Atlanta Hawks: Jamal Crawford’s ‘instant offense’ on slow drip
Jamal is finding it tougher to attack this season. (AP Photo)
First, Jamal wanted me to pass along a message to my blog people: He reads all of your comments and he still loves you all. Killin’ em with kindness, I guess.
With that out of the way, it’s been clear that the instant offensive jolt Jamal regularly provided under Woody has gone missing at times as L.D. moves to a more structured approach. Jamal is an instinctive scorer, adept at having the ball in his hands and attacking off the dribble, and now he’s being asked to play off the ball and set the table more often.
The Hawks have found more offensive balance than they’ve had in the past with L.D.’s approach. But for Jamal it’s meant a move away from the comfort zone he enjoyed last season.
“I think it’s some adjusting for him,” L.D. said. “Because he is such a good one-on-one players, I am trying to put him in more situations where he is running a lot more pick-and-rolls. I sat him down and told him he is playing very unselfishly, and he is making plays and getting the ball to his teammates. And he is showing to be a willing passer.
“When he and Joe play like that, I think that makes us a better ball club. Now teams can’t key in on individual guys to play one-on-one and they’ve got their defense set.”
After a spike in Jamal’s shooting percentage last season, it’s slipped back down to his career mark (though he was quick to note that with such a small sample size, a few good shooting games would pull it back up). His true shooting percentage hasn’t dipped as much because he’s taking and making more free throws. Jamal is taking about four less shots per game so far (though his attempts per minutes played are actually up from 2.2 to 2.9), his assist percentage is up slightly and his turnovers rate is up significantly.
I’d argue that, based on observation, Jamal also has shown more willingness to defend; he said L.D. told him the same thing. It’s not reflected by the on-court/off-court numbers (or by his lackluster effort against Dallas Saturday, though he was hardly alone among the guards) and I’m not saying he’s suddenly locking anyone down. But I’ve seen him more often aggressively fight through screens, keep his energy up throughout possessions and make up ground to challenge shooters.
What I haven’t seen much is the 2009-10, instant offense version of Jamal, and that’s something the Hawks could use as their bench continues to sag against better competition.
“I have got to put him in more opportunities where he gets more shots because he is a shotmaker,” L.D. said. “I’ve already sat him down and told him that. But he’s adjusting well. As I told him, he’s a guy coming off the bench that I need the instant offense, but I also need good decision-making. He has shown that he is committed to that.”
MC
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376 comments Add your comment
joe
November 22nd, 2010
2:50 pm
WE NEED BROOKS
joe
November 22nd, 2010
2:50 pm
BROOKS STARTING BIBBY JORDAN EVANS POWELL ZAZA OUR BENCH
CajunStorm
November 22nd, 2010
3:02 pm
Yeah, this new blog formt does suck azz….the comments and blog itself are superb (MC azz kiss for a sec) but having the newest post 1st takes away from reading the previous posts and is hell on a smartphone…that’s why I am only hear as I have some play time at the J.O.B.
Anyways, I think Jamal has done a great job buying into the system and his shots will find their way as well as Joe. My problem and the problem with this team is defense an rebounding. Woody had his offensive shortcomings (pun intended) but when were winning it was about D and Boards. Now we look like a much better offensive team that can’t rebound or play defense. Both takes effort and desire….which says a ton about our character right now.
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
3:11 pm
Effort and desire are the key.
Maybe it is the “turf toe” but I doubt it seriously.
Powell hasn’t looked great of late, but I thought he did reasonably well to start. Etan, however, hasn’t hit the court and Twin is dissappearing into his former role. USE THEM OR MOVE THEM! Why sign pieces we can’t use?
If Pape Sy’s back is so injured, how does he jump up and act like a cheerleader on our bench w/ every highlight? Seems pretty healthy to me…but I’m not a doctor? When will we hear/see anything out of him…as Stackhouse laces them up for Miami.
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
3:13 pm
Team Captains are responsible for holding their teammates accountable for effort and assignments. When will they notice they are wearing a C and begin enforcing LD’s message?
doc
November 22nd, 2010
3:15 pm
jeje told you you would have your day, even though you got pizzed at me.
you can tell how the hawks are doing by reading the blog and not knowing a single score, days hawks win the balance goes to ken s. when the hawks lose the see saw swings the other way and jeje has his day. jeje has been working overtime about ten days now and counting.
rev right now the hawks have done nothing to suggest they are capable of more than what they have done. you are beginning to sound like woody, if the plan isnt working try harder.
if the gist of what jeje is saying, to which i agree and have throughout the off season, is we would be overmatched severely when it came to depth then right now it is hard to argue otherwise. they are a good team, not a contender to go beyond the first round as is, which is a disagreement with jeje who thinks round two might be in the makings. nothing has changed significantly to suggest otherwise. organic growth vs peaked and now on downward spiral is the question to be answered this season.
jeje i have as softer computer voice than yours however i cant really disagree on the overall picture of what you see.
JeJe
November 22nd, 2010
3:21 pm
THE HORNETS HAVE PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST FRONT OFFICES AND FINANCIAL SITUATIONS IN SPORTS. SO WHY ARE THEY MAKING 2 GREAT TRADES IN THE LAST 3 MONTHS AND WE DON’T MAKE TRADES THAT MEAN ANYTHING FOR 2 YEAR INTERVALS?
Najeh Davenpoop
November 22nd, 2010
3:21 pm
Jamal, quit wasting your time reading our comments and go practice your defense.
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
3:28 pm
Rebounding…
It appears to me when I have watched the games that most of the Hawks are so intent on getting back for transition defense that only one person is left to fight for an offensive rebound. Several times on Saturday there were four Mavs to get a defensive rebound while ALL the Hawks had already retreated for defense. Little wonder we are getting outrebounded on the offensive glass.
On defense I saw the Hawks standing around when the ball was shot by the Mavs. I did witness Josh and Al go after the ball, but I can’t remember anybody boxing out.
It seems to me if the Hawks are going to be content to score off their motion offense in a half-court set (and they are getting good looks at the basket) then they should send five guys to the glass, get the rebound, and walk the ball across half-court to start the offense.
There are times when a fast-break offense is best, and the Hawks’ athleticism is well-suited for a fast-break offense, but when you have an efficient and effective half-court offense, then get rebounds as a priority and set your offense. Fast-breaks, then, can be used as an great change of pace to keep the other team back on their heels.
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
3:39 pm
doc, I feel the logic of your comments. “Insanity is doing the same things that didn’t work with more effort.” However, the lack of effort that I witnessed in the Dallas game was stunning. I simply cannot believe that the Hawks are that much slower than the Mavs.
I believe that the Hawks team that I watched spank Miami in the preseason is one of the top two or three teams in the East. But I haven’t seen them show up much this season.
Right now I am willing to say, “New coach, new system, old habits.” But if I see more lame effort tonight against Boston then I might be in need of a paradigm shift.
heartofdarkness
November 22nd, 2010
3:42 pm
If Jamal’s shooting percentage THIS year trends upward as the team becomes more aware of how teams are defending against this offense, it will portend good things for the Hawks.
doc
November 22nd, 2010
3:45 pm
rev, we dont have another motor guy to play defense and bound besides josh smith. that is what i loved about chills, constant motion. the cat loved to rebound and play defense more than the offense is my guess. he was so fun to watch again the other night, gets down into a crouch and tugs his shorts or moan as he just missed stuffing one of josh’s stuffs and get a soft foul call on him. that is what we have in jamal and had in flip on the other end. it seems we need it on defense as well, the real hustler going for bounds and bowing up on defense. where do we really look to get that off the bench or even to start games. marvin just cant seem to find it in himself to do it.
I Believe In This Team
November 22nd, 2010
3:46 pm
This may not be the year we go all the way, and we may need a different final lineup to do it, but finally we are seeing a team TRY. Try to learn the offense, try to pass, try to have more grit and heart. I was excited last year because we were winning. I am excited this year because of the effort which will translate to winning those BIG games.
And let us not forget Jamal’s slump in the middle of last year, and then he comes back to win “Sixth Man of the Year.” Its hard to play at that level. Show some love.
JeJe
November 22nd, 2010
3:50 pm
LOL @ PEOPLE THINKING I’M A HATER ALL THE TIME.
THE TEAM HAS LOST 4 HOME GAMES AND HAS NOT BEATEN A TEAM WITH A WINNING RECORD THIS YEAR
WE HAVE ALSO LOST 2 HOME GAMES TO TEAMS COMING OFF B2BS
LMAO
tidog
November 22nd, 2010
3:51 pm
The Hawks missed so many open uncontested fg attempts it wasn’t funny.They score just a few more of those open looks in their gym and it’s a double digit win. They have way too many legitiment zone busters to shoot as poorly as they did saturday.
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
November 22nd, 2010
3:52 pm
“GRANITE, I STILL AM A LITTLE HESITANTE WHEN I GO OUT TO PLAY BUT IM NOT GETTING PAID 121 MILL SOoooo?!?!?!?!?”
Like a rock.
JeJe
November 22nd, 2010
3:53 pm
THIS TEAM HAS GIVEN UP 100+ POINTS TO MINNESOTA (TWICE), PHILLY, MEMPHIS, MILWAUKEE.
LOL. THESE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEAMS U BEAT 105-70 LIKE THE LAKERS DID TO GSW LAST NIGHT. INSTEAD, WE EXERT ALL OUR ENERGY BEATING SCRUB TEAMS
Mike is back
November 22nd, 2010
3:55 pm
Doc, after what I witness at the game Saturday…I’m at a loss for words. It looks like I am witnessing a game of chess between Sund and JC1…and LD is stuck right in the middle of it.
JeJe
November 22nd, 2010
3:55 pm
THANK YOU DOC. I AM NOT NEGATIVE – I AM TRUTHFUL. AND I DO THINK WE CAN REACH THE 2ND ROUND IF WE FIGURE OUT OUR DEFENSE, BUT WE WILL GET ASSAULTED BY ORLANDO OR BOSTON IN THE 2ND ROUND.
I FORGOT TO REITERATE EARLIER:
WE NEED TO COMMIT MORE HARD FOULS. WE NEED TO PICK CONFRONTATIONS, TO SHOW WE HAVE A BACKBONE. EVERYONE ON THIS TEAM IS TOO DAMN QUIET AND NON-CONFRONTATIONAL. WE NEED MORE MATT BARNES’ AND KEVIN GARNETTS (MINUS HIS HORRENDOUS COMMENTS), NOT MARVIN WILLIAMS AND JEFF TEAGUES
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
3:59 pm
I personally can handle Garnett, his comments, his attitude, his desire to win. Been on of my fave’s since he came in the league. We need that mentality, that work ethic, that desire!
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
4:00 pm
doc, I’ll grant you the bench depth issue. Zaza was awful. He put forth effort against Dallas, but he was spastic and out of control. Jamal had an awful night. It was summed up by his missed reverse layup. Everybody else on the bench was invisble.
What I can’t figure out, however, is how the bench looked so good at the beginning of the season, but consistently so bad now.
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
4:04 pm
I think the competition level for our bench has been upped. Against inferior teams we have superior players, but against good teams they have 3-4 players on their second unit we would gladly have on our 1st unit. With that said we often get outcompeted. It’s the 25-30 million dollar question that ASG has not allowed Sund or LD to answer.
Wouldn’t it be nice to enjoy just one luxury item?
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
4:06 pm
@doc & Jeje – You guys need to come to some kind of compromise on the ‘no caps’ and ‘ALL CAPS’. Too much cognitive dissonance. Its making my head hurt.
Astro Joe
November 22nd, 2010
4:07 pm
Rev., the bench play so far has been mostly linked to the level of competition. I suspect that is the case with most team’s second unit.
It will be interesting to see what happens with Teague tonight. LD clearly sent him a message during the Dallas game and I have very little doubt that LD will give him a chance to shine tonight. But will Teague be aggressive or will he put himself back on the bench?
doc
November 22nd, 2010
4:12 pm
rev, ummm let me try; level of competition, or they sank back down to earth, as starters?
heh heh, i caught jeje being more positive than me. roto rooter may be necessary jeje to get this team to play better defense. still one and done until i see something consistently suggesting otherwise.
look if kobe can play with a hand falling off, ok a finger that was to require surgery which he has refused and a knee that requires surgery then i expect jj to at least give it back on defense and doing some work on the boards. find a way to contribute big and do the dirty work.
MannyT
November 22nd, 2010
4:13 pm
@Rev
aT lEaSt ThEy DiDn’T gO AlL 1970s HoStAgE nOtE cRaZy On YoU
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
4:17 pm
I just don’t see it happening. JJ needs a time to focus and get his head on straight. Dude is hurting, physically and emotionally. He’s just not the same. Hopefully he’ll use this adversity to learn more about himself and come out of it refined.
We’ve got great pieces, it’s just a lack of leadership, effort and professionalism. Check the C on your chest tonight Josh & Al. Lead this team to a W with heart, effort and character. Leave it on the court this time.
doc
November 22nd, 2010
4:17 pm
rev, i speak softly and carry a big stick. jeje just shoves it in your face. heh heh. funny he trashed me for not using any caps. i felt like saying to him he was using them all up before i could get to them.
it is all good rev.
astro we agreeeee again. i see.
Sautee
November 22nd, 2010
4:18 pm
MC,
Lost a post to the blog monster. Can you release it please?
Also, I concur with Rev in Tampa’s complaints about the format. It makes posting during a game MUCH less enjoyable. And I’m struggling to see the benefit of having it the way it has been reconfigured.
doc
November 22nd, 2010
4:19 pm
at manny t, havent lost your touch.
terrell
November 22nd, 2010
4:20 pm
I still cant believe Jamal reads our outrageous comments. lol! But if he is reading this: Jamal, SUCK IT UP AND PLAY BALL. YOU ARE UNDER A CONTRACT THAT YOU SIGNED. PLAY LIKE YOU PLAYED LAST YEAR, AND TRUST ME, YOU’LL GET YOUR $. Thanks. Go Hawks!
Astro Joe
November 22nd, 2010
4:20 pm
MannyT, that was hilarious! Patty Hearst would have been proud.
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
4:21 pm
MannyT, thanks. Just what I needed. Got any tylenol?
MannyT
November 22nd, 2010
4:22 pm
Tonight will be another good test. Even if Rondo doesn’t play again, we have to deal with KryptoNate and the solid fundamentals that the Celtics bring. Even if they did play yesterday. I think they will be ready to take it to the Hawks as we swept them last season.
LD needs to pull a little magic experience out of his coaching bag.
JeJe
November 22nd, 2010
4:23 pm
FUNDAMENTALS I DON’T MIND KG RUNNING HIS MOUTH, BUT THE CANCER COMMENT WAS UNCALLED FOR. AND HIS METHOD OF COVERING IT UP WAS A JOKE TOO
FIRE WOODY
Fundamentals
November 22nd, 2010
4:26 pm
Teague needs to borrow some fire from Jordan. Come in ready, give it your all. Die trying, at least! Don’t be another AC, Royal, Salim….
O'Brien
November 22nd, 2010
4:27 pm
Rev,
One reason the bench looked good at the beginning of the season is because our first 6 games were against lottery teams. Memphis, Philly, Washington etc. But when they go up against the benches of Utah, Dallas, Phoenix etc, our bench has not lived up to par.
Etan has been hurt for a while, so I did not expect much from him. And although Powell is a “great locker room presence”, his basketball skill is lacking.
But I blame Rick Sund. 2 years ago, Brandon Bass was a restricted FA, and we didnt make an offer (we had the MLE available). Last year, Big Baby was available, and we did not make an offer (we had the MLE available). This offseason, Matt Barnes was a FA, and we didnt make an offer (Again, we had the MLE available).
There have been solid backups available. But we keep trying to find a diamond in the rough when it comes to our backups. And it hasn’t happened. But look for Rick to go cheap again next season, when the contracts of Jamal, Mo, Twin, Powell and Etan are up.
doc
November 22nd, 2010
4:28 pm
yeah manny that really messed my brain up there
MannyT
November 22nd, 2010
4:30 pm
@Rev-add the hostage type to the blackberry scrolling and this blog could give you a headache. I won’t do that again (today) it’s too much trouble. Blogging on my blackberry is a pain. I prefer twitter during games. However, if you stick w/the ‘berry blogging use B to get to the bottom quickly and T to get to the top quickly. It won’t remove the pain, but it does speed things up.
This shortcuts page may help as well.
Astro Joe
November 22nd, 2010
4:32 pm
As for the notion, new coach, new scheme… this group has been together for 4-5 years and Drew has been here for 6 years. If you worked with the same 10-12 people for 4-6 years, the boss was fired and replaced with his right hand man, do you really think the culture of the office would significantly change? When adversity hits, would the employee group feel like this is new or would they feel like “here we go again”? A week or so ago, we heard some of the same statements from the players (and LD) that we’ve heard in the past. That’s my biggest concern, that there wasn’t enough of a change to the status quo to truly affect cultural change. These players have collectively learned how to react to adversity and seemingly in involves ignoring their head coach AND their teammates.
Astro Joe
November 22nd, 2010
4:38 pm
A lost tonight means that we’re 2-6 after the 6-0 start. I don’t consider this the most mentally tough bunch in professional sports. This team needs a good win against a good team starting tonight.
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
4:39 pm
Astro Joe, what I hear you saying in your 4:32 post is that the Hawks biggest problem is their “old habits”.
O'Brien
November 22nd, 2010
4:40 pm
“Check the C on your chest tonight Josh & Al. Lead this team to a W with heart, effort and character.” Fundamentals .
Josh and Al did all you could ask for against Dallas, and it still wasnt enough. We need somebody else to step up.
Teague did not get much PT against Nate last season, so I would like to see him get a few minutes against him. Teague’s fast, but he needs to play smart to keep up with Nate and not foul him.
MC,
I have the same issues with the new blog format. I dont think any of our bloggers are happy with it.
Will Sevidal
November 22nd, 2010
4:43 pm
First, let me say that Jamal Crawford is always a player I respect and a person I respect. He does everything in a professional manner and you can tell that he has a passion for what he does.
But I have to say, I don’t expect him to be in a Hawks uniform by the end of the season. His chances of being extended before the season was already low. With the way he’s playing so far this season, it lowered even more.
He just isn’t the same player that we all saw last year. He was always the best player off the bench in every game and even sometimes the best player in the team in some games. This season, there are some games where he isn’t even the best player off the bench.
I hope that he gets back to his productive ways for the Hawks sake and for his sake.
http://www.thehighlightfactory.net
MannyT
November 22nd, 2010
4:43 pm
Might I see any of you real fans at the game tonight? I hope the Hawks fans outnumber the green gremlins in the crowd.
@O’Brien
I don’t see the ASG spending any more money unless the team does better…so you may have seen the short term peak. Not being negative, but we get an odd deal being in the same division with Orlando & Miami. We could have the 3rd or 4th best record and not have a 1st round home court situation b/c we don’t win the division.
Rule explained here.
Remember last year, we had to have a better record than the Celtics to get 3rd seed? There is no love for 3rd place team in a division, even if their record is better than other division winners.
O'Brien
November 22nd, 2010
4:45 pm
Fundamentals,
Now that I think about it more, you are onto something.
While I have been pleased with the overall play of Josh and Al, I am not pleased with their leadership, or JJ’s leadership for that matter.
When things are going wrong, and others are messing up, Josh gets frustrated, and either hangs his head, pouts, or does his own thing.
Dude, you are a captain. Bring the team together during a timeout, and talk to them. Make sure they are on the same page, call out who needs to be called out. And stop leaving all the leadership up to LD.
Same thing with JJ and Al. They might be good leaders in the locker room, but who is the leader on the court?
How come we have 3 captains, but yet leadership is still an issue?
O'Brien
November 22nd, 2010
4:50 pm
MannyT,
We could still be the fifth seed and have homecourt advantage against the 4th seed if we have a better W-L record (which is what I think will happen).
The top 3 seeds (imo) will be Orlando, Boston and Miami (in some order). The central division winner (Milwaukee or Bulls imo) will be the fourth seed.
But if the Hawks have a better record than the Bulls or Bucks, we will have homecourt against them.
Rev in Tampa
November 22nd, 2010
4:51 pm
“How come we have 3 captains, but yet leadership is still an issue?”
Like I tell couples in pre-marrige counseling: “Anything with more than one head is a monster” ~ Ephesians 5:22-24
MannyT
November 22nd, 2010
4:52 pm
I believe the new blog style was done for hockey fans whose lingo includes the goalie’s location disorientation favorite Standing on his head explained below from wikipedia (also on the Phoenix Coyotes site.) Isn’t that how I’m supposed to read this blog!
This is a term to describe an outstanding performance by an ice hockey goaltender in a short period of time. Often when a goalie lets out a rebound, the opposition returns the shot quickly, and the goalie has to make a quick save. A goalie often falls on his side and “stacks the pads” and appears to nearly stand on their head. The term may have been derived after NHL President Frank Calder, alluding to the 1918 rules change that permitted goalies to leave their feet to make a save, remarked, “As far as I am concerned, they can stand on their head(s)
Doesn’t really fit basketball, but ok for other sports with goalies…trivia transmission end
O'Brien
November 22nd, 2010
4:52 pm
And FWIW, Power Rankings are out. Hawks are 14th. But one interesting piece of nugget about Josh.
From Marc Stein on espn.com;
“Obviously wouldn’t have known this without our friends from Elias, but All-Lefty Team fixture J-Smoove is on course to become the fifth player ever to average 16 points, 9 boards, 4 assists and 3 blocks.”.
Keep up the good work Josh.