Atlanta Hawks at Pistons: Handling biz against bad teams
Auburn Hills, Mich.–The Pistons are bad. Historically bad. Blowing-a-25-point-lead-to-the-Raptors-at-home-bad. So bad that Magic called them out when he was back in East Lansing the other day:
As for the current Pistons, Johnson said they were a long way from the teams he faced in consecutive NBA Finals in the late 1980s.
“Too many individuals,” Johnson said. “You have to get back to what made them great, and that’s defense and rebounding. … What we see now is a team that’s soft. People from Detroit and Michigan can accept losing, but not the way they’re losing.”
The Hawks should win this game and the temptation is to say it won’t tell us anything about them. But the thing the Hawks almost always do win this kind of game. Their troubles against the good teams have been well documented, and they have to start winning more games like Thursday in Boston to be considered legit contenders in the East. But until the Hawks figure that part out, there’s something to be said for handling their business against the league’s also-rans.
The Hawks have 12 Ws and just there Ls against teams that currently have losing records: Milwaukee, New Jersey and Phoenix. Of those teams, the Nets are the only squad with no real hope of turning things around.
So chances are the Hawks will handle Detroit tonight, then move on to the next one. That won’t earn accolades but neither should it be completely discounted.
Michael Cunningham
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
328 comments Add your comment
O'Brien
December 14th, 2010
8:17 pm
Doc,
Your boy Stuckey is looking good.
Hawks need to pick up their defensive intensity. Good defense from Damien.
We need more ball movement though
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:17 pm
Zaza did somethin useful
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:18 pm
lol@Zaza still smilin
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:19 pm
lmfao man i swear zaza is the worst player iv seen in my life
Wabe
December 14th, 2010
8:19 pm
Please………………….
Zaza be gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:20 pm
Zaza got himself a block and got a lil happy back at the other end.
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:20 pm
LOL at the Pistons’ announcers. They said that people in Atl used to criticize the Hawks for picking Marvin over Chris Paul, but nobody is mad anymore.
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:20 pm
damn that is ludicrous that he is still inactive
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:21 pm
yea we all knew who was gonna win that tip
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:23 pm
zaza cant even hold the ball
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:23 pm
wheres collins zaza is terrible
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:24 pm
man…..its hard to watch this guy….really
he should’ve had the board before it got to that
Zaza = D-League
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
*yawns* jump shots
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
we would honestly be screwed without wilkins
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
Too much IsoJamal when he’s playing PG….
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
Crawford has been long on his shot all night.
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
wow t mac playin like hes young
O'Brien
December 14th, 2010
8:25 pm
Hawks have no ball movement.
Pistons blew a 25 point lead against the Raptors. So maybe the Hawks are trying to see if they can come back…
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:26 pm
garbage
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:26 pm
two fouls on Marvin. Send him to the bench!
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:27 pm
GET THE BALL INSIDE JAMAL
HORFORD GET THE BALL
DO POST UPS
FORCE THE REFS TO BLOW THE WHISTLE
STOP SETTLING FOR DAMN JUMPSHOTS
Sautee
December 14th, 2010
8:27 pm
Melvin,
Co-sign on Jamal
Randolph
December 14th, 2010
8:28 pm
I agree with JeJe’s 8:27 post.
leedsatlanta
December 14th, 2010
8:29 pm
Larry Drew: “I thought our bench did a great job in the second quarter. I thought Jeff Teague was the catalyst of that. His speed and his energy when he got into the game got us going.”
2 days ago^
Is Drew fuc*ing Bi-polar?????
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:30 pm
mo evans and bibby cannot be in the game at the same time wth is ldrew doing
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:30 pm
lol that wasnt a foul
leedsatlanta
December 14th, 2010
8:30 pm
Teague tonight DNP??????
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:31 pm
get the ball inside. WE AREN’T PLAYING HORRENDOUSLY.
GET HORFORD THE DAMN BALL. ATTACK THE BASKET. WHO ARE THEIR INTERIOR DEFENDERS? 954 YEAR OLD WASHED UP BEN WALLACE?
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:31 pm
horford needs to grab that reb
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
December 14th, 2010
8:32 pm
nice steal
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:33 pm
Hawks are having trouble hiding Bibby on defense. Pistons have quick and tall guards….
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:33 pm
man the refs are calling a lil too much on both teams
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:34 pm
Josh Smith has been very active tonight.
3rd qtr we will make our run.
ATTACK THE BASKET!!!!!!!!!!
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:34 pm
Anyone else feel like DET has a much better bench than us?
B.Gordon, Villanueva, Wilcox, T-Mac
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:36 pm
Is Will Bynum hurt? He always owns us…Maxiell?
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:36 pm
JeJe,
Detroit bench look good on paper but they are too individualize and don’t compliment each other on the court.
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:36 pm
The Pistons announcers were happy that Josh hit the 3 so that he would be inticed to shoot more. They haven’t looked at Josh’s improved shooting pct this year. That being said, I hope Josh does practice some restraint.
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:36 pm
yeah josh and al have been great tonight as expected
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:37 pm
I would love to see Teague play before the half.
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:39 pm
Gotta take it in strong for the dunk Damien…
lewis
December 14th, 2010
8:39 pm
still a beast play even tho he got blocked
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:40 pm
Rev,
you got your wish…
J.J.M.
December 14th, 2010
8:40 pm
*turns tv*
hbcuclassics
December 14th, 2010
8:40 pm
HBCU Classic Sports
Post-Season Recap
D2 – Rd. 1 Wingate 63 Morehouse 41
Shepherd 40 Shaw 6
D2- Rd. 2 Albany St. 30 Wingate 28
D2 – QF Delta St. 28 Albany St. 7
FCS – Rd. 1 Ga. Southern 41 SC State 16
FCS – Rd. 2 NHampshire 49 Bethune 29
Turkey Day Classic
Tuskegee 17 Alabama St. 10
Pioneer Bowl
St. Augustine 20 Ft. Valley St. 9
SWAC Championship
Tx Southern 11 Alabama St. 6
hbcuclassics.com
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:41 pm
WHY DO WE ALWAYS HAVE 3 DAYS OFF THEN A LOADED SCHEDULE?
WAKE UP, GUYS. YOU’RE PLAYING TONIGHT. DOWN 9 TO THE FREAKING 7-18 PISTONS WHO GAVE UP A 25 POINT LEAD TO FREAKING TORONTO
WAKE THE HELL UP DAMNIT
SteveW
December 14th, 2010
8:41 pm
Woody redux: Only playing 8 players to this point…
JeJe
December 14th, 2010
8:42 pm
START DAMIEN IN THE 2ND HALF.
DO NOT PUT MO EVANS IN
WHERE THE HELL IS POWELL? THEY SAID HE WAS GOOD TO GO
Melvin
December 14th, 2010
8:42 pm
Jamal is ice cold… He need to drive the ball to the hoop….
Rev in Tampa
December 14th, 2010
8:42 pm
Melvin, now I’m wishing that LD will take Teague out. He is being abused by Rip Hamilton.
SteveW
December 14th, 2010
8:43 pm
I thought LD was supposed to develop Teague. I like Bibby, but we need Teague!