Atlanta Hawks: Heat 89, Hawks 77
Hawks crashed back to earth against Heat. (AP Photo)
Miami– After this one Mo wasn’t in the mood to be proud about a near-miss against a good team while missing J.J.: “Another ‘moral victory’ but we had one of those against Orlando last time. Those don’t count for anything.”
– Add Phoenix, Utah, and Dallas to that list, too. The margin of error is slim for the Hawks against good teams and so far they haven’t proven they can make the handful of positive plays at winning time to get Ws.
– Or maybe more to the point they haven’t been able to avoid the negative plays that lead to these kind of losses. “We had some opportunities and we had a couple of missed assignments and a couple of turnovers in that fourth quarter, and then the game got away from us,” L.D. said.
– There was Josh Powell’s turnover that led to a layup by D-Wade that started a 7-0 run with the Hawks down 66-63. Smoove had a turnover during that run, too.
– The Hawks one last run at it when Jamal scored to cut Miami’s lead to 74-72 with less than five minutes to play. Bosh drew a foul on Smoove with a strong post move and made a free throw. Smoove came back at him with made a strong move of his own but couldn’t convert.
– Then came the unkindest cut for the Hawks: Bibby’s lax pass that Mario Chalmers (hardly a Super Friend) corralled to start a fastbreak that Wade finished.
– Then Jamal forced a shot that Joel Anthony blocked and Al was called for a foul. On Miami’s next possession, LeBron blew by Jamal as everyone else sort of watched him throw down some thunder.
– Obviously the Super Friends present a tough challenge. The Hawks recovered from an awful start with some inspired play in the third quarter sparked by Damien Wilkins, who just signed a day ago and might have immediately achieved folk hero status by effectively checking LeBron.
– But the Hawks have to lament the unforced errors that made it easier for Miami’s All-Star trio to finish them off at the end. “With them, you have to be very decisive with your plays because they will take the ball and go score the other way,” Jamal said.
– When Wilkins talked before the game about being aggressive and physical against LeBron and D-Wade and not backing down, I thought it sounded a bit ambitious. And then he went out and was aggressive and physical against LeBron and didn’t back down and it seemed to inspire his teammates to pick up their intensity.
– It’s just one game, but Al is sold: “I love that. I love his intensity. I love his toughness on defense. It’s something we need. I’m saying it now: I hope we keep him and he’s with us for the long run. A guy like that can be helpful.”
– LeBron didn’t score in the third quarter. Wade had seven points and Bosh four, Arroyo two and no other Heat players scored. “We went back to trusting each other and helping each other on defense,” Al said. “We have to do that all the time no matter who is out there.”
– This seemed to be another game where L.D.’s stated desire for defense and toughness was contradicted by lineup decisions that seemed to be based more on concerns about scoring. The lineup with Wilkins and Marvin stymied the Heat late in the third quarter but Drew went with Mo instead of either of those two down the stretch.
– L.D. said he considered finishing with Marvin or Wilkins. “There was some thought of that,” Drew said. “But when we got it to two, and with the guys that were in there, I just felt good about what we had in there. That’s not something I would second-guess myself over if I had to do it again.”
– To be fair, there were two mitigating factors for Drew to consider. Wilkins obviously doesn’t know all of the plays and coverages yet, and Drew said he thought Marvin’s energy was sapped on the back-to-back as he still works his way back from the knee injury.
– L.D. also stuck with his two-foul rule for Al. As a result, Horford had to fit a sensational game (22 points, nine rebounds, 10 of 11 shooting) into just 31 minutes. He had more than half of Atlanta’s production in the third quarter.
– Al has said he’s cool with L.D.’s approach to his fouls as long as his replacements are playing well. He stayed with that line of thinking. “I understand where Coach is coming from this game,” he said. “I thought that Josh Powell and Zaza came off the bench and did a good job. I was OK with it. Obviously it’s frustrating because you want to be out there but I understand Coach’s philosophy behind it.”
– The Hawks were 6 of 18 from the field in the fourth quarter with two assists. Mo seemed to suggest the problem was too much Iso-Jamal. “We were stagnant throughout the fourth quarter and a lot of the game,” he said. “They started to lock in on the one guy who was handling the ball a lot.”
MC
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188 comments Add your comment
Same sad song
December 5th, 2010
4:09 pm
Hawks need a CENTER !
Same sad song
December 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
This may be the worst coach since Bob Weiss
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
4:10 pm
So what exactly did JJ do over the summer to help his elbow? Work out a ton and play pickup games?
Great idea! If he had just rested for 7 weeks he’d be fine
good job, Superstar!
Same sad song
December 5th, 2010
4:11 pm
Fire Drew AKA “the experiment”, now!
Same sad song
December 5th, 2010
4:12 pm
If hed rested youd cry hes lazy… You dont have a clue sir.
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
4:14 pm
You’re right – I’m completely wrong.
Kobe was lazy for resting over the summer too
SMGDMFH
Same sad song
December 5th, 2010
4:15 pm
The Princeton gimmick has worn out. What kind of system do you have for DEFENSE IN THE LOW POST WHERE THE CENTER RESIDES?
Bob Weiss
December 5th, 2010
4:18 pm
Im better than Drew. At least I understand the problem is in the defense and the low post in particular.
Wheres the D ?
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
4:37 pm
FIRE WOODY
Rev in Tampa
December 5th, 2010
4:53 pm
Venting about the Falcons…
The Falcons are in Tampa, my 16 year old daughter is on the second row in the endzone under the pirates ship with her friend’s family, and I am sitting at home listening to the game on the radio (blacked out for TV) for another ten minutes until I go to the church Christmas musical. I am tempted to put my daughter on restriction out of pure spite.
Rev in Tampa
December 5th, 2010
5:03 pm
And I have to listen to the Bucs radio call the game…
Solared
December 5th, 2010
5:12 pm
Yao Ming is coming back, wish the Hawks would trade for him, then move Horford to PF, Smith to SF trade Marvin he plays when he wants to, otherwise he is wasted potential
northcyde
December 5th, 2010
5:52 pm
drmaryb does make an interesting point about Horford though.
If he can’t or doesn’t want to bang down low, and he’s most effective 15 feet from the basket as a jumpshooter, who will play in the post? And can we gather up offensive rebounds playing that way, when Al or Smith miss shots?
Horford likes the 15 – 18 ft area. Smith would rather play in the 15 – 23 ft range. So who will get us points in the paint?
That’s one of the reasons why we’re not getting to the FT line. Everybody wants to shoot a 15+ foot jumper. Marvin tries to drive, but we know how that ends up at times.
Solared
December 5th, 2010
5:57 pm
thats why we need a true center like Yao Ming, will drive and shoot and rebound, let Horford get his shots away from the basket.
northcyde
December 5th, 2010
6:00 pm
LOL @ Rev. A lot of people think preachers and pastors are just these “robots” that can’t ( or shouldn’t ) enjoy other aspects of life.
So it’s cool to see how big of a sports fan you are, and how you balance that out from your pastorial duties.
rusty
December 5th, 2010
6:36 pm
ld is making a lot of stupid moves, it is not because he is a rookie coach.he is just seeming to have much common sense. i loved what he says but not what he does.stop taking horford out with 2 fouls & let the game get away from us.leave him in even if he fouls out, so what we still will get a lot more minutes out of him. stop playing mo all them minutes he will never bring us any thing.if you dont give jc2 time this year we will be in the same situation as we are with teague this year. he can do a hell of a lot more for us than mo. what in hell did you pull out wilkins in the 4th quarter for mo,that was pure stupity,why the hell was horford on the bench.start sitting mw if he is still sleeping.pull bibby if his shots are all.sit js if he woulnt keep his azz under the boards, cant josh dunk any more
Ron
December 5th, 2010
6:36 pm
I noticed drmaryb and someone else on here have been getting into it over Al playing in the post and our bigs staying in the paint. I like that idea, but at the same time, the other guy (can’t think of the name right now) makes some good points too. First off, let me address the paint issue. Both myself and others on here have been screaming out for more post-ups for Horford. I’m pretty much convinced at this point that the reason we haven’t seen that many post up opportunities for him is due to the fact that L.D.’s system is more catered to perimeter play and backdoor cuts (primarily perimeter play). Over the course of the season, I’ve seen Horford get good low post position early in the shot clock, but the team typically doesn’t get him the ball in those situations, instead they try to run something else. If Al is being denied the ball in the post, it makes sense to try something else, but it really boggles the mind why L.D. seemingly goes away from Al in the post and away from Al, in general, when the games get tight. In just the past few games, there has been evidence of what can happen when Horford does actually get post ups called for him. He’s usually highly successful. In the memphis game, L.D. , uncharacteristically, allowed Horford to post up quite a bit against Gasol and Randolph. Horford looked great on those post-ups. He scored on the right box, left post, and middle of the lane with his patented jump hook and looked pretty solid. He also had a lot of success in the post against Toronto and New York over last weekend, as well as against Dallas. In other games, I haven’t noticed the team run much for Al in the post, but it should be pretty evident by now to both his teammates and his coach that he can score down there.
Now, in terms of Horford taking jump shots, I don’t mind that at all, when it is in the flow of the offense and when he shoots them at the high percentage that he does. I definitely like him to mix it up inside and outside to keep the defense off-guard, and I think he does a pretty good job of that. It’s all about getting the best percentage shot that you can, based upon what the defense is doing. Last night, Al did that. When the defense was clogging the paint and giving him space, he took the midrange shot, and when the lane was open, he drove the ball. He took more jumpers than jump hooks last night, but I think that was the right thing to do when you consider what Miami was doing. Al read the defense perfectly. Several times, he did drive the ball and the defense would collapse on him, and when that happened, he made some nice passes to teammates inside. Mo Evans got a great pass from him, right underneath the basket, but just couldn’t finish.
At any rate, regardless of what types of shots he’s taking, I think the team, now more than ever, needs to run more plays for Horford. He has so many skills that the team is just not taking advantage of. There are very few big men in the game today, particularly at the center position, who have a low post game, a face-up game, and can drive the ball as well as pass as well as horford. Horford needs to be utilized as the offensive threat that he is, not simply used to set screens to free up others for jumpers on the offensive end. Also, we really need to run more pick-and-roll for Horford. Honestly, I can’t remember the last time that Al didn’t either score, get fouled, or score and get fouled on one of those plays.
I want to see him more in the post too, but more than that, I just want to see him properly utilized and not ignored so much on the offensive end. At any rate, though, Horford is going to do what the coaching staff tells him to do. He’ll score when he’s called upon, but if he’s asked to just free up teammates down the stretch, that’s what he’ll do. It’s kind of unfortunate that our offensive system for the first three quarters of the game is so heavily predicated on jump shooting and in the fourth quarter it is a clone of Woodson’s approach down the stretch. I like the motion system better than the isolation sets, and L.D. has done a decent job of encouraging ball movement, but I really think that we need to put a significant focus on inside-out play and post-ups for our bigs to get the offense moving when things bog down. Really, we only have one big man with a legit post up game, so those post-ups should be for Horford.
And, for the love of God, please get Josh Smith in check. His talents are definitely not being utilized the way they should be. Smith is a below average jump-shooter with excellent athleticism, he shouldn’t be leading the team in field goal attempts with jumpshots from the perimeter. He should be using his God-given talents to attack the basket with hard drives, backdoor cuts, and lobs, meanwhile being a menace to opposing teams on the offensive glass. As much of an improvement as this new “motion” system is, I think it often underutilizes our bigs, or uses them in the wrong situations. We only have two big men that can actually shoot the ball well from midrange in Horford and Powell, and if the system creates an open shot for one of them, I’m fine with that, but if it results in an open midrange shot for Zaza, Collins, or Smoove, then the system really is not doing anything useful for our bigs on the offensive end. I really hope that the staff starts to incorporate more plays down in the low box or high post for guys like Horford, so that we can actually make use of what we have.
One other thing, the team desperately needs to abandon the isolation-only sets down the stretch of tight games. Some people say that this delivers “mixed results”, but more often than not, it delivers negative results when used in consecutive plays down the stretch. I understand that we have some players whose greatest strength isolation basketball, and it’s alright to let those guys have isolation plays every now and then, but we should never have situations where 6 or 7+ consecutive plays are pure isolation or high-pick-and-roll to isolation, especially when you are not converting on those plays. It’s a huge gamble/risk to play that way and you end up playing right into the hands of the defense. I can’t believe that Drew doesn’t realize that by now, after 6 years under Woodson. Regardless of how good your players are at going 1. vs. 1., the chances of those players converting on a field goal when dominating the ball and trying to take on 2-3 defenders at once are low, very low. It doesn’t take an experienced coach or player to realize that. Our water boys probably realize that by now.
I know that a lot of people have said that defense is a bigger issue for the Hawks than offense, and that’s been true to some extent, but really, I see both areas as issues, and moreso the offense right now. Not just because joe is going, but because I don’t like the typical trends that have been occurring when games get tight and I just don’t like the overall principle of the system. I love the idea of ball movement, but you can’t base your entire offensive philosophy upon jumpshooting. It’s just too linear of an approach and too much of a gamble. It’s great when the shots are falling, but when they aren’t, you are going to run into trouble. I think Drew has realized this and that is why he likes to go to isolation for long stretches. I think this is a terrible solution. Isolation is effective in small doses in the right situations, but you shouldn’t isolate for long stretches when you are getting nothing out of it. Instead of relying so heavily on jumpshots and isolation, lets get our workhorse in the middle involved in the system and play inside-out, similar to the way the Utah Jazz operate. They actually have a system very similar to ours on the offense end, but the difference is that they greatly utilize their big men and they obviously have an amazing point guard that can get players great looks even when nothing is working.
Anyway, the team needs to address these offensive issues, along with the rotation issues, and fast because while the offense looks okay on paper, it’s not been very effective against good teams down the stretch. The defense actually looks like it’s improving, but the offense may be taking the opposite route. We had the defense necessary to win last night’s game, it was the offense that caused us to come up short. I just hope that these various issues are being working on. Sometimes , I get the feeling that L.D. thinks everything about the system is perfect, when in reality, it definitely has some flaws. Hopefully, those flaws will start to disappear.
Bailey
December 5th, 2010
6:38 pm
I’m with rusty on L.D.’s coaching.
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
6:40 pm
stop taking horford out with 2 fouls & let the game get away from us.leave him in even if he fouls out, so what we still will get a lot more minutes out of him
^YES. LET HIM FOUL OUT. WHY FORCE HIM TO PLAY 28 MPG AND NOT FOUL OUT WHEN HE CAN PLAY 38 OR 40 AND FOUL OUT AND PUT UP NUMBERS
LD HAS SOME WOODY TRAITS. THE BS 2 FOUL RULE AS WELL AS NOT REWARDING BENCH PLAYERS WHO PLAY WELL (DAMIEN AND TEAGUE AT TIMES)
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
6:44 pm
Mo Evans got way too many minutes last night
Andre
December 5th, 2010
6:50 pm
I agree with JeJe.
One other thing about L.D. though, not only does he not reward bench players who play well, he rewards guys who are playing like garbage with more shots and more minutes (e.g. Mo Evans). Some guys who actually have shown that they can contribute are ignored, simply because L.D. likes the other players better. L.D. thinks he has the greatest bench in the league and just loves taking minutes away from guys like Horford so that the bench scrubs can play their hearts out and shoot us out of the game with jumpshots. I’ve never seen a coach more in love with jump shots. The only reason that Powell even gets as many minutes as he does is probably because L.D. likes his jump shot. Just because L.D. was a bench guy when he played doesn’t mean he has to try and turn his bench into all-stars, when most of them should be in the d-league. What the hell is wrong with you, L.D.?
Andre
December 5th, 2010
6:52 pm
Seriously, out of all of the coaches who were available this offseason, could the ASG have picked a worse one? All of the other new coaches are actually helping their teams, meanwhile our preacher wanna-be is hurting ours.
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
6:54 pm
THE HEAT STARTING 5 IS NOT THAT GREAT. THEY JUST RUN ISOS. WHEN LBJ GOES OUT FOR BEGINNING OF 2ND AND 4TH, THEIR CHEMISTRY IS SO MUCH BETTER. I AM NOT SCARED OF THIS TEAM.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
6:55 pm
JeJe
I don’t give a damn about your anger management issues!
You need to read and listen before you shoot your mouth off!
You never know what the hell you are talking about, you sound like a 7 year old little boy, so STHU!
Get a Life! And stop posting all your stupid crap! You are great exercise for “Scrollin’” anyways. Cheerleading for who? The Hawks suck!
Next … Blogger please!
Andre
December 5th, 2010
6:57 pm
@drmaryb
If the Hawks suck, why do you watch them and post on these blogs? I wouldn’t do that for a team I didn’t like.
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
7:02 pm
drmaryb,
GTFOH.
You are a clown.
I don’t know what I’m talking about? Point out some example please.
Stupid crap? Elabourate.
Go cheer for the Nets and GTFOH
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
7:21 pm
Northcyde
I see the Hawks BIGS playing farther and farther away from the basket this year!
Does motion offense mean, If you are open – SHOOT IT?
There needs to be an 80/20 Rule:
Inside shooting 80%
Outside shooting 20%
If your azz is BIG? Go inside and offensive rebound! Box Out!
If your azz is a Guard? Shoot it and get the long rebounds!
Al and Josh need to be glued to the paint poeriod! We ain’t got no other bigs with athleticism! At least Woodson did do that!
We need to ride Damien like Doc rode Tonny Allen!
Let’s Go Hawks!
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
7:34 pm
“There needs to be an 80/20 Rule:
Inside shooting 80%
Outside shooting 20%
If your azz is BIG? Go inside and offensive rebound! Box Out!
If your azz is a Guard? Shoot it and get the long rebounds!
Al and Josh need to be glued to the paint poeriod! We ain’t got no other bigs with athleticism! At least Woodson did do that!
”
Did you even watch the game last night? Horford was DOMINATING in the 3rd quarter like a winner should. He hit every jumpshot in the quarter (at least 5). We might as well get rid of Smoove if he continues to take those hideous 22 footers and commits idiotic turnovers. His triple doubles against horrendous teams really don’t mean much to me.
Blast
December 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Even though Hawks lost vs Heat, as a consolation, the Falcons are still winning.
O'Brien
December 5th, 2010
7:41 pm
How bout them Falcons. Good GM, Good coach, good owner, and some good front office moves with the right mix of players.
Hawks can learn alot from them…
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
7:42 pm
Blast
December 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Even though Hawks lost vs Heat, as a consolation, the Falcons are still winning.
* Link
* Report this comment
O’Brien
December 5th, 2010
7:41 pm
How bout them Falcons. Good GM, Good coach, good owner, and some good front office moves with the right mix of players.
Hawks can learn alot from them…
FIRE SUND
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
7:46 pm
JeJe
Suck my T!tty! You are a PUNK azz b!tch! I scroll past all your capped azz posts anyway. If I read one? I read them all – you say the same thang every day – all day! B!tch! (*_*)
Andre
Because I have been a season ticket holder since 1986 and I have paid for the right to b!tch about the team I LOVE! 24 years worth of Love and I ain’t seen a PG since Mookie! If you don’t like my post then: Get your b!tch azz to Scrollin’
Let’s Go Hawks!
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
7:52 pm
“JeJe
Suck my T!tty! You are a PUNK azz b!tch! I scroll past all your capped azz posts anyway. If I read one? I read them all – you say the same thang every day – all day! B!tch! (*_*)
Andre
Because I have been a season ticket holder since 1986 and I have paid for the right to b!tch about the team I LOVE! 24 years worth of Love and I ain’t seen a PG since Mookie! If you don’t like my post then: Get your b!tch azz to Scrollin’
Let’s Go Hawks!”
I can’t think of 3 people on this board who enjoy your presence. Good luck with life LOL.
*Dirt Off Tha Shoulder*
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
7:53 pm
ASKG: Atlanta “Spirit-Killer” Group
TEAM DIME
December 5th, 2010
8:00 pm
just saw this on realgm.com
Nov 15, 2010 8:30 AM EST
The Kings are shopping Jason Thompson and the Hawks recently declined a deal involving the young forward.
A source with knowledge of the situations says Sacramento offered Thompson to Atlanta for young point guard Jeff Teague, but the Hawks passed on the offer.
Read more: http://realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/70100/20101115/hawks_reject_thompson_for_teague_offer_from_kings/#ixzz17HyH6gyM
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
8:05 pm
I’d do the Teague for Thompson trade, cut Etan, and sign the best PG available
Andre
December 5th, 2010
8:06 pm
drmaryb,
First off, don’t start taking shots at me for asking a question. If you’re having a bad day, don’t be putting the blame on the bloggers. All I’ve seen on this blog from you is insults at others and whining and complaining when someone calls you out for proof or evidence. If you can’t respect what others are saying and make your arguments in a civilized manner, then you don’t even belong here.
We don’t need to listen to some attention wh0re who knows nothing about the game of basketball. Go whine somewhere else. Also, you claim that you’ve been watching the Hawks for 24+ years, well it doesn’t look like that watching has helped you understand the game much. And, if you’re that old, it’s amazing that you still don’t know how to behave at your age. Really, is that all you can do is throw out profanity at anyone who disagrees with you? That’s not going to get you anywhere. It’s just making you look like a fool Do what you want, but remember that you treat others how you want to be treated, and right now it sounds you want to be treated as a menopausal b*tch.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
8:07 pm
Team Dime:
That’s old newz! You three weeks late, check the blog archives.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
8:14 pm
Andre said:
“If the Hawks suck, why do you watch them and post on these blogs? I wouldn’t do that for a team I didn’t like.”
What’s the matter – Little boy? You didn’t like my answer? When I replied:
“Andre
“Because I have been a season ticket holder since 1986 and I have paid for the right to b!tch about the team I LOVE! 24 years worth of Love and I ain’t seen a PG since Mookie! If you don’t like my post then: Get your b!tch azz to Scrollin’”
Oh well! Sucks being you. LOL!
Blast
December 5th, 2010
8:16 pm
All these talks about Al Horford is good and all, but I don’t really care whether he is playing in the paint or shooting 15 footers, so long as he is effective either way, that’s all I care about.
I say this especially when we all know the Hawks NEVER gets calls versus the ‘elite’ teams. Hawks might get whacked and beaten to high heavens vs Miami and refs will swallow their whistle. Lebrat shot 13 free throws while the entire Hawks team shot 12? If I was a Hawks player, I would be like, why take it to the hole, get beat up, possibly injured and not get a call?
Remember, Al is a true power forward, aka Karl Malone, and not really a center. So when he plays centers taller and as skilled as him, he is not so effective in the post. Taking those jumpers makes sense then, especially if he is making his shots like last night.
I certainly do not agree with the 2 foul rule. I think it’s dumb. Yeah, take out players if they have two fouls in the first, but bring them in early in the 2nd and only yank them if they get 3 before the half ends.
And what is this grim fascination about not letting players fouls out anyway? If Al has 4 fouls going into the 4th quarter, leave his ass in until he fouls out. Better than having him sit out almost half the entire game, and not helping his team! NBA players have 2 fouls to give each quarter, LD has to take advantage of that.
When was the last time a major Hawks player fouled out of a game, anyway?
O'Brien
December 5th, 2010
8:16 pm
I think most of the fans who post on here are fans of the Hawks. But that doesnt mean we can’t criticize them.
And just because we criticize them, doesnt mean we are not big fans.
Can’t we all just get along?
Andre
December 5th, 2010
8:18 pm
drmarbyb,
I bet it sucks even more when you get banned…
Have fun.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
8:19 pm
Andre
Whoever the hell you are? I’ve been posting on here for four years and will probably be posting four years after you are gone, so get over yourself!
Scroll past me and get a LIFE! Ha Ha Ha! LOL!
(*_*). I can wrap a basketball around your little head.
Anyway, no more silly stuff with you. Later!
Ron
December 5th, 2010
8:25 pm
Guys, seriously, can we keep all of the kiddy arguments to a minimum? People talking trash to eachother and trying to be e-thugs isn’t really entertaining for most Hawks fans to read. I think we maybe need to up the moderation on here. I’m fine with people criticizing the team and the players when it’s productive, but when the discussion turns to people cussing eachother out, it’s really pointless. I’m not try to police people, but I’m just saying, try to act mature on here and give the fighting a rest. I’m sure you have better input to contribute than that.
Like O’Brien said, can’t we all just get along?
O'Brien
December 5th, 2010
8:26 pm
Blast,
Exactly. In 19 games this year, Al has never fouled out, and only once did he have 5 fouls. Last year, he only fouled out of 2 games, and had 5 fouls in 12 other games. He is not foul prone.
So I don’t know why LD keeps taking him out after 2 fouls. Al needs a 3 foul rule.
JeJe
December 5th, 2010
8:36 pm
“And what is this grim fascination about not letting players fouls out anyway? If Al has 4 fouls going into the 4th quarter, leave his ass in until he fouls out. Better than having him sit out almost half the entire game, and not helping his team! NBA players have 2 fouls to give each quarter, LD has to take advantage of that.”
YES
rusty
December 5th, 2010
8:39 pm
i always thought that js was going to be a greater dunker than nique, boy was i wrong he now plays like a pansy under the boards,thinks he is a smooth sg
Blast
December 5th, 2010
8:45 pm
O’Brien,
I think Drew is still living in the Woody era pertaining to some issues. Like the two foul rule, allowing too much Jamal or Joe iso’s, the occasional switching, bad substitutions patterns… I just hope he grows out of it. Lots of times, I am totally uncomfortable with the line up he has on the floor.
As for the players, they have to take some accounting as well. Time and time again, regardless of who Hawks point guard is, I have seen them give up on their man, and hope Josh Smith will erase their mistakes. It doesn’t work that way booboo. You have to be responsible for keeping your man in check, and not allowing him to get deep into the paint where he can cause major havoc.
Hawks perimeter players have to step up their defence, man, an not put Josh and Al in terrible positions. I just hope Damien Wilkins can provide some of that.
drmaryb (*_*)
December 5th, 2010
9:07 pm
I think we are really gonna’ miss our go to guy! Joe is a quiet leader and a class act! I love his game and I know he disappeared in the last two play-off series, but to be fair. He got us there.
Before Joe arrived, we had not been in the play-offs for 13 straight years!
Like LeBron and Kobe, that man does need some help.
This teams lacks another or a super-star. Kobe has Gasol and Odom is not chopped liver. Boston has the Big Three + Rondo and now Shaq. They got 4 HOF’rs and are balanced at EVERY spot on the floor. They got every thing they need and are 2 deep at every position. Boston is the team to beat in the east and this past off-season, they got stronger and bigger in the post.
Miami has a ways to go at PG and Center and are building team chemistry with what they got to work with.
LA are the best of the west. For the 100th time I will say it again, my Hawks as uructed are very small in the post and are NOT a contender for the title. We liked our core and did nothing to take the next step. We signed no player to improve upon what we already had.
Like O’Brien said all summer, we’ve been fortunate to have had no serious injuries in the past and If we have injuries this year, we would be in trouble.
Well, OBrien, trouble is here. Now what? I LOVE Damien, I didn’t know his defense was so stellar. I hope we can keep this guy when Joe returns.
We will NOT win 53 games this year. Sad, but true.
I LOVE my Hawks! So, Let’s Go! Right now – we suck!
jamillion
December 5th, 2010
9:12 pm
haven’t posted on here in a couple of days because,even though i like what ld is doing he is also too much like woody punkazz, and it is making me sick to my stomach.
mo evans is not a starter and is killing our offense.
jordan crawford should be the starter he is a stud and can manufactor points in na bunch, d wilkens played very well , where was he in the forth when we neeeded a lebron wade stopper i don’t know, oh mo was there, he always got something to say ,but doesn’t produce enough to back up his talk, hell he the reason we always give up points because the refs will not respect him even when he makes a good play? ever notice him get a call in three years, no.
bibby still has a shot, but the problem is THE HAWKS ARE BUILT TO RUN, THATS IT AND UNTIL WE GET A POINT TO INNITIATE THAT TYPE OF OFFENSE WE WILL SUCK,PERIOD.Teague can run the offense and in time , matter of fact the time is now let dude run the offense,bring d wilkens, jamal, twin, and collins off the bench.the emergence of Al ,the baby tim duncan what i call him is really playing his game, i’m finally in agreement trade josh smith,but not for the reasons you all say trade him, one thing i don’t like in any sport is a coward and josh will never man up,plain and simple, bibby,and jamal too. they just don’t bring any type of nuts or heart in the game,yeah maybe josh just hates too lose but too have that much potential and waste it without any real desire is just so pu$$y to me,i would rather keep marvin who doesn’t have the potential that homeboy has but who at least strives to play defense than dude,str8 up,i don’t even care about him cursing out ld in the heat of the moment. but dude playing like a str8 coward and i hate a coward.so josh has to go, bibby has to go cause we need a point guard who can be a point guard cause of his ability not size, and jamal has to go because we have jordan who will penetrate and make opportunities for others and will play defense!!! plus if jamal doesn’t shoot the rock he is greatly ineffective.but on a possitive note, isn’t matty ice like the new peyton manning,i know we got an allstar tightend, runningback,wideout, and matt get the credit, but aren’t we ready to go to the superbowl and win it. if we can beat vick we can beat the patriots