Atlanta Hawks: Lakers 104, Hawks 80
This was just one of several mismatches for the Hawks. (AP Photo)
Los Angeles–If I know my blog people, I figure you’d rather hear about trade chatter (some hope for the future) than a recounting of this debacle (a depressing reminder of the team’s stasis).
- So, OK . . . Yes, Kirk Hinrich is a possibility and Ramon Sessions remains in play. No to Devin Harris (who is probably headed elsewhere) and Raymond Felton (whom the Nuggets apparently aren’t looking to move).
- Basically, it seems like the Hawks have called about every decent-to-good point guard who might be available. Of course it will take more than a new point guard to fix what ailed the Hawks tonight.
- The Lakers were smarter, faster and tougher than the Hawks.
- “I can go down competing, but we are not competing at our highest level it’s frustrating,” Al said.
- These beatdowns are becoming more commonplace. That’s four Ls in five, with three of them by at least 15 points. It’s also Atlanta’s fifth loss by at least 20 points this season.
- The Hawks are back to their habit of getting down big and staying there. “We didn’t play with an edge; we gave them too much respect,” J.J. said. “We didn’t have that fire, that competitive nature that we need. It’s frustrating, man. I don’t know what to do.”
- They could start by not continuing to jack up jump shots when they a) are challenged and/or b) aren’t making them. Both things happened against the Lakers, yet the Hawks kept firing away.
- Certainly it’s no easy task to score inside against all that Lakers size but it’s not as if the Hawks ever made a focused effort to try it.
- “I don’t think we went to the rim enough,” L.D. said. “I just thought we settled, which is starting to be a pattern with us. When you fall into that type of pattern when you are not making shots you’re going to struggle. We went 1-for-15 from the three, yet we settled for the three. We have to have more basketball savvy than that.”
- The Hawks got handled 54-32 on the boards. Los Angeles collected an astounding 42 of Atlanta’s 62 misses (not counting “team” rebounds) with Gasol and Bynum combining for 21 of those.
- “We didn’t play with physicality,” Drew said. “I thought they really banged us in the half court. I don’t think we responded very well to it.”
- This game showed the limitations of the big lineup. Twin is a good position defender but he can’t hang on the boards against the better big men. The Hawks actually had more success (relatively, at least) going small with Al working outside against Gasol and Bynum.
- The Lakers made 24 of 48 shots before emptying the bench in the fourth quarter. Kobe (20 points on 11 shots) didn’t even have to do anything special in his 26 minutes. Heck Shannon Brown took it to the Hawks and Joe Smith had three blocked shots.
- “They dominated on both ends,” Al said. “We really have some soul-searching to do as a team. It’s discouraging. We had a great practice yesterday, and to come out like that, it’s frustrating.”
- The Hawks botched five fast break chances by my count. Smoove threw a couple passes that smashed the backboard.
- Here was one inept fast break sequence: Mo fumbled the ball away while standing under the rim and missed a layup; Josh Powell tried to put it back only to get his shot pinned by Joe Smith, leading to an alley-oop dunk by Devin Ebanks.
- The Lakers presented Powell with his Lakers championship ring before the game.
- “I actually want to see it,” Al said. “I kind of saw it from far away. I know what it’s like to win. I did it on the college level. We are hungry for that. We are hungry to be in that position and we are not there yet.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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720 comments Add your comment
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
6:58 pm
Also, its allegedly a “multi player” deal, so, we’ll see.
ryan
February 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
Damn i was hoping for Felton oh well not shocked about Hinrich .
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
Thanks for the updates MC! ………….
….
…
…..
……….
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
“If Hawks have this trade lined up of Crawford for Hinrich, then they’ve got a salary dump coming somewhere (Marvin, Bibby, Pachulia, …).”
I think you’re right, but I think this is more likely to happen on draft day. I could see the Hawks making a trade with some under the cap team like what the Bulls did last year, when they traded Hinrich and a first rounder for basically nothing. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Hawks dump Marvin and/or Zaza on some under the cap team for nothing and give them a first round pick for their trouble.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
“now Bibby might be forced to bring his “offense” off the bench”
At this point he’s best suited to that role anyway. If he can get his 3-point percentage back to where it was earlier this year, he might actually be able to turn himself into an asset in that role, kind of like his brother-in-law.
Sautee
February 23rd, 2011
7:01 pm
Top 5 on the Wizards, he means
Section 303
February 23rd, 2011
7:02 pm
Bibby is not the problem here. He’s being asked to play too many minutes. I think he will do well coming off the bench.
bigdave
February 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
lol 303..
i dont know how i feel about this one.. i like his grit but..
Section 303
February 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
lewis, HAHAHA….Michael is no where to be found. We can’t even get the beat writer to be interested in the team.
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
7:04 pm
Kirk Hinrich + Hilton Armstrong for Bibby, Mo and Jordan – lastest tweet
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
I actually do like MC’s style of not breaking false news for our entertainment, but, on the trade deadline, i wanna know anything and everything true or false
EmirS.
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
What if LD has Bibby starting and Hinrich coming off the bench? I mean that’s very possible. It’s why I’m still hoping this deal includes Bibby going to Washington. Or somewhere else if it’s a three them deal.
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
One report now saying Bibby/ Evans / Jo Craw for Hinrich & Armstrong???
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
Whoa… apparently it might be Jordan Crawford, not Jamal. Bibby/Mo/Jordan for Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong.
Shake Something
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
anybody think Sessions could still be landed>?
Sautee
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
O’Brien and I talked a lot about Jamal for Hinrich in the off season. If we had pulled the trigger back then, we could have maneuvered for another scorer off the bench. We also could have dangled Bibby BEFORE his precipitous decline, though he’s shown signs of it for a while now..
Well, as Big Ray said…..nothing proactive. Only reacting now to their HUGE error of putting all their PG eggs in Teague and Bibby (I can’t count Jamal as a PG).
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:07 pm
Kirk plays better defense than Jamal did, but then again, anybody probably plays better defense than Jamal.
But really, they’re the same damn players. Jamal’s definitely a more natural scorer.
Hinrich’s yet another combo gaurd that we’re bringing in here when it’s evident we need a legit facilitating PG.
This really doesn’t change anything.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:07 pm
I guess that makes more sense from the point of view of the Hawks wanting to hang on to Jamal’s expiring deal to get under the tax line next year.
Also interesting that they are picking Teague over Jordan Crawford. I guess not everyone in the Hawks organization has given up on Teague yet.
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
7:07 pm
This makes much more sense.
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
7:07 pm
I’m gonna miss the bibster.
I will remember him as a King though, not a Hawk.
Section 303
February 23rd, 2011
7:07 pm
JoJo, if that’s true, I like that Evans is going. I like Bibby and Crawford. But, the way this team is playing, a shake up is needed.
Armstrong is a stiff, but he has an edge to him. An upgrade over Zaza.
Jae Evolution
February 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
Wow, why Jordan Crawford, we should trade Teague…
Also if this deal does go through are we still looking at Ramon Sessions?
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
Nic Young is about to do to Jordan Crawford what Arenas did to Nic Young
That said, Nic young > arenas > Jordan Crawford
Section 303
February 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
So, we were talking about the wrong Crawford. Good. I like Jamal (though, he’s sucked lately). I would miss Bibby. Good player.
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:09 pm
TheNoLookPass Not Jamal? RT @BQRMagic Per @AlexKennedyNBA, Hawks/Wiz trade would be Hinrich/Armstrong to ATL for Bibby/Evans/Jordan Crawford.
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:10 pm
HELL YES GET BIBBY AND EVANS OFF OUR HANDS AND KEEP CRAWFORD GENIUS DEAL!!!
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
Man no freakin’ way…
Jordan Crawford?
Taylor
February 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
The initial false report was Bibby, Mo and Jordan. The correct report is Jamal for Kirk straight up.
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
Now send ZaZa to Miami, Milwaukee, New York, anywhere.
Hawks still not good enough
February 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
safe to say the hawks are still not good enough to make that next step (which is sad because their next step right now is trying to just make it to the Eastern Conference Finals … getting to the Championship game is a whole nother thing)
“maybe next year”
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:13 pm
I’d still like to see Jamal traded for other assets. Getting Hinrich is good, especially for just Bibby and Mo, but the Hawks have plenty of other needs they need to fill. If they are not giving up their first rounder in the Wizards deal, I’d like to see them dangle Jamal’s expiring deal and their first rounder to other teams to try to improve the 3 and get another big man.
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:13 pm
LOL Taylor that trade is nowhere near possible
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
7:14 pm
I guess we actually get to see Teague start tonight in Phoenix.
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
Trade would be good, but we would also lose a decent bench player in Mo in an already shallow bench… hopefully this wouldnt be the last of the trading
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
If Sund can get rid of Mo Evans…
That’s a season for me.
Tired of seeing this scrub get so many minutes here.
Trojan
February 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
Now we have a lot of big useless bigs: Collins, ZaZa, Ethan, Hilton.
But we are improved at 1 position (PG)
We are solid at 4 positions. Could Sund use the remaining 18 hours to get a useful big?
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:15 pm
Mo Evans is garbage.
Shake Something
February 23rd, 2011
7:16 pm
couldnt squeeze Yi in for Pachulia?!?!??!?
Taylor
February 23rd, 2011
7:16 pm
ATLFAN. The salaries work out almost perfect and its an expiring contract thats why the Wizards are taking it instead of a young and a pick. idiot.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:17 pm
David Aldridge says the Hawks are sending their first rounder to Washington in this deal too.
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:17 pm
@NBAonESPN Sources: Jonny Flynn on the market (via @chadfordinsider)
Worth a shot?
Section 303
February 23rd, 2011
7:18 pm
Wabe, well said. I think Mo Evans is actually less than garbage, though.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:19 pm
Hinrich and Armstrong for Bibby/Mo/Jordan/1st rounder seems to be the latest version of this rumor.
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:19 pm
My mistake I thought you said Jordan for Hinrich
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:19 pm
MC where you at fam?
ATL FAN
February 23rd, 2011
7:20 pm
Why the hell would we need to throw in a first rounder there?
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
7:20 pm
I’m not a huge fan of Flynn, I thought he was overrated coming into the draft. He made his name in that 6 OT game against UCONN in the Big East tourny.
Never really thought of him as a guy that would be an immediate impact in the league. He’s kinda like Rondo, very raw. Needs to develop.
Which is why I wouldn’t really put my chips into him because we can’t develop anybody here…
RC
February 23rd, 2011
7:21 pm
The Wizards are getting Jordan Crawford, not Jamal Crawford.
Jae Evolution
February 23rd, 2011
7:21 pm
Do you guys think this is the only trade that will be made?
Najeh Davenpoop
February 23rd, 2011
7:21 pm
Now apparently Cleveland is also involved. Are the Hawks getting Hinrich AND Sessions?