Atlanta Hawks: J.J.: ‘We all are jump shooters. That’s pretty much what it is.’
J.J. may have gotten to the crux of the matter when asked today if the way for the Hawks to get their offense back on track is to attack the basket.
“Maybe,” he said. “But you look at a jump-shooting team–we are a jump-shooting team. If shots are falling then, great, we are rolling. But one through five, we all are jump shooters. That’s pretty much what it is. Like I said, if we are making shots then we are probably unstoppable. But when we are not making shots those are the games we have to grind out.”
With the notable exceptions of the recent games against Portland and Chicago, the Hawks haven’t been able to “grind out” against better opponents. They remain, essentially, a group that wins by outscoring opponents, and one that generally must do so by making a high percentage of their long jump shots.
They still do so at an above-average rate for the season but not well enough to counteract their lack of scoring on free throws, their below-average 3-point shooting and their conversion of 2.4 full less baskets at the rim per game than the average NBA team. Atlanta’s effective field-goal percentage has nearly dipped to the league average.
Go figure: The Hawks now have a below-average NBA offense and an above-average defense. The Hawks had a much more efficient offense last season because they were much better at offensive rebounding and taking care of the ball.
I figured all along Atlanta wouldn’t be as efficient scoring this season, with a potential trade off that they wouldn’t be as predictable to defend in the playoffs. I didn’t know the offense would end up falling off this much. And now they are predictable in another way. It used to be that the ball stayed on one side of the floor as Joe did his thing so the defense had it easy. Now the proper plan vs. the Hawks is to induce them into taking long jump shots, collect the rebounds and beat them in transition as they scramble.
Back to J.J.’s point: Since the Hawks are clearly best at regularly creating open jump shots (no small thing in the NBA) and making them, why shouldn’t they just keep jacking jumpers until they fall and try to grind when they don’t? Their rate of making them is going to fluctuate but at least we know they can do it. Eventually. I mean, right?
What are the other options with this roster? They have no post game to speak of, unless L.D. can suddenly convince Smoove that he’s better off in the paint (unlikely since both men see this as a viable option). Joe, Jamal and Al can attack off the dribble but Joe isn’t making his floater now, Jamal’s iso game seems stymied by the offense and Al is more pick-and-pop than pick-and-roll or drives.
The Hawks can try to run more but that means defending, rebounding and/or forcing turnovers (which the Hawks do at a below-average rate). Running also means more turnovers, unless Kirk Hinrich (who is off to a high-turnover start with Atlanta) can organize the break.
And, anyway, the design of L.D.’s offense, at least as recently executed, seems to lend itself to creating open jump shots. Notice that when he talked about a Plan B yesterday, it involved feigning jump shots and driving to the basket past closing defenders. In other words, the main impetus is getting an open jumper and then using that threat to create a better shot, not getting that better shot through the execution of the offense in the first place.
What happened to all the post-ups and cuts we saw in the preseason and early in the year? Dare I say more Iso-Joe and Iso-Jamal going at the basket is a better plan than swinging the ball around only to jack up long jump shots anyway?
“I just think we have to continue to know where we are trying to get to and know who we are trying to get to score that play, whatever it is,” Jamal said. “If we point the ball in a certain direction I think we will be more efficient offensively.”
“We have to be more aggressive going to the basket,” Al said. “I think we can get baited into taking a lot of jump shots. Even though we are good jump shooters, at the end of the day you have to have a balance. We have to be able to do both to be successful.”
If he’s right about that but the Hawks just can’t do it because, as J.J says, the are a jump-shooting team at heart, then they are capable of looking really good in the playoffs because those shots are falling or really bad because they are not. Taking into account the nature of the playoffs, Atlanta’s poor ability to stick to a plan, and the fragile psyche as exposed by Orlando last spring, do you think the jump-shooting Hawks can carry the day as an underdog in a seven-game series?
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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376 comments Add your comment
jgsbirds
March 10th, 2011
7:30 am
whatever happen to the offensive plan of getting the ball inside first and go from there! oh that’s just what all the other nba teams do–not the hawks! their all jump shooters…i was a pretty good jump shooter too back in the day–but if i jacked up a jump shot before any attempt to go inside was made–then my rear would have been out of the game.
you have to atleast throw it down low at some point!!!!!!!!! bye bye drew, bye bye jj, bye bye smoove….everyone on this team is expendable!!!! how nice would it have been to somehow have gotten nash, lopez and a battier a few weeks ago….keep on dreaming atlanta. we’re done!!!
yessir
March 10th, 2011
7:31 am
Bring back Woody!!!!!
tim
March 10th, 2011
7:50 am
Jump shooters need to be basket makers. 40% shooting doesn’t cut it. If Josh Smith was 6′ tall, he wouldn’t even be in the developmental league. Throw up ANOTHER AIR BALL Josh……..gawd awful.
Trojan
March 10th, 2011
7:50 am
Bottom line, the Hawks are in a mess. And with the current ownership, current coaching and current players, the only solution that will be evident eventually is a total blowup.
Mike is back
March 10th, 2011
7:53 am
Najeh, the point you made about posting Josh up more…is on point! Make Josh and AL your 1 and 2 option…so they can man the F up…and fight and scuffle for points…LD is making them soft…and post up Marvin more…and move him up the food chain too. lol
At lease if you try to force the ball down in the post…even if don’t convert…you forcing your opponents to collapse and react…it may not solve all your problems…but it would be a heck of lot better than…hoisting up jumps…why your opponent gets to stand there and rest.
The sad thing is…there isn’t enough pure jumper shooters on this team…to even be a jump shooting team…WTF!!
Ak
March 10th, 2011
8:10 am
The comment made by JJ shows his lack of leadership, focus, and his Bball IQ. The guy does not have a clue. That statement just goes to show he is ok with the current state of this team and will not step up to the plate as a leader. I am tired of his no emotion having arse who always tends to dissappears when his team needs him most. The Hawks are to damn soft with a very low BBall IQ.
Let “Lil Woody” go after this season…
Gamer
March 10th, 2011
8:14 am
J.J hit on the real problem when he said, “one through starting five, we are all jumpshooter.”
Joe know, as we all do that Josh Smith isn’t a legit jumpshooter!!!
But Josh continues to launch jumpers as if he is a pure jumpshooter!!!
We can all see that Al Horford have made dramatic improvements in his jumpshots. Notice his shooting percentage.
BUT NOT JOSH SMITH…Josh Smith jumpshots are problematic to teams offensive flow.
Either Josh need to self-scout himself on game jumpshot selections or LD need to discipline Josh Smith on shot selections. Especially during certain junctures of the game.
THE BALL SHOULD NEVER END UP IN JOSH SMITH HANDS AWAY FROM THE BASKET WITH LESS THAN FIVE SECONDS ON SHOT CLOCK!!!!
THE HAWKS ARE STILL A BIG MAN AWAY FROM BEING A LEGITIMATE THREAT TO CHALLENGE FOR EASTERN CONFERENCE TITLE.
IF HE IS PLAYING FOR THE HAWKS AT THIS TIME, HE ISN’T VISIBLE IN THE GAME!!!!
The Point Forward » Posts The Opening Tip: Thursday, Mar. 10 «
March 10th, 2011
8:23 am
[...] Michael Cunningham, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “J.J. may have gotten to the crux of the matter when asked today if the way for the Hawks to get their offense back on track is to attack the basket. “Maybe,” he said. “But you look at a jump-shooting team–we are a jump-shooting team. If shots are falling then, great, we are rolling. But one through five, we all are jump shooters. That’s pretty much what it is. Like I said, if we are making shots then we are probably unstoppable. But when we are not making shots those are the games we have to grind out.” With the notable exceptions of the recent games against Portland and Chicago, the Hawks haven’t been able to “grind out” against better opponents. They remain, essentially, a group that wins by outscoring opponents, and one that generally must do so by making a high percentage of their long jump shots. They still do so at an above-average rate for the season but not well enough to counteract their lack of scoring on free throws, their below-average 3-point shooting and their conversion of 2.4 full less baskets at the rim per game than the average NBA team. Atlanta’s effective field-goal percentage has nearly dipped to the league average.” [...]
STRETCH
March 10th, 2011
8:24 am
Michael Cunningham,
Im with the majority on this blog, i agree that Josh Smith needs to stop taking so many shots. But, what i would like to know is, does LD think that?
Geemack
March 10th, 2011
8:30 am
Interesting article MC, but it’s funny…you didn’t even try to hide your sarcasm.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
8:46 am
Josh= I will never get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Winning that dunk contest in 05 was the worst thing to happen for me in basketball..
Astro Joe
March 10th, 2011
8:53 am
Post Josh up more? Yeah… and let’s have Jamal stop taking so many bad shots, Marvin be more aggressive and Horford treat every opponent like they are Joakim Noah while we are planning for these miracles.
tjhook
March 10th, 2011
8:54 am
I am a fan of Joe Johnson but he has shaken my faith with this jump shooting comment. The Hawks were known and FEARED with their ability to attack the basket with outstanding athleticism. Larry Drew has undermined the strength of this team; he wants half-court executioners when our core naturally gifted in breaking down opponents with speed and force. I officially hate Larry Drew’s approach: I want the hungry Hawks who were always trying to get to the rack. Drew’s philosophy directly reflects why Marvin and not Josh Childress was chosen for this roster.
I HATE YOUR GAMEPLAN COACH DREW!!
drmaryb (*_*)
March 10th, 2011
8:55 am
Call ‘Em Out!
I read Joe’s comments as being profound. In a back handed way, Joe is calling out the problem with the offensive scheme and/or players mind set. Now we know everybody shouldn’t be shooting long range bombs.
Like, I and many agreed in the beginning. Al and Josh playing out there is sickening, soft and takes the bite/beef out of the middle. We become a west coast Phoenix, GSW or Dallas type team.
And, I hate that. We are East Coast ballers, bangers, defenders or, rather we should be that type of team.
But, I interpreted Joe’s comments to be tounge & cheek and riddled with sarcasm.
ltdbrave
March 10th, 2011
8:57 am
All I can say is that the Hawks suck. Smith and Horford are the only pros on the team. Johnson couldn’t hit the broadside of a red barn.
Astro Joe
March 10th, 2011
9:07 am
Dr. Mary, i agree. I think Joe was saying that we have “devolved” into a jump shooting team. That despite having himself, Jamal and Bibby (at the time), the front court has decided that the team needed even more jump-shooters. We’re like a baseball team that has all right-handed batters who hit for average… no balance and easily defensible. We can only imagine what would happen if Josh and Al spent as much time working on low-post offense. The disconcerting thing is how quickly LD conceded some of his press-conference statements this season. He went from saying that Josh would live in the paint to recently suggesting that Josh helps to stretch the defense. I suspect that LD’s 164 game tenure will be very, very forgettable.
northcyde
March 10th, 2011
9:12 am
Hubie Brown at the end of our playoff series talked about getting your best offensive players shots where they are most efficient. So let’s examine where these areas are for the Hawks.
I’ll focus on our main guys ( JJ, Horford, Smith, Jamal, and Marvin ). The following stats come from hoopdata.com
AT RIM ( league average is 64% )
- Horford: 74.4% ( top 10 in the league )
- Smith: 67.3%
- Marvin: 66.4%
- Johnson: 65.5%
- Jamal: 57.3%
These percentages shouldn’t surprise people. One thing the new offense has done is get people open looks going to the rim. The problem though, is that while it has helped guys like JJ and Marvin finish better at the rim, a guy like Horford isn’t getting enough attempts at the rim. And Smith’s attempts at the rim have reduced a full 2 attempts a game.
- Smith: 4.6 attempts ( 6.7 attempts last year )
- Johnson: 3.6 attempts ( 3.7 )
- Horford: 3.3 attempts ( 4.1 )
- Marvin: 2.4 attempts ( 2.8 )
- Jamal: 2.1 attempts ( 2.5 )
When people talk about how our big men should roll more in the pick and roll, this probably illustrates why. Not all their fault though, because they need a PG that can initiate it and make the right play.
MistaGamer
March 10th, 2011
9:19 am
People mad at Josh for taking open jumpers while standing exactly where he’s supposed to be in the offense need to redirect your frustration away from Josh and towards the coach and the play design.
Apparently, like Bibby said, “if you don’t want him there change the play design”.
Buck
March 10th, 2011
9:20 am
FIRST!!!! (not on this blog). I have posted on this blog at least five times over the course of this season EXACTLY what JJ said. The Hawks live by the jumper and die by the jumper. Very simple. If the shots are falling they can beat anyone. If the shots are not falling they have no clue. They keep shooting and can/will lose to ANYONE.
Joe Johnson
March 10th, 2011
9:25 am
You know man, we jus shooter man. We jus r jump shooters man, you know.
O'Brien
March 10th, 2011
9:26 am
In the past, the ISO heavy offense would wear JJ down late in the season, but this time around, he should be fresh. With that in mind, I’m calling out JJ.
In 4 March games, JJ is averaging 15 pts (4 pts below his season average), 4 rebs, 4 assists in 39 minutes, and shooting 11% from 3 (2-18, and only 5-6 from the FT line).
We get on Josh for his shot selection (and rightfully so), but why has JJ taken 18 three-pointers in 4 games, when it is clear he is struggling (and he has struggled from 3 all season)? And then he only has 6 FTA in 4 games?
He complained when Kobe baited the ref into giving him 3 FTs (rightfully so, because JJ didn’t touch him), but that’s what good players do, especially when their shot isn’t falling. Find a way to get to the line or at the very least, drive the ball.
When’s the last time he put this team on his back? He is our best player, and our highest paid player. We need him to step his game up this time of the year.
MC, Ken S,
Any responses from JJ as to how his elbow is doing? Is he injured, or is it just a slump?
Trojan
March 10th, 2011
9:27 am
Josh Smith needs a leader for a coach, not an enabler.
northcyde
March 10th, 2011
9:28 am
3 – 9 FEET ( league average is 39% )
- Johnson: 52.8% ( top 10 in the league )
- Horford: 44.9%
- Marvin: 38.9%
- Smith: 37.4%
- Jamal: 28.4%
JJ’s percentage in this area has always been fairly high, because this is the area in which he shoots his trademark floater. Plus his post game is solid, which doesn’t hurt his percentage here.
For guards, this is the area where they shoot floaters and runners. For big men, this is usually the post up area. Horford’s 45% shooting from this area is respectable for a big man. And you do have to wonder if it would be better, if he were playing PF more.
If there is a reason why Smith doesn’t post more, it’s probably indicated right here. The 37% shooting from this range is below league average. Plus when he does get fouled on a post move, he rarely gets a call, unless he goes all the way to the rim.
If there is a systematic offensive adjustment that can be made to the offense, it would be to try to get JJ more attempts in this area. A lot of times, he gets these shots via ISO. So maybe if he got the ball 15 feet from the basket on a post up ( instead of 25 feet ) and then went ISO, he could get more attempts in this area. But he’d have to attack right away and think score first.
Mike is back
March 10th, 2011
9:31 am
Astro Joe, make that easily forgettable…what’s that ole saying…you get what you pay for…that may be true about the coach…but not so much with the players on this team…geeeeeez.
northcyde
March 10th, 2011
9:41 am
10 – 15 FEET ( league average is 39% )
- Hinrich ( WAS ): 55.6% ( #2 in league )
- Jamal: 45.8%
- Horford: 42.2%
- Johnson: 38.8%
- Smith: 29.4%
- Marvin: 14.3%
I should note that this is usually the “no mans land area”, when it comes to shot location. The average player may only attempt one shot a game from this area ( like Hinrich and Jamal ). 2 attempts from this area is fairly high.
Hinrich is a guard who is not going to get all the way to the rim, but he does have the ability to break his man off the dribble and shoot the short pull up jumper.
And this is what kind of bugs me about Jamal Crawford. He has the quickness to get into this area anytime he wants to. And he can make this shot in traffic. But he doesn’t utilize it nearly enough.
And here’s where JJ’s woes as a shooter start to begin. In year’s past, he would shoot in the mid 40s% from this area. This year he’s shooting below 40%. This is usually the area where he goes ISO, but can’t get deeper into the lane, so he shoots the pull up jumper.
SteveW
March 10th, 2011
9:49 am
Astro Joe you are being very generous. I would say there is a 50/50 or better that LD is not back next season. I would say if the Hawks tank badly the next 5-10 games he may be gone before the playoffs. He’s doing that badly right now. We are so far behind last years team at this point, it’s not funny.
But he may beat the Bulls and stave off the wolves for a little while longer.
R. K. Biggs
March 10th, 2011
9:50 am
The Hawks will be lucky to make it past the first round of the playoffs. They tend to be selfish on offense and don’t pound it inside. How long is going to take for this club to get a first-rate center and put Horford at power forward?
northcyde
March 10th, 2011
9:57 am
16 – 23 FEET ( league average is 39% )
- Horford: 56% ( #1 in the league )
- Marvin: 43%
- Jamal: 43%
- Smith: 42%
- Johnson: 38%
I can’t lie, this kind of shocked me. Not Horford though. He’s been brilliant all year from this area. If he’s open, we definitely want him taking this shot as much as possible. He averages almost 5 attempts from this area, but honestly, it probably should be more, if he’s this efficient.
What shocked me is the 43% Marvin shoots, and the 42% Smith shoots from this area. As much as these 2 guys are ripped about their jumpshooting, their midrange jumpshooting has been solid overall. I guess it’s because they are so streaky, that it seems to be worse than what it really is.
And once again, in relation to Jamal, this is an area that he can live off of, because he can break his man down and make this shot off the dribble. But he only attempts a little over 3 shots a game from this area.
JJ’s 38% from this area is close to the norm of what he shoots from this range. The problem is that he’s more streaky than Smith and Marvin these days. This is the ISO shot that most people hate from him.
Unlike Jamal, who is outside the 3 point line and drives into this area to shoot a pull up jumper, JJ methodically sets up people to shoot a contested standstill jumper.
Maybe sending JJ to the post more often, will reduce the amount of shots he takes from this are somewhat. But he does ned to make this shot more consistently, especially with him having the ball in his hands a lot.
JROLL1
March 10th, 2011
10:00 am
ACTUALLY, AL SHOOTS A SET SHOOT. SMOOOVE’S IS TIP TOE SET SHOT. NOT TRUE JUMP SHOTS. ANYWAY, NOT TAKING THE BALL TO THE BASKET LIMITS YOUR OPTIONS.
Throwdown40
March 10th, 2011
10:04 am
Coach Larry Drew has no ideal of what he wants this team to do. Atlanta needs a coach that can develope players. Atlanta will not be able to contend in the playoffs. At the rate that they are going New York Knicks will overtake the 5th seed. That leaves the Hawks playing one of the top three in the East in the playoffs.
Larry Drew has this team thinkimg that they are a jump shooting team. With the same players that were there when Mike Woodson was at the reins. They took shots but, for the most part they made points in the paint and protected the ball.
After this season for sure, one of two things are going to happen. Either Rick Sund or Larry Drew will lose their JOB. Maybe both. Too late though, the damage has already been done.
Husky
March 10th, 2011
10:15 am
That is why the Hawks suck during crunch time. Why not play Hilton Armstrong some. He is the only guy on the team that knows how to play with his back to the basket. Give the guy a chance to show his worth before the team cuts him without ever playing him.
shark
March 10th, 2011
10:20 am
Can you tell me why isnt Jamal Crawford starting ahead of Marvin Williams. A great lineup on this rostr could feature Teague,Crawford,JJ,Horford,and Zaza. It can make your bench just as much potent,because JSmooth aint cutting it right now. Williams needs to be under the bench!!
northcyde
March 10th, 2011
10:34 am
3 POINT ( league average is 36% )
- Hinrich: 56.5% ( 38.7% in WAS )
- Bibby: 44.1%
- Smith: 34.1%
- Jamal: 34%
- Johnson: 28.9%
- Marvin: 28.7%
When it comes to offense, this is the area that could and should be addressed the easiest. Even if Hinrich can replace the 3 point shooting that Bibby gave us, WE ARE NOT A GOOD 3 POINT SHOOTING TEAM.
And anybody that knows me on this blog and on Hawksquawk KNOWS why I listed the actual 3 point %, instead of the eFG%. I don’t want anybody confusing the slightly above 50% eFG that guys like Josh and Jamal are shooting, and justifying them taking that shot, instead of the more makeable 20 foot jumper that they make 40+% of the time.
When it comes to a possession by possession basis, especially when we need a basket to stop a run, NONE of those guys need to be jacking up a 3. NONE OF THEM. Damn a point value on a shot. In those situations, you take the shot available that is the most makeable.
Both Jamal and JJ are on pace to take almost 350 – 400 threes, despite them not shooting the league average. These two are not pure shooters. They are streak shooters. So if they aren’t on early, they shouldn’t be taking the shot.
Give me a contested ISO floater by JJ, or an off the dribble 18 footer by Jamal . . than an open 3 by both of them, any day on the week.
Marvin will take 100 threes, despite shooting under 30% . . that’s bad.
Smith, while much better than in past years, is on pace to shoot 160 – 200 threes, despite his 3 point% steady plummeting. And with his attempts at the rim getting less and less . . that’s bad.
And JJ’s percentage is so woeful, that he shouldn’t even be shooting that shot if he misses his first 2 threes.
Unfortunately, this is the shot that is most available in Drew’s offensive system. And it’s the shot that other teams are starting to give us, especially when opponents go zone.
What Drew needs to do down the stretch, is really focus getting the ball to these guys in the areas they can be most efficient in scoring. The
Najeh Davenpoop
March 10th, 2011
10:50 am
“After this season for sure, one of two things are going to happen. Either Rick Sund or Larry Drew will lose their JOB. Maybe both. Too late though, the damage has already been done.”
In a good organization, yes. But y’all seem to forget that the root cause of the Hawks’ problems is the inept DASG. Sund is their perfect yes man and LD is the cheapest coach in the league. I fully expect both of them to be back.
Tony
March 10th, 2011
10:57 am
Forget about 3’s, the Hawks lack a motivating coach, and X’s and O’s coach. Winning in sports is about making adjustments. In our case, that adjustment is to get the ball down to the low post. Utilizing the big men on the bench will not only gain them experience but spare fouls. When things go wrong coaches should conduct practices that get back to the basics. This is how the Dukes in college and the Celtics in the pros continue to win. Oh, it would help if we just scrap this mgmt from the owners (spare Sund, for now) down to the coach. This coach should rotate the 4 and 5 more frequently along with getting the ball in the post, creating an in and out game. It is the typical model of the pros in the half court. Some influential coaching in the realm of defense would be helpful. But if it were not for Josh, Al, and some pretty good D from Pachulia, we would be getting blown out every game. The Hawks definitely have a management problem.
heartofdarkness
March 10th, 2011
10:58 am
“I don’t need shooters, I need makers”.
Red Auerbach
Balance....
March 10th, 2011
11:02 am
is all they need. Work the ball inside then out and follow your damn shot. If they could improve slightly on offensive rebounds and limit other turnovers, they would get those extra possesions they are missing from last year. simple.
JeJe
March 10th, 2011
11:02 am
Zach Randolph is in a contract year and is still beasting
Jamal is in a contract year and has been garbage
Tony
March 10th, 2011
11:22 am
That’s it Balance…it is simple. And if ASG were concerned about bringing a winning team to Atlanta, they would first of all become more visible in the community, generate some fan surveys, sign a new coach, and finally sell the team to an Arthur Blank type. A city of Atlanta’s magnitude should not be at the bottom of the list where pro sports is concerned. We are tired! Come on man!
joey
March 10th, 2011
11:29 am
hawks are one of those team that frustrate you bc they are their own worst enemey, they could be a elite team in the east if they played will all they had every game, but they lack the heart to do it night in and night out
JeJe
March 10th, 2011
11:50 am
According to LD, we are better on the road than at home, so we should expect a W tomorrow. LOL
bigdave
March 10th, 2011
11:54 am
i was disgusted down there watching them vs NY and LA. the only good out of it was being across from the bench on the floor for $1536 a pop .. yeah, pardon.. i had to stunt for a minute.
Joe is simply stating the obvious. i’ve said the same thing before. positions pg-center are most comfortable shooting jump shots. Joe wasnt saying the team is full of marksmen, but they prefer it to driving. as a player you rarely play outside your comfort zone, you do what you feel gives you the most success.
this is one of the main reasons why i preferred Sessions to slim shady.. i like Kirk, but Ramon doesnt want to shoot the ball at all. he wants to drive.. facilitate.. or get to that LINE!! we have not one guy that has a mentality of attack. maybe Marvin.
ive said that Al would come back next year w/ a 3 pt ball. clearly he’s well on his way. that kinda bothers me though. b/c he’s basically telling the organization that he is going to play PF for the Hawks. i dont mind the mid range game, but instead of working on his footwork w/ his back to the basket to go along w/ it. he went out and went strictly perimeter. if i remember correctly i saw Al use in and outs.. step backs.. all (practiced) moves guards use to free themselves for jump shots. he’s being working. smh. just on the wrong thing. yet he missed a couple w/ in 7-12ft of the rim!! but my what a PG would do for this guys game. an Andre Miller. goodness.
remember, aggressiveness comes from confidence. when you see him pass out of what you feel is an opportunity to score. its b/c he’s not comfortable. he’s not sure of his game. same thing that applies to Teague applies to Al.
b/c using the #2 pick on Marvin will hunt this team forever. its going to come down to moving either Josh or Al. to me, Josh gives you too much to depart w/ him. he rebounds better( Al doesnt leave his feet @ times), defends, better passer in transition and out the post, better low post block game, and he gives you the mid range every now and then. ill take that from my PF.
@ this point.. i think shots are coming from guys that dont need to be shooting the damn ball. open looks too. i think Joe needs to focus on getting up 20+ shots a night. period. he looks like he cant find a rhythm out there. more mins for Damien and he needs to look for his offense. the only thing i feel Marvin has on him is length.
people we need a PG.
in fact.. maybe they should start Teague.. plays fast.. better in transition that Kirk.. and his shot is looking better.. as well as some of his finishes @ the rim. use it before he forgets how.
ATLien
March 10th, 2011
11:57 am
I’m so frustrated because I want my team to succeed but it looks hopeless. I always wonder why JJ drives to the rim and floats the darn ball instead of slamming it home? Josh seems to only have one post move-NONE, Marvin Williams is just uncoordinated and goofy, Jamal has been a disappointment because he’s not in attack mode anymore. Al however is the lone bright spot on this team.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
11:58 am
Sund contract is up I believe in July!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11
Kick Rocks Dude………………………………………………….
O'Brien
March 10th, 2011
11:59 am
Thanks for the stats breakdown northcyde.
In 54 games played, JJ has attempted 241 three pointers. That’s an average of almost five 3pt attempts per game…from a guy who has struggled with that shot all season. He needs to improve his shot selection.
Especially since he averages less than 4 FTA per game.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:01 pm
We are getting killed at the critical #3(SF). That guy is supposed to get at least 16-22 per night to take the offensive stress/load off the #2 and #4. We getting maybe 4-12 a night???? Unacceptable Mr. Sund????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:03 pm
Hawks have to some how get iso outta here..He is the major hurdle to toward getting this team back on track
wcj
March 10th, 2011
12:03 pm
This is the dumbest thing I have heard in a while.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:05 pm
Dept. of unintended irony=wcj
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:07 pm
Waive Marvin…………………………………………………………….