Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 111, Timberwolves 105
Hawks managed to hold off T-Wolves. (Curtis Compton/ ccompton@ajc.com)
– It wasn’t as seamless as it should have been, but considering the consequences had they blown this one the Hawks took the W and moved on.
– “This one was a must-win,” Al said. “I thought the same thing about the game on Friday. But this was one we had to have. I was encouraged with the way our guys came out and competed.”
– They did compete, which is not a given, and ended the losing streak at four. Playing smart was another matter.
– Smoove’s putback gave the Hawks a 97-83 lead with 5:53 to go. Less than two minutes later it was 97-92 and Atlanta had to scramble to win a game it had in hand.
– Not surprisingly, Josh was in the middle of lots of good plays and a few bad ones.
– Josh took 20 shots and made 10. He countered any critique of his shot selection by pointing out the 10 makes. “We all have our roles, but when I’m open, I have the green light to shoot,” he said.
– That’s not exactly how L.D. has explained it. True, he has gone out of his way to say Josh has worked on his shot, but he doesn’t like it when Smoove settles for long jumpers in certain situations, such as . . .
– The Hawks leading the T-Wolves 97-89 and Josh threw up a 20-foot airball that Kevin Love rebounded, leading to Corey Brewer’s 3 eight seconds later. That was after Love stole the ball from Josh on Atlanta’s previous possession.
– “We had chances to put them away but we turned the ball over,” Al said.
– Of course, J.J. didn’t help matters on the Smoove airball by dribbling out most of the shot clock before passing off to Josh.
– “We had ample opportunity to create separation but we made some bad plays and bad decisions,” L. D. said.
– At one point in the first half L.D. corrected Teague on four straight possessions. Teague seemed to be getting tired of hearing it and Lester Conner consoled him.
– Teague ended up providing a spark early in the fourth quarter with a block that led to Jamal’s layup on the break and drawing contact from Beasley and making both free throws.
– Bibby’s shot has been a bit shaky the last couple games and it looked like L.D. would leave him on the bench for the fourth quarter. But after Brewer made that 3, Bibby was back in. He missed an open jumper and one of two free throws down the stretch.
– But the Hawks made 34 of 39 free throws, including 8 of 10 in the final minute and change to avoid an awful collapse. “Well certainly take the win,” L.D. said.
– Mo looked pretty good again. He was part of the bench group that gave the Hawks a jolt in the first half and when L.D. needed someone to help guard the perimeter in the final minute, out went Jamal and in came Mo (who was so surprised he didn’t respond at first).
– “Mo gave us a huge lift,” L.D. said. “I’m glad to get him back. You know what you are going to get from him. He has that blue-collar mentality. I need more guys like that. It’s not always pretty but you know you will get the effort.”
– Atlanta’s backup bigs were just sort of out there. Four rebounds, one blocked shot, 1 of 7 shooting in 24 minutes combined for Zaza and Josh Powell.
– J.J. missed practice yesterday because he was ill. He started the game and was steady and efficient.
– Al got stitches to the back of his head but returned to the game. Facing a physical frontline, he used his quickness to get 10 rebounds and earn 10 free-throw attempts. After missing two big ones against Utah, he made them all.
– The T-Wolves lost steam when Beasley went out with two early fouls. Love collected 17 rebounds but his teammates got just 22 combined.
– Atlanta rebounded 25 of Minnesota’s 41 misses (not including team rebounds). “The Hawks sent more guys at me tonight,” Love said. “I got my shot blocked a couple times. They’re an extremely athletic team at every position. They really clamped down and made it a point on both the offensive and defensive glass to get in there and get them.”
– After playing 11 games over the first 18 days of the season, including three sets of back-to-back games, the Hawks will play just two games over the next seven days. L.D. plans to give them a day or two off and pull back on some of the physical work when they do practice.
– “I’m not one to make excuses about our team and the way we perform,” he said. “But a part of me has felt, especially after that Milwaukee game [Wednesday], I thought the season kind of caught up with us at that time with our schedule. That’s no excuse. We have to come out and we have to play because other teams go through it too.”
– “We might be a little run down,” Al said. “It’s early in the season but we got off to a fast start [with the schedule] so it will be a nice break.”
– I’m out, Hawks fans.
MC
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200 comments Add your comment
MsDee
November 16th, 2010
1:21 am
Horford is WAYYY betta than Hibbert, but I get his point too!!
superiorblogman
November 16th, 2010
6:12 am
Prince is acting up in Detroit. Rumor is that he was on the phone with his agent after last nights game. Stuckey has had his run in’s also. I am not saying this can happen but I would welcome it.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=22ppcvc
Stuckey and Prince
for
Jamal Crawford and Teague
Don’t worry about resigning Prince and Stuckey right now see how it works out and if it is worth it because Jamal is not having a magic year and Teague is a bust.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
7:29 am
Superior, I would welcome that also. Re-signing Stuckey will be cheaper than Jamal. And he’s still young enough to improve annually. And just maybe Van Exel would do good with Stuckey compared to Teague.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
7:36 am
Come to think of it, Stuckey looks as if he would be a great back court mate to Joe. And I still believe Bibby has some production left.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
7:45 am
By the way, Stuckey is 6′5. That’d be close to the dream BK had years ago.
Stuckey-6′5
Joe-6′7
Marvin- 6′8 (Prince 6′9)
Josh- 6′9
Al – 6′10
Section 303
November 16th, 2010
8:07 am
Scott,
Hibbert = Horford? No. Horford way, way greater than Hibbert.
What’s with all the Pacer love anyways? You’re a fan of Danny Granger and a bunch of white guys on their way to the lottery?
bigdave
November 16th, 2010
9:38 am
lewis..
they’re all about the same height and build..
Astro Joe
November 16th, 2010
10:14 am
Prince makes about $500k more than Jamal. That may be a deal-breaker for the ASG. If we add a minimum wage earner (e.g. Etan, Powell or Colins), then that may be a deal-breaker for Detroit. But if there were a way to make the pieces work and we acquired Prince for Jamal (with some loose change added to even things out), that would be a huge upgrade for this team.
ILL-Logical
November 16th, 2010
10:23 am
*Playing poorly with the lead has been a problem for the Hawks, who are shooting 35.0 percent when ahead by 15 or more. Their opponents are hitting nearly 49 percent when facing that deficit*
This quote sums up what has been happening and tonight the answer to who and why may become clearer.
JeJe
November 16th, 2010
10:24 am
I’d do Jamal for Prince anyday if we could pry Stuckey in a deal from them. I bet that’d screw them over at PG though unless they really like Teague
JoJo the Godfather
November 16th, 2010
10:26 am
Salaries don’t match up on the Detroit trade above…Hawks would be taking on over $2MM in additional salaries, which means luxury tax…Would you throw Mo Evans in the deal?
O'Brien
November 16th, 2010
10:29 am
Hibbert has played really well this season (16 pts, 10 rebs, and 3 blocks per game), but this is his first really solid season. Lets see if he can sustain it for an entire season.
And lets not forget that Horford outplayed him last year. IMO, Horford > Hibbert any day of the week.
The Detroit trades I would consider: Jamal and Teague for Stuckey and Prince. I would also consider the Jamal and Teague for Prince and Will Bynum.
But I dont see Sund making any moves.
As for the game tonight, I would like to see Marvin (assuming he is healthy) take it upon himself to shut Granger down.
I think Bibby will have his hands full with Collison and TJ Ford, so Teague will need to step up tonight.
JeJe
November 16th, 2010
10:37 am
LOL taking on 500k is a dealbreaker for our 29 owners?
Can these idiots please just sell the team?
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
10:40 am
Jojo the added salary would be $1.7 million. And the team salary would still be under $70 million. That’s not luxury tax for the Hawks. That’s why they were still in pursuit of Dampier, because they had a little wiggle room.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
10:42 am
Ramon
November 15th, 2010
5:04 pm
Here’s a question for you guys. When will ASG hold Sund accountable for the Hawks play? I mean if the Hawks were to get put out of the first round, would Sund return next season? In Gearon’s mind what is an acceptable for Sund? If Sund is putting pressure on LD to have the players perform. And LD is putting pressure on the players to perform. Is Gearon putting pressure on Sund to perform?
drmaryb
November 16th, 2010
10:55 am
sund is not the problem, gearon is. it’s his money and he dont want to spend it!
Rev in Tampa
November 16th, 2010
11:00 am
I been really busy lately and not been able to read the blog posts. I’ve scanned enough, however, to see that some of the early enthusiasm has been shaken. I will not be free to enter into the discussion for the next couple of weeks so I wanted to make a couple of remarks now in order that I won’t seem like a fair-weather fan.
The Hawks are right where I expected them to be this early in the season. Actually a little bit better than where I expected them to be. And I am predicting that the Hawks make it to the Eastern Conference Championship game.
Bibby is playing better than expected on defense. His shot has been off for a couple of games. It will return.
Marvin was playing with intensity **heart** before he was injured.
The bench has performed a better than anybody expected. This is not saying much since few expected anything from them. It continues to be a weakness on this team.
Teague is still progressing. I wish his shot were more consistent, but his defense is a positive.
The Hawks have won on the road. This is an improvement over last year.
Coach Drew is still on a learning curve for finishing out close games. Otherwise he gets an A++ from me. The greatest issue on this team is CHARACTER. They like to coast when they get a big lead. Or they give up when they get behind by double-digits. Coach Drew understands this and has made it his priority. Will he be successful in coaching them out of this habit? I don’t know. But as a fan I am optimistic.
All this to say that I believe that the Hawks will go on a winning streak over the next couple of weeks (including wins over Dallas & Boston). But I am worried that I will make a reappearance on the blog and seem like a bandwagon rider. COUNT ME **ALL IN** FOR THE HAWKS THIS SEASON.
Ken Strickland
November 16th, 2010
11:01 am
The Atlanta Hawks have completed the 1st 11 gms of the season, which has included a 6gm winning streak and a 4gm losing streak. And despite all of the doubt, finger pointing, useless trade suggestions, and name calling from NEGATIVE MINDED GLASS HALF EMPTY DOUBTERS, what seems to be lost on them is the fact our Atlanta Hawks are only a half gm out of 1st place in their division, and are 3rd overall in the Eastern Conference.
Now that’s not bad for a team playing in an Eastern Conference that many feel is very much improved, and in a division with the much improved, much hyped, lock to win the NBA title, power house Miami Heat, and the Orlando Magic, whose dominated us the last 2yrs. And what makes it even more of an accomplishment is the fact we’ve been classified by so call experts, as well as arm chair experts, to be UNBALANCED, TOO SMALL, TOO SOFT, IN NEED OF A TRUE CENTER ETC.
Very few fans seem to see the Hawks getting better with more time and experience, but they have absolutely no problem seeing Miami getting better over time. Most of our fans feel the Celtics are a better team, even though they have yet to prove they’re capable of overcoming the advantages that allowed us to sweep them last yr. Considering the way we played the Magic in our 1st meeting, under circumstances that heavily favored them, I can see us splitting the season series with them. Wouldn’t that be an improvement?
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
11:12 am
Drmaryb, I could understand what you’re saying. But didn’t Gearon spend the money Sund requested to re-sign Bibby, Zaza, and Marvin for those overpriced amounts? Also didn’t Gearon grant Sund permission to trade for Jamal’s contract, that made him the 3rd highest player.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
11:16 am
Ken, I totally agree with you on where the Hawks are. However, I don’t see anyway the Hawks can improve with Jamal on the roster, unless he does a complete make over. Jamal limits so many things from happening that could possibly happen. He’s almost like a reenactment of Harrington and Antoine Walker all over again.
JoJo the Godfather
November 16th, 2010
11:17 am
Ramon, I had some different #’s…I had Teague at $1.5M compared to Stuckey at $2.8M, and Jamal at $10.1M compared to Prince at $11.1M (or somewhere along those lines)…I also thought we were closer to the cap than your #’s suggest, maybe because our veteran minimum deals include some sort of rebates from the league where their actual salaries are roughly $300,000 less than their salaries against the cap…I could very easily be wrong though…I usually just go by what hoopshype has for salaries, and its not always acurate.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
11:28 am
Jojo, you may be right. I only went by what Trade Machine had. But you may be right.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
11:31 am
Also Jojo, with part of the season gone, does it alter what is allow salary wise now for the luxury tax?
Astro Joe
November 16th, 2010
11:47 am
Strickland’s about-face is hilarious to me. Last season, the Hawks were 11-2. They were in 1st place in the SE division at the All-Star break and Strickland made sure that every post included a message that the coach was horrific at best. Now, any statement that suggests this current squad isn’t destined for greatness is categorized as a pessimistic view of the team. I guess it’s all in your perspective. For some, 7-4 this year apppears better than 11-2 last year.
JoJo the Godfather
November 16th, 2010
11:53 am
Ramon, I’m not sure how the team salaries are calculated. I just don’t see us taking on any more salary unless we’re getting one of the top 5 players in the league (not happening). This is also why I don’t see us using the Childress trade exception until next offseason just before it expires (in which case we’ll probably be in a lockout and get nothing).
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
11:59 am
I still keep saying we’ve got a great team and a good coach, but it’s all in giving a professional effort for 48 minutes every night.
Sure we could use pieces to improve the team, but overall it’s all about well, the Fundamentals of Basketball! We’re not good at it, and thus the lengthy heated blogs.
All I want is 100%, win or lose. Is that too much to ask? Based on their (Hawks players & coaches) comments this season, YES!
I’m just afraid a trade won’t fix the problem. Not sure anything can w/o a real serious team meeting where everyone honestly buys in for what’s best for the team.
Will that happen? Hasn’t in the ~ 30 years I’ve watched. You wonder why I’m not surprised.
Rev in Tampa
November 16th, 2010
12:06 pm
AJ, I wasn’t around the blog last year, but from your description it sounds as if Ken is anything BUT inconsistent. It sounds as if Ken stuck to his conviction that Woody was the problem even when the Hawks were 11-2. He was proven right in the playoffs.
And, at the risk of putting words in Ken’s mouth, Ken is not concerned about where the Hawks will be at the All-Star break, but how they will perform in the playoffs.
How can you charaterize this as an ‘about-face’?
JoJo the Godfather
November 16th, 2010
12:09 pm
To me, the best way to change the attitude & effort on the team would be to trade Jamal for a veteran, defensive minded SF that still has some game left…A player looking to make a run in the playoffs, and that will push a guy like Marvin…Guys like Josh Powell, Joe Smith, Ethan Thomas, etc…have the effort, but not the skills to back it up.
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
12:18 pm
Rev, folks will do anything to push their point. I don’t agree with Ken all the time, but I agree with your diagnosis.
JoJo – Who is out there to replace Jamal? Prince keeps coming up on the blog alot? Carmello is out with the defensive minded SF.
I’ve like Powell thus far. Can’t say the same for Etan, but he hasn’t really gotten a chance. Collins is what he is. What do you expect for the minimum? This ain’t TJ Max! To have a chance to win it all we’ve got to pay the price. ASG & Sund won’t do that.
JoJo the Godfather
November 16th, 2010
12:24 pm
The best fit for what I’ve described is Shane Battier.
Section 303
November 16th, 2010
12:28 pm
Jo Jo The Godfather, Shane Battier is one of my favorite players. I could create a 12-man team of my favorite players, he would be one of my first picks. The guy is a great defender, teammate, and plays hard all the time (which means the Hawks players would look at him funny).
Kenny Smith once called Battier a “bulldog” on TNT. That word fits him perfectly.
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
12:30 pm
What is the availability of Battier? I’d agree he’s that kind of guy.
JeJe
November 16th, 2010
12:58 pm
LOL Ken Strickland. We lost THREE GAMES IN A ROW ON OUR HOME FLOOR. Cleveland lost 2 freaking home games all year 2 seasons ago. We have not beaten one GOOD team yet. Be real.
LOL @ Section 303 wanting Shane Battier. I actually thought you were a smart poster. Shane Battier? Dude brings nothing to the team besides solid defense. He costs the same amount as Marvin and IS ALWAYS HURT
Sautee
November 16th, 2010
1:09 pm
Ramon,
The way the Hawks are is the way Gearon WANTS them to be. Sund is a puppet, yes man, who does the bidding of Mikey, even when he disagrees. I don’t see this changing unless we bottom out. All of this talk about “firing Sund” among bloggers is a joke. Gearon is pulling the strings.
And unfortunately, there’s no way to fire an owner.
Clyde
November 16th, 2010
1:27 pm
I like that Jamal and Teague for Prince and Stucky trade O’brien.
Ramon
November 16th, 2010
1:36 pm
Sautee, you may be right. I’ve been trying to figure out was that the approach. Or was Gearon giving all the trust to Sund with his experience. And Sund just hasn’t been making any moves. Neither of the two really have a great history of building championship programs, so who knows lol.
Clyde, I would do that trade today and never wonder what if with Teague. Even if Teague grows to become an all star, still.
superiorblogman
November 16th, 2010
2:16 pm
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=2wmpt4b
Teague, Jamal, and Mo
for
Prince, Stuckey, and Summers
You guys were right the Teague and Crawford for Prince and Stuckey puts us into luxury by a little bit but what was that $3 million cash we sold that pick for? We could use that to pay the luxury which would be less than $2 million. On the other hand, the above trade keeps us out of luxury and I would still do it.
lewis
November 16th, 2010
2:23 pm
i think there’s some stupid rule that doesn’t allow use to use that 3 mill to go over the luxury tax?
Astro Joe
November 16th, 2010
2:40 pm
Rev., each fan has a perspective on this team. And it doesn’t make anyone less of a fan if their view is different than another’s. Was Strickland less of a fan because he didn’t enjoy the regular season? Would anyone be less of a fan if they groaned about the current regular season now? One could view this year’s team and conclude that other than more offensive movement, nothing has changed. Players are still talking about poor effort, players still bump heads with each other and the coach, the coach is still barking at the young PG, Marvin is still lost on offense, Joe still is prone to dribbling exhibitions, Jamal still plays mostly in isolation, Josh still isn’t taking most of his shots from the painted area, our rookie guard can’t get on the court, we can’t handle dribble penetration, we get burned when we switch on defense, the bench can’t be trusted from game to game and our defense is still inconsistent. The biggest difference in the first 2 weeks of the respective seasons is that this year our offense looks better and last year we beat good teams. So if things are very, very comparable and last year it was okay to forecast an unsatisfying outcome, then why must we all drink happy-ade this year? Oh, because the guy on the sideline changed (even if the results haven’t)?
The Truth
November 16th, 2010
3:39 pm
AJ
That prospective explains why “The Truth” has been on auto-plot as of late. When the 80-20 perspective rule becomes apparent, no comment is required. That’s when 80% of the bloggers sings one song while the other 20% sings another. That extreme imbalance is self-explanatory and further explains the current state of affairs of the Hawks. However, having said that, it is still not enough samples to confirm a clear validation for the Hawks season. Perhaps the half-way point of 40-plus games will better size-up where the Hawks are going with this roster.
The only surprise I have observed at this point in the season is the unexpected sub-par performance of the “so-called” better eastern teams compared to the west. It is Déjà vu all over again as the western teams are better than the east. At this point, the hyped acquisitions this off-season have not panned out. If misery loves company, than the Hawks should be having a ball right now. But again, maybe this will all change at the halfway mark. Perhaps the real crème will rise to the top.
O'Brien
November 16th, 2010
3:49 pm
“I still keep saying we’ve got a great team and a good coach…” Fundamentals .
I disagree. IMO, we have a good (not great) team, and it is too early to tell if LD is a good coach or not.
I think he is on his way to being a good coach, but he is still a rookie, and he is still learning. But he is saying all the right things, and making the effort to address all the issues.
Guys,
The ASG spends money (even if it’s not Boston, Orlando and Lakers type money). The problem is, when they do spend it, they don’t necessarily spend it wisely.
Ken,
I haven’t given up on this team, and I think they will get to the second round and win at least 2 games, while being very competitive.
But it is frustrating to keep hearing the same excuses (from the players) that we heard last year and the year before.
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
3:57 pm
So O’Brien, what if we do win 2 games in the 2nd round? Will fans see that as improvement? Will it be a success? Where are we setting the bar? Some bloggers say on the title, while Sund and ASG say 50 wins and the 2nd round? Seems our team meets the expectations of Sund & ASG and slacks off IMHO.
I say LD is good b/c he’s trying to do and say the right things. He’s doing his job and he’s doing it well. If the players don’t respond is that on LD or on the players?
Superiorblogman – I like this trade better. Stuckey gives solid PG help, he’s young and has decent size. Prince can motivate and teach Marvin how to play SF at the Championship level. Summers a prospect.
Rev in Tampa
November 16th, 2010
4:05 pm
AJ, I never intended to question your commitment as a fan. In fact, I don’t think that came up in my post at all. I am sure your commitment to this team is actually higher than mine. Maybe that’s why it is easier for me to overlook the weaknesses of this team.
Furthermore, I did not mean to suggest that the regular season is unimportant, irrelevant, or unenjoyable. Neither did I assert that Ken did not enjoy the regular season. I am confused by your point.
However, I really enjoyed thinking through your points about this year’s current Hawks team. Very thought provoking.
So here are my thoughts in response…
Regarding the players still talking about poor effort – This is LD’s chief priority. He has made this his make/break emphasis. It is true that CHARACTER is still a problem with this team. I even commented on it earlier today (@11:00am). I personally believe this is a bad habit that will be broken with consistent discipline, extra running for the guilty parties in practice, and many hurt feelings. I believe that Powell and Thomas, as players, were specifically brought in to build a tougher mindset for this team. I believe Conners and Excel, as coaches, were brought in for this same purpose.
Regarding the players bumping heads with each other and the coach – All teams experience this to some extent. This is not an issue.
Regarding the coach barking at the young PG – LD has encouraged Teague very appropriately, but is also has high expectations for him. Woody’s approach and LD’s approach to coaching young PG’s are not even close to being similar.
Regarding Marvin – Marvin looked good before he was hurt. He is playing with heart. Needs to improve his 3pt pct a few points, but is contributing on offense.
Regarding Joe’s dribbling exhibitions – Point well taken. I believe LD will break this habit with time. Usually takes six weeks to learn a new habit – IF Joe wants to break the habit.
Regarding Jamal – Trade him.
Regarding Josh not taking most of his shots in the paint – I agree that Josh needs to take most of his shots closer to the rim, but he is making more from the outside. Josh needs to listen to LD rather than keep taking those outside shots.
Regarding JC2 not getting on the court – He would if he earns the time. AJ, do you want him on the court if he is not ready?
I could go on… but my point is that I believe this team WILL be different from last year’s team even if the same bad habits are showing up from time to time this season. Eleven games into the season is too early to declare that this will be the same team come playoff time (but in keeping my eye on the goal doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy or the regular season).
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
4:15 pm
Amen Rev, give LD till Feb to see how his team will respond. At that trade deadline is when I’d make decisions. He’s trying to change a mentality that was there for 6 years. It won’t happen overnight. He’s got a few new faces, but overall it’s going to be hard to change the “core” overnight. In time he’ll progress. Give him that.
When will the players tire of the same excuses? Possibly never, but yes that hinges on character.
lewis
November 16th, 2010
4:31 pm
Hawks are the only team in league history to win first 6 then lose 4 straight, and they’ve done it twice in the last 3 seasons. What does that say?
Fundamentals
November 16th, 2010
4:45 pm
Lewis – lack of focus and professional effort every night.
Samuel
November 16th, 2010
5:25 pm
Rev,
“Extra running for the guilty parties in practice”. Dude, are you serious. Get a grip man, this is the NBA not high school. You are seriously out of touch with reality.
Ken Strickland
November 16th, 2010
6:05 pm
RAMON-We can win with Jamal. LDrew just has to know when to utililize his OFF skills while minimizing his DEF liabilities. He can’t do like Woodson did last yr and play him regardless of the situation, or if he’s hurting us defensively and producing little offensively. Say we’re playing the Heat, and LDrew decides to play zone like Doc Rivers did. In a zone, or a limited switching DEF that involves the guards only, he can be very effective without being a total DEF liability.
ASTRO JOE-there you go again, trying to fuel the fire by attributing bogus comments to me. I gave Woodson credit whenever I felt he did a good job, and he did an excellent job of using his bench and letting the team run during that streak. I did make my concerns known about whether he would allow the team to continue playing uptempo once we hit a dry spell. As we all now know, the team did hit a dry spell, and he slowed everything down and reverted back to playing WOODY BALL.
I waited 3yrs for Woodson to evolve as a HC in conjunction with his players and team, but he seemed to have bottomed out after taking the Celtics to 7gms in 07. He didn’t have a clue about how to prepare his team or himself for playoff caliber competition, and that’s why he was let go. That why his players became so frustrated and quit on him. I understand the difficulties LDrew has in trying to change the culture,while trying to overcome the biased attititudes, bad habits, sense of entitlement, and/or uneven treatment, that was allowed to take place over the last 6yrs.
I look at both the gm against Orlando, and the way the team has performed so far, in making my judgement about the teams and LDrews future. In Orlando, on the 2nd night of a back to back, he had the Hawks focused and ready, and they took Orlando to the wire. This was the same Orlando Magic team that totally embarrassed us during last yrs preseason, regular season, and finished us off in record fashion during a 4gm playoff sweep. THAT’S CERTAINLY MORE PROGRESS THAN WE EVER GOT FROM THE HAWKS UNDER WOODSON WHEN PLAYING ORLANDO.
All this team needs to get to the next level is CONSISTENCY, which will come when LDrew’s system and expectations become 2nd nature to the players, and that 2nd nature will come with more time and experience.
superiorblogman
November 16th, 2010
6:36 pm
The Braves just made a move maybe the stupid Hawks will look at them and try to understand what it takes to stay consistent or get better
Indawin
November 18th, 2010
1:01 pm
I think yall are missing the point here. Its about winning a championship which starts with getting out of the second round. The Hawks have been swept embarrassingly the last years in the playoffs. And whats on the horizon this year: Shaquille O’neal, Jermaine O’neal, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard, and the list goes on and on. You not going to get pass the elite teams with just Al and Josh at the 5 and 4. The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Rick Sund is officially INSANE for passing up on Jason Thompson if this trade rumor is true.