Atlanta Hawks at Pistons: Getting started (Update: ‘Big’ lineup tonight)

Hope…

IMO hope is the main reason the attendance is down from last year. No one thinks we have any chance to Making to the finals with Bibby as our starter. Management and the coaching staff have the responsibility to give their fans HOPE…

That is why the NFL is so successful, most teams start the year thinking they have a chance.

With Bibby as our starter, even the “Die Hard” fans don’t believe we will make it out of the 1st round, so why would a casual fan spend money on a HOPELESS product.

Analogy…

If I intended to take a trip from ATL to CALI, but had to choose between a flat tire(Bibby) or the “donut”(Teague or JC2). I would choose the “donut”. Even thought I may still end my trip on the side of the road.
…ATLEAST THE “DONUT” GIVES ME HOPE THAT I COULD MAKE IT!!!!!

With Bibby as the starter, I feel like a GT basketball fan with Hewitt as the head coach…HOPELESS IN THE “A”

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First, let me say that The Hawks bench is so bad that this (33-20) is likely the most we should expect from them. Zaza and Mo in particular have dropped in production (how can you drop from nearly nothing?) and Powell has been a disappointment.

Second, LD has to break up to six years of bad habits. Not an easy thing to do in a half season.

Third, I WISH that he would be sterner in his accountability.

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I don’t think the Hawks or Hawks Fans should panic, but there’s definitely cause for concern. I wish we could shake things up a little before the trade deadline. Bring in some new blood. The way things look (and any of you who’ve followed my comments before the start of the season) the Hawks will finish 5th in the East and get beat in the first round. The top 4 spots in the East are all maintained by the exact teams I thought would be there come the All-Star break. The only saving grace a Hawks fan can have is that we don’t end up playing the Magic in the first round. Granted, the Magic aren’t the same as in years past…But the Hawks will surely find a way to get blown out led by Joe Johnson’s lack luster effort.

Good job, Spirit.

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“I don’t think we need to panic”

News Flash” Ah LD your team has had 6 straight 4th quarter melt downs and are 2-4 in that stretch. You better start to panic or you’ll be outta here this summer…..Your team should be playing like its a one game elimination gearing up mentally for the playoffs.. Next 11 games will test your squad good.The picture will become much clearer on how things will stand when it counts for real…

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To underscore my earlier point about the bench…..

the last time we played at the Palace our bench was outscored 46-14 in a blowout loss. Ouch.

Also, I’ve only hear the words “Good Job, Spirit” applied to Spirit the Hawk who is now banned from Philips.

The Atlanta Spirit Killers Group has only done a good job of just barely appeasing the fanbase enough to quell a general uprising. They actually conned thousands of ticket holders into thinking they want a championship.

If you think THAT’s a good job, ok.

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If LD is going to make a meaningful lineup change, now is the time. Going up against Portland and LA trying to work a new guy into the starting lineup is asking for trouble. He should make the change now, against Detroit, and work out the kinks in the next two games.

WLOC

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“The Atlanta Spirit Killers Group has only done a good job of just barely appeasing the fanbase enough to quell a general uprising. ”

Hey, if the Egyptians can stage an uprising and overthrow Mubarak, maybe Hawks fans can stage an uprising and overthrow the DASG. Anything is possible.

WLOC

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@Rufus1

Ah the Hawks have never been to an NBA final in almost 5 decades….Why start now?……I get it Mr. Stern…

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(( raising hand @ Astro Joe ))

Ummm . . . No.

My main complaint last summer was that Sund needed to bring in people who could actually replace some on the bench. Our 7th and 8th men are Mo and Zaza.

I can’t think of a single playoff level team in which Mo and Zaza would be the 7th and 8th man on their team. Even on a squad like Philly, they wouldn’t be that.

With me being in Tennessee, and Fox Sports Net deciding to show all Hawk and Grizzly games on SportsSouth, a lot more Hawk games are pre-empted in my area, in favor to show the Grizzlies.

Memphis had the sense to secure Tony Allen as a backup PG/SG. He’s really improved that squad on the defensive end, which has enabled them to really make a move toward securing a playoff spot.

At 3 mill per year, and a guy who REALLY contributed to a championship caliber squad in Boston, he has been a great addition for Memphis. It’s to bad that Sund doesn’t have an eye for talent like that. If we had Tony, I could easily see him being an option for us at the PG ( defensively ) at the end of games.

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“It’s to bad that Sund doesn’t have an eye for talent like that”

Sund and Gearon are business men not “basketball” men..That’s why they will never “get it right” when it comes to evaluating talent…..

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Heck Sund even admits he does not watch college games or even have a computer on his office desk top..What a bad Joke! This guys been a GM for 31+ years!!! Are you kidding me????

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“How can you drop from nearly nothing? Good question.

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The main reason attendance is down, is that fans only come out for the big games. 40% of our “fan base” don’t come out to see the Hawks, they come out to see the Hawks play good to great teams.

Our schedule in March is full of games vs the top level teams. That in itself will increase our attendance. But it won’t be until the 4th quarter when you’ll actually believe that the crowd is a pro-Hawk crowd.

It every excuse in the world, other than the fans simply not EVER caring about the Hawks, that people come up with. If us “die hards” give up and not go to games, you know the casual fan definitely won’t go to the games.

The difference is that the casual fan may very well go to the big games, while the disgruntled die hards may still not go, thinking we’ll lose anyway.

That’s why the ASG in the future should factor in what type of players that people will come out to see, regardless if he helps the team in the won – loss column or not.

Maybe we need a team full of Jamals, so they can do “tricky dribbles” for the crowd for 4 quarters. Trade JJ for JR Smith, since he’s the type of player that gets people excited in ATL.

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northcyde, the question wasn’t “did you think the bench was good” the question was “is it the best bench during the playoff run”? Comepletly different questions.

Sautee, do you ever wonder if Lester Connor (defensive coordinator) or Nick Van Exel (position coach for young guards) feel like they are being heard when Bibby & Jamal continue to get the bulk of the minutes? Has LD’s schemes been so undeniably effective that you scratch your head wondering why his previous boss failed to heed his advice? When he suggests that the players are too comfortable, would you categorize him as an agitator or a Snuggly?

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“Our schedule in March is full of games vs the top level teams”

Ah, the ides of March approaching faster…………………………..and faster………….

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Najeh

We’re licking our creamsicles

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This team needs a trade badly. They have too many players that don’t compete at a professional level. This team only thinks about offense and when their shot is off, they get blown out. A guy I would really love to have at point guard is George Hill from San Antonio. That guy doesn’t back down from nobody and plays hard on both ends of the floor. Also, I believe it’s time for the Hawks to part ways with Josh Smith. That guy is too talented and let’s that get to his head. He only plays hard against the good teams or against star players but doesn’t give the same effort against lesser opponents. We need to let him go and just stick with Al Horford. Mike Bibby also needs to go because he’s just too unproductive for the amount of minutes he’s on the floor. He gives up way too much than he actually contributes to the team. If you keep him, he needs to come off the bench for spot minutes and just hit a few 3s while he’s in. Jamaal Crawford is also hurting this team because of his lack of defense. Sure I’ve seen this guy win games for us with his scoring but how much games do we win because of that. Now compare that with how many games we lose because guards are penetrating and making our defense look like a bunch of guys running all over the place trying to cover open guys. Scoring is all about talent. But defense is all about heart and effort and that’s what we need. We’ve seen this talented team get clobbered way too often. It’s time this team learns how to fight every game. Bring in George Hill and couple other hard nosed players and give up Josh Smith, Jamal Crawford, and Mike Bibby and you will have a tough team. And trust me, you can get a lot of value for those three guys so make it happen now.

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Guesswhothisis, didnt you just say Josh, Jamal, and Bibby dont like to play defense? And you think Pops wants em? Please!

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Bibby was playing adequately for the first half of the season.
Then his legs got tired.
Still playing way too many minutes.
No backup PG.
He’s awful currently.

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LD IS A JOKE. HE SAYS THE SAME THINGS AFTER EVERY GAMES.

NO ADJUSTMENTS

I’VE NEVER SEEN HIM BENCH A PLAYER LIKE SILAS DID TO AUGUSTIN IN THE 2ND HALF THE OTHER NIGHT

HE USES THE SAME POINT GUARD EVEN THOUGH BIBBY IS F’ING GARBAGE. BIBBY’S ONLINE CONTRIBUTION TO THE TEAM IS CONTESTED 3S. I’VE NEVER SEEN HIM CROSS UP A POINT GUARD WHILE IN A HAWKS UNIFORM. HE IS ABOUT AS FAST AS JASON COLLINS IS WITH A 200 POUND BACKPACK ON HIS BACK

FIRE SUND
FIRE LD

LD TALKS ABOUT US BEING IN A COMFORT ZONE. WELL MAYBE IF WE DIDNT HAVE THE SAME CORE FOR THE LAST 3 DECADES WE WOULD BE PLAYING WITH MORE SPIRIT

LOL @ MICHAEL GEARON JR CLAIMING WE SUCK AT HOME SOMETIMES BECAUSE FANS DON’T SHOW UP

NO, IT’S BECAUSE OUR CORE SUCKS AND WE NEED A DAMN TRADE

FIRE SUND

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*LIKE WOODY WASN’T RETAINED

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Why does Mo even talk? Why do you quote him? Maybe if I heard him admit what a bust/bum he has been he would have an iota of credence. Useless.

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newkid, 4 games before the deadline… Pistons, Knicks, Lakers & Suns. I’m not sure that reshuffling the current cards will likely alter the end results against those teams.

northcyde, you are a better predictor than me because I thought going into the season that this would be a better bench than any other in recent history (for the Hawks). I guess I failed to consider that we could sign an equally as ineffective PF as Joe Smith, but we did.

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Northcyde

I agree attendance will go up when the big name teams come, but IIIIII am loosing HOPE and I am a glass 1/2 full kind of person. I am loosing the excitement about playing the big name teams, because I am getting a weird sense of “Deja VU”

LD is turning into a slightly newer version of Woodson. Yes, the offense is better. Yes, the overall defense is better, but the formula to beat the Hawks remains the same.(Attack bibby and Jamal in the 4th QT… Double Joe and leave Josh open for jumpshots)

The only real improvement I think LD has made is the Ball Movement. I think the improvement in defense, has more to do with the SLOWED pace.

No player development
No accountability
The lack of a defined leadership structure.

Teague
How can one expect a 2nd year player to become the leader on a team, when the coach doesn’t live upto his stated principles or hold everyone similar standards. THIS BEHAVIOR CREATES A LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY IN HIS YOUNG PLAYERS…(Just like like Woodson did)

I feel we will end in the same place as last year, so why pay to see the same movie twice.

I will still attend games, just not as many until I see change.

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“Pistons, Knicks, Lakers & Suns”

I wonder what LD will be a saying if his team lays an egg over the next 4 games? All road games!! “We will not panic?”

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“How can one expect a 2nd year player to become the leader on a team, when the coach doesn’t live upto his stated principles or hold everyone similar standards. THIS BEHAVIOR CREATES A LEVEL OF UNCERTAINTY IN HIS YOUNG PLAYERS AND IT SHOWS ON THE COURT…(Just like like Woodson did)

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Section 303

No one blames Bibby…We blame LD and Sund.

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Rufus1, why LD? I understand Sund.

I left the meeting with Gearon expecting there to be no trade at the deadline. If that’s the case, than what’s the point of the remainder of the season? We all have seen this script before. We know how it ends.

Rufus1, I’m no fan of Sund, either. I actually liked Billy Knight a lot better.

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The HAWKS will NOT make any moves before the DEADLINE. we must accept that. I Think part of the problem is that i dont see a leader out there on the floor i dont see a player willing to get into the face of one of his teammates when they are BS’ing around. except for when they are winning i see no emotion from the hawks. besides Josh complaining or crying DURING the game.( how many times have u seen josh complaining or crying to a ref or a coach while the other team has the ball driving to the basket) Just by watching them play obviously Horford is the heart and soul of the team. we can win a game with any one of the other starters OUT but can not win without horford. JJ wanted and got the “I’M THE MAN MONEY” but he doesnt want to be the leader on and off the court WTH? when ever the press talks to joe after a loss like this his 1st response is always ” I dont know what happened” u are supposed to be the leader and as long as he doesnt act like it the hawks will not be acting like a real contender. and everyone with these trade ideas. WE”D HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT ANOTHER TEAM WOULD WANT in order to make a trade JJ not going anywhere AH Nope, all we got left is JS u think the spirit have enough nerve or even enough smarts to pull of an equal trade? no. we’d end up getting earl boykins for JS in a 3 team trade LOL

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astro, you know i didnt like this roster as it was coming into the season. i thought and said it was 6 deep and now 5 deep as bibby has tanked lately. no amount of gibberish could convince me otherwise. lost summer of ‘10 is the way i saw it and still see it that way.

no moves this summer were effective outside of collins losing weight. no, i still dont see him as a legit big unless he is the last one after all are hurt, not starting games or pinch centering for the big boys. the celts bulked up and beat down the heat along with rondo hounding laqueen looking like a mario west with a purpose. that is without several players hurt and on the sidelines such as daniels, shaq and jon. we need bulk and zaza is not bulk, collins is too one dimensional to even be included in the conversation but he is. zaza must have used up all his best moves in the summer league in europe or in the boxing ring. sad to see a young big not improve or at least stay the same.

mo done, jamal slumped, teague(who) and bibby having his woes. it is amazing this team is where it is. wonder why? my answer is al and josh are the only ones to bring something new or consistent. ohyeah and we have pape sy for the future. when do we as hawks fans get to live in the now instead of hoping out to the future?

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AJ,

“Sautee, do you ever wonder if Lester Connor (defensive coordinator) or Nick Van Exel (position coach for young guards) feel like they are being heard when Bibby & Jamal continue to get the bulk of the minutes?”

No, because LD at least seems to be more of a communicator than Woody. I would guess that they at least have discussed it and the defensive coaches understand the decision whether or not they agree with it.

” Has LD’s schemes been so undeniably effective that you scratch your head wondering why his previous boss failed to heed his advice?”

Undeniably effective? Um, no. But how much of that is players yet having a full grasp? Don’t know, and likely never will.

“When he suggests that the players are too comfortable, would you categorize him as an agitator or a Snuggly?”

LOL, somewhere in between. He’s still Uncle Larry, but there’s also no doubt that, despite the poor results, Bibby and Crawford are giving more effort on D, as an example.

If they were being snuggled, I don’t think you’d see that.

But, as I said in my first post today, I’d STILL like a sterner approach to accountability.

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doc, you nailed it early on. I initially predicted 50-odd wins (then backed down to 48) but stayed consistent with a 7 game first round loss. I figured we lose some exciting, high-scoring games (like 113-109) because I didn’t like the lack of discussion about the defensive scheme. “Guard your man or else” with the same poor individual defenders didn’t make sense when discussed in the summer and still hasn’t evolved into anything sensible. Watching them lose while scoring in the 80s is just down-right maddening.

Sautee, I have always hoped (maybe out of desperation)that with the new CBA in place, the ASG would find a path to success that would actually bear fruit. I still believe that they will resist any urges to react now and possibly hurt any chances to gain financial footing once the CBA is finalized. For example, trading Jamal for an extra year at $8-10M probably wouldn’t make sense to them (which is what would happen if they tried to acquire Mo Williams or Hinrich). I’d be shocked if losing the next 2-3 games leads them to take on more salary in the 2011-12 season. But man, do I hope that I am wrong.

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AJ,

See my 3:36 post about hope.

I’m very afraid that the ASKG looks at Jamal’s expiring contract as their lifeline going into the CBA talks. As soon as they re-signed Horford, the writing was on the wall that they would simply let Jamal’s contact expire to make up the difference in Horford’s salary. That, and Mo’s expiring contract are their “headroom” for next season.

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northcyde, I 2nd your comments on the Tony Allen signing by Memphis. The guy is just a competitor. You have to have that on the bench. I will do you one better: Glen Davis. Remember how the C’s held out offering him anything significant? This team like many others had a chance to go out a get him and he has turned into a solid piece in Boston.

OB, man, those Sund interviews are killing me! I just cannot listen to anymore of his justifications as to why this is an elite team and its too soon to break it up. Well, Sund has not only killed this salary structure signing Joe, Zaza, Marvin and Bibby to those numbers, he has continued to say how elite a team this is with the cap limitation. Well, Sund, you put us at the cap with your terrific re-signings. All you have done is continue the Billy Knight model of versatile players at every position. What a crock!
We still have no PG, and if we wanted to get one, like a Devin Harris, I guarantee you it would cost you Josh Smith. You aren’t getting someone’s starting PG for an expiring and a late round draft pick. This is the big boy’s league!
So we keep our 41st ranked PG as the starter, and just suffer through Larry’s rendition of ‘Groundhog Day’….”I just have to keep getting on them about their mistakes and making them accountable”….blah, blah.
We have gained no ground with this coaching switch. We are still fighting for 4th, with Chicago and Miami blowing right by us.
MC, ask Sund how does a team like Chicago just waltz right by you in the standings? New coach (unproven)…new players that haven’t played together before…..Sund looks foolish with his comments.

303, I feel for you man, they are getting your money again this year. I learned after Knight brought in Shellhead that there has to be a better way to show my disapproval with the decisions Gearon and his GM make.

I have quit coming up with trade sceanarios, because Sund isn’t going to do anything that will help this team get a defensive perimeter presence or a low post defender. There are plenty of guys available…he just doesn’t see giving up anything of significance.

Now, MC, explain this to me…with all the talk about the ‘BIG’ lineup, what does that really do for us when Collins plays 14 minutes, gets 5 fouls and contributes little to nothing? That’s 1/4 of a game with the ‘BIG’ lineup. I just think there is too much of this being talked about….you put Smoove on the perimeter, your team is worse, offensively and defensively.
What does Bibster have to do to lose minutes? Does he have to get into a fight with Larry? Nope, didn’t hurt Marvin….Does he have to quit playing defense? Nope, that’s not working.
How about we just slide Bibby out of the rotation, and let ’someone’, ‘anyone’ else give it a run? It can’t hurt going forward.

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Its going to be Orlando and ATL in that 1st round… just gotta battle for that home court advantage… tonights a good night to start!!

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Mo was humbled the other night by that jumpshot against his everything I got defense!!! LOL

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My remote is ready to go to work. NBA TV is on the bench and ready to be called to duty if our guards decide to take off the 4th quarter again…..

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LD will start Marsh mellow, Iso, Duck,Magic Jr,and Undersized wants to play PF….No Panic….Yet….Yawn….
Good luck with bench play tonight.. Just roll the dice…………….

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Did the cabby get the car started?

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How can anyone say that Teague sucks? It’s impossible to know whether that is true or not – he hasn’t been given a chance!!!! Drew is the one who sucks!

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Some of you people just don’t get it. Larry Drew doesn’t have to worry about job security because the team owners and GM are too pathetic to take action regardless of badly the team is struggling. Mike Woodson was not fired. Get that straight, people. So many people keep saying that he was “fired”, but it never happened. The ASG simply waited until Woodson’s contract was up and did not give him an extension or re-hire him. The move to hire Larry Drew was not a move to improve the team, it was a minor financial move to cut salary, and a PR move to help quiet the angry fan base. It wouldn’t have mattered if Drew was the worst coaching candidate by far, the simple fact that he was willing to take less money than any other coach is the sole reason why he was hired.

Hence, he does not need to worry about losing his job before his contract is up, no matter how badly the team tanks. Most people would argue that L.D.’s contract is so small that it is easy to absorb, making him easily replaceable if the team wanted to replace him before his contract expires. However, it’s obvious that management will not even consider replacing him until his contract expires. This is not a proactive organization. Just like the fan base, management is passive and apathetic, and fails to show support for the team. Don’t count on any blockbuster trades or coaching changes to improve the team while this franchise is under the control of the ASG and Rick Sund.

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The Hawks are bridge to no were its never going get better it going to be same old boring team for ever .

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““I don’t want to do anything with two games to go when we are about to take a three-day break. Let’s just see if we can regroup for these last two games before the break, and 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.””

Yeah, and possibly if I possibly run into Eva Angelina and Jada Fire tonight I might possibly be in the middle of a possible double decker sandwich. LD really does sound sure of himself, doesn’t he? I’m not counting on this happening.

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“Coaches want the ball in their best players’ hands in crunch time. That will never change.”

You’re right. The difference is, good coaches want the ball in their best players’ hands in a position that caters to their strengths. Good coaches don’t put players who lack quickness and explosiveness on the perimeter and tell them to break people down off the dribble, when this clearly is not one of their strengths. Joe should be getting the ball in the post and off screens. Giving him the ball on the perimeter and asking him to do something with it, when his lack of quickness and explosion is the major weakness in his game, is asking for him to shoot a contested jumper.

“Dribble dribble dribble, dribble dribble dribble, dribble dribble dribble, shoot” — Kenny Smith, on Woody’s offense

WLOC

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Five points to the first person who can guess what WLOC stands for.

WLOC

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“Rodney Stuckey and Bynum should have a good night tonight.

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After witnessing the last two debacles, and many seasons of “almost”, I suggest the Hawks get rid of the entire team and coaching organization except for Al, and build from there.

Now that’s out of the way, Go HAWKS!!

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MC: why does LD always refer to the hawks needing to play better d when all he does is play guys that are stronger on offense? damien always seems to bring positive energy on the defensive end but he gets inconsistent minutes. mo for the most part has been a nightmare on both ends of the court yet still gets alot of p.t.

we all know teague doesn’t seem ready yet he’s at least a decent defender and all he does is ride the pine. you can preach assignments and x’s and o’s all you want but when your five is bibby, crawford, jj, al and josh you’ll have the same problems night in, night out. non existent perimeter d.

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Naj – reposted.

Grandad

February 14th, 2011
2:09 pm
Najeh

We’re licking our creamsicles

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“What a Load of Crap???”

Haha no, but this is good too. It was supposed to be “we like our core”.

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And wasn’t that supposed to be John Jacob Jingleheimer SCHMIDT?

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Collins gets the ball in the paint with the shot clock winding down and draws a foul. Would Zaza draw the foul there or get the ball stripped/blocked?

Good ball movement so far. Let’s hope they can do it for more than half the game this time.

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Hawks playing @ a high level right now.. both ends of the floor, the effort is there..

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im seeing LOTS of motion

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home land security took most streming sites down

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josh assist was better but congrats on the milestone…

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this is an ideal match up for the Hawks after that let down vs a non premier team who its easy to get worked up for..

yet you have a physical team, w/ proven vets who doesnt lay down… especially against our schizo Hawks..

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whomever was calling Joe a selfish player.. there’s a milestone for ya..

i know you cant be calling a guy selfish for taking a check…

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man tmac can still shoot…

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Hawks could have signed TMac to strengthen the bench, and then trade Jamal.

Ben Wallace is giving the Pistons great enery at the rim.

Josh is 1-3, with 2 turnovers already

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iso ball will resurface with this lineup.

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Here comes the two foul rule. Hope Zaza is ready tonight.

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Najeh,

No argument here.

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lol zaza

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Zaza gets the ball in the post from Smoove and shoots a fadeaway brick. WTF

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lol i love zaza’s scream when he gets fouled “eeeeeuuhh”

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Zaza: Let’s see should I take one dribble and dunk it or should I brick an 8 footer?

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and yes.. he does run the point for them on most nights..

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Smoove drives the ball — the aspect of his game at which he is supposedly so unstoppable — and ends up committing an offensive foul.

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wow josh cant catch and just gave up on the play…please make a trade

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Guess I’ll stay up for another qtr. It’s not a blowout YET.

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Josh needs to focus on going hard left.. see Lamar.

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BTW,

Hawks had a 6 point lead in this quarter, and now they trail by 7.

Meanwhile, the 3rd turnover for Josh this quarter.

TMac would also have attracted more fans (from multiple demographics) to the highlight factory

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I hope L.D. doesn’t revert to his old nonsense rule of sitting Horford for the entire second quarter with two fouls, because we are really going to need Horford in this game. We are getting killed on the glass right now, and none of our other bigs are really giving us anything at this point.

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Also, Will Bynum played in our backyard at GT, but the Hawks didnt even think about bringing him in as an undrafted player.

he would have been our backup PG right now…

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I guess the Hawks took their comfort zone with them.

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omg.

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lmao @ LD playing Bibby and Jamal together STILL.

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If the Hawks played every game like the Pistons have played against them, they would win 60 games a year.

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he was right @ the rim.. even his Unc saw it..

wow.. they did the same thing to us last time..

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Dribble penetration is once again killing the Hawks smdh

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“Also, Will Bynum played in our backyard at GT, but the Hawks didnt even think about bringing him in as an undrafted player.”

Haha. But they brought in Mario West, who wasn’t even the best player on Georgia Tech at any point. Rick Sund is such a genius.

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I’m glad LD decided to wait until after the AS break to make any changes….unless he doesnt like what he sees in these 2 games.

I wonder if he likes what he is seeing tonight…

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LD might need to break the two foul rule and bring Horford back.

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I hate it when Drew goes with these small lineups. What is he trying to prove. They are almost never successful. Don’t be surprised if L.D. ends up trying to play Marvin at center tonight, just to adhere to his stupid “two-foul” rule. And, once again, we are getting killed on the perimeter, and what does L.D. doing to help that? He’s playing Bibby and Jamal together again. It’s like this guy will never learn. Sometimes, I just have to stop watching when the stupidity reaches this level.

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drew is making me despise him more and more.

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The All Star break can’t get here quick enough for this Hawks team. Some of these guys need to have their access to the highlight factory taking away from them before they get back….

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this team will get nowhere…turns tv

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pistons commentator, “hawks can jump high, but they aren’t blocking out”

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Al w/ the weak d.

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joe is slowly but surely turning into bibby, first step is non existent.

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Every time the Pistons get the ball it’s attack, attack, attack. They may not be that talented as a team, but they really do play the right way… at least against the Hawks.

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LOL! It took Bibby 2 days to finish that layup.

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Kinda sad when the energy level actually bumps up when the starters come back in the game. If the bench can’t provide energy, what can they provide? Players like Damien and Zaza should be throwing their bodies around when they enter. Damien has fallen off since he first signed. Too bad the Hawks couldn’t keep signing him to 10 day contracts indefinitely.

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Wow @ how this game got gradually out of hand. Surely all of the blame can’t be placed on Bibby tonight.

Come on guys . . . the PISTONS TOO?

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Here we are on Valentines Day watching the Hawks play badly again. Forget the Hawks, what does it say about us???

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o man

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THAT’S what we need from Al!

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when a coach says he has to hide his pg, don’t expect the opposition to play hide and seek.

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That was against the zone, too. The Hawks were showing all their tell tale signs of settling for jumpers against the zone (including the poor-shot-selection brick by Smoove right before it) until that happened.

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Rev,

Lucky for me, my valentine watches ALL the Hawks games with me.

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good hustle

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Hawks are on a nice little run to cut the lead to 2….

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Wow, life from number 10.

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Al should play PG

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Marvin D’d up T-Mac real well on that last possession before Joe got his transition 3, too.

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Keep posting up Joe…

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the most ungraceful play i’ve ever seen but we’ll take it marv.

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Sautee, my wife’s beside me too. She’s watching House while I sit with the computer on my lap. My daughters and son get more excited about the Hawks than my wife.

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bank shot.

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That’s the second time Joe came off a pick and swung it to Smoove on the perimeter instead of the big man in the paint. Smoove made it both times, but still, this is part of the problem. When you have opportunities to get the ball in the paint, you shouldn’t pass those up.

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Joe has to pass the ball there.

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Nice comeback by the Hawks to take a 2pt halftime lead….

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nice pass by Marvin to Josh

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Bibby showed some fight in the 1st half….

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I’m guessing another DNP for Teague…

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Starters are all + Bench is all -

What else is new?

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Seriously, why can’t Bibby and Marvin play every game like they did in the second quarter. Marvin made several good defensive plays instead of doing his usual disappearing act, and Bibby actually managed to get a couple of layups and penetrate enough to set up shots for his teammates. If they could play like this it would totally change what the Hawks could do on a regular basis.

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Sautee,

Not a completely telling stat b/c Marvin was in the game when the Hawks and Pistons made their runs.

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Marvin should start the second half.

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I would be thrilled if the Hawks left Jamal and Mo behind in Detroit and took T-Mac, Ben Wallace, and Tayshaun Prince with them. Nothing against Jamal, but this trade would work wonders for the Hawks without requiring them to add much salary.

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damn that shot looked good..

pure. hold form!

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Najeh

You can look it up: [NBA.com stats]
(+/- ) individual, 2,3,4 & 5player combinations.
Bibby and Al lead in all categories!

Lakers have the most/best (top ten etc) 5 player combinations in the league.

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O’Brien . . . I didn’t like the bench coming into this year, because they were the same group of guys constantly blowing leads last year. All we did was add Powell, Jordan, and hope that Teague would develop. I don’t even count Etan and Sy at this point.

Actually, I think Teague was the one everyone was focusing on, to make the bench better, but it never materialized.

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Najeh,

I like your trade. You may need to throw Etan in the mix to even the salaries b/c the Hawks do not want to pay the luxury tax…

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Clarification:
Bibby & Al lead for the “Hawks” !

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Great D by Collins inside to deny Stuckey. Hawks are actually out-hustling the Pistons right now. Let’s see how long this lasts…

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Brah what does joe be doing man?

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Al is abusing Monroe but I think Monroe is going to be a good player for years to come in this league…

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I would really like to see TMac in a Hawks uniform….

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Didnt somebody wanted to see Josh pump fake and drive the ball…

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need*

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Najeh,

Now why would the Pistons do this trade again? We may have to add a 1st round draft pick as well

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Bibby with an and 1? wtf?

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Game ball goes to the Hawks Chef for putting some HGH in Bibby breakfast this morning…

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“Now why would the Pistons do this trade again? We may have to add a 1st round draft pick as well”

I don’t mind throwing in a first rounder — especially since Sund is such a failure at drafting — but it does save Detroit $1 million overall, clears $2 million from their books for next year, and they do get the best player in the deal.

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Josh could be a great player, if he took it to the hole more.

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Solid all around game for Marvin. This is exactly what I would like to see out of him every game. Solid man to man defense and good shooting.

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Wow, Lakers down 25 to the Bobcat’s. Everytime the Hawks play bad, the team’s we lose to always take advantage. When we lost to the Hornets they beat the Spurs by 20, when we lost to the Sixers, they go and beat the Spurs also, and now we lose to the Bobcats and they go and are up by 20+ on the Lakers.

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Why in the hell is Horford the one fouling in that situation?

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OK, what’s the over/under for the Hawks 4th qtr. scoring?

I’ll say 22, which means if we hold them to 27 we win

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Bibby has really been good in this game.

As MC points out, though, the Pistons outscored the Hawks by 20 in the 4th when they lost by 22 here. Hawks gotta keep executing the offense.

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How did Bibby end up on Charlie V?

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(( holding up 4 fingers to signify the 4th quarter ))

Let’s close this game out for once.

First team to 92 wins

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Bibby is off tha hook TONIGHT !!!!!!!!!
Josh still not complaining !!!!!!!!!
What did these guys have to eat/drink ?
Sund must’ve threaten to bring Woody back !!!!!! (lol)

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Good cut Marvin. Nice ball movement by Smoove and Joe.

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Josh is pretty good when he has his feet set before he shoots…

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The Hawks’ small lineup is dominating the Pistons’ small lineup right now. Credit two of my usual punching bags, Bibby and Marvin, for playing really well all game long.

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Oh no!!!! ….. Dominique did it again ….. Just predicted another easy win !

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northcyde,

The last play showed why people (not me) might think Joe is selfish. He had Bibby (who is unquestionably shooting well tonight) for a wide open three but chose a contested half hook. An odd choice under the circumstances.

That said, I’m not complaining about a shot in the paint. I’ll take that 9 times out of 10.

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Oh no, Nique just jinxed us. Said we were in control of the game AGAIN.

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“And Daye, with the reacharound…” — Bob Rathbun

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Najeh,

If the Hawks do your trade, they would have several wing players so they could possible trade Marvin for a PG (Devin/Hinrich)…

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Bibby finally regained his form from January and 2010 part of this season

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Teague is going to get some PT after all…

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Teage trying to wipe those eye buggers from his eyes. lol! Better wake up kid.

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“Teague”

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nice game hawks

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Teague is not impressing LD tonight

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My bad, they did get 20.

As someone once said……..

No matter the quality of the opposition, road wins are like GOLD.

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This is a good way to waste a lot of time.

Smoove’s game winning tip dunk last year is on there.

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So is Nique’s double pump dunk.

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Blake,

How about the idea that the small lineup was working, and Al got some rest.

I didn’t see it as any kind of punishment, and I’d bet LD would laugh at that idea.

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I’m glad hawks came back to win, because if they had lost this game…this blog would have erupted.

Good win. but there are still things we can build on. Like turnovers (we had 17), we gave up lots of offensive rebounds early, and we didnt always get a hand up.

But we showed poise, which is what the Hawks do. They may look horrible for a game or 2, but then they bounce back for a resilient game, making LD and others believe in them again.

Lets hope we can get a win against the Knicks.

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VERY telling that Bibby earned his first “:Stinger’s Star” of the YEAR tonight.

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What’s up with all this “Marvin spotlights”?

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northcyde, JJ is getting Kobe money but when we need him the most he doesn’t show up. That’s why people have a problem with him. Plus the comment he made last year.

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If Josh,Bibby,& Marv played this way all the time ……. We would be in 1st place in not just the division, BUT THE EASTERN CONFERENCE ! I was extremely impressed w/ Josh !
I honestly can’t remember the last time he didn’t lose focus or get angry or complain incessantly to the point where he doesn’t get back on defense. If Josh could have found a way to consistently play w/ purpose & focus like he did tonght ….. He would have made the All-Star Team two years ago ….. MY GOD !!!!!!!!

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Tremaine, it really doesn’t matter if he shows up or not. People simply don’t like him. And this was before that comment ( in which he was simply telling the truth the fans don’t want to hear )”

I remember the Milwaukee regular season game late last year in which JJ had a monster quarter ( he was like 7 – 10 FG ) in that quarter. He was literally unstoppable.

Unfortunately, JJ missed his last 2 shots, and we lost. And most of the JJ detractors had a field day ripping him.

But how abou the fact that while JJ was scoring at will, the team couldn’t stop the Bucks offensively? Despite JJ making 5 or 6 shots in a row that quarter, we ended up basically trading baskets with them. And we lost at the end because we never stopped them.

But he got a good chunk of the blame for the loss, for missing those 2 shots the end.

Ether you like JJ, or you don’t. Other than Marvin, he’s probably the most polarizing player on the team.

(( clapping ))

Good job “core”, for saving our butts tonight.

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Wow. Bibby found the fountain of youth tonight. 6 rebs and 7 assists.

lol. Smoove just needs to play with a chip on his shoulder all the time. Every game he needs to remember his snubs from being a All Star.

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I’m with doc. Smoove gets a LOT more hate than Joe, at least on here.

Bibby and Marvin get a reprieve for now. Great games from both of them. If they could each do that every game, this team would be so much more consistent.

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As a former Josh hater, the dude is kind of hateable because of his mannerisms and the walking up / down the court we’ve all witnessed.

It’s not like the casual fan pays attention to defense.

But, he is by far the best defender, post player and energy guy we have. This game and the Wizards game….he looks like Barkley at times. He is the only real intimidation factor on the hawks.

Starts every game, never gets injured, his hustle has been on point this year. fck bosh

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What if Josh really is taking his game to another level? What if he becomes a perennial All Star the next 5 seasons? Good for the Hawks!

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Marvin looked good again at PF alongside Josh while Al was out (LOL @ our 3 PF CORE).

I finally decided that Marvin is good at getting contact and going to the line, albeit he can’t finish.

8 FT attempts from Marvin every game would be phenomenal. The best part was that it slowed the game down in the 4th quarter for us, allowing Bibby and Josh who were playing too many minutes to breathe.

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Bibby has 1 good game in 15.

Either LD told him he’s toast unless he picks up his game, or this was an aberration.

I’ve coached, and been around alot of coaches. Some guys develop young guys, like Popovich does. And some guys won’t give a guy the time of day untill they reach a certain level. Judging by certain comments I’ve read, I think LD is the last type of coach.

For Teague’s sake, I hope he gets out of here and gets a fresh start somewhere else.

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Let’s discuss Bibby again at the end of March, and see if the revival is still going on. He sure looked good tonite, that’s for sure. But I think he would be injured in 5 games if he played like that every night.

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Was it announced that the game Wednesday against the Knicks will be on ESPN? I swear I read that somewhere…

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The next nationally televised Hawks game is Hawks-Blazers on February 27.

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Anybody like the idea of a 6′8 point guard and a 6′7 shooting guard?!?T-Mac could rip some big numbers off at the point..He has ran the O in Detroit..His size alone makes up for what Bibby and Teague(Unproven Player) can’t do on defense and offense.Shouldnt be hard to pry away from Detroit

It would be nice, seeing as you can bring Bibby off the bench for needed 3 pointers..Andris Biedrins would be a nice pick-up also and land the big we need..insufficient minutes in GS limits his scoring but the Hawks could supply him with enough..On another note,Josh goes for 27 & 14 ith 3 steals..HAHAHAHA to the Josh Haters..Best All-around player on the team..

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