have now,(in any order and with any number of players)who are the locks to be this team next year?(Even if u had to eat contracts by trading or releasing someone)..
Locks: Smith, Horford, Crawford and JJ if he’s re-signed. Everyone else at this point is expendable, if an upgrade can be found at that position.
northcyde
March 24th, 2010
2:13 am
6.In now his 2nd year,are you satisfied or disatisfied with the performance,wheeling,and dealing with GM Rick Sund??
I initially didn’t like the Crawford deal at first. But Crawford has been great as a Hawk. That deal gives Sund passing marks as GM. The long-term signings of Bibby, Zaza, and Marvin don’t look nearly as good as they did back in the summer though. If those signings prevent the ASG from retaining JJ, then it’s a HORRIBLE move by them.
northcyde
March 24th, 2010
2:14 am
7.I know we’re all hawks fans,but,when the hawks are not playing,is there a 2nd team that u try to follow and keep up with? Who and Why?
Since I’m in Tennessee, and get to see a lot of their games, it’ll have to be the Memphis Grizzlies. If they were in the East, they’d be a playoff squad. Probably the #5 seed. They’re a young team and they play hard on a nightly basis. They’re outmatched on most nights vs the real good teams, but they still play them tough at home. They remind me so much of the 08 – 09 Hawks. A very nice team to watch.
8.Looking at the hawks coaching staff,is there a coach on this staff that you think other teams are interested in talking to after the season for a possible head coaching job? Whom would u think and why?
No.
9.Are you satisfied with the ASG as owners,or would you prefer a “1 person owner”? And,which one of the ASG would u think would be the better owner of them all?
People constantly rip the ASG, but when they brought in Mike Bibby 2 years ago, knowing that they’d be spending right up to the luxury tax for the next 2 years, that at least let me know that they are willing to spend money to put a quality product on the floor. They didn’t have to do that. They could’ve very easily kept Shelden, AJ, and Lue around here . . let their contracts expire . . and saved a lot of money. But they went out and got Bibby for a final playoff push in 08. Without that trade, there’s no telling what this franchise would look like right now. The Crawford trade further showed how committed they are to keep the Hawks at a high level. Now, let’s see if they’ll pass the final test, and re-sign JJ.
10.If the hawks should go on a roll,and beat the lakers,magic,and cavs(whom they play twice),would it be fair to cast them the team to take the eastern conference title and possibly the finals as well?? If not,why not?
Most of our fans will, but it’s like I’ve been saying for a few weeks now. The playoffs are a different animal. Losses to bad or mediocre teams are not an indication of how we’ll play in the playoffs. Conversely, wins vs good to great teams aren’t an indication either.
The Playoffs are all about matchups and adjustments. Denver losing to the Knicks tonight does not mean that Denver will lose in the 1st round of the Western Conference playoffs. In a 7-game series, the team that exploits matchups and plays “their” game, will win the series.
Us beating the Lakers, Cavs, and Magic will look REAL GOOD, but it’s not an indication of how good our chances are in the playoffs. You’re still talking about us having to win a playoff road game, if we faced one of those teams.
11.And,If they were to lose all or most of those games,would you be suprised or not?
The Hawks are mentally tough, and tend to play very well at home. They’ll win one of the home games vs the Magic or the Lakers. We’ve battled Cleveland twice this year. I expect another battle for Round 3 on the road, win or lose.
So yeah, if we lost all 3 games, I’d be surprised.
HawksFan11
March 24th, 2010
2:23 am
I swear, the personal attacks and name calling on this blog is beneath childish. Is this about basketball or what?
northcyde
March 24th, 2010
3:11 am
Lets play a game.
1st you are named the hawks GM for 2010,and the ASG says to you,”we want you to build our team to take us to the finals and win it this year”..
Who’s your coach??
Mike Woodson?
I mean, when you start looking at some of the “hot names” in the coaching ranks, it’s not like there are a lot of guys out there who are available, that will coach us to a title. If Larry Brown still didn’t have a job, then maybe him. People love Hubie Brown’s commentary, but he’s 76 years old. He’s not coaching anybody’s team ever again. Avery Johnson? He lost in the 1st round with arguably the 5th best team in NBA history ( 67 – 15 record ) . . to Golden St.
The key to the Hawks winning a title, isn’t changing coaches, it’s upgrading the personnel, or seeing one or more of these young guys develop into legit All-Stars.
Who’s on your coaching staff (if u had to pick them)?
Wow . . . have no idea. Not that versed in assistant coaches
What do you do with joe johnson?
Re-sign him at all costs
What are your immediate needs?? and list if u would draft your needs or if they would be brought in thru trades or free agency..
Same as last year. A frontcourt defender/rebounder . . and a legit backup PG. With Mike Bibby becoming more of a liability on the court, we may need a PG who can really run the show. The jury is still way out on Teague, so if there is a guy in the draft who is better than him, it wouldn’t hurt to go get him. Maybe a Grevis Vasquez out of Maryland . . a big PG who can create his own shot and shoot the midrange jumper.
But I would prefer the frontcourt defender/rebounder first. I would love to have an active body like Jarvis Varnardo here. He’d have to beef up, but he’d be a great addition to the 2nd unit as a shot blocker and defender.
What type of offense and defense would you run??
High post, pick and pop, and Iso
And if joe is gone,would you move crawford to the starting 5??
Would have no choice but to. He’d be the only legit shot creator on the team, unless we went out and got someone else.
GTFan1
March 24th, 2010
6:25 am
Have you guys been following the situation in Cleveland?
http://thesportsdebates.com/category/tsd/the-resigning-ilgauskus-debate/
Hawk n the Ham
March 24th, 2010
9:33 am
Northcyde – your thoughts on who they acquire for immediate needs. It’s good to get some more big bodies down low, but have to still look for the athletic type of Horford who can run the floor. If we bring in some big slow BigZ style body, it lessens our nimbers on our fast break offense….just a thought.
ToothFairy
March 24th, 2010
9:40 am
The Hawks have 12 games left. Im not trying to be negative but according to my calculations, the best thing that would happen for the franchise is for them to finish 1-11, which means they will finish 46-36, ONE GAME WORSE THAN LAST YEAR with a superior team to last year. This would probably get Woody fired, which would be the best thing that could possibly happen to the franchise at this point. Why? Because Woody is coaching a team that is capable of winning 60 games, but is underachieveing, losing games they should win and blowing big leads to take losses. That will continue to happen at long as Woody is coach of the Hawks. It happened during his 37 win mediocure playoff team and it happend last year and this year because of the coach. So once again, the BEST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE HAWKS IN THE REMAINDING 12 GAMES IS FOR THEM TO GO 1-11, FINISH 46-36 SO THAT WOODY CAN GET FIRED. I SURE HOPE IT HAPPENS.
terrell
March 24th, 2010
9:45 am
Toothfairy, at least we dont have to worry about a 4th qtr collapse tonight. We”ll probably be trying to make a 4th qtr comeback. But your’re right, this team should easily be 3 or 4 games ahead of Boston for the 3 spot.
terrell
March 24th, 2010
9:49 am
Northcyde, that GS team coulda beat ANYBODY that year. They were a matchup nightmare. BDiddy, Monte, and Captain Jack? Are you kidding me? Cant f
terrell
March 24th, 2010
9:51 am
I meant, Cant fault Avery for that. Btw, didn’t they go to the Finals the following year?
terrell
March 24th, 2010
9:52 am
Guess you gonna blame Avery for Dirk shriveling up like a punk when it counted.
O'Brien
March 24th, 2010
10:03 am
terrell,
I like Avery, but he does have some coaching warts too. I dont blame Avery for the entire meltdown, because as you mentioned, Dirk was MVP that year, and he had a bad playoff series.
However, Avery made one big mistake. He changed his lineup to match GS. When you have the #1 team in the league, you should force others to change their style and their lineups to match you. Instead, he tried to matchup with GS.
Also, his team had a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals, and lost (although Wade got almost every single call that series). And his other team lost in the first round of the playoffs too. So his playoff resume is not that impressive, given the talent he was working with.
Although I have been very critical of Woody, I think the ASG should bring him back (unless the Hawks collapse in the playoffs).
However, I would like him to change up his coaching staff. We need an offensive coordinator (I’d be willing to give Mark Jackson (really good PG and analyst) a try), and I need a defensive coordinator on staff (obviously, Woody would still have final say, but the switching needs to be more flexible).
Now if the Hawks collapse and Woody does not get a new contract, then I would be open to Avery.
Melvin
March 24th, 2010
10:43 am
MC,
I don’t think the Hawks can just file this Bucks lost to tired legs. This was the type of game that elite teams win. So what they were playing a back to back? This was a game that would have secured a playoffs spot, against a possibly playoff opponent and they had a 7 point lead beginning of the 4th. How much motivation do they need in order to win an important game like this? Teams that have championship inspiration willed themselves to a win in these types of games. This lost is inexcusable. I have to question their mental toughness after a loss like this.
Thats some funny shhytee!
March 24th, 2010
10:45 am
“Because Woody is coaching a team that is capable of winning 60 games,”- I see why they call you the ToothFairy .
Most experts picked this team to win 44-47 games and finish 4-8 in the pecking order. I will however agree with you that if you want to get woodson fired(as this site is dedicated to doing), you would have to do worse than what the experts predicted, which aint likely. In fact, if you visit normal blog pages, you will find Woodson is held in high esteem. Further you will find not only is he a coach of the year candidate for exceeding the projections but doing it with out a point guard who cant play defense and a center who doesn’t want to.
They have only 1 legitimate Allstar and a consolation pick.
Ok, heres a quiz; Name me two teams that have won a NBA championship with only 1 All star?
Bonus points; how many on the hawks bench have NBA championship rings?
terrell, absolutely! coaches dont play the game players do. At the end of the day its their job and what happens on the court is their responsibility. Your boss doesnt do your work for you he just tells you what it is. Get it done!
“He is currently 19th in blocked shots among centers, NOT 26th or 27th as you lied just ” I appreciate He is currently 19th in blocked shots among centers, NOT 26th or 27th as you lied just now.- Saltee by the end of each week stats are changing. Lets agree that whether hes 19th this week or 29th this is a horrible fact. He is consistently at the bottom levels in this defensive category.
The offensive numbers you post showed that at best he was in the fourth best center in 2 or 3 area’s but for the most part he is a middle of the pack guy offensively and near the bottom when defending. over 51% percent of the time the opposing center scores on him when there is an attempt, unlike the misinformation you tried to spread. Yes, like the many other powerforwards playing center til management can get a real one Horford is a middle of the pack guy.
As Ive said repeatedly, we wont win a championship with him at center. Bottom line.
NORTHCYDE- im going to CO-SIGN and acknowledge that we may have come to the same conclusion from different paths but the bottom line is we share the following sentiments, almost exactly:
Who’s your coach??
Mike Woodson?
I mean, when you start looking at some of the “hot names” in the coaching ranks, it’s not like there are a lot of guys out there who are available, that will coach us to a title. If Larry Brown still didn’t have a job, then maybe him. People love Hubie Brown’s commentary, but he’s 76 years old. He’s not coaching anybody’s team ever again. Avery Johnson? He lost in the 1st round with arguably the 5th best team in NBA history ( 67 – 15 record ) . . to Golden St.
The key to the Hawks winning a title, isn’t changing coaches, it’s upgrading the personnel, or seeing one or more of these young guys develop into legit All-Stars.
Who’s on your coaching staff (if u had to pick them)?
Wow . . . have no idea. Not that versed in assistant coaches
What do you do with joe johnson?
Re-sign him at all costs
What are your immediate needs?? and list if u would draft your needs or if they would be brought in thru trades or free agency..
Same as last year. A frontcourt defender/rebounder . . and a legit backup PG. With Mike Bibby becoming more of a liability on the court, we may need a PG who can really run the show. The jury is still way out on Teague, so if there is a guy in the draft who is better than him, it wouldn’t hurt to go get him.
And if joe is gone,would you move crawford to the starting 5??
Would have no choice but to. He’d be the only legit shot creator on the team, unless we went out and got someone else.
Now,
Is there any one else on this site with some sense? Hello-o-o-o-abyss….