Hawks 83, Bulls 80
Greetings, all-
Hope you enjoyed the game. Abysmal first half followed by an inspired second half, led by Al Horford.
- Hawks gave up 30 points in the second half. That’s their best in a half this season by five points. Chicago shot 30.6 percent and had nine turnovers in the half after 51.4 percent and seven in the first half. The Hawks would have done even better if they’d done a little better rebounding. Chicago had 10 offensive rebounds in the second half alone, leading to eight second-chance points.
- Horford had it in another gear – 31 points, 16 rebounds, including 9 of 12 in the second half. Larry Drew: “He was an absolute beast tonight. … He was our anchor tonight. During the timeouts, he was in the huddles cheering the guys, and just telling the guys to keep plugging.”
I thought it was an interesting observation on Drew’s part. I didn’t get to ask Horford this, but I would imagine that with Josh Smith not in the game and not even on the bench, he felt more comfortable being a vocal leader like that.
- On the game-winning pick and roll: Drew: “We knew that with Jamal, they would be concerned with him coming off of a screen. He came off of a screen earlier and they semi-trapped it and then they broke out of it and then Jamal just broke the guy down and got the ball to Marvin in the corner. I knew that they would be concerned and really focused on Jamal coming off the pick and roll, so we designed a play that brought him off and he made a great pass to Al and Al just had a forceful roll and a strong finish.”
It reminds me a little of his thought process in the play against the Clippers that resulted in Horford hammered by Blake Griffin. The Hawks had run a play just seconds before in which Joe Johnson inbounded to Horford, who handed off back to Johnson. Drew saw how the Clippers jumped on Johnson, so he called for a fake handoff to take advantage of the overpursuit.
- Hawks were awful in the first half – the Bulls were winning loose balls and getting to offensive rebounds (which continued in the second half) while the Hawks offense looked stiff. It wasn’t producing open shots and when Johnson and Crawford had to go one-on-one they weren’t converting at the rim.
- The very crucial play at the end where Johnson defended Derrick Rose with the tenacity of a college walk-on, leading to the bad pass to Rose from Carlos Boozer that led to Johnson’s dunk at the other end can be credited, in a way, to Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Teague.
In the past, as you well know, Johnson has logged plenty of minutes chasing point guards from the first quarter on. Hinrich had Rose most of the night, and Teague had him for a spell, allowing Johnson to go against Keith Bogans.
“That’s what I was telling Kirk and Jeff before the game,” Johnson said. “I was like, Y’all chase D-Rose around early and, come late, I’ll get him in the fourth and give it everything I’ve got. They did a great job. When I got my chance to guard him, I just wanted to make it tough on him.”
I think MC has addressed this, but one huge benefit of the Hinrich trade is that Johnson won’t have those minutes on point guards like he did in the past. I don’t think Johnson’s complaining.
- More on Hinrich – not a great offensive game (1 for 5, three points, two assists) but his value is in Rose’s numbers. Rose was 5 for 21, including 0 for 6 from 3-point range, with 12 assists against six turnovers. I’d say it was an off night for Rose, but Hinrich definitely helped.
- Horford had his first 3-pointer of the season, a corner ball that came out of the offense. Horford shoots them in practice and isn’t bad, particularly from the corners, but said that he hasn’t taken them because the team has other 3-point shooters. He felt free to take it Wednesday because he said Drew has never told him not to take one.
“My heels were at the 3 (line) so I said, ‘I might as well take a step back and I was in a rhythm and I feel confident taking that shot,” he said.
- Smith definitely was missed. Chicago had a bunch of dunks, particularly early, that you’d think Smith would have challenged.
Drew: “Josh, he’s kind of a kamikaze. You know in transition with him bringing the ball on the break that there’s a chance the ball could end up in the stands somewhere but you also know he’s capable of making plays. I’ve come to the point to live with that. When he gets the ball off the glass and brings it down on the break, we are in an attack mode. … His energy when he’s flying all over the court just makes us a much more effective ballclub.”
- Thanks to Najeh for pointing out at the end of the game thread that Kevin Durant turned his ankle Wednesday night. Durant said he’s hopeful he can go Friday against the Hawks.
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118 comments Add your comment
lewis
March 3rd, 2011
12:50 am
Best win all year
lewis
March 3rd, 2011
12:50 am
and wtf is up wit josh’s knee
K.W.
March 3rd, 2011
12:55 am
I really liked how the Hawks fought back in the second. Al Horford putting the Hawks on his back was just amazing. Very good win for the Hawks.
Buddy Grizzard
March 3rd, 2011
1:10 am
Did I really see what I think I just saw? Did they pass to Al Horford in crunch time?
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
1:12 am
Ken S . . I’m glad you broke down the pick and roll play with Jamal and Horford, because Jamal made two GREAT PG type plays down the stretch of that game.
Instead of penetrating and shooting, he passed it to a wide open Marvin in the corner for a 3. Jamal could’ve easily forced up that shot, but he made the correct decision by getting the ball to the open man.
Without Marvin’s 3, we’re not in position in the end to take that game. Then Jamal follows it up with the perfectly executed pick and roll play. Just great PG type plays from him in the closing minutes.
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
1:13 am
I see the Bulls didn’t just bring their fans to the highlight factory, but they also brought their own referees as well. The fouls they overlooked committed by the bulls were beyond human errors, they were a blatant conspiracy.
1) Boozer put a choke hold on Al around the neck but yet no call.
2) Boozer put a take down on Al but yet no call
3) Al also made numerous drives to the basket and got hacked but yet no call.
4) Marvin got mugged in the paint but yet no call
These were just examples of many others. These overlooks by these officials were more than a coincidence especially on your own home court. Despite the win, these “no-calls” were outrageous.
Freshfromatl
March 3rd, 2011
1:13 am
LOL…
ESPN is showing Marvin A LOT of love tonight. AL is getting a lot of props also. Good job guys! Also, major props to Captain Kirk on the defensive end!
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
1:14 am
Much love to Horford. He did exactly what he had to do. Somebody on this team had to have a monster game in order for us to win. Tonight, it was Horford’s turn. His offensive rebounding was key, because he converted most of those offensive rebounds into 2 points.
The team could’ve easily given up, but they decided to hunker down on defense and grind it out. And those first 6 minutes in the 3rd, in which the defense was lights out, got us back into the game.
Good team win tonight. Even Marvin came up big on offense and defense.
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
1:16 am
Oh . . by the way . . that makes us 24 – 5 at home in the month of March the past 3+ years. This team turns it on in March and find ways to win. Hopefully this will be the first of many exciting wins @ Philips in the coming days and weeks.
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
1:16 am
Correction: 1) Boozer put a choke hold on Al around the neck but yet no technical.
ATLfan
March 3rd, 2011
1:21 am
Anybody feel that this was because of the lack of Josh Smith’s negativity and mistakes?
Rufus1
March 3rd, 2011
1:23 am
Drinking their on Koolaide….
The Bulls and the Bulls fans believe they are ab elite team, but they haven’t won a playoff series in like 8 years….
The National media will continue to dismiss the Hawks….But if the Hawks are not elite, then the Heat, Magic and Bulls aren’t either.
6 and 5 against Knicks, Bulls, Magic, Heat and Celtics….I think only Boston has a better record.
The Hawks now have an elite defense, so now all we need is Joe to find his shot and we will be fine.
Buddy Grizzard
March 3rd, 2011
1:30 am
ATLfan I love Josh Smith, but there’s no question he’s been feuding all year with LD about shot selection. After the trade for KH, Marvin Williams, one of the two Hawks regulars with college championship pedigree, immediately embraced the move. I knew that KH would be vocal on defense and demand effort from his teammates.
So I think Al, the other former college champ, will really embrace Kirk’s arrival as well because of what it does to the culture of the team. Effort on defense starts up front and when the rest of the team sees that effort from the point guards, effort will pick up at all positions. Hopefully a new attitude will rub off on Josh.
MJC
March 3rd, 2011
1:30 am
ATLfan
March 3rd, 2011
1:21 am
Anybody feel that this was because of the lack of Josh Smith’s negativity and mistakes?
————————————
Your statement is the equivalent to “I didn’t watch the game.” We were outrebounded and missed Josh’s offense a lot in this one. The fact that we won this is thanks to DEFENSE. The Hawks are giving up an average of 82 pts with Hinrich in the lineup.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
1:37 am
Say what you want about LD’s substitutions and usage of Teague, but Woody would have never thought through all of that to design a high percentage play to win the game.
ATLfan
March 3rd, 2011
1:39 am
I too am a fan of Josh but man he is the first to “quit” during a tough game, IMO. I hope these last trades and this important month bring out the best in Josh. I also hope his knee thing is just minor.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
1:40 am
“Anybody feel that this was because of the lack of Josh Smith’s negativity and mistakes?”
This was because Al Horford took care of his own usual production and Smoove’s production, and because Kirk Hinrich stepped up and provided the defensive impact that Smoove usually provides, with his fantastic man to man defense on Rose. I figured people would show up and try to spin this win as some sort of anti-Smoove nonsense, but unless you think Al will put up 31 and 16 every game, you can forget about it.
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
1:41 am
Let’s bring back Mario West and really get defensive !
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
1:45 am
Hollinger has a writeup about the Hawks’ new look defense for today’s Daily Dime.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
1:47 am
“that makes us 24 – 5 at home in the month of March the past 3+ years. This team turns it on in March and find ways to win. Hopefully this will be the first of many exciting wins @ Philips in the coming days and weeks.”
Hopefully they will be equally good in the months of April and May (and maybe June?) this time around.
kaminari
March 3rd, 2011
1:50 am
Having the Captain & the Kid in there are much better than Bibby, but that’s no disrespect to him and what he brought to our club. I’ve heard it said somewhere that defense wins Championships. Let’s thank the Bulls for bringing the defense tonight to Phillips and showing us how it’s done. Thankfully we bettered them in the second half, and if we can do that then we are elite.
I noticed the turning point when Boozer took down Al. The replays showed the disrespectful look on Boozer’s face during the take down. I’m glad Al nearly kicked him in the jaw cause we need more of that. Marvin can be such a weak, finesse guy but when he gets some confidence look out. Where have these guys been all year? At least they finally made it to the dance and I’m pretty sure that regardless of whether we get to 50 wins or not, I’m satisfied that a healthy Hawks team, as is, can put a run against any of teams in the playoffs. The one sour point is big men, and it was nice to see Armstrong in action, even though he did look a little lost, but he was hustling, too.
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
1:52 am
JJ struggles gave me a horrible 2010 Hawks-Orlando playoff series flashback. I think he approached this game with low expectation of a win since Josh was out and played accordingly. It’s clear:
Teammates followed AL Horford and got inspired. If teammates had followed JJ they would have been disappointed.
So who’s the real leader of the team? Like The Quickening; “There can be only one”
niremetal
March 3rd, 2011
1:58 am
Of course, JJ had 9 assists, 7 rebounds, and played outstanding defense. But hey, that doesn’t matter, because he didn’t shoot well. Right?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
2:00 am
It’s about time Joe started being a complementary player in the offense, instead of the focal point. The offense plainly and simply does not function as well when Joe has to create offense for himself, let alone for others. Good defensive teams like Chicago — and Orlando last year — snuff out Joe’s over-dribbling and slow reactions and force him into contested jumpers. Let the Hawks’ new competent point guards set up Smoove in the low post and/or Al in the mid range/high post area, let Smoove and/or Al create, and let Joe get his shots off the resulting defensive attention and via off-the-ball movement.
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
2:02 am
Nire
I can think of 125M reasons why JJ should have brought more (relatively speaking of course)
mykhalc
March 3rd, 2011
2:30 am
Joe’s line-score and defense were good, no doubt. but Joe is Robin and the sooner the team (and Joe) comes to that realization the better!!! i really do hope Al and Kirk claim ‘vocal’ leadership roles with this team. who in the real world is inspired by silence??? ok…yogis!!! but on the court, silence is not what one wants from its’ leaders…PERIOD!!!! glad to see some heart from this team!!!
south Ga boy in the ATL
March 3rd, 2011
3:11 am
Najeh, I love Smoove too, but facts are stubborn things. When (emphasis on when) Smoove wants to play defense there is nobody any better. His athleticism and tenacity cannot be matched. But any regular watching Hawks fan knows that if you watch him throughout the game, he takes plays off time and time again. He can be lackadasical and sag in toward the paint leaving his man wide open for any easy three. He can be seen regularly complaining to a ref about a call while his man is streaking down the court for any easy jam. He can be late with help defense and he takes unnecessary chances to get a steal while leaving his man untethered to drive the lane for an easy score. He avg.’s about 2 steals a game but will usually give up 3 or 4 uncontested 5 footers when he missed the steal. I love Smoove, but if he gave 3/4 the effort on defense that Al or Kirk gave tonight, then we would have a real shot at a championship. Smoove is the key to this team. If he gives max effort down the stretch and in the playoffs, and stops throwing the ball into the 10th row like some peanut vendor then we can go far, but until then don’t rebuke legitimate criticism of one “J Smoooooveeee”
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 3rd, 2011
4:20 am
With the exception of the Pacers and Wizards (2 of our final 4 games) and the Cavs on March 27th, all of our other remaining games are either against plus .500 good teams, or sub .500 teams that have previously beaten us and/or caused us problems already this year.
Tough, but I think this is exactly what we need. If we expect to make noise in the playoffs, that’s one heck of schedule to prepare ourselves and see where we stand and make the necessary adjustments against quality competition.
Tard Monkey
March 3rd, 2011
5:21 am
I don’t know what’s worse. The nasty minded hater attacks on Josh Smith or the whiny sycophantic defense of Joe Johnson who provided a healthy dose of rebounding and assists with defense, but who shot the ball like a streaky second string shooting guard.
Buddy Grizzard
March 3rd, 2011
6:10 am
“It’s about time Joe started being a complementary player in the offense.” – Najeh
My first comment was a sarcastic reference to this. In case you missed it, read the NY Times blog entry titled “Hawks fail to Embrace Undervalued Horford”:
http://offthedribble.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/hawks-fail-to-embrace-undervalued-horford/
Who should the Hawks be going to in close games? In this game, Horford shot 13-20, good for 65%. The rest of the Hawks combined shot 20-62 or 32%. JJ was 5-20 and Jamal was 5-13.
Horford’s 57% field goal shooting for the year ranks 4th in the league. And yet not long ago I remember Horford saying it was his first time ever taking the last shot of a close game as a Hawk. Was it the Clippers game?
Jamal has been coming back around but JJ’s numbers are down this year and he’s less efficient than ever. It’s time for LD to wake up to the fact that everybody else in the league already knows but he pretends not to: Al Horford is the best player on the Hawks roster.
prison mike
March 3rd, 2011
6:18 am
I’ll flat out say it, the bulls are good but extremely over rated. Their backcourt shoot 3pointers worse than marvin and the front court is inferior to atlanta’s.
rk
March 3rd, 2011
7:03 am
I can’t believe people still think JT will be a good NBA point guard. He did not play the point in college and looks lost in the NBA. He was a good college player who will never be a good NBA player. He just does not have the talent.
Section 303
March 3rd, 2011
7:53 am
Great win! I’m still in the mood to celebrate!
NUNNA!!
March 3rd, 2011
8:04 am
rk,
So tell us,what position did he play in college?
I neve followed him at WF i always thought he was the PG who followed Chris Paul and was thinking he was a PG all along.
Skool me
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
8:05 am
“he takes plays off time and time again. He can be lackadasical and sag in toward the paint leaving his man wide open for any easy three. He can be seen regularly complaining to a ref about a call while his man is streaking down the court for any easy jam. He can be late with help defense and he takes unnecessary chances to get a steal while leaving his man untethered to drive the lane for an easy score. He avg.’s about 2 steals a game but will usually give up 3 or 4 uncontested 5 footers when he missed the steal. ”
Everything you have said here has been true on one occasion or another, but where I disagree is in the implication that any of this happens often enough to define Smoove’s identity.
terrell
March 3rd, 2011
8:20 am
Marvin said “he probably coulda put me in the basket”. Are u kidding me? With that azz? lol!
MJC
March 3rd, 2011
8:28 am
@terrell: Lol
Also, nice to see my comment got removed.
terrell
March 3rd, 2011
8:29 am
Teague played sg as a freshman, and started plaaying pg when Ismael Smith got hurt. Never gave up the starting pg job after that.
terrell
March 3rd, 2011
8:30 am
Would you ever here Al or Josh saying “he coulda put me in the basket”? Marvin needs to grow a pair.
mike
March 3rd, 2011
8:31 am
Nice win. Will an AJC Reporter please write how this game proves the Hawks are better without J-Smoove. Reason being – Horford belongs in the power forward spot. Look what he did! So 2 of the Hawks best players are Power forwards and the better is Horford. Trade Josh and get a REAL Center – Hibbert maybe?
Atlgent
March 3rd, 2011
8:32 am
I was at the game and I am not a JJ supporter as of recently but I noticed how basically even with out the ball, Chicago kept 2 men in the immediate vicinity of JJ. He was hogged all night, forcefully bumped when coming around screens, pushed and tugged on even when the ball was on the opposite side of the court. It was a tough game for him and he did miss a few easy looks and drives to the basket but Chicago brought a TOUGH “D” to the game and a game plan that worked wonders initially but unraveled as the game went on. Also, credit JJ for stifling “D” on Rose at the end of the game. Also, Teague put the lock down on Rose for the 3 or 4 minutes he had to cover him! But I think they underestimated the offensive prowess of Horford.
Horford had many open shots and played tremendously! Just from looking at his shooting from the perimeter, I began to think, Is it possible to play Horford on the wing offensively in a “pseudo” small forward position and keep J Smoove near the interior offensively and reverse that on the defensive end?
vava74
March 3rd, 2011
8:39 am
mike,
Horford played the bulk of his minutes at the C spot defensively checking Noah whilst Collins and Zaza checked on Boozer.
On offense, given Horford’s game, its irrelevant if he plays the C or the PF slot and guess what, he was defended by Noah most of the time too, so… he played the C spot in spite of Collins and Zaza being on the floor.
tony
March 3rd, 2011
8:44 am
JS, when you come back PLZ PLZ PLZ play to your strength(rebounding, block shots, and steals) because this team can win many games without you trying to score so many points. Dennis Rodman help the Pistons win 2 championships because of his commitment to rebound and play solid defense. You bring more to the table than Dennis because you are a terrific shot blocker and can steal. Let the scoring come to you. IT WILL COME, TRUST ME.
Now you people see how valuable Mr Kirk can be for a team. Heck, the smartest fanbase(Lakers) in the world wanted him because he is such a tremendous defensive player. He brings more than that to the table. His assists will get better and his decision making will be key if LD let him run the SHOW. Nice win. Even had me jumping through the roof…..LOL
vava74
March 3rd, 2011
8:46 am
Atlgent,
JJ worked his butt off the whole game: very good D (in particular on that last possession), 7 rebounds and 9 assists, 1 steal and JUST 1 TO whilst being double and triple teamed.
He was unlucky in a couple of layups that did not went in and was clearly fouled on another with the refs swallowing their whistles.
With just a little bit of luck and that call he could have posted 18 points and his FG% would have been acceptable.
People fail to realize how small is the difference between a boxscore looking good and not and get too hung up on that.
JJ was fundamental for the win.
Booo!
March 3rd, 2011
8:47 am
“I can’t believe people still think JT will be a good NBA point guard. He did not play the point in college and looks lost in the NBA. He was a good college player who will never be a good NBA player. He just does not have the talent.”
—————————————————–
So it would be better if he was a fat, slow, unathletic, guard who looks to shoot first and cant dribble? Well, we just traded him away (Have fun with that MIA!)
You know, Krik’s numbers havent exactly jumped of the page either. you sir, don’t have a clue of which you speak. Defense wins Titles. Asise from scoring, Teague can fill up a stat sheet….he’s pretty much the PG version of Josh, just with more self control.
Booo!
March 3rd, 2011
8:48 am
MIA fans are delusional. They think Bibby is a huge upgrade over chalmers and Arroyo Ha!
Atlgent
March 3rd, 2011
8:48 am
“Hawks fan knows that if you watch him throughout the game, he takes plays off time and time again. He can be lackadasical and sag in toward the paint leaving his man wide open for any easy three. He can be seen regularly complaining to a ref about a call while his man is streaking down the court for any easy jam. He can be late with help defense and he takes unnecessary chances to get a steal while leaving his man untethered to drive the lane for an easy score. He avg.’s about 2 steals a game but will usually give up 3 or 4 uncontested 5 footers when he missed the steal. I love Smoove, but if he gave 3/4 the effort on defense that Al or Kirk gave tonight, then we would have a real shot at a championship”
@ South Ga boy in the AtL
I will not disagree with what you stated but what you described is minute and scarcely represents the true value and effort of J Smoove. YOU cannot base every game that J Smoove has played this year on 1, I mean 1 game that KIRK and Horford played. Notice your last sentence from above. First off, Kirk has played less than 4 games. And has Horford even played defensively that well at any other game this season. Actually, it was not even a complete game this time because in the 1st half, there was NO defense. So basically, Horford did not even give 3/4 of the defense that you claim he gave! Explanation please..!!!!
Al Horford
March 3rd, 2011
8:48 am
Hey Joe,
I would like to have a percentage of your salary because it is very obvious that the team performs much better when I get multiple touches. Could you please not try and crossover any other defender because it has not effectively worked for you since you arrived in Atlanta.
Booo!
March 3rd, 2011
8:49 am
*”Aside from scoring”
Booo!
March 3rd, 2011
8:54 am
“Also, Teague put the lock down on Rose for the 3 or 4 minutes he had to cover him!”
Yessir!
JM
March 3rd, 2011
8:54 am
Great win for the Hawks! Al should officially be the leader of this team and both Al and Smoove should be the cornerstones of the franchise. The offense needs to run through them. To me it doesnt matter if Al is played as 5 or 4 or Josh at 4 or 3, as long they both think and play like a 4 on offense (I will say that Al’s range makes it okay for him to play a little farther away from the basket like Atlgent suggest). Go Hawks!
JM
March 3rd, 2011
8:57 am
Teague played well but was benched after a couple of bad offense plays. He needs to learn to that bigs can’t handle such hard passes in traffic. If its not there, circle around and reset the offense. Watch some Rondo tape young fella. Go Hawks!
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
9:02 am
Atlgent . . I don’t think playing Al in a pseudo SF role is what is in his best interest, but I do see your point.
But your post illustrates how other people benefit from the opponent treating JJ like he is the focal point of the offense.
Contrary to popular belief, it is the mass attention that JJ and Jamal attracts to themselves, that enables others to be in good position to score the basketball. And those 2 attract that attention because they’re the main guys on the team that can create and make their own shot.
It’s no coincidence that the perfectly executed pick and roll was made possible because Chicago had all eyes on Jamal, not expecting him to pass the ball.
It’s also no coincidence that JJ had 5 assists to Horford in the 2nd half alone, due to the Bulls sending an extra person at even an ice cold shooting JJ. Why? Because he has the ability to score one on one and make tough shots.
It’ll always go unnoticed though when JJ is ice cold, that others are still benefitting from his presence on the court, because when doubled, he IS a very willing passer. And when Jamal is a willing passer, he has that same effect.
Fact . . Every one of Horford’s FGs last night came via assists, or from offensive rebound putbacks. He played a tremendous game. But that huge game doesn’t happen if not for our main attention grabbing guards drawing the attention, then passing Horford the ball.
Booo!
March 3rd, 2011
9:02 am
Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith make 4x the bonheaded plays than Teague could ever hope to make in a game. Why aren’t they “benched”? This double standard stuff is really starting to get to me. LD is full of it.
Teagues D is excellent and getting better, he rarely gives up points to the opposing guard.
OldskoolATLfan
March 3rd, 2011
9:09 am
It really gets my blood boiling to hear you people put down J Smoove! Najeh, your comments are most times insightful and dead on but not this time. Buddy Gizzard, go back to that shack in north Georgia and grab your fishing pole.
You can say that Smoove has poor shot selection, or even that he makes bad decisions, but at no time can you question his defense and heart.
Any astute basketball fan can see that this man holds our defense together almost every night, and his energy is always high. He does get frustrated on offense but that is the part of him that we have all accepted and live through.
The reason why we have had all the success defensively lately is because we now have a point guard that does not permit the opposing teams point guards to put pressure on our big guys by breaking down the defense. So if Smoove was out of position it was because he is the first to play help defense when the PG has gotten past our guard. Understand that when J Smoove comes back the defense will only get stronger.
Lastly, I’m tired of all the ATL fans complaining so much. Understand that we are not a complete team, but the pieces that we have are a very good team. We don’t have a complete point guard, we have two power forwards that could start at 4 for 95 percent of the teams in the league, we have a very very good 2 guard in JJ that plays the three more than he should, we have a under achieving 3 in MW that doesn’t shoot the jumper as consistently as he needs to and doesn’t play as physical as his body dictates, we have no center and a journey man bench with the exception of Jamal.
If the Hawks had a Center the current team would be title contenders. Even without one they will give all teams in the east a hard time with the current lineup. We are who we are, drafts could have been better but that is how it goes in the NBA. Some teams get lucky and get a Carmelo or Durant out the daft and some teams bomb and end up with a Sheldon Williams or Acie Law. These things are hard to figure. I’m down win or loose so Go HAWKS, give it all you got!
Mr. Phil
March 3rd, 2011
9:09 am
From John Hollinger at ESPN:
“The result, though frustrating for the Bulls, was one of the most riveting 83-80 games you’ll ever see. And, because of the continued impressive defensive results, it was also a game that adds a further dose of legitimacy to Atlanta’s post-trade aspirations of challenging the Eastern Conference’s top four teams.”
vava74
March 3rd, 2011
9:24 am
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
9:02 am
Co-sign.
People overreact to boxscores. This is not basketball. Stats are important only to a point.
JJ played a man’s game last night, taking a beating and dishing out 9 dimes with just 1 TO.
Also, he was unlucky with some of his shots. It was simply a bad day.
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
9:25 am
Any word on Josh Smith’s knee? Will he be likely to play on Friday?
Melvin
March 3rd, 2011
9:27 am
I’m still on a high after last night victory. This team showed a lot of heart to win that game. After that gutsy performance, I will refrain from any negative comments toward the Hawks players or organization at least until the next game. They earn that respect from me after the performance last night.
vava74
March 3rd, 2011
9:29 am
“this is not baseball”
Man Man
March 3rd, 2011
9:36 am
Heat fans know when they got a winner.Damn they just won the championship a few years back with Jason Williams and Garry Payton so don’t tell me Bibby won’t be a good pickup for them.All yall do is sit on here a degrate players flaws,but what about his strong points……………Shooting,Experience,Knows how to run the team.Damn every point guard don’t play good Defense in this league.Damn please know the game of basketball.The heat need leadership at the point and now they got it.If they outscore everybody they won’t need any offense.
Atticus
March 3rd, 2011
9:36 am
This game, as always is irrelevant. Everyone will show enthusiasm, the team will show signs as they always have, and then lose in the playoffs. Outside of Horford, this team doesn’t have it. Joe Johnson disappears for too many games, Josh is hot and cold, and they have a coach in over his head. Sorry that is reality. I love Horford and don’t even mind them getting Heinrich, but they can’t win in the playoffs.
vava74
March 3rd, 2011
9:44 am
We now have two leaders: Boss Al and Captain Kirk
Get to the 5th video and watch or re-watch their post game interviews:
http://www.foxsportssouth.com/pages/hawks
KevinM
March 3rd, 2011
9:45 am
Guys, if you think Al got slammed around last night, wait til Round 1!
This is the regular season…..
As for our roster, I can’t say that I am comfortable, but at least there is effort now that wasn’t really being addressed before…that falls back on Larry..he let’s that type of environment exist…you get what you deserve.
The only way this team wins in the playoffs….contributions from a group of guys, and guys who so far havent’ done it consistently.
Marvin should feel good about himself for about a minute…he still has work to do…but I will say he didn’t force anything last night.
He made up for his 2 slip ups with the Rose block his 3….so Marvin should have been in the + last night.
Give me Teague and Kirk sharing duties 50 times more than Bibster being the team favorite.
Funny how the whole Eastern Division had to go out and improve before Sund would do ANYTHING!
Last night was the 1st time in a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnggg time I can remember wanting to will these guys to a win. It shouldn’t have taken until Game 61!
And I really didn’t miss Josh last night, though he is needed on this team…he has no replacment right now…unless Al is all-of-a-sudden going to go full-tilt like he did last night…I just think it was the Noah matchup that got him going. That’s a good matchup for us.
And now we see why we would never get a Corey Brewer…..9M from Dallas?
Sund would never be that committed to a guy who wasn’t part of the core.
He has awarded enough long-term contracts.
Sux being constrained by the cap.
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
9:46 am
Atticus,
An unsubstantiated, negative post on a fans’ blog is even more irrelevant. Sorry that is reality.
JeJe
March 3rd, 2011
9:48 am
Start Damien Wilkins. The guy brings energy and is crafty on offense. Doing that, we can bring Marvin off the bench, where he is FAR MORE productive
JeJe
March 3rd, 2011
9:51 am
I thought this LD offense was supposed to facilitate things for Joe?
LOL
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
9:58 am
I am surprised Marvin’s block did not make any of the highlights. I did not get to watch the game but it sounds like the block was a real turning point. I have posted the video below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=839R7kGRKZc
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
10:09 am
@ vava
JJ had a game like this earlier in the year @ New York. In that game, JJ was 3 – 15 FG. I think he missed something like 10 of his final 11 shots in that game. He missed 6 threes ( took way too many ). And he only scored 7 points.
But he grabbed 10 rebounds ( a team high ) and dished out 7 assists ( I believe 5 of those assists were for threes ).
I’m a “stat guy”. And sometimes, you simply need to look at the right stats. Popcornmachine.net has something they call “help value”.
Rebounds + assists + steals + blocks – turnovers = “help value”.
This is a stat category in which Horford and Smith almost always leads the team in every game. They both average somewhere between a 12 to 14 help value number in a typical game. JJ’s help value is usually a little above 8 in a game.
In that Knick game, his help value of 17 led the Hawks, despite his horrific shooting game.
Last night, he did it again, posting a help value number of 17, just edging out Horford.
A guy who has the highest help value number doesn’t necessarily mean that he had the best game. But it does show who is having an impact on a game outside of scoring the basketball.
The fact that JJ doubled his normal help value number on a night in which he was ice cold, showed that he still had an impact on the game.
Tremaine
March 3rd, 2011
10:12 am
I think one of the best things from last night was seeing the fans go crazy in the stands. ASG “IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME!”
Observation
March 3rd, 2011
10:15 am
Some of you Marvin Haters got so much hate invested in the man, must feels strange not to post a negative comment about him huh? Your hate has clouded your vision and made you speechless. I know it sucks to think that it is possible that you could be wrong about him. Anyway, you can crawl back under your rock until Marvin plays again. Your credibility just went south.
Freshfromatl
March 3rd, 2011
10:22 am
As big of a liability as Bibby was defensively, the Hawks were ranked 13th in defensive efficiency WITH Bibby. Replace him with someone who can actually stay in front of their man, and the Hawks go from decent to elite on defense.
northcyde
March 3rd, 2011
10:26 am
I like how Drew described Smith as a “kamikaze” type player.
That term does somewhat imply that he’s out of control at times, but it also shows that he’ll go all out and wil do whatever it takes to win.
That’s the reason why some will label Smith as a guy with “low BBIQ”, while others see him as a potential all-star.
To me, Smith is simply a risk taker. Sometimes, taking a risk isn’t the right thing to do. Other times, taking a risk is the only way that a play can be made. It’s that risk taking/wild card nature of Smith, that will always see people either support him, or criticize him.
Honestly, the only thing he needs to work on is when to take the risk or not.
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
10:33 am
NC: “Honestly, the only thing he needs to work on is when to take the risk or not.”
Agreed
MJC
March 3rd, 2011
11:20 am
@northcyde: That may be the perfect way to explain Smoove’s game.
lewis
March 3rd, 2011
11:33 am
any word on Josh’s knee yet? its sketchin me out
SteveW
March 3rd, 2011
11:33 am
Josh is not only a risk taker, but a whiner whose complaining hurts the team. He also let’s bad calls affect him mentally. And occasionally he shows no heart, while at other times, he’s got the most heart of anybody out there. Get these intangibles under control, and you have a perennial All Star on your hands.
SteveW
March 3rd, 2011
11:37 am
No word on the knee yet. You would think if it was fine, they would just say, so that concerns me.
But they may be waiting until after OKC’s practice today to announce, so OKC can’t practice knowing for certain whether Josh will be in or not.
SteveW
March 3rd, 2011
11:40 am
Last nights game made ASG alot of money. If the Hawks come out and do the same to the Thunder, your looking at alot of enthusiasm for the Hawks in this city.
And baseball season hasn’t started, the Falcons aren’t playing, and the Yellow Jackets stink, so the Hawks are the only game in town right now, and happen to play 11 of the next 14 at home. Good combination
SteveW
March 3rd, 2011
11:45 am
Observation – Marvin has been playing pathetically in some cases recently. I mean to the point of feeling sorry for him. He didn’t even look like a DLeaguer out there. I’m no Marvin hater, but a Hawks fan, and when he consistently looks pathetic, you do just say give me Manny Harris and Trey Gilder and let’s move on with life.
But I always try to give the exception, unless Marvin breaks out etc. I think everybody honestly knows he has the talent. It’s the performance that is lacking many times. It’s like Northcyde said recently, just give us 12 and 6 with solid D, limited mistakes from Marvin and we’re happy.
SteveW
March 3rd, 2011
11:55 am
Thoughts – most have already been posted, and I’ve said some of them already, but here it goes:
Jamal is no PG, but he can pass occasionally. He just looks so unnatural and tentative doing it, you know it’s not his first option.
Hinrich/Teague has a much better sound than Bibby/Teague. I hope he keeps getting playing time. He sure looks natural with the Hawks out there. His leadership and O will come. And he did play alot of Point in college, did you guys not follow Wake Forest when he was there? He was the floor general when he was on the court, and yes he had “it”. Best player on the court most nights regardless of who he was playing against.
LD has struggled as a HC, but he has alot of basketball knowledge.
I’m glad Sund traded Bibby and Mo’. Why LD kept playing them lamost exclusively and not Wilkens and Teague in the mix is hard to explain.
The post draft analysis’ that this trade would help JJ has come true, at least on the defensive end.
Maybe JJ is saving up for the playoffs, so he can play in May like he did in January. It is a possibility.
The scouting report on the Hawks must be double JJ, because teams have been doing it more aggressively it seems recently.
Josh has a high basketball IQ, but also has maturity issues.
That if the Hawks really want a game, like Miami and the Bulls, they are hard to beat. I hope they are mentally tougher in the playoffs as well.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
12:10 pm
“It really gets my blood boiling to hear you people put down J Smoove! Najeh, your comments are most times insightful and dead on but not this time. ”
Don’t know why you’re calling me out — I am on your side. All I conceded in the earlier post was that occasionally Smoove has the lapses mentioned in the post to which I was responding. His overall positive impact outweighs any of that, since none of it happens nearly as often as his detractors like to claim.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
12:16 pm
“Also, he was unlucky with some of his shots. It was simply a bad day.”
I’ll remember to use that line the next time Smoove has a bad jump shooting game and everyone on here is pulling their hair out in rage and frustration at his alleged lack of basketball IQ.
Observation
March 3rd, 2011
12:16 pm
SteveW
“I’m no Marvin hater, but a Hawks fan, and when he consistently looks pathetic, you do just say give me Manny Harris and Trey Gilder and let’s move on with life.”
No you’re no hater but others are. Why do you represent them and feed the hate? Marvin has the right to struggle just like other players but singled out. By you responding to me means you are stirring up hate again. At least when you bring up his past struggles also recognize his contribution toward the win last night. Protect your credibility and leave this topic alone.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
12:22 pm
“The heat need leadership at the point and now they got it.”
They have three max players and they need leadership?
“Heat fans know when they got a winner.”
I guess they don’t show off that knowledge by showing up to games…
“If they outscore everybody they won’t need any offense.”
Dept. of unintended irony where you at?
doc
March 3rd, 2011
12:24 pm
get josh a good sports psychologist like smoltz got and he is HOF er.
learn controlled chaos is all he needs.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
12:25 pm
“A guy who has the highest help value number doesn’t necessarily mean that he had the best game. But it does show who is having an impact on a game outside of scoring the basketball.”
Then again, I would argue that Hinrich had the second most impact on yesterday’s win, and his help value probably sucked.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
12:29 pm
northcyde @ 10:26, co-sign. Smoove’s problem is overconfidence. He thinks the risks he takes have a higher rate of success than they actually do.
On the flip side, I wish Al would become more of a “kamikaze” player. Last night, he was. But in general, as efficient as he is, he’d probably help the team even more if he took a few more risks of his own instead of deferring or passing up good shots for the sake of moving the ball as he is so often prone to do.
JoJo the Godfather
March 3rd, 2011
12:43 pm
Has anyone talked about the zone defense the Hawks have been running more of the last few games. It seems to me that when we’re using it, that that’s when I’m seeing more breakdowns (layups & dunks by the oppositiion). Has anyone else noticed, or am I way off base?
The Truth
March 3rd, 2011
12:47 pm
Teague defers he’s an incomplete player, Hinrich defers he’s an emerging leader, go figure. But I understand the politics. Acquiring Hinrich at the cost we paid means he must be the starter. Teague will need to wait 2 years or a permanent injury to Hinrich before he upgrades his status. That will put him 4 years into the league. I hope he got the patience of Job because that’s a long time playing limited minutes.
cp
March 3rd, 2011
12:51 pm
Great win last night but how did this turn into a bash Josh Smith thread. If you don’t think he was missed last night then you didn’t watch the game. Powell, Zaza, and Collins were terrible out there defensively. They couldn’t grab a defensive board to save their lives. Guys were getting to the rim at will. Josh makes bad plays at times but dude is important to this team.Its nice to have two pg’s who can play defense. Hinrich was stellar on defense and Teague was good on the defensive end when he came in. He has to know his personnel though. You cant make those type of passes to guys like Powell because he has terrible hands…Hopefully Joe comes out of his shooting slump soon. If they can keep playing this type of defense I think they can make some noise in the playoffs.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 3rd, 2011
1:00 pm
“Has anyone talked about the zone defense the Hawks have been running more of the last few games. It seems to me that when we’re using it, that that’s when I’m seeing more breakdowns (layups & dunks by the oppositiion).”
I agree. As well as this team plays man to man defense now it makes no sense to go zone for more than a couple of possessions at a time just to change up the pace. It’s pretty clear this team doesn’t practice zone enough to be proficient at it within games, particularly against teams that move the ball well.
Kerry
March 3rd, 2011
1:00 pm
That’s what im talking about, Horford showed out, let’s kepp it up with Oklahoma on Fri, GO HAWKS!!!
mykhalc
March 3rd, 2011
1:13 pm
@Observation…Marvin is STILL the worst startin’ SF in the league…PERIOD!!! but as a Hawks fan i’m glad he gave us somethin’/anythin’ last nite!!! last nite doesn’t change who he is…
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
1:25 pm
Observation
I defended Marvin for the past two years.
Now, I’m done.
Josh has grown over the years;
Marvin has regressed.
To be critical does not make one a hater.
*[however, I am, at this point sick & tired of Marv]
“he would have stuffed me in the basket”
says it all !
What amazes me is all the opprobrium,
along with the brickbats thrown at Josh.
Accordingly, ” I ” have been critical of Joe,
but this has more to do with not living up
to the responsibilities of his huge reward.
Admittedly, I did not see the game last eve
but according to the box-score MW’s game
was nothing to shout about.
*[yes he did have a couple of nice plays]
Bottom line, Marv has had ample time to show
what he is and what he is to be.
mykhalc
March 3rd, 2011
1:29 pm
and whomever said start Damien…COSIGN!!!!
jond
March 3rd, 2011
1:37 pm
Following a Wednesday MRI, Josh Smith remains day-to-day with a sprained right knee.
Now that we know there is no structural or ligament damage, owners can breathe a sigh of relief. It doesn’t mean that Smith will definitely play on Friday, but there is a chance. We’ll know more after Thursday’s practice.
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
1:41 pm
Of all the stats, these are most important:
*[notice I did not say " the " most important]
(1) five man combination (+/-)
“It’s not your best 5 players, but your 5 best that play together”
– John Wooden –
(2) defensive field goal %.
(3) defensive rebounds (team & individual) / likewise opponent off rebs.
(4) turnovers (team & individual) ” Yours ” not [so much] opponents
(5) Good teams always ” make ” more FT’s than their opponents ” take “
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
1:45 pm
Sign Joe Alexander from the D-League.
Golden State already signed Jeff Adrien.
Observation
March 3rd, 2011
1:48 pm
Grandad
“Admittedly, I did not see the game last evebut according to the box-score MW’s game was nothing to shout about.”
Your credibility is at risk for exposing your ignorance; if you didn’t see the game, then you have no authority to comment on Marvin’s contribution last night. The only thing worse than a hater, is one who’s a hater and doesn’t know it. Your hatred is exposed.
Sautee
March 3rd, 2011
1:57 pm
superiorblogman
March 2nd, 2011
6:21 pm
“Hinrich is overrated. Teague is better defensively and its not close. The Hawks will be blown out and I am glad that it will be Hinrich to be blamed and not Teague. Looking forward to see D Rose dominate the great white hype.”
Oops.
Sorry sb, but the Hawks won. I know that it makes you sad that a white player helped hold DRose to a 5-21 shooting night, but hey, you COULD join us and root for the Hawks.
If you were a Hawks fan that is.
Instead you would rather root for the other team just because the Hawks traded for a white PG. I’m truly sad for you. That’s pathetic in the truest sense of the word.
I could care less what the “color” of ANY Hawks player is, as long as they are giving honest effort on the court. Too bad you can’t or won’t do the same.
But that’s YOUR loss.
LEA
March 3rd, 2011
2:07 pm
don’t be fooled folks, we missed Smoove bady last night. Way too many shots at the rim for players who had no business getting there, and let’s not forget the 14-0 start..
Rufus1
March 3rd, 2011
2:10 pm
Hawks fans have a self-esteem problem…..
You always doubt the good things your team does and magnify the bad…
The Bulls haven’t won a playoff series in like 8 years, but you give the credit for being elite….really?
The Heat have won about 2 games against the top 5 in the east, but you give the credit for being elite….really?
The Magic have gotten worse on defense this and SOFTER in the box, but you give the credit for being elite….really?
The Hawks just beat the Bulls without their 3rd best player, 6 and 5 against the other top 5 teams in the East, have the 2nd best road record in the east and just traded the Worst defensive PG for maybe the best defensive PG, but we are not elite….Really??????
If we are not elite, then they are not elite.
Then Boston is the only elite team in the east.
Ra'mon
March 3rd, 2011
2:44 pm
Josh shouldn’t play if Durant doesn’t play. He should try to get at least 7 days rest for the knee.
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
2:48 pm
Mr Obsrvation, sir;
Whoa now !
I did not have to account for the fact that I did not see last nite’s game.
But I did.
” And ” you can call me ignorant all you want.
However, my observations have been made over the course of MW’s career.
[of which I've seen (guessing) 60 to 80 % of Hawks games over that time]
*(85% or more the last two years)
Also, I stated that I defended Marv until the Denver game the other nite.
By that time, I had enough.
Don’t come on here throwing around the word hate.
I don’t hate Marvin. He seems like a nice kid.
I am;
“sick and tired of his malaise”.
As for last eve:
he had 1 block = bravo !
he made one “3″ = bravo x three !
Now let’s see:
he missed a gimme lay-up (Al followed with a dunk)
he missed 6 of his 9 two pt attempts / missed –not– made
he had a -1 on the (+/-)
he had 2 turnovers
but only 1 asst / a 1 to 2 ratio not good
he only got to the line one time / FT’s are his best asset
only 4 rebounds & zero off rebs
So tell me again what you wanted to shout about !
My hatred has not been exposed because I don’t hate.
I am ” pragmatic ” !
I recommend replacing Marv with Mario West;
the team would be much better served.
As for my ignorance;
I challenge you to Basketball Chess @ anytime or any place.
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
2:49 pm
Hopefully the positive press that Marvin has been receiving because of his masterful (or lucky) block of Rose’s shot will cause him to play with more passion in the upcoming games. Lately he has been looking bored on the court.
Observation
March 3rd, 2011
3:10 pm
Grandad: Said this @ 1:41 pm
“Admittedly, I did not see the game last eve but according to the box-score MW’s game was nothing to shout about.”
Then Grandad: Said this @ 2:48 pm
“I did not have to account for the fact that I did not see last nite’s game. But I did.”
Case close
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
3:21 pm
Mr Superiorblogmaniac & others of that ilk:
I have a question.
Who’s white and who’s black?
Bibby was sorta pale?
Let’s say a player has a white daddy and a black momma,
or vice versa,
is he white or black.
People are always sayin’ white guys can’t play…..
as well as black guys,
and there may be some truth in that.
But, what if we *(white guys) got to count:
*Bibby
*Jason Kidd
*Battier
*Joakim Noah
*Stephen Curry
*Giiffin, heh, heh, heh
–or–
the “Birdman” [ Denver ]…..never mind he’s a Martian !
Awright yawl still got better players but we done leveled
the playin’ field a little bit.
Now arn’t you being a bit redorkulous! *sb
south Ga boy in the ATL
March 3rd, 2011
3:21 pm
Najeh, appreciate the reply. I don’t understand why some people think that (IMO) legitimate criticism of Smoove constitutes being a Josh hater. The frustrating thing about Josh, coming from a huge fan, is that his short-comings are so easily correctable. Is Al gong to become 2″ taller-NO, is Teague going to mature into an experienced PG in the next month-NO, is JJ going to become a vocal “Kevin Garnett type” leader anytime soon-NO, is Marvin going to ever become a player worthy of an overall number 2 pick-NO, but Smoove’s lapses are easily correctable. Play tenacious defense ALL the time, have a better sense of when to take that chance for a steal, give the ball up to the GUARDS on fast breaks-he usually gets it back for a slam when he does, stop complaining about every damn call or no call by a ref, and look to drive to the basket first and shoot second. Its not hard to do, and the “he’s still young” card has worn out its welcome. He’s 26 yrs old now and been in the league a while. Again, he’s my fav player to watch, but with just a few changes he could be the engine that drives the Hawks deep into the playoffs, June would be nice
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
3:24 pm
Marvin does not have many fans on this blog but the few who defend him do so with a mind-numbed, cult-like fanaticism.
Marvin is a cult leader. LOL
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
3:41 pm
Observation
The case will be closed when I say it’s closed !
Show me, tell me, explain to me, how Marv is worthy
of even starting for any franchise in the NBA.
Explain to me what I’ve done or said that is Hate.
I’ll tell you one thing Mr O;
you have zero credibility with me.
Respond to my last post if you can.
You have latched on to one phrase and now
you think you have won some sort of debate.
Who are you?
“It was not a bad pick”?
Defend Marv.
Don’t put the focus on myself or anyone on this blog
by callin’ folks haters.
Defend your guy.
Whoever you are you must be a republican!
You cannot fight using facts…no…you try and sway
opinion by attacking peripheral diversians so that
the populace will look away from your son, grandson,
whatever and not see his lack of;
productivity, energy, hustle, contribution to the team
or his lack of even caring enough to work at his craft.
Put that in your pipe and whistle dixie !
terrell
March 3rd, 2011
3:43 pm
Gotta give Rick Sund some props, CONSIDERING WHO HE WORKS FOR. If you think about it, the only bad moves he’s made was giving Zaza and Marvin too much $ and for too many years. But I think Woody had a lot to do with that. He brought in Jamal which helped us and still is. He brought in Flip/Mo, which helped us. He also got rid of Mo when he realized Mo was done. People get on to him for giving Joe all that money, but he really didnt have a choice. We lose JJ, and we lose one of our best players for nothing. He got rid of Bibby, when he was clearly hurrting the team. Brought in Damien, who is a contributing a helluva lot more than Evans was. Especially defensively. He brought in Kirk, who looks like he’s the best pg we’ve had in like forever. And that’s saying something, considering he’s prolly only scored about 15 points total lol!. 3-0 with Hinrich in the lineup. Look at the effect he’s having on our TEAM defense. Outstanding. Yall can hate on Sund all you want to. I know he’s had some bad drafts and all in the past, but forget the past, he’s not doin that bad of a job in Atlanta. And btw, dont forget about Teague and Jordan. They both look like they might have a future in this league. Do your thang Sund!
terrell
March 3rd, 2011
3:49 pm
And oh yeah, HE GOT RID OF WOODY!
Rev in Tampa
March 3rd, 2011
3:49 pm
To be sure Smoove has weaknesses, but he has also improved every year he has been in the league. He surprised us all last year with his discipline in not taking 3’s and he surprised us even more this year with his jumpshot.
Every difference maker, regardless of profession, is going have glaring weaknesses. The question is, however, whether their mistakes nullify their contributions.
In Smoove’s case his weaknesses are only tangential to his game and not essential. His weaknesses do not nullify his contributions.
In fact, I would argue that he needs his weaknesses to make him effective in his contributions. He is a ball of energy running “kamikazi-like” around the court. He needs his emotions, his outbursts, his pouting, and his impatience to play with that abandon and energy that makes him a special athelete.
With age he will be able to exercise greater control over his emotions, etc., but he will have to be the one to reign in his weaknesses. If a coach tries to micro-manage Josh’s game it may cause more harm than good.
Grandad
March 3rd, 2011
4:06 pm
Rev in Tampa / astute [new blog]
JeJe
March 3rd, 2011
5:12 pm
If Mike Bibby ever tried to even just play mediocre defense, he would have not been traded. His ‘defense’ was so bad that it led to his demise
I hope he watched the game last night and felt bad about how much he screwed this franchise over, both financially, as well as his putrid defensive effort
O'Brien
March 3rd, 2011
5:20 pm
Heat vs Magic tonight, and Bibby makes his debut. It will be interesting to see how many minutes he plays, and how many shots he gets.
Atlgent
March 3rd, 2011
6:51 pm
@ south Ga boy in the ATL
For every “negative attribute” that you have made about J Smith, if given game film to spotlight EVERY NBA player, I can at some time or another point out the same deficiencies. I watch EVERY Hawks game either live from Phillips, live on TV, or via recording and I see those occurences from every hawks player and from all players on the opposing team from time to time. I question you with this! I will assume that you have played full court basketball before and ask, did you HUSTLE and CONTEST every jump shot that was put into the air near you? Did you go hard defensively against your man EVERY time he had the ball? etc… I can on and on but I will not….MIRRORTIME!
The next statement is not directed at you south Ga boy in the ATL…
You guys expect too much of athletes simple because they are paid HUGE sums of MOOLAH…Remember, they are human and not so much more different than we are in our professional lives as workers or our non-professional lives as “wanna-be athletes”!!!!