Hinrich to start, Smith out for Hawks
After coming off the bench for his first two games, new Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich will make his first start Wednesday night at Philips Arena. He’ll do it against his old team, the Chicago Bulls.
Hinrich won’t have the benefit of having forward Josh Smith in the lineup, however. Smith, who sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee against Denver Monday, tried to practice at the Wednesday morning shootaround but was in too much pain.
Since acquiring Hinrich in a trade that sent Mike Bibby to Washington last Wednesday, coach Larry Drew had been starting Jeff Teague to give Hinrich time to acclimate. Drew said he felt Hinrich had learned enough of the team’s plays and defensive schemes to start.
“I want him to get acclimated as fast as he can,” Drew said. “He’s going to be my starting point, so I kind of want to throw him not the fire and get him into a role that he’s going to be in for the remainder of the season.”
Hinrich missed the Denver game with a sore right calf, but practiced Wednesday and said he will play against the Bulls, for whom he played his first seven seasons in the NBA before getting traded to Washington last summer.
“We’ve got a tough schedule coming up this month but we have a lot of home games,” Hinrich said. “Hopefully we can take care of business. If we hang our hat on our defense like we did there the last three games of the trip, we should be O.K.”
Drew did not have a timeline for Smith’s return. He is considered day-to-day. Drew said he actually thought Smith would be able to play Wednesday prior to the shootaround.
“He said some of the swelling has gone down from [Tuesday], but he went out there and shot a little bit and it didn’t feel right,” Drew said.
Not having Smith in the lineup complicates matters against Chicago, which has a formidable front line with center Joakim Noah and forwards Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng. The Hawks will start Jason Collins at center, Al Horford and Marvin Williams at forward and Joe Johnson and Hinrich at guard.
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218 comments Add your comment
Sautee
March 2nd, 2011
4:08 pm
LOL @ myk.
myk, Marvin is like Linda McCartney. He wouldn’t be in the band unless somebody pulled some strings.
mykhalc
March 2nd, 2011
4:11 pm
@MsDee…with all due respect…the ball is not in JT’s hands long enough for him to get a TO…hot potato on the offensive end…cross half-court, give it up….Acie style….
mykhalc
March 2nd, 2011
4:14 pm
got that right Sautee. Marvin looks like the kid that is bein’ forced to play an instrument he doesn’t like…BBALL!!! Worthless…PERIOD!!! hey…but he is feedin’ his family…thru thievery…PERIOD!!!
Gwalk
March 2nd, 2011
4:14 pm
Astro Joe, You may be right but what kills me is the way I saw not only Josh, but the entire team playing with some enthusiasm the other night. The fact is, when they played to their potential, they not only won the games, they dominated the games. I just think Josh is a good player that could be a superstar if he would only put in the effort. No one said being a super star was easy.
And don’t get me started on Marvin (can’t make a jump shot) Williams. I have been watching him closely all year this year b/c of thinking about trading him and I can see why no other team wanted him… he stinks as a #2 overall draftpick! Now he’s making all that $$ when there are better bench players than him (Crawford who (I know) makes 10 million this year) I think they would be better off cutting him and losing money. What a waste…
Ryan
March 2nd, 2011
4:16 pm
Really ???lol Teague didn’t shoot well but he got to the line and converted and he played good defense. We have the most critical fans I’ve ever seen to have an empty are most of the time. If Josh is so smart, why does he make the dumbest plays night in and night out?
oldtimer
March 2nd, 2011
4:18 pm
So much about basketball is confidence. Teague had it last 2 games. He felt confident, coach trusted him and not Jamal as the starting point. So he played great. Any one that thinks basketball is just shooting, look at Rondo.
Teague played well the last 2 games. Our defense dominated until Smoove got hurt in the last 2 games. Kirk is good, off the bench, but Teague should start with the starters. Don’t take his confidence away. It is about Defense in this league where you have great offensive players.
mykhalc
March 2nd, 2011
4:18 pm
ok…thievery might be a tad harsh…donations might be more accurate!! bottomline…he damn sure ain’t workin’ for it…unless just lacin’ em up counts…WORTHLESS!!!
Jae Evolution
March 2nd, 2011
4:20 pm
Anybody that says Teague is a SG not a PG are you serious?
It’s clear the game is evolving, you see guys like Westbrook, Rose, Wall, Deron. These guys are all hybrids between the 2 which is exactly what Teague is.
As far as Teague’s jumper, which one of the young all-star players didn’t have question marks around their jumper, when Teague gets the mentality that he can’t just survive in the NBA, he needs to get better everyday and work everyday he will be the future PG of this franchise.
Astro Joe
March 2nd, 2011
4:21 pm
Eddy Curry… Expected Cost: 4 Cases of Honey Buns and 25 gallons of Rocky Road Ice Cream.
(I’ll be his agent and will take an 8% cut of each item, thank you very much).
Rufus1
March 2nd, 2011
4:22 pm
Hilton…
I just want to know if he can play. I am not asking him to start, but our Bigs are not GOOD. He can atlest blosck shots and rebound.
I don’t give LD the benefit of the doubt….Not after the Bibby situation.
Tremaine
March 2nd, 2011
4:23 pm
Don’t worry Teague fans. Hinrich will be in foul trouble most of the night.
MustangSalley
March 2nd, 2011
4:23 pm
The Hinrich trade was a HUGE mistake because we gave up more firepower than we came away with. I remember several games where Mo Evans came in and scored over 20 points to give the Hawks victory. That option is no longer available because we gave up Crawford, Evans and Bibby just to get Hinrich. That trade makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Crawford is now a starter for his new team and is scoring at least 10 points a night. Evans will score at least 15 if given the minutes and Bibby, regardless of his advanced age and clumsiness, will deliver at least 15 points per night. That means if my math is corect we gave up 40 points a night for Hinch who averages from about 11 to 13 points a night. It made no sense when we pulled the trigger on the trade and it certainly makes no sense today. The Hawks will probably only win 41 games this year and be a .500 to sub .500 team because the Hinrich trade has made the club significantly worse. Before the trade, the Hawks were on track to win 50 games. Now they will be lucky to win 40 if they stay healthy enough and get all the breaks it takes.
Astro Joe
March 2nd, 2011
4:24 pm
mykhalc, I thought that Lucifer was the one and only problem? Hehe.
jerrywest
March 2nd, 2011
4:25 pm
Why did we get Armstrong when we could have picked up better players who cleared the waivers? Why did we fill up our roster with so many scrubs that we are dangerously close to the luxury tax and can’t sign anybody now?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 2nd, 2011
4:26 pm
“If I was a player making all that $$, you would have to break my frekin’ legs before I would not play. ”
If you were a player making all that $$, you would make damn sure that you were healthy enough that you wouldn’t aggravate your injury even further by playing and end up sitting out much longer than you would have otherwise. And so would the team, for that matter.
A belated “ding” to you, sir.
JeJe
March 2nd, 2011
4:27 pm
Bibby is fat and a has-been according to everyone besides our GM. Miami signed him because they only have to see his horrid D 4 or so times a year, not 82+ like we do
Rufus1
March 2nd, 2011
4:27 pm
I must be dreaming….
Someone use the word “firepower” and Mo Evans in the same sentence….. Next, someone will use the Quick and Bibby in the same sentence.(Lol)
mykhalc
March 2nd, 2011
4:28 pm
yo Joe…wassup bro…OAKTOWN ladies still waitin’ on ya!!!
mykhalc
March 2nd, 2011
4:29 pm
@Rufus1…LOL
Najeh Davenpoop
March 2nd, 2011
4:30 pm
“I just think Josh is a good player that could be a superstar if he would only put in the effort.”
You can’t be a superstar if you can’t dribble. That is a skill Smoove has not developed yet. That being said, he is a decent post player and a decent jump shooter now, where he used to be a horrendous post player and a horrendous jump shooter. So it is possible that he will develop his handles as well.
Effort and basketball IQ are not the problem with Smoove. Honestly, if he was the exact same player he is now but he had gone to college for a year, people probably wouldn’t be unfairly labeling him as such. Smoove’s problem is overconfidence. He thinks he is a lot better at certain aspects of the game than he actually is. When he doesn’t force the issue and plays to his strengths, he’s a very good #2 option offensively.
Astro Joe
March 2nd, 2011
4:30 pm
“LA Fcae with the Oaktown…” Now that was music.
Rufus1
March 2nd, 2011
4:31 pm
1st team to 90pts wins….
The game will be won or lost at the end of the 3rd and beginning of the 4th…..”Jamal Time”
Rev in Tampa
March 2nd, 2011
4:31 pm
Northcyde & J from the A,
A lot of us on this blog that were calling most loudly for Teague were not expecting to him to be a great point guard right away or ever. We just saw how deficient Bibby and Jamal were on defense. We knew something had to be done and Teague was the only option.
Frankly, Teague has surpassed my expectations. I feel more comforatable with Hinrich at the point, but when Teague comes in the defense on the perimeter does not fall off.
myrak43
March 2nd, 2011
4:34 pm
First MsDee not all turn overs are created equal. JJ and Jamal dominate the ball when they are in the game, most of there turnovers occur when they are being double teamed and more often than not when they are doubled the other players stand and watch, instead of coming into their passing lane so they can have an outlet pass. what I am trying to say JJ and Jamal turn overs are useally forced turnovers( that is somewhat acceptable) Teagues is never doubled and his turns overs are usually unforced or with with minimal defensive pressure. hell even the best players in the league turn the ball over with they are being doubled or sometimes trippled like JJ is i.e. Lebron, Kobe, and Wade. don’t just look at the turn overs look at the turnover to point ratio. and Ryan Josh does make dumb plays I will give you that, but that is only because he is trying to do too much, if we had a true point guard he would not have the ball as much and he wouldn’t try to do too much, but I can live with that( trying) what I can’t live with is Teague and Marvin not trying enough. I would rather Teague and Marvin to go out and make mistakes because the are putting forth the effort. Have you notice that Josh Smith gets better than he was the year before every year? that is because he wants to be good. Has Marvin done that? Is Teague better than he was last year? the answer to those last to questions are NO! and I don’t won’t to hear Teague isn’t getting any playing time. that is what the off season is for, to get better and he practices with NBA talent everyday. it is just not excuse.
Grandad
March 2nd, 2011
4:34 pm
Sautee
* boxer-outer:
a highly technical term generally used only by those in the fraternity.
[definition = Big Ass]
-other such terminology-
* Ass Clown
[def = Lebron James]
* runners & jumpers
[def = non-euros]
* defensive stopper
[def = can't shoot]
* Bizzaro Bird
[def = Marvin]
* low B-ball IQ
[def = dumb ass]
* high B-ball IQ
[def = Shane Battier]
* Euros
[def = white guys]
* African Euro = Thabeet
* Canadian Euro = Nash
* South American Euro = Ginobili
* assister
[def = Cheryl Miller]
* post feeder
[def = Jason Collins nutritionist]
* balls to the wall
[ definition = ? ]
* Marvin
[ def = feather duster ]
ag
March 2nd, 2011
4:35 pm
If you all think Pape Sy is the answer, well he averaged 8 ppg in the D-League and last year he averaged 5 ppg in France. One though I agree is this is when we can use Mo. When he is on, he is a great scorer. Teague played great defense and in four games he started, he went to the line and converted 10-11. He also collected 5 steals and although having only 12 assists, he should have had at least 20. Hilton is garbage if he cannot get run with the Wiz.
Rufus1
March 2nd, 2011
4:40 pm
Jamal Time
Jamal scores 22pts we win….That simple!!
His defensive liability is worth about(my Math) 15pts and the 3 turnovers are worth about 1.29pts each=(3.87pts)…Total 18.87pts
***I read an article where the Celtics calculated that each turnover was worth about +/-(1.29pts)***
Najeh Davenpoop
March 2nd, 2011
4:47 pm
“African Euro”… haha. Steve Nash technically qualifies for that one too.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 2nd, 2011
4:47 pm
Corey Brewer is about to sign a multi year deal with Dallas, where I guess they see him as some sort of cheap replacement for Caron Butler.
MustangSalley
March 2nd, 2011
4:50 pm
Jamal is good but dont oversell Jamal Crawford. There is a reason why he is a sixth man and not a starter. It has been proven that when Jamal starts games he hoists up three-pointers for most of the game thinking he is PISTOL PETE MARAVICH. The pistol could make 3-pointers ALL GAME LONG but not Jamal Crawford. Jamal eventually puts up his AIR BALL 3-POINT MISSES and he keeps firing air balls because he insists he must make 3s if he had been making them in the game earlier. Jamal is great but he has his weaknessess like most players do.
myrak43
March 2nd, 2011
4:50 pm
and it looks like Rasual Butler is off the table as well…. that sux
http://www.insidehoops.com/nba_rumors.shtml
Grandad
March 2nd, 2011
4:52 pm
hawksfancent95
-&-
J from the A
Marc Gasol RFA this summer.
Bidding is expected to push his salary out of Memphis’ price range.
Or, they cannot keep he and Z.Randolph !
Some suspect LAL to push the price up & out of everyone’s reach.
MLE won’t get it done, however, he is ” not ” his brother.
myrak43
March 2nd, 2011
4:52 pm
MustangSalley
Jamal is what he is… a scorer. and ever team needs them. the good teams have more than one of them however.
Sautee
March 2nd, 2011
4:53 pm
MustangSally,
about this: “The Hawks will probably only win 41 games this year and be a .500 to sub .500 team because the Hinrich trade has made the club significantly worse.”
Seriously? 15 home games left and you think all we will win is 5 more for the SEASON?
Are you aware that the home team wins in the NBA over 60% of the time?
Cavs beat the Lakers at home. Grizz beat the Spurs at home last night.
Bad teams win home games fairly often, but you think we’ll only win 5? That means we’ll go 5-17 in the next 22 with 15 home games.
I guess if Joe and Al both get injured it’s possible, but I’ll still say the Hawks will win 48-50. 48 would be going 12-10 for the rest of the year. That sounds about right.
41 is an over-reaction to not liking the trade.
tony
March 2nd, 2011
4:59 pm
can some1 plz tell me what website the hawks are playing tonight?
terrell
March 2nd, 2011
5:03 pm
So this means more of the Teague/Iso Jamal combo? Bad idea.
lewis
March 2nd, 2011
5:04 pm
Hawks do not have the money to go after anyone…don’t know why there has been an ongoing discussion about trying to bolster the bench with one of these guys. It’s not going to happen. Move on.
With Horford out we were crushed. With Josh Smith out, an even better defender and rim deterrent, I am not even looking forward to this game. Not only are Horford and Smith good individual defenders, but their ability to play off of each other, relying on one another’s athleticism to help on just about anyone in any situation, will be greatly missed.
Boozer is good at boxing out, and a solid rebounder. Noah is a great rebounder.
Collins is good at boxing out, and a bad rebounder. Horford is a solid rebounder.
Josh Smith is a great rebounder, even though he averages less than Al, he grabs them out of the sky, in traffic to boot.
Having to rely on Marvin to step up, again, I expect us to lose.
J from the A
March 2nd, 2011
5:06 pm
@Grandad, hakwsfancent85, others
I wonder what $10-12 mill can buy the Hawks this offseason. If Jamal walks and if we dump Zaza’s contract somehow, depending on the new CBA, the Hawks may have up to $10+ million to play with.
[I know. A lot of 'ifs' and 'depending ons' in there.]
DeShawn Stevenson as a back up 2?
Deandre Jordan as a back up [potential down-the-road starter] at the 5?
Josh McRoberts as aback up PF? [Hey, for the price, i like the kid!]
Can we get a sold SF squeezed in here somewhere?
Get a 3rd PG [J-Will?], a 5th big man [Jason Collins, Kurt Thomas?], and a 4/5th wing [Damien, McGrady?] at the vet minimum. Sounds like a plan to me!
Probably right about Marc Gasol being pushed out of reach, so cross him off the list? Is Oden worth taking a risk on?
ag
March 2nd, 2011
5:06 pm
I can agree with the criticism of Marvin Williams. We have watched him for six seasons. Most teams give up on bust (Brewer, Thabeet, etc), but the Hawks kept at it. How are a lot of people giving up on Teague after 4 starts? He went 2-2. He does need to time to develop. When Rondo was a rookie, he started 25 games, only averaged 6 ppg, 3 ast and 3 rbs in 24 minutes. Remember Boston brought in Sam Cassell and Step Marbury down the strech. Even now, Rondo only averages 10 ppg and he is an allstar.
ag
March 2nd, 2011
5:11 pm
Wow dug this up on Marvin and Bogut on ESPN insider. BK was not the only one wrong.
Projection No. 1 to 3 overall
Positives In a draft bereft of players with star potential, Williams is one of the few guys scouts are universally excited about. Williams is an unbelievable specimen. He has a great NBA body, top-notch athleticism and the ability to play just about anywhere on the court. He has one of the most developed inside-outside games of any prospect, something the Tar Heels rarely took advantage of. He also possesses a fantastic basketball IQ and work ethic.
Negatives Williams is still young and inexperienced. He came off the bench all season for the Tar Heels and played in a supporting role to Sean May, Raymond Felton and Rashad McCants. He let his nerves get the best of him during North Carolina’s run in the Final Four and didn’t have the impact you’d think from such a highly-rated player. There were no Carmelo Anthony-like shining moments for Williams.
Sautee
March 2nd, 2011
5:11 pm
Lol @ Grandad’s definitions.
cp
March 2nd, 2011
5:13 pm
Its going to be difficult to win without Josh tonight…..We don’t have anyone on the roster who will be able to defend Rose tonight. Dude is having a MVP type season. He is going to light up whoever is in front of him and I’m hoping its not Jamal on him at any point during the game. Rose will get his they just have to shut down the other guys but once again without Josh its going to be difficult. A lot of his critics will see why he is so valuable to this team………I think a lot of people on here are being way too critical of Teague. It was said the day he was drafted he was raw and would take some time. I dont know what happened to the demeanor he had in college but he has to get it back. He does something well that not many other Hawks do, he draws fouls. He just needs to attack and attack. The Denver game made no difference in whether he would start or not. LD said Hinrich would be his starter when the trade was made.. Teague has to keep up his defensive intensity and push the ball. Some of you are just too extra when it comes to some guys on the team.
ag
March 2nd, 2011
5:13 pm
The Hawks were tempted to draft Chris Paul because of their need at the point, but at the end of the day they took the best player available. Marvin Williams is an upgrade over Al Harrington and Josh Smith. It will be interesting to see what the Hawks do from here. Obviously they’re going to have to clear up a logjam at the forward position. Maybe they’ll be able to trade Harrington in an effort to acquire the team’s real needs at point guard and center.
(Wow slap Josh in the face…I would rather have Harrington)
I still believe that Marvin Williams should have been the No. 1 pick in the draft. Still, Bogut’s a very good pick. He’s a legit center who is skilled offensively and is already one of the best passing big men in the game. Whether he has enough athleticism to guard NBA fives remains to be seen. I think Vlade Divac and Brad Miller are the right comparisons. He’ll help the Bucks immediately and give Michael Redd some wide open looks for a change.
terrell
March 2nd, 2011
5:13 pm
Damn, we need Josh tonight. Whether you haters wont to believe it or not. He eats Boozers lunch. Same with Horford vs Noah. Joakim will have a field day with Zaza and Collins I’m afraid. If Zaza really wants to be the “tough guy”, tonights the night to do it. I’m glad Hinrich is starting as long as,
Teague is the backup pg.
But to be honest we’re prolly back to
Hinrich/JJ/Duckbooty/Horford/Collins
Jamal/Zaza/and that’s it..
Teague prolly back to garbage min.
Jamal still playing backup pg.
etc………………………………………………………..
Hope Hinrich can make up the difference.
SteveW
March 2nd, 2011
5:21 pm
Astro Joe – For his 2,3, and 4 starts for his career, I think Teague did well. And when Jamal and JJ, Josh etc, have abysmal shooting nights for a few consecutive games, we don’t talk of benching them. Teague showed he belonged. Protected the ball. Went to the line 6x’s last game. He’s just got to get confidence, and learn how to play with these vets, esp. JJ and Jamal. He will defer to them. And Jamal will let him.
How we free up money: At the draft, trade Marvin to a team with a big Trade exception like the Cavs, and get their 1st pick.
We then have a lottery pick (the Cavs may be dumb enough…) and MLE money to spend. We get a big and draft a 3 or vice versa.
Or can you not trade players around draft time. I forgot if you can or not. But if you can, that’s the plan that works with ASG money.
SteveW
March 2nd, 2011
5:22 pm
And the difference between Teague every game he played after the trade, was significantly better than almost every game Bibby was playing. Not the stat line necessarily, but the difference with this team was night and day.
SteveW
March 2nd, 2011
5:24 pm
If LD rotates correctly, gives the proper assignments, and we ball, we can beat this team. We match up very well with them, even with Josh out if LD sees it.
joey
March 2nd, 2011
5:25 pm
hawks will win 50 games this year and if the hawks can play with hert this team can be scrappy and maker it to the eastern conference finals…only if the whole teams bust butt on the defensive end
joey
March 2nd, 2011
5:26 pm
the hawk will win 50 games and they can end up in the astern conference finals only if the play with heart, which they have did2of the last 3 games…ut only if they bust their butt on the defensive end
SteveW
March 2nd, 2011
5:34 pm
The CBA says, “Teams are free to make trades again once their season has ended, but cannot trade players whose contracts are ending or could end due to an option or ETO”
So we could trade Marvin after the season ends.
I will take Marvin for Sessions all day everyday. I wouldn’t mind a back court of Hinrich, Teague, Sessions, and JJ for next season.
The 3 spot? Well, Wilkens, McGrady, some D’Leaguers, De’Sean Butler all come to mind in some combination. Had some real good Summer League dude, can’t remember his name, who the scouts said was a pro player, but no jump shot. Get him working on that shot!
His name was Trey Gilder, I remember now. Get Da’Sean Butler. These guys gotta be better on a consistent basis than Marvin.