Atlanta Hawks Squawks: Hawks 104, Bucks 96
Milwaukee– I told Smoove I thought this was the Hawks’ best road effort since they won at Utah way back on Feb. 22. He thought about it for a few seconds before agreeing. “Probably so, all-around. We pretty much led the whole game. Even though they went on a run in the second half, we didn’t bend. We kept fighting. We kept with our game plan and used our advantages.”
– And, what do you know, one of those advantages was stout defense. The Hawks were active and energetic from the jump. I don’t recall seeing many lulls. The Bucks stayed in it by making tough shots and scoring off some loose ball scrambles. They didn’t stay in it because of lax rotations, half-hearted closeouts or any of the other lapses we’ve seen from the Hawks lately.
– “Everything was solid from beginning to end,” Woody said. “We are going to need that the rest of the way. We’ll face Cleveland on Wednesday and then we’ve got to get ready for the playoffs.”
– It’s hard to find anything the Hawks did poorly. The 12 turnovers, I suppose, but look at some of the other numbers: 53 percent shooting, 52 points in the paint, six players in double figures scoring, 19 of 27 from the line, 48-34 advantage on the boards, 11 blocked shots, 39 percent shooting by the Bucks . . . you get the idea.
– The added bonus for the Hawks is everything that happened in this game sends a message to the Bucks, who pretty much gave the Hawks their best Bogut-less shot and couldn’t get a lead after the first quarter.
– “I think the focus was a little different tonight considering that it’s a potential matchup in the playoffs,” J.J. said. “Knowing we had this game and one more left, we wanted to go out with a bang and go into the postseason with some momentum.”
– J.J. was excellent. It’s not just that he scored 31 points, it’s that he hung back in the fourth and let others do their thing. He took just three shots in the fourth, only one of them in Iso. The hand doesn’t appear to be an issue so far. “He was solid tonight,” Woody said. “He shot it well and was probing the defense. He did a good job of knowing when he needed to make plays.”
– And how about Zaza? Al gets into foul trouble and the Hawks don’t skip a beat because Zaza scored, he rebounded, he kicked out for open jumpers, he was tough around the basket. “Zaza did a great job coming in,” Al said. “He came in and did what needed to be done.”
– With Crawford out Woody told Rook’ before the game he needed something from him. He got it. “He can stay in front of Jennings and Ridnour and all of those guards,” Al said. “That works to our advantage.”
– “Rook controlled the game for a little bit,” Woody said. “He made a few mistakes but a lot of that was guys not being ready for him delivering the ball”
– Mo was solid as well. Bibby (seven rebounds!) was good. Al had a double-double despite playing just 25 minutes. Marvin was aggressive. See a trend here? “Everybody who played tonight contributed to the win,” Woody said.
– Smoove had six blocks. The Bucks’ guards thought they could go at him when he switched off to them. They were wrong. “They had their bigs switching on onto our smalls and taking advantage of that was difficult for us,” Scott Skiles said.
– The Hawks led from 4:20 in the first quarter. When the Bucks made their inevitable run to cut a 12-point lead to 89-87 the Hawks scored on five of their next six possessions.
– Look how many high-percentage shots the Hawks got during that stretch, too: Marvin slashed through the lane for a basket, Al converted a 3-point play, Al made an open jump shot, Marvin scored on a layup and J.J. made two free throws.
– That was game over. “We executed down the stretch,” Woody said. “It was a hard-fought victory for our team. (The Bucks) are playing for something as well.”
– The Hawks showed how they were in control in the first quarter. Al worked on Kurt Thomas in the post, and J.J. got to the basket. Once the Bucks focused on those two, Bibby shook free for open jump shots and made three straight 3-pointers.
– The Hawks moved 1 ½ games ahead of idle Boston. The Hawks would clinch the third seed if the Celtics lose at Chicago on Tuesday. If Boston wins, the Hawks would need to beat Cleveland at Philips Arena on Wednesday (edit: unless the Celtics also lose to Milwaukee in their finale) to finish ahead of the Celtics.
– “I don’t know if LeBron is going to play or not but it don’t matter,” Woody said. “We’ve been good at home this year and we need a win.”
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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103 comments Add your comment
Remarkable
April 13th, 2010
12:09 am
First
Ree Roe
April 13th, 2010
12:19 am
Great analysis MC. Even though I’m one of Teague’s biggest critics I do think he COULD stay with Jennings off the dribble, but typically Jennings hasn’t hurt us when we’ve played MIL this season so I don’t kno if playing Teague vs Jennings for long stretches would actually benefit us. Anyhoo, solid overall road win & back to back road wins where we executed in the 4th. We should beat a depleted CLE team & enter the playoffs on a hot streak. Go Hawks!
-REElentessly Roe!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:19 am
I posted this on the last blog, but I’ll repost here:
To SWAT Native: huge thanks for the bargain hunter link dude, you probably saved me like $100. Got me playoff tix for games 1 and 2.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:20 am
Also from the last blog:
“i’m saddened by the state of discourse in this country. too many people have the attitude that if someone has a reasonable opinion that differs theirs it can only mean that person has some hidden agenda or bias or is just plain stupid.”
Co-sign. 100%.
Gilley
April 13th, 2010
12:21 am
We better beat the Cavs.
Remarkable
April 13th, 2010
12:21 am
That’s the kind of effort we have been hoping for from the Hawks. We can’t win for long with just a few players giving their best. We need everyone! Thanks guys for playing like we all know you can. Keep it up and we will see you in the Championship series. We can play with everyone in the East. Now just show everyone what kind of team the Atlanta Hawks are when everyone plays up to their potential.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:23 am
“The Hawks moved 1 ½ games ahead of idle Boston. The Hawks would clinch the third seed if the Celtics lose at Chicago on Tuesday. If Boston wins, the Hawks would need to beat Cleveland at Philips Arena on Wednesday to finish ahead of the Celtics.”
Not necessarily — the Hawks could get the #3 seed with a loss to Cleveland if Boston loses to Milwaukee on Wednesday.
Of course, I’d rather see the Hawks take care of business against Cleveland, and hopefully meet them again in the conference finals.
hawks is da bomb
April 13th, 2010
12:23 am
i was just wondering how we dont finish 3rd? Dont we have the tiebreaker over boston? Or am I missing something here.
hawks is da bomb
April 13th, 2010
12:28 am
Oh i see…. Its because the C’s would be a division leader so they get the automatic tiebreaker.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:29 am
I didn’t see this game until the last 5 minutes, but hopefully this game convinced any doubters that the Bucks are by far the easier matchup for the Hawks, compared to Miami. The one area where the Bucks have a decisive advantage over the Heat is coaching — I’d expect Skiles makes plenty of adjustments to counter what the Hawks were able to do in this game, but in the end, the Hawks have too much talent for the Bucks to pose any serious threat in the first round.
I’ll be happy to not see Dwyane Wade in these playoffs, and more importantly, I wouldn’t be surprised to see them pull the 4-5 upset over the Celtics, the way Boston has been playing.
Ree Roe
April 13th, 2010
12:30 am
@ Hawks is da bomb,
If BOS & ATL finish with the same record, BOS will earn the #3 seed by virtue of being a division winner. In order to be the 3 seed, ATL must finish at least a game better than BOS. We are currently 1.5 games ahead of BOS for the 3 seed, we (ATL) have 1 game remaining & BOS has 2 left.
-REEmarkable Roe!!!
Michael Cunningham
April 13th, 2010
12:40 am
@ Najeh: “Not necessarily — the Hawks could get the #3 seed with a loss to Cleveland if Boston loses to Milwaukee on Wednesday.” you are correct. fixed . . .
Melvin
April 13th, 2010
12:40 am
Najeh,
Can you post the link with the Playoffs Tix?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:41 am
Oh yeah, and looking at the box score, nice to see Marvin and Zaza step up in Crawford’s absence to provide quality minutes. Hawks will need some consistency from those two to go far in the postseason.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
12:42 am
Sure, here it is:
http://www.travelzoo.com/newsflash/?id=790254
MariettaTate
April 13th, 2010
1:04 am
ESPN reports that the hawks have solidyfied the 3 spot? so which one is right?
Big Daddy
April 13th, 2010
1:12 am
Good quallity win tonight. The guys played well, spread the ball around, did not panic when the Bucks got close and played their average for turnovers. Woody kept the 2nd unit for a prolonged time and didn’t even pull rook the first time he made a mistake. Things are looking up. Now if Jamaal heals well durning the next couple of days we should be a full strength for Cleveland. This is getting better. Go Hawks!!!!!
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
April 13th, 2010
1:20 am
Pachulia (or as Hubie Brown would say…Puh-choo-la) was impressive
N-Trigue
April 13th, 2010
1:20 am
Good game Hawks Go Bulls!!!!
Clyde
April 13th, 2010
1:40 am
FIRE WOODY
Clyde
April 13th, 2010
1:47 am
The Hawks finished 1st in the 93-94 season and still lost in the second round.
FIRE WOODY
J.J.M.
April 13th, 2010
1:57 am
dang mo evans is opting out
Grandad
April 13th, 2010
2:02 am
Tiger Woods: [answer to yesterday's rebuttal]
Young fella, you made some very good points. valid & well said although
a bit snarky.
Alot to rebut, however, I will try my best to [not] leave anything out.
*The Bob Knight comparison was made primarily to illustrate the bullying
tactics which Wdsn appears to use when he can get away with it on young players. He played for BK and therefore it would be natural to emulate one’s mentor. [language included]
* Wdsn stoic: I’ll give you that one, unless he is trying to impress someone. For example; he comes across on the radio as someone who is trying to perpetuate an image of “I’m a bad ass” [e g Bob Knight].
Hence the rude language, of which I’m no virgin, but on public airwaves both ladies & children listen. It’s a shame that if my grandchild is in my car that I cannot listen to sports talk because of the offensive nature not only of Wdsn but a large portion of the hosts. Wdsn is a grown-up in a grown-up world therefore he should not present himself as a teenage ruffian. My convictions, entitled accordingly.
Most glib coaches both collegiate & pro handle themselves with poise and distinction as they would want their players to do the same.
It was once said people who express themselves by swearing, do so
because they lack the vocabulary to express themselves otherwise.
Honestly, I do not hear, that course talk from other coaches the way some seem to portray.
On that subject – I’ve been aroun a multitude of coaches for over
40 yrs. & most cuss for effect. That’s a fact. They don’t cuss in normal conversation. Enough of that!
*no injuries to speak of* how can you dispute that.
*Our core been together: You say it is full of holes.
Maybe yet in the same breath most on here say this is the best Hawks team in years, maybe 5th best all-time [assumtion Atl. all-time]
*Joe contract yr. – fact. + most players play well in a contract yr.
Joe an all-star. Joe nimbers’s down pos. due to Jam., Al, & Josh.
Marginal Improvement – right now 6 game improvement. I’ll concede,due
to my dissertation two days ago relative to exponential improvement.
*NOTE* We didn’t lose ‘Chills [last yr.] & when we did we replaced him with [Mo].
*Jamal > Flip. had nothing to do with ‘Chills’.
* @ the end of summer our bench was considered a strong suit!
egregious handling of Teague
Only lately has he realized the value of Mo
Zaza underutilized
J. Smith is probably scratching his head & saying why did I sign here?
*AND finally yes we are staggering across finish line trying desperately to finish ahead of Boston due to:
What? 6 consecutive losses on road?
yes 4th qtr meltdowns!
No idea how to attack zone!
I’m tired. You made good points, as did I. This conversation ceases.
Good evening ‘young fella’.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
2:14 am
Uh oh.
Shaquille O’Neal(notes) has been cleared to return, leaving Brown to wonder if his two stars should play together in Wednesday’s finale at Atlanta before the playoffs start over the weekend.
Go Bulls.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2010
2:24 am
Well how about that. Woody gives Teague the thumbs up.
Eat that, Teague haters. Chew on it for a while. And stop telling those lies….
Big Ray
April 13th, 2010
2:25 am
Najeh,
That makes me nervous. Although, there is no reason to play Shaq in a single regular season game (this late-really?) before the playoffs. Still, as you say…..Go Bulls…
Grandad
April 13th, 2010
2:29 am
Big Ray:
We must look @ it as if it’s a play-off game.
No excuses for a lack of focus.
Big Ray
April 13th, 2010
2:33 am
Grandad ,
True that. I was just whining for a second about having to face Shaq. I don’t whine very often, so I had to make the most of it. LOL…
Cannon
April 13th, 2010
2:35 am
Tough break on the schedule, as LeBron has sat out the past 3-4 games. Hopefully we can get Phillips rockin and set the tone for these playoffs with a win over Cleveland. Or maybe just maybe Chicago will help us out Tuesday night, and then we could rest our starters.
GIVE WOODY A NEW CONTRACT!!!!!
vava74
April 13th, 2010
4:18 am
Three main reasons for the win:
1. al’s foul trouble;
2. Josh’z mild injury;
3. Milwaukee sucked on defense.
Al and Josh had to seat forcing Woody to play the bench. This way Al and Jso were fresh down stretch and the bench had the oportunity to contribute. Zaza was terrific and apart from the shooting performance JoeS gave us quality minutes.
Milwaukee had an awful defensive effort. It seems that they are orphan in the middle after all.
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2010
7:19 am
To Najeh,
My pleasure, dude. It’s a sweet deal.
O'Brien
April 13th, 2010
7:28 am
Congrats to the Hawks and Woody on win #52. Most of us predicted they would be in the 50-55 win range, and in that regards, they did not disappoint.
Our road record is 19-22, and they wanted to finish at least 21-20. However, 19-22 is still a 3 game improvement from last year. Hopefully, we will win at least 3 more road games next season.
The Hawks showed energy, focus, and played defense the way Woody wants it to be played. And everyone (including Marvin and Teague) contributed to the win. The only issue for me is FT. We shot 19-27 (70%). In the playoffs, every FT gets magnified, so hopefully we will do better in the playoffs at the FT line.
This game shows that if the Hawks play up to their capability, it doesn’t matter who they play in the first round, Hawks win. IF they play up to their capabilities.
I would love to see the Bulls win tonight. That way, Woody can limit his starters minutes (especially JJ, Crawford, and Bibby) against the Cavs.
Go Hawks, Go Bulls.
Nacho
April 13th, 2010
7:57 am
Woody coached a good game tonight. I hope that the Hawks continue to sharpen the focus going in to the playoffs.
Cali girl
April 13th, 2010
7:59 am
GO BULLS! CAUSE WE COULD USE THEIR WIN–REALLY!!!
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2010
8:12 am
Everybody’s a Bulls fan tonight! You would think Michael Bleeping Jordan was playing!
phar71
April 13th, 2010
8:16 am
GO bulls!!! It would be great to rest Crawford, and JJ.
Section 303
April 13th, 2010
8:25 am
So, Bogut’s out for the rest of the season, including playoffs?
D was great last night. There was a stretch at the 10-minute mark of the 4th, that I thought was one of the best Hawk defensive efforts all year. It was the possession that ended with a forced three by Ridenour (sp?). Hawks cut off all lanes, Teague especially. They were just really active. Joe Smith blocked a shot with 6-seconds to shoot…that kind of D will win games. If they can only sustain it for 48 minutes…
I really don’t give a sh#t about Wednesday’s game. I just hope no one gets hurt. There is no need once game 1 gets here, it won’t matter if they beat Cleveland or not.
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
8:42 am
I really hope Shaq & Lebron play tomorrow night. This will give the Hawks a chance to see where they stand against the best team in basketball at full strength.
Also I hope the Hawks finish 3rd, and not just to avoid Clevland, but a second round match up between Cle & Bos/Miami is more entertaining than a Hawks team that intimidated by Lebron.
Justin
April 13th, 2010
8:46 am
Hope the bulls win tonight because that locks up the 3 for us and you know Miami is gonna get the 5 since they just have to beat the Nets at home. We shouldn’t have any trouble from the Bucks in round 1. Plus, I want to see the Bulls get the 8 spot because nobody wants to see Bosh-less Toronto play the Cavs in round 1.
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
8:47 am
It’s funny how when we lose, it’s always because we have had injuries, but when we lose to teams like Detroit, no one mentions how injured those teams were.
Good job, Hawks fans!
Justin
April 13th, 2010
8:47 am
How funny would it be if Shaq and Lebron play Wednesday and we rest JJ and Jamal and beat them.
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
8:48 am
JT0 looked like he was about to cry, trying to break away from Woody when he was taken out
Greg
April 13th, 2010
9:15 am
You guys want the Bulls to win so the Hawks can back into the 3 seed. What does that say about the Hawks when we don’t even have confidence in them to beat the Cavs when the game means nothing to Cleveland and they’ll probably only play their key players limited minutes, if any? Actually, if the Celtics win tonight, the Cavs will come in motivated tomorrow night to beat the Hawks….so they can play the Hawks instead of the Celtics in round 2.
Looks like Woody is going to luck out and get to play the Bucks without their best player instead of the Heat. That will probably allow him to keep his job as the Hawks will probably beat the Bucks in 6 games….if we play the Heat, we’d probably lose in 6. What difference does it really make because they are going to get owned by whoever they play in the 2nd round. With a numbnuts coach like Woody, they will never be taken seriously. I can’t believe you some of idiots are talking about re-signing Woody now. Why? Just because they’ve won a few more games this year than last? Jamal did that, not Woody. He’s won ONE playoff series in 6 years as coach. If he doesn’t win at least one this year and play the Cavs or Magic tough, he should be OUT.
Mike is Back
April 13th, 2010
9:27 am
MC, Great Stuff, I really enjoyed watching different guys stepping up and making a contribution, Marvin looks like he starting to come around. I think the bench is starting to shape up. When you think of the level of play, we have been receiving from guys like, JC, MO, Zaza, JS, and Teague. The Hawks could be a formable foe…in the playoff.
I thought Josh played with more focus, determination, and discipline than I seen an a while…when he plays like that on defense…its contagious…everyone starts to gets after.
GREAT WIN, GREAT ENERGY, GREAT EXECUTION….GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Melvin
April 13th, 2010
9:34 am
Greg,
We prefer the Bulls to beat the Celtics so we could rest our starters instead of them trying to grin out a win before the playoffs.
Samuel
April 13th, 2010
9:40 am
“They had their bigs switching on onto our smalls and taking advantage of that was difficult for us,” Scott Skiles said.
It’s funny how all the opposing coaches and players see our ability to switch as an asset yet our expert “bloggers” like to criticize the master “Woody” for deploying it.
I would rather play Milwaukee but I aint scared of Miami. Brang em on.
Woody=COY
Josh=DPOY
Jamal=6MOY
The Truth
April 13th, 2010
9:49 am
Kudos to Hawks on their win and JJ in particular; some blogs ago I described JJ road performance against Cleveland as being disinterested or spiritless which contributed to the disappointing loss. I suggested JJ pedestrian-like performance was a factor in that loss. As often the case during a road game, the Hawks does not have the luxury of being energized in front of a home crowd. In these cases, the whole source of their swagger is redistributed from other places. For young team like the Hawks with the absence of their screaming fans, they look to their leaders to lead in tangibles and intangibles ways. Last night JJ energizing performance was an illustration of how you spell a WIN on the road. With no Crawford, JJ set the table for his team and they responded. I hope JJ is taking notes of himself. During a pre-game interview with Mo Evans, he described the Hawks as being an underachieving 50-win team. He suggested the Hawks still has so much more potential once they resolve their issues. He might just be on to something. We shall see.
bigdave
April 13th, 2010
9:55 am
whats in the water in Portland…
Roy with yet another injury and possibly out for the playoffs… ive always thought Joe was the 3rd (Ric Bucher might think higher) best SG in the league and his iron man status makes it a no brain’er…
O'Brien
April 13th, 2010
9:56 am
Samuel,
The expert “bloggers” who criticize the switching do so only when it gets abused and Woody (and the players) make no adjustment. Because when the switching is working, it can really give an opponent fits.
However, there are some games where opponents (like the Spurs) ran the pick and roll consistently to get the matchup they want, taking advantage of our bigs against their guards. The Bobcats used it to their advantage the last game in ATL too. And when we lost to the Bucks previously, they abused the switching defense. Orlando has taken advantage of it too.
Lots of opponents struggle with our switching defense. No argument there, and Woody should not be criticized for deploying it.
But surely, an expert blogger like yourself will agree that if we run into an opponent who is taking advantage of the switching (which has happened numerous times during the season), then Woody needs to adjust.
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2010
9:57 am
Greg, most of us want the Bulls to win so that the Hawks can rest their key players in that last game… it’s not about fearing a Cavs team that will likely keep their top 2-3 players in street clothes. And can a team “back-in” to a playoff spot in the 82nd game of the season? Hawks have put themselves into this position based on winning 52 of 81 games… they haven’t backed-in to anything. Last season, we rested our key players in the final contest against Memphis. Ideally, we will do the same with a Bulls win tonight.
I have a feeling that the Celtics are too experienced and too old to care if they face the Magic or Cavs in the 2nd round. Too experienced to fear either and too old to risk an injury in these next 2 games. Meanwhile, the Bulls are fighting for a playoff berth. Here’s hoping that Joakim has another 18/18 game like he did the other night (along with 20+ from Rose).
Jody
April 13th, 2010
10:00 am
The Cavs don’t want to play the Celtics in round 2. I have a feeling LeBron and Shaq will play in the season finale.
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2010
10:02 am
I personally don’t care about national exposure but for those who do… a Hawks-Bucks match-up will surely be relegated to NBA-TV as it offers virtually ZERO national appeal. Celtics vs. Wade is a far more attractive series to feature on TNT/ESPN.
lewis
April 13th, 2010
10:07 am
they usually figure out tv stuff a year in advance so i’m not sure, but I hope its not on NBA Tv. if its on NBA TV, i can’t watch it on league pass.
Jody
April 13th, 2010
10:10 am
Let’s go Bulls tonight! We need this win.
Section 303
April 13th, 2010
10:11 am
JeJe, a lot of people (including myself) mentioned that the Pistons were dealing with injuries when they beat the Hawks. A lot of people, now, are mentioning that the Bucks have to play without Bogut. So, I think you are trying a little too hard to have your self fullfilling prophecy be true. Your assessment is just totally wrong.
Stat Man
April 13th, 2010
10:13 am
So how big is getting the #3 seed???
Follow me here:
Forget whatever it does regarding the first round matchup. Realizing that you have to play one series (game) at a time – the Hawks should not be concentrating on anything but the big picture, which is, at minimum, the Conference Finals.
Now then – Round 2: Getting the #3 means getting Orlando in round 2 instead of Cleveland. No easy task, but who would you rather play? Additionally, the hopes of the 7 upsetting the 2 are far greater than the 8 upsetting the 1 and should the 7 over the 2 happen – we get home court in Round 2.
From there, Boston played Cleveland even this year 2-2, so a Boston upset in that series should not be dismissed. That happens, then we would have home court in the Conference Finals.
Again, nothing easy about this road, but it’s all certainly within the realm of reasonability.
Now then, fall to the #4 – get to play Cleveland in Round 2 and I don’t think I need to convince anybody that path is 100 times tougher!
So hopefully (a) da Bulls win tonight – and remember, they are fighting to be the #8 seed, so they WANT/NEED to win, resulting in (b) the Hawks-Cavs game tomorrow will feature a ton of bench players to give the starters/Crawford extra time to rest up for the weekend!
lewis
April 13th, 2010
10:18 am
horford needs to call up joakim and tell him to win so we can rest our starters tomorrow.
Gwinnett Fred
April 13th, 2010
10:20 am
What Stat Man said….
jg
April 13th, 2010
10:21 am
Great win last night and actually a fun game to watch. We played well in all areas except two. We had trouble in-bounding the ball late in the game and our free throw shooting wasn’t pretty. The free throw percentage has to pick up starting now!
I heard Mo Evans pregame statement as well–calling the Hawks an under-achieving 50-plus win team. I agree–while I think the team gives it their all 95 percent of the time–I think the under-achieving part is that they need to be more consistent. They should have about 8 to 10 more wins with this club. Just doing those basic fundamental things like boxing out, making ft’s and playing smart would have put this team around 58-59 wins.
The good thing about that is Mo is right–we’re really good to still be able to say that we’ve won this many games and still the team knows they can still and will get better.
Let’s go Hawks–this in my opinion is the best Hawk team I’ve ever seen. I started watching them in the early 80’s…Loved John Drew, Roundfield, Hawes, McMillan, Armond Hill and Fast Eddie Johnson then but this year’s group is better. Really loved the ‘Nique teams of the late 80’s but this team is better and the early 90’s teams of S. Smith, Blaylock, Laettner and Motumbo were pretty stout as well–but still not better than this year’s team. Now this group just needs to take it to another level and beyond–get to the Conference Finals–win that–than let’s jump it up against one of those Western Conference teams that are SO GREAT–and see who wins it all. We’re definitely capable of winning the whole thing THIS YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!
O'Brien
April 13th, 2010
10:47 am
I missed the pregame comments. Mo Evans called the Hawks an underachieving 50 win team?
Really? Wow. Shouldn’t he be happy and content that the Hawks have their best record in years? After all, 50+ wins is a major milestone for these Hawks, and they have a chance at the 3rd seed? Shouldn’t Mo be voting for Woody for COY?
After all, thats how some have suggested us fans/bloggers should feel, just because we think the Hawks have underachieved this year…so I’m glad to know that Mo Evans feels the same way I do.
SWAT Native
April 13th, 2010
10:52 am
Stat Man,
Wouldn’t it be wild for the Hawks to play the Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals with home court advantage?
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2010
10:56 am
lewis, they figure out regular season television schedules in advance but the playoff series aren’t decided until the last minute. That is one of the reasons teams don’t know when they will actually start the playoffs next week… because the networks will weigh-in on help the NBA schedule the games based on selling advertising time. And frankly, I can’t imagine that TNT/ESPN will choose the Hawks/Bucks vs. the other Eastern Conference series.
Ken Strickland
April 13th, 2010
11:00 am
As far as I’m concerned, the playoffs start tomorrow. We have to address tomorrows gm againt Cleveland as though it’s the 1st gm of the 1st rd of the playoffs. All of the issues some of us have with certain players and Woodson go out the window now. We have to go into battle with what we’ve got, like it or not, and it’s going to take the efforts of Woodson and each player to get us where we need to be in this yrs playoffs.
The playoffs are like the start of a new season, and I’m hoping we start this new season off the way we started this regular season off, and that’s KICKING ASS AND TAKING NAMES. GOOOOOOO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ree Roe
April 13th, 2010
11:29 am
@ Astro, I agree. We’ll probably be the first game on Sat on NBA TV or the midday game on ESPN on Sun if we play MIL, but that’s fine. As long as we win, the national exposure will come
-REEal Roe!!!
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
12:09 pm
When are the Hawks going to start hating some teams, and stop being nice guys.
The only team we seem to dislike is the Celtics, but it’s the Cavs & Magic that disrespect the Hawks most.
I’ve never heard a Hawks player say they dislike the Cavs or the Magic.
However I’ve heard the Magic, and Celtics say the don’t like the Cavs, and vice versa.
The only way the Hawks will compete with those teams is start disliking them. The Cavs swept the regular season & Playoffs last year and 3-0 against us this year.
Time to grow a sack Hawks and act like you belong on the floor with these guys.
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
12:16 pm
Why in the world are teams resting starter when they get 6 months off during the summer.
The only 2 teams that should be resting player are the Lakers and the Magic. They are the only teams that played for the championship.
I thinks fans should get 1/2 off the ticket price when a superstar sit out, and it not related to injury.
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
12:18 pm
Stat Man
Orlando and Cleland are on a mission no way they allow lesser seeded teams to beat them in the first or second.
Samuel
April 13th, 2010
12:26 pm
O’brien,
I agree that certain teams have players that negate the effect of the switching more than others but that’s what we play so it’s kinda hard to change now. Like a 3-4 team switching to a 4-3 against certain opponents in football. You do what you do and let the chips fall where they may.
I don’t think we’ll have to worry about the Bobcats or the Spurs from here on out. As for Orlando. If we can play them like we did our last game, we could pull an upset. Cleveland, I don’t have much faith in us beating them. We have no answer for LaBron or Shaq.
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
12:53 pm
Section 303, you have no idea what you’re talking about. People act like injuries hold this team back when we lose. Our level of effort and chemistry when Joe is out is pathetic and we don’t win games without him
Mel
April 13th, 2010
12:57 pm
I think the Bobcats play the Magic well. Correct me if I’m worng, but didn’t CHA take the season series from ORL?
Should be a good series, hopefully a long one.
Section 303
April 13th, 2010
1:09 pm
JeJe, are you saying that the Hawks effort/chemistry is pathetic without Joe? Or, are you quoting the imanginary people in your mind? Just want to know…trying to hit a moving target here.
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
1:12 pm
I can’t believe more people don’t call out Bibby for being overweight.
The guy does NOT use his size to his advantage at all on the court.
1) He cannot post up players a la Baron Davis. B.Diddy uses his SIZE to post up SMALLER players. Bibby doesn’t do this
2) Because he is so big, he is too slow and immobile to GUARD other players. Seriously, someone faces him up, takes one dribble, and Bibby looks like the damn Statue of Liberty after the player has taken one dribble –> !@#$ing joke
So can someone tell me why Bibby feels the need to be so big?
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
1:17 pm
Section 303,
If you really sit up there, you can’t even see the games because all the idiots that sit in those seats are the casual Atlanta folks who know nothing about this team. So STFU and go bother someone else.
Wabe
April 13th, 2010
1:43 pm
Upper-level seats aren’t bad at all.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 13th, 2010
1:43 pm
“If you really sit up there, you can’t even see the games because all the idiots that sit in those seats are the casual Atlanta folks who know nothing about this team. So STFU and go bother someone else.”
This is hands down the dumbest comment I have seen on this blog. I sit in the upper seats all the time, where people actually know what teams are playing. I sat in the lower level for the March 24 game against the Magic, and everyone around me spent more time updating their Facebook statuses than watching the game. I’d be surprised if most of them even remember who won, let alone Josh Smith’s putback dunk.
Marcus
April 13th, 2010
1:58 pm
didn’t see pre-game Mo interview; agree with sentiments: Looking back over the season W/L record, probably 5-6 more wins at a min. and maybe 10 Ws if the same game-long defensive effort and 4Q offensive ball movement/shot selection shown last nite were exuded in those Ls (argument could be made that we should have had an undefeated month of March). That said, this year has been both rewarding (moreso) and frustrating (less so but too frequent for our tastes
) …. on to the playoffs
terrell
April 13th, 2010
2:07 pm
Same ole Hawks. We all know they can beat anyone, and lose to anybody. Nothing new here.
Rick
April 13th, 2010
2:14 pm
LOL. Section 303 is BEHIND the basket.
terrell
April 13th, 2010
2:19 pm
If we get the 3rd seed, we’ll have Milwaukee in rd 1, and Orlando in rd 2. If we play like the ATLANTA HAWKS, and not that other team that we like to trot out there every now and then, this could be our best chance at the Eastern Conference finals, Ever! We might lose JJ this summer? Crawford maybe? Someone might get injured next year? Never know. Some players play for years and never make it out of the 1st rd, much less the Conference Finals. Better make the best of it this year guys. Might not ever happen again. Good luck! Go Hawks.
Mike is Back
April 13th, 2010
2:22 pm
Astro Joe , great point on the other marquee match-ups in the east…they are far more intriguing than the Hawks/Bucks…however, that could be a good thing. The Hawks can fly under the radar, and be absolved of the added pressure of living up to all the ESPN and TNT hype in the first round. Once they make it to the second round, they will have all the exposure they want…and then some. Heck, maybe Jon Barry will scoff at us in the Orlando series like did last year…that should generate some buzzzzzzz….I still like Woody’s response to his theatrics…that was classic. lol
The Hawks are such a entertaining team to watch when they are getting after it on defense…we will get some burn before it’s all said and done. THE BIGGEST THING IS THE FANS NEED TO COME OUT IN DROVES and support this team…no media outlet likes broadcasting a games with a bunch of empty seats. This is the playoff …we need to tighten that up…Usually, the stars come out and make their present felt for the playoff. It should be a lot fun…I’M EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Section 303
April 13th, 2010
2:25 pm
JeJe, I do sit there. Sat up there for the past 6 years, actually. Can see just fine.
“STFU”..nice. You burned me.
Mike is Back
April 13th, 2010
2:29 pm
I should put a disclaimer on my previous blog. My previous blog is contingent upon the Hawks locking down the third seed, and both the Hawks and Orlando advancing to the second round. Of course we know anything can happen in the playoff…I don’t want to get to far ahead of myself. lol
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
2:31 pm
Who pissed JeJe off today?
Section 303
April 13th, 2010
2:46 pm
Mike is Back, agree…people need to get to Philips this weekend. I am worried they won’t, though. The last three playoff series have been against star power teams (Boston, Miami, Cleveland). Will people come out for a series against the Bucks? Also, looks like traffic will be an issue and you know no one wants to get caught in the Freaknik (sp?) activities that are going to be going on downtown.
Atlanta’s best team is about to start a playoff run! The fans need to come out.
Mike is Back
April 13th, 2010
3:25 pm
Section 303, I will hear ya bro. You make a valet point about the Hawks playing the Bucks…usually the stars come out to see stars. It is time for these same stars to come out and support the Hawks…regardless of their opponent. Traffic will be a huge issue…usually I park in the parking deck…but now I’m starting to have second thoughts…it may behoove me to go with Marta…its smarter. lol
See ya @ the game dawg…GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
mark
April 13th, 2010
3:33 pm
i suppose if you look hard enough you can always find fault, the hawks played a good game. they didn’t take advantage of the marvin williams luke ridnour matchup with about five minutes left and the the game still up for grabs. still all and all a good win.
northcyde
April 13th, 2010
3:36 pm
Nobody is coming to ATL for Freaknik. I hope people PLEASE don’t believe the hype surrounding that “so-called” event. The “promoter” of the event isn’t anywhere near official. He’s misleading a lot of people on Facebook and Twitter, simply trying to make some money at the clubs.
There is absolutely NO BUZZ about that event. Those kids have no idea what Freaknik was about anyway, outside of that silly cartoon T-Pain created last month.
Mike is Back
April 13th, 2010
3:39 pm
GeeMack, you mean JeJe wasn’t pissed all them other times…WTF. lol
CRYSTAL BALD HEAD
April 13th, 2010
3:39 pm
so the hawks lose to Lebron again get the 4th seed and get knocked out in the first round by the heat that sound about right to everbody ? a 50 + win season right down the chute.
you heard it here first
GeeMack
April 13th, 2010
3:39 pm
Enter your comments here
northcyde
April 13th, 2010
3:41 pm
And it will be predictable if people didn’t show up for the Bucks playoff series. That’s just the way Atlanta is. We need the fans to show up vs the “lesser” playoff teams, just like we need them against the more popular teams.
But it wouldn’t surprise to see 14 – 15,000 in the building for Game 1 . . and that would be a shame. I hope we get more at the game than that. Game 2 though . . on a Monday or Tuesday, may be the most embarrassing. ATL fans, show up to at least one of these games. Don’t make the Hawks look bad on national TV for not showing up to the games ( like you do the Braves sometimes when they make the playoffs )
rusty
April 13th, 2010
3:45 pm
teague will bring a lot to the table. right now i think that he has wings & stays in front of any point guard in the nba .with him in the lineup we dont need to play the stupid switching defense.he can get into the lane anytime he wants to, he can break down defenses,he is a good passer in the interior. he will finish better with experiance. he brings us a more uptempo game which i love for this team. woody has done nothing for him or his confidence. jj has been shooting the ball lately way better than he ever had before. i always thought that jj iso play not only has hurt the team but also himself. he is so much better when he plays within the team. lately most teams havent been double & triple teaming him,but when playoff time comes they will,then i want to see how well he will play & shoot. it took woody a long time to figure out that he coulnt play the second string together but to keep a couple of the first unit in with them. as moe said this team has under achieved, always felt this & always felt it was woodys fault.,iso offense,switching defense,poor substitutions & a complete lack of flexability.he doesnt bring much to the table & if i was a sub on this team i would hate him.
drmaryb
April 13th, 2010
3:49 pm
Najeh
What up man! Thanks for that link to the tix. Also the ATDHE.net to the ustream! You always have the best stuff on here.
Great arguments always great points.
Ken Strickland
April 13th, 2010
3:54 pm
OBRIEN-As a player who’s been in the thick of everything that has and hasn’t been said or done by both the players and the HC, he should know better than any of us fans what this team should have accomplished. He’s been present at every practice, team meeting, halftime, huddle, bus and plane ride, and has heard virtually every comment that’s been made to HC MWoodson, and by him.
With Woodson being in a contract yr, you haven’t heard a single word uttered by a single player that remotely suggests they think he’s doing a good job coaching this team at this stage of it’s development. However, we’ve certainly heard players complain about the team underachieving. I don’t think you will find any player who’ll say Woodson is a bad coach, because he isn’t.
He’s just not good enough to effectively coach this team at this stage of its development and give it what’s needed to progress beyond its current stage of development. Our starting lineup has been together for almost 3yrs, and 4 of our starting 5 have been together for 5yrs. Yet, we consistently hear Woodson use the excuse that they’re still immature. If after 4-5yrs of playing together, a HC is still claiming the same players are immature, THAT FALLS ON HIM.
Nacho
April 13th, 2010
4:07 pm
Teague can push the ball. Bibby can no longer push, he actually pulls back. The Hawks can only grow to the next level by having a fast guard like Teague. He can also play defense. Woody speaks of defense, yet he love Bibby who is a great shooter but a woeful defender.
Astro Joe
April 13th, 2010
4:21 pm
Strickland, did Evans say that Woody has under-achieved? I thought the comment was about “the team”. If, as an example, players are not paying attention to the details of team defense (as reported fairly recently… like yesterday), then is that on the coach or a group of 20-something players who are smelling themselves? Could a team under-perform for reasons that are related to the players as well as the coach? If a player under-performs, is that exclusively the coach’s fault? Are players responsible for anything other than tying their own shoes?
Maybe Evans recognizes the “potential” of the team and is stating that the team (including the coach) still has room to improve. I doubt that anyone would disagree with that sentiment. It is a great place to be… 50+ wins with upside. Better than 35+ wins and wishful thinking (where we were) or 50+ wins and hoping for one last run (this year’s Celtics).
section117lady
April 13th, 2010
4:26 pm
Good game last night. I too hope people come out this weekend. But how stupid can you mbe to criticize someone who is supporting their team. I am fortunate to be able to have the season tickets that I have but one more voice in Phillips is GREAT.
Now being in proximity to the bench that I am, I have to admit I am not a Woody fan,he is full of himself and sadly the guys do not really focus on what he says. Craw and Joe Smith and Bibby get more undivided attention than Woody’s scribble scrabble (college grad haters LOL) on his play board. I think he is a good coach that has hit his ceiling. Go Hawks see you this weekend
Tom
April 13th, 2010
5:04 pm
Nice to see the Hawks beat up on JeJe’s Bucks last night.
Go HAWKS!!
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
5:15 pm
I can’t believe more people don’t call out Bibby for being overweight.
The guy does NOT use his size to his advantage at all on the court.
1) He cannot post up players a la Baron Davis. B.Diddy uses his SIZE to post up SMALLER players. Bibby doesn’t do this
2) Because he is so big, he is too slow and immobile to GUARD other players. Seriously, someone faces him up, takes one dribble, and Bibby looks like the damn Statue of Liberty after the player has taken one dribble –> !@#$ing joke
So can someone tell me why Bibby feels the need to be so big?
JeJe
April 13th, 2010
5:44 pm
Teague can get in the lane but never shoots because he’s too timid
FIRE WOODY
terrell
April 13th, 2010
5:48 pm
Your’re right Rusty, this team has underachieved. Mo Evans said so himself. I said it a while back and the Woody lovers jumped all over me with that “He’s won more games every year” crap. lol! I commend Woody for what he’s done, I just dont think he can take us to the next level. He’s maxed out imo. Hope I’m wrong.
drmaryb
April 13th, 2010
7:55 pm
If Teague is TIMID in the lane? How is that Mr. Woodson’s fault? Teague should have stayed on the school bus & stayed in school!!!
This is the NBA Man! This ia a Grown Man’s Business!!!
This is NOT Pre-K!
Give me a break!
Ken Strickland
April 13th, 2010
9:42 pm
ASTRO JOE-If a HC consistently tells his players to do one thing and they do another, then yes, the HC has the problem. A HC is suppose to control his team, not the other way around. If he can’t, he needs to go, it’s just that simple. It’s the HC’s responsibility to relate, instruct, motivate, direct, develop and impliment, while getting his players to buy into what he’s trying to accomplish, the way he’s wants to accomplish it.
If players routinely ignore the HC and do whatever they want, and that HC is stupid enough to continue playing and relying on those same players without making an issue of it when it happens, he needs to go, period. I’m surprised you don’t already know that.
Hell, you dilusional WOODY LOVERS want to hold the players responsible for everything, especially for not being able to overcome problems with Woody’s limited halfcourt OFF and beloved switching DEF. What fool in his or her right mind would expect Smoove, Horford, Zaza and JoSmith to be able to consistently go out on the permeter and prevent lightning fast PG’s from penetrating into the lane? And what fool in his right mind expects Bibby and Crawford to be able to hold their own against PF’s and C’s under the basket?
How stupid does one have to be not to see the flaw in this setup, yet we see your BELOVED WOODY consistently forcing these players into those stupid matchups gm after gm./ Why, because he’s too stupid and/or too stubborn to recognize a problem with this setup. He’d rather stand before the media after a loss, or very poor performance, and make poor DEF play an excuse, rather than make an adjustment during the gm.
HOW IN THE HELL CAN YOU BLAME THE PLAYERS FOR PLAYING POOR DEF AND BEING UNABLE TO CONSISTENTLY OVERCOME MATCHUP PROBLEMS THAT THEIR BONE HEADED HC CREATES BY FORCING THEM TO PLAY A DEF THAT AUTOMATICALLY CREATES THESE MATCHUP PROBLEMS? STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES WOODY LOVERS!!