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
JeJe
February 23rd, 2011
2:23 pm
MC, can we please get an update on what Sund is doing? What are you doing right now?
Before you tell me there’s nothing to report, I’m sure there is something. As inept as our front office is, I’m pretty sure they are on the phones right now.
hawks_4_life
February 23rd, 2011
2:23 pm
=(
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
2:23 pm
ESPN SC can get ALL their dialog for the Hawks right here!!!
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
2:24 pm
more dialog…the Hawks suck from the top down!!!
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
forget Batman…forget Robin…Hawks don’t even have Alfred!!!
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
2:27 pm
What can we offer for Felton?
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
2:28 pm
24 hours to get a deal done
bigdave
February 23rd, 2011
2:28 pm
the Hawks could definitely use a slasher.. !
@ some point our head coach/ management will realize that we arent the shooters we think we are..
Mike is back
February 23rd, 2011
2:28 pm
Samuel, first off whatzup…I hate to admit it bro…but you are right…LD got us…no magic…no swag…no offense…no defense…no education…we Fckup.lol
Please sit Bibby, JCI, and Josh already. lol
Shake Something
February 23rd, 2011
2:28 pm
They do have Al(Horford)
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
forget Batman…forget Robin…Hawks don’t even have Alfred!!!
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:29 pm
UP NEXT ANOTHER BLOWOUT TONIGHT!!!! COME ON ISO JOE TIME TO EARN YOUR 126345789MILLIONS……………………………zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZ
ANYBODY WANT JJ? DISCOUNTED??????30%OFF??????????????OKAY HOW BOUT .50CENTS ON THE DOLLAR?????????????????????LOL
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
I cant believe yall said Sund didnt want to involve Marvin in a deal to bring in a PG. Tell that man to lay off the ’shrooms.
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
SUND WILL PROBABLY OFFER FELTON A HAM SANDWICH……………………..LOL
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
Jamal, Teague & pick for Felton & JR Smith???
ryan
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
I would take Felton even if its better than nothing but will Sund do anything that is the $64,000 question .
sam'l';
February 23rd, 2011
2:32 pm
Are the Atlanta Hawks the most infuriating team in the NBA? Just read all the previous blogs.
JeJe
February 23rd, 2011
2:33 pm
Sund will offer Mo Evans and a 2nd rounder for Felton.
That’s how bad he is as a GM. He would never offer Marvin or Bibby
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:34 pm
THAT’S WHY US FANS ARE blasting the heck outta those busters..couldn’t happen to a more dysfunctional franchise……………………
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
February 23rd, 2011
2:34 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MrfuIzHsK8
Rick Sund live in action
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:35 pm
sund is offering HAM sandwiches………………..LOL
bigdave
February 23rd, 2011
2:36 pm
“Sportscenter is RIPPING the Hawks defense.”
yep..
and everyone’s favorite son Al Horford.. is a culprit. the tape dont like.. yall wonder why Josh looks @ him funny after made buckets. Al’s help d/ rotations is awful.
if you dont get a facilitator in here who can take advantage of his great jump shot i would move him. he doesnt want any part of the paint, his game shows it. we will be 1 and done on the offensive end w/ one of our best rebs hanging around the elbow/short wing. im willing to bet that Al comes into camp next year able to hit the 3 ball.
i think one of the main reasons why Woodson didnt utilize Horford as much offensively is b/c he wanted him down there rebounding..
JeJe
February 23rd, 2011
2:37 pm
Juwan Howard and Ronny Turiaf would be the 2nd best players off our bench. Probably the best with the way Jamal is playing
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
2:38 pm
@Shake Something…They do have Al(Horford)
yep…you’re right LOL
the 2 players that i will not hate on are Bibby and Al. Bibby IS a leader…just cannot lead anymore due to diminishin’ skills!! unfortunately Al is surrounded by ineptness…PERIOD!!! everyone else is just collectin’ a check…PERIOD!!! Joe give back the Batman money!!! you ain’t worth it!!! you don’t want the duties that come with it!!! Marvin…go fishin’ PLEASE!!!
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:38 pm
The Hawks BB IQ is that of a high schooler on a good day!!!……………………………
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:41 pm
Joe shot his load back in January………………Sad……………………
Mudcat
February 23rd, 2011
2:42 pm
Sessions is a great PG. With all those assists he’d generate, we’d score 3-5 more points each night. That’s HUGE! Unfortunately, we have a GM with no balls. End of story.
tony
February 23rd, 2011
2:44 pm
Do not give our draft picks away!!!!
Hire BILL LAIMBEER!!!!!
slimjr
February 23rd, 2011
2:44 pm
joe makes about 500k a night??? ARE U KIDDING ME. I WOULD NOT PAY THAT BUSTER .50CENTS…………….
JoJo the Godfather
February 23rd, 2011
2:45 pm
The one positive behind all this inactivity is that our draft pick is getting better every day!!!
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
2:49 pm
If you really want to get serious,
Al Horford + Jamal Crawford
Demarcus Cousins + Sam Dalembert
Cousins
Smith
Williams
Johnson
Bibby
Dalembert
Cousins
Smith
Johnson
Bibby
(marvin off bench)
EmirS.
February 23rd, 2011
2:50 pm
@Mudcat
Yea, so instead of losing to the Lakers by 24, we would have only lost to them by 19.
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
2:50 pm
imagine 3 shot blockers on the court at once, with a huge 2 guard and bibby spacing the floor
JeJe
February 23rd, 2011
2:51 pm
GET RAYMOND FELTON HERE. HE HAS A GREAT CONTRACT
bigdave
February 23rd, 2011
2:53 pm
i prefer the Sessions move if we can get a Manny Harris in here w/ him over Kirk..
2 guys that wont bail out the defense. Harris is a solid defender as well.. young SOLID dual guard.
The Truth
February 23rd, 2011
2:54 pm
The Hawks best option (at this point) is to acquire Aarron Brooks from Houston. He is the cheapest option and won’t break the bank. The Houston’s main targeted trade with Battier still up in the air, the team maybe prime to listen to an offer of Brooks for Teague, Sy and a 1st and 2nd rd picks.
bigdave
February 23rd, 2011
2:54 pm
Lewis id make that trade. some wouldnt…
i was impressed w/ big Cuz since summer league. he’s going to be a great one.
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
3:02 pm
bigdave,
To answer your question from the last page.
Al’s hands down the lone Hawk that I’d classify as “a winner”.
His talent/skill set may make he seem expendable to you, but if you asked me to choose one Hawk to build my team around from this “core” we have together, it’d be around Horford – hands down.
There’s been talk of a lack of leadership with the Hawks, and again, if you take Horford off a team that already lacks leadership at crucial spots, what are you left with?
The only way I ship Horford is if I’m getting a legit franchise building block in return for him. A legit center in the post.
Otherwise, Horford stays.
My criticism of this Hawks team is it seems like there’s really not much drive to win from anybody (top-down). I’ve said this before, but the Hawks seriously aren’t anywhere near hungry enough to really compete for anything. They seem disinterested all too often. And truthfully, I don’t think they’re a team driven to win a title. They seem like a group that’s ok with being “good enough to make the playoffs”. They assume the same mentality that ASG seems to carry around, which is why so many fans are frustrated.
The exception from that though is Al Horford (just my opinion). He won titles at Florida, and he wants to win.
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
3:03 pm
To put it simply, Horford’s the only guy on this team who I think has heart.
All of these other guys are just fine getting paid, win or lose don’t seem to bother them as much as it should. As long as they get paid, they’re straight.
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
3:03 pm
Cousins is already better then Bynum.
He holds his own against other true centers, DHoward, Shaq and Kendrick.
Lots of fire in him.
Shoots the jumper too much but will eventually learn to hit it. Great foot-work in his post game too.
If the Hawks could deal with a young Josh Smith, i’m sure Josh could help them handle DCous
Al Horford is a great player but Josh Smith has more potential in his offensive post-game as well as defensive post-game. Horford and Josh both need true centers to play alongside. Hated Josh’s game for the longest time, but when he’s efficient and plays within himself he’s an all-star both ways. I love his defense, he’s one of the few players we have that play with intensity
Shake Something
February 23rd, 2011
3:04 pm
If Joe can go back to backing down smaller guards like he did during Woody’s reign, and Josh Smith taking slower and less athletic forwards off the dribble to the basket and both drawing fouls, then this team could be alot better.Both actions could open Crawford up on the wing.Woody had more control over these guys than LD does.Woody got off the bench and yelled at these guys to do thing on the court,LD just sits back
Anybody think if we can go back to ISO Joe, with Woody and Joe puts up 25 PPG(06-07) and 6 assist (07-09) and be alot more successful
terrell
February 23rd, 2011
3:05 pm
Woody and BK are still laughing. Hahahahahahha!
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
3:07 pm
And the reason you have to trade Al is because you’re trading young franchise big for another young franchise big.
Tyreke, Al, Casspi, Udoh, Dalembert potentially is a solid lineup for them
lewis
February 23rd, 2011
3:11 pm
Excellent hands. Outstanding touch. Nimble footwork. Physical toughness. Quite a rebounder. Ability to create own shot. Ability to finish around basket. Doesn’t always play hard. Immature. Not mentally tough. Questionable intangibles.
– scouting report was written for DeMarcus Cousins in anticipation of the 2010 NBA Draft. All have turned out to be true.
HoosierHawk
February 23rd, 2011
3:13 pm
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4u39jbo
Get a big C , legit SF (Sorry Marv), and a PG with an expiring deal.
Shake Something
February 23rd, 2011
3:14 pm
Big Cuz doesnt mind taking the last shot either after knocking a teamate out..lol
He could play the 5 also,something Al is struggling with
Wabe
February 23rd, 2011
3:15 pm
The thing about trading either though to me is this:
Josh Smith has tons of potential. But that’s just it. We’re still waiting for this guy to become what he’s capable of being. I think McHale made a great point in the pregame last night on NBATV about Josh Smith. Josh has no identity, mainly offensively. We know what he’s capable of defensively, but he still hasn’t figured out what type of player he wants to be offensively. He’s 6 years into his career and we still have debates about whether he should play the 3 or 4. Most here want him to play the 4, but he shy’s away from it to be a perimeter guy, which he doesn’t really have the make up to be.
This is why I think people question the guys IQ. Not calling him dumb, but he’s lost offensively. He has no clue what type of offensive player he wants to be. His skill set makes him more suitable to play in the post, but it’s just a matter of him commiting to that and improving down low. He has to play in the post consistently, not run out to the 3 point line and jack up jumpshots.
With Horford, he’s far more polished offensively, IMO. He too has potential. He may not be the “freak athlete” that Josh is, but he can get you 20-10, and I can see him being that player for the Hawks more consistently than Josh. But again, defensively, he’s nowhere near and probably never will be what Josh is.
It’s a give and take. IMO, Josh is much riskier than Horford. You know what Horford brings, and you know he’ll get better and remain consistent like his mid-range jumper. But, with Josh, there’s always question marks. Trading either could blow up in the Hawks faces. If you trade Horford and Josh never pans out and remains an inconsistent identity-less offensive player, then what? Vice versa, if you trade Smith in favor of Horford and Smith does eventually put the whole package together, we’ll all be p#ssed.
Mudcat
February 23rd, 2011
3:18 pm
@emir Don’t be narrowminded. 3-5 points in the playoffs can make the difference between winning and going home. We don’t have a PG now obviously if you’ve been following the NBA. Without a true point, we’re not going anywhere.
ryan
February 23rd, 2011
3:20 pm
The only way you can make the Hawks a winning team is on a video game and you be the GM i think most of us on here can be a better GM than Sund .
mykhalc
February 23rd, 2011
3:21 pm
how many ‘potentials’ eventually lived up to it? IDK…that’s why i’m askin’. IMHO…josh has shown us who he is and who he will remain to be…PERIOD!!!
HoosierHawk
February 23rd, 2011
3:25 pm
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4e9a6qv
Somebody from hoopshype tweeted that gerald wallace on the market and hawks have inquired and considered including Smith. How about htis trade?
Get a PG, C, and Wallace