Archive for January, 2011

Greetings, all-

Pretty brutal loss that’s a puzzler to explain. Some quotes from those involved.

Al Horford on losing leads late: “It’s a lessons still being learned, I feel like. I guess when it gets to a point where it hurts you and really bothers you, then you do something about it. I don’t know that we’re there as a team yet.”

Zaza Pachulia: “I believe we didn’t play smart the last couple minutes of the fourth quarter, I’d say the whole fourth quarter. We let them make a run and let them do what they wanted.”

Joe Johnson: “With everybody back, it seems that the flow is a little different. We just had no chemistry throughout the whole game.”

More Johnson: “It honestly wasn’t comfortable. We had a lead. After that, I don’t know what happened.”

Larry Drew: “It was not a good display of shot selection, which we talk about over and over, especially on the road. We settled.”

More Drew: “It was just a total collapse on the defensive end, I thought. We didn’t play with the …

Continue reading Bucks 98, Hawks 90 »

Greetings, all-

This is Ken sitting in for MC, who’s getting some needed down time. I know it was hard for him to pass up a trip to beautiful Milwaukee (just ask Josh Smith), but discretion is the better part of valor, as they say.

I was going to post a little earlier, but wanted to let the Carmelo thread get more of a run. Interesting, I thought, though, as Mike pointed out, I don’t know what the Hawks have that they’d be willing to give up that the Nuggets would really want. Maybe the Hawks could arrange a three-way trade and be able to use Carmelo like a timeshare.

Anyway, some tidbits from the shootaround.

- Al Horford and Marvin Williams both shot and will be ready. Larry Drew sounded like he was planning on giving Wiliams about 20 minutes of playing time.

- Drew is going with the big lineup to tangle with Andrew Bogut.

- Drew said the team is playing better on the road in part because it’s understanding that you have to play differently on the road than you do at the …

Continue reading Game thread, Bucks-Hawks »

As far as I can tell, the speculation connecting Carmelo Anthony to the Hawks is based solely on a line from Alan Hahn’s story in Newsday (H/T to Hawksquawk.net for the link):

“Other teams, such as the Trail Blazers and Hawks, have been in touch in preliminary terms, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.”

Rick Sund didn’t want to comment on the item yesterday. But knowing how he operates, “preliminary terms” means the Hawks reached out to the Nuggets to see what they are thinking regarding Melo. Sund always stresses that teams constantly make such calls to see if there are deals that make sense but that it doesn’t mean anything will get done or that it ever reaches the level of negotiations.

Once such talks reach the public domain, though, folks get in a frenzy. Before you run too far with Melo and the Hawks, first thing’s first: In an interview with Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post, Melo didn’t include Atlanta on the list of cities where he’d be willing …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Hawks caught in ‘Melo drama »

I discussed the Hawks with CineSport’s Noah Coslov. This is my first crack at this video thing so don’t judge too harshly, blog people. There’s a reason I write instead of talk.

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Video: Talkin’ Teague and defensive toughness »

Al returned to practice today. Marvin was cleared for contact (though there was no contact today). J.J. (knee) and Smoove (knee) sat out, but since the former finished the game Saturday at Charlotte after he banged his knee and the latter played Saturday after he was dinged on Friday they both should be good to go.

“For the most part, I think everybody is going to be OK,” L.D. said. “Should have everybody back tomorrow.”

It’s been a minute since he could say that. The regular starters (Bibby, J.J., Marvin, Smoove and Al) have been available at the same for just 21 games (19 games as the starting unit and the two games when Marvin came off the bench). It hasn’t happened since Dec. 29. Add super sub Jamal to the mix and the Hawks have had their top six available for just 15 games.

So how are the injured guys feeling?

Al: “It’s getting there. I was able to do pretty much the whole practice. It looks good for Wednesday.”

Joe: “It’s still a little sore today so I just wanted to get …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: They should soon be whole again »

CHARLOTTE – Greeting, all. A pretty satisfying win for all you Hawks fans, I imagine. One night after a complete flop, the Hawks win without Al Horford, Marvin Williams and Josh Powell, on the back end of a back-to-back against a team that is starting to show some life.

– Joe Johnson continues to roll. After a nine-point effort against New Orleans, he goes 12 for 18 for 32 points. While it looked like they did a little more isolation than normal, a lot of it appeared kind easy for him tonight, with the exception of the bump he took near the end of the second half. He says it might be a bruise. He had a leg-length compression sock on the leg after the game. He was glad the team won’t have to play again till Wednesday to let him heal up.

– You all probably know better, but that’s the best I’ve seen Zaza Pachulia play this season, particularly in the second half. He went to the basket better than usual and showed some touch. I must confess, I was dubious when Larry Drew said he …

Continue reading Hawks 103, Bobcats 87 »

Charlotte – Greetings, all. MC is taking the day off. Watching, literally, one of the worst performances of NBA basketball in league history can take its toll. (Just kidding. It was planned all along to give him a break.)

Some stunning numbers from the number crunchers at Elias Sports Bureau, via ESPN:

It was the first time in NBA history that a team that was at least 10 games over .500 going into the game lost at home by 40 or more points.

It was the team’s second-lowest point total in club history in the shot-clock era, going back to a 1955 loss to Boston when they were the Milwaukee Hawks. I think that was Jason Collins‘ rookie year.

It was the fewest points by a home team since Miami scored 56 in a loss to Utah Dec. 2001.

The Hawks’ 29.1 field-goal percentage was the lowest by an NBA team this season and the team’s lowest in any game since moving to Atlanta.

Yowzers.

Let’s see what basketball-reference.com can tell us about the games following those majestic collapses. …

Continue reading Game thread, Hawks-Bobcats »

Maybe this is all that needed to be said. (Hyosub Shin / hshin@ajc.com)

• After this debacle the question was obvious: How can the Hawks follow up a strong effort at Miami by laying down to the Hornets at home?
• Some of the Hawks’ answers top the question made it sound as if they’d just loss a close one at Boston.
• “The difference was they made shots,” Mo said. “That’s very discouraging throughout the course of the game. Early on, we played great defense on Chris Paul, and he came down and shot a 35-footer. That was the type of night it was for them.”
• Yes, the Hornets made some shots, especially in the third quarter, when Belinelli made some deep threes. But that’s about the only unusual thing that happened. The Hornets basically played like a competent NBA team and won by 41 at Philips.
• Again–how can the Hawks get embarrassed like this at home three days after winning at Miami?
• “You really can’t explain it,” Smoove said. “You have games like this. I think Chris Paul is a very …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Hornets 100, Hawks 59 »

L.D. wanted to go big against the Hornets so Twin can deal with Okafor. But now Al’s not playing and L.D. is . . . going with Twin to deal with Okafor.

(Drew said the Hawks would decide after the game whether Al or Marvin will travel to Charlotte but it’s likely both guys will stay in Atlanta.)

Mo is at shooting guard, Josh, Joe is at small forward and Josh is at power forward–except for when Josh plays the three and Mo or Joe checks Chris Paul

The point is, with Twin now a regular contributor and so many guys who can play multiple positions, L.D. has multiple combinations he can use.

“It’s good to have options,” Drew said, smiling.

Trevor Ariza is out for the New Orleans after suffering an ankle injury at shooataround. Rookie Quincy Pondexter starts and J.J. will start off on him while Mo gets Paul.

“The first couple of trips up and down the floor may end up seeing Joe on Chris Paul,” L.D. said. “They will flip-flop all night long.”

Powell, Damien, and Zaza all figure to …

Continue reading Hornets at Atlanta Hawks: ‘Good to have options’ »

The Hawks practiced today at Philips. I was there. I talked to them and wrote down the things they said. Here are some examples:

• Al sat out because of the sprained right ankle. He said it’s possible he could play tomorrow against the Hornets. “It is still kind of up in the air,” he said. “I’m just going to get a lot of treatment and see how it feels tomorrow at shootaround. Kind of taking it day-by-day.”

• Marvin participated in the (non-contact) practice. “That is the first time I’ve ran around with the team in a while,” he said. “It felt pretty good.”
• Marvin plans to test the back again tomorrow. L.D. sounded as if the Hawks still want to give him more time. “With the back, it may still be a little weak,” Drew said. “I don’t think there is any pain or discomfort, but it’s something we want to take our time with. We want to make sure he is as close to 100 percent as possible. We will see how he is tomorrow.”
• Hawks PR Guy Arthur Triche later tweeted that Al and Marvin would …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Practice report »