Atlanta Hawks at Thunder: Marvin to remain in ATL
Oklahoma City–Marvin won’t join the team on this West trip and instead will remain in Atlanta to rehab his back injury. L.D. said an MRI showed no further damage so the diagnosis remains a bruise.
“Hopefully after we get off this week road trip he will be back and be ready to play,” Drew said.
Add these four games for Marvin and that brings Atlanta’s total to 50 games missed because of injury/illness after 38 games. That number was 25 for 82 games last season.
The Hawks will use the Twin lineup tonight.It’s their most efficient defensive lineup and has the best plus-minus differential but tonight the alignment means Smoove draws Durant. There may not be another guy in the league who is a tougher test for Small Forward Josh.
“But there are probably going to end up being three or four different guys guarding [Durant],” L.D. said. “We have to give him different looks because he gets a lot of touches and he’s a tough guard. We will have to change some defenses in trying to limit him as much as we can. He gets a lot of shots but he’s a prolific scorer. The thing you have to do is try to make him work for everything.”
Party time?
It’s New Year’s Eve. The Hawks fly to LA after the game. They don’t practice until 4 p.m. West Coast time tomorrow. You see where I’m going with this.
“I’m always worried about that,” L.D. said. “But I am going to pose a challenge to them tonight. This is the last game of 2010 and there is business at hand that needs to be taken care of before we think about any kind of a party. We have got to bring our business mentality tonight. We’ve got a game to play against a really good basketball team and we can not look ahead by any means.”
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
198 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
December 31st, 2010
9:27 pm
“Joe should still be able to at least sink those open shots with ease, given he’s considered an elite player in this league”
Even if he’s not considered an elite player in the league, some of the shots he’s missed today and in recent games are shots that above-average, non-All Star SGs make on a regular basis. Those shots where Smoove sets him up with a wide open look should be automatic.
I understand if he’s still injured, but if he’s not 100% he should rest until he is. It doesn’t make sense to play hurt if he’s going to be so far from 100% that he actually hurts the team. 3/10 and 0/5 from 3 ain’t going to cut it.
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
9:28 pm
Najeh,
I’d like to see Horford at center some. He has more of a mismatch there.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
9:28 pm
Joe is having a rough season. And Durant has a physical advantage over 95% of his competition. The max salary has NEVER been reserved for the top 10-15 players in the league…. that is a reality that too many fans don’t grasp. Kenyon Martin was never as valuable as KG (as an example), but he got a huge contract nonetheless because he was considered that valuable to the Nets.
Blast
December 31st, 2010
9:29 pm
Do not disrespect the OKC Thunder. That is an awfully good basketball team. If they played in the East, I might designate them the East champs. They took Lakers to 6 last year in the 1st playoffs.
Hawks have made a game of it, but I just don’t see them winning this game. Thunders are just too good at home, and away.
Folks used to say teams like OKC and Memphis built their teams based on the Hawks model. The only problem is those teams made better choices of their draft picks, while Hawks chose Marvin, AC, Salim, Jordan Crawford, Pape, guys who cannot contribute right away, maybe even Teague, the way he is going….
Then you have the OKC choosing Durant 2nd, Westbrook, Green, and all the rest.
And you wonder why.
ATL FAN
December 31st, 2010
9:30 pm
wtf josh
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
9:30 pm
Josh’s Dumb Count is up to wat now 10 LMAO
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
9:33 pm
I wonder how many of Josh’s 7 TOs will be blamed on his teammates or head coach or Marvin (or the popcorn vendor)?
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:35 pm
Why is Bibby in the game? He is not effective in this game. OKC has too much size and the speed of this game is too fast for him…
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:35 pm
LionHearted,
are you happy now? Josh may be out for the rest of the game.
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
9:38 pm
Why would i be happy about Josh being injured?
I was talking about all of Josh’s mistakes this game. Never once have I hoped for Josh or anyone else to be injured.
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
9:40 pm
broke out the zone..
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:41 pm
Lionhearted,
Of course I know you didnt wish any harm to him. But you got take the good with the bad (turnovers)…
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:42 pm
Joe is shooting the Hawks out of the game this qtr…
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
9:44 pm
Melvin, but he has a lot of assists… good with the bad, right?
Bailey
December 31st, 2010
9:45 pm
The Hawks are under-utilizing Horford to an incredible extent in this game. Usually, when that happens the Hawks lose. I hope that is not the case tonight. Horford definitely needs more involvement in the offense.
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:46 pm
Why run a pick n roll with Collins? He doesn’t shoot it well enough to pop nor does he has good coordnation to roll to the rim…
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
9:46 pm
10 dimes..
if he doesnt look for his offense, or take his shots..
no way he’s able to create for others..
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:47 pm
Astro,
True… Hopefully he will Heat up…
Ramon
December 31st, 2010
9:48 pm
Bailey, Horford is playing injured. So its hard for them to continue to go to him too much when his hand is in so much pain.
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
9:48 pm
10 assists and 0 TOs. Who knew one could handle the ball that much and still protect the team’s possessions?
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:50 pm
Jamal… with a nasty dunk
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
9:50 pm
Jamal lol
Ramon
December 31st, 2010
9:51 pm
This may be the best game the Hawks have played all season long!
Also many of Josh’s turnovers came on reaching fouls, and two came on passes to Collins, who wasn’t ready.
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:52 pm
Astro,
Sometimes bad, forced or ill advise shots are just as effective as a turnover…
Samuel
December 31st, 2010
9:53 pm
Hawks are ballin right now. Good game.
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
9:55 pm
lol @ our coaching staff looking like some deacons/ushers standing up overseeing the defense..
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
9:56 pm
Melvin, I agree. Part of the good with the bad.
LionHearted
December 31st, 2010
9:57 pm
Josh that adds to your dumb count
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
9:57 pm
Did they knock the sense out of Josh…lol
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
10:00 pm
Horford pulling a Marvin disappearing act tonight.
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
10:01 pm
Damien should have taken the close look he had in the paint instead of kicking it out for a bad look @ 3..
Sleepy
December 31st, 2010
10:01 pm
OKC is a really ultra-aggressive team all you have to do is keep your wits about you and take it strong to the rack and they will foul you . They seem to take teams by surprise with there aggressiveness
JoJo Dancer
December 31st, 2010
10:01 pm
I wish we would trade Josh Smith! He will never listen as long as he is a Hawk. What has Jeff Teague done to not get any playing time. The other team’s point guard is killing us. I don’t understand what we are doing on defense. This coaching staff sucks!!!
JoJo Dancer
December 31st, 2010
10:02 pm
I can’t stand Jamal Crawford. We can’t stop anybody’s backcourt.
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
10:02 pm
Mo is space.
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
10:04 pm
Is Damien that bad of a freethrow shooter
evettec
December 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
Brothers still wearing doo doo brown suits?
bigdave
December 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
bs from Joe there.
Hawks vs Thunder
December 31st, 2010
10:05 pm
a 4 pt 4th quarter isn’t going to beat a team on the road
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
10:06 pm
Good with the bad…
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
10:07 pm
Durantula is a freak.
hawkfan
December 31st, 2010
10:10 pm
and that’s game, good night, well at least it’s about to be a new year
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
10:10 pm
Bad with the bad?
Hawks vs Thunder
December 31st, 2010
10:11 pm
I think it’s almost a safe bet to say the Hawks will go 2-2 on this road trip. They’ll of course lose to the good teams but beat the Clippers and Kings
Melvin
December 31st, 2010
10:12 pm
Turnover and bad shot by Joe the last two possession….
Astro Joe
December 31st, 2010
10:12 pm
2 of the Thunder have way over 50% of their team’s FGAs. I wonder how some bloggers would like that kind of ratio… 2 Hawks taking close to 60% of the shots.
HELLO
December 31st, 2010
10:13 pm
Josh Smith dunk is already in Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2IUyyj-YdU
anyways this game is over, Thanks to JJ, Dude flat out SUCKS.
Sautee
December 31st, 2010
10:14 pm
AJ,
If both players were burgeoning superstars, I’d be ok with it.
Wabe
December 31st, 2010
10:14 pm
I’d trade the entire organization for Durant + Westbrook.
Joe, Jamal, Josh, Horford, all the scrubs on the bench…
Everybody.
yodaddy
December 31st, 2010
10:14 pm
Joe Johnson has to step up more….15 points on 5 for 18 shooting is not going to cut it