Atlanta Hawks: Hornets 93, Hawks 86
Ariza and the Hornets dominated the Hawks inside. (Matthew Hinton/The Times-Picayune)
New Orleans–The Hornets are a very good defensive team. Once they started playing like it, the Hawks couldn’t score.
- The Hornets are a very good pick-and-roll team. Once they started playing like it, the Hawks couldn’t stop them.
- Neither of those things should be surprising. Look at the top teams in defensive efficiency, and then notice how Atlanta’s sizzling offense has grind to a halt against all of them at winning time.
- And by now the sight of a good point guard slicing through Atlanta’s defense to score or set up others is so common as to be expected. CP3 might be the best at it, and he methodically carved up the Hawks in the third quarter.
- “As bad as that third quarter was, we were still right there and had a chance,” L.D. said. “But against good teams we have to be able to follow through on the game plan, especially defensively. On the road you have to have better shot selection.”
- Smoove was the guiltiest party on the latter. He’s getting jump shot happy again and now they aren’t falling. He did have 12 rebounds but foul trouble limited him to 28 minutes and, in another unsurprising development, the Hornets got free run at the rim when he was out of the game.
- The Hawks came out smoking. They moved the ball, made shots and attacked the rim to get calls. Joe and Marvin looked unstoppable. The Hornets were a step behind. “We let them move the ball where they wanted to,” David West said.
- And then the Hornets decided to be more aggressive guarding the perimeter. Now Joe, hounded by Ariza, couldn’t find room to operate. Marvin couldn’t finish. Okafor owned the paint.
- The Hawks scored just 31 points after halftime. “We stopped running, we stopped pushing the basketball for easy transition points and we started settling for jump shots,” L.D. said.
- That’s what tends to happen when the scoring gets harder for the Hawks.
- “I thought we got out and rattled them a little bit, got them off balance,” West said “Joe Johnson is one of the best players in the league, so obviously you are not going to just shut him down completely. But I thought we made his alleys a little more crowded and forced him into some tough looks.”
- The Hawks would to well to emulate the Hornets under coach Monty Williams. “They have done a tremendous job defensively,” L.D. said. “Looking at where they were last year and where they are this year, they have made the commitment defensively and put together some great games.”
- The Hornets also have better defensive players than the Hawks, but still.
- Atlanta’s nine-point halftime lead was gone fast. Paul assisted on two baskets during 13-4 run. “We started the third quarter and we just didn’t come out with any energy,” Drew said. “We came out very lethargic.”
- Or, you know, it could be that a great pick-and-roll player picked apart a weak pick-and-roll defense.
- “We missed some defensive assignments against him on how we were defending the pick-and-roll,” Drew said. “Then we tried to mix it up and play a little zone to get him off balance a little bit. But he made some shots and he got too deep on us on the pick-and-roll a couple times. We went underneath, which was a missed assignment.
- Paul was strangely passive in the first half and then suddenly became animated in the third quarter. In one stretch he scored 11 of his team’s 13 points and assisted on the other basket. He screamed and pounded his chest as the the Hornets’ second-largest crowd of the season snapped from its slumber.
- “One thing we didn’t want to do was let him get going and get the crowd into it,” L.D. said.
- The Hawks tried everyone who wasn’t a point guard to slow Paul. Joe, Marvin and Mo all took turns on him. The Hawks even tried zones with Al and Smoove at the top. “He’s seen every coverage by now,” Jamal said. “You just have to live with it sometimes.”
- Atlanta’s defense took a hit when Marvin was forced to the sidelines with cramping. He started the fourth quarter but went out for Josh with the Hawks down 80-78. Marvin received IV fluids after the game.
- Mo went out for J.J. at that point, too, a fact he pointed out more than once afterward.
- “The game was tied at 78-78 and then I think we were stagnant in the latter part of the game,” Mo said. “The They continued to run their offense. CP continued to create for other guys and put it in position where all they had to do was score the ball or shoot it. They got great looks every time down the floor and eventually that is going to win out.”
- Al played just eight minutes in the first half because of the two-foul rule. He tried to attack the basket in the second half but Okafor and West made it tough. The Hornets took 15 more shots in the paint (38) than Atlanta and enjoyed a 48-22 advantage in points.
- Joe said the three-day break helped his elbow. He wore a brace over that time and said he can extend the arm more than before: “I don’t know how much straighter it’s going to get, though.”
- He looked pretty smooth, especially in the first half. “I was kind of taking what the defense gives me,” he said. “Our offense, basically everybody is moving the basketball, and if you are open, you take the shot.”
- That’s how it worked in the first half, but what happened in the second? “The ball just stopped moving,” Joe said. “And then I thought we settled a lot in that second half when we could have been driving and making plays for other guys and getting to the basket or getting to the line.”
- The Hawks attempted 18 free throws in the first half and six after halftime.
- Jamal went into attack mode in the second half. The results were mixed. He had eight points, four turnovers and no assists after halftime. “It definitely felt rusty,” he said.
MC
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203 comments Add your comment
ole hawk's fan
December 27th, 2010
9:59 am
With JJ in the game…………THERE WILL BE NO MOTION OFFENSE! His mindset is STILL ISO. No ball movement…………..just his dribbling the ball as the shot clock runs down and HE JACKS UP A FADE AWAY JUMPER. EVEN IF A MIDGET DEFENDER IS GUARDING JJ, he will not post that player up or drive to the basket!
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:02 am
Monta Ellis will cost more.Way more then those busters…
J.J.M
December 27th, 2010
10:03 am
it worked on nba trade machine
dap01
December 27th, 2010
10:04 am
JJ’s concept of team is as vast as his vocabulary.
J.J.M
December 27th, 2010
10:04 am
hell throw in a first round pick with them
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:09 am
Ellis is the real deal. He can light it up with the best of them. He has more talent then the whole Hawks roster…
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:14 am
Joe we need 40 pts from you tonight!! Its the only shot this team has against Milwaukee. Keep hoisting them JOE!!!!!
doc
December 27th, 2010
10:16 am
samuel have you watched the celtics and lakers? the best move and know it is the way to gain separation. i love to watch those teams move and screen for each other. bad basketball players stand around and lose. unfortunately we do iot on both ends of the court as well where the best move on defense, too. you are barking up the wrong tree with your flawed assessment. good teams and players move.
Ken Strickland
December 27th, 2010
10:22 am
We lost this gm because of poor coaching decisions. LDrew must have had a MWoodson flashback. We’re going up against one of the NBA’s very best PG’s, and LDrew did the Woodson by trying to stop him with MBibby. He even used Woodson’s beloved switching DEF, which forced JJ, Smoove, Marvin, Horford and Jamal, and even Twin to defend him.
WHY IN THE HELL DIDN’T HE TRY JTEAGUE OR DWILKINS? JJ did an excellent job of defending him in the 1st half, but obviously wore down during the 2nd half. And everyone went by Bibby like he wasn’t there, and he certainly wasn’t producing offensively. That meant he became a total liability, and it wouldn’t have hurt the team to have used Teague or Wilkins.
They pressured Bibby at half court, which means he pulled up and initiated the OFF well beyond the 3pt line. That forced our players to move farther from the basket to receive his weak passes, which led to a number of steals. Defensively, a combination of DWilkins and JTeague with JJ, would have been far more effective against their 3 guard OFF than Jamal and Bibby. They likely would have given us better rebounding as well. It’s not like Bibby and Jamal were lighting it up offensively.
Yetta
December 27th, 2010
10:23 am
Why do all of this talking; just blame it on JOSH Smith as you always do!
leedsatlanta
December 27th, 2010
10:23 am
That was the worst display of coaching I have ever seen. Why play Crawford and Bibby together when they are so bad on defensive.NO even played 2 point guards at the same time to take full advantage. If I was Teague I would asked for a trade! He plays D !
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:31 am
Real simple why Teague does not get many minutes in the NBA after 3 seasons. He does not have a jump shot !!Just like Al and Josh most of the new kids on the block today can’t shoot the rock..Just very good athletes.Even as a pt. guard in the NBA you need a jump shot to help keep the opposing defense honest and it helps take pressure off your #2 and #3 scorers.If you have any….
Ken Strickland
December 27th, 2010
10:32 am
I forgot one thing. JJ and Jamal have started reverting back to last yrs pound the ball ISO style of play, and are doing more to inhibit ball and player movement than opposing DEF’s. It’s a shame that cramp shut Marvin down, which is something the Hornet’s DEF couldn’t do. Marvin has had a string of very productive gms, and the Marvin bashers have had very little to say in comparison to the constant bashing they dish out whenever he has just one unproductive gm.
J.J.M
December 27th, 2010
10:33 am
we all know the hawks wont get anywhere with this team..die hard fans or not
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:34 am
Sund pull the trigger and trade Josh(he’s not smooth by any long shot wanna be magic johnson and ain’t got a clue in the 4th quarter) for Rudy Gay YESTERDAY…………
Sund=Billy Knight(Worst GM in Hawks History)
STRETCH
December 27th, 2010
10:40 am
slimjr and J.J.M,
Completely co-sign!
But Sund is going to “wait and see what happens with his core”. I love my Atlanta sports teams but continue hate Atlanta sports management. This team is just going to barely make the 6th seed and get beat in the FIRST round.
Not So Casual Observer
December 27th, 2010
10:40 am
Did I just read Al “can’t shoot the rock”? Have you seen any of the games this year?
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:42 am
Josh Smith=James Worthy w/o a jump shot! Josh needs Magic Johnson to hook him up on the court just like he did Worthy all those years. Oh that’s right Billy(the self proclaimed basketball expert)Knight could have drafted CP3 or DWill to hook up Josh!! Naw instead we took DUCK, aka knuckle dragging…This is your retarded Hawks……………
J.J.M
December 27th, 2010
10:42 am
and also if you look at other teams they are getting some production from their from their draft picks…hawks draft players and dont even use them. All they do is dress them on the bench with suits when they are never hurt. How can you determine if the player is good or not if he never plays any minutes?
Rod from College Park
December 27th, 2010
10:44 am
We all know that the Hawks need a true big man. One of the ways to improve this team immediately is to aquire a wing (2 or 3) that can take his man off the dribble and get to the basket, or a penetrating point guard. The Hawks depend strictly on knocking down jump shots, and that won’t work when teams play playoff level defense. The last two years, our main problem in the playoffs has been that we can’t score. JJ, Marvin, Bibby, Josh, and Horford would all rather shot a jump shot than anything else. We need a slasher in the starting lineup bad. The roster is seriously flawed, and a move needs to be made. Marvin is playing much better, so maybe there are some teams that may be interested. I have always supported Josh, but if he continues to shoot jump shots, and complain and pout on every play, he needs to be traded also.
Walter R. Terrell
December 27th, 2010
10:45 am
Hawks have to grow up. Orlando, Miami, Chicago, New York and Boston is gonna leave us standing and gawking. We are going to lose a lot of games because of basketball knowledge. Josh Smith has none, very talented man but his basketball IQ is zilch. Larry needs to bench him until Smith learns to play within the context of the game. He’s just too wild when we are trying to get a lead
STRETCH
December 27th, 2010
10:48 am
Atlanta Hawks – Just like they’ve done the last few years, the Hawks are quietly one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, posting a 19-12 record, good for what would be the fourth seed in the playoffs. They’re going to be a playoff team with a reasonable seeding, so getting their roster right before the deadline is important, especially as they decide what to do with Jamal Crawford and his expiring contract.
Assets: Jamal Crawford, SG (1 year, $10.1 million), Maurice Evans, SG (1 year, $2.5 million), Mike Bibby, PG (2 years, $11.8 million). Crawford could very easily walk at the end of the season if not offered a proper extension, so the team may look to move him to avoid losing him for nothing. He’ll be the guy most coveted by other teams. Hawks’ backup point guard Jeff Teague has shown flashes of promise this season, perhaps making Bibby a player that could be moved if the returning player were good enough. Evans has a great salary for what he brings to the table, and the fact that it’s an expiring deal makes him worthwhile, too. Atlanta has a few other inexpensive expiring guys (Jason Collins, Etan Thomas, Josh Powel, Pape Sy) that could be added to deals as well.
What They’re Looking For: More than anything, they could use a real center so Al Horford can actually play some power forward. Not that there are a lot of marquee centers being dangled around out there, but the Hawks need some size down low.
Samuel
December 27th, 2010
10:49 am
Sure do and they do not run a motion offense. Do they move the ball around and make the defense move more. Yes, but they do not run a motion offense which is what LD advertised. Big difference.
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
10:51 am
The problem I see is the Hawks franchise over the past decades have hired incompetent GM’s which equates to a terrible product on the hardwood for years..45 years and never won a conference final much less participated in a championship and your the 9th largest CITY IN AMERICA?? I can’t support this garbage….
J.J.M
December 27th, 2010
10:55 am
hawks need a front office like the falcons…point blank
yodaddy
December 27th, 2010
10:56 am
I didn’t see the game but I knew we would lose.
Mo Evans needs to be on the bench forever and pretty please can Jeff Teague get some minutes out there?
All of this seems like a no brainer to me.
Bibby, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al, and Collins
Bench
Teague, Jamal, Marvin, Powell, and Zaza…Damien Wilkins and then Etan Thomas….then Mo Evans.
jlewis
December 27th, 2010
10:59 am
I wish everyone would stop blaming JJ, if he didnt hold the ball to draw a double team, this team wouldnt score much, and dont point to when he was out, teams hadnt adjusted, when they started to, it wasnt pretty. Get Al’s and Josh’s butt in the paint, they both want to be 2 guards. The NBA is an ISO league, everyone does it but the Lakers, and at the end of games they go ISO also, but then again, they have more talent and depth than the Hawks. The problem is still the same, no point guard, no center, no depth. Blame ASG
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
11:00 am
Kenny Smith said it best on TNT and NBA TV when referring to the beloved HAWKS, quote “I can’t watch bad basketball”…….
Marvin Williams as your starting sf will not win you an ECF nor Championships that’s for sure…I would take Candice Parker over that softie….
Samuel
December 27th, 2010
11:01 am
Motion offense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blGh5I0dHf4&feature=related
This is what LD tried to sell the Hawks on along with the ignorant fans who wanted Woody gone so they bought into it. That’s why he ran them into the ground during training camp trying to get them into shape to run this thing. They rebelled and now were where we started.
The only team who runs anything close is UTAH.
Astro Joe
December 27th, 2010
11:02 am
Some of y’all would make a big trade after every lost game. Funny. LD complains about the team not running or playting fast while keeping Teague on the bench. That suggests that either he is a fool (for not using the guy best able to quicken the pace) or he has little confidence that Teague could add net value to the game… speed up the tempo while not making too many dumb mistakes.
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
11:03 am
Yea but UTAH has who running the point??? DWill, oh that’s right the Hawks passed on him. Didn’t see his “potential”……Yawn…..
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
11:05 am
If the Hawks don’t make a block buster move they will get dismantled come playoff time……….
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
11:11 am
‘Atlanta Hawks – Just like they’ve done the last few years, the Hawks are quietly one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, posting a 19-12 record, good for what would be the fourth seed in the playoffs. They’re going to be a playoff team with a reasonable seeding, so getting their roster right before the deadline is important, especially as they decide what to do with Jamal Crawford and his expiring contract.”
So what, they were a third seed last season and look what happen? They were completely humiliated along with their fan base…What is going to change this year?? Ans: Nothing
yodaddy
December 27th, 2010
11:12 am
If you needed defense at the PG spot then not having Teague out there is a mystery that even Sherlock Holmes is unable to solve. If you needed defense period then Not having Damien Wilkins out there is another mystery.
What is coach’s love affair with Mo Evans? The boy is pure garbage…can’t dribble, can’t finish, and certainly can’t shoot, his defense is average. He can’t rebound or play the passing lane, not to mention injury prone and short…he’s useless… but coach keeps trotting him out there like he’s about to do something. A couple of defensive possessions and hustle plays (Teague and Wilkins) can completely change the complexion of a game.
So crying about defense when you don’t even play for one minute your two best on ball defenders is looney tunes.
Samuel
December 27th, 2010
11:20 am
It’s pretty obvious that we have mid level talent, therefore we will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack. It’s idiotic to think we can do anything better. We will finish somewhere between 4-6. Either way, we’ll be playing Orlando, Chicago or NY in the first round. Our only hope is to win home court advantage so we can make it out of the 1st round this year.
We probably could have gotten Monta Ellis this summer when GS was ready to move him because they wanted Curry to be the star. Curry is kinda injury prone so it will be hard to get Ellis right now. Plus, we like our “CORE” right? Idiots!!
Samuel
December 27th, 2010
11:25 am
Ken,
You turning on ya Boy, LD? What’s up with that?
lewis
December 27th, 2010
11:26 am
Bibby and Smoove for Varejao and Mo Williams – works
Jamal and Marvin for Varejao and Mo Williams – works
i know what you’re thinking, but Mo Williams is fast, penetrates when he wants, plays okay D, doesn’t turn the ball over and can shoot well from the outside. He’s also one of the few available pg’s that could make this team better. Varejao is an impact player for sure, possibly untouchable though
Cleveland has always liked Marvin for some reason
Mo Williams is unhappy and really wants to win (only concern is his hamstring situation / overpaid)
People are gonna say losing Josh Smith for Varejao is a crime but he’s a blue collar defending 7 footer who’s not worried about scoring and Josh has been freakishly inconsistent
Starting lineup:
Mo Williams, JJ, Marvin, Horford, Varejao (minus smoove / bibby)
Mo Williams, JJ, Smoove, Horford, Varejao (minus jamal/marvin)
or Mo Williams, JJ, Smoove, Horford, Collins with Varejao coming off the bench as the impact big
this lineup would fly down the court
bring on the hate.
I can’t be the only one who’s angered by Bibby hobbling down the court making the first pass with 15 seconds left on the shot clock. Made worse by the fact that the Hornets, on the next possession, pass up 2 good looks, drive to the rim, rebound, get the tip in, with 15 seconds left on the shot clock.
Samuel
December 27th, 2010
11:32 am
Joe,
If you listen to all of LD’s interviews he says the same thing. He never wants to speed the pace up on the road. He want’s to “control the tempo” and keep the crowd out of the game.
What’s funny is some of you guys thought you were getting the complete opposite of Woody but in all actuality LD is even more stubborn than Woody. He’s actually kinda arrogant. I have never once heard him admit he made a mistake. At least Woody would occasionally do that.
yodaddy
December 27th, 2010
11:35 am
Mo Williams and Varejao????? can’t be serious bruh…no thanks we’ll keep Marvin and Jamal Crawford.
Mo Williams is smaller than Jeff Teague and plays no defense. Instead of helping on Bibby we’d be helping on Mo Williams.
The Hawks need like a Chauncey type at PG…Size that can shoot and defend.
lewis
December 27th, 2010
11:37 am
LD,
DONT YOU REMEMBER THAT BIBBY/JAMAL/JOE/JOSH/AL IS WHAT GOT WOODSON FIRED?
You had a decent thing going with Collins starting occasionally and Powell being ahead of Zaza in the rotation. The bane of your coaching existence lies in giving Jamal’s scoring ability way too much credit. That is all he does. If he is not hitting, please take him out. Bibby, Joe and Jamal being in the lineup is obnoxiously redundant and 2 of them play NO DEFENSE AT ALL (Though I did see Jamal actually stay with someone yesterday and almost spit out my drink) We do not need any more high volume jump shooters. I was cool on Jamal long before his 6moy 17ppg stunt that was made possible by Woody the enabler. JC2, if given the chance, might very well become better than Jamal because he is fearless when it comes to driving to the basket. Jamal, I know you got game, but you’re not Jason Terry and never will be. Please go dominate the offense of some other team.
Mo Evans has made a living hitting corner 3’s and playing lock down defense for playoff teams. He’s struggling to do both. Why not give Damien, Jordan or Teague a shot?
lewis
December 27th, 2010
11:40 am
Keeping Marvin and Jamal means we lose Jamal, who doesn’t do much for us anyway, for nothing, and maintain an overpaid SF who has put up consistent numbers more than 2 games in a row for the first time as a 5 year starter.
I’m just done with this core, sorry
bigdave
December 27th, 2010
11:42 am
“We need a slasher in the starting lineup bad.”
i agree…
never a threat to attack the rim, the first 8-9 in depth are more comfortable taking jump shots 12ft on out.
its comical when the opponent gets in the penalty early and you hear Bob or Nique suggest we drive the ball..
lkudh
December 27th, 2010
11:46 am
wonder if “j smoove”, got his rattle and blanket for christmas? thought he would carry them on the court when he does his pouty face to the refs and crowd. trade this quitter while he still has some value and you will see the attitude change on the team.
O'Brien
December 27th, 2010
11:49 am
I’m with Ken on this one. IMO, Coaching was the biggest reason we lost this game.
If the Hawks dont make any moves, I think the best they can hope for is 4th so they have homecourt. Otherwise, they might get eliminated in the first round.
If the Hawks dont make it to the second round, and at least win a couple games in the second round, that will be a big step back for LD and the Hawks.
yodaddy
December 27th, 2010
11:52 am
@ lewis
I agree but bringing in Mo Williams and Anderson Varejao is not the answer.
Mo Williams game is weak and Varejao is pretty much Tall and that’s it.
At least Marvin & Jamal have skills that we (theoretically) could use.
Mo & Jamal are the same player except Jamal Crawford can get his own shot. Both high volume 3 point shooters with no size or defense. Not to mention making that trade would give us 3 pgs and 2 starting pgs. Bibby is not coming off the bench for Mo Williams.
Bottom line is that we can get someone better than Mo Williams for Jamal Crawford AND we can get someone better than Varejao for Marvin Williams.
O'Brien
December 27th, 2010
11:53 am
Blake Griffin is averaging 21 and 12. Wow. Those are the numbers I would like to see from Josh and Al.
Rufus1
December 27th, 2010
12:02 pm
4QT
It doesn’t make sense to continue to play Bibby and Jamal in the 4th Qt if the Hawks are only going to score 15pts… The point production doesn’t justify the defensive short fall.
FIGURE IT OUT LD….
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
12:04 pm
Got news for ya. This team has already stepped backwards. They “peaked” last season..That’s it. It’s a wrap! Jettison the core Scottie! Make it so…(Captain Kirk/Captain Picard)
slimjr
December 27th, 2010
12:05 pm
Josh is not wired or skilled enough to put up 20 and 10 nightly. Your dreamin…
Mike is back
December 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
Samuel, Dude ain’t been coaching a half of season yet…too early to throw him under the bus, and call him another Woody.
Ken, you can’t blame JJ this time…Dude has not been hogging ball since he returned…Joe has been a different player since he returned…there are still plays where he may hold on to the ball some…but he is making a conscious effort to find his team-mates.