Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 104, Raptors 101
Raps couldn't stop Jamal. (AP Photo)
- If you are going to play no defense and get into an freewheeling shootout like the Hawks did in the first half, it’s good to have Jamal on your side. I thought he was going to provide the answer to Jason Walker’s poll at Peachtree Hoops after just one day.
- “I was a little concerned going into this game after what we’ve gone through in the last couple days in Atlanta with the snow and the ice of not being able to get the players on the floor and get some time in and get some shots up,” L.D. told reporters. “I was a little concerned that we would be a little rusty. Jamal, he came in that first half and really did a great job of getting us going and keeping us in it. Our defense I thought was really as low-energy as it’s been all year. But we were able to stay in it offensively because he made some shots.”
- If you need a big shot, Jamal and Bibby are good choices. If you need to get stops in a possession-by-possession game like this one became in the second half, neither guard is ideal. That’s why you saw L.D. make offense-defense substitutions with those two and Wilkins and Mo.
- Amir Johnson had gotten an and-1 on a pick-and-roll with Calderon vs. Bibby and Al for a 101-99 lead. But Johnson fouled things up when the Raps tried the same play again and he seemed less concerned with rolling to the basket and (for some reason) more worried about taking out Jamal.
- He inexplicably committed an obvious moving screen against Jamal (who sold it well to officials) with 10.5 seconds to go. That left the door open for the Hawks, and Bibby busted through it. He curled around a double screen from Al and Josh to make a 3. I think it was the same play the Hawks used for a key bucket late in their W at Orlando.
- Calderon thought he had a mismatch when Al switched off on him but really he would have been better off trying to swing the ball around and isolate one of Atlanta’s guards. Al played excellent D to get a piece of Calderon’s shot without fouling, then pulled back as the ball went off Calderon’s shoulder and out of bounds.
- Officials originally awarded the ball to the Hawks Raps but overturned it after looking at the replay. “I was not sure [of the call]; that’s why I called my guys in,” L.D. said. “My players were indicating the ball went off them. I was actually preparing myself to defend on that end because I didn’t see what happened.”
- After Joe made two free throws, the Hawks survived a pretty good 3-point look for Bargnani. The Hawks didn’t handle the Raps like the better teams have lately but they got out of Toronto with their fifth straight W and ninth in their last 11.
- They can thank Jamal for that. He was most of Atlanta’s offense in the first half. When he stopped scoring in the third, the Raps came back. In the fourth Jamal made a 30-foot 3-pointer, found Al for a key fastbreak layup and craftily drew a foul from DeRozan on a 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Hawks a99-98 lead.
- Jamal had 36 points on 23 shots with no turnovers. “He’s every coach’s dream when you talk about a guy who can come off the bench and get you going,” L.D. said. “He knows what I expect from him. When the team is not going well and we need productivity off the bench, he comes in there and I run plays for him to get us going and tonight he kept us around that first half and then we found a way at the end.”
- About Jamal’s only real mishap late in the game was picking up a rare technical foul. He thought Barbosa hooked him on an and-1, and he had a point, but that’s a bad spot for a tech.
- J.J. (26 points on 20 shots) was nearly as efficient as Jamal. He had five turnovers and missed some spot-ups but he’s got his floater working and really is showing a knack for finding space in the offense. He also suckered DeRozan into fouling him on a 3.
- Josh was nonexistent offensively for much of the game while floating around the perimeter but then took Johnson to the post for a key basket in the fourth. He missed a 3-pointer with the Hawks down 93-91 but it was off good ball movement, in rhythm, he was open and he’s still the second-most accurate from there so hard to fault him too much.
- Bargnani did a good job of challenging Al’s face-ups. His defense (and the two-foul rule) took Al out of his game as he too often held the ball while trying to size Bargnani up. Al and Zaza struggled to stay with Bargnani on defense but both guys rebounded.
- Al and Smoove both tweaked their ankles but returned to the game.
- Mo lately is making more of his spot-up jumpers. He’ll get opportunities so if he keeps that up it adds yet another offensive threat for the Hawks.
- Wilkins has a knack for getting to the free-throw line, especially for a guy who isn’t much of a threat to score. He always goes hard to the basket.
- Teague got some early run and was minus-7 in seven minutes. Sometimes he beats the first line of defense and then backs it out instead of trying to get to the rim for his floater or setting up a drive-and-kick.
MC
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337 comments Add your comment
The Truth
January 13th, 2011
1:20 pm
O’Brien
I consider D Howard a prime example of a help defender we are lacking. But if D Howard was isolated out on the perimeter with the likes of a Tony Parker, even he wound be exposed.
Jeff
January 13th, 2011
1:28 pm
What im thinking is,
Josh Smith and Jeff Teague to the Lakers, for Shannon Brown, Andrew Bynum, and Matt Barnes
The Truth
January 13th, 2011
1:29 pm
O’Brien
“Except for Dwight Howard, who else in the league is considered an enforcer (on defense)?”
We passed-up Shaq but he can still play this role. Also Dalembert and Camby do a nice job as well. Hell I’ll even take S Jones back.
JeJe
January 13th, 2011
1:43 pm
Our schedule from Feb 16 – March 18 is f’ing brutal.
Easiest team I see is @ GSW (where we lost last year) or vs. Knicks
We gotta keep beating these weaker teams
Hoops
January 13th, 2011
1:48 pm
Who would you trade for the right player?
Evans, Teague, Josh, Bibby, Marvin?
Ken Strickland
January 13th, 2011
2:17 pm
THE TRUTH-You’re correct, no PF can completely shutdown an elite PG throughout an entire gm. But that’s not the point. Our PG should at least be good enough defensively to contain PG’s that aren’t considered elite. How many times do we play teams with elite PG’s like CPaul, DWilliams, DRose, SNash, CBillups, RRondo etc?
With Bibby, there have been too many gms where average PG’s have elite performances against us. His DEF liabilities create pressure and unnecessory fouls on our frontline, as they must keep one eye on their man and the other on the lane and Bibby’s man.
We might not be able to acquire a PG with the DEF ability to stop elite PG’s, but we can and should get one that can keep average PG’s from consistently having elite performances against us.
Did anyone else notice Teague waving for the ball when they were trying to double Jamal? I saw it happen 3 times. Some of you need to get over Bibby making that clutch shot. Maybe if he had played better DEF and contributed more OFF earlier, his last min dramatics would have been unnecessary.
Geemack
January 13th, 2011
3:00 pm
So unless the Hawks win the Division they will finish 5th and have to play the 6th seed in the 1st rd.
Geemack
January 13th, 2011
3:02 pm
Ken Strickland
I like the Devin Harris breakdown. He would be an ideal PG for this team. Good trade info as well.
Ra'mon
January 13th, 2011
3:21 pm
Kens, I would truly welcome a deal for D. Harris, and be ecstatic for the deal. The Hawks may would have to include Josh Powell/Etan Thomas in the deal so they do not end up in luxury tax land. I’d actually be willing to do a deal of Marvin/Teague for Harris/Damion James straight up. Or I would attempt a deal of Bibby/Mo Evans/E. Thomas/2011 1st round pick for Harris/D. James/2012 2nd round pick. A deal like that at first glance would seem maybe its too much. But you’re essentially trading your 1st round pick for D. James (who you drafted and traded).
jason
January 13th, 2011
3:30 pm
NBA At 2: Nash And The Hawks?
By: Bill Ingram Last Updated: 1/6/11 1:06 PM ET | 8540 times read
Adjust font size:One of the hot topics around the NBA this week has been whether or not the Phoenix Suns will trade All-Star point guard Steve Nash as the next phase in their ongoing effort to dump salary. Of course, everyone’s favorite game then becomes determining where Steve Nash might land. The New York Knicks have been a favorite guess, and it’s easy to see. After all, Nash would be reunited with his former head coach in Mike D’Antoni and his former pick-and-roll partner in Amar’e Stoudemire. The Knicks, however, don’t have the most attractive pieces to offer in trade and they don’t even have a particular need with Raymond Felton playing at an All-Star level.
There is a team, however, that desperately needs Nash’s services. It’s one of the teams that rose to an elite level in the Eastern Conference prior to letting their head coach go and making no major upgrades over the offseason. As the Miami HEAT, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Orlando Magic have worked tirelessly to improve their rosters, the Hawks have elected to basically stand pat, and as a result they’re quickly losing ground in their conference. HOOPSWORLD’s Lang Greene believes Nash is the answer for the Hawks, and even see a path of acquisition for Atlanta:
Atlanta has never been the first choice destination of marquee players looking to change addresses, but the Hawks franchise could offer a future Hall of Famer like Steve Nash a legitimate chance to add a NBA title to his already sparkling resume.
A couple of key facts are often overlooked when analyzing the current state of the Hawks. The first is that the franchise features three All-Star caliber players in Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Josh Smith. The frontcourt tandem of Horford and Smith are 24 and 25, respectively, and both have yet to reach their physical primes. Secondly, for all the criticism Johnson receives for his $124 million deal, the fact remains that he’s the third-best shooting guard in the NBA right now behind Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. The deal that Johnson signed will ultimately become an anchor to the salary cap as he hits the age most players decline rapidly (2014-16), but right now his presence on the roster is a favorable one.
The widely accepted roster move theory that would push the Hawks into title contention is the acquisition of a true starting center so that Horford can play his natural power forward position. But Horford has excelled as an undersized center, earning his first All-Star appearance last season, and while he struggles defensively against bigger guys in the post his speed and versatility makes him a very tough assignment on the other end of the floor.
The true need for the Hawks is a floor general. The Hawks have been seeking a game changing point guard since passing over Chris Paul, Deron Williams and to a lesser extend Raymond Felton in the 2005 draft for Marvin Williams. We all witnessed the chemistry that Nash and Amar’e Stoudemire demonstrated in Phoenix for years, can you imagine Nash in the open court with Horford and Smith filling the lanes?
On the surface, the Hawks can’t offer much in talent in return for Nash. The Hawks have shopped Williams but have found no takers, plus the Suns already possess a plethora of wing players. But the Hawks do have the expiring contract of Jamal Crawford, which basically matches what Nash is on the books for this year.
At first glance most would laugh at the suggestion of a Nash for Crawford (and a first round pick) swap straight up. However, the Suns have some real big decisions to make. Is it time to blow it up and start over? If so, acquiring Crawford’s expiring deal along with the recently acquired Vince Carter’s near $19 million non-guaranteed contract next season and Phoenix would then possess $30 million in freed of cap room – which would be plenty of flexibility to start the rebuilding process.
The Hawks should aggressively pursue Nash if he became available, but not at the expense of Horford, Smith or Johnson. But if the team can acquire him for a package with Crawford (straight up), or Marvin Williams, Jordan Crawford (and Mike Bibby) for example then executive vice president and general manager Rick Sund should pick up the phone and work some Magic.
The Phoenix Suns do, indeed, seem intent on blowing it up and starting over. If that weren’t the plan, they never would have let Amar’e Stoudemire walk away, not on the heels of the team’s unlikely appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Now, with the conference finals ever-shrinking in the rear-view mirror, it’s time to set Nash free . . .and the Atlanta Hawks not only have a need, but also a shot at making the Finals with Nash at the helm.
Read more NBA news and insight: http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=18398#ixzz1AwqOxM2X
jason
January 13th, 2011
3:48 pm
steve nash makes sense for us. jamal makes sense for them. its all up to the gm’s
Rufus1
January 13th, 2011
3:58 pm
Hoopsworld Article..wtf????
” the Hawks have elected to basically stand pat, and as a result they’re quickly losing ground in their conference.”
When did the start losing ground…before or after we beat the Magic twice.
When our best players missed 9 games and was hurt at the start of the season?
When the SMOY missed 5-6 games with back problems?
When are starting SF got hurt and is hurt again?
With all that has happened we are still 26-14 and 3rd in the conference.
I wish these writers wuld write about what has happened….. and not what they want to happen!
I heard Mchale say the Bulls were and elite team…They are 6-11 against teams above .500 and 8-10 on the road…Really????
SteveW
January 13th, 2011
4:00 pm
I think LD did well by not starting Jason Collins last night. I can’t see Collins chasing Bargnini outside. Collins is a good big body on a big body, but not much else. Anybody else notice BTW all the good young bigs in the Eastern Conference. Noah, Al, Bargnini, Lopez, Hibbert etc. Not to mention Dwight.
Jamillion
January 13th, 2011
4:05 pm
Scoop it is crazy after a bad game u smoove haters come out.
Rufus1
January 13th, 2011
4:05 pm
Ding, Dong the witch is DEAD!
How are the Magic going to beat the Hawks again?
We now have Collins to guard D12, so their shooters aren’t wide open anymore…LD has a balanced offense, so you can’t just key on JJ…LD exploits the mismatches we have at SG, SF af PF, so we now pound them on the block.
HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BEAT THE HAWKS AGAIN???
SteveW
January 13th, 2011
4:06 pm
The only way to afford Nash or Harris, and keep Jamal, is by trading Marvin and Bibby. And that may not be enough to keep Jamal. Depends on the FA market.
Booo – Co-sign about Teague. Bibby put the dagger in the coffin last night (great line ‘Nique!), but didn’t do much else.
But I’ve been pushing Teague to get more time than Bibby at PG, but I have realized that Bibby is not a PG. He is a hybrid shooter, intelligent, no mistakes guy, but he is a not a PG in the traditional sense of the word.
Teague, Harris, Nash etc., Now those are PG’s. In LD’s offense, I think having that pure spot up shooter is important, and we just try to cover for Bibby on D. Just my thoughts.
SteveW
January 13th, 2011
4:07 pm
Now Bibby 3 years ago was a PG, but not anymore. Just a shooter who doesn’t make mistakes, and knows what pass to make. It seems to be working for us.
Rufus1
January 13th, 2011
4:19 pm
Trade
Jamal for Devin Harris and Morrow is the only trade the Hawks Might accept…
LD gets a PG and a shooter.
The nuggets want
Geemack
January 13th, 2011
4:22 pm
Ra’mon
Why would NJ give up an all star PG like Devin Harris for an overpaid bad contract (MWilliams), and a PG who can’t beat out a old slow vet like Teague.
Sound like a vast improvement for NJ.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 13th, 2011
4:29 pm
GeeMack
Right? That would really motivate Melo to sign that extension in NJ.
He would just say, “to die for!” to play with Marvin and Teague!
SMH!
gmoney
January 13th, 2011
4:32 pm
tied for 3rd in the East; if you go to some games you will see how good these guys really are. They’ve won 5 straight and are coming off a great road trip. Some of you in the blog see that this team is very good and very competitive in a league that is top heavy. There are so many bad teams in this league, we are lucky not to be one of those teams. We were one of those teams 4 years ago, we are not today. Enjoy your team, it is fun and they are fun to watch.
jason
January 13th, 2011
4:32 pm
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4heuuje and a first round pick to the suns
sam'l
January 13th, 2011
4:33 pm
First of all, thank MC for writing an adjacent article detailing the last few minutes of the game…….good idea….
Second of all, I don’t mind Hoops Opinion, but that’s all it is. an opinion. and we all have opinions. I just happen to like Jamal’s game,and all those Jamal trade scenarios aren’t necessarily well thought opinions like O’Briens…. Interesting that Williams has been shopped with no takers…really interesting….can you cut a player…just cut him off the roster for nonperformance?
Rufus1…..I would like to think Collins is the answer…..but the two Hawk victories this year came when.
1. The whole Magic team was basically sick with the flu…..
2. The team was using a new bunch of players who hadn’t played together
So, this team is still very dangerous and I think they do have a fairly good chance of beating the Hawks this year.
For all the wild rumors and speculation and weather and everything else, the Hawks still continue to fly under the radar and win a lot of games, the coach is trying out some new wrinkles and we’ve won 5 straight……
There are worse positions to be in and we can always hope that maybe this year we’ll get it right. Darn Teague and Williams….they could be missing components!
gmoney
January 13th, 2011
4:35 pm
The Truth: We passed on Shaq because he destroys the locker room. He cannot hurt a veteran locker room like the Celtics but he destroyed the Suns. Who doesn’t love the personality of Shaq?The issue for us is we have a solid team that lacks a true leader. Hopefully Al turns into that guy at some point in the future…
Ra'mon
January 13th, 2011
4:47 pm
Geemack, NJN would do this deal because, it will give Avery the chance to hand pick his point guard this off season with the expiring contract of Troy Murphy’s. Also Harris has more than one year left on his contract. There will be 3 point guards taken in the top 10 picks of this upcoming draft. Its not unfeasible to believe the micromanaging Avery wants someone other than Harris (who has been the rumored name in every draft deal rumored surrounding New Jersey). Also, if you know much about Harris’ college and rookie season, you’ll know that Harris and Teague are very similar to one another. Marvin gives the Nets what they thought they got in Williams and/or Outlaw. Marvin would instantly become their 2nd option behind Lopez. A top 5 pick, Lopez, Favors, Marvin, and over $13 million coming off of the books will help send NJN in the right direction in Brooklyn.
Hoops
January 13th, 2011
4:50 pm
The Hawks should offer Evans, Bibby, and Zaza for Nash and Dudley. Evans has an expiring contract, Bibby can help Dragic come along this season, and Zaza gives them some muscle inside.
Ra'mon
January 13th, 2011
4:52 pm
Geemack, if you look at Marvin’s numbers are very similar to those of Al Harrington’s before AH was traded to the Hawks and became our 1st/2nd option. Al was in his 7th season when he finally got an increase in role with the Hawks. So you can see why some GMs do look at Marvin as being capable of jumping to the 17-20 ppg with 4-5 more shot attempts a game. I strongly believe that Marvin is an 18 ppg type of player (just not on this team because at best he is the 5/6th best scoring option). But on NJN, he’s the 2nd best.
JoJo the Godfather
January 13th, 2011
4:54 pm
Trade Mo Evans’ expiring contract to Detroit for Ben Wallace, who’s under contract through the end of next season. If Rip’s out and Prince is expiring, Big Ben will not want to stick around. In the rumored deal, they’ll get Petro to take his place.
Ken Strickland
January 13th, 2011
5:01 pm
RA’MON-The only way we could end up in luxury tax territory on either of my trade suggestions for DHarris is if our #3.6M trade exemption is counted towards our cap. I don’t know what the rule is on using it, but if it’s counted, it wouldn’t be much of an exemption would it.
If the trade goes down, and it involves RHamilton, CBillups and CAnthony, New Jersey will have to clear cap space, and start CBillups. There’s no way they could bench a productive PG like DHarris. The question would be, are they more interested in clearing cap space, or acquiring talent?
We can certainly help them clear cap space. Combine Teague’s $1.477M with MEvans’ $2.5M and get $3.977M. Add our $3.6M trade exemption to that total and you get $7.577M. Multiply $7.577M x 125%, and you get $9.47M. DHarris’ salary is 8.9M, so it works salary wise. They’d save 3.6M automatically, and another 2.5M when MoEvans’ contract expires.
We could also combine Bibby’s $5.56M and MEvans’ $2.5M salaries(total-$8.065M) to make the trade. This would save our trade exemption, and they would get one expiring contract this yr and one very tradeable one next yr. If they’re looking for talent, there’s not a lot we can afford to offer them.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 13th, 2011
5:25 pm
“I did a little research on DHarris, and I’ve come to the conclusion that I’d much rather have him than everyone’s beloved SNash, and here’s why:”
Harris may have the edge when it comes to age, but stats don’t mean a whole lot when it comes to the point guard position. Stephon Marbury had excellent stats his whole career, but he did relatively little to make the game easier for his teammates, which is the primary job of a point guard. Nash does this better than all but maybe five players in the history of the league. And for as talented as Harris appears to be, and as good as he is in fantasy basketball, somehow his presence has never translated into sustained success for his teams.
I’d rather have Nash for two or three years, before Joe begins to decline, than Harris for five or six years when he may or may not actually do anything to improve the games of his teammates.
KevinM
January 13th, 2011
5:29 pm
No way NJ takes on Marvin as a consolation prize or even a backup to Carmelo…they have a better option than coming to Atlanta.
They aren’t going to give away Harris to an EC team. They would prefer to keep him, but if they can get Carmelo, it will be worth a big move.
I would almost bet the mortgage that Sund will not make a move. He has a track record of playing it safe and close to the vest.
He better find a way to keep JC1 and use his other pawns to help us in the weak areas. Look at Memphis, Portland, Houston and see what they could present. I wouldn’t mind seeing Aaron Brooks on this roster to see what spark he can provide.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 13th, 2011
5:29 pm
And more importantly, we are talking about making a mid-season trade here, which means whoever the Hawks bring in will have to get used to playing with his new teammates on the fly, without the benefit of training camp or preseason. I trust Nash to be able to do this — especially in light of the fact that he used to be Joe’s teammate — much more than Devin Harris.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 13th, 2011
5:30 pm
Also, to be honest, Jamal is playing so well that moving him for anything less than a perennial All Star of Nash’s caliber doesn’t really make a ton of sense.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 13th, 2011
5:33 pm
“Scoop it is crazy after a bad game u smoove haters come out.”
Seriously. It’s not just after bad games either. Good games, bad games, it doesn’t matter… for some reason the Hawks’ best defensive player and most willing passer has this legion of haters.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 13th, 2011
5:35 pm
Please don’t post that Hoopsworld Article dated: 1/6/11
We all read that FAN BLOG article 7 days ago and its just some fan’s wishful thinking. We get enough of that already and all-day!
Check the date, if it’s more than 24 hrs old? We already know.
Trust me, there is a ton of talent on this blog. Nothing worth mentioning gets past the old eagle eyes on here.
It’s frustrating because we LOVE our CORE and ain’t gonna do ISH!
drmaryb (*_*)
January 13th, 2011
6:01 pm
KenS
Nice job with those ‘Nimbers’ re: a trade that would facilitate NJ, IF they are looking to clear cap space.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but, I think N-Cyde explained that the TPE we got from The Childress trade can only be applied to the Hawks books for an incoming player to our team. This TPE is not transferable/tradeable to another teams books and must be used within 1year of receiving it.
So, based on that, IDK if our TPE would benefit The Nets bottom line.
Besides that, I liked your second option as well.
I agree with Najeh’s assessment of Devin’s skills/talents. I never heard anyone say he was a special player. The 2nd/3rd Tier PG’s are a plenty and collectively have won nothing.
Telfair / Marbury / Andre Miller / Shaun Livingston / Baron Davis / Stevie Francis / and it just don’t stop! Give me Nash and I’ll do a Back – Flip! I’d trade the whole bench with 5 teams involved to make that happen!
Where is Billy Knight when you need a complex deal done to unload dead weight?
He is a Genius at that!
O'Brien
January 13th, 2011
6:03 pm
Najeh,
Although Josh is our best defender, the fact that LD has him playing SF more frequently has taken away some of his defensive dominance (imo). At SF, he is out on the perimter guarding SFs.
This just in on SportsCenter. Brandon Roy will undergo arthroscopic surgery on both knees, with no timetable for his return. Ouch.
terrell
January 13th, 2011
6:22 pm
Brandon Roy to have surgery on BOTH knees. Wow!
terrell
January 13th, 2011
6:24 pm
Glad we took Shellhead over Roy. At least Shellhead got us Bibby. lol! But seriously, I wish Roy the best, but he’s more than likely done as an NBA player.
superiorblogman
January 13th, 2011
6:25 pm
Are the Hawks are contender or pretender?
Answer:
I really like the Hawks but they are pretenders until they find a way to address some obvious flaws.
Mike Bibby is no longer a starter in the NBA. He would do the Hawks and himself a world of good to be a bench player at this stage, but the Hawks do not have a PG worthy of starting in the NBA. They must make a move to find one.
Marvin Williams must come off the bench when returning. You can actually see the upside of Williams as a bench player subbing for both the SF and PF positions being that Powell has fell from the rotation.
Collins or some other true C must start every game for the Hawks and Horford is not a true C. If Collins is not worthy of starting every game it is quite obvious that they need to make a move for a C.
In conclusion the Hawks are a pretender until this is there lineup:
Starters
NEW PG
Joe
Smoove
Al
NEW C
Bench
PG Bibby
SG Jamal
SF Marvin
PF Marvin
C Collins/Zaza
terrell
January 13th, 2011
6:26 pm
Bowie, Oden, Roy. The Blazer knee curse continues.
superiorblogman
January 13th, 2011
6:30 pm
Guys that should be on the block:
Teague,Jordan, Zaza, Mo, and Marvin
The Truth
January 13th, 2011
6:33 pm
Ken
As much as I have criticized Bibby for his sub-par defense over the years, I would be a hypocrite to defend him now so you are preaching to the choir when you call him out. But to repeatedly suggest that Bibby is the one straw that’s breaking the Hawks back is unfair. Bibby is only averaging 30 min per game this year. He is not the only Hawk PG that is yielding points to the opposition. Our overall poor defense is to the credit of the entire team. I saw lapses from Al, Josh Crawford and JJ (just to name a few). Even LD publicly stated during press conference that his team may have played their worse defense so far this season in that game. During the game, I thought LD was reprimanding Al giving Zaza expanded minutes trying to guard Bargnani who also was unstoppable at times. As previously mention, Barbosa took no prisoners slicing and dicing every Hawk player that tried to guard him. Should we blame Bibby for all of that? Sure we could use an upgrade at the PG position but you and I both know that is unlikely to happen at least this season despite all these crazy trade ideas being offered by some of these bloggers. Every team has strengths and weaknesses and yes Bibby defense has been and still is a weakness for the Hawks. Playing defense has more to do with effort however and to Bibby’s credit; he has improved defensively over previously years as a Hawk. But I also see more chemistry issue equally troubling for the Hawks from a playoff prospective as I will make those observations as well. There is a reason why LD is constantly tinkering with his lineup and it is not just because of injuries. LD is searching and trying to get the most out of the hand that has been dealt to him.
superiorblogman
January 13th, 2011
6:34 pm
Steve Nash is the most overrated player in the history of basketball. They guy has more MVP’s than Kobe and has never won anything worth noting not even in the Olympics. We already have Bibby and Crawford who are bad defenders, Nash is not the answer you morons
Ken Strickland
January 13th, 2011
6:35 pm
NAJEH-We obviously have a difference of opinion when it comes to our PG preference. With DHarris, he would be the one required to make major adjustments or changes. With SNash, we’d have to ditch our entire OFF system, since he hasn’t functioned in a structured OFF system in yrs. That means everyone would have to adjust to him.
To me, DHarris would have less difficulty adjusting to our OFF system than SNash. I noticed you didn’t mention the big advantage DHarris has over SNash when it comes to DEF. Which one do you think would have a greater impact on our greatest problem, PERIMETER DEF?
Why totally ignore the teams future, it’s DEF, and it’s salary limitations, just to potentially pickup an additional 3.7APG, .6PPG, .9RPG, and a PG you’re obviously a big fan of? If Nash conforms to our OFF system, you can expect most of his numbers to decrease. I like SNash too, and he’s a hell of a PG, but he’s not a fit or solution for what ails the Hawks, which is primarily DEF.
With a 37yr old SNash, we could end up with another Bibby situation on our hands in a yr or 2, with no one on the roster to take his place. I absolutely love the idea of us having a young, quick, fast PG with size that attacks the DEF relentlessly, gets to the FT line, and creates foul trouble for the oppositions frontline. SNash is a CERTAIN HOF PG, but he earned that distinction based on what he’s accoplished in the past, not what he’s doing now.
KevinM
January 13th, 2011
6:37 pm
Do we really have a lot to give another team if we don’t touch a member of the core? We would only end up with a player a team is salary dumping, a la JC1.
Nice to know there are so many who can come up with the perfect player…problem is, Sund thinks we have what we need.
KevinM
January 13th, 2011
6:43 pm
Obvious guys aren’t coming here….I still would like to hear a package for Melo and see if there is any interest on Denver’s end?
Elite guys don’t want to come to this market though.
terrell
January 13th, 2011
6:46 pm
superiorblogman, I think you mean guys that should be in the D-League. lol!
JoJo the Godfather
January 13th, 2011
6:50 pm
To answer one question on here: If we use the TPE to trade for a player, then we’re over the luxury tax. We’re right up against it now. Adding almost any additional salary this year, puts us over.
Any trade we’re throwing around should probably have the Hawks taking back an equal amount of salary in 2011, or less. I know the ASG said they’d go over for the right player, but does anyone really believe them?
Oh, and we’re in cap hell for the next couple of years as well, so any long term contracts being targetd will probably require a long term contract being given up.
Rev in Tampa
January 13th, 2011
6:51 pm
Orlando plays Oklahoma City and Miami plays Denver. Both teams are playing back to back on the road in western time zones. And LeBron has a bad ankle. So the Hawks could wake up tomorrow all alone in second place in the Southeast, just 3.5 games behind first.
JeJe pointed out that the Hawks schedule is going to be very difficult in February so this post is really just a feel-good post for the moment. But it is better than being all alone in third place in the southeast, five games behind Miami.