Bobcats 88, Hawks 86
Greetings, all-
A troubling game for the Hawks in that a) it followed the one game in which you’d think they’d do everything in their grasp to make sure they got a win; b) it certainly looked like a lot of other games this season.
Up by 22 in the first half, up by 18 midway through the third quarter and the Hawks give it away.
Said Josh Smith, “Words can’t describe it.”
Larry Drew: “The shot at the end, it should never have come down to that.”
- One of the most glaring numbers was this – 26 points in the paint in the first half, eight in the second. They pretty much abandoned their offense in the second half.
Said Drew, “We settled for a ton of jump shots.”
More Drew: “We start playing fast, we start going for home runs and then we start settling. That’s what happened in the second half.”
- One of the most crucial segments of the game was the end of the first half, after the Hawks got up 22. They were playing tough, tough defense, making the Bobcats take difficult shots and use the shot clock. Over the final 2:26, the Bobcats made 4-of-4 shots with two free throws to close to a much more manageable 13 points at the half. Granted, I wouldn’t expect the Hawks to hold Charlotte to two points for the entire quarter – which is what they’d scored up until that point and frankly is incredible – but if they had even been able to just trade baskets, they probably would have won.
I tallied it up, and it’s in the game story. After Smith hit a 3-pointer early in the third that got the lead to 70-52, the Hawks took 17 more shots from 17 feet or more the rest of the game, and made one. Plenty of other ones from in close weren’t great looks, either.
I’ll concede this much: Bibby had made three 3-pointers in a row, and so I’m sure he felt like he was in a good rhythm, so I don’t know how much I can fault him for continuing to shoot. And players like Joe Johnson or Jamal Crawford are guys who can get hot and make a living on the perimeter.
And it’s not like, as they were chucking up jumpers they knew they were going to end up 1-for-their-last-17 from the perimeter. When I talked to Jeff Van Gundy for the story that ran Saturday, he argued a point about the Hawks’ shot selection issues basically by saying, people say shot selection is bad when the shots don’t go in. I see his point. Johnson, Crawford, Bibby and even Smith are fully capable of making 3-pointers and jump shots, and it would have surprised no one if, rather than continue to flail away, one or more of them had caught fire in the fourth quarter and turned the game around.
Still, the indulgence on jump shots was ultimately punitive and, perhaps more to the point, was not what their coach was telling them to do.
Said Drew, “We ended up shooting more 3’s than we did getting to the free-throw line, and you just can’t do that.”
- Hawks have been outscored in the fourth quarter eight times in the last 11 games.
- The Hawks actually played decent defense, I thought. Charlotte shot 42.3 percent, below the Bobcats’ season average, and scored 20 points (on 6-of-16 shooting) in the fourth quarter. I think you’d win most nights with those numbers.
To me, I thought the effort was there for most of the game at that end of the floor.
- Johnson and Crawford were a combined 5-for-23 for 13 points, 0-for-9 from 3-point range. That followed the Philly game in which they were a combined 6-for-16 and had 12 points.
Drew: “At this point, we’re trying to get them the same shots that we’ve gotten them all season long. Right now, the ball has not been falling for them but they can’t stop doing what they do best and I’m going to hound both of those guys as we go out on the road now for them to re-gain their stroke, re-gain their confidence, re-gain their attack mentality.”
- Shaun Livingston took a healthy bite out of the Hawks. Drew said he tried to hide Bibby by mixing up some zones, but it didn’t really matter. He kind of did what he wanted no matter what the Hawks did, finishing with 22 points off the bench.
- Horford on his back (he played team-high 42 minutes): I felt O.K. I can’t say I’m all the way (back). I don’t have lift yet, but besides that, I felt good enough to be out there playing.”
- I’m not ready to declare the sky is falling. The season is way too long for that. This has obviously been a bit of an ugly patch. The Hawks, though, may re-gain their footing on the West Coast. Drew certainly hopes so. “It is a great time to go out on the road,” he said. They’re good enough to have won five games in a row three different times and 33 games total this season, so it’s not like this team can’t win, or shouldn’t continue to win its share.
But it’s, as I said, troubling that Drew can identify the problem but, when the game’s crucial moments arrive, either a) he can’t effectively communicate it; b) his players can’t do what he wants; or c) his players won’t do what he wants.
Drew said after the game that patience and shot selection are things he’s “been harping on since day one. When we don’t get what we want a few trips down the floor, we have to slow it down and we have to get the shot we want. Certainly at that point it’s not taking another three. Our guys, they have not grasped that concept yet.”
Ken Sugiura, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
257 comments Add your comment
Grandad
February 13th, 2011
9:12 am
Mr Suguria – Thanks for the ardent though fair analysis.
LD lost the team when he made the threat and did not deliver.
Had he sat down Joe and Josh, even for a qtr. he would have
maintained his credibility.
Never make empty threats. I think ASG over-rode his forewarning
and in so doing neutered their coach.
Regardless of the reason, it appears that now some players have tuned out.
Joe must go! He refuses to adapt. Joe and Jamal have never gee-hawed.
As for Josh…most likely a trade while his stock is high…I don’t know?
What a conundrum he has become?
A once promising season is on the precipice.
I remain angry!
Michael
February 13th, 2011
9:13 am
What’s Mike Woodson up to these days?
Double Zero Eight
February 13th, 2011
9:29 am
Marvin needs a change of scenery. A trade may
do him good.
The more we write about giving Teague a chance
to start, the more LD is determined to show us that
he is the coach, and he does not respond to bloggers.
Maybe we should try some reverse psychology!
Cutty
February 13th, 2011
9:40 am
Black Baron you are absolutely right about Marvin Williams. He is only doing what the coach is asking him to do. He is the best defender on the team and he doesn’t do stupid things with the ball. LD just has him standing in the same spot (just like Woody). He is the best free throw shooter on the team and isn’t afraid to draw contact. I am for him coming off the bench but not with the trigger happy Crawford.
We have too many jump shooters on the team. That’s the problem I have with Josh Smith. He tries to play a finesse game. Last our starting center had 4 pts and 1 rebound. I don’t understand how sending Marvin to the bench for Jason Collins helps the team when Horf is the best center on the team. Smith can’t play the SF. He gets killed out there. Josh Smith is a poor defender especially on the perimeter. His blocks and steals drop every month.
Doc
February 13th, 2011
9:49 am
I’ll say (c). Horford is the only one that plays with any sense of urgency. The entire mentality throughout the league is that nothing counts until the playoffs. The unfortunate reality in ALL sports is that you can’t just turn it off and on. When the clutch moment comes, those players choke.
WeNeedTree
February 13th, 2011
9:55 am
Hello, Coach Sloan……
ejh
February 13th, 2011
9:57 am
Jeff Teague and Mo Evans for Ramon Sessions.
Trojan
February 13th, 2011
10:03 am
Good post Cuddy!
darrell starks
February 13th, 2011
10:03 am
This game has 2 be blame on joe, every fourth quarter he continue 2 dribble the ball 20seconds of the 24seconds shot clock and the offense become stagnant 2 the point that everybody follow his lead, LD have preach 2 joe and tell him 2 continue the motion offense no matter what.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
February 13th, 2011
10:11 am
LD did and excellent job coaching last night, his rotation was smooth he kept the line up big and kept horford at powerforward, but his biggest falt is putting bibby, jamal, on the court at the same time, thats the biggest weakness on the team with perimeter defense that strategy should be abandon from the playbook.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
February 13th, 2011
10:17 am
Josh have stop shooting so many jumshots, as he witness last night that no one can stop him in the post at 3 position he is 2 big for any smallforward in the league, stop shooting jump shots and get your A$$ in the post, this guy can easly avg 20points a game if he stop playing crazy out there.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
terrell
February 13th, 2011
10:30 am
Trade every freakin body(not named Al), for any freakin body with a pulse. Sund should be on the phone right now trying to break this thing up. Time to build around Horford. Hell, I dont even care if it means rebuilding.
terrell
February 13th, 2011
10:34 am
LD must be losing his damn mind. How you gonna keep playing Jamal and Bibby together after watching it fail numerous times? And did anyone really expect Joke Johnson, I mean Joe Johnson, to make that last shot? I didnt. And why not take it to the rack and try to draw the foul? What a bunch of pretenders. Cant even believe I’m still hanging around this blog to be honest.
WeNeedTree
February 13th, 2011
10:36 am
We need to trade Jamal while we can get something for him….the JJ contract will be handcuffs on the organization for years to come……
ejh
February 13th, 2011
10:53 am
We need Ramon Sessions bad. Cleveland is in rebuild mode, since mo williams has returned sessions is going to the bench. Give up Mo Evans expiring contract and jeff Teague. Last night was a prime example why this team needs a guard with sessions skill set; the hawks shot jumper after jumper in the 4th quarter. Ramon sessions would have gotten in the lane and either gotten fouled or dished to josh or Al when help came over. How do I know this, well check out these stats: (mike bibby is 29 of 64 from the free throw line this season, we have a point guard who has only been to the free throw line 64 times in 53 games. But (Ramon Sessions has been to the line get this 258 times in the same amount of games and has hit 208 of those 258 free throws, that almost 80%. He has been to the line more than Joe Johnson while playing less minutes. This team easily adds 7 or 8 more wins to their total if they had his guy. Give up Mo Evans and Teague, and Next years 2nd round pick.
Tremaine
February 13th, 2011
10:54 am
Joke Johnson lmao. “GIVE TEAGUE A CHANCE!”
Aaron
February 13th, 2011
11:03 am
Atlanta still has a NBA team???
dashizz357
February 13th, 2011
11:04 am
Can’t blame it on Coach Woodson now!
terrell
February 13th, 2011
11:13 am
I’d like to apologize to Mike Woodson if I may. He wasnt the best coach out there BY FAR, but I dont think Red Auerbach of Phil Jackson could win with this bunch. Again, sorry Woody!
ejh
February 13th, 2011
11:15 am
Corrrection, Mike bibby is only 29 of 45 from the free throw line in 53 games for 64%; Joe Johnson is 146 of 179 for 81%. So our starting back court combined has only attempted 224 free throw attempts in 53 games, while Ramon Sessions is 208 of 250. He has made more free throws by himself than bibby and johnson’s 175 combined. And he has attempted 26 more free throws than our dynamic duo.
terrell
February 13th, 2011
11:17 am
Jumper ,after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumpwer, after jumper, after jumper ,after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, after jumper, ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
JJ
February 13th, 2011
11:19 am
Free throw line? What’s a free throw line?
STRETCH
February 13th, 2011
11:19 am
NBA stands for NO more BASKETBALL in ATLANTA please!!!
ejh
February 13th, 2011
11:19 am
Oh Yeah if I might add he is only averaging about 26 minutes per game. Sessions does not shoot three’s, as he has only taken 1 on the season, what he does is drives and distributes the ball, ala Rajon Rondo, his three point shot will come in time. the only reason Milwaukee got rid of sessions is they drafted brandon jennings. Try and do the deal Rick Sund, or at least give cleveland a call.
Rick Sund
February 13th, 2011
11:21 am
We like our core.
Trojan
February 13th, 2011
11:22 am
Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Sautee
February 13th, 2011
11:23 am
ejh,
And the saddest thing is that we could have had Sessions for a song in the off season, but Gearon “likes our core”.
ejh
February 13th, 2011
11:24 am
Hey JJ, I’m old school, if you prefer to call if foul line that is cool by me, but it was considered free throw line back in the day.
Take my Joe, Please
February 13th, 2011
11:37 am
To the folks saying Josh must go, you truly don’t know basketball. He takes some frustrating shots at times but he is the best all-around player on this team. Horford is the most solid & consistent. These are the two players that should never be mentioned in trade talk.
However, Joe J. must go. He always fades into the shadows when a big shot is needed. He can hit jumper after jumper when the Hawks are up by 20 but when you need one, he’ll miss or pass it to Pachullia at the 3-point line with 2 seconds on the clock.
Marvin can go with him
Trade him now….here’s the trade – http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine
ryan
February 13th, 2011
11:39 am
We need to get under the cap for 2012 because you have home town star D. Howard , Derron Williams , CP3 2012 looks deeper than 2010 we need trade for expiring contracts .
JJ
February 13th, 2011
11:41 am
Free throw line? Foul line? You lost me man. I’m a jump shooter man. Nothing’s free man. And I never get fouled man.
Take my Joe, Please
February 13th, 2011
11:42 am
Oops… trade is here – http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4jxuhd5
i_am_soulstar
February 13th, 2011
11:42 am
Here’s a trade that’d make sense if Portland truly is looking to rebuild and move Andre Miller and Marcus Camby as rumored.
Portland gets:
Jamal Crawford (expiring)
Zaza Pachulia
Mo Evans (expiring)
Etan Thomas (expiring)
Pape Sy
Atlanta gets:
Marcus Camby
Andre Miller
Atlanta lineup:
PG: Andre Miller
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Josh Smith
PF: Al Horford
C: Marcus Camby
Bench:
Mike Bibby
Marvin Williams
Jason Collins
Damien Wilkins
Josh Powell
JC2
Jeff Teague
Per NBA Trade Machine, this trade increases Atlanta’s wins by 11 and only decreases Portland’s wins by 4.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4pkz7mo
Fire away.
ryan
February 13th, 2011
11:44 am
Enough with the core crap because obviously its not working look to 2012 free agency .
i_am_soulstar
February 13th, 2011
11:55 am
Actually Crawford, Mo, and Marvin for Camby, Andre Miller, and Luke Babbit makes more sense considering that the Blazers already have 15 players on the roster.
Atlanta lineup:
PG: Andre Miller
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Josh Smith
PF: Al Horford
C: Marcus Camby
Bench:
Mike Bibby
Marvin Williams
Zaza
Jason Collins
Damien Wilkins
Josh Powell
JC2
Jeff Teague
Pape Sy
This increases Atlanta’s win by 8, decreases Portland’s by 4. But I guess it depends on how they feel about Marvin’s contract.
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4masc66
steve brown
February 13th, 2011
11:59 am
Die hard fans want at least a long shots chance at a championship. We don’t have that and it is why Gearon’s logic fails. Change would at least show us that management was trying to go for it all, not just respectability (of which we here in Atlanta have had our bellies full of for too long with only 1 world championship-the Braves). You can’t fool us any more. If you are not working towards a championship contender every day you are not doing your job. Hey Hawks-you are not doing your job! Making moves is a risky business, but some risk is far better than boring your fan base to tears.
ryan
February 13th, 2011
12:09 pm
There is no buzz with Atlanta sports i wish something could change .
superiorblogman
February 13th, 2011
12:10 pm
You are allowing depression into your life by being a HAWKS fan. Don’t do that to yourselves.
Chicken Hawks Need to get a clue-LARRY DREW
February 13th, 2011
12:16 pm
With 5.6 seconds left, why do you let Jackson near an inbounds pass? He had 30 points BEFORE the shot. Why is Mo Evans on Jackson? 6-5 on 6-8?
Answer: coaching.
You could put someone TALL on Jackson (6-9 marvin, 6-9 Josh, 6-9 Powell, 6-10 Horford, heck even ZAZA or Twin) with 5 seconds to go. Make him pass after a second or two and someone who isn’t on fire has to make a great play with 2 seconds or less on the move.
Better still, don’t let him catch it at all and have someone else beat you-double team him on the inbound.
OR AT LEAST double him on the catch and make him give it up or take a difficult shot.
Would we win in OT at home after blowing that lead? We’ll never know now. But I disagree with Josh Smith’s analysis and conclusion that you just tip your hat to Jackson. Never should have caught the ball in that situation, or had room to consider a dribble and shot in rhythm.
If the Hawks persist in allowing these lead-blowing, close-game endings to happen(useful preparation for the playoffs, I can actually see that as a silver lining-but only if they learn how to win them consistently) then they need to learn basic Defensive shutdown strategies. A GRADE SCHOOL ASSISTANT COACH(which I was) knows not to let sa star on a hot streak with 30 points catch the ball in single coverage against a role player 3 inches shorter with 5 seconds to go. How hard is that after a timeout? Get used to losing in the last minute if that’s the best this staff could do.
Defense can bail out cold shooting and poor ballhandling. Defense emanates from the coaching staff. Am I the only one with this thought as Jackson’s beautiful shot ruined the Hawk’s night?
Alsandair Barnes
February 13th, 2011
12:20 pm
Joe Johnson is a bust !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Lord help me & the hawks,because they’re killing me.
Rashod
February 13th, 2011
12:22 pm
Thanks for nothing Joke Johnson
Samuel
February 13th, 2011
12:33 pm
I told yall that LD was all talk. He basically told you guys and the ASG what yall wanted to hear to get the job. NBA players won’t run a motion offense. NBA players won’t listen to a coach who makes a fraction of what they make. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith have ALL NBA talent but unfortunately have the minds of AAU players.
The whole Woody firing was just to save money.
We will finish somewhere between 4-6 and at this rate lose in the 1st round or for sure in the 2nd. LD knows this, Rich Sund knows this, and the team know this. We are right where we should be, nothing more, nothing less. Why all the moaning and groaning.
terrell
February 13th, 2011
12:46 pm
Still cant believe LD put Mo freakin Evans on Captain Jack, knowing good and damn well he was going to take the last shot. Isnt this why we signed Damien?
superiorblogman
February 13th, 2011
12:56 pm
It is very disappointing to see politicians which include Sund and the ASG lie to the people. At the end of last year they lied like they were in building mode to get to the next level, but what they actually did was resign Joe, resign there backup coach and moved him to head coach and that was All She Wrote. Now they lie like they are so in love with the core, which I believe, but what happened to those promises of building on the core? Don’t go to games and don’t believe anything they say.
cdog
February 13th, 2011
1:17 pm
keep making excuses for rick sund.this man has destroyed whatever chance the hawks had to by pass the elite teams such as the lakers, celtics, heat, majic, spurs etc. this man doesn’t have a clue.he made mike woodson the scapegoat as to why the hawks were ousted in the second round when sund himself, was the problem instead of woodson.as i predicted, before long, you will speak of the hawks in the same breath as you do the washington wizards and la clippers because of rick sund.when the hawks let sund go and bring in a GM who will do anything to win a championship,you will see the team soar to new heights.sund is by far, the problem with the hawks now.
tony
February 13th, 2011
1:21 pm
I havn’t watch this team play in a while because I don’t like the way they(JJ, JS and MW) play. When I watched the hawks by in the 70s and 80s, I never had any complaints about the way they played the game of basketball. The players(Armond Hill, John Drew, Eddie Johnson, Dan Roundfield & Tree Rollins) back then were more muture and professional than todays players.
I don’t know how much control Rick Sund has with this team but he could at least do a better job in the draft if nothing else. If he would just focus on team needs and intelligence he can improve this team tremendously.
I have had enough of JJ and JS is not far behind. I think from a personality standpoint Bill Laimbeer can make a huge different for this team. He will change the way these players approach the game of basketball. Bill doesn’t mess around and he believes in solid defense. He kind of remind me of Hubie Brown except Laimbeer believe in offense and defense. Laimbeer knows the way to success and he has 2 rings to prove it.
Changes I would like to see:
1 Hire Bill Laimbeer
2 Trade JJ and JS to Houston
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4c7hxtj
3 Draft Keith Benson-C in the 1st rd
pg-Aaron Brooks
sg-Kelvin Martin
sf-Shame Battier
pf-Al Horford
c-Luis Scola
I know this trade will never happen but I like it anyway. I will do almost anything to get rid of JJ.
terrell
February 13th, 2011
1:25 pm
Nobody wants Joe’s contract. NJ or NY maybe? But that’s about it.
hawks gm
February 13th, 2011
1:25 pm
Look who have been the last three general managers of the hawks Pete Babock,Billy Knight,Rick Sund the hawks need to go get someone from a winning basketball team and fellow what the falcons have done.
ryan
February 13th, 2011
1:37 pm
The thing i can think of that would force changes is if fans don’t show up ASG just wants your money they don’t care about putting a winning product on the court like the Knicks or Nets .
rollo lawson
February 13th, 2011
1:38 pm
Zaza sucks. How many “and 1’s” did he muck up last night? He can not finish at all. The softest 7-footer I have ever seen. Why did we give his sorry a$$ a contract?