Atlanta Hawks: Hawks vs. Magic
L.D. picks Dwight over shooters. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
The Hawks remember the sting from getting demolished by the Magic last may. Did they learn anything about how to play the Magic, though?
“Last year is over with,” L.D. said before the game. “This is a new year. We have to bring a new attitude and the way we approach the game. We will do some things a little differently than we did last year playing against Orlando. Will they work? I don’t know. But I do know we are going to try to take out some of the predictability of the things we have done in the past.”
L.D. mentioned the “pick your poison” aspect of playing the Magic. Dwight is the “1″ and the shooters the “4″ in their famed 4-out, 1-in offense. It sounds like L.D. picks playing Dwight more straight up rather than leaving those shooters.
But like with L.D.’s desire to make the Hawks an overall gritty defensive team, it’s not clear he has the personnel to match his desires. Hawks brass seemed to know it, too, thus the summer pursuit of Shaq and Brad Miller instead of plugging other glaring holes on the roster.
If the goal was to match up with the Magic, the Hawks don’t t appear much better suited to do that then they did in May.
Al is a smart, quick, defender in the post but he’s giving up significant size to Dwight. Zaza, Twin and Etan will give it a try. And of course even if those four can control Dwight the Hawks still have to guard the perimeter, where they have more personnel issues.
But that’s the group L.D. has to work with so he will try some new tricks to avoid having to pick a poison.
“The head of the snake is that 3-point line,” he said. “What we want to do is try to avoid as many open looks for them. Dwight is still a priority, but going into a game playing Orlando you have to be concerned about the 3-point line because they led the league in 3-point shooting. We know what the priorities are. It really comes down to us.”
Stretching the four
One of the “4″ in Orlando’s 4-out is Rashard Lewis, one of those stretch fours all teams with good centers covet. The Magic also have Ryan Anderson in reserve.
L.D. on the challenge Josh faces defending stretch fours Lewis:
“Some fours that are going to be primarily around the basket, some will be midrange, but this guy is out to three. In transiton, it is instinctive for fours to run out to the paint and then fan out and get their guys. But when you play a guy like Rashard that can stretch a defense in transition you have to find him immediately.
“That is a big test for Smoove because he is just not used to it. He has to be focused on every trip down the floor and where to find him if he doesn’t he is going to be lacing it up.”
L.D. said the Hawks can post up Josh against Rashard but . . .
“When we have done that in the past, Dwight is always lurking somewhere around so we have to be good with our decision-making,” he said. “Just because we post you, which we think is an advantage, you still have to make the smart play. It’s not forcing the shot, it is not doing anything out of your character. If the double team does come you accept the double team and you pass out.”
Injury report
Teague is out. He is aiming to return Thursday vs. the Heat.
Pape Sy (back) said he still doesn’t know when he will be able to practice for the first time.
“It’s sore,” he said. “It’s getting better.”
L.D. said he’s not sure how many minutes Josh Powell (groin) can go.
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
322 comments Add your comment
J.J.M.
October 18th, 2010
8:01 pm
omg this team sucks
J.J.M.
October 18th, 2010
8:01 pm
8 for 34??????????
bigdave
October 18th, 2010
8:01 pm
Bibby in the game and playing PG with his mouth.
awful.
Ramon
October 18th, 2010
8:03 pm
Donald Trump should have an Apprentice show just to find the Hawks a GM. I bet Sund would get fired by the 2nd episode.
northcyde
October 18th, 2010
8:05 pm
When it’s all said and done, the adjustment the Hawks may have to make concerning Orlando, is to bring Al Horford off the bench. Still play him heavy minutes ( 35+ minutes ), but bring him off the bench to protect him from foul trouble. He simply cannot guard Howard. Let Zaza play him for the first 4 or 5 minutes of the game ( or until he gets 3 fouls ), and then bring in Horford.
1 – 16 FG for the starters. If you add Jamal’s 1 – 6 FG, the top 6 guys are 2 – 22 FG.
LOL . . “Smash” steady jacking up jumpers. Just because you’re open Josh, doesn’t mean that you should shoot it.
Just put Jordan back in.
cp
October 18th, 2010
8:05 pm
I would seriously take Teague on a bad ankle over Bibby. Is Anthony Johnson still available? There is no way Bibby should be the starter come the season opener.
bigdave
October 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Dwight had Etan buried under the basket.
popcorn muscles.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Pass it! I’m Open!
Don’t get it twisted! Just because you are open in this offense,
doesn’t mean you want Joe – Mamma taking all these jumpers!
Where is the cutting motion towards the basket for the non-shooters
to float ‘em and bank ‘em into the basket! Joe needs to take ALL those
perimeter jumpers still. And, Jamal and Jordan.
NOT Josh and Twin and whoever else they leave open!
Too many jumpers – IMO! I don’t like it!
Jody
October 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
Etan is not going to be effective against Dwight. The only guy who can hold his position against Dwight is Twin.
jason
October 18th, 2010
8:06 pm
cmon i think this team is going to get Number 1 pick in the draft. Seeing this makes me want to barf
bigdave
October 18th, 2010
8:08 pm
this dude is going IN on Coach Drew’s dream…
wow.
northcyde
October 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
LOL . . that’s exactly what Drew was talking about with Smash in transition. The tendency for a 4 is to go to the paint to defend. But with Orlando, their 4’s will hang out for 3.
And that’s what just happened when Smash got his own tip-in,, but Anderson trails the play and knocks in a 3, because Smoove was getting back on defense, but was in the paint when Anderson shot the ball.
Melvin
October 18th, 2010
8:09 pm
Are these Refs wearing Magic jerseys under their uniforms?
northcyde
October 18th, 2010
8:10 pm
And I see that they’ve reverted back to some ISO plays with Smash.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 18th, 2010
8:12 pm
As bad as were playing we are only down 10
cp
October 18th, 2010
8:12 pm
They have played horrible but only down 10. ehhh
bigdave
October 18th, 2010
8:13 pm
lol @ Bibby looking like “Big Play” Ray Buchanan post 2000.
Samuel
October 18th, 2010
8:13 pm
It’s really amazing how yall thought a gimmick would work after all these years in the NBA. 30 pts in a half just not good. Say what you will about ISO but at least your best player is shooting. We only have 2 or 3 shooters and 1 is Bibby. If JJ has many games like this one with 1 FG in a half, we won’t sniff the playoffs. LD looks lost out there. Can he talk?LOL!!
lewis
October 18th, 2010
8:13 pm
are hawks mentally incapable of running a motion offense or are they just physically lazy
jason
October 18th, 2010
8:14 pm
@northcyde who is smash?
Hmmm
October 18th, 2010
8:14 pm
LMBO @ “Popcorn Muscles”!
cp
October 18th, 2010
8:14 pm
Sund needs to bring Dampier in. We just dont have enough size. Etan is not going to do anything for us.
lewis
October 18th, 2010
8:15 pm
$120 million for 2pts
cp
October 18th, 2010
8:15 pm
bigdave dont remind me of “Give up the big Play” Ray Buchannon. And Samuel we all know you miss Woodson. Your boy is gone get over it.
Hmmm
October 18th, 2010
8:17 pm
I think our starting unit is unbalanced. Bibby and Marvin can barely be considred offensive threats right now.We need to shake it up. Start Teague and Mo. Or Teague and Pape Sy if/when he gets healthy. We cant keep getting buried by the magic in the 1st qtr. every time we play them. I would bench AL, but start Twin over Zaza against Howard.
Woody
October 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
ONLY THING THAT MATTERS IS THE PLAYOFFS, THATS WHAT I HEARD!
Jody
October 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
I think inside, the Hawks are physically overmatched. Hence, their getting absolutely nothing inside or going to the basket and when they play the top teams this year, their going to have this problem.
Jae Evolution
October 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
Can we stop this talk of shopping JC1, and start talking about shopping Bibby…
Real
October 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
lol @ Lewis for real though
MsDee
October 18th, 2010
8:19 pm
Even after seeing this 1st half, we are going to be JUST FINE! We just, unfortunately, starts slow while other teams starts much faster..we get this motion thang under control and get Josh Smith with some kind of b-ball IQ, and we can be great! This offense is perfect for great shooters…we have good shooters, just not quite great. LD needs those guys working on their jumpers and we can be dangerous with this motion..and those announcers think they know SOO much, as soon as they were dogging LD’s offense, we showed them how it can work if, and only if we can land them down!!
lewis
October 18th, 2010
8:20 pm
teague/jordan/joe/josh/al
jamal/mo/marvin/zaza/collins
Hmmm
October 18th, 2010
8:22 pm
On a more positive note, The Magic only made a few three pointers in th first half. Drews defensive principles are already paying dividends for us.
Also, JAson collins was the starting center on Nets squad that had back-to-back NBA finals appearences. I really think with his health he will be more of a factor. He is good at intangibles like drawing charges. Doesnt rebound at an extremely high rate but he boxes out EXTREMELY well. Thats how J-Kidd got all those triple doubles early in his career. Collins would box out and J-Kidd would just scoop them off the floor lol.
truthspitter
October 18th, 2010
8:25 pm
Boy Larry Drew is a sorry arse head coach in the making. He sucks even worse than I thought and Josh Smith shooting jumpers again? I mean most of you uninformed bloggers cried about Josh possibly moving to the SF position, what’s worse Josh shooting jumpers or playing SF? Larry Drew is one ignorant SOB along with that DumbSund of a GM and ASG (A silly Group) for owners this team is a royal piece shi…
MsDee
October 18th, 2010
8:26 pm
And I know u guys kelp talking about that LD needs to address the defense more than offense but LD KNOWS what drives the Hawks when it comes to defense..ITS OFFENSE!! That’s why he wanted to come with a new offense that will get the Hawks going. It just showed a little b4 halftime in our semi-comeback. The defense picked up!
Samuel
October 18th, 2010
8:27 pm
Gone but not forgotten and from the looks of things yall will be screaming for some ISO in a few days. LOL!! These guys have no legs. LD killed them the 1st two weeks of Camp. LOL!!
Hmmm
October 18th, 2010
8:30 pm
Name the last NBA Champion who used the ISO-offense as their primary weapon????
Jody
October 18th, 2010
8:33 pm
The Hawks two pf lineup (one undersized) won’t cut it against the good teams.
Samuel
October 18th, 2010
8:34 pm
LD’s stupid look is worse than Woody’s. LOL!! Woody Lite
Ramon
October 18th, 2010
8:35 pm
Josh playing Dwight pretty well.
northcyde
October 18th, 2010
8:35 pm
@ Jason . . . “Smash” is what I will call Josh Smith from now on. If him being “Smoove” means that he’ll do non-masculine commercials, then I can’t call him “Smoove” anymore.
So like the other blogger named Doc, Ima call him either Josh or “J-Smash”. He needs to start smashing people by dunking on them, not be “smoove” and shoot hook shots, jumpers and finger rolls.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 18th, 2010
8:35 pm
LOL @ Samuel STILL sucking off Woody
Samuel
October 18th, 2010
8:35 pm
Will we break 50 tonight?
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 18th, 2010
8:36 pm
U can’t let Al go 1 on 1 with Dwight wtf are they thinking?
Jody
October 18th, 2010
8:37 pm
When Al said he was a pf, he was simply telling the truth.
Samuel
October 18th, 2010
8:37 pm
Poor Al, bless his heart.
jason
October 18th, 2010
8:37 pm
38 oints in the 3rd quarter. LD think his new offense will work please
Ramon
October 18th, 2010
8:37 pm
This looks like ISO to me.
jason
October 18th, 2010
8:37 pm
points sorry ^
Jody
October 18th, 2010
8:39 pm
For the way he’s played, Jordan Crawford should be getting more time. Same thing for Twin.
lewis
October 18th, 2010
8:39 pm
already back to iso joe