Game thread, Bucks-Hawks

Hawks Let’s Rock And Roll Tonite! Brandon Jennings Might Play! Lets Get A W BABY! I’m FIRST Unlike The Hawks! All G Though!

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Hey Ken,

Ask Jamal how often is he truly on this blog? I know it has nothing to do with ‘basketball’, im just curious..thx!

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Philips arena aka “the library”

Atlantans don’t like loud noises or something.

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Paradise Lost,

Those are some great points. To be honest, I feel like our fan base is a joke. There’s no other team in the league with a record like ours that has a worse track record for fan attendance. Some people will come on here with their negative comments and mention how they are not going to spend their “hard-earned” cash on “garbage” because they don’t think that the team is going anywhere. Others will make claims that the team doesn’t have a media-deemed “superstar” to watch each night they play. Both of these excuses are very poor in my opinion, when you consider the fact that teams like Golden State, who have far inferior team records, and no legit superstars have no trouble selling out their arenas for games. The difference is partially related to the locations of the arenas (i.e. larger cities with more entertainment venues will likely see decreased attendance at NBA games due to a wider range of entertainment options), however, a large factor really just comes down to how dedicated fans are and passion for the game. It may sound cliche, but we don’t really have many die hard fans in Atlanta, and it’s a bit disappointing.

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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Atlanta Hawks Buzz and Laura Ross, Michael Cunningham. Michael Cunningham said: Game thread, Bucks-Hawks http://bit.ly/fujuw5 [...]

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Jason Williams just released from The Magic. Issues with PT and some personal issues as well.

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first called it

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I was being facetious about Philips being “super-energized.” And congrats, ClassicHawks. Sorry I don’t have free tickets for you.
I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to Jamal. I was behind and then some computer-related mayhem that you don’t care about ensued. So it’ll wait. But I will ask when I get the chance.
And I’ll apologize in advance for probably not being on the thread too much tonight. Late game, so I’m a little under the gun on deadline.
Enjoy the game, all.
By the way, Keith Jennings is not playing. John Salmons isn’t, either.

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I was reading and saw some video of Sy. He looks like he is getting comfortable and is playing well. Its good to see that the D League has helped him. Dude might turn out to be a solid player afterall

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Those uni’s dont look red to me. lol!

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dribble dribble…miss

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12th in blocks??? josh should be top 5 in my opinion

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Smoove is better at 3 and could be a perrinial all star at that position. HOPE WE STAY WITH THE BIG LINEUP!

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yep.. chanting it when he stepped to the line.. i guess some fans made them stop b/c they didnt continue w/ it..

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lmao smoove trying to make something happen to shut up the crowd

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if he just drive and dunk on somebody that will shut the crowd up

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get a move Al.

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horford is forcing it..dribbling to much

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oh no not Marvin

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yea marvin hasnt had a clean cut since

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JJM, hard to drive and dunk on someone when there’s a 7 foot shot blocker who’s hugging the rim, and you’ve reportedly been suffering from knee pains.

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@ Niremetal, question has already been answered, look up top, and Bradley Center.

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Our team is so much deeper and better with Marvin coming off the bench.

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The Hawks really do an absolutely horrible job of utilizing Al Horford. I don’t think they could do a worse job unless he was coming off of the bench or not active for the game. It just amazes me to watch how ignorant this team is in regards to it’s resources. Josh Smith is, once again, leading the team in bricks (1-5 from the field) with more attempts than anyone on the floor, and Joe and Bibby have been the only players to play smart when given opportunities on the offensive end. The Hawks are not even attacking the mismatches that they have at all. With Maggette and Ilyasova guarding Smith and Horford, we should be going to them inside over and over until the Bucks make adjustments. Instead, Josh is trying to be Ray Allen again, meanwhile, Al’s only opportunity to shoot the ball is coming after a deal ball or during pre-game warm-ups. Very annoying to watch.

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Yeah, Jeff Teague SHOW US SOMETHING NOW BOI!!!

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Looks like he heard, quick attack being aggressive KEEP IT UP!

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Horford Is An All Star, What Do We Mean By We Not Utilyzing Him RIGHT? Typical complaining HAWKS FAN. Not Knowledgeable EITHER!

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Nice assist by Teague….

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Thats what we need to see from Teague

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Marvin for 3eeeeeeeee!

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Just because he is an all star, which is an individual accomplishment, doesnt mean he is being utilized best for the sake of the team

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Yeah, Horford is not having plays called for him, and I put that on the coach. Josh is getting the ball but not doing much with it.

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horford didnt even attempt to block that last shot

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Teague needs to build confidence on his shot, if he takes another shot and misses it, I gurantee he won’t shoot for the rest of the game or LD will bench him, with the Bibby injury I hope he gets extended minutes to prove himself, DONT BENCH HIM YET!

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He Is Being Utilyzed As A Second Option. We Go To Al When It Is Crunch Time. I Don’t Understand What Yall Are Seeing. You Telling Me Al Horford Is Tim Duncan? He Can Go For 25points and 10 Boards Every Night? Man Yall Need To Wake UP!

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Josh makes that dumb pass every game.

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AHHHH Teague don’t run to the 3 pt line, cut to the basket Jamal wouldve found you for an easy layup…

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See now Teague is coming out. He should leave him in and let him play

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whoa how did josh not get foul

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Why did he take Teague out so quick?

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Josh had CDR sealed couldnt get a entry pass .. smh.

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a waffle house block!! lol

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Ya’ll Aren’t Knowledgeable. Al Horford has been getting easy looks this year on the pick and rolls. His post game is above average, but not dominate. He has a Rasheed Wallace In His Prime, without the range, and not has lengthy. Al Horford is a star, not a super star. He’s Solid, and maybe in a couple more years he can carry us, right now I still don’t think is he capable of carrying us every night, hense the reason he doesn’t get 20-25 shots a night. Horford at his best will go for 22 and 12, so be happy with what he does now.

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if Bob aint Atlanta i dont know who is..

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“A Waffle House block!” lol smothered and scattered.

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The only way he wasn’t being utilize prior is because he was our center. Al Is a PF and you are getting your first looks at him playing extended minutes at the position. Last year Al Shouldn’t of been an all star. This year no question. HARD WORK? Okay.

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thats what i like to see.. go left boy! strong!

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At SAUTEE Ya’ll Are to stupid to See The Lower Case Wording. SAUTEE equals WACK! Going Hard On The Fair Weather Hawks Fans Tonite, Because I Have Nothing Else Better To Do!

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BRING TEAGUE BACK OUT

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lmao bucks coach “would you call that on doc rivers”

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Calm down, George Costanza…

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Hawks rolling……..

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If Josh would stay in the paint, it would help his game tremendously.

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Now I respect Najeh analysis because just about everything comes from him is knowledgeable. I just feel with the weapons this team has, we should make him a low post option occasionaly, like we have, and yes Mike Woodson did not use him right, but they had the man at center, what are you gonna do. He is getting close to being a Carlos Boozer type on offense, even though I still Al as having a role like a Horace Grant. But Hey, If everyone is saying is being under utilized and we are 3 games out of the 2nd seed in the EAST, then it is what it is. I still say he is doing great in the LD’s System.

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“If Josh would stay in the paint, it would help his game tremendously.”

If the Hawks played Josh at PF exclusively, it would help him stay in the paint more consistently.

It’s part of the trade-off when he plays SF. It’s good for the team overall, but it isn’t the best way to take advantage of Smoove’s ability.

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by Illy of all people.. great feed.. gotta finish!!

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Joe didn’t even try to go up against Bogut and draw a foul when he cut to the basket. This is part of the problem. It’s not like the Hawks don’t have people who can get to the line; they just choose not to.

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At SALTY, Never Said I Wasnt Stupid!

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hawks closed that half out bad

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If you pressure Bibby he can barely get the ball across half court smh lol

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J.J.M.

you shouldnt be watching Idol..

C’mon SON!

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Smoove really suprised me and open my eyes with his play at the three. If he keeps working on his jump shot and get it up to the 42 percent range, and around 38-40 percent on the three ball, the Hawks would be a major threat in the years to come. Josh just does not fit play 4 all the time, just like Al doesn’t fit playing 5. Think About it.

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Now we know why Joe never gets the calls Afraid to take it to the hole.

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Josh just needs to post up the smaller 3’s. That is what I mean by getting in the paint. It’s not like we have another guy who occupies the block. Horford wants to stay outside just as much as Josh, just not as far out.

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Classic Hawks, where you been? Josh has been at the 3 a ton this year. Same as Al at the 4.

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J.J.M

im f-in with u..

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It seems like the Hawks should be up by a lot more than 3 the way they played in that half…

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Classic Hawks,

Do you also think that David West and Lamar Odum are “small of stature”?

Same size as Josh, both of them. Josh is 8th in rebounding among ALL forwards (which includes Duncan). It’s not like he “skies” for rebounds, so he must be big enough to play PF.

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I’m all for Josh getting his touches in the paint, especially when he has the advantage, but I think he needs to tone it down a bit tonight on the jumpers. He’s taken 11 shots already, and he’s made only 4 of them. He has more shots than Joe and Al combined. It’s not a huge issue when we have the lead, but if the game starts slipping away, you don’t want to put your hopes in Josh’s hands on some long two point or 3 point shots. If Josh just played under control and within his boundaries, I think his career would really take off, mainly because his efficiency would start to rise quickly.

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Every single damn possession should include a post up for the Hawks. Doesn’t matter whether it’s Joe, Josh, or Al doing the posting up.

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Good thing Brandon Jennings isn’t playing because Bibby cant even stay in front of Dooling

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Bucks are hitting those jumpers…

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where is Woody with his arms folded and a dumb look on face when you need him? that call was bogus.

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wow refs hate josh I mean really

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Is anybody going to guard him? ANYBODY?

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No defense by the hawks..

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Classic Hawks I said, THIS YEAR.

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Hawks losing to basically a D-League team right now. Coe on guys. Get it together.

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shoot the ball Al

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Bibby has been missing a lot of open 3’s lately…

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Bucks got Douglas-Roberts for a 2nd rnd pick from the Nets. Why cant the Hawks find some valuable players like that?…SMH

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agree Melvin, i thought the same thing before

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Hawks Will Win More Games This Year, Than Last. Will That Be Enough To Get In The TOP 3 Again is the Question.

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Al’s jumper is pure.

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Say what you want about Smoove’s shot selection, but this has been another really good defensive performance by him, and it’s not just the blocks.

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time to put the game away

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melvin,

I suggested CDR at the trade deadline last season, and again in the off-season. But typical hawks…

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Don’t jinx them Ken S.

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whattt joe drove the bal

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Can’t really say too much about Josh’s shot attempts because majority of his attempts have been in the lane. Josh has more shots in the lane than the rest of the Hawks combined. Rather we like it or not, Josh is the Hawks best post player on offense and defense.

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man the hawks and these free throws geez

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I didn’t say anything was wrong with Smoove’s defense. I just think he needs to tone the attempts down when they are not high percentage looks. Smoove is not an amazing offensive player, but sometimes he thinks he is and gets carried away shooting the ball. He’s taken 14 shots already tonight, and he’s made only 5.

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How come 90% of the time Jeff Teague passes the ball to Jamal…can we let this kid run something please?

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I wonder if LD trust Teague to guard Jennings???

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Hawks Are Rested and More Talented Than The Bucks. Bottom Line.

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Jennings isnt playing Melvin.

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It always amazes me to see Earl Boykins in an NBA game. You think so much about height when you are thinking about NBA players, yet this guy is tiny (probably 5′ 5″ -5′ 6″ at best), and, somehow, he was able to make his dreams come true and play in the NBA based purely off of skill and effort.

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Sorry about the double post…it’s laggy on my end.

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Bucks fans are chanting “Bogut’s better” as Marvin is at the line. No argument from any of us…

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cmon teague ffs…

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Antawn just slayed the blog monster.

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Hawks has a plethora of talent. I just hope they stay healthy and continue to grow into a better defensive team. LD knows what he’s doing and we have a shot to make to the conference finals. I just don’t believe we have enough yet to beat the Celtics. But a couple of moves here and there and BOOM, we can be a true contender!

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Ken, now that you said that, we won’t see Teague play again until after the All Star game.

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http://espn.go.com/nba/stats/rpi/_/sort/SOS

Lowest strength of schedule, your ATLANTA HAWKS.

These frauds will be exposed soon.

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lmao mo evans its the headband

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Our bench is really stinking it up out there. I always have a bad feeling when they enter the game. Also, I’m not sure I feel very good playing Marvin at the 4. I don’t think that’s a very advantageous position for him. What do you guys think about Marvin at the 4. I think he’s a prototypical SF.

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i would’ve ditched my head band when i saw Mo pulled his out.. smh. Mo is lame, look @ how he wears his uni.. 1 leg sleeve.. arm sleeve.. converse..

f- outta here Mo..

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YuronZzZ,

Thats why I said “I wonder”. If Jennings was playing, then it would have been a question…

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lmfao@bigdave getting on mo

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Although Jeff missed the shot, I like the way he attack the paint…

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How many of those runners is Teague going to miss this year. If he’d make them he’d get more PT, but man he misses them all the time. Draw some contact and go to the line like Devin Harris…

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Temple for 3! WhAT?

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We have ourselves a game folks! YES!

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Josh for 3! BRICK! Lol!

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Bad shot there by Josh.

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smh LD takes the bench out and the starters give up the lead

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All you Teague is a good defender guys, he sure is not against Boykins.

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Four seconds on shot clock and Josh shot that 3.

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Rod, I didn’t know it was possible to collect 3 fouls guarding Boykins, lol.

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Great energy from the Bucks, terrible possession by the Hawks out of that timeout.

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joe had bibby wide open

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Bibby’s terrible execution of that pick and pop led to Iso-Joe on that possession.

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bench joeeeee

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this game might be over

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SMITH????????

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Where is the offense? Iso and Jumpshots…

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Why no motion now LD?

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ok forget collapse, this is more “choke” like

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Why are you passing to Josh for three at the end of the game?

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All jumpshots.

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If Jamal is going to pass it to a wide open Smoove — who does after all make 39% of his 3’s — that is not a bad shot. Criticize him when he forces it early in the clock, not when he shoots it in rhythm in the flow of the offense.

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Good Jamal, bad Jamal….

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I thought the motion offense was supposed to cure these offensive droughts?

This looked like one of our fourth quarters under Woody.

I can hear LD now. Our energy in the fourth was lacking…

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Atlanta has shifted gears to Woodson mode now. Iso Joe and horrible shots. Someone slap Drew and tell him to get his act together. What kind of plays are these? It’s been nothing but iso-Joe, iso-Jamal, high pick and roll, and awful shots by Josh ever since the team got into a trouble in the fourth quarter. I hope that Drew is not the one encouraging these plays. If it’s a case of the players not executing, that makes more sense, but if these are the actual plays that Drew wants, then something is horribly wrong.

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Smoove does not make that 3 usually Najeh, it IS a bad shot…

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if you’re wide open you have to make an aggressive play.. though im not sure why we’re falling in love w/ the 3 ball right now..

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im ready to see a trade. this team will not get it done

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BAWSE!

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thats what im saying.. heady play Al.. way to go quick..

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Glad to see Maggett fouled out…

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Good drive by Horford. He has a hard time handling Bogut in the low post, but Bogut can’t stop him when he drives on him.

Still don’t like that they have abandoned the post altogether.

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Why are we in a zone?

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why would you keep leaving the same person open for 3

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strong drive left.. impressive..

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All the good teams the Hawks beat had injuries or new rosters that hadn’t meshed.

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How bout calling a play here Coach???????

Do you see Josh Smith? WTF is that?

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Same old Hawks no defensive intensity, for once I like for these guys to get fired up not mad.

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Bibby gets burned off dribble but Josh cant save him b/c he’s looking to the bench or ref..

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Mike Bibby gets lazy on the play with 6 seconds left on the shot clock…

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put teague in please

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Bibby is absolutely terrible defensively

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nice move Joe..

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Is Josh Smith an asset or a liability? That, my friends, is the question.

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Hawks need a stop right now.

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Bibby might knock down some open 3’s but he gives it right back up defensively because he cant guard anybody

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These are the types of nights I’ve grown accustomed to with these Hawks…

Which is why it’s very hard for anybody to take these Hawks seriously.

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lol@that call

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excellent d from Josh..

Illy over back.. but hey.. Al just jumped for the reb. didnt bother to properly box out..

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We Deserved To Lose This Game. Classic HAwks! lol!

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Unless clutch plays happen these last 30 seconds, 5th in the East again…

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if you properly box him out.. get him out of there.. they have to call over the back.

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Really?

Done deal.

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like the play.. open look.

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That’s the shot we take when we absolutely need a bucket?

Beyond sad. Downright pathetic.

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smh Josh. Really?

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GET A POINT GUARD SUND, DREW, ASG!!!

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Bob and Nique have actively been trying to jinx these Bucks players at the line.

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The look isn’t an issue…

They’ll give him that look.

Because they see whose taking that shot.

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Josh Smith….what the freak????

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Not a good shot by Smoove on that possession, but I wonder why the play was called for him to be there to shoot that.

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O’Brien, this season I don’t see Bibby taking us out of the first round. The top 7 teams each have good, quick pgs, who will abuse the Hawks in a 7 game series.

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Whatever…

Same ish.

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This team constructed as it is will NEVER win anything past the 1st round. GET A POINT GUARD AND GET SOMETHING FOR JOSH WHILE YOU CAN ATL !!!!!

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At least Smoove hits the rim on his missed 3’s…

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Why do we even bother?

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Terrible coaching today by Drew. Terrible decisions made by Bibby and Jamal running the offense. Stop passing to Josh behind the 3 point line because he is going to shoot it. Milwaukee will be dangerous again this year, if they get healthy.

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im tired of seeing the same bs from the hawks….watch they say the samething after this game

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Truth be told, I don’t know what Josh is doing in game in these final moments…

I would’ve thought about bringing in Collins, sliding Horford to the 4, and JJ at the 3, JC1, and Bibby.

Josh wasn’t doing anything offensively. He took dumb shot after dumb shot in this 4th quarter. His shot selection was turrrrrible. Would’ve been had dude on the bench.

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5th place will probably have them facing Orlando on the road (that would make a quick and easy playoff exit for the Hawks) or the Bulls on the road (haven’t faced them yet this year so not sure how they match up)

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Rod: “Milwaukee will be dangerous again this year, if they get healthy.”

The only way Milwaukee is dangerous is if they draw the Hawks…

Other teams don’t seem to have the problems the Hawks do vs. the Bucks. They know they can play with the Hawks.

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“Josh is 6-19, and we go to him for a 3? SMH at LD if that was the play-call.”

see my 10:24

we looked to score quick.. designed to get Al iso’ed against Bogut for a quick 2.. Bogut sat on his move to his right hook over left shoulder. w/ no counter move.. he kicked it out to a perimeter player.. of course it would be Josh open..

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“Horford will have a hard time getting many shot attempts in his career because he has difficulty creating his own shot. Long as he’s playing with a PG like Bibby, or shot first player like JC1, he will have games where he doesn’t get many attempts. Horford needs to play with a facilitating point guard to full capitalize his best abilities. You can’t fire off mid range jumpers (his only offense move that he seems quite confident in) if you don’t have separation.”

this was a dead on post.. absolutely.

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Now the blog will be covered up with b!tching and moaning. Oh joy.

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Get Melo or Nash in here. Do something because this team is no different than the team last year or the the one the year before that. This core has peaked

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bigdave,

i would prefer to take another 5 seconds if it means getting somebody else a better look.

Hawks give up 34 points in the fourth quarter, and only score 15? Unacceptable.

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josh shoots 3’s because he is lazy and has never developed a face up game in the half court. you would figure after five or so years he would be able to go to his right.

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Do you guys really think LD drew up the play for Smoove to shoot a three? The guy has a damn head give him some credit, that was a play for a quick two for Al to the basket, Josh Smith doesn’t have a head so he just jacked up a three when he had missed his previous three, Josh should know to give it up to his shotmakers Joe or Jamal..

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1st off, hats off to Temple. he’s worked hard on his shot since LSU, happy for him. I always wanted the Hawks to take a look at him, because he can basically do what Bibby does on offense, but he’s a helluva defender (ask JJ Redick how he ended his career).

That said, when are the Hawks gonna figure out that Al Horford needs to shoot way more, and Josh Smith might just need to stop altogether.

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bigdave I would prefer Nash too but at this point I dont think I would complain about either guy in a Hawks uniform.

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“Josh Smith doesn’t have a head so he just jacked up a three when he had missed his previous three, Josh should know to give it up to his shotmakers Joe or Jamal..”

Smoove was open. Joe and Jamal had defenders on them. A pass to either of them in that situation likely results in a miss or a turnover. The right play in that situation is to take the shot. It’s not the ideal shot, but with 19 seconds left and down by two possessions, you’re not going to always get the look you want.

Personally I would have rather seen Al go up strong and try to get fouled instead of passing it at all.

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I understand we need stops…

But again, if a stop translates to a J.Smith 3 pointer at the other end, what are we getting?

We may have gotten a stop on Josh’s stop, but what shot did we end up getting at the other end?

It means nothing to get shots when we’re forcing up off balanced shots that don’t have much chance of going in.

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“‘Horford will have a hard time getting many shot attempts in his career because he has difficulty creating his own shot. Long as he’s playing with a PG like Bibby, or shot first player like JC1, he will have games where he doesn’t get many attempts. Horford needs to play with a facilitating point guard to full capitalize his best abilities. You can’t fire off mid range jumpers (his only offense move that he seems quite confident in) if you don’t have separation.’

this was a dead on post.. absolutely.”

Al can easily create his own shot. He’s just reluctant to do so. Your a fool if you don’t see that. First off, if you throw him the ball in the post and he faces up, his defender has to either make a choice to body him up and prevent a jump shot, or give him space to prevent the drive. Horford almost always has a speed advantage, so if his defender gets too close, he’ll blow by him and get to the rim. If his defender gives him space, he’ll drill a midrange shot. Also, he is steadily developing a back-to-the-basket game. He doesn’t exactly get many opportunities to utilize it with the system that the Hawks run. Still, Horford is the type of guy who can create his own shot, score off of an assisted shot, or create a shot for teammates with his passing ability when the defense collapses on him. There was just an article on ESPN insider about Horford being the most underrated player in the game today, and there were statistics detailing his offensive ability, which completely defy what you are saying. Who do you think people are going to listen to more? A kid on a blog with a personal vendetta against Horford, or someone who has been following the NBA game and writing pieces on players for most of his life? I know I won’t be taking any of your advice.

Also, don’t look for me to respond to whatever you have to say to this, if anything. I’m not going to waste my time. I shouldn’t have to anyway. I’m done posting for tonight after this very disappointing defeat.

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Really I thought the Hawks would come out in that situation with the play they ran against Miami, where Joe lobs to Smoove. Letting Al drive on Bogut is not a bad idea, but not when he gets the ball 20 feet away from the hoop.

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@ Najeh

It is not an ideal shot to me EVER anymore, I don’t like Josh out there, whenever he shoots it I never feel confident it’s going in. LD should’ve nipped this in the bud when he started shooting again, this guy should be limited to ONE three a game..he took FIVE, why is he outside taking FIVE threes IDK.

Also I put some of this on his teammates, someone has GOT to man up and tell Josh to get in the post. I have no idea why Al passes up a play designed for him, Bogut probably would’ve committed that foul and sent him to the line for 2 easy one and defense can come up with something, but that whole sequence it was awful to me, and it was all caused by bad decision making from the team.

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The “core” strikes again…..

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“Why didnt Josh drive the ball then and try to get fouled?”

Fair point — this is probably what he should have done in hindsight.

Of course, if Ilyasova or Bogut recover and cut off his left hand, he would be totally helpless and he’d have to give the ball up, probably to Joe or Jamal who would then be taking a contested 3 regardless. The problem with saying Smoove should drive is that his handles are nowhere near good enough to drive in a lot of situations. I trust him to hit an open 3 any day of the week before I trust him to dribble with his right hand and do something positive.

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Najeh,

Your right that that play where Josh got a three point shot attempt was not the ideal play, but there wasn’t much else the Hawks could have done in that situation. Al was obviously trying to attack the rim, but when he was getting by Bogut, Delfino came in to help and Al really had no where to go. If he would have gone up to try and get a dunk or layup, it most likely would have resulted in an offensive foul, missed shot, or turnover, since the bucks had cut off his path to the basket with help defense. Josh was the open man on that play. Joe and Jamal were both covered, so even if Al or Smoove would have tried to get the ball to one of them, it probably would have been a turnover. I don’t think there’s much the Hawks could have done in that situation, without more player movement. With Joe and Jamal staying pinned by defenders and Josh out on the perimeter, meanwhile Al having 2 defenders in his path to the basket, the options were limited.

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Najeh,

You’re right that that play where Josh got a three point shot attempt was not the ideal play, but there wasn’t much else the Hawks could have done in that situation. Al was obviously trying to attack the rim, but when he was getting by Bogut, Delfino came in to help and Al really had no where to go. If he would have gone up to try and get a dunk or layup, it most likely would have resulted in an offensive foul, missed shot, or turnover, since the bucks had cut off his path to the basket with help defense. Josh was the open man on that play. Joe and Jamal were both covered, so even if Al or Smoove would have tried to get the ball to one of them, it probably would have been a turnover. I don’t think there’s much the Hawks could have done in that situation, without more player movement. With Joe and Jamal staying pinned by defenders and Josh out on the perimeter, meanwhile Al having 2 defenders in his path to the basket, the options were limited.

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lol, these double posts are killing me. I’ve got about 1 minute worth of delay from lag right now. Sorry again. I fixed a typo on that first post though….

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Antawn @ 10:43, co-sign.

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And Melo couldnt help this team? Are u kidding me? lol! Josh is still Josh. And he always will be. Gotta take the good with the bad.

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Wabe, Smoove gets the pass with 4 seconds on the shot clock (3 times in the last 5 minutes) what is he supposed to do?

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Did a little bit of depression hit you this evening with the loss to Milwaukee. Does anyone have an answer as to why? Sometimes having serious skills does not make one a basketball player. Common sense is part of the game too. The Hawks have Josh Smith who thinks he’s a “SUPERSTAR”, and he’s simply not. Woody could not harness him and LD is having the same problem. Smoove or whatever is not a point guard yet he thinks he is, he also thinks he’s a gifted shooter. Sure he can highfly and block shots but he can also kill a rally. The man is second tier at best and that’s because he has zilch in basketball IQ. The Hawks will not make the playoffs because any team can only take so much disappointment when nothing is being said to the catalyst of such stupid play. Either harness smoove or trade him, let someone else have the headache

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Stupid loss. No reason to go down tonight.

When they’re opening on the road in round one, it’s games like tonight they can look back on and kick themselves for. Awful loss.

Good to see Josh Smith firmly locked into spoiled brat mode in this one. Putting his atrocious shot selection aside (and, by the way, saying there was nothing else the Hawks could have gotten on those 3’s is bullsh#t), how about the lazy D? My favorite Josh Smith play: Earl Boykins brings the ball right to the rim, right behind Josh, while Josh is b#tching at the ref.

I know this blog is full of J-Smoove apologists, but saying he was not the main culprit tonight is just wrong. The f’ing guy will just never change.

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The deal to make is Al/Crawford for D. Williams, not Melo.

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“One thing holds true for the Hawks now just as much as it did under Woody — their offense is better BY FAR when they run the ball through the post. Doesn’t really matter whether it’s Joe, Smoove, or Al posting up. And in the 4th quarter, they completely got away from that.”

Let’s face it, the Eastern Conferense top 4 teams being Boston, Miami, Orlando, and Chicago all have GREAT defense, when we go up against them and aren’t allowed to have our way with easy post ups and easy shots, we will crumble and this is what this team needs to understand. Establish the inside first and the rest is all gravy.

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Is Joe/Melo/Al not a WORSE version of Wade/Lebron/Bosh?

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For some reason, I just cant see Josh ever holding up the Larry Obrien trophy. Never been a Josh Smith critic, but when will the guy ever learn? He could be a beast if he’d stick to what he does best. Oh well.

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Hawks need to get Johnny Flynn, and give Teague the boot!

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Yes, I like the word “overall”.

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I’m worried about Teague fellas.

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A D-Leagure comes in and outplays our guards. Just like I said he would when Bibby and Jamal came to town. lol1

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folk might think im crazy for thinking this.. but other than Bibby, i feel like Josh has the highest basketball iq on the Hawks.. when it comes to knowing/seeing the game making the right play/read… anticipation.. things like that.. Josh is up there.

im hesitant to question his mentality.. his competitive nature. thought this is what effects his decision making most.

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Mike Woodson -TS

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Yes, bigdave, you are crazy if you think that Josh has the highest basketball I.Q. outside of Bibby. Be careful. He makes a lot of smart decisions, but other times, he makes a lot of bad ones. No player is perfect though.

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“folk might think im crazy for thinking this.. but other than Bibby, i feel like Josh has the highest basketball iq on the Hawks.. when it comes to knowing/seeing the game making the right play/read… anticipation.. things like that.. Josh is up there. ”

LD agrees with you.

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Damn Hawks, now I cant even watch Gametime tomorrow. Havent watched NFL Network since the Falcon loss either. lol!

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For the record, I don’t think it’s so much that I’m a Smoove fan as much as it is that too many people on this blog make him the scapegoat for problems that either don’t exist or are not instigated by him. By comparison, I probably look like a Smoove apologist.

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Drew..

i said basketball IQ. this dude went to a basketball high school.. thats all he knows is hoops.. dig it.

his questionable decision making..

stems from his mentality.. his, sheer will.. know what im saying.. thats what u want in a ball player.. someone with absolute confidence in his game.. and ultimate competitor.. those things are what manifest into bad decisions at times.. or spectacular plays.

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“’folk might think im crazy for thinking this.. but other than Bibby, i feel like Josh has the highest basketball iq on the Hawks.. when it comes to knowing/seeing the game making the right play/read… anticipation.. things like that.. Josh is up there. ‘

LD agrees with you.”

Maybe that’s part of the problem. Drew has a little bit too much confidence in Josh. That’s why Josh sometimes plays like he thinks he can do anything. It’s all about knowing your boundaries. I honestly think that last year was Josh’s best year of his career so far because he playing under control and played to his strengths.

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303..

“Earl Boykins takes the ball right behind Josh while he is b#tching at the ref. 2. Pick your sh#tty shot. Mine was the three, early in the shot clock, with about 3-minutes left in the game.”

i referenced the same thing earlier.. “exhibit A on Josh not keeping his head in the game” or something like that.. again.. thats a character trait.. his complaining, his griping, his shouting @ teammates and coaches, his cheering, towel waiving, ball sharing, screaming to rafters after dunks.. the kid dont wanna lose. or be cheated. i mean.. im glad he on my team.. he’s an emotional player that acts like he wants to be out there night in and out.

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“i said basketball IQ. this dude went to a basketball high school.. thats all he knows is hoops.. dig it.

his questionable decision making..

stems from his mentality.. his, sheer will.. know what im saying.. thats what u want in a ball player.. someone with absolute confidence in his game.. and ultimate competitor.. those things are what manifest into bad decisions at times.. or spectacular plays.”

I think you’re going a little bit overboard with this. Josh is not Kobe Bryant. He’s not the type of guy with the incredible competitive spirit that gets so into games sometimes that he tries to take over and hurts his team. Josh is definitely not as dedicated as a guy like that. Did you forget that Josh Smith is the same guy that likes to pout on the court when things don’t go his way and stops hustling on the defensive end when he doesn’t get shots? The casual observer guy might need to add you to his list if this keeps up.

There’s a difference between guys who have potential and play out of control than guys who have incredibility ability because they work hard everyday to be the best. There’s a difference between being a superstar trying to will your team to a win and having confidence with potential. There’s a difference between J.R. Smith and Kobe Bryant. Josh Smith is closer to being J.R. than Kobe.

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correction on my last post: incredible ability, not incredibility. I was typing too fast there.

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These are the types of games you just have to win, look at Utah they lost a lot of easy games to bad teams, now look at them playing back to back LA and SA, things can escalade quickly.

Lucky for us we only have about 5 teams worth mentioning in the East, but this was, to me at least, a sure win and I am dissappointed in the performance in the second half.

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What’s the excuse tonight Hawks? Everyone healthy and we still get beat.

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All I have to say is I’m happy the HAWKS lost because hopefully we will stop seeing LD’s Bibby, Crawford, JJ line up in the 4th quarter. They have been getting away with that line-up for to long and its obvious that its terrible defensively. Check out the game log, once LD put the line-up in the game they promptly gave up 2 3’s and a 2, LEAD GONE!! Jeff didn’t have a super game, but Boykins scored 10 points in the 4th after Jeff went out! Josh clearly took to many 3’s but he was the only one posting up. He took 10 shots in the paint and 10 shots ourside the paint. We had only one other player on the team that shot that percentage in the paint and that was Zaza! (most of his shots came on tips) We’re a jump shooting team that really struggles with perimeter defensive because of dribble pentration. I know LD’s been trying a lot of different line-ups because of injuries, but he’s got to find a better line-up to end games. To me if they go ISO for most of the 4th I wouldn’t mind. Jamal, JJ, Marvin, Smoove and Horford or Bibby, JJ, Marvin, Smoove and Horford, but you just can’t put Jamal and Bibby on the floor at the same time and hope for the best.

Bad loss!!

GO HAWKS!!!

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FIRE SUND

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In the Motion Offense, each player will get the ball really all over the court. It is then up to that player (see LD) to determine whether he can make that shot on a regular basis. This apology for Josh that it is his teammates fault for passing him the ball at the 3 point stripe, and not Josh’s fault for shot selection. is disingenuous.

Am I glad Josh is making more Jumpers? Yes. But for folks to blame his teammates for somehow forcing him to take jumpers because they passed to him outside is ludicrous. Now with 3 seconds on the clock, that’s one thing. But how many times have we seen Josh shoot them up with 17 seconds left on the clock? That is on him.

Woody had what it took to stand up to Josh. LD may not. He does in the paper about every week, but not much changes. Josh is still not on the low block like LD says constantly to interviewers that he wishes Josh would. And that’s on LD.

Let’s allow these players and coaches some personal responsibility here.

And don’t blame Teague – he had a +3 tonight, which seems to be a stat many put alot of weight into. Highest on the team I think.

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SteveW

Woody is the reason Josh is who he is now.. Woody is the reason why our bigs bring the ball up the floor.. Woody didnt define roles.

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A. Larry Drew is as inconsistent as the Hawks players are. He does not understand gameflow.

B. Josh Smith takes too many shots.

C. Al Horford does not get enough shots.

D. The Hawks will never win anything worthy of noting until they get another legit starting PG and C.

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There’s nothing wrong with having your bigs bring the ball up the floor if they have the versatility and decision-making ability to do so. That gives you an advantage because of the mismatches it creates. Ib the case of Horford and Josh, I’m fine with that. Obviously, you don’t see Zaza, Powell, or Etan trying to bring the ball up. I don’t think it’s all Woody’s fault. Woody did a pretty good job of restraining Josh from playing out of his boundaries last year. However, unfortunately, Larry Drew has reversed that pattern with all of the “confidence” that he has in Josh.

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Our immediate need before trade deadline is a PG, look at Bogut’s stat line, arguably the second best center in the East had a MODEST game of 8 pts, 14 boards, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1 assist.

What hurt us at the end was Earl Boykins running past Bibby at will, setting up teammates or getting fouled. I’m all for Bibby being our PG off the bench or even Bibby being shipped but we need a PG before that deadline because at the end with Jamal and Bibby being our BACKCOURT, I mean you just can’t expect to outshoot the opposition, you have to be ready to play D and get gritty in the playoffs and old legs won’t allow that.

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Najeh – You are correct. You do sound like an apologist for Josh. Double digits? How about 8 seconds, 7 seconds, 6 seconds? That’s almost an eternity in the NBA. The argument does hold water. In a motion offense, blaming your shot selection on your teammates (and I’m not just talking about tonight) is stupid.

“Sorry I was 1-18 Coach, and jacking up jumpers from the 5 second line, but it was my teammates fault. They gave me the ball there, and you know, I just have to shoot”. That is just stupid. Think about it!!

So Teague has 4 assists in 13 minutes, and Bibby has 4 assists in 31 minutes. Teague has a +3 tonight, and Bibby has a -14. Bibby is in the game when the lead collapses in the 4th quarter. And the loss is Jeff Teague’s fault? Go figure.

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8 mins into the 4th quarter against the lousy Buck, your Atlanta Hawks had score just 3 pts!!!!!! A reminder of why this franchise has never played in a CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES in 43 freakin years……

Trade Josh for Rudy Gay yesterday. JOSH WHY ARE you shooting 3’s in the fourth. You cant shoot…JUST STOP IT!!! You played a MAJOR ROLE IN LOSING AN 11 point lead.19-3 run buy the Bucks sealed it in the forth..Just brutal to watch the meltdown………………………………………..
SUND=FAILURE/ PAYOFF BEATDOWN #3 COMING……

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The Hawks don’t seem to play well with alot of rest do they?

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http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4sd4f5b

Josh Smith, Jeff Teague, and Jordan Crawford

for

Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Tony Allen

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“Najeh – You are correct. You do sound like an apologist for Josh. Double digits? How about 8 seconds, 7 seconds, 6 seconds? That’s almost an eternity in the NBA. The argument does hold water. In a motion offense, blaming your shot selection on your teammates (and I’m not just talking about tonight) is stupid.

“Sorry I was 1-18 Coach, and jacking up jumpers from the 5 second line, but it was my teammates fault. They gave me the ball there, and you know, I just have to shoot”. That is just stupid. Think about it!!

So Teague has 4 assists in 13 minutes, and Bibby has 4 assists in 31 minutes. Teague has a +3 tonight, and Bibby has a -14. Bibby is in the game when the lead collapses in the 4th quarter. And the loss is Jeff Teague’s fault? Go figure.”

I’m with SteveW on this. Those are great points. I couldn’t agree more. The thing that annoys me the most though is the fact that no matter how much we complain about these things, they just keep happening over and over again, anyway. It’s almost a lost cause to ask for change, since apparently Drew doesn’t think these things are issues.

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im telling yall.. @ this point b/c ur not getting consistent production.. Mike is a specialist.. someone you can bring in w/ that 2nd unit and give you quality minutes.. give you that pg presence if you will, while say a Jamal does the primary ball handling..

Bibby.. Jamal.. Marvin.. thats an ok.. 2nd unit to run out there..

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“In a motion offense, blaming your shot selection on your teammates (and I’m not just talking about tonight) is stupid.”

Do the Hawks really run a motion offense? I can remember exactly one back screen they ran in this game.

Let’s face it, they don’t. LD has got them to share the ball better and run the ball through the post more consistently, and he deserves a lot of credit for that, but in no way is this a motion offense. We don’t see people cutting down the lane when the ball goes into the post. We don’t see people cutting along the baseline. We don’t see off the ball screens consistently. The last person on the Hawks who moved without the ball consistently wore #1 and had an afro.

“How about 8 seconds, 7 seconds, 6 seconds? That’s almost an eternity in the NBA. ”

If he is forcing these shots out of the flow of the offense, your criticism is completely warranted. If he is a significantly worse jump shooter than everyone else on the team, your criticism is completely warranted. If he has the handles to drive the ball with 8 seconds left and have a good chance of getting fouled, criticizing him for shooting a jumper is completely warranted. But none of these things are true. His handles frankly suck, he’s making jump shots at a better rate than Joe Johnson, and the vast majority of his shots are not being forced against good defense or out of the flow of the offense.

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bigdave

Co-sign 100%

We just need a starting quality PG, because lets face it, unless we bust out of this Jeckyll and Hyde mode and take 3rd or 2nd in the East we WILL be facing a Rose, Rondo, Nelson, Chalmers/Wade and Bibby won’t cut it.

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“Take a look at the Play-by-Play in the 4th after Smith comes in, here was the breakdown for him OFFENSIVELY: Offensive Foul Turnover, 3pt shot missed, jump shot missed, 3pt shot missed, layup shot made, jump shot missed, 3 pt shot missed.”
This is an Allstar in the making?????Not…..Trade this buster along with his buddy”DUCK” for DWILL yesterday.PG problem solved…
This is how Josh plays on the road in critical situations..He would like to ball like Ray Allen or Paul Pierce but guess what JOSH YOU ARE NOT TALENTED OFFENSIVELY ENOUGH TO TAKE OVER GAMES!!!!SORRY BUD BUT THE TRUTH HURTS. YOUR EGO IS YOUR STUMBLING BLOCK TO BECOMING AN ALLSTAR…..You try to many times to play outside your talent pool and you drown on the hardwoods.. This loss was mostly yours…..

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Najeh – I do agree with many of the points off your last post. Now we both know JJ’s numbers are skewed because of his elbow injury. Look what he’s doing in January – shooting at 50 % and 38.5 % from the 3 point line. And JJ’s shots come many times with more hands in his face than Josh’s. I wouldn’t make Josh out to be a better jumpshooter than JJ just yet.

LD keeps saying he want’s Josh to have better shot selection. LD keeps saying we need Smoove to play powerfully in the low block. LD keeps publicly expressing frustration with these aspects of Josh’s game. It’s obvious to the Coach. It’s obvious to almost all fans. It, for what ever reason is just not obvious to you. And you are a great blogger, and an astute student of the game. It is much appreciated. Your just blind in this area evidently.

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Josh took a bank shot and totally missed the rim in the 4th quarter!! He could not make that shot in practice. Just brutal……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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Najeh – Maybe Josh should have been working on his driving to the hoop, dribbling with the right hand etc. as well as his shot over the summer.

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I can’t see why anyone would be a true fan of the Hawks. They are flawed because they do not care to correct there flaws. Every year people whine about Marvin being inconsistent and a underachiever he could fix that by spending more time on his game instead of other things. Every year its Josh Smith’s ignorant play, crying, complaining, and jump shots, last year shows he could fix that if he wanted to. Every year you guys complain about Bibby, since Bibby is who he is the front office could fix that if they wanted to. We all see that Al is better off at PF, the front office could get a C if they wanted to. I could care less about being loyal to this team because they are not loyal to us

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We could have had Boykins in the off season. I’m concerned, because the Bucks did this to us without Salmone or Jennings.

And next season the Bucks get to roll Redd’s 18 mil. off the books, and they’ll be ready to sign some more good piece’s.

Wish the Hawks had that Larry Sanders. He could be a good one.

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bigdave,

I hope we can get a starting PG next season, so we can bring Bibby off the bench (especially since I think we will lose Jamal).

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“Maybe Josh should have been working on his driving to the hoop, dribbling with the right hand etc. as well as his shot over the summer.”

Fair point. Maybe he’ll work on that and get better at it next year. It sure would help if he could use his right hand to dribble as well as to finish.

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“LD is playing Smoove at SF a lot this year, which takes him away from the hoop and gives him incentive to shoot more jumpers.”

This is not a viable excuse. In crunch time, L.D. usually goes with the smaller lineup with Horford at the 5 and Smith at the 4 and it doesn’t inhibit Josh from chucking up threes. Take tonight as an example. Josh took the majority of his threes during that final stretch during the four quarter, when he playing at the 4. Josh would take those shots regardless of the position he’s playing.

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