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
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257 comments Add your comment
Grandad
February 14th, 2011
4:09 am
northcyde:
About Joe —– You are correct, I laid off him in January.
I thought I was being fair. – Guess not.
I like Joe, but I dislike the way he has handled himself.
Quit referring to assists when I say selfish.
*[I specifically stated contract]
Plus, you can’t say he’s not behind the learning curve on the offense.
Or, he is stubborn, one or the other.
Defensively, he is overrated. Turning it on and off accordingly.
* He could be really good.
* (defense could be one skill that lifts him to SuperStardom)
* Joe has SS skill but plays to a lower level.
* Joe makes SS money but doesn’t “earn” SS money.
The reason I have called for Joe to be traded is;
do you see any other way for the Hawks to get out of their malaise?
He’s an albatross !
As long as he is here we are stuck.
We MUST build around *[Al 1st] then add a Big and a pg. (in that order)
At that point if we still have Josh, Great, go from there.
That’s My Opinion.
“most of these fans are just letting off steam, or aren’t thinking right.”
-northcyde-
Which category are you in? [nc]
[nc] Do you judge which of us are thinking right?
Grandad
February 14th, 2011
4:30 am
Just a Note
Hatter, hope you’re havin’ a good year.
terrell
February 14th, 2011
6:02 am
Was hoping to see “Hawks make a move for a pg” this morning. Oh well.
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
7:00 am
Ken Sugiura,
That’s one of the things that frustrates me about LD. He says one thing, but yet all the numbers say something else. And (imo), he has done a lot of talking, but not alot of doing.
Last year, the players tuned Woody out. And I’m starting to wonder if they have tuned LD out already.
northcyde,
I know its hindsight, but typical Hawks made the wrong draft pick. You have always said they should have taken Dejuan Blair (and he would have been a great pick for us).
But if they really wanted a PG, they should have gone with Toney Douglas. He was a senior PG at FSU, so he had more (PG) experience than Teague, but more importantly, he was 2 times All ACC on defense.
And with a team that already had Bibby and Jamal, maybe a defensive PG should have been the pick. Toney Douglas (whose brother Harry plays for the Falcons) ended up being drafted 29th, and gives good minutes to the Knicks.
I also agree that Bibby and Jamal should not be on the court together down the stretch, especially if one of them is off.
just a note
February 14th, 2011
7:33 am
This has to be one of the worst teams the Hawks have field in years. The sad part is is basically the same team that Mike Woodson had. Clearly Mike Woodson was and is a superior coach to Woody lite AKA L. Drew. Amongst the stupid moves made in the history of basketball firing M. Woodson for Larry Drew had to be one of them. Of course the ajc naming Mike Cunningham as a hawks writing ranks very high for its idiocy as well.
When you move Josh Smith who is a better power forward than Al Horford to small forward to accommodate Al, you move our best defender out of range to defend the rim and put him on the perimeter making him less effective. Al is no defender regardless of whether hes at center or power-forward, so shuffling your line up to go” big” makes the team less effective. Twin is no defender either and is best suited as a back up to give a legitimate center, not name Al Horford a rest.
Trade Al horford while his stock is high. Fans of the game dont see Al as an Allstar but the coaches seem to ad him as a reserve. I agree with the fans. Trade Al. Leave Josh at power forward where hes effective get a center here who will knock you on your but for trying to get to the rim just like they do Al, who will be beat up so bad in 3 years his career will be over.
And while you are at it, Fire Sund , Fire Mike Cunningham Too.
just a note
February 14th, 2011
7:36 am
**Mike Cunningham as a hawks writer ranks very high for its idiocy as well.
Its a sad day to be a hawks fan.
just a note
February 14th, 2011
7:37 am
Grandad Thanks for the shout, Im having a most excellent seasons. Things are going well. I trust things are great with you too.
just a note
February 14th, 2011
7:42 am
And fire teague too!
Samuel
February 14th, 2011
8:48 am
Naj,
Last year we averaged 101.7 ppg this year we average 96.9. How is that better?
HAWKS ARE TOAST!
February 14th, 2011
8:57 am
Fill in the Blanks………………………………………
HAWKS ARE TOAST!
February 14th, 2011
9:13 am
“What a garbage team…..really time to blow it up. This is as good as this group can get, which isn’t worth anything.”
FILL IN THE BLANKS………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
It was not a bad pick
February 14th, 2011
9:14 am
The Black Baron
“I truly believe that Marvin could be an impact player if he had a larger role on the team, but since he isn’t asked to do much on this team, he just does the little things that coach Drew asks him to do, and he does them without complaining. I don’t see any reason to criticize him for that.”
Your whole post is 100% right..the regular posters on here like to blame Marvin because they can’t accept that the Hawks messed up giving Joe that Max contract…Also for some strange reason they think Al is a center because he made the All star Team…The Hawks are 1 big man away from competing for a title..Bibby is not the problem…No point guard can stay in front of the best pgs in the NBA anyway, La just won with Fisher at PG, but they have Bynum and Gasol..We need a big man to protect the rim..i like Josh at the sf now…If he goes to the post early, he is a tough handle, Marvin is better, but we all know Drew is scared to put Josh on the bench..I think we should trade Jamal, JT, and 1st round pick to La clippers for Jordan and foye..That way we get a legit big and Marvin will be the focal point of the second unit..Lets face it, with Jamal out there, running the point lol..Marvin will not touch the rock…
HAWKS ARE TOAST!
February 14th, 2011
9:18 am
The Hawks are 10 players and new ownership away from competing for a Title in say 2034….
domwilkins23
February 14th, 2011
9:35 am
If you’re an Atlanta/Georgia Sports fan and want to talk with other fans, check out our NEW message board.
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We have team forums for the Falcons, Bulldogs, Hawks, Braves, Yellow Jackets, Thrashers, etc. Please register and post! Be apart of a huge site in the early days of existence. See ya there! We’re looking for posters, moderators, bloggers/writers. Join up if interested..
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
9:44 am
Samuel,
The Hawks have won more games on the road this year, and since they will probably be the 5th seed, they need to be abe to win on the road to advance.
Also, they beat the Magic twice already this season. Last season, the Magic blew them out in the regular season and the playoffs. I think that is an improvement too.
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
9:51 am
As for LD and his tinkering and possible lineup changes, does anyone take him seriously (players, fans, media, front office)? Just reading his quotes, he sounds like a politician who doesnt want to commit to anything either way, so he leaves a lot of wiggle room in there.
From ajc.com;
Drew also said he’s still contemplating permanent changes to the starting lineup, a subject he first broached following the loss to Philadelphia.
“Let’s just see if we can regroup for these last two games before the break,” he said. “If we can’t and I still don’t like what I see then, I will look at possibly making some kind of change to possibly shake things up a little bit.”.
Huh? So if the Hawks play well and win the next 2 games, does that mean he wont bother with any timkering, because all is well?
C’mon Man. Even if the Hawks play well these next 2 games, their history suggests its only a matter of time before they struggle to score in the fourth, or give up a big lead and lose, or possibly get blown out.
Samuel
February 14th, 2011
10:12 am
OB,
We’ve also gotten considerably worse at home. Whatever slot we end up in, I would think that we would need the home games to be somewhat guaranteed in order to possibly advance, wouldn’t you think?
Samuel
February 14th, 2011
10:14 am
By your logic are you saying you would rather for us to have the 5 spot rather than the 4 and have home court advantage?
sam'l
February 14th, 2011
10:15 am
Simply stated……Two incredibly bad losses.
Rufus1
February 14th, 2011
10:33 am
LD’s Scapegoats…
Bibby and Jamal allow the Philly back court(Meek, Holliday and Williams) to score 51 points… And they score total of 11pts…
Solution= Bench Marvin and Teague DNP.
Result…
Back-up PG(Livingston)22pts season high… He keep the Bobcats in the game, so Jackson could hit the winning shot**(6′8 Jackson scored the last 4pts for Charlotte over 6′4 Jamal and 6′5 Mo, while 6′9 Marvin road the bench).** Bibby and Jamal had a total of 13pts…
17mil worth of veterans were outscored 73 to 22 over the last 2 games by 4 players making a total of 11mil(Journeyman, 2nd year player and two 2nd rounders)…WOW!
For those who think Teague is a waste….Jrue Holliday(Drafted 17th, Teague Drafted 19th) is a perfect example of what a young PG can start to become, WHEN YOU COMMIT TO DEVELOPING ONE!!!
Rufus1
February 14th, 2011
10:36 am
LD’s Scapegoats…
This isn’t rocket science…Change the back court rotation.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
10:45 am
Calling Joe selfish is way off base. The man is unselfish on the floor (when the offense allows him to be) and is not a jackass off the floor, aside from the one offhand comment he made during the playoffs. It’s not his fault the Hawks offered him a max contract. He would have been foolish to decline. And for all the people who (falsely) claim that players don’t want to play here, here is a guy who is in the top 5 at his position in the league who re-upped instead of bolting like so many others did this past offseason.
With that said, there is no question that his contract prevents the Hawks from doing much to improve. Of course the combined $20 million per year paid out to Marvin/Bibby/Zaza is much more harmful since those contracts are virtually untradeable and the Hawks get very little bang for the buck out of them, but at the same time those players’ nearly nonexistent trade values prevent them from being included in any meaningful trade discussion.
Of course I’m not in favor of dumping Joe just for the sake of dumping him, but the trade Grandad proposed (which I think was something like Joe for Kyle Lowry/Kevin Martin/Shane Battier) would bring back a SG who can match Joe’s scoring ability if not his defense and passing, as well as two players who would instantly be the best at their respective positions on the Hawks. No, the Hawks shouldn’t be looking to trade Joe, but I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to a trade like that. Long term it gives the Hawks a lot more flexibility, and short term it wouldn’t reduce the team’s win total by more than one or two if at all. You could even make the argument that the upgrades at PG and SF from that trade would more than make up for the downgrade at SG in the short term, and Martin does one thing a LOT better than Joe — getting to the free throw line.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
10:47 am
Of course, all of that is irrelevant since Houston would probably not do that trade and WLOC. (An imaginary cookie to the first person who can guess what that stands for.)
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
11:01 am
“Last year we averaged 101.7 ppg this year we average 96.9. How is that better?”
The difference in scoring and offensive efficiency from last year to this year is mostly because the Hawks have fallen from 6th to 28th in offensive rebounding. According to Hoopinion and Hollinger, the tradeoff has been that the Hawks have had more people back ready to defend in transition, and the transition D has improved. The stats say they are assisting on a higher percentage of made baskets, and my eyes tell me they are getting the ball in the post more and are sharing the ball much better.
Anyway, we’ll see what happens in the playoffs. I’ve been saying all along that the commitment to better ball movement and getting the ball in the post will result in the Hawks scoring consistently in the playoffs when the pace slows down and the games get more physical, instead of becoming a train wreck like last year.
Worldwide Clyde
February 14th, 2011
11:04 am
FIRE SUND
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
11:09 am
“We’ve also gotten considerably worse at home. Whatever slot we end up in, I would think that we would need the home games to be somewhat guaranteed in order to possibly advance, wouldn’t you think?”
Each of the last two years, the Hawks dominated at home and treaded water on the road. Each of the last two years, the Hawks have won a road game and lost a home game in the first round. Each of the last two years, the Hawks got their asses beat just as badly at home as on the road in the second round (with the exception of Game 3 against the Cavs, which was somewhat close for the most part).
Long story short, I really don’t think regular season home/road splits matter that much in the playoffs, at least when it comes to this team. And let’s face it, if the apathetic crowd is really a factor in their home losses (as they like to claim) it’s not going to be that way in the playoffs, as each playoff game over the last three years has sold out and been loud as hell.
Rick Sund
February 14th, 2011
11:18 am
Hawks Fans,
It feels good returning to Detroit, a team I helped build over a decade ago. Through my elite and superior GM skills, I built an NBA Champion and team that went to the ECF many years.
We are not at that stage yet with the Hawks, although we are CLEARLY an elite team (we have beaten Orlando twice and Miami once AT Miami).
As Mr. Gearon (my mentor and one of the smartest minds in sports) pointed out, we had a TWENTY-TWO point lead vs. a team OWNED BY THE GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME. Achievements like that are FAR more important than actual results.
Right now, every player in our starting lineup besides Marvin (who I still feel is an elite player) is one of the top players at his position or is a veteran in his PRIME (Bibby).
Joe has been on a TEAR lately, as has Jamal (who we feel should have been an All-Star with his ELITE defense and CONSISTENCY).
ZaZa brings that Charles Oakley toughness we’ve been looking for.
Mo Evans is that Matt Barnes/Micheal Pietrus-type player – someone who commits HARD FOULS and makes his presence felt.
Best,
Rick
Rick Sund
February 14th, 2011
11:21 am
Mike Bibby is in his PRIME. He is EXTREMELY athletic, is very vocal, and CONSISTENTLY makes 3’s (go look at his game-by-game log and you’ll see he CONSISTENTLY scores 20 a game).
Larry Drew is a player’s coach. He is also VERY vocal and has brilliant defensive schemes (we were up almost TWENTY vs. the EXPLOSIVE Bobcat Offense at halftime the other night).
Remember, even if a team goes on a MASSIVE losing streak, one should NEVER panic.
This Core has been to the playoffs 4 years in a row.
Since the last 2 years we made the 2nd round and got swept, our goal this year will be to make the 2nd round and win ONE game. Remember: elite teams are built during the regular season – there is no reason to OVERACHIEVE as that would be out of the circle for this team.
It’s all about BABY STEPS.
I HIGHLY disagree with Boston’s plan 4 years ago to get Ray and KG and win a title. That is NOT how it’s done – it is better to establish a 10 year process and HOPE to win a title rather than shooting for a title DEAD-ON
ELITE TEAMS ARE BUILT IN THE REGULAR SEASON
lewis
February 14th, 2011
11:49 am
“And once again, it’s about knowing the demographics of ATL. Add Nash to the team, and watch all of the White surburban fans flock to Philips Arena in March, just to watch him play.”
lewis
February 14th, 2011
11:50 am
“we like our core”
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
11:55 am
Hawks must finish games stronger.. They are unfortunately not one of the best conditioned teams and it haunts them in those 4th quarters. They look like a tired bunch. LD can’ t hide that fact…They are tired…..Tired… Tired….Tired….
ASGEEMen= Writeoff
Hawks=Tired
Sund= Got pictures
Playoffs= disaster waiting to happen,AGAIN………………………………………..
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
11:58 am
Start playing like the Lakers and everybody, all of God’s creation will start to flock and crowd Phillips for Hawks games………And Gearon will turn from pale skin to green skin…LOL
oldtimer
February 14th, 2011
12:00 pm
To reduce Woody’s accomplishments by looking at playoffs vs. Orlando and Cavs, and saying there were a train wreck is not looking at the whole picture.
Hawks had a bad match-up vs. Orlando. That was clear last year. The team the Hawks didn’t want to see, was Orlando. You got rid of your coach because of that one series. A far superior coach to his assistant. A coach that did not let team lose at home. A coach that improved the team every year.
Now Najeh says Hawks will be better in playoffs this year, based on what logic???
Hawks during the season are less than they were last year. And probably, they will be worse this year in playoffs. It has nothing to do with better ball movement. It has to do with a coach that does not put priority on defense. These are NBA players. They don’t need a system, they need some guidelines.
How many games did Woody win with the last play of the game last year? Sun, Houston, Cats. Just to say that Drew draws plays is not looking at what happened last year.
Woody was a far superior coach and a better coach for this team. All decisions made because of one series loss vs. a team that was a bad match-up all year for Hawks. All that heat Woody took for not playing Teague, now what???
Woody >>> Drew
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
12:04 pm
Just win baby WIN!………The flocking will come…..
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
12:06 pm
Woody beat Orlando one lousy time in 3 freaking years..Git to steppin
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
12:08 pm
Prediction: Hawks will get crushed this coming playoffs as presently configure..That’s an easy one…..Stern will see to it..I get it David Stern…..
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
12:24 pm
“Hawks had a bad match-up vs. Orlando. That was clear last year. The team the Hawks didn’t want to see, was Orlando.”
And yet somehow with the same roster the Hawks have beaten the Magic more times this season than they did in 8 meetings last season.
Again, not trying to cast LD as some sort of miracle worker or even a good coach, but Woody plain and simple did not the most out of this roster.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
12:25 pm
^did not get the most out of this roster
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
12:26 pm
Samuel,
I dont think the Hawks are good enough to count on homecourt advantage, so it will be important to be able to win games on the road.
I think the playoffs will tell us alot about our Hawks, and that will influence what moves (if any) Rick Sund will make over the offseason.
JeJe
February 14th, 2011
12:35 pm
LOL @ people acting like Woody was not retained just because of that series.
WE GOT SWEPT 2 YEARS AGO VS. CLEVELAND. WHY DOES NO ONE MENTION THAT?
LBJ DIDNT FLINCH ONCE AGAINST US
IF U ALL REMEMBER, IN GAME 4, LBJ HAD TO HELP MARVIN UP AFTER MARVIN FELL BECAUSE MARVIN IS THAT FRAIL
FIRE SUND
drmaryb (*_*)
February 14th, 2011
12:37 pm
“Of course, all of that is irrelevant since Houston would probably not do that trade and WLOC. (An imaginary cookie to the first person who can guess what that stands for.)”
________________________
Would Laugh Of Course!
________________________
Now, where is my imaginary cookie?
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
12:38 pm
Hawks are 6 games (in the loss column) in front of the Knicks. However, we have a 7 game road trip coming up, so if we dont take care of business, the Knicks might pass us by the end of the season (especially if they are able to swing a deal for Carmelo).
oldtimer
February 14th, 2011
12:47 pm
Najeh, you and I both know that Orlando team this year is not the same team as last year. Orlando changed their team completely. For better or worse, the team last year was the one that caused Hawks trouble.
The times Hawks beat Orlando this year, Orlando player(s) sick first time with flu, second time it was a night after new players were put together. You can not draw any parallels to Orlando last year.
You also can not use the Orlando wins this year to show LD is getting more out of Hawks than Woody last year.
O'Brien
February 14th, 2011
12:50 pm
Just wanted to remind everyone what Rick Sund thinks. From an October 2010 ajc article on how Rick Sund sees the Hawks.
The way Sund sees it–and he said most GMs look at it the same way–the elite teams are those that earn homecourt advantage in the first round and advance to the second round.
He said he learned from Jerry West and Wayne Embry not to blow up a good core too soon.
“Fans may not understand and media certainly wouldn’t understand because they like the hype of all the moves in the summer,” he said. “But when you look at our club, we’ve got a pretty damn good club and a good nucleus given that we [operate] under the luxury tax.”.
That’s our GM folks…SMH
Ken S/MC,
WIll you able to do an article with Rick prior to the trade deadline? It will be interesting to hear what he thinks about the Hawks now compared to what he thought in October.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
1:01 pm
“Now Najeh says Hawks will be better in playoffs this year, based on what logic???
Hawks during the season are less than they were last year. And probably, they will be worse this year in playoffs. It has nothing to do with better ball movement. It has to do with a coach that does not put priority on defense.”
For all the “priority on defense” Woody had, the Hawks are ranked the same in defensive efficiency this year when compared to last year, and in fact for most of this season they have been ranked higher.
I admit I don’t have any hard and fast stats to quote you when I say the Hawks will be better in the playoffs this year — just that common sense tells me a team that shares the ball and gets the ball in the post is going to score more consistently than a team that relies entirely on isolating a guy who can’t get to the rim or draw fouls. This is why I said “we will see what happens in the playoffs”. I expect to be proven right. We’ll see.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
1:01 pm
“Would Laugh Of Course!
________________________
Now, where is my imaginary cookie?”
Haha sorry drmaryb, but that’s not it.
slimjr
February 14th, 2011
1:04 pm
this road trip is huge starting tonight! Next 11 games are brutal!! None will be easy….Here we go Gearon..Let’s see how elite your “core group” is..
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
1:06 pm
“Najeh, you and I both know that Orlando team this year is not the same team as last year. Orlando changed their team completely. For better or worse, the team last year was the one that caused Hawks trouble. ”
The players that give the Hawks the most trouble on that team are Nelson and Howard, who were both there last year The Hawks would have probably lost last year’s series to Orlando regardless of who was coaching. But the primary reason they got blown out by historic proportions is because a) Woody refused to even consider the idea of going with a bigger lineup to take the load off Horford, b) Woody refused to even consider the idea of going away from the switching defense when it was clear Orlando had figured it out, and c) Woody refused to even consider the idea of letting Horford handle Howard by himself so that the perimeter shooters of Orlando wouldn’t be left wide open over and over again. Woody stayed the course with a plan that was a failure from the beginning, and the result was a lopsided destruction instead of a respectable defeat. And what made this even more egregious is that when the Hawks beat the Magic in March, they won primarily because Woody played straight up instead of doubling Howard for most of the game. Woody not only refused to make adjustments in that series, but he didn’t even use the winning strategy that got the Hawks a win against Orlando in the regular season. Yes, we can say “it’s the players” all we want and it will be true, but that doesn’t mean Woody is off the hook.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
1:10 pm
“The times Hawks beat Orlando this year, Orlando player(s) sick first time with flu, second time it was a night after new players were put together. You can not draw any parallels to Orlando last year.”
I don’t buy the flu excuse for a second. Countless players throughout the recent history of the league have played with the flu and played well. Those players missed a game before that one with the flu. If they were healthy enough to come back, they were healthy enough to play. The Hawks won that game fair and square. Maybe chemistry is a valid excuse for the second one, but even then, the same issues they had in that game have persisted for them up until now. We’ll see what happens in their fourth and final meeting at the end of March. I fully expect the Hawks to be able to win at the end.
Either way, beating the Magic begins and ends with controlling Dwight Howard. Bottom line is that LD found a way to do that with this roster whereas Woody utterly failed.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 14th, 2011
1:13 pm
Anyway, my point has never been that LD is a great coach. If you don’t think LD has done a good job, I can sympathize with you. But LD’s successes or failures are by no means a referendum on Woody as a head coach. Woody deserves credit for being a stand up guy and helping guide the Hawks from the cellar to the playoffs, but he also deserves blame for his complete and utter inability to make adjustments or maximize the talent on the roster.
WLOC