Atlanta Hawks at 76ers: Making Progress
Time for me to be macro again. The Hawks won 47 games last season. Beat Philly tonight and they’ll have 47 victories with 10 to go. Any way you look at it at right now, barring a complete and total collapse down the stretch that’s progress.
“Right now” is the hedge, of course, because it means more if the regular season leads to something better and not as much if it ends up going nowhere. But it’s something for now, and Woody deserves a moment to say he’s glad to see it.
“I am very, very proud,” he said. “I couldn’t be more pleased with a basketball team, considering where we started and I knew we would struggle because we were 18 and 19-year old kids trying to play a man’s game. And we grew. Ownership was patient, they let me and my staff continue to teach a system I believe in and now we see the benefits.”
Woody said matching last season’s victory total isn’t enough. Winning the division would be something to talk about. That’s likely not going to happen so the Hawks will have to put up 50 wins and take the next step in the postseason.
“Our goal was to win 50-plus games and win the division,” Woody said. “We are not outside of the realm of winning the division. Like I’ve been saying, Orlando is playing great we are probably going to have to win out and they are going to have to fall on their face for that to happen. But the goal is to still try to win our division, and in doing that win 50-plus games.”
A reporter actually asked Woody how would he prevent the Hawks from becoming complacent. Shoot, I can’t see how that would be a problem for the Hawks.
For one, the goal should be winning a championship and they haven’t come close to that. They also haven’t shown they are on the same level as the Cavs, Magic and Celtics.
“We haven’t done anything,” Woody said. “Last year we made a positive step based on two years ago when took Celtics to seven. Then we were able to host homecourt last season and win a first-round series. The next step to me is winning the division and getting to the Eastern Conference finals.
“So we haven’t done anything. Orlando, they have done something. Cleveland, they have the best record in the league the last two years. We still have a ways to go, man. We are still trying to learn to win at a high level, and as a coach I’ve got to continue to try to push them.”
– Woody’s message to the team at the shootaround was about finishing games strong. As noted in another nice piece by Ken S. the Hawks are having issues with that. They are “sloppy in that area,” Woody said, and “get so comfortable” with leads late. The Sixers, who are missing South Gwinnett High’s Lou Williams (back), should offer the Hawks a chance to see if they can keep a foe down once they get them there.
MC
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
330 comments Add your comment
Taylor
March 26th, 2010
11:11 pm
preach it northcyde
O'Brien
March 26th, 2010
11:17 pm
I have an idea. On nights like this when the starters dont have any energy, Crawford is missing and turning the ball over, wouldnt this be a good game to give the bench a chance?
Who knows. Maybe the bench comes in and provides a spark like they did in the Magic game, or maybe the starters will get it together after they’ve spent some time on the bench watching?
But when the starters are struggling, Woody just continues to leave them out there hoping they will start playing better.
northcyde
March 26th, 2010
11:20 pm
And how long are fans going to continue to blame Woody, and not Blame the players?
Some of you act like Woody has an X-Box controller in his hand, causing the team to run, jump, and shoot.
Seriously
How does the coach get the blame for 19 turnovers and a sleepwalking effort on defense?
.
March 26th, 2010
11:26 pm
Fire Paul Hewitt………..
Grandad
March 26th, 2010
11:32 pm
northcyde:
“Put their ‘hind’ on the pine” [C.M. Newton HC Vandy/AD Kentucky]
Wdsn can control it.
Concentration, effort, focus, motivation, tired legs,
mentally tired, fundamentally unsound, & unprepared.
Not to mention, repetitive situational failure.
“RSF” Now that was cool. I’m gonna coin that one.
Atlanta Fawks
March 26th, 2010
11:39 pm
Get ready for this song Hawk fans after playoffs first round. But on the wrong end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaG2Acg8n60
FIRE WOODSON!!!!!!!
Atlanta Fawks
March 26th, 2010
11:41 pm
northcyde – If Woodson can not get out of his players what it takes to beat teams like this then it is his fault. I think Woodson has that relationship Bobby Cox does with the Braves which does not push the players to their full potential. Too much of a comfort zone.
O'Brien
March 26th, 2010
11:43 pm
northcyde,
I dont blame Woody for the lack of effort tonight. The players had no energy, turned the ball over, did not hustle, and did not box out. Thats not on Woody.
What I will blame Woody for, is why not put the bench in since the starters weren’t giving us much?
Grandad
March 26th, 2010
11:51 pm
O’B:
Agreed/ditto/co-sign
Hawks vs. 76ers
March 26th, 2010
11:55 pm
“I think from the start we just weren’t with it” , “From time to time we come out with a lack of focus” , “I feel like we overlooked them, and that’s not the right thing to do”
they fill you with such confidence when you read that …………
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:03 am
Heh.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:11 am
“And I know some of you don’t like me telling you how to feel or act . . . but the minute some of you just simply ACCEPT the Hawks for who they are . . and not WISH for them to be something else . . your life as a Hawks fan will be so much easier.”
I guess that wanting your team to get better and one day become champions is out of the question, then. I wonder if this same theme of “acceptance” applies to Josh with his jump-shooting?
Ohhhh, that’s a sticky one…
“Overreacting over every win and loss will simply cause you to have a stroke.”
Yeah, I heard that can happen. I also heard that you can incur an aneurysm by constantly trying to convince people that their opinions are irrational, uninformed, inappropriate, and just plain wrong, if they don’t coincide with yours. It might even cause cancer. Blogging is dangerous, man.
Clyde
March 27th, 2010
12:15 am
Elite teams win championships.
FIRE WOODY
O'Brien
March 27th, 2010
12:16 am
“And I know some of you don’t like me telling you how to feel or act . . . but the minute some of you just simply ACCEPT the Hawks for who they are . . and not WISH for them to be something else . . your life as a Hawks fan will be so much easier.”
Do you think we should have the same mindset at home? Should we have the same mindset at work?
Let’s all accept everyone and everything in life for who they are, because our life will be so much easier..and less miserable.
NYRIC
March 27th, 2010
12:17 am
Questio:. If Hawks finish tied with Celtics, do the Hawks get the 3rd seed because head to head play, or do the Celtics get the 3rd seed due to clinching their division.
hawkfan
March 27th, 2010
12:20 am
People what JJ to defer and post the ball in the 4th down the stretch, well he sit Horford up for a wide open 12 footer, brick. Josh as well. JJ proved a point, the other guys aren’t ready to carry the load down the stretch. He must have been on the NET hearing all yall bitch about him shooting too much. Only took 13 shots tonight and was still clearly our best player. Josh 6 turnovers negates his 20 points. Al 4 turnovers. Our front court can’t handle the ball, yet the complain that the guards are dominating it.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:23 am
O’brien ,
I agree wholeheartedly. The players are responsible for their efforts, all the way. But what is the coach responsible for? People who exonerate the coach for anything and everything that goes wrong can NEVER tell you that.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:24 am
And that does NOT mean I want Woody fired. In fact, I fully expect him to get extended, barring a total collapse in the playoffs.
The Truth
March 27th, 2010
12:26 am
.Frankly, I’m sick and tired of being sick and tried. Maybe just maybe the Hawks are simply not as good as we think they are. Offensively, maybe we are losing close games because the Difference (Crawford) is not making much of a difference lately. With a 4-13 shooting performance by him, why are we just talking about Marvin? His poor shooting percentage has been his pattern as of late. Still Mr. invisible Marvin doesn’t get a pass either, but I’m just saying. Is this glass half empty or half full? Yes Josh had a 20 pts night, but what about the 6 turn-over(s) that translated into perhaps 12 give-away points? If you subtract that from his offense, he really had an 8 points game. Yes Al Horford had his typical double-double game, but when the opponents are scoring most of their points in the paint, he certainly can’t be too proud of that either.
Woody talks about how the Hawks are playing for something while the lottery teams are not. Well Woody, apparently the 76ers did not get that memo. The 76ers out-worked in the paint all night. The Hawks made this team look like a world-beater playoff team. While, the Hawks played like they just wanted the season to be over quickly sleep-walking in the first half. Perhaps they are just preoccupied with the upcoming summer vacation and apparently unfocused.
Folks don’t want to blame Woody for any parts of this loss but when a team plays uninspired and flat, that points to a lack of preparation and focus. The players’ jobs are to execute but apparently they are not listening or paying any attention to Woody. This is not the kind of coaching performance you want to display if you are auditioning for a new contract.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:27 am
Hawkfan ,
As I recall, it was JJ that missed the potential game-winner against the Magic, and Josh who dunked it home. As I recall, it was JJ who shot 3-8 going into the 4th quarter tonight, and Al Horford who was 5-10 going into the same quarter.
While I agree that he is the team’s best player, these other guys are also able to SHARE the load. Nobody is asking them to take over.
The fans
March 27th, 2010
12:28 am
“And I know some of you don’t like me telling you how to feel or act . . . but the minute some of you just simply ACCEPT the Hawks for who they are . . and not WISH for them to be something else . . your life as a Hawks fan will be so much easier.”
Just accept us for who we are and your blogging life will be so much easier.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:32 am
The Truth ,
Crawford and Bibby have something in common: both are bad enough on defense, that when their offense isn’t clicking, they’re doing more hurt than help. The switch defense is designed to hide that (something that came out of Woody’s own mouth), but it doesn’t always work.
I can only echo Astro Joe and say that the sum of this team is greater than it’s parts…
Josh did play badly, but came on stronger at the end. Unfortunately, we had begun to ignore Horford by that time (typical), we still weren’t playing good defense ANYWHERE on the court, and not enough other people were generating enough offense.
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:33 am
Anyway, on to the Falcons blogs, where I can go hyperventilate in peace about the upcoming draft. I hope I don’t get hypertension from wanting my team to be more than it is, or overreacting to something somebody else says…
Big Ray
March 27th, 2010
12:36 am
Hee, hee, hee, hee!
Ok, one more….the Lakers got beaten by the Thunder, and the Cavs lost to the Spurs.
I wonder if their fans are basking in the radiance of total acceptance, or if they’re pounding their keyboards like anybody else?
cp
March 27th, 2010
12:45 am
Great post Ray and O’Brien. It has gotten to the point here where somehow ones opinion is wrong just because you don’t agree with someone. It also seems you cant complain about poor play because we are winning. If you don’t think everything is peachy then you are not a true fan the way some act on here. Some guys are just happy to win while others are happy we win but also see the problems we have out there on the court. I guess a blog that is meant for a person to voice their opinion has a new meaning.
Grandad
March 27th, 2010
12:52 am
Big Ray:
I don’t wish Wdsn to be fired either. It’s like you said recently,
him being fired means we were unsuccessful in the play-offs.
As for predicting: I fear they will attempt to gracefully let him go.
That’s where the fireworks begin. Wdsn will come unglued/snap/go postal;
you name it, but grace will be nowhere to be found.
I sincerely think he ‘Must’ win ‘2′ play-off series to be re-signed.
Two series? Does that put us in the Eastern Finals? Brain cramp!
I blog for fun [hobby]. No strokin’ out here.
My career equaled stress x googleplex.
Now that I’m retired, I’m mellow.
JeJe
March 27th, 2010
2:01 am
What an embarrassment.
TO BE COMPETING IN THE EAST AND LOSE TO THIS GARBAGE PATHETIC TEAM THAT HIS IGUODALA DESTROYING US. THE GUY ISNT EVEN AN ALL STAR
JESUS CHRIST
FIRE WOODSON. HE GETS ALL CONFIDENT AFTER 1 WIN THEN DOES THIS BULLSH!T.
HE CALLS TIMEOUTS SO HE CAN CALL JOE ISOS
GOD DAMNIT,..
JeJe
March 27th, 2010
2:05 am
LOL MARVIN CAN’T DRIBBLE. HE DRIBBLES UP TO HIS SHOULDERS
JeJe
March 27th, 2010
2:14 am
THIS IS NOT AN ELITE TEAM. IT HAS A LOSING RECORD ON THE ROAD
The Real Hawk
March 27th, 2010
8:15 am
What is this crap about not firing Woodsen because of his regular season record? Your success in the playoffs is determined in great part by seeding. That comes from the regular season record. One of the reasons the Cavs have the besat record is their record against sub-500 teams. We suck at this. That is coaching! We are at the same place as last year, 4th. To play possibly the Bucs.