Sixers at Atlanta Hawks: No Horford, no gimme vs. ‘dangerous team’
Before the Hawks played the Knicks a couple weekends back, L.D. put 7-2 out there as the record to shoot for before the All-Star break. So I told him the Hawks had to win three of their next four to get it.
“We want 8-1,” he said, smiling.
This game might have looked like a gimme at one point but not anymore. For one thing, Al is sitting out another game with the bruised back. Zaza is starting in his place.
L.D. said Al ended up deciding his back was better off not taking a pounding. Plus, the Hawks don’t play again until Saturday.
“I actually gave it some thought this morning even before he made his decision,” L.D. said. “Certainly I want him out there but if there is any kind of inkling about him having any kind of discomfort or concern about [if] his back can take the pounding it just makes more sense to keep him out. He gets another four days for treatment and rest.”
So playing without their All-Star center complicates things for the Hawks. Also, don’t forget the Hawks were down 18 to Philly before rallying for a W on Dec. 3.
“I still don’t know how we won that game,” Jamal said.
In the first meeting, Philly jumped out to an 11-2 lead and the Hawks had to hold off a late rally. Al had 20 and 12 in that one.
“It seems like we are always behind when we play them,” J.J. said. “We have to come out with the mindset to get off to a good start, especially against their bigs.”
The Sixers lost to New York Sunday after bearing the Knicks on Friday. They are 6-4 in their last 10 with Ws against Denver and Utah.
“They are a very, very dangerous team because they never feel or play like they are out of the game even if they are down,” L.D. said. “They have had some very quality wins. They play hard; they keep coming. They play with a blue-collar mentality of outworking you and grinding it out. . . . You can’t look at their record, where they stand in the standings. You have got to look at who that team is, and the kind of personality they have.”
The other side
Sixers coach Doug Collins on the Hawks without Al: “He’s an All-Star center. When you come in with Pachulia off the bench he gives you such energy and toughness. I have known they have been starting Jason, so I don’t know if they will start him or come in with Paculia. It changes it a little bit; they play big a lot. They will play Hoford as a power forward, they can go with Pachulia, they can go with Josh Smith as a three. They have a lot of flexibility. With [Horford] not out there they will definitely miss him but they have a lot of big guys.”
Collins on J.J. vs. Jodie Meeks: “I don’t know that Jodie can play him. We might have to have a little cross-matching. This might be a game where I have to sub early, just because their wings are so big. This ream reminds me of Charlotte with how big the wings are and they post them up. [The Hawks] are a better shooting team, and with their 3-point shooters it makes it harder to guard the post.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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331 comments Add your comment
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
9:49 pm
O’brien, what can LD really say after this loss? He’s not Phil Jackson or Pop. You see what complaining about the roster got Larry Brown, and he’s a hall of famer. Larry Drew come out and says the truth “My boss couldn’t put together depth on a roster if he was given the top 5 picks two years in a row”, he’ll be unemployed quicker than a cabinet member posing with a Nazi flag.
LOL
February 8th, 2011
9:49 pm
Calm down dude –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cQjjvFAf6Q
Love how he says “Game SEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN” LOL!!
O'Brien
February 8th, 2011
9:50 pm
Heat up 3 with 90 seconds to go. magic won already
O'Brien
February 8th, 2011
9:51 pm
Ra’mon,
Yeah, I guess its hard for LD to speak up, since Rick is on record as saying “He likes his core”.
LOL
February 8th, 2011
9:51 pm
LMFAO -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T99aL8j4yyc&feature=related
“GAME SEEEEEEEEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEEN” LOL
Najeh Davenpoop
February 8th, 2011
9:52 pm
“Where is Rick Sund?, When was the last time he commented on The Hawks?”
At this point do you really want to hear that doofus comment on the Hawks? The man thinks Bibby is in his prime. What more do we need to hear from him to make a judgment on him?
Najeh Davenpoop
February 8th, 2011
9:55 pm
LD says he “might have to make some changes to his starting lineup” if this continues. What changes? Other than starting Teague or Jamal instead of Bibby, I can’t see what move would actually be an improvement. Even Marvin is playing well enough to hold off Damien and Mo at the starting SF position.
Sund is the guy who needs to make a move more than LD.
Jedi Falcon
February 8th, 2011
9:55 pm
This is why the Hawks never go anywhere. Inconsistent. Losing games by so many points is unacceptable. No one respects the Hawks or takes this team seriously
lewis
February 8th, 2011
9:57 pm
Rick Sund said he reads HoopsHype.com for trade rumors.
LOL @ PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN DOING THE SAME THING FOR 30 YEARS AND HAVE NEVER GOTTEN BETTER AT IT. THIS TEAM IS AN EXTENSION OF SUND’S CAREER-LONG MEDIOCRITY AS A GM
Lol @ the Hawks organization for not using advanced statistical analysis or making trades
we’re in the dark ages
“we like our core”
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
9:59 pm
85Souf, are you serious? You want Josh to drive with authority 95% of the time like Lebron? Lebron is notorious for shooting too many jumpers and not driving enough. Skip Bayless owes 20% of his salary to Lebron’s jump shooting. Also, did you not hear Dominique speak tonight when talking about A. Iguodala, and saying how short careers normally are for high jumpers because they take such a beating. 82 games in a season, and if a player under 6′10 gets 4 dunks a game, that’s 328 dunks in a year. How many seasons do you see a player’s knees holding up with that high impact on their dunks? Also, as documented, Josh’s driving is limited currently with his inability to dribble with his right hand through traffic. A smart defender won’t allow Josh to drive to his left and forces him right. This leads to either a charge or a turnover.
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:02 pm
If M. Kupchak has multiple rings as a GM, and he can come on national tv or radio and say our roster isn’t good enough, so someone’s being shipped out. Why is it that Sund feel’s he must live by his ‘old school’ rules and keep everything close to the vest? Is he scared someone may think that Bibby is washed up, if he comes out and say ‘We need another pg’? Well guess what Sund, the entire league already feels that way. This is why there are back up PGs ranked higher than Bibby.
LOL
February 8th, 2011
10:03 pm
LOL @ 328 DUNKS A YEAR BEING A HIGH NUMBER………………………………..
lewis
February 8th, 2011
10:11 pm
Josh is saving his legs for when he gets traded to a contender
mykhalc
February 8th, 2011
10:12 pm
lookin’ good…just like 07-08, 08-09, 09-10…NOW we got 10-11!!! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:12 pm
LOL, that’s not including practice or the playoffs. And that’s the landing that’s causing the most problems after a while. LOL, how many times have you dunked this year?
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:13 pm
Lewis, that’s funny, lol.
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:14 pm
LOL, you name how many ‘dunkers’ under 6′10 you know who played that style of play until after they were 34 years of age in this league. And then you name the dunkers who careers who were ended at a younger age. You can start with McDyess and Dominique.
Section 303
February 8th, 2011
10:26 pm
Just got back from the game….what a debacle. If the Hawks do not make some kind of trade, then they just don’t care. What a garbage team we choose to root for.
I hope most of you were smarter than me and stayed away.
Can’t wait for these clowns to beat (maybe?) the Bobcats on Saturday night and then jerk themselves off, talking about how they redeemed themselves. Just like they did after the Hornets beat them by 300 pts. back in January. They’re almost beyond redeeming.
Make a move. Make it soon. I almost don’t care what the trade is, just make one. Show me you care just a little.
Section 303
February 8th, 2011
10:39 pm
Boys,
If you are season ticket holders, there’s a Town Hall Meeting before the Bobcat game on Saturday night. None other than Michael Gerron will be the host.
I can’t wait to ask him why there’s been no trades.
kwooden1
February 8th, 2011
10:45 pm
Its clearly no coincidence that the two games we get blown out Horford isn’t around. Al may take a lot of jumpshots, but he’s still our only consistent rebounder. Not much I can say about Bibby! I don’t think the guy is finished yet as an NBA player, but right now he’s not an NBA player. When I say him get off the bench for his last run in the Wizards game, I knew he was finished. He could barely stand-up and run to the scores table. LD is really in trouble now, because he actually needs Teague to become a serviceable starting PG today, because Bibby doesn’t have any legs. Bibby might recover a little bit after the AllStar break, but he’s not going to last much longer after that. I don’t know what’s going on with Zaza, but he’s lost any ability to score in this league. Collins could have done a better job.
I can’t blame Bibby for how he’s playing, I think he’s doing the best he can but he just doesn’t have it anymore! Especially right now. Right now I think Teague should start over Bibby. At the very least Bibby needs the rest and to start playing defensive against 2nd unit guys. It would shock me if LD did it, but I don’t think he has a choice.
GO HAWKS!!
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:48 pm
KWooden, Josh is ranked in the top 15 in the league in rebounding. I would consider that consistent. Its just hard to rebound even more when you’re out covering for your PG getting beat, or on offense when you have to get back on defense and unable to crash the offensive glass. The Hawks transition defense begins and ends with Josh, other wise he would be a 10 + rebound guy every night.
lewis
February 8th, 2011
10:49 pm
SECTION 303 YOU GOTTA REP THIS BLOG @ THAT MEETING
GET IT DONE
Section 303
February 8th, 2011
10:50 pm
kwooden1, I understand what you’re saying. But, if Teague is the guy we’re pinning our hopes on, we’re in major trouble. I’ll take my chances with a washed up, broken down Mike Bibby. Teague is just not very good.
Our, maybe, this loser organization can stop kidding themselves that Teague will pan out and make a deal for a PG? Just a thought.
Section 303
February 8th, 2011
10:50 pm
lewis, don’t worry at all about that. I’m not afraid of asking questions.
Clyde
February 8th, 2011
10:54 pm
I’m going to wait till a new blog comes up to give my account of the game tonight.
Ra'mon
February 8th, 2011
10:57 pm
Teague is not the answer. So starting Teague is even more not the answer. If the guy can’t command the lead on the 2nd unit, no way he can do it on the first unit. The answer to pg is not on this roster! If the Hawks ran an effective zone, Joe would be the best option at PG. He ends up guarding the PG most games anyway. And the motion offense doesn’t require a PG if Sund isn’t going to get up and make a trade with the bench players.
Melvin
February 8th, 2011
11:29 pm
Section 303,
Please post a full report from the town hall meeting on the blog….
Grandad
February 8th, 2011
11:55 pm
I just arrived and haven’t read everyone’s perspective.
Here’s mine:
LD had best back up what he says;
“shake up starting line-up”.
There was no excuse for this garbage.
These supposed professionals did not earn their exorbitant checks tonight.
It’s on LD just as he says [a reflection] at least he understands.
Plus he’s correct to call out his charges in public.
They were a public disgrace.
Once in a season…but twice in 3 wks.
Gomer [Pyle] said:
“fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice , shame on me”.
This is totally unacceptable.
Did they go out on a binge last eve?
Were they hung over?
Do they even care?
Why do I care?
Too long, too many times, with this bunch.
I can’t wait to hear the same ol’ drivel…..
This is not X’s and O’s and it’s not about a pg or a Big.
Someone @ the top has to figure out who posses these qualities:
*Warriors *Winners *Competitors *Heart *Leadership
*Responsibility *Industrious *Team 1st *Perseverance.
Then get rid of the chaff…break up the durn core!
I feel better now.
slimjr
February 9th, 2011
12:39 am
Hang in there Hawks fans,The next three weeks are going to be brutal…. The beat downs will continue…
Scottie jettison the Core. Make it so…..
dsee
February 9th, 2011
8:16 am
Send Joe/anyone except Josh&Al to NJ Nets, get some picks Murphy, Morrow & Favors. Sund can save the day. Change team attitude bench Bibby. Stop playin 4 on 5.
Sautee
February 9th, 2011
12:41 pm
Section 303,
Please ask Mike Gearon if two losses by 34+ at home is enough to make him doubt the wisdom of sticking with the core.