Dallas Mavericks at Atlanta Hawks: What would a W mean?
The Hawks are looking for their first W against a so-called marquee opponent.
But what would it really mean if they beat the Mavs, Celtics, or both? Is it about the team gaining confidence? Sending a message? Getting some media love?
Is it about proving they can do it, even though it’s only November?
“We swept Boston and they still went to Eastern Conference finals,” Mo noted. “You have got to be peaking at the right time and continue to get better.”
L.D. seemed to be simultaneously downplaying Atlanta’s failure to beat the best teams on its schedule and emphasizing that fact to his players.
“I don’t know how much the guys have thought about who the wins are against,” he said. “It’s early in the season. We have to respect every opponent. You don’t look at their wins and losses. ”
But before practice broke yesterday he told the team they needed to “beat some of these [better] teams.”
“I did put that bug in their ear,” he said.
The way things are going for the Mavs, maybe they need to win this one to prove something.
The Bulls beat them in Dallas last night by pounding them on the boards and shutting down everyone outside of Dirk. The Mavs have do have a victory against Boston and split with Denver and New Orleans.
Amazingly, this is the first set of back-to-back games for the Mavs.
“It’s one of the realities of the league,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “The good thing is we didn’t have anyone play ridiculous minutes last night.”
A Dallas reporter asked Carlisle about his team’s struggles against “young and athletic” opponents.
“It’s important for us to play our game,” he said. “We have to play to our length and experience.”
The Hawks want to make Dallas defend the entire floor but L.D. said it’s not like the Mavs can’t run. He said they play at a “youth’s pace” despite a starting lineup that averages 10 years of experience.
“They are a team that we know they are going to be well-prepared and even playing a back-to-back are going to give us their best game,” Drew said. “We can’t allow them beat us on glass, we can’t allow beat us up and down the floor. We’ve go to do a good job containing the dribble on the perimeter. We can’t get seduced into playing a style that doesn’t fit us.”
Notable quotes
L.D. on the team’s effective jump shooting so far: “I won’t count on it every night. There will be some shots where we can’t put it in the ocean. We can’t go out and rely on the perimeter shot. We have to be a good executing team. But more importantly we have to be a sound defensive team. We’ve got to be able to get stops when we need them. We’ve got to be able to be solid defensively every night we step out.”
Al on the team developing a defensive identity: “It is coming along real well. We have to keep trusting each other. We are not there yet but I am encouraged to see some improvement. We are up and down but I think we are more consistent than we were in the past.”
Carlisle on that game J. Kidd stole from the Hawks last season: “I try not to live in the past. That was a great win, but in the NBA that was light years ago. Both teams are different now.”
Smoove on playing Thanksgiving night: “It’s good, but the only negative about it is you can’t eat what you want to eat before the game. That’s what Thanksgiving is about is to get some of that good stuff. Some of that cranberry sauce, some gravy with some mashed potatoes. I think we will definitely eat good when we get home. It’s always a plus to be able to do things like this. I just hope we don’t get the Christmas games. I don’t want those at all.”
MC
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386 comments Add your comment
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
November 20th, 2010
9:10 pm
almost every time The Hawks play a nationally televised game – they stink it up.
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:11 pm
I hate Joe Johnson I hate that b@stard…
Marvin Williams again useless in the game.. Jamal costing us the game.. Za Za was abused..
We neeeeedddd a spark Josh can’t do it by himself…
EmirS.
November 20th, 2010
9:11 pm
What really gets me, is that LD is just sitting down and watching all of this. No fire, enthusiasm, no emotion at all. I dont like that. I see Rick on the other side jumping off the bench at one little foul, with his team up by 10. And LD is just like a rock.
I was really high on LD, and I still am. But its stuff like that, in which case I really can’t have much respect for. I hope we can come back in the 3rd, and take it home in the 4th.
Jody
November 20th, 2010
9:12 pm
They’ve got to start looking for Al on offense (especially Joe).
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:12 pm
@ Carl go away… You’re not welcomed, needed, matter of fact kill yourself.. Make the world a better place..
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:14 pm
They just gonna have to pound it in the paint with Al and Josh… We need an aggressive Teague to penetrate the zone.. Damn he soft..
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:14 pm
What channel is this game “nationally televised” on?
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:15 pm
NBA TV
Hawks Fan In New Orleans
November 20th, 2010
9:16 pm
AT Najeh – its on NBA TV.
Rev in Tampa
November 20th, 2010
9:17 pm
O’Brien, I was hoping you wouldn’t remember my comments from earlier. Marvin, jj, and the entire Hawks bench are embarrassing me right now.
superiorblogman
November 20th, 2010
9:18 pm
Guys you have to take your losses but when you don’t do anything about them that’s when problems arise. Simply put this team needs to stop making excuses and instead makes some real changes in the form of trades
lukas
November 20th, 2010
9:19 pm
Teague is slowly and singlehandedly getting out of LD’s favor. You can see the coach starting to get frustrated by Teague’s Marvinness, which is showing by the decrease in his playing time in the last couple of games.
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:21 pm
Joe changing shoes.. going to the 12’s..
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:22 pm
This is at least the 4th or 5th possession on which the Hawks ran the shot clock down to 5 or less, had it deflected, and were forced into a bad shot. Lucky for them, Joe made it. Of course, he made a long shot to start the game and then disappeared entirely…
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478 Westside Macon)
November 20th, 2010
9:23 pm
back in it
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:23 pm
Good start for the Hawks, but they have to keep it up if they don’t want this game to turn out like the Phoenix game. Don’t think for a minute that Dirk won’t come out firing after this timeout.
hawks_4_life
November 20th, 2010
9:24 pm
Ok I eat crow, good job team keep it going
northcyde
November 20th, 2010
9:24 pm
When will they go back to the switch defense? That is the question.
The other question is . . . will LD give Jordan Crawford a chance to provide a spark later on this quarter?
Rev in Tampa
November 20th, 2010
9:25 pm
Josh is hustling! Way to go Hawks. This Hawks team is Josh’s team.
O'Brien
November 20th, 2010
9:26 pm
EmirS,
Phil Jackson does not show any emotion on the sidelines either. So that doesnt bother me much.
Rev,
Its typical marvin though. he will look invisible for 3 games, and then have 1 really good game.
The challenge for the Hawks, is what happens when LD goes to the bench?
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478 Westside Macon)
November 20th, 2010
9:26 pm
lots of bounces goin Dallas’ way
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:27 pm
thats when id like to see Josh go to the rim.. why pull up?
Loserville USA
November 20th, 2010
9:27 pm
F R A U D
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:27 pm
Nique is even worse than usual tonight…
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:28 pm
leave him in Drew
O'Brien
November 20th, 2010
9:28 pm
Bibby with 4 fouls. That is not good.
But if Teague was playing and had 4 fouls, fans would be all over him calling him a bust.
~~MAC-ToWN~~ (Area Code 478 Westside Macon)
November 20th, 2010
9:29 pm
defense stopped and watched
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:29 pm
Pass the effin ball JOE !!!!!!!!
hawks_4_life
November 20th, 2010
9:29 pm
We all stop playing now because the refs suck
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:30 pm
Josh had every right to be upset — at his teammates. Chandler may have traveled, but Josh was forced to stay with him and give up an open jumper to Butler because none of his teammates got back on D to guard him.
O'Brien
November 20th, 2010
9:31 pm
Caron Butler, 13 points, 5 rebounds.
Marvin, 2 points, 2 assists.
Hawks vs. Mavs
November 20th, 2010
9:31 pm
Hawks have a very deceptive 8-4 record … wonder what happens when a team that CAN’T beat playoff caliber teams actually gets into the playoffs? The ways the Hawks are playing, it means a first round sweep
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:32 pm
What good is Marvin William??? Did we really miss him??
Hit your free throws Josh !!!!!!!!
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:32 pm
Josh talking to the ref bout holding the ball..
clearly pissed..
northcyde
November 20th, 2010
9:32 pm
O’Brien . . . Teague just isn’t good enough man. That’s why people stay on him. Drew thought that he could teach aggressiveness, but he can’t. Not if that player doesn’t have it in him.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:32 pm
Mavs zone up the Hawks, and the Hawks are clueless. Hawks zone up the Mavs, and they get an open 3. The difference? Ball movement.
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:33 pm
Pass the DAMN ball…
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:33 pm
“Teague just isn’t good enough man. That’s why people stay on him. Drew thought that he could teach aggressiveness, but he can’t. Not if that player doesn’t have it in him.”
And not if Woody coached it out of him.
(With that said, Teague needs to man up. Woody is gone.)
Loserville USA
November 20th, 2010
9:33 pm
Playground ball doesn’t work in the NBA. No teamwork.
Prima donnas. Frauds. No playoffs.
Melvin
November 20th, 2010
9:33 pm
When will Josh understand he can’t play off of Dirk?????
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:34 pm
Take Jamal & Marvin out the game.. Lets put in Teague & Mo ..
Take out Joe too and put in JC2 lets see if we get a spark….
Roy
November 20th, 2010
9:35 pm
I want to spit in L.D.’s face right now. Run some d*mn plays for Al and get Jamal out of the game. Jamal is blowing defensive assignment after defensive assignment and giving nothing on offense but bricked shots and attempts taken away from others.
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:35 pm
cant afford to take Bibby out.
ill live w/ him getting posted .. he is ok defending out of the post. he’s even contested well.. but not knowing your defensive assignment is just plain inexcusable..
hawks_4_life
November 20th, 2010
9:35 pm
Atleast UFC starts soon
ignition
November 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
Josh has too cause he roams the court playing help defense for other teammates ..
No on is playing their man straight up..
JeJe.
November 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
THIS TEAM PLAYS NO DEFENSE.
U NEVER SEE BOSTON, ORLANDO, MIAMI, OR THOSE CLEVELAND TEAMS PLAY THIS HORRENDOUS DEFENSE
WHERE THE HELL IS THE BOXING OUT?
JOSH AND HORFORD: BOX OUT YOUR MEN
GOD
bigdave
November 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
Jordan @ point?
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
Mavs came into this game with the #1 field goal percentage defense in the NBA. Hawks came into this game shooting 49% as a team.
I guess we know now which one was legit.
O'Brien
November 20th, 2010
9:36 pm
Jamal is 1-7 in 16 minutes. Why not play Jordan Crawford and see if he can provide a spark?
northcyde,
Teague has definitely not been impressive. But it doesnt mean its cool for Bibby to have 4 fouls.
Mavs PGs have a +/- rating of +11 (JKidd) and +13 (Barea). Bibby is at 0.
Haws defense need to turn it up though. This could be our fourth home loss of the season, after only losing 7 last season.
I wonder if Woody is watching this game with a smile…
Najeh Davenpoop
November 20th, 2010
9:37 pm
Finally Al gets a touch down low.