Knicks at Atlanta Hawks: Can they stop Felton-Amar’e pick-and-roll?
When the Hawks played at New York on Nov. 27, the Knicks had 88 offensive possessions. According to L.D., New York ran 60 pick-and-rolls.
I don’t have to tell my blog people the Hawks, among the worst teams in the league at defending the play, can expect more of the same tonight from New York’s Raymond Felton-Amar’e two-man game.
“When we stick with our principles and our proper techniques in defending it and we are all on the same page, we seem to do a pretty good job,” Drew said. “But the minute there is a breakdown with just one guy it is like a chain reaction.”
As you might expect for one of the league’s best offensive teams, the Knicks rate highly on the metrics you expect to be associated with pick-and-rolls.
“The key with defending their pick-and-roll is going to be our ability to get up on the ball,” L.D. said. “In all of our coverages involving the pick-and-roll, the guard has to be able to get up on the ball knowing that he’s going to get hit, he’s going to be late getting to Felton coming off [screen]. It is kind of a double-edged sword. We have got to be able to do a good job containing Felton after the screen but at the same time we have to do not a good job, but a great job, affecting Amare’s roll to the basket.
“The last time we played them I thought we did an above-average job in defending them. They surround them with shooters; if we are tardy getting back to Felton, if we are tardy getting back to Amar’e on the roll, it forces the other guys on the perimeter to collapse and have to help. That’s what gets you because they’ve got Galinari spotting up, Chandler [Note: He's out tonight with a calf injury] spotting up. Fields can make a three, Douglas can come in and make a three.”
Marvin’s back
Marvin is in the starting lineup. L.D. said he wants to quickly get him back up to speed.
“I am pretty much going to let him loose,” Drew said. “He is going to have to give me the fist when he gets winded. I know his wind is not where it was before he got hurt but he is going to have to get back in a rhythm. With his size and his ability to make shots, I just thought it would be more of a benefit for us.
The more he plays, the more he will get back into a rhythm. Hopefully like tonight with his matchup he can kind of get into a rhythm. As we move closer to the All-Star break, I am going to need him.”
Bibby’s fine
Bibby is in the lineup after getting banged on his left hand by Keyon Dooling Wednesday at Milwaukee.
“I’ve always had strong bones since I was a kid, so that’s a good thing,” he said.
“He will probably get it whacked again,” L.D. said. “That is always the case when you have those kind of injuries.”
Damien’s happy
Damien Wilkins is obviously pleased to stick with the Hawks. He got the call late last night and said he was nervous to answer the phone when his agent’s name popped up on his caller I.D.
“It takes a lot of pressure off of me,” he said. “I can sleep better now.”
He had an interesting answer when I asked him if he was happy to stick around not just because of his his affection for the Hawks, but also because he thinks this team can make a serious run:
It’s up to us how well we focus and how consistent and focused we can be. Even from watching from afar and paying attention to this team since it was in my backyard, you always felt like this team could do some things if they really just locked in and focused on the task at hand. When we do those things and we go out and we play hard and play with a focused mentality and we play confident and believe in each other and execute on both ends of the floor, then we are a tough team to beat. But when we come in and play like we think we are better than we are, that’s when complacency seeps in. And then we lose like we did ti New Orleans, a game that humbles you and a game like Milwaukee that humbles you. That shows you are not as good as you think you are and there’s a lot of work ahead. You can’t take any teams lightly or for granted.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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390 comments Add your comment
{MAC-Town Georgia 478}
January 28th, 2011
9:56 pm
but on a serious note…with under 1 min left?
Melvin
January 28th, 2011
9:57 pm
Good game by the Hawks…
ATL FAN
January 28th, 2011
9:58 pm
Wow… WHAT A GAME
Blast
January 28th, 2011
9:58 pm
Refs did everything they could to make sure Knicks won tonight.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 28th, 2011
9:59 pm
Big win for the Hawks. I’m not going to go as far as to call it a good game, since they made the same damn mistakes in the 2nd half this time that they did on Wednesday, but a win is a win.
LD needs to institute a policy that every possession requires a post up. Seriously, the Hawks’ offense when they don’t post up is just pathetic.
bigdave
January 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
lol.. Marvin, reply shows nothing landed.. smh
Dept. of Unintended Irony
January 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
“Some old Hawks. It’s the same sea-saw type of play and fans buy into it EACH time.”
You mean they have a saw that can cut ocean water? Cool!
bigdave
January 28th, 2011
10:00 pm
*replay
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:01 pm
This is stupid though. As if you don’t already miss enough games due to injury. Now you want to go and miss games over fighting S. Williams? Not Lebron, not Pierce or Garnett, but Williams? How does that help your team at all? I said it before, Marvin always do things to GUARANTEE that he’s not traded. If he plays good for 5 games in a row, he makes sure he gets injured on game 6.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 28th, 2011
10:03 pm
I would be getting more p-ssed about Marvin’s dumb ass getting himself suspended, but honestly, I really don’t care whether he plays or not. He doesn’t make any significant difference, and the Hawks proved it by not skipping a beat when he was out. As far as I’m concerned, if he’s out it just means more potential minutes for Damien.
cp
January 28th, 2011
10:04 pm
Marvin being suspended means more Mo and I dont want to see any more Mo. Dude gets beat off the dribble consitently. Not smart by Marvin although its nice to finally see some fire from him… LD has to pull Jamal when he is cold and going hotsauce out there. Dude was just jacking up jumpers and not looking to pass to anybody……Bibby is just smh. The 3’s he makes just does not make up for how bad he is on the defensive end or his lack of contributions in any other aspect of the game. He comes across hafl court passes to Joe and stands in a corner. And damn I dont want to see Mo get more pt.
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:04 pm
Najeh, I’m pissed because it means more minutes for Jamal in crunch time, which is not the best defensive option for Atlanta.
bigdave
January 28th, 2011
10:04 pm
lol @ Joe being the last to come in..
Joe wanted to see the fight..
niremetal
January 28th, 2011
10:06 pm
Let’s do it The Price Is Right style – predict the number of games Marvin gets suspended for. Winner picks the number without going over.
Based on past precedents, I’m gonna say 6 games.
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:06 pm
CP, not only more Mo, but more minutes when Josh has to play SF.
Wabe
January 28th, 2011
10:06 pm
I honestly didn’t mind seeing Marvin’s episode because truthfully, I wanna see some fire out of this guy. And as Najeh pointed out, it’s not as if we’ll miss him. Maybe this episode will light a fire in him (not banking on this though).
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
Niremetal, these are the Hawks, and the league hates the Hawks (thanks to ASG), 9 games suspended.
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
@ Marvin, his back hurts to much to get 3 more rebounds, but its ok to step in the ring like Apollo Creed?
Wabe
January 28th, 2011
10:07 pm
I say 8 games.
ATL FAN
January 28th, 2011
10:08 pm
I think this is the beginning of the end for Marvin, if it hasn’t already started… This guy lost his cool, as Mac Town put it, he was emptying his frustration over his new bench role, and I think that he won’t accept that he isn’t a starter… Time to move on from Marvin, the team already basically has
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:08 pm
Wabe, the only fire under Marvin this will light is the heated seats in his home theater while he’s watching the Hawks play.
Wabe
January 28th, 2011
10:09 pm
Agreed Ra’mon.
Jae Evolution
January 28th, 2011
10:10 pm
Why ya’ll think Marvin gonna be suspended for more than a game?
Doesn’t conduct like this result in strictly a one game suspension…
superiorblogman
January 28th, 2011
10:10 pm
I am a little disappointed with Al because he kinda pushed the intensity to far when he did that at the line. On the other hand, oh well atleast Marvin showed some emotion. Finally, the Knicks are just trying to build hype because they are irrelevant. Everything in New York is overly hyped. The Knicks are garbage attention seekers.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 28th, 2011
10:10 pm
Williams -vs- Williams!
Sean must have said something about his Mamma! Fist to Cuffs and Marvin will be suspended 1-2 games prolly! But, Hey! We got options – right?
Message sent, don’t fck with The Hawks .. Marvin or ZaZa will bite you on the booty! Marvin found his inner-dog tonight, maybe he can help Teague find his!
____________________________
Give ‘Em something to talk about! Did yall see MC in the middle with the reviewing the fight? Hey, MC liked that plaid shirt you were sporting.
The bad thing is we need Marvin in Dallas though! Maybe Damien and Evans will step up and play some defense.
yodaddy
January 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
I don’t know about 9 games…I think Stern is coming harder than that
Najeh Davenpoop
January 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
“Let’s do it The Price Is Right style – predict the number of games Marvin gets suspended for. Winner picks the number without going over.
Based on past precedents, I’m gonna say 6 games.”
Haha… good idea. I’ll say 5. If he landed the punch I think it would be a lot more.
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
Superior, you’re disappointed in Al for gesturing that this is still the Hawks court, when on their home court you could hear loud Knicks’ fans? Really? To me it was the best move Horford made all season. You don’t let someone come on your court and act as if they’re the home team.
cp
January 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
good points Ra’mon….I can see perimeter players licking their chops now knowing they might get Bibby, Jamal, and Mo on the court at the same time. SMDH
Najeh Davenpoop
January 28th, 2011
10:16 pm
45 minutes for Al, 41 minutes for Joe, 38 minutes for Smoove in a game where they had a 20 point lead in the 3rd quarter. And they have to go on the road against a very good Mavs team tomorrow.
cp
January 28th, 2011
10:16 pm
I think Stern hits Marvin with about 6 games…
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
SekouSmithNBA Sekou Smith
Saw Marvin go at Joe Johnson once in practice years ago. He’s the nicest of guys but he will scrap. #dontgetittwisted
SekouSmithNBA Sekou Smith
Hawks coach Larry Drew tried to snatch Marvin Williams up and ’bout got tossed himself. Young fella was charged up.
Funny!
Never mind about the 10 games. Sekou stated they’ll only get 2 games max for this.
superiorblogman
January 28th, 2011
10:18 pm
Ra’mon
January 28th, 2011
10:13 pm
Superior, you’re disappointed in Al for gesturing that this is still the Hawks court, when on their home court you could hear loud Knicks’ fans? Really? To me it was the best move Horford made all season. You don’t let someone come on your court and act as if they’re the home team.
I understand what you are saying but New York is all about attitude and hype. That’s just them. I was disappointed because we are the vets in this situation and should not have gotten caught up like this.
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:19 pm
Good win, dissappointing 4th. Game was won on the boards and inside. Called the collapsee in the 1st quarter. We just can’t seem to play more than 40 minutes without something bad happening.
Dissappointing to see Marvin lose his cool after posting a +22 on the stat line. Dude was making some decent plays tonight. We need him back.
MC = If the deal with Powell wasn’t a big deal, why is he in a suit ever since? Use him or trade him. Same for JC2, Teague and hopefully Mo, ZaZa and Etan. We need a reliable C on D & Boards, we need a PG to spell Bibby or start for the next 2-3 years.
yodaddy
January 28th, 2011
10:19 pm
throwing punches….at least get about a 5 game
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:21 pm
Loved the gestures to the crowd. It’s our court. Do whatever it takes to get the crowd involved. We need that desperately. MORE MORE MORE!
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:22 pm
Terry, Ariza, Garnett suspended one game for punch/fight. What’s up with the 5-6 game idea?
Freshfromatl
January 28th, 2011
10:23 pm
Smh @ some of y’all punk-a$$ fans! So everybody trying to jump on Marvin’s case now like y’all know exactly what went on. Dudes in here gossiping like chicks trying to speculate motives (he mad because he didn’t start yesterday?!? He trying to get suspended so he won’t get traded?!? Really?!?) man some of y’all some b!tches…
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:23 pm
@ Fundamentals, exactly! When teams come here it should be Hell in the Cell. And this altercation will actually lead to more ticket sales (Atlanta is just crazy like that). Before this, the only thing the Hawks were known for fighting was each other’s litigation.
Sautee
January 28th, 2011
10:24 pm
Our “Big Three” tonight:
77 points, 31 rebounds, 17 assists, 4 steals, and 3 blocked shots. And they were 30-51 from the field (.588%).
When Joe, Al and Josh all play like that, they don’t need a whole lot of help.
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:24 pm
Granger, Frye – one game.
This ain’t a Kermit Washington?
Dude just couldn’t handle the excitement of coming back and playing in the 4th quarter. I’m actually proud to see some fire, some passion, some energy.
+22 people, +22!
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
Fresh your drawing conclusion from context clues has to be on a 5th grade level. No one says he’s got suspended so he wouldn’t get traded. But Marvin never does anything to improve his VALUE around the league, that’s a known fact. And you say we don’t know what was going on. We know who threw the first punch. We know there weren’t any pistols on the court, so it wasn’t life or death. We also know it was only 20 seconds left on the clock so it wasn’t worth missing any more time when you are already the odd man out most times due to injuries.
Donkey_Rope
January 28th, 2011
10:26 pm
I hope they send marvin to the d-league
JSS
January 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
Problem is…
Marvin gone = possible Josh Powell sighting…
Just saying…
Dept. of Unintended Irony
January 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
Says the guy getting emotional over blog posts?@Freshfromatl
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
Maybe everyone is speculating too much, but no one can argue that Marvin somehow always finds a way to keep himself out of the rotation whenever he finally gets something going. Dude can’t put together more than a solid month w/o something happening. By now we know how to deal w/o having Marvin. Dude just can’t seem to fit in.
Freshfromatl
January 28th, 2011
10:29 pm
Ra’mon,
You MIGHT want to read back a few post before you address me. Someone did say that dumb-sh*t!
Ra'mon
January 28th, 2011
10:30 pm
@ Fresh, also Marvin has already missed 3 out of every 8 games the Hawks play this season. That’s nearly half of the season. Right now, Marvin’s contributions to the team this season at best is 8th on this team, yet he’s pissed about not being a starter. You can’t contribute if you’re not playing. You can’t bow up when some scrub (who is S. Williams- really) runs off at the mouth.
drmaryb (*_*)
January 28th, 2011
10:30 pm
Like I said, 1-2 games infraction. There was no blood drawn, thanks to Josh and Al for breaking that up before it got worse. Marvin prolly getting high fives from his team mates right now!
Joe suited up and a rare interview on NBA TV!
Fundamentals
January 28th, 2011
10:30 pm
If we don’t see Powell in Dallas we can guarantee LD is full of it when he says there is no problem there. Play him or move him. Immediately.