Magic at Atlanta Hawks Game 3: Final(ly) Movement?
The strange thing with listening to the Hawks talk about their problems with stagnating offense is they all seem to agree on the problem:
“Ball movement, like there was in the first three quarters [in Game 2],” J.J. said. “In that fourth quarter, we did a lot of ‘iso’ instead of moving the ball and getting good shots.”
“It all starts with our guards,” Al said. “We have to create movement, we have to have guys moving around. When our guards are doing that, it opens up for us and opens up for them, as well. [The Magic] can’t just sit there and pinpoint.”
“We’ve just got to have more movement and guys have got to make shots,” Woody said. “It’ ain’t scientific or no big secret.”
The Hawks say these things and then they go out and fall back into iso at critical times of the game. When things go bad and the pressure is on, it gets even worse. It’s not always about just missing shots they normally make, it’s about getting better shots, particularly in the playoffs. And the Hawks (and every team) is much better at that when players and the ball are moving.
The Hawks missed some open shots in the first three quarters of Game 2, but didn’t they also get better looks until they faded late?
“Yes but we made shots, though, too,” Woody said. “Joe made a 3, Jamal made a 3. We had some good looks in Game 1 and we didn’t make shots. You can’t have starters and guy coming off bench go 11 for 54 not going to beat nobody in the league.”
According to Hoopdata, in Game 1 the Hawks were 6 of 26 on long jump shots, the bane of basketball number-crunchers, 15 of 25 from closer than 10 feet and 2 of 13 on 3-point shots. In Game 2 they were 7-for-22 on long jumpers, 9 of 20 closer than 10 feet and 6 of 11 on 3-pointers.
If the Hawks stay away from iso, maybe some of those long jump shots become open, spot-up 3-pointers or shots closer to the basket. None of that would solve their considerable problems with defending the Magic, of course. But because of their abilities, talent and temperament the Hawks’ best hope to at least make this a competitive series might be moving the ball and scoring enough points to overcome their defensive deficiencies.
They seem to know iso isn’t the way to do that even if they don’t always show it.
MC
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621 comments Add your comment
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:44 pm
Still waiting for John Salmons Johnson to show up.
northcyde
May 8th, 2010
5:44 pm
Magic defense treating Horford like a #1 option today. He can barely get open.
cp
May 8th, 2010
5:45 pm
lol@calling Joe a bulb. More like a night light.
Wabe
May 8th, 2010
5:45 pm
You’re seeing a team that hasn’t utilized its bench the entire season that is now banking on those guys being able to step into crucial minutes in a playoff game and sustain the energy and level of play.
It don’t work like that.
To beat this team, you have to play a full 48 minutes without significant dropoff. But, when you have lineups such as the one’s we’re seeing now, coupled with poor shooting performances from JJ/Bibby, and no good looks for Horford….
Not a good recipe.
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:46 pm
FIRE WOODY
South ga boy in the atl
May 8th, 2010
5:46 pm
Ok. Someone explain to me why JJ deserves a max contract with our cheap owners and why Josh is untouchable to trade for a real 5. Explain plz
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:46 pm
Joe with 0 points 16 minutes into the game
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:46 pm
Marvin needs to change his last name to “Potential” so they can put it on the back of his jersey. How many times are we going to hear that.
Wabe
May 8th, 2010
5:47 pm
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:46 pm
Marvin needs to change his last name to “Potential” so they can put it on the back of his jersey. How many times are we going to hear that.
LMAO
Funny stuff.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:47 pm
Magic makin this look easy
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:47 pm
we are so unorganized on defense
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:47 pm
Game Over again lol
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:48 pm
Where are the Joe supporters?
bigdave
May 8th, 2010
5:48 pm
switching= inability to grab defensive rebs. / chicken with head cut off scrambles.
sleepy
May 8th, 2010
5:48 pm
rebounding is about 90% effort 10% technique and we just dont rebound well enough to have such strong athletic players
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:49 pm
Uh Oh the boos start LMAO
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:49 pm
lol he took marvin out
bigdave
May 8th, 2010
5:49 pm
thats a foul..
cp
May 8th, 2010
5:49 pm
SMH Duck Williams is so weak. Get this dude out of here.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
LMFAO Bibby’s brick
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
Once again
Where are the Joe supporters?
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
NO ONE is shooting it well
bigdave
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
lol @ that brick from Bibby
sleepy
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
why was Josh standing at the three point line why was he not rolling with Crawford ? cmon
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
Somebody tell me why Bibby and Mavin Williams is even on the floor right now.
FIRE WOODY
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
This team is a failure
terrell
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
Big ass Marvin cant even finish over Peitrus. Wow! Woody still cant adjust after 6 years. Wow again!
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
LOL woody is getting axed at halftime
Wabe
May 8th, 2010
5:50 pm
This team looks like they’ve already given up.
As Charles Barkley says, they’ve got one foot on the court, one on the beach.
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:51 pm
CALL GRADY FOR THE HAWKS. MASSIVE HEAD TRAUMA.
FIRE WOODY
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:51 pm
every announcer calls our team out. It’s just not us fans.
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:51 pm
The Hawks overall performance is lookin almost as ugly as Pietrus’ fro….he gonna bring out those dreads for the ECF aint it.
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:51 pm
Joe is a grade A bum
northcyde
May 8th, 2010
5:51 pm
Finally drove the b-ball . . lol . . then missed the FT
terrell
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
Great offensive scheme Woody. lol! And why not give Teague a shot? Cant do any worse than the starters.
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
I’M GLAD I DIDN’T WASTE MY MONEY TO SEE THE SORRY AZZ HAWKS GET BLOWN OUT.
FIRE WOODY
South ga boy in the atl
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
We just don’t want to play defense. There is a real lack of energy on defense. I love how Josh walks up the court, he has no energy today and there’s no excuse for it down 2-0 and back at home. JJ is doing his disapearance act again
Wabe
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
Crawford’s come to play…
Where’s EVERYBODY else?
VenomSpitter
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
Northcyde I saw that u made a bet with someone on trhe last blog that if thge magic won this game u wouldn’t post until after the series.
I hope u weren’t kidding.
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:52 pm
WOODY NEEDS TO BE FIRED FOR STARTING BIBBY AND MARVIN
FIRE WOODY
o.O-Mac-Town -Macon, Georgia- Westsider-O.o
May 8th, 2010
5:53 pm
lol yall catch that “im fired” look on woody’s face when they just showed him on cam..
Steven
May 8th, 2010
5:54 pm
woody can’t pull a miracle out of his arse this time and stick around
terrell
May 8th, 2010
5:55 pm
Can we please try and pry Skiles away from Milwaukee? Woody is a joke. Team has no heart. No passion. No offense. No defense. No gameplan. No ball movement. No Pride. Etc..
northcyde
May 8th, 2010
5:55 pm
Crawford the only source of offense right now. He’s doing what he has to do right now.
No transition opps for this team so far that I can remember. That’s what is going to spark a run when we make one.
sleepy
May 8th, 2010
5:55 pm
Now this is why you need something else besides isos because we could simply try and run some sets to get Crawford some good looks instead of having him try and take the entire magic team off teh dribble.
Right now we should be able to call a couple of set plays that would have him run off screens and catch the ball off a curl for a good look but it seems we have no idea what that is .
If we really wanted to run a true isolation spread the court offense we shouldve been going after guys like Frye and other guys who can simply make shots to fill your bench with
Clyde
May 8th, 2010
5:55 pm
BLOWOUT AFTER BLOWOUT AND THE HAWKS ARE STILL RUNNING THE SAME OFFENSE. GIVE IT TO JOE OR JAMAL AND LET THEM GO ONE ON ONE. SMH
FIRE WOODY
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2010
5:55 pm
I’ve been booing since the start of the 2nd quarter. It’s one thing to lose to a better team; it’s another thing to not try, and the Hawks right now are not trying.
On the bright side, the guy who takes pictures of people and puts them on hawks.com took a picture of me with two thumbs down yelling “FIRE WOODSON”.
woody is a bum
May 8th, 2010
5:56 pm
vince carter and dwight howard have 6 points and we are still getting blown out
bigdave
May 8th, 2010
5:56 pm
need to cut it to 8
terrell
May 8th, 2010
5:56 pm
LMAO at Clyde. Sad but true. Bibby and Marvin are nothing more than role players. And not even good role players at that.