Hawks Squawks: Hawks 119, Spurs 114 (OT)
– The playoffs have been a foregone conclusion for the Hawks for a while now so clinching is a bit anti-climatic. But, man, what a way to make it official.
– The Hawks came back from 14 down, the largest deficit they’ve overcome to win this season. “Fantastic,” Woody said of clinching. “We’ve still got a lot of work ahead of us. There’s still a lot of work to do before the playoffs. We’ve got to keep rolling. We’ll handle the playoffs once we get there.”
– The Hawks handled a Spurs team that wasn’t going to be an easy out no matter what the standings say. They have a history of winning in Philips. They are desperate to make the playoffs. Ginobili went for 38 and maybe 10 of those came with guys in his grill. Duncan had 29 and 13. The Spurs got calls. The Hawks started terribly.
– The Hawks still won because . . . well, because of pretty much everybody. J.J., Al Jamal and, I’ll be danged, Marvin all made winning plays–and I probably missed somebody.
– “We all play off of each other,” Jamal said. “Whoever is going good, we give it to him. There is no jealousy.”
– Jamal is going to the playoffs for the first time in his 10 pro seasons. “It’s unbelievable,” Jamal said. “I’ve waited a long time for this. I’m not taking this opportunity for granted.”
– The Hawks ended a seven-game losing streak to the Spurs. “It was good,” Bibby said. “We played hard. That’s been a top team and a top coach for years. We pulled it off. It’s a good win.”
– It was a good W. Give fans in Philips Arena an assist, too. They were hyped. It was fun.
– Give Horford credit. Duncan gave him all kinds of problems for most of the game but then Horford got even late– and I don’t just mean that big dunk on Duncan. He had 10 of his 18 rebounds in the fourth quarter and overtime, made a big jumper, had a big steal and made two clinching free throws.
– “Duncan frustrated Al early, then Al picked it up and hit his stride,” Woody said. “He had timely baskets and when we needed a rebound he was there.”
– Mo had the most luck against Ginobili. The guy is a real pro. He stays ready, likes to mix it up and will make shots.
– What the heck got into Marvin? Woody has been on him lately about deferring too often. “He needs to not take a backseat to his teammates,” Woody said before the game. “It’s not about calling plays. (Shoot), I played 11 years and I got one or two plays called for me.”
– Marvin seemed to get the message. He scored 18 points in the first half—more than he’d scored in eight straight games coming in. Richard Jefferson blocked his shot but Marvin got it back and dunked. He made a fastbreak layup despite George Hill banging into him. And he made that jump shot at the halftime buzzer.
– Hard to believe that Hawks team going toe-to-toe with the Spurs late was the same group that looked so lost at the start. “They came out and established themselves in the first quarter and we didn’t respond well,” Woody said. “In the second quarter, we picked it up.”
– The Hawks hung in there by playing some D. They played the Spurs even in the third and had an advantage in the fourth. The Spurs wouldn’t go away, using a 7-0 run to take a 94-93 lead. “They are always going to be there at the end,” Jamal said. “You just have to give yourself a chance.”
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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124 comments Add your comment
Wabe
March 22nd, 2010
12:26 am
Great game tonight
guess i’m first.
SWAT Native
March 22nd, 2010
12:30 am
Props to Al for for 8 or 9 offensive rebounds!
jackwell
March 22nd, 2010
12:37 am
Watch all your favorite NBA games any time with free DVR and free setup http://bit.ly/dzGDcP
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
12:55 am
Re-posted from previous blog:
I was really proud of Marv tonight. That said:
‘Josh’ did something exceptional mid-way through the 4th.
Marv had not yet scored in the 4th
[as Nique later said, had not touched it].
(Jamal & Joe had taken almost all the 1st attempts in the 4th)
Josh with the ball, waved off Jamal, sought out Marv & fed him
for an open jumper. It’s little things like that,
people don’t notice, that seperates [a] player from ‘good’ player
into a ‘winner’. JOSH has become a winner! Great Teammate! He gets it.
Whoever questioned the young man’s basketball IQ?
I was really proud of Josh tonight.
Freshmaker
March 22nd, 2010
12:56 am
Awesome game tonight. Great job by the Hawks of fighting their way back into it against a veteran Spurs team. Nice game to build off as a team, and especially for Marvin. If he plays like this consistently, we are going to be a VERY tough out in the playoffs.
lewis
March 22nd, 2010
1:01 am
man al horford was not gonna lose tonight.
good win hawks, showed a lot of mental toughness to pull through with the w
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
1:11 am
I guess The Alien will resign in Cleveland on tomorrow. That rule is just wronge!
The Hawks have something special. Jamal said it best, there is no jelousy in that locker rooms. There is no cacancer on this team…(Un-like this blog). I’m just glad the players can ID the idiots who keep posting the pure negative stuff…just because they can.
Congrats to Obama & the real Party of YES! HealthCare is Reformed…that is change we can all believe in!
No more pre-existing conditions & cancelling policies if you become sick…etc.
Hawksfan
March 22nd, 2010
1:19 am
Great team effort and resilency!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2010
1:24 am
drmaryb, Sam Cassell takes great offense to you calling Ilgauskas “The Alien”.
Josh
March 22nd, 2010
1:28 am
that was a solid game for those guys – stuck in there despite adversity… it was a better ending to a game they where they were down big and came back [like the raptors game]. and if marv can play aggressive like that consistently, we’d have another guy banging and rebounding. was a great game to watch!
sam'l
March 22nd, 2010
1:30 am
The Hawks played maybe their best basketball game in years against a team that really did not want to lose. Notice that with 14 seconds or so left, the Spurs trapped an inbounds pass and nearly stole the ball from Joe Johnson…then a couple of seconds later Manu grabbed the basketball for a jump ball (from Horford or Williams) only to be called for a foul. Down by four and playing like winners. Good lesson for the Hawks.
The Hawks seemed very very solid. I have never seen anyone play ball like Jamal Crawford. Joe, Al, Marvin (!), and Josh, and Mo (!) all stepped up….even Bibby managed to throw a couple of good inbound passes. The Hawks looked like a real team tonight.
drmaryb: Hope everything doesn’t cost twice as much in a few years. The real party of YES has already squandered billions on business creeps…if that money had gone to the poor for medical needs, that would have been from the heart. this is something else entirely…… .
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
1:47 am
Great game. Manu looked amazing out there — the guy can still play the game of basketball. Could we sign him for cheaper if JJ bolts for NYK? There’s no denying that when healthy, Manu is nearly unstoppable
Najeh Davenpoop
March 22nd, 2010
2:17 am
“There’s no denying that when healthy, Manu is nearly unstoppable”
Yeah, and when healthy, Greg Oden is a pretty good player too.
Manu Ginobili is 33 and has never played a full NBA season. Yes, he’s a very good player, although he’s also pretty inconsistent. But any team that throws more than $40 million at him this offseason is going to regret it big time.
vava74
March 22nd, 2010
4:45 am
JeJe
Apart from other considerations (age, durability, etc) if the Hawks don’t resign JJ they will only have the midlevel exception to work with.
Given the projected salary cap for next year, that should be only 5,5 million per. Manu will certainly want more.
JJ had a difficult night but worked on defense and distributed the ball – 13 ass – don’t forget that he was responsible for 46 points.
Big Daddy
March 22nd, 2010
6:23 am
The Hawks won a very physical game and did not back down from the Spurs. Woody actually outcoached Popavich and although Joe did miss that shot at the end of regulation, everybody pulled together in OT for the win. Very proud of the guys tonight and if Marvin continues, he is going to show that he really did deserve to go that high in the draft.
O'Brien
March 22nd, 2010
7:16 am
Great win for the Hawks coaches and players. Even without Parker, the Spurs are still a very difficult team to beat. We weathered the storm early, and made the plays at the end.
Great game by Marvin. And he also had a great game against the Bobcats. Good job by Woody telling him to stop deferring so much. Marvin will be an X-factor in the playoffs, because teams will leave him open. Keep it up Marvin.
22 pts, 18 rebs, 8-15 from the field, and key plays. Where are all the Horford haters now? Give the guy his due.
2 constructive criticisms though.
1) Woody’s switching. Good teams will use it against us, and we must be able to adjust
2) Josh – stop shooting those jumpers. Pass the ball, or drive.
Other than that, great win. Hopefully our guys will have the energy to beat Milwaukee tonight. If not, our bench better be ready to come in and give valuable minutes.
jg
March 22nd, 2010
7:55 am
Awesome win last night!!!
Nice lift from Marvin–without him we’re blown away last night. Good to see him finally make an impact!
Listening to Mike and Mike this morning on ESPN radio and only caught one of their Radio Sportcenter’s and what a shock no mention of the Hawks win over the Spurs. It blows me away–they did mention two NBA games however–the Lakers beat the Wizards (oh boy) and the Cavs knocked off the Cavs. WHAT A BOUT THE BEST GAME OF THE DAY YOU MORONS–IT WAS ON YOUR NETWORK EVEN!!! No respect.
And would Popovich quit crying all ready??? Joe may have travelled but he was definitely fouled on the play and the ball did go out of bounds of George Hill. I did think we finally got a few calls last night–but the Spurs got just as many…Great game–now have to trump that win with another tonight. Go Hawks!!!
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
8:04 am
Made the trip in from Birmingham last night, and I’m glad I did! Awesome game, crowd was rocking, it was like a playoff game inside Phillips.
Marvin was BALLIN!!
The bench was the catalyst last night. When the 2nd team was on the floor, momentum changed. We made our run, and the 1st team picked up where the bench started for that big 2nd quarter run.
One note, I think Zaza leads the league in illegal screens, LOL
Nacho
March 22nd, 2010
8:10 am
If Marvin continues to grow in confidence, he alone will make the Hawks much better in the playoffs.
Good job by Josh to pass to him.
Crawford sounds like a great guy.
Samuel
March 22nd, 2010
8:14 am
Woody=COY
mountain_jim
March 22nd, 2010
8:27 am
Finally the Hawks played a great game when it’s televised nationally, instead of the egg they usually lay when I get to watch.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
March 22nd, 2010
8:27 am
Last night was the best Hawks win I’ve saw in a minute. What I’m noticing and liking is that more and more Hawks are contributing in crunchtime.
Horford seems like he is about to take that next step. He doesnt mind pounding the ball down low or taking the big shot. Dare I say it, but
even Marvin has shown up playing more confident in more games lately.
SEVERAL people did their thing in the 4th, as opposed to Joe and Josh trying to do too much (which I believe has killed the Hawks in a good bit of games)
In alot of our games in the 4th, it has seemed like on most possessions, Joe was dribbling into double teams and trying to shoot over them or Josh
Smith was trying to be a PG or SG. Well, I did see Josh fire up 1 or 2 deep jumpers in the 4th…so that’s still a problem…but I also
saw Horford and Marvin convert on high percentage shots in the paint….as opposed to lower percentage deep jumpers from a tired Joe or desperation
deep heave from Josh.
Despite those strides, to see if the Hawks as a team really took a step……….lets see if the Hawks can avoid going back the type of game that i HATE against the Bucks.
You know, the type of game where the Hawks seem to let the opposing teams have open lanes to the hoop for easy layups, and on O settle for Jumpers.
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
8:30 am
Najeh
Yeah Sam Cassell is definitely akin to Big-Z. They made a movie in the 80’s, it was titled: TyWINS.
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
8:40 am
Sam’l
What are you talking about? The DEMS didn’t bail out Wall Street? That legislation was passed in two days and was written on two pages – Before OBAMA was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009!
Let’ Celebrate change & please don’t feel sorry for the Ins. Co’s.
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
8:42 am
Bailing Out Wall Street …. Was. BUSH-LEAGUE!
Section 303
March 22nd, 2010
8:43 am
Maybe the best game of the year, so far. Crowd was great! Philips Arena can be one of the loudest arenas in the league.
Playoffs! Like Jamal said, I’m not taking the playoffs for granted, either. I remember the 13 win years. 3 years in a row with postseason games to attend. Nice!
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
9:01 am
Coach WOODY!
You called a great game. You know what your team CAN do & They executed. I admitt I thought a TO shouldhave been called on the last play in regulation, but you had the team you wanted on that floor & you trusted your guys to run that play on their own. JJ got two great looks before OT.
Great Job Coach! You whipped. Pop’s azz last nite & Larry Brown last week. For all of you that want old crusty azz HUBIE? He loves the ISO Joe & Crawford plays…”They’re unstop-able & terrific in iso-plays” -HUBIE
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
9:01 am
Coach WOODY!
You called a great game. You know what your team CAN do & They executed. I admitt I thought a TO shouldhave been called on the last play in regulation, but you had the team you wanted on that floor & you trusted your guys to run that play on their own. JJ got two great looks before OT.
Great Job Coach! You whipped. Pop’s azz last nite & Larry Brown last week. For all of you that want old crusty azz HUBIE? He loves the ISO Joe & Crawford plays…”They’re unstop-able & terrific in iso-plays” -HUBIE
.
Mike is Back
March 22nd, 2010
9:02 am
Tremendous effort…GREAT WIN HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
gwite
March 22nd, 2010
9:02 am
I know no one really wants to think about it too much, but I was really worried for Marvin when he took that awful tumble last night. Flashback of last year, around this time.
Really hope it doesn’t turn out to be something bothersome. Hopefully we can get up on Milwaukee and he can get some rest on the bench.
Funny, no complaints about minutes played these last 2 games? As always; whatever it takes.
GeeMack
March 22nd, 2010
9:06 am
O’Brien
I’m with you, I love the swithching defense when it works and give us the advantage.
However I saw Manu on the pick & roll several time keep calling it until he got the match up he wanted.
Good win for the Hawks. We got Orlando this week Atl. Please make a game of it. PLEASE!
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
9:08 am
How the heck do we only have the MLE to work with if we don’t resign JJ? If the cap is 53M and the luxury tax starts at 68 (just throwing around numbers), then we have plenty of space to spend money without going into the LT. The owners need to get almost into the LT if not in order to elevate us to the next level
drmaryb
March 22nd, 2010
9:09 am
Coach WOODY!
You called a great game. You know what your team CAN do & They executed. I admitt I thought a TO shouldhave been called on the last play in regulation, but you had the team you wanted on that floor & you trusted your guys to run that play on their own. JJ got two great looks before OT.
Great Job Coach! You whipped. Pop’s azz last nite & Larry Brown last week. For all of you that want old crusty azz HUBIE? He loves the ISO Joe & Crawford plays…”They’re unstop-able & terrific in iso-plays” -HUBIE
.
newkid
March 22nd, 2010
9:09 am
Didn’t realize we had been given special permission by the league on Saturday to execute a post-deadline trade; and that new cat we got in the deal for Marvin really looks like he’s going to be special.
A most entertaining game last night. Super crowd, and even MARTA wasn’t so bad.
terrell
March 22nd, 2010
9:35 am
Marvin getting the love. Haha. He’ll probably disappear tonight. But you guys are right, if he could play like this every 3, 4 games or so, we’d be hard to beat. Problem is, he usually does this about once every 10 games..
gwite
March 22nd, 2010
9:40 am
Well, I guess that means he has used up his allotments up for the season, as he’s had 2 great games in a row.
bigdave
March 22nd, 2010
9:44 am
Ray.. from last blog…
no crystal ball… i had no idea you even called the game? i didnt read a comment like that from you, but maybe you did… either way, its just funny to read especially when it proves untrue.. similar to when Nique’ calls a game a win thats still in the balance…
terrell
March 22nd, 2010
9:44 am
If Marvin can make that jump in year 6 like Josh Smith did, watch out. We’d be set in the frontcourt for years. That’s a BIG IF though.
Basic B-Ball
March 22nd, 2010
10:07 am
KEEP SHOOTIN JOSH!!!!!
Your shooting percentage is great. There are huge advantages (not shown in stats) to you popping up 4 or 5 jumpers a game.
Go Hawks!!!
Boneyard Randy
March 22nd, 2010
10:10 am
Great win last night. See everyone Wednesday night when we face Orlando…let’s make it a playoff atmosphere…this is our last chance to solve these guys before the playoffs. Try Collins/Randy-Moe/Joe S. at C for 20 min or so? What else we gonna do? The opposite? Go small and fast and try to out pace them? Just play our game and not worry about theirs? Woody, what are we gonna do?
Hawks Fever.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
10:36 am
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
9:08 am
How the heck do we only have the MLE to work with if we don’t resign JJ? If the cap is 53M and the luxury tax starts at 68 (just throwing around numbers), then we have plenty of space to spend money without going into the LT. The owners need to get almost into the LT if not in order to elevate us to the next level
Because you can only go up to the salary cap to re-sign free agents. If you’re over the salary cap, you can then use the MLE/LLE to sign players.
Take JJ off of the Hawks payroll next year, and we’re still committed to like 47 – 48 million dollars in salary next year. And that number is even contingent on us dropping Childress . . . and adding the salary of our 1st and 2nd round picks next year ( unless we trade them away ).
If the salary cap is 53 million, and the Hawks payroll is already at 48 million, we only have 5 million to work with to sign free agents from other teams.
The luxury tax is in place, specifically so that teams can re-sign their OWN free agents by going over the salary cap. This is why we’ll be able to retain JJ, but not get a guy like Wade. We can’t go over the salary cap to sign Wade, but we can for JJ ( because we own his Bird Rights, which enables a team to go over the salary cap to retain that player ).
Technically, we can even go over the luxury tax to re-sign JJ, but most owners who don’t have a significant revenue stream coming in, don’t like to be in luxury tax land.
So to keep talking about Wade or Lebron coming him, is merely a pipe dream. The only way we could get any of those guys, is if we did a sign and trade for them, which would probably have to involve both Smoove or Horford . . and Crawford.
So even if we did bring a player the caliber of Wade here, he’s not going to be playing with the same crew minus JJ.
2 FOR JOHN DREW
March 22nd, 2010
10:37 am
Whatever team we’ve played this year, i would imagine that particular night how would the opposing team’s small forward fit in with the rest of our starters.And last night was no exception. That Marvin Williams fits in so beautifully w/ what the HAWKS need to do to make a serious run deep into this years play-offs !
PMC
March 22nd, 2010
10:38 am
I’d like to say AWESOME win and welcome to the NBA Marvin Williams.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
10:40 am
That first sentence should read:
Because you can only go up to the salary cap to sign free agents from other teams.
jerrywest
March 22nd, 2010
10:46 am
It was tragic comedy when the entire arena went “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” as Josh shot his last jump shot. Do you think he got the point after that? He stopped himself from shooting couple of times since then.
jerrywest
March 22nd, 2010
10:49 am
When Marvin hustles like Chillz on the offensive board, his 7 feet wing span is a great advantage against swing forwards.
cdog
March 22nd, 2010
10:50 am
great job hawks and coach woodson and staff.as i write this illgaukas has not sign with the cavs yet, go after him rick sund, please.this will be the final piece in the puzzle.
hawfan2
March 22nd, 2010
10:50 am
Basic B-Ball : Josh shooting percentage is great? No, his attacking the basket for high-percentage shots around the rim are great. His dunks are great. His overall field goal of 50% is great. His jumpers? Got to be around 28% maybe, are terrible. Stop egging him on to shoot more jumpers!!!!!!!!!! He would be shooting 60%, better than Horford if he would stick to what works.
2 FOR JOHN DREW
March 22nd, 2010
10:53 am
Poor Flip !!!!!!!! ….. Haven’t heard jack from him !
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
10:54 am
terrell,
Don’t look now but Marvin’s FG% is up to .451. Out star JJ is .456 and Jamal is sitting .453
Nimbers we can live with.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
10:57 am
Marvin was simply active last night, and made the best of his shot opportunities. Smoove and JJ did their jobs by getting the ball to him. Marvin converted at a high rate when he got scoring opportunities. The early jumpers he hit were huge for his confidence. And the 7 – 0 run he went on by himself in the 2nd quarter, literally got us back in the game.
When Woody says in reference to Marvin . . .
“It’s not about calling plays. (Shoot), I played 11 years and I got one or two plays called for me.”
. . . he simply means that the kid can and SHOULD affect a game, without having set plays called for him. Recently, you’re seeing Marvin starting to regain some of the “mojo” that he had last year. As much as people have been ragging on him recently, he’s had a pretty good month ( minus the Toronto game ).
Stats for March:
12.7 ppg
7.3 rebs ( which is the big stat for me )
50% FG ( which is the highest so far in a month this year )
84% FT ( 31 – 37 . . . which puts him on pace to attempt and make the most FTs in a month this year ).
2 years ago, Marvin was almost an automatic double figure scorer. He’s done that in 4 of the last 5 games.
Rebounding wise, he’d only had 2 double figure rebound games coming into March. This month, he’s had two 14 rebound games, and two 9 rebound games.
He’s becoming more active lately. And he’s doing it at the right time of year.
Rod from College Park
March 22nd, 2010
11:05 am
Great win by the Hawks. Phillips was rocking for the first time this season. It’s hard to believe, but I have to give Marvin credit for finally stepping up and playing like a professional small forward, agianst a quality team, last night. He also had a decent game against Charlotte. To all you Marvin lovers games like this are what make me realize why I bash Marvin so much. The game is a blueprint to how good teams will defend us in the playoffs. Marvin will be forced to knock down wide open jumpshots, or have to penetrate to score or kick. HE also will be forced to crash the boards, becuase the bigger front lines will give Josh and Horford all they want. Marvin is just as tall as Josh and Horford, and should try to become aggresive on the boards night in and night out. If he can only become a consistent threat, it makes our team 10 times better. Woodson and Joe said as much after the game. That being said, Marvin really needs to stay on his feet. When you are 6′9 you don’t want to continue to hit the hardwood that much. Too far to fall, and something is bound to break. Hoping that Marvin continues his aggressive play, and actually decides to contribute to this team, like the rest of the guys have been doing all season. As I always say, I won’t be holding my breath.
I MUS WRITE
March 22nd, 2010
11:06 am
Nimbers LOL, Kevin A u crazy dude ……. Al is a beast I love this guy’s heart. Kinda reminds me of the undersized Alonzo Mourning of the early 90’s -so intense with that never give up mentality.
Good game for Marvin,if he could only play this way on a regular basis.
2 things that I want for next year- A new HC, Woody has been better but its time. A Kaman like center to pair with smoove and Al….
MC im glad u stopped the AKA stuff theres hope for u yet lol…..
ant banks
March 22nd, 2010
11:06 am
do you all still want woody fired? CLYDE? KEN? ET AL?
woody is a good coach. the team is doin’ good. he is jus’ as good as mike brown and doc rivers, who were both on the choppin’ block. they were talkin’ about firin’ mike brown last year after they lost the east. conf. champ game.
please see detroit pistons for reference on firin’ coaches!!
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
11:11 am
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
8:04 am
Made the trip in from Birmingham last night, and I’m glad I did! Awesome game, crowd was rocking, it was like a playoff game inside Phillips.
Marvin was BALLIN!!
The bench was the catalyst last night. When the 2nd team was on the floor, momentum changed. We made our run, and the 1st team picked up where the bench started for that big 2nd quarter run.
One note, I think Zaza leads the league in illegal screens, LOL
Good for you man!! It’s always nice to plan a road trip to see the Hawks, then see a great game, and be able to go home happy. On a side note . . . I know your former mayor is in jail ( LOL ), but he had a big idea of building a dome stadium in downtown Birmingham. Is that still going to happen, or is that idea pretty much dead?
I don’t know the politics and the economy in B-Ham, but a dome in downtown could literally transform that city. It could also lure the Jags away from Jacksonville and maybe entice Alabama and Auburn to play their annual game back in B-Ham. Plus maybe even hose an SEC title game every now and then . . along with being the home to UAB and to the Magic City Classic.
So I hope the “Alabama Dome” is still in the works, even though the mayor is in jail.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
11:19 am
Ant. . . they’ll always want him fired. Even if we get to the EC Finals, they’ll want him gone. The Hawks bad losses override good wins every time. Plus, Teague only played 4 minutes last night. That automatically makes Woody a bad coach in some people’s eyes.
Ken Strickland
March 22nd, 2010
11:24 am
After the Toronto loss there was no shortage of Marvin bashers who blamed him and him alone for the loss. I’ve noticed there hasn’t been a single comment from those bashers about his contributions to last nights win, especially MARVIN BASHER’S SAMUEL and ROD FROM CP.
While it certainly took him long enough, Woodson seems to have finally done what should have been done a long time ago. He finally got it through his stubborn, thick head that putting the team ahead of his personal issues, and limiting the mins of his beloved, inconsistent, NO D PG MBibby is in the best interest of the team overall. BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.
The team has been able to play more consistent DEF and make comebacks since Bibby’s mins have been limited and our frontline don’t have to contend consistently with his OPEN DOOR INTO THE LANE DEF POLICY throughout the gm. However, it seems obvious that Woodson hasn’t gotten it through his thick, stubborn head that teams will continue to be successful taking advantage of us swithching everything if he doesn’t wise up.
Ginobili had a field day exploiting mismatches with Horford, Zaza and Smoove, by backing them out and taking them off the dribble. And as usual, Woodson was too stupid to make a single adjustment to what they were doing so successfully. On the positive side, he did an excellent job of utilizing his bench, because we were a lot fresher during the OT than the Spurs, especially our frontline players. GOOD MOVE WOODY.
Bottomline, THE HAWKS WERE ABLE TO OVERCOME THE LACK OF STRATEGY AND ADJUSTMENTS AND PULLED OUT A DAMNED GOOD WIN.
Marcus
March 22nd, 2010
11:29 am
I MUS WRITE … did you peep the Center (Omar Samhan) from St. Mary’s College this weekend? Dude was ballin’ and jawin’ against ‘nova. Backed it up big time, too.
Between him and Varnardo (Miss. State), I would luv the Hawks to have one or the other on the 3×5 they hand to Stern on 2010 draft night. As fallback, wouldn’t mind ‘nova’s Scotty Reynolds. He and theother guys I like (FSU’s Alabi) will probably be gone by the time we pick. If we did roll the dice on Samhan, not 100% sure how he fits into our current scheme, esp. if JJ resigns. Where would Al move …. then where would Smoove move? Does Marvin become a “6th man” (only if JJ leaves and Crawford becomes the starting SG)?
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
11:33 am
A few of us have asked for Al to get the ball more for almost 2 years. We are finally getting it. A few of us have not given up on Marvin. Since the All-Star break Marvin has played better, just in time for the playoffs. A few of us has asked for a reduction of Bibby minutes. This is happening. The extra minutes for Marvin and Evans just gives us better defense. I like the new look Hawks. We are showing we can win in different ways with different players. The sign of a team maturing and growing.
I want to give a shout to JJ for his 13 assists and passing much better out of double teams. A WTG to Jamal for his 5 assists. Win or lose we play our best passing the ball and playing team ball. I have done some griping about guard play in the past but while we are not perfect we are much improved. Give credit where credit is due. We are trending towards a tougher out come playoff time.
Rod from College Park
March 22nd, 2010
11:39 am
Ken Strickland,
Look again CLOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why do you clowns continue to feel like you have to congratulate someone for doing their job. Marvin has had maybe 5 to 8 decent games this year, and we are supposed to do cartwheels. If that is the case, you really look like an idiot because guess what, the Hawks are right where Woody said they would be at the beginning of the season. While your beef is with Woody and Bibby, I have much more confidence in Bibby to make a big shot in the playoffs than I do with Marvin. I guess the lack of strategy and adjustments helped them win 45 games already this season huh. Don’t put me in the Woody lover’s room either. Woodson has his flaws, and he is stubborn, but he has done what he is paid to do. Marvin and Bibby for the most part of the year have not. I guarantee you teams won’t leave Bibby wide open in the playoffs. Can’t say the same for Marvin.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
11:39 am
Will someone please tell ZaZa that you can’t move on a screen. This is not rocket science.
ChokeArtist
March 22nd, 2010
11:46 am
The Hawks did themselves proud last night against San Antonio. Even though the Spurs were shorthanded without Tony Parker, they battled the hawks to o.t. and had the upper hand in the closing minutes, with the Hawks having to scrap just to send it into o.t. Last night you saw the hawks play a game, which was in a playoff atmosphere and the hawks played tough and strong until the end. If they replicate that formula in the playoffs, the Hawks could make the eastern conference finals or even the nba finals for that matter. I know King James of the Cavs feels certain he will be crowned a champion this year, but it didnt happen last year and it may not happen this year. I BELIEVE THE HAWKS ARE AS GOOD AS ANYONE IN THE LEAGUE, INCLUDING THE LAKERS, CAVS, CELTICS, NUGGETS AND MAVERICKS. THOSE ARE THE ELITE TEAMS OF THE LEAGUE AND IM SURE THE HAWKS ARE IN THAT GROUP. The Hawks have 13 games remaining. Shoud the Hawks play out the string AND WIN THEM ALLL, finishing 13-0 they will put the nba on notice that they are not to be fooled with come playoff time.
wordy
March 22nd, 2010
11:55 am
nice win. At the very least they should finish 9-4 for the remainder.54 wins
Phillips better be crazy on Wed.
Marcus
March 22nd, 2010
12:00 pm
what am I thinking? My bust. Varnardo and/or Samhan would be drafted for quality depth for current starters. Smoove and Horfy go stay at the 4 and 5.
Westurd
March 22nd, 2010
12:09 pm
game ball goes to the FANS!!! Fun game to be at from the opening wistle (well, minus the first quater). Great Crowd
The Truth
March 22nd, 2010
12:13 pm
It is a pleasure to read this blog after a satisfying win like last night. Some of you defiant bloggers are demonstrating that you are indeed an objective thinker and are not completely inflexible about harden past opinions. If we getaway from pushing personal agendas, we might take this blogging game to a whole new level. As always, I enjoy reading most of the comments posted about our Hawks, it could get even better with less bias rhetoric and more objectivity.
GeeMack
March 22nd, 2010
12:14 pm
It’s was snowing in March in the ATL today. I see why Ken Strickland gave Woody a compliment after calling him some other unflattering names. Lol.
Strickland I agree, Manu was exploiting the swithching D like crazy last night. During those times the emphasis should be on a strong showing and fighting through the pick.
wordy
March 22nd, 2010
12:17 pm
westurd- prolly need a pg unless teague all the sudden becomes awesome.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
12:18 pm
So, what
March 21st, 2010
9:35 pm
All Joking aside ray, do you think Marvin has reached his peak?
Big Ray
March 21st, 2010
9:41 pm
So what ,
Yes, I do. I think Marvin is a role player who can provide what he did the last two years: 13-14 ppg and 5-6 rpg. I used to think he had more potential, but much of it starts from the neck up, and he just doesn’t have the mentality. That, and while athletic, he’s not the kind who will ever use his body as efficiently as guys like Gerald Wallace.
Ray,
I still look for more upside in Marvin. How effective he can become may depend on wether we ever get a good facilitating PG. A facilitating PF would help Marvin the most. Even now if they really wanted to the Hawks could look for Marvin more on plays that has him cutting towards the basket.
Like any player, when he is involved on the offensive end it seems to translate to better rebounding and defense. Our team is evolving (mainly because of Josh and Al) into a better passing team. I think this helps Marvin the most.
Because of the make up of our team I agree with your 13-14 ppg in the future but not because of Marvin’s limits. It will have more to do with Josh, Al, Jamal and JJ needing the ball. I agree with your assement compareing Marvin with Wallace. That is a pretty high bar. Peaked is just not the word I would use for Marvin. I believe more efficient offense, better defense and better rebounding days are ahead.
wordy
March 22nd, 2010
12:18 pm
i meant marcus
AtlSouthside
March 22nd, 2010
12:32 pm
Marv Williams & Josh Smith are playing like they’re suppose to, and the timing could not be better for the Hawks. I say keep Marv next year, but bring him off the bench… he’s a keeper, maybe not a starter…unless Joe leaves
Question for MC: Do you see Atlanta keeping both Joe Johnson & Jamal Crawford? If Joe signs in the summer, do you think ASG will go ahead and try to lock up Jamal Crawford up too?
O'Brien
March 22nd, 2010
12:35 pm
Rod from CP,
To be fair to Marvin, he exceeded expectations last night. If he can give us 13 and 8 while shooting .45%, that would be good for the Hawks. But last night, dude deliverd 26 and 9, against the Spurs no less. That was a great game for Marvin. Maybe Woody needs to talk to Marvin every couple games or so to remind him to stay aggressive.
Ken S,
Give Rod from CP credit. Although he isn’t doing cartwheels over it, he did acknowledge Marvin’s performance last night.
Agreed on the props to Woody too. He has done a much better job recently of limiting Bibby’s minutes (if he is not making shots). And Woody has also been playing his bench more in the first half of games.
I think if Woody had been doing these 2 things all season, the Hawks would have a better record than they do now.
But he needs to make adjustments to the switching defense. Smoove ended up on Manu on multiple occasions, and he also ended up on RJ. The Bobcats exploited the switching defense, and Felton’s shot in OT over Smoove could have been the game winner.
Woody needs to realize when the switching defense is not working, and get the players to adjust.
And can Woody tell Josh Smith that he shoots too many jumpers.
Hoops
March 22nd, 2010
12:36 pm
A comment on the switching man to man defense. You switch if the switch does not cause a mis-match. If there is a post player involved in the screen, then call “Screen Post”. The player that is being screened now knows that a post player is setting the screen and we are not going to switch. Just hedge and stay with your man. JMO.
Great game Hawks!
JustChillFans
March 22nd, 2010
12:44 pm
Can everyone please NOT tell smoove to work on his jumper in the summer because once he gets his shot down, then he’s going to take more. Can everyone just tell him to work on his lost post game and to play all-out every single play because he plays lazy and sloppy at times.
lewis
March 22nd, 2010
12:54 pm
Yeah, Josh Smith is one of the few guys in the NBA who gets 11 mill a year for often times leisurely strolling down the court while older guys who make less run right by. Sometimes I love him, sometimes I hate him.
Who else is excited for tonight’s game?
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
1:26 pm
You guys nitpicking @ Josh are ‘nuts’!
ChokeArtist
March 22nd, 2010
1:34 pm
I dont know what anyone thinks about the Hawks, but I think the Hawks, if they want to regularly get replays run on ESPN need to show the league they are worthy of having their highlites run on ESPN. ESPN never show any of the Hawks highlites because the Hawks have been kind of boring prior to this season. The folks who see the Hawks all the time at Phillips arena know otherwise and they know the Hawks create spectacular highlights made at the Highlight Factory all the time. Like I said before, what I think the Hawks need to do right now is #1) get focused and then #2) win out the remainding ball games irregardless of who is on the schedule. I realize the Cavs are on the schedule twice, with the Lakers and Magic being there as well. The Hawks can beat them all and it will be a good tuneup for the playoffs. WIN OUT AND SHOW THE LEAGUE WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF. THE HAWKS ARE CAPABLE OF MAKING 14-GAME RUN TO CLOSE OUT A SPECTACULAR SEASON, IF YOU INCLUDE THE SAN ANTONIO WIN LAST NIGHT. WIN THE REMAINDING GAMES AND I THINK THE LEAGUE WILL HALT ITS LACK OF RESPECT TOWARDS YOU.
lewis
March 22nd, 2010
1:37 pm
I just watched ESPN for an hour waiting for the Hawks highlight and all I saw was Al Horford’s dunk over Duncan at #7 on the top ten plays. Lame.
Clyde
March 22nd, 2010
1:45 pm
Hawk in the Ham I’m from Birmingham. I remember when we had a football team the Birmingham Fire playing at Legion Field. Birmingham is a great city that is very underdeveloped. I dome be good for the city but who would play in it.
B’ham has one major problem and thats the drug trade. When greedy politicians and crooked cops allow illegal activity to fatten their pockets ain’t nothing you can do but pray. Atlanta became a major city when it brought in sports teams and built an airport. The leaders of B’ham need to develop a concrete vision for economic development and quit being drivin’ by greed.
As for the Hawks that was one of the best games I seen the play all year. We need to save some of that energy for the playoffs though.
And what do you know. A Samuel sighting. I haven’t seen a Woody=COY in a while.
FIRE WOODY
newkid
March 22nd, 2010
1:46 pm
If the ‘body of work we saw from Marvin last night comes close to duplication in the playoffs, and we consistently get the contributions we’ve come to expect from the other cats, we’ll represent the Eastern Conference for the O’Brien trophy this year. Last night should be the ‘new’ low bar for employee #24, and Woody should expect nothing less from him going forward.
Who amongst you would take a flyer during summer ‘10 on a 25 year-old 7′1″ 260 lbs center who hasn’t yet played remotely close to his potential, but might be worth half of the MLE? If Haywood decides to re-sign with Dallas (or elsewhere), Z decides to re-sign with Cleveland (or elsewhere), and we aren’t successful drafting a center capable of immediate contributions, would it be worthwhile to pursue Darko @ ~$3M per annum on a 2-year ‘make good’ deal? Might he be a ‘late bloomer’ and ripe now for combining with Al and Josh in a Hawks front court, allowing the ‘new’ Marvin to come off the bench with JCross and JQuick next year?
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
1:48 pm
Great answer northcyde. Do teams get screwed into having low payrolls because they couldn’t retain FA’s?
Had a group meeting with Bruce Levenson before the game and he pretty much said we will NOT overpay for JJ this offseason because he’d be 35 in the 6th year of his contract. He referenced to KG, who is 34, and has 40M left over 2 years, as someone who has regressed tremendously and may mess up Boston’s payroll
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
2:04 pm
What the hell was up with our P&R defense last night? How do we double team Ginobili/Hill and let Duncan get wide-open dunks when NO ONE SHIFTS OVER TO HELP?
Horford seems like he does not want to play defense out there. His man defense is pretty abysmal. Smoove’s man defense is okay — he alters shots
Patrick
March 22nd, 2010
2:06 pm
I wonder if Josh was getting frustrated by the Spurs interior defense last night, prompting him to hoist a bunch of horrible jumpers. I haven’t seen him play a game that passively on offense since last year probably.
Clyde
March 22nd, 2010
2:11 pm
Lorenzen Wright > Horford on defense
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:12 pm
ChokeArtist,
I would bet cash the Hawks get more prime time TV next year. Like Woody, they adjust slowly but surely.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:13 pm
Clyde,
meth?
CoreyWilson
March 22nd, 2010
2:17 pm
FOLKS, WHAT DID YOU THINK OF EMPLOYEE #24 LAST NIGHT. HE LED THE HAWKS IN SCORING FOR PROBABLY THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER. Marvin needs to keep this up if he wants to stay in the starting lineup. I tell you what, during this offseason, if Marvin and Josh both work on their jumpshots and they both return to camp next year making perimeter jumpers, the Hawks will be lethal and will elevate to the next level. Al Horford should be proud of his performance against S.A. last night. Al outplayed Tim Duncan on the block and truthfully that is virtually impossible to do. Al did it and made it look impressively easy, dominating the future hall of famer Duncan.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:18 pm
Sekou weighs in on Al
http://my.nba.com/cms/113528/bigger_isnt_always_better?ls=iref:nbahpt1
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:20 pm
CoreyWilson,
I think the bigger picture is less minutes for Bibby. Not wether Marvin or Evans starts. they both do a better job on defense. I like Evans playing more.
GeeMack
March 22nd, 2010
2:22 pm
ChokeArtist
Nice dream, but very unrealistic! I think a 10-3 finish will mean a very good tune up for the playoffs.
newkid
March 22nd, 2010
2:37 pm
@KevinA: What I think Sekou misses is that the player functioning in the low post on offense doesn’t necessarily need to be a center. No reason Horford shouldn’t be relied upon to operate in the post on the offensive end of the floor. With the proper ‘center’ to play against opposing teams’ pivot men, a center who can/will step out on the floor and make mid- and long-range jumpers, we vacant the post for cats like Al and Josh to continue to operate INSIDE as they do currently. That’s why someone like Z would have been perfect here; he doesn’t need/want to hog the low post on offense. And maybe (just maybe at this point) that could be a reason a Darko type would be worth considering for next year.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:38 pm
Our ending record depends if we have a chance to win the 3rd seed. That depends on what Boston does. The last three games and wether we play our starters and go for wins depends on the situation. I look for us to be agressive and play the starters as long as we have a chance.
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
2:39 pm
Goodness gracious sakes alive people:
Samham, Darko, – c’mon people!
Al lazy on defense ’cause he can’t guard Manu @ 23 ft. from rim?
What was really funny was poor Zaza trying to defend Manu from 23 ft.
Switching defense = [Wdsn = COY]. Zaza on Manu, now that’s funny!
JeJe: NOT SHOUTING…JUST DRAWING ATTN.
IF WHAT YOU SAY IS TRUE THEN ASG’s LOGIC IS FLAWED.
ANY TEAM HAS A WINDOW AND OURS IS NOW, TODAY, NEXT YR., YR. AFTER!
WE CANNOT WORRY ABOUT JOE’S LAST YR.
WE MUST USE EVERY RESOURCE TO RE-SIGN HIM, NOW.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DUPLICATE HIS PRODUCTION!
ARE WE A BETTER TEAM W/O JOE & REPLACING HIM WITH SAY,’ROGER MASON’?
IF THE ASG TRULY SAID THAT: THEY SHOULD BE tarred & feathered !
THEY WOULD BE TELLING US THEY ARE TOO CHEAP TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP.
THEY WOULD BE – ROBERT SARVER/PHOENIX.
I could go on & on but I’m out of gas.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
2:40 pm
JeJe
March 22nd, 2010
1:48 pm
Great answer northcyde. Do teams get screwed into having low payrolls because they couldn’t retain FA’s?
I think teams screw themselves into having lower payrolls, because they WOULDN’T retain Free Agents.
********************
Had a group meeting with Bruce Levenson before the game and he pretty much said we will NOT overpay for JJ this offseason because he’d be 35 in the 6th year of his contract. He referenced to KG, who is 34, and has 40M left over 2 years, as someone who has regressed tremendously and may mess up Boston’s payroll
Easy for Bruce to say that NOW, seeing that the playoffs haven’t started yet. But everything may change if we get to the EC Finals, and especially if we get to the NBA Finals . . and JJ is a huge reason why that happens.
Anybody worried about what JJ will be making at age 34 in this deal, isn’t looking at the right thing. JJ is getting paid for what he is worth NOW, not what he’ll be worth 6 years for now. If our “window of opportunity” for making a big time run at a title is say . . 3 or 4 years . . then that’s when we’ll need JJ to play his best ball during the contract.
By the time we get to year 5 and year 6, JJ may actually be easy to trade, seeing that it’ll be a huge chunk of salary we could deal, to reduce payroll. A big money team in contention may still trade for a less effective, but still skilled JJ, as a piece that could put them over the top as a championship team.
But here’s the reality that Bruce, you, me, and everyone else needs to keep in mind. Championships cost money. These are the top 10 team payrolls in the league.
1) LA Lakers – 91.4 million
2) Dallas – 86.9 million
3) Boston – 85.4 million
4) NY Knicks – 84.9 million
5) Cleveland – 83.5 million
6) Orlando – 82.1 million
7) San Antonio – 78.9 million
8] Utah – 74.9 million
9) Denver – 74.9 million
10) Phoenix- 74.8 million
22) Atlanta – 65.9 million
The fact is in this league, you have to “pay to play”, if you’re serious about winning an NBA Title. All-Star players win you titles in this league. The reality is that the 2010 Hawks may not win a title this year, but possibly could within the next 2 – 3 years . . IF . . they kept the current core together, and maybe added another key role player or two.
So if the Hawks are SERIOUS about winning a championship, they’re going to have to pay to retain JJ. He’s a major talent in this league. A top 15 – 20 talent. As the T-Wolves if it’s easy to replace a big time talent, even when you have young talent developing.
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
2:51 pm
Dang northcyde, ‘way to go’!
terrell
March 22nd, 2010
2:52 pm
Lewis, you have to watch Gametime on NBA TV ,to see Hawks highlights. ESPN only shows Kobe, Lebon, DWade, Dwight, etc… That’s a da.. shame.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
2:59 pm
As for KG’s contract, he’s a perfect example. The Celtics could care less if they have to pay KG another 40 million, because the move already paid HUGE DIVIDENDS in the form of an NBA Championship. They don’t win a title without the KG move, and they still had to depend on the very good, but very inconsistent Al Jefferson to get the job done.
Vince Carter is a good example as well. Orlando needed a guy who could create his own shot on nights where the 3 point bombs aren’t falling, and on those nights in which Howard isn’t effective. This will be Vince’s job in the playoffs. They were more than willing to give up re-signing Hedo and retaining Courtney Lee, so that they could acquire a playoff vet like Vince.
The owners who have very good teams, but are deftly worried about paying their own stars, will end up like the Phoenix Suns. A good playoff caliber team, but not willing to do what it takes to win a title. Sure, they traded for Shaq. But in a deal like that, you still want to retain Shawn Marion ( a borderline all-star caliber player at the time ), and add Shaq to the mix. Not give up Marion. That’s why the Shaq move didn’t work.
Instead of trading expiring contracts of mediocre players for star players, they traded their star contracts for star players. The “smart” teams in this league don’t do that, when they’re trying to build a title contender.
- Lakers traded draft picks and peanuts for Pau Gasol
- Celtics traded their inconsistent youth talent for KG and Ray Allen ( but kept Pierce and Rondo )
- Orlando traded their nice young 2-guard ( Courtney Lee ) and expiring contracts for an aging, but still very skilled Vince Carter
- Dallas traded their young nice PG ( Devin Harris ) for a Hall of fame PG ( Jason Kidd ), and this year traded an expiring Josh Howard for Caron Butler ( still owed 10 million after this year )
- Cleveland traded scraps to obtain Shaq, and then Antoine Jamison . . and still will get to retain Big Z
- Even us with the acquisition of Jamal Crawford, we only gave up Speedy and Acie
That’s what the good teams who are SERIOUS about winning titles do. They’re not letting their major talent go, simply out of fear of overpaying them. Those squads would rather overpay their stars, than their mediocre guys.
Section 303
March 22nd, 2010
2:59 pm
Grandad, I agree. Picking at Josh Smith is crazy! I think a strong case can be made that he is team MVP. His defense is amazing and he has improved beyond my wildest dreams on offense.
I think people are getting a little carried away with this “Josh Smith can’t shoot jumpers” crap. He can shoot them, just not as often as he used to in years past. If he shoots 3-4 jumpers a game, I really do not have a problem with it. He does make some, by the way. Plus, he’s earned. The guy busts his a$$. If the trade off is that he gets to take about 3 jumpers a game, then that’s fine with me.
Tough game tonight. Road game at Bucks, after the great game last night. I’m not sure I am expecting a win tonight. The back-to-back might simply be too much to overcome. And, Bucks will be gunning for Hawks.
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
2:59 pm
northcyde,
Let me first say JJ is an All-star. But unless you can prove to me that our owners are willing to go into the cap I would say a sign and trade with JJ is our only way out. Have to get something for something. Same with Chills – we cannot throw away draft picks with nothing in return. There many good PG’s in the league and more coming in the draft. Regardless of position I would consider any trade that gives us cheap young talent.
PS – give us a rich owner. The decisions would be much easier.
But really we need to enjoy the Hawks now as composed. 13 games and the playoff to come. These are the good times.
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
3:15 pm
Patrick – you ever thought the young man [Josh] could be tired.
Bobby Cox – wiley vet – gives players a day off on occasion.
We’ve reached that point, Josh plays his hiney off every night.
His tank may be a little low.
newkid – I agree, to a point. ‘Z’ would have been a great fit
due to his skill set. What Al needs is a ’sidekick’.
Not necessarily someone to start @ the [5].
Just someone he can tag out with, when need be.
Certain Bigs give him fits defensively. [total mismatch]
I once thought we needed a shot blocker to be his relief pitcher.
Now, I’m thinking, maybe a stretch [5]. (’Z') Would fit the bill.
Once again, not to start, but to tag team [sidekick] with.
Troy Murphy [bad contract] comes to mind. Would ASG bite the bullet
for one yr., Murphy’s on the last yr., to make us better.
It’s like ‘nothcyde’ said: “you gotta spend to win”.
CoreyWilson – Marv has led in scoring quite a # of times in his
young career. Usually when Joe has been hurt.
Astro Joe
March 22nd, 2010
3:19 pm
Funny, Bibby is averaging the same amount of minutes in March as he did in December and January. But hey, if you are just noticing his reduced role on this team, congratulations.
Grandad
March 22nd, 2010
3:32 pm
Section 303:
Biggest problem with his jumpers…they are set shots.
He needs to shoot in rhythm. Fixable.
KevinA – Best we can hope for if Joe wishes to go to NY:
(and that is up to him, not us) Gallinari plus picks
[NY - doesn't have a 1st round pick this yr.].
What? You want Wilson Chandler? Do they even still have him?
Josh Childress – you have more leeway, providing he actually wishes
to leave Greece. Which he may not. It’s, once again, up to him…
not us!
GeeMack
March 22nd, 2010
3:38 pm
KevinA
In other words “a bird in the hand”(a winning season, a playoff bert,& possibly a champioship run this year. Is worth 3 in the bush (resigning JJ, who we could get as a FA to help win a title.
GeeMack
March 22nd, 2010
3:42 pm
Grandad
If a player has never been past the 2nd of the playoffs, and he has only been on 2 winning teams in 6 yrs, you haven’t earned the right to be tired.
The Truth
March 22nd, 2010
3:52 pm
northcyde
“The fact is in this league, you have to “pay to play”, if you’re serious about winning an NBA Title”
My sentiments exactly; Perhaps the reasons why I’ve been so critical of the ASG. This sympathy for them is not enough when the Hawks are on the verge of doing great things with this franchise.
Ken Strickland
March 22nd, 2010
3:53 pm
CLYDE-Drugs and crooked politicians aren’t the only thing keeping Birmingham from being a good professional city. First, the entire state is obcessed with college football, and neither Auburn or U of AL will go along with having competition for their fan base. Secondly, Birmingham’s population pool is too small to support an NFL franchise. The state has done nothing while all of it’s bordering states, except Mississippi, have acquired NFL and NBA franchises. With the strangle hold Auburn and U of AL have on the state in football, and the close proximity of Memphis, Nashville and Atlanta, the Ham has been squeezed out.
While all of it’s bordering states have lotteries, the same ignorance, stupidity, selfishness and corruption that’s held the state back in other areas, has prevented Alabama from having a lottery. How else do you explain Alabama’s governor Riley appointing a committee for the expressed purpose of shutting down Country Crossing near Dothan and preventing any gambling that would compete with the Indian casinoes?
The governor’s effort to limit gambling in Alabama is based so much on corruption and greed that the chairman of the anti gambling committee appointed by Gov Riley was spotted gambling at a casino in Mississippi just before state officials launched a raid on Country Crossing, and had to resign. High ranking state officials will do anything to limit gambling competition with the Indian Casinos, and continue the flow of tens of millions of under the table kickbacks from Ga, FL, MS and TN officials, as well as Indian casino’s within the state. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!
ksleezy
March 22nd, 2010
3:54 pm
This is a message for Marvin Williams: Friday and Sunday are the two best games I’ve seen from you back to back. I was there both nights, great effort on both ends of the floor. Keep taking it to the hole, then when they start backing off to keep you in front of them drain it, but always think drive first. Tell Josh the same!! lol.. Great job to all you guys, I can’t wait to see you in the playoffs for the 3rd year in a row. Congrats!!!
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
4:19 pm
Ken Strickland – Yeah Bham has been brought down by a severe case of corrupted-tician-itis. I couldn’t believe the ‘nimber’ of Birmingham and Jefferson County officials who have held office within the last 10 years, who are now serving prison time. Our most recent mayor just got sentenced to 15 years for taking bribes on county bonds. And the sad thing is, I doubt he will be the last. You know this state is in a bad funk when the top news everynight has to do with the state government cracking down on the local bingo machine halls, because the governer is in deep with the Mississippi casinos to block gaming in Bama.
Northcyde – The deal with the dome is that the mayor who just got convicted was setting up this whole dome thing, when the county and city never really had the money to fund the project. If I’m not mistaken, it would only seat about 56,000 or so. Small dome. It would only be good for basketball tourneys and….hold your breath…Monster truck rallies! LOL.
I’m a transplant here via ATL. I like working and living here. Just sometimes I have to stoop and shake my head.
cp
March 22nd, 2010
4:26 pm
Great game last night. Like others have said, Woody has to realize when the switching d is being exploited and try something else. Coming out so flat is also baffling. I forgot who said it last night but they think it might be because of the home crowd. I have no idea what it is but come playoff time I don’t think they can afford to come out flat in a 7 game series because the energy it takes to come back from those deficits. They have to find a way to come with better intensity……I just laugh when people go way out of their ways to defend Woody on here even when nobody is criticizing him. No matter what the blog is about its a few who want to defend Woody and question other posters even when there has been no mention of Woody what so ever. I saw no comment about Teagues playing minutes last night yet somehow people are getting blamed for thinking Woody is bad coach for only playing him 4 minutes. Its fine if you think Woodson has done a great job but damn do we have to keep reading about how great he is and how people who want him gone are clueless even when they are not talking about him.
I MUS WRITE
March 22nd, 2010
4:33 pm
Yeah Marcus i so Samhand going “HAM” lol…..I think he just put himself into the 1st round if he wasnt already there. I like the fact that he has nice post moves/hands and he is actually playing Center and not shotting from deep like other 6′11 guys these days.
Clyde? I swear u are an alien- Blo Wright plays better than Horford….Since when -he is a wack sandwich with a side of potatoe salad. Did i mention he’s outta the league and im glad -the man has been stealing money for the past 5 years -He stinks …7ft practical joker
The Truth
March 22nd, 2010
4:36 pm
Hopefully with the emerging Marvin, maybe Woody can truly exploit the SF mismatch in the playoff. With the much talked about Al Horford being perceived to be an undersized center, our very own Marvin could counter that perception with his size advantage at the SF position. For example, I don’t think Pop expected the Hawks to out-rebound the Spurs 51 vs. 41 but Marvin rebounding made the difference. He also had a “monster” rebounding night against Charlotte. So while Crawford is called “The Difference” on offense maybe Marvin will become the “The difference” in rebounding for the Hawks. What we also need from Marvin is to leverage his size advantage even more on the defense-end to compensate for our “so-called” small frontline. All of this would make Al and Josh job easier.
Clyde
March 22nd, 2010
4:38 pm
Hawk in the Ham you right. They shut down the dog track in Shorter putting 8,000 out of work. I use to go all the time. The people of Alabama need to do more to draw more people to their state. The University of Alabama ain’t gonna cut it.
The Truth
March 22nd, 2010
4:40 pm
Ken Strickland
A very good prospective about the plight of Birmingham; it is sad what greed and corruption can do to a state.
Hawk n the Ham
Didn’t B’ham elect a new mayor recently?
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
4:45 pm
Truth – 2 months ago they sworn in the new mayor.
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
4:52 pm
Speaking of mayors…..Did you see where the NY mayor has asked for $800K in funding to provide trailers at state prisons for ‘Conjugal Visits’?? LMAO!
Hawk n the Ham
March 22nd, 2010
4:53 pm
*I meant ‘governer’* oops
Sautee
March 22nd, 2010
5:10 pm
From Sekou Smith:
“Outside of Howard, there isn’t a better low post [young] big in the East and maybe the entire league,” an Eastern Conference advance scout told me Sunday night. “People can talk all they want about him being undersized and how he should be a power forward, but he’s as good at center as you’re going to get in terms of what he does for his team every night. I’d take him as is.”
Yep.
So will I.
northcyde
March 22nd, 2010
6:19 pm
from the previous blog:
@ KevinA
the whole “let’s just get something back in return” deal, may not be the way to go either. When owners play “cheap” with their star players, it almost always come back to bite them. Honestly, I can’t think of one instance in the past 10 years, in which a team took a “lesser” player in a sign and trade, and it turned out to be a good deal for them.
LOL . . I guess the closest would be JJ for Diaw, because Diaw did help Phoenix get to the WC Finals when Amare went down. But even he didn’t turn out to be a good solution in the long run, because as soon as Amare came back, he became less and less effective as a player.
So if the Hawks obtained, say, Gallanari and Eddy Curry ( because they’d use his summer of 2011 expiring contract as bait ) in a sign and trade, that doesn’t keep the Hawks at our current level. That’s not a team improvement type move. You’re almost better off doing nothing, in that scenario.
And JJ doesn’t even have to approve of a sign and trade. He can sign with NY outright.
Sautee
March 22nd, 2010
6:40 pm
northcyde,
Don’t leave the draft picks we gave PHO out of the equation. Robin Lopez has been elevated to starting center. The OTHER draft pick became Rondo.
So the true equation was Joe Johnson=Diaw, Rondo and R. Lopez.
Legend
March 22nd, 2010
7:11 pm
“Outside of Howard, there isn’t a better low post [young] big in the East and maybe the entire league,” – Horford nutt hugger.
There are many guys who are just as good as or better than Horford offensively and the majority of centers are better than him defensively.
Alabama’s governor Riley
March 22nd, 2010
7:20 pm
Its amazing how you can treat some one so nice and they turn on you. The Bubba Crew has had its head quarters here since the “Get Woodson” campaign began shortly after the “Get Michael Vick campaign. Now Ken wants to dis us. Youre Bubba Crew just may have to move if you dont change your tone ken!
Sautee
March 22nd, 2010
7:30 pm
“Outside of Howard, there isn’t a better low post [young] big in the East and maybe the entire league,” an Eastern Conference advance scout told me Sunday night.
Why would an Eastern Conference advance scout from ANOTHER TEAM be a Horford nutt-hugger? To what end exactly?
Is this another conspiracy theory taking shape?
KevinA
March 22nd, 2010
7:51 pm
northhcyde
Honestly, I can’t think of one instance in the past 10 years, in which a team took a “lesser” player in a sign and trade, and it turned out to be a good deal for them.
Acie and Speedy for Jamal – are you kidding?
You at times have incitefull thoughts but then you go off the reservation.
Ken Strickland
March 22nd, 2010
8:01 pm
Just so you know, I feel I can come down on the ignorance and corruption in AL since I was born and raised there.
CLYDE-say it’s not so, did they actually close down the track in Shorter? Gov Riley’s actions against Country crossing outside of Dothan eliminated over 1200 jobs, not to mention the additional jobs that would have been created by the additional support industry that would have been created.
As bad as AL has always been educationally, economically and politically, it has always had Mississippi to look down upon, until now. Even Mississippi had enough sense to do whatever it took to move forward and create new industries. AL went Republican, and has been steeped in more corruption, greed and incompetence than normal every since.
Believe it or not, AL is the only southern state where the northern part of the state is highly industrialized. Over 50+yrs ago, north AL had a viable steel industry in Birmingham, Anniston and Gadsden(who’s Goodyear tire plant was once the worlds largest), the TVA(TN valley Authority), military(Redstone Arsenal), automotive(Chrysler) and space industry(Marshall Space Flight Center) in Huntsville, Decatur(Monsanto & 3M chemical manufacturing), Sheffield, Florence and Guntersville.
AL politics has been so corrupt over the yrs that former Gov George Wallace refused to allow the last 20-30 miles of I-20W leading into Birmingham to be finished. That was his way of punishing the city for not voting for him. The junior college and trade school systems are so corrupt they may need to be all but dismantled and restructured.