Pacers at Atlanta Hawks: Attitude and Effort
So today we should find out if what happened at Philly on Friday was just a slip-up or a sign that the Hawks’ attitude and focus are indeed slipping. The Pacers probably don’t have the same athletic talent as the Sixers but they are playing better lately. They’ve got a hard-nosed attitude and a coach with a disdain for tanking. They are coming to play.
Will the Hawks match their intensity or will they figure their talent and homecourt will carry them? Lately I can tell Woody is weary of being the voice asking those kind of questions and looking for the answers.
“I am getting tired,” he said. “After a while, you have got to start figuring things out yourselves, man. We’ve got enough games under our belt. If we win 50-plus games we’ve made a step in the right direction but there is another level.”
Woody is ultimately responsible for the performance of the team. His plans and strategies are fair game for criticism. But he can only do so much when it comes to motivating and preparing his players. The rest is up to them.
It’s a topic I should have touched on more back when I blogged about how what you see on the court Woody isn’t always what Woody wants. Some might take that to mean Woody isn’t getting through to the players but, come on, these guys are pros. They make the big money. You’ve been watching too many cliched sports movies if you think it’s up to Woody to give a rousing speech that inspires his guys to do their jobs.
The NBA is a players’ league. When the Hawks sleepwalked their way through that loss at Philly and then admitted it, that’s on them. To hear Al say it was “unacceptable” is good. It’s cool when J.J. calls out the team for lacking focus. The Hawks are saying the right things and now they’ve got to put action behind those words no matter their opponent.
“That’s where we’ve got to learn,” Woody said. “The other night is a prime example of a team playing for nothing and we thought we were going to show up and win. You’ve got to go out and earn your win.”
MC
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234 comments Add your comment
EFFICIENCY
March 28th, 2010
4:43 pm
Joe Johnson – 12 points, 9 shots
Jamal Crawford- 10 points, 4 shots
Hawk n the Ham
March 28th, 2010
4:43 pm
I think the title to this blog is an oxymoron.
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
4:44 pm
After the Tennessee/Michigan St game, we’ll get a sermon on why we shouldn’t be disappointed about the Hawks losing to the Pacers by 2 at the half.
O'Brien
March 28th, 2010
4:46 pm
So our bench outplayed our starters in the second quarter. It will be interesting to see if the bench get any burn in the second half.
Najeh,
So are you saying it is possible to play a rookie PG on a contending team? What a concept. Teague looks so much better when he plays with the starters. I think Woody should have left him in the game, because its not like Bibby is lighting it up (2-7), although he does have 4 assists.
Before anyone jumps on the Solo bandwagon, remember, anytime a player plays against his old team, there is an extra chip on his shoulder. So even if Solo has a really good game, dont get too carried away.
Not a bad play call coming out of the timeout. Although the ball ended up in JJ’s hands, it went in to Horford first, and JJ was on the move. Hawks need to turn up the D though in the second half.
And can somebody tell me why Sund gave Marvin 5 years, $37.5 mil, but yet he called Chills a utility player. Interesting evaluation. Can we trade Marvin for Granger?
Ray,
I think Woody should have left the bench unit in the game longer because they had energy, Crawford was on fire, and they were playing better defense than our starters. It’s like there is a rule that says your bench players can only play so many minutes, regardless of how effective they’re playing.
And why did we go away from Crawford when he was on fire? It’s like JJ has to get his shots no matter how anybody else is shooting…
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:47 pm
I don’t know whats more heart breaking.
Knowing that this team has so much potential that isn’t being used
or
Boiling a Rabbit thats still alive
I still don’t have an answer for this
Hawk n the Ham
March 28th, 2010
4:48 pm
LMAO….Yeah, I’m sure the Pacers would give us a straight trade, Marvin for Granger
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:49 pm
Joe not underrated anymore. Outside people don’t realize how much of a ballhog he is.
Hawk n the Ham
March 28th, 2010
4:49 pm
BTW
Baylor > Duke
JeJe
March 28th, 2010
4:50 pm
HOW DOES JAMAL GET 10 PTS EARLY AND DOESN’T GET ANOTHER SHOT OFF/BASKET. LET THE GUY SHOOT. HE IS OUR BEST SCORER–GIVE HIM THE DAMN BALL AND LET HIM DO HIS MAGIC
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:52 pm
JeJe it’s becuz Woody is obsessed with Joe. He won’t let anybody upstage him LOL
Sleepy
March 28th, 2010
4:52 pm
This is getting old simply because they think they are good enough to basically coast against the pacers and “get up” for the Lakers coming on Wed . However the elite teams dont get up for anyone because they want to crush everyone equally.
Our starting 5 has been together for over 200 games now this types of effort just shouldn’t be happening . It was nice of the organization to have patience and allow the young players to develop but since when did that become an excuse for lack of effort against weaker teams.
This is one of those times when Woody needs to pull a Phil jackson and say ” well I think this may be the last hurrah for the current core as we cant get up the energy on a night to night basis anymore maybe this is as far as it can go” I would then let then stew on that for a few days
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
4:53 pm
ding….
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
4:53 pm
O’brien ,
Spot on with the comments. Every one of them.
Nacho
March 28th, 2010
4:54 pm
I bet Teague does not get 2 more minutes in this game. And that is the reason a young point guard will not develop under our coach.
We are better with a PG that is not slower than everyone else on the COURT!
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:54 pm
Bibby u suck
northcyde
March 28th, 2010
4:54 pm
Amazing all of the hate ( and non-credit ) given to JJ. You’d think he was shooting 1 – 8 FG with 3 points. Instead, the captain leads the team with 12 pts on 5 – 9 shooting.
Defense definitely needs to pick up, no doubt on that.
Now that the Vols lost a heartbreaker, I can give my full attention to this game, and offset the negativity and state what we do positively.
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:55 pm
Put Teague and Jamal in
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:56 pm
Northcyde u haven’tt even been watching the damn game have u. Man u luv defending Mr. I luv to hold the damn ball. Jamal had 10 pts ON ONLY 4 SHOTS.
JeJe
March 28th, 2010
4:56 pm
GET RID OF JOE JOHNSON. BE A TEAM PLAYER FOR ONCE. OR SCORE AN EASY BASKET WITHOUT WASTING OUR SHOT CLOCK. BOTH THINGS U WILL NEVER DO IN YOUR SELFISH CAREER
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
4:57 pm
Ok, fresh off of two busted JJ plays, we get a basket from Horford. Am I the only one seeing this?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
4:57 pm
On every Marvin shot, you can tell from the way that he jumps which way he’s going to miss. Amazing that he’s been in the league this long and hasn’t got this fixed yet, even with Mark Price on the coaching staff.
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
Big Ray obviously Northcyde isn’t seeing it.
And now a dumb tech on Osh
Blast
March 28th, 2010
4:58 pm
Stop talking, Josh!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
4:59 pm
KEEP FEEDING JAMAL
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
4:59 pm
Heh. Josh is gonna get ejected.
In the meantime, I find it hilarious, this situation. Ball goes to the point guard this time, but he passes it to Josh on the run, while he has two defenders right in front of him.
This is why Josh should give the ball up on the break?
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
4:59 pm
And now Jamal is back. Showing Joe how to do it
hawkfan
March 28th, 2010
4:59 pm
how is jamal 5 for 5 and he sits on the bench more than marvin, i don’t get it
Hawk n the Ham
March 28th, 2010
4:59 pm
Al is WORKIN!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
Nique has been dissing Hibbert the whole game. It’s pretty hilarious. Don’t know what his beef is.
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
Mark Price is wasting somebody’s money.
Venom Spitter ,
Yeah, I know he’s not watching. I was just making a prediction….
Blast
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
Al is da Man!
Wabe
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
Horford working hard.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
I wonder if Clyde saw Horford outwork Hibbert for that offensive board and put-back.
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
5:00 pm
Jamal would have had 20 by now if Woody wasn’t stuck up Joe’s azz so much
Hawk n the Ham
March 28th, 2010
5:01 pm
Jamal and Joe need to switch jerseys, so Woody will leave Jamal in.
Sleepy
March 28th, 2010
5:02 pm
look at Al padding his rebound numbers like Moses Malone LOL
terrell
March 28th, 2010
5:02 pm
Has Josh Smith ever commited a foul, in his own mind??
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
5:02 pm
Roy Hibbert. 7′2″, 270 lbs.
20 minutes, 1 rebound.
Hey y’all, how’s “little Al” doing against him?
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
5:03 pm
terrell,
he doesn’t argue against all of the calls, just the ones he disagrees with, lol
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
5:03 pm
Big Ray who do u think would winin a foot race
Bibby or Hibbert lol
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
5:04 pm
“Big Ray who do u think would winin a foot race
Bibby or Hibbert lol”
Zaza.
cp
March 28th, 2010
5:04 pm
The defensive effort from the first unit was pathetic in the first half. The second unit looked great. I wonder will they get rewarded with solid minutes in the second half. I think Teague has more blocks this year than Marvin. This team needs to step up their intensity… Yea O’Brien its funny how Sund thought so little of Chills and so highly of Marvin. I thought for years that Chills was a better player. He was a better rebounder and didn’t need any plays ran for him to score. He was giving us what 11 and 6 off the bench. Marvin can barely do that starting.
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
5:04 pm
VenomSpitter ,
Hibbert. Why? Because Marvin would try to joing the race….and trip Bibby and himself up. Like that dude did those other guys in the movie “Cool Runnings”.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
5:05 pm
There are not enough people at the game to scream “NOOOOO” when Josh takes those shots today.
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
5:06 pm
LOL @ Big Ray. Marvin would damn near kill himself and everyone else in a footrace LOL
Big Ray
March 28th, 2010
5:06 pm
Chills was more fundamentally sound (except for maybe that heinously ugly jumper).
Marvin had greater potential.
Potential is a french word for “he ain’t done sh!t yet, but we think he might”.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 28th, 2010
5:08 pm
Not only that, but Chills also understood the game a lot better and was a much better role player as a result. Marvin doesn’t understand that he can impact the game without having the ball in his hands. Chills’ entire impact was without the ball in his hands. On a team like this that has multiple scorers who all need the ball, a player like Chills is a lot more valuable.
VenomSpitter
March 28th, 2010
5:09 pm
I don’t think Chills would want to come back and play for Woody. He’s smart enough to know how bad a coach Woody is.
Rick Sund
March 28th, 2010
5:09 pm
LOVE the core I have helped keep.
The guys are YOUNG and have POTENTIAL. I plan on keeping this starting 5 together for 7 more years.
ALL that matters is that we win 50 games — that’ll show IMPROVEMENT over last year.
Woodson is a TOP defensive coach, a true genius at shutting down players like Nate Robinson and John Salmons. I will offer him a $100 million/6 year extension after the season, making him the highest paid coach in NBA history.
Woodson’s rapid development of Teague is just astonishing. Just yesterday, a successful Eastern Conference GM contacted me that he believes Teague is already better than Isiah Thomas!
Sleepy
March 28th, 2010
5:09 pm
we look so much better when we work our early offense instead of milking the clock