Atlanta Hawks: Wizards 107, Hawks 92
JaVale Mc Gee (16 points, 11 boards in 24 minutes) took advantage of Atlanta's weak D. (AP Photo)
Washington– You can go down the list of excuses for Atlanta’s atrocious defense: short roster, tired bodies, back-to-back, preseason.
– Al was offered all those outs but he wouldn’t take them: “There’s no excuse. I think we have a long way to go as far as defense if we are going to be an elite team.”
– The Hawks lacked energy and Smoove was the only consistent deterrent at the rim against Washington’s bigs. Al said the Hawks also lack something else: “It’s going to take time for us to trust each other. We’ve been playing together for a few years but when things break down, the next guy isn’t there.”
– The Hawks were slow to get out on shooters. They didn’t fight hard through picks. They gave up too many free runs at the rim. “The defense was not very good at all,” L.D. said. “There energy wasn’t there, the intensity wasn’t there.”
– L.D. didn’t like the 16 turnovers, either. The Hawks forced passes in the offense in the first game, got sloppy in transition last night and this time did both.
– Former AJC Hawks beat guy and current Washington Post scribe Michael Lee came up to me during the second half and said: “I’m sold on Jordan Crawford.”
– It’s not hard to see why. The Hawks play faster with Crawford at the point. He never stops coming, he’s confident and he’s skilled. And he tends to look the same no matter who he’s playing with.
– Crawford needs polish but the raw material looks promising. He’s a dynamic player who can get into the lane and make something happen once he’s there. He’s also a rookie, which means he sometimes immediately follows a very good play (drive-and-dish to Powell for a layup) with a bad one (forced runner early in the shot clock).
— “He’s a true competitor,” L.D. said. “He has a big heart. At times he gets blinded by wanting to get the shot up but I like his competitive spirit. We will continue to nurture him along.”
– JC2 poured in 30 points, distributed the ball well and went 47 minutes after playing 46 at Washington. He looked spent by the end of the third quarter tonight but he kept going. “I’m beat up a little bit,” he said. “But it’s fun. I’m the new guy on the team and the preseason is for me. Coach is letting me play a lot of minutes and giving me freedom”
– For a while in the second half it looked like Crawford and John Wall were trying to outdo one another. Did Crawford have extra juice facing the No. 1 pick? “Not really. He’s a good player and you want to play against the best, but it’s not like I was sitting in my room thinking, ‘I’m going against John Wall.’”
– Joe continued his hot play from the second quarter last night. In the first six minutes of the game he made his first four shots, had an assist and nearly got a steal. It was one of those games where he made scoring appear effortless. You can see him getting his game in shape and building up to the opener.
– It’s the preseason and he’s got stitches in his right hand but Smoove is playing hard. He thwarted a Wizards fastbreak in the first quarter by going low to strip Nick Young, diving to the floor to take the ball away, and then hitting Bibby in stride. The play led to Al drawing a foul at the basket and fired up the the Hawks bench.
– Al, Josh and Joe went to the bench early for Zaza,Powell and Brock. That’s when the game got away from the Hawks. Zaza and Powell had trouble with the tandem of Yi and JaVale McGee. This would have been a good time to at least see what the new-look Twin can do.
– Zaza gave what he got, too. He left McGee checking his nose for blood after a head-to-face collision in the first half, then cleared McGee out with a shoulder to score in the second half.
– This was to be the first home game for Arenas since he was suspended due to gun charges last season but he was a late scratch with a knee injury. Or at least that’s what the Wizards announced.
– After the game, Arenas told reporters he bowed out for Young: “I told him I’d go ahead and fake an injury or say something is wrong with me so you can start.” Michael Lee says Arenas wasn’t joking.
– Tomorrow the Hawks will enjoy their first true off day since camp. “Man, I am so excited,” Smoove said. “I can’t want to go to sleep.”
– “I’ve got some guys banged up, I’ve got some guys tired,” L.D. said. “I’m not going to run them into the ground so we will have a day off. But when we get together Thursday we are going to watch a lot of defensive clips.”
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
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
226 comments Add your comment
vava74
October 13th, 2010
5:45 am
trent,
excellent posts. keep it up.
wordsmithtom
October 13th, 2010
6:38 am
truthspitter said: “So, you can see Bibby is finished and Jordan is the truth but you can’t see overall as a team we suck bad and have taken a step back? That’s just ignorant.”
And that’s arrogant, that others don’t see what you see so they’re ignorant. Arrogant or antisocial. We’re all fools that don’t see what you see. Well, I might be a fool, but I’m not a legend in my own mind.
Bottom line: MsDee said it best. LD saw what he needed to see in the first quarter and let the guys play out the string rest of game. Same as baseball: the spring training games are opportunities to look at players, to look at strategies, and to get people in shape for the regular season. It is NOT about winning. It is NOT about showing all your regular season plans. It is not about trying to impress anyone, fans included. I know; a lot of fans want improvement immediately after that Orlando series. Get over it.
It’s not going to happen during preseason, especially with 6 guys out and two of the remaining playing gimpy.
jason
October 13th, 2010
8:26 am
after this game L.D. needs to find him atleast 30 mins of playing time.
O'Brien
October 13th, 2010
8:45 am
Big Ray,
Me and cp have been on the Josh Boone train since the offseason. He is not very big, but he is active on the glass, and can play spot minutes at C and PF, plus he is still young, so there is still the chance of improvement.
As for our defense, we can see why Woody thought switching was the way to go. But my issue was that when the switching was not working, we never tried anything different.
Our players need to have a defensive mentality, but they are not there yet. What does LD do, if that mentality never gets there?
“It’s going to take time for us to trust each other.”…Al .
We’re still seeing some of the issues we had in the past, so hopefully we will get them ironed out before the season starts.
i_am_soulstar
October 13th, 2010
8:57 am
With Jordan Crawford playing well, unless Jamal is traded, I’m betting Joe Johnson is gonna be seeing alot of time at SF in the regular season.
i_am_soulstar
October 13th, 2010
9:06 am
MC, I know the team has the day off today, but could possibly include an injury update in your next post following tomorrow’s practice?
It sucks that we haven’t gotten to see Pape in action. But I know back injuries are the worse, because they almost never completely go away.
yessir
October 13th, 2010
9:07 am
Fire LD
Fundamentals
October 13th, 2010
9:28 am
This morning Mike Woodson was on NBA TV talking preseason and rebuilding a team the right way. He said the first thing he would do is start with a good young point guard. WHAT BS! I had to rewind it 3-4 times to really believe it was him saying that.
KevinM
October 13th, 2010
9:45 am
darrell starks: man, you keep it short and sweet, and your points are valid.
Woody making philosphical jargon! Now that’s funny. That guy doesnt’ deserve to be heard by the public. His stubborness and the idiocy of the ASG is why we are where we are today.
Vava, excellent review of last night’s laugher. I am not sure anything would have been learned from last night’s effort. JC2 took the role of Joe and played 1 on 5. That turnaround 21 footer was hilarious! He drained that one and the whole crowd was in awe. But there aren’t enough balls on the court for both he and Joe. JC2 aint sharing the rock if he sees the bucket!
As we go forward, we still appear to be perimeter oriented. There is no defensive pressure of any impact. Someone said the JC2 kept up with Wall….uh, you better not count on JC2 to be our PG.
The deficit you saw last night will become more common regularly. JC2 played 5 feet away from Wall to keep him from driving, but it was of little effect. Wall can ball and deserves the hype he is getting.
Its only preseason, but there is no one on this blog who can legitimately say they liked what they saw from this team. You’ve got LD just watching them go through the motions, and I don’t think one move he made created any momentum.
I have no problem waiting for the full roster to be back and be judgemental then, but if you were playing last night and trying to make this roster, only JC2 and Zaza deserved more minutes for the next game.
That frontline of Washington won’t be that bad; they like to get up and down the court.
A side note: I was watching the feed through the Washington coverage and their promos had no shot of Arenas in them….kind of like the game last night. Arenas may truly be an afterthought, but man, that contract might be tougher to move than clearing Yao out in the paint.
Melvin
October 13th, 2010
10:04 am
KevinM,
Why would anyone defend Wall up close, when he’s fast as lighting and don’t have a great jumpshot? The object is to force your opponent to his weakest which is the jumpshot for Wall. Just like Rose, Rondo and other quick PGs that cause more trouble if you allow them to drive to the ball in the paint. So as a defender against those types of players, you play the odds and try to bait them into taking a jumpshot.
Astro Joe
October 13th, 2010
10:49 am
Fundamentals, the operative word was “good” which is different than the word “any”.
Zaza says that he wanted more playing time and then gets his lunch handed to him by McGee?
Time for all of these guys to step up. Everyone focuses on the end of the Woody era, but he arrived at some of those decisions for a reason… Zaza was NEVER going to provide the kind of interior defense that even a tired Horford provides. The back-up center to most All-Star centers get inconsistent playing time. Gortat was good 2 seasons ago when Howard still was dealing with stupid foul trouble… once Howard learned how to avoid those problems, Gortat became an after-thought (a well-paid after-thought). Maybe the reason Horford can’t get more minutes at PF is because the other center options can’t play effectively for more than spot minutes.
The Summer of SAMENESS is beginning to bear fruit, and it looks eerily similar to last year’s crop.
Fundamentals
October 13th, 2010
11:10 am
Astro, I agree. But Woodson got me going by saying he’d love to draft a good point guard to build around. I don’t harp on our past draft failures, but D-Scott should’ve smacked the goatee and eyebrows right back off him for that one. He just kinda laughed.
Summer of SAMENESS is bearing fruit. I’m still holding judgement till the season gets going. Granted I only have hope and faith in some bench guys who many have documented repeatedly haven’t done anything in 3-4 years. Guess I’m an idiot, but a dedicated one at that.
Maybe that’s the JC1 issue. When will the Hawks enter the luxury tax and thus into the realm of competing with some of the good teams, not elite on a consistent basis?
Can we expect things to be equal when they have a 25%+ higher payroll? How do we treat our team when they’re limited that way? Is it their fault? Do they need more or less support in that situation?
Just like life, being a Hawk or a Hawks fan isn’t fair. We’re limited by what our ownership group will approve. They don’t have the $$ to risk to allow us to grow our budget to compete. They want cheap, organic growth to push us along. To date that’s pushed us to the second round. Then we quit when we see the 25% staring back at us.
Sad thing is I think we have the talent to win, we just don’t believe, we just don’t give 100% as proven this preseason again.
I.MUS WRITE
October 13th, 2010
11:11 am
Serious lack of an inside presence. J Mcgee was going crazy in the paint= Need help now. On a positive note J Crawford is ready to contribute now!!! When his shot selection gets better watch out. he already has the “Inner Dog” I just have different feeling about this guy. Teague and Ac Law I knew they were’nt ready for the NBA game -on top of the learning curve they cant shoot a lick .
kwooden1
October 13th, 2010
11:12 am
Fundamentals, I can’t believe Woody said, but maybe he’s learned from his mistakes!
I watched most of the 2nd half of last nights game, and it reminded me of a summer league game, but with even less defensive. Jordan certainly can score, he would have had a game like last night’s in the summer league but guys in the summer league are actually playing for something! I didn’t like the attitude of the guys, because being blown out is just embarrassing but JJ, Smoove and Al know how to play when the lights are on so I’m not to worried about them. I am still worried about Powell and Etan because we need them to produce. Powell is the #1 option behind Smoove at PF and I think Etan should be the 2nd option, even though he’s listed as a Center. Those guys have to give us something for LD’s system to work because the starters can’t play at a high pace for the entire regular season plus Playoffs.
We’re a Playoff team with the goal of making the Eastern Conference Finals. We need to act like it and use the preseason towards that goal. The problem I see is injuries are not allowing LD to get the 2nd unit in working order. He is using this time to see what Crawford can do and I only can assume he knows what he’s getting from Etan. (because Etan isn’t getting a lot of minutes) Hopefully we’ll have a lot more healthy guys available for Sat. I really want to see what the 2nd unit can do.
Fundamentals
October 13th, 2010
11:15 am
“it’s just preseason” but shouldn’t every new player be busting their tails trying to prove themselves like Jordan Crawford has? Shouldn’t players who failed all last year be struggling to prove they’ve improved and are ready for the challenge of a new year? Shouldn’t our vets be showing us glimpses of what they worked hard on over the summer?
Instead we see out of shape players showing no cohesion, no fire and we hear about their nagging injuries and fatigue daily.
A vet min guy basically makes more per day than the average joe makes busting his tail for a month. Something just don’t feel right when they don’t show you fire and determination. Just makes you feel sick.
Fundamentals
October 13th, 2010
11:17 am
AMEN!
We’re a Playoff team with the goal of making the Eastern Conference Finals. We need to act like it and use the preseason towards that goal.
KevinM
October 13th, 2010
11:25 am
“Melvin
October 13th, 2010
10:04 am
KevinM,
Why would anyone defend Wall up close, when he’s fast as lighting and don’t have a great jumpshot? The object is to force your opponent to his weakest which is the jumpshot for Wall. Just like Rose, Rondo and other quick PGs that cause more trouble if you allow them to drive to the ball in the paint. So as a defender against those types of players, you play the odds and try to bait them into taking a jumpshot.”
Its called ball pressure defense, which for obvious reasons, cannot be played with this roster. Can Teague do it, because if he can’t, then how are you gonna stop anyone? You mentioned Rose and Wall yourself; guess what? The league is full of young PGs who will blow right by you.
I saw Wall hit plenty of jumpers and there was NO ONE who stepped up and applied pressure. There were no adjustments. And if you are going to argue that the games don’t count, why don’t you attempt to do things to keep you competitive for that game? So far, there has been little to be impressed by.
I am still waiting for any semblance of defense. We have been waiting to ‘visualize’ this team and see all the improvements. To me, and what I read and see, it looks just like where we were at the end of last season. Again, I ask, what can you take from these games if they aren’t even competitive and the roster is hampered. But there is no excuse for defensive pressure and effort.
I see Al hurt, Marvin DNPs, Collins hampered, blah blah blah. Someone step up and make up for the losses.
Wanna bet that anyone who job shadows what Sund does all day wouldn’t be impressed?
KevinM
October 13th, 2010
11:27 am
Fundamentals, I couldn’t have expressed it any better.
Sloppy dribbling, bad passes, and a rook who totally leads the team. So far, this team has looked far worse than any team that has been televised up to this point. Nothing I see looks elite.
Fundamentals
October 13th, 2010
11:38 am
My only hope now is that Nick the Quick can get Teague to show the confidence Jordan is showing. If those two could be developed into solid defenders who could run the PG for us we’d have quite the combo.
We have options, we have talent, it’s time to show it. Where is the leadership other than Al claiming he’ll have to find a way to let the guys know.
Ken Strickland
October 13th, 2010
11:59 am
I don’t want to keep bringing it up, but I just can’t help it. Ok here goes. Under Woodson, how many of you think “ROOKIE GUARD” Jordan Crawford would have received the high number of mins and opportunities he’s received during the last 3 preseason gms? And do you think we’d have the same level of confidence in his abilities, or be giving him the same amount of praise?
Do you think he’d be given the same WOODY TREATMENT SStaudemire, ALaw and JTeague received? How do you think he’d respond, and what would we have, after being subjected to a yr of that crap? Would we be signing him off as another failed draft pick, much like the aforementioned 3 guards?
I think within the next 2yrs, we’ll have a solid and productive young nucleous of JSmith, MWilliams, AHorford, Jordan Crawford, JTeague, Pape Sy and JPowell.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 13th, 2010
12:01 pm
Woody would of tried to destroy Jordan’s confidence
vava74
October 13th, 2010
12:07 pm
KevinM,
Aren’t you being a bit premature on your remarks?
How can you even consider judging where we had a line up of:
Bibby
JC2
JJ
Smoove (with a hurt hand)
Al (with a tender ankle can)??
Bibby + JC2 is a really bad perimeter D combination, maybe the second worse possible combo behind Bibby + JC1.
That alone trumps any possibility of us presenting anything remotely resembling “defense”.
What happened yesterday was, as I wrote earlier today, that we were absolutely porous in the perimeter and our starting bigs – which are nurturing injuries – were neither physically nor mentally available to play good D.
Consequently, Washington made an impersonation of ORL by having its guards driving to the paint at will, attracting Al and Josh for an half hearted help defense effort (perfectly justified in this case) which lead to their bigs being free in the paint or with clean kick out passes for easy long distance jumpers.
Then we removed from this makeshift starting five Al and Josh and replaced them with Zaza and Powell and you are expecting miracles??????
Are you aware that from our 14 men roster we had only 8 guys and that including on those 8 guys we played Etan which is Mr. 14 and Powell which is probably Mr. 11 or 12?
Are you aware that at the end of the first period when the “best 5″ played more minutes, that makeshift and wobbled line up, we were down by 2, after a 3 pointer by Bibby was wiped out of the board?
Why don’t you look back into the first two quarters of the MEM game when a much more complete roster held MEM to only .33 from the field?
Pre-season is pre-season and pre-season with less 6 rotation players is MEANINGLESS.
What we saw yesterday was LD giving JC2 the play time and space to show case his untapped talent.
Why aren’t you happy that we saw a 30 point game from a low first round pick??
Why aren’t you giving Sund and LD the potential props they deserve for this selection??
I am sure that if JC2 had a 1-10 line you would be all over the place complaining!!!!!!
ryan
October 13th, 2010
12:14 pm
I will give Drew a chance but if our D does not improve and if we struggle with the first few games then we ask are selves was it worth it getting rid of Woody .
Jerrywest
October 13th, 2010
12:17 pm
What we know:
3 players will play all star or near all star level in any system you put them in: JJ, Smoove, Al.
3 players who have played great in the pre-season: JC2, Teague, Marvin. If these three play like this and the rest is constant, watch out.
3 players we know what we will get from: JC1, Zaza, Mo Evans.
3 stiffs: Powell, Thomas, Collins.
1 washed up: Bibby.
1 D League player this year: Pepsi.
We have an easy schedule for a few weeks. Don’t worry too much.
Jerrywest
October 13th, 2010
12:20 pm
If Thomas has a non guaranteed contract then we need to let him go and sign Dampier.
BeFrank
October 13th, 2010
12:36 pm
There are a lot of changes being absorbed by the team right now. It will take time to get it right. Also, the coach is demanding a higher level of physical fitness and focus–that’s exposed some conditioning issues and a few issues. I think everyone needs to chill and remember your comments about 10-15 games into the season. That’s when we will really see this team starting to get it (or not). I personally think the Hawks will start to perform well if Al and Josh and JJ remain relatively healthy and if Teague steps it up.
Jerrywest
October 13th, 2010
12:37 pm
JC2 is #3 in scoring in the pre-season (10/12/10). If Amare & Carmelo score 20 points in their next game JC2 will lead the NBA in scoring. I know it’s a meaningless pre-season stat, but what was the Las Vegas odd on that?
http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/Scoring.jsp?league=00&season=12010&conf=OVERALL&position=0&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=
BeFrank
October 13th, 2010
12:45 pm
Additionally, this was a good Hawks team last year that will get better because of experience. They will take an initial hit on the record because of the scheme changes but after that sets in they should take off. Other teams have improved so the competition in the East is stiffer. Go Hawks!
Ken Strickland
October 13th, 2010
12:51 pm
TRENT-EXCELLENT POST. On Josh’s jump shot, he appears to be using more wrist and less arm and elbow with his shot. He also appears to be getting it off a lot quicker. If he develops a consistent mid range jump shot, he’ll become a load for anyone to deal with.
With Jamal, Marvin, Pape Sy and Teague out, and with 2 of our remaining starters playing hurt, we can’t expect too much from the hawks at this point. LDrew is doing the right thing under the circumstances, and that’s evaluating his potential backup players, especially Jordan Crawford and JPowell. Even though we’re 0-3 so far this preseason, I’ve seen and heard enough of the MOTION OFF, JTeague, JCrawford and HC LDrew to know we’ll be a serious contender this yr.
I’ve also seen enough of MBibby to know he’s still going to be a DEF liability, and limited offensively. Because of his contract situation, and his ability to make key long range shots, he’ll likely make the 12 man roster. With JJ, possibly both Crawfords, and Teague, we can afford to carry him.
I didn’t get to see all or last nights gm, but I saw enough. I loved the way Zaza took it to their bigs from the high post. I was also impressed with the way EThomas did the same in his limited attempts. If given consistent mins, JPowell can be more productive for us than JSmith was last yr. If JTeague can average 11-12PPG, and 4-5APG, plus the speed, quickness, penetration, and improved DEF he’ll provide, we’ll have a definite improvement at PG, as well as our perimeter DEF.
With PG JTeague, SG JJohnson and SF MWilliams, teams will have a much harder time penetrating our perimeter DEF and attacking our interior DEF. Although Jamal Crawford is flashier and plays more under control, Jordan Crawford’s ability to score, as well as his willingness to work at playing DEF, will make him a better option in the long run.
Despite how this preseason has gone for us so far, I’M NOT BACKING DOWN FROM ANY OF THE PREDICTIONS I’VE MADE, OR EXPECTATIONS I HAVE FOR THE HAWKS THIS YR.
cp
October 13th, 2010
12:53 pm
Exactly Jerrywest… I read somewhere that Etan’s contract is not guaranteed and I’m sure hoping its not. I don’t see him giving us much of anything this year…O’Brien they aint hearing us about Boone lol. I would take him over Powell, Collins, and Thomas right now and not think twice about it. Teague had 20 and 6 with a few steals in his first game, I’m not worried about the kid. I’m worried about the big man depth. As a poster mentioned earlier, when Josh and Al come out it gets ugly. We have to get better bigs in here.
KevinM
October 13th, 2010
1:31 pm
Vava, so you think its okay at this point to rely on a rook to provide the lead? You are okay with him being exhausted to not give him assistance and say its because 6 guys aren’t there? Are you talking about Teague/JC1/Collins/Marvin & Pape? Truthfully, your argument should have said 4 guys.
Again, I said the preseason is not a good parameter, but when you saw what I saw, there is reason to question what LD is doing. I don’t see any defense different than year’s past. You wouldn’t have known they worked on defense in practice.
Was there one point from 2:58 left in the first half thru the end of the game that told you the Hawks made adjustments to get back in the game? Is that not part of the preseason plan? Well, if you were a strong 53 win team, I would say, sure just everyone get down the basics and work on your weaknesses. That is not what I saw:
- I saw sloppy play from the core that was out there. Both Joe and Smoove were sloppy.
- I saw JC2 taking the ball and taking charge. I don’t argue he had little to work with as his best option was a 2 game with Etan.
- I also saw a Al that looked like he was very limited. Then why is he out there? I saw Smoove and I know he has issues as well. Then, put our new bench out there and have at it…..again, all I saw to give accolades to were Zaza and JC2.
I truly don’t care if JC2 is 10-10 or 1-10…they don’t count either way……its his decision making which is in question..he gets a pass i know…..so we play passive defense to cover our limitations I guess going forward.
It is what it is, and the team that is currently out there for this preseason has yet to play 4 consistent quarters. You would think with so many returnees, and you have Bibby out there who should be the coach on the court, you wouldn’t see the non competitiveness against the WIZARDS that we saw.
I like seeing the optimism between the huge cracks though……I know LD and Sund would agree that its only preseason too!
KevinM
October 13th, 2010
1:34 pm
No reason for KenS to back down from the lofty projections you had earlier. Stick with them and find the reasons they are going to compete better than last year.
They should, but it still remains to be seen…especially defensively.
The core knows they can’t be punished either with lethargic energy in the preseason. Same staff, different voice….they have heard it all before, unless LD couldn’t speak for 6 years.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 13th, 2010
1:49 pm
Exactly!
The new NEED is interior defense and rebounding!
I and others, have been beating the Daimpeer Drum!
You Heard?
Section 303
October 13th, 2010
1:49 pm
Ken,
I have done a 180 on Josh’s jump shot. As long as he is staying 20-feet in, I don’t have a problem with him taking that shot. Although, it can’t make him lazy to the point where he only settles for the jumper and does not attack the hoop. He also has to stay away from three point range.
But, like you said, he is getting the jumper off quicker…I still think it has a lot to do with him not being so ripped. I think the muscle he packed on may have tightened up his shot/form.
Grandad
October 13th, 2010
2:04 pm
Rose Colored Glasses: [part I]
When a statement is made about Zaza getting scooled by Mcgee;
[paraphrase]. It lends me the opportunity to explain.
Zaza is physically less gifted than McGee no doubt.
However, on Zaza’s behalf, he is what sports-writers call,
a “gamer”. Zaza is a Spartan Warrior. He must use his
experience, guile, touhhness, & savvy to out-compete
his opponent. He will lose the “athletic” matchup always.
McGee is (7 ft +), with a 13 ft w-span (exaggerated),
not to mention he can leap tall buildings in a single bound.
Zaza and players like him, need good teammates around them to
fulfill their potential. The definition of a role player.
Role players are valuable [Braves], always have been & always
will be. The “Team” doesn’t function with 12 Alpha Dawgs.
Marv, although somewhat athletic & physically gifted really
when you get down to it, fits that description.
[drafted to be an Alpha dog but was never one to begin with]
however, Marv could thrive as a role player. [L.Odom]
Even Bibby has devolved into that role.
Abrupt ending!
*[Part II] later
kirkinga
October 13th, 2010
2:09 pm
I know many bloggers are all about the instant, but we really need more than 3 preseason games to understand what is going on with this team.
Coach Drew deserves at least until the end of the year before the, “Fire Drew” pleas start. Right?
Right?
Go Hawks!!
drmaryb (*_*)
October 13th, 2010
2:11 pm
Set it Off!
I loved what I saw from the Perimeter crew. The offense and
perimeter defense is set from the starters point of view.
Marvin is a near lock-down defender along with Mr. Johnson and
the two probable combos of Teague and Jordan.
That issue is done offensively and defensively.
The real issue is Interior/Post defense. Josh is an All-Star weak-side
defender, who alters shots and is skurring’ people inside.
Horford plays decent positional interior defense and can hold his
own (sans Howard & Bynum) when it really matters!
We have no viable back-up at center. Zsa makes a more decent
back-up, but only at the PF (where he can over-size/match from
the 4-spot!).
That leaves the glaring hole at the 5, when playing the bigger
and better teams (i.e. Magic, Celtics & if we come outa’ the East?
The Lakers!).
How do we get to the next level?
Shaq! (Out!)
Dampieer (Do-able!)
Melo (HOF-Wise & Post-Threat pressure & Defense when he cares!)
Miracle (!)
Sund … Bust a Move!
Were Waiting!
Astro Joe
October 13th, 2010
2:19 pm
Strickland, go back and look at Salim’s rookie season and tell me how he should have been used differently? Is there any chance whatsoever that some guys “got it” and some don’t? Horford had it, Shelden didn’t. No one ever remembers how dinged up Acie was during his rookie season. Bad wrist, bad back, sick family. He was MIA for a good chunk prior to Bibby’s arrival. And Teague? The jury is still out. Fact is that of all of the guys that we wanted to see get more chances and time (Solo, Othella Hunter, Acie, Salim, RandMo, Shelden, Ivey, etc.) none have yet to prove that they actually deserved our unconditional optimism for their promise. And again, the jury is still out on Teague.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 13th, 2010
2:21 pm
We got The Point!
Teague & Jordon (Strength in Numbers!)
Center Stage!
We NEED a freakin’ PROTOTYPE Center!
Just One will DO!
Josh & Al are PF’s people and should split that position equally!
I say start your best back up Center!
Get Daimpeer! (He’s your Luc longley/Bil Cartwright) on THIS
Team!!!!
Aye Sund … Do The Damn Thing – Now!
Get us a Damned anchor! To settle this Ship! Go Big! Go Hawks!
(See Gasol/Bynum!). And, were Good! Unbeatable!
drmaryb (*_*)
October 13th, 2010
2:34 pm
Power Forward!
Your Wish is My Command!
If Al wants to be a PF?
Then make him beat out J-Smoove defensively for that starting
spot!
Get us a Center in here – Daimpeer!
Then, the 1st & 2nd Unit will have NO drop-off in talent!
Seeing, as how both PF’s will be competing to start defensively!
Al will be Grand-Daddy’s coveted stretch 4-5 and Josh will be
the defensive and low post closer/dunker/stopper/scorer (hook-shot)
man!
Put Ego’s aside an Get That Ring! We will be stacked like
Steinbrenner’s (RIP) Yankees – 2 Deep at all positions!
Unfair around the entire F’n league!
In this scenario, Al does NOT get max pay!
He may not be a max-pay PF? (His wish – Not Mine!)
Or, he should STFU and take 2nd Tier Center Money!
Sund … Do your F’n Job and negotiate the position along with
the CONTRACT!)
I can fix THIS team – but, Who am I?
Jerrywest
October 13th, 2010
2:39 pm
What will make Sund realize that this team needs Dampier.
northcyde
October 13th, 2010
2:51 pm
@ drmaryb . . . the need has ALWAYS been interior defense and rebounding, in my opinion. You can add shot blocking to that as well.
Even though the guy may not pan out in the NBA, I still would’ve used that #31 pick on a big man/shot blocker type. My guy was Jarvis Varnado out of Mississippi St, who is the all-time blocks leader in NCAA history. Even if the guy would’ve given us very little offensively, I still would’ve liked to see a guy like that try to be a shot blocking presence on the 2nd team. Others on this board were rooting for Hassan Whiteside ( another shot blocker ), or a Dexter Pittman ( a scorer/rebounder ).
Instead, we sell the pick, and go with journeymen scrubs on the interior.
I’ve never liked Dampier, but he would instantly become our best backup big man. And that’s really sad to say.
************
@ Ken Strickland
Woody would be SALIVATING all over Jordan Crawford, because he’s the exact type of guard that he likes. A guard who can create his own shot and score in a wide variety of ways. In fact, Woody would stir the waves so much, that Jeff Teague’s job would be in jeapordy if Woody was the coach.
Jordan is less talented than Jamal, but potentialy more talented than Flip. And all 3 do what Woody likes to see in a guard. Neither Teague nor Acie can score the ball like Jordan can.
Woody would’ve still been loyal to Bibby to a certain extent, but he would’ve given Jordan a legit opportunity to do his thing. Just like he did with Salim and Acie in their rookie years. At that point, it would be up to Jordan to play at a high level, to gain more playing time.
cp
October 13th, 2010
3:01 pm
northcyde I think you’re boy Varnado is playing overseas. I’m not a big fan of Dampier mostly due to his effort day in and day out but I know this team could really use his big body. His rebounding and shot blocking would really help this team. As O’Brien pointed out on the last blog, guys like Thomas and Collins would still be available now even if we couldn’t convince Dampier to come here. Josh and AL are going to have to play big minutes this year because the drop off when they leave the game is big.
Ramon
October 13th, 2010
3:07 pm
Here’s a name for you guys (possibly): Dalembert. If Cousins is having a good preseason, the Kings may be willing to move Dalembert for JC1 and Zaza. Dalembert being the first big off the bench would definitely add a defensive presence at the 5 when he’s in.
The Truth
October 13th, 2010
3:11 pm
Going forward, we need to quess-timate just how LD plans to assimilate JC2 into the lineup. If the Hawks weren’t dealing with the Jamal contract issue, the possibility of JC1 and JC2 in dual combo-guard roles with JJ on the court could be offensively very explosive. Last year under Woody, we had a 2-man threat down the stretch with JJ and Jamal and that was very effective. Opposing teams effectively defended our 2-man threat by cheating on Josh while he camped-out on the perimeter and rotating and doubling both JJ and Jamal. With Jordon in the mix in a 3-man threat configuration, doing that would be difficult. Our offense we would have the potential of taking no prisons, perhaps our own version of the big-3 with a nasty dog in each one.
Unfortunately, however, the contract stalemate seems to be headed nowhere. If Sund didn’t see this situation coming then he was more naïve then even I imagined. To let this situation continue to fester will not be beneficial to the team. Yes, Jamal is under contract so Sund can make him stay this season even though he wants to stay long-term anyway. But Jamal still hold some aces because Sund can’t make him play well especially with a perceive injury. Other teams are not stupid; Jamal has enough history so they know his potential. He will maintain his value regardless. If Sund just holds on to him until the trade deadline, Jamal will likely just skate and play soft. If so, what benefit will that serve us if we are in a dogfight for a playoff spot? Yes (Yoda), a dogfight we will be in. If fans are expecting these eastern teams to just hand us another playoff seed just because we finished third-seed last year, then they are just as naïve as Sund seems to be. There are no guarantees the Hawks will even make the playoff. Since the Hawks got the best of most of the eastern teams, they will be more than motivated to play us extra hard every single night (in case you haven’t notice that in these preseason games we played already). Unlike last year, these eastern teams will be much better than expected.
Yes JC2 looks promising but we still need more to match the competition. Just replacing JC1 with JC2 will at best net us nothing but the same. It is delusional to expect JJ to play any better beyond his 20 plus PPG and defensive effort just because he’s 124M richer. What you have seen (from him) is what you are going to get (from him). Even in the LD new system, don’t expect a miracle. Remember our margin of loss against Orlando was historical. Looking at our current roster and from what I have seen thus far, yes Teague is emerging but we still need JJ+JC1+JC2 or JJ+JC2+something else to honestly say that we have improved.
Ramon
October 13th, 2010
3:11 pm
Drmaryb, the Hawks don’t need Dampier, in my opinion. If four teams (Charlotte, Miami, Chicago, and Phoenix) have passed on him being a backup. Why would the Hawks go and sign him to be their starting center? And as I said the other day, the perimeter defense is worse than the interior defense. The interior could use a lot of help. However, if there was a way to move Bibby and get a more defensive minded PG in here, I’d be all for it.
Ramon
October 13th, 2010
3:20 pm
Another thing about Dalembert, he hasn’t missed a regular season game since 2006!
northcyde
October 13th, 2010
3:23 pm
With Orlando and Miami coming up, I would sit out both Horford and Smoove in Saturday’s game vs New Orleans. While it’s “just preseason”, those 2 games are going to take on added importance when it comes to the psyche of the fan base and their perception of the Hawks. Matter of fact, Smoove and Horford would get the week off, so they can completely heal.
Heck, even give JJ the night off as well, seeing that it’s rare that a starter on any team will play in every preseason game.
I personally want to see Zaza and the other backup bigs get extended minutes, because I do not like how they’ve played so far as a whole. Let them play extended minutes with each other, to see if they can do it.
Give the real “core” a break, and see what this lineup can do
PG – Teague
G – Jordan
F – Marvin
PF – Zaza
C – Etan
If Jamal and Evans can go, throw this group out there
PG – Bibby
G – Jamal
F – Evans
PF – Marvin
C – Zaza
The preseason is officially at its halfway point, and our projected bench has yet to play together ( neither in a game, nor in practice ). They’re the ones that need the most work within a new offensive and “defensive” system, not our core guys.
The Truth
October 13th, 2010
3:28 pm
Ramon
Nice trade and the machine says it works though according to Hollinger the advantage goes to the Kings which actually gives them the incentive. But there isn’t much offense gain but we sure has hell need the interior defense.
Ramon
October 13th, 2010
3:36 pm
The Truth, I think with more ball movement this season, Marvin may be able to replace half of Crawford’s production. And remember although Crawford won the SMOY, we got very similar production out of Flip the season before. If Marvin and Teague both step up more offensively (which is expected) with the natural progression of Al and Josh, the Hawks will be ok offensively.