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
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
376 comments Add your comment
ATLien
March 10th, 2011
12:09 pm
JJ has handicapped us for awhile with his contract and I don’t think we are going to resign Jamal. I wish we would trade Josh and Marvin and bring in a lost post player that could really balance our offense. However we have to wait for the offseason to see what happens.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:10 pm
John Salmons is better than ISO at this time…..for less than half the price………..
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:12 pm
The beat down is comin hang in there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:13 pm
Thanks to Sund, ISO JJ has handicapped this team for the next 5 yrs….SHOOT……….
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
12:19 pm
MC:
Can you ask LD why he only wears black and gray.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:25 pm
ISO makes 243,902.43/Night…avg 19 pts= 12,836 per pt! WOW………………………………………….
Sund you have lost your __________. Fill in the blanks….
Save your money.. Simon says the jumpers wont fall and the Hawks are one and done…………………..
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
12:26 pm
up next Chicago by 17………………
ATLien
March 10th, 2011
12:27 pm
The players on this team seem to be clueless to what it takes to win B-ball games!!
James
March 10th, 2011
12:29 pm
Hawks are Done they aren’t going anywhere the team is not built to win a championship.
rusty
March 10th, 2011
12:34 pm
I am an old fan of the Knicks in the days of Willis Reid & walt Frazier. that team sole purpose was to win games. Offensive & defensive teamwork was what it was all about. Granted them game is not the same today but there still is a lot of teams in the NBA who still play the game right. There still are a lot of smart coaches who instill a great plan. For a long while under woodys realm I hated the way the hawks played,all of the selfish iso play,no trying to make good passes to get easy baskets, stupid switching on defense, a slow half court offensive with mb & jj never pushing the ball.our team had young athletic players but played a style of ball for old men. It seems like we never would give our high draft choices any chance to develope while other teams did. I thought that our scouts did a piss poor job in drafting,Josh C,landlord @ mw. It seems that this team never gets easy baskets while other good teams always do. Along comes ld saying all of the right things let’s do away with the iso play,let’s develop a motion offense getting the whole team involved which will result in a lot of easy baskets, let’s hold every one accountable on defense, let’s run a lot more ,let’s hold everyone accountable for what they do on the court & play people accordingly. Let’s develop our young players ESP jt who we will need for this type of offense & defense. The man didn’t live up to anything he said. He let every one do what ever they wanted with no consequences what so ever,never gave jt or jc2 play out all being tremendously unfair, let the team slip back to always taking jumpshots & playing iso ball,where the hell is the motion offense. If the man would have done what he said this team would have been good. Why he always did the complete opposite of what he said that he would do has to be one of the big mysteries of our year
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
12:35 pm
Lionell Hollins=COY
James
March 10th, 2011
12:41 pm
ISO JOE SAY IT AIN’T SO.
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
12:43 pm
People on this blog keep discussing X’s and O’s or imaginary personell moves in order to make this team better. But none of that addresses the REAL issue here. MC broke it down “Atlanta’s poor ability to stick to a plan and fragile psyche as exposed by Orlando” and the Knicks, Lakers, random out of town fans, etc..
MC calls it a fragile psyche. I call it a lack of heart, heck, they even pointed it out on ESPN during the Knicks game. The “athletes” on this team should be embarrassed and determined to change, but what do we get? Feeling sorry for themselves because the Laker fans were louder? Whining that it just “is what it is” BS.
When will someone address the fact that since the Orlando series this team has shown itself to be paper tigers? LD never took responsibility when he got the job. Remember, everything wrong was Mike Woodson’s fault (even though he was the lead assistant). None of the core has stepped up and just admitted the fact that they played like p*ssies. Do they not care or do they think we don’t notice?
I guess if I played like a chump and got $125 milion I wouldn’t feel any need to change either.
Pathetic.
Double Zero Eight
March 10th, 2011
12:51 pm
All kidding aside, maybe Marvin should see a hypnotist
or therapist to make him more aggressive. He has the
physical attributes for his position. Several professional
teams have used them in the past and had some success.
74-75 Hawks
March 10th, 2011
1:00 pm
JJ’s right and the club sure paid him too much damn money$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ FOOLS…
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
1:01 pm
“None of the core has stepped up and just admitted the fact that they played like p*ssies. Do they not care or do they think we don’t notice?”
Looks like Marvina may have rubbed off on them?????? LOL
ISO told us last year he could give two flying cent what the fans think… I got news for bubba(ISO). He aint getting a dime from me……….BUSTER……………………
Najeh Davenpoop
March 10th, 2011
1:04 pm
That “fragile psyche” was one of the big reasons I wanted the Hawks to get Ben Wallace at the trade deadline. Two areas at which the Hawks struggle — mental toughness and rebounding — would have been mitigated to a large extent by Ben, no matter how far he may have fallen from his peak.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
1:06 pm
Naw you know what would have fixed Marvin? If the acting genius at the time Billy Knight would have drafted DWILL instead that buster!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!……………………………..
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
1:08 pm
slimjr- You are right that Joe told us last year he didn’t care what the fans think, but then of course they whine and complain that they don’t get enough fan support. Joe has said that to MC at least twice this season, that I can recall. I would love to hear him answer the question: “If you said that you didn’t care what the fan’s think, why do you now complain about a lack of support? Also, given the team’s historic playoff loss, lack of responsibility and nationally recognized fragile pschye, why do you deserve fan support?”
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
1:11 pm
Daniel, Good points!
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
1:13 pm
Najeh- I just don’t see how any role player can affect team psyche when your highest paid player doesn’t get it, your local kid with potential still acts like he is in AAU, your main bench weapon is just watching the clock tick down until free agency, your best player has clearly made it his mission to prove that he is a PF and not Center, and your coach is the former assistant who stabbed his last boss in the back, and an ownership group who are desperate to sell.
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
1:14 pm
Did we get any player or coach reaction from the Knicks game that they were called out on national tv as being inexplicably soft and gutless?
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
1:23 pm
“I just don’t see how any role player can affect team psyche when your highest paid player doesn’t get it, your local kid with potential still acts like he is in AAU, your main bench weapon is just watching the clock tick down until free agency, your best player has clearly made it his mission to prove that he is a PF and not Center, and your coach is the former assistant who stabbed his last boss in the back, and an ownership group who are desperate to sell”
Sounds like a VH1 Reality TV show???????LOL
O'Brien
March 10th, 2011
1:25 pm
Samuel,
I think you could make a case for Doug Collins as COY too.
Bigdave,
You raised some good points, so looking at all the numbers for Hinrich, Bibby and Sessions;
Sessions: 1676 mins, 10 3-pt attempts, 565 2-pt attempts, 323 FTA.
Bibby: 1722 mins, 264 3-pt attempts, 190 2-pt attempts, 48 FTA.
Hinrich: 1646 mins, 353 2-pt attempts, 135 3-pt attempts, 109 FTA.
With Sessions, you would not have as many 3-pt attempts from the PG position, and dude gets a ton of FTs. But LD deserves some of the blame, because he insisted on playing Bibby more minutes despite being basically a 3-pt shooter (he has more 3-pt attempts than he does 2-pt attempts).
The one issue with Sessions though, is he is not a very good defender.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
1:26 pm
Ld said the other day his team was tired? Not too tired to collect that 243K check a every night?? Huh???????????
O'Brien
March 10th, 2011
1:28 pm
Since that win at Washington, the Hawks are 4-9. In those 13 games, JJ has 18 FTA, and 44 three point attempts (he has made 8).
drmaryb (*_-)
March 10th, 2011
1:29 pm
Kryptonite!
What Mr. Johnson is saying, * my big people are playing small -
they look at the paint … and see kryptonite. * (*_-)
mykhalc
March 10th, 2011
1:39 pm
i sure hope Joe communicates his back-door method better in the locker room…tho i doubt it…and i’m not even sure it’s a back-door hit…probably believes just what he said…SMH
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
1:39 pm
Yea OB,
I was torn between Collins and Hollins. Pretty much a tossup. So who do you guys the Hawks would fair better against in the 1st round on the road? Orlando or Miami? Orland is hot but Miami will be mad and definitely out to get that monkey off their backs.
WreckingBall
March 10th, 2011
1:40 pm
I dont know why everybody is so down about the Hawks. The Hawks have one of the top 8 teams in the eastern conference. That tells me they will participate in the playoff tournament this season. When a team gets into the playoffs, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. I predicted before the start of this season that the Hawks would win the NBA title this year. I have seen absolutely nothing to cause me to back off that prediction. The Hawks are far and away the best team in the league and all they have to do is prove it at the right time. I did not approve of the Kirk Hinrich trade because the Hawks gave up way too much and the effects of that trade has been absolutely DEVASTATING. Since the Hinrich trade the Hawks have been going down the drain. I still think they will recover in time before the playoffs to get hot and win the NBA title this season. Like Charles Barkeley used to say, “anthing less would be uncivilized”.
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
1:44 pm
Slim, that’s what you get with a neophyte out to prove he’s the opposite of his former boss. He should have said, “It’s my fault for running them in the ground during training camp trying to teach an offense that don’t even work”.
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
1:48 pm
Oh, Wrecking Ball- that is so nice of you to say, but you did say “the Hawks are far and away the best team in the league” You gotta stop drinking during the day.
O’Brien and Samuel- Bibby, Hinrich or Sessions are neither the problem nor the solution for this team.
Daniel
March 10th, 2011
1:50 pm
Samuel- I am sure you didn’t mean to suggest that the Hawks (a team of professional athletes) are tired because of extra work in training camp?
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
2:07 pm
Daniel,
It’s not about being a pro athlete, it’s about common sense. When you have 82+ games, there’s no reason whatsoever to run guys in the ground in October and have their legs gone with 20 games left in the regular season.
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
2:15 pm
Poor 7 figure athletes!!!!!!!! Spoiled!!!!!!!!!!!!
Huh??????????????????? Go Chicago!!!! Oops, wrong Blog………….
Rev in Tampa
March 10th, 2011
2:15 pm
I remember during the off-season how there were stories from Philadelphia about the players rebelling against the coach who had installed a motion offense. Could a similar rebellion be taking place in Atlanta.
As far as the motion offense being a jumpshooting offense, I would like to hear Grandad’s opinion on the matter. I consider him an authority on the issue. Has he addressed this issue?
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
2:16 pm
excuse me ISO=8 Figures………………..WTF??????????????
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
2:19 pm
I would not say rebellion, lets just say LD was their friend for 6 years..So he does not get their ears..In one ear and out the other…Remember he is their friend first, then coach!!! Wrong Hire Sund!!!!!!!!!!!!
slimjr
March 10th, 2011
2:22 pm
“Barkeley used to say, “anthing less would be uncivilized”.
Barkley also said don’t break your ankles as you jump off the Hawks bus way back in September 2010 on the the 2live stews broadcast one quiet afternoon.
Samuel
March 10th, 2011
2:24 pm
Daniel,
I never said they were. I have always contended that we have slightly above average talent compared to other teams in the league. You guys were the ones who said Bibby was our major problem and before him, Woody.
Buddy Grizzard
March 10th, 2011
2:30 pm
I will admit I thought LD’s hire might work out because all the players wanted him. It turns out this was the Bob Weiss hire all over again. Remember what happened to the Hawks when they fired Fratello and hired Weiss because Nique wanted a players coach? Remember when Sund hired Weiss in Seattle?
rusty
March 10th, 2011
2:39 pm
The problem with the hawks start with jj. The whole team has disintegrated to every one just looking out for them self, there is a total breakdown of anyone getting easy baskets. You can’t win basketball games by just shooting jump shots especially when you can’t make them jj & mw. Again this ld ’s fault as he holds no one accountable. The offense needs to run(ld&jj) the offense need to run through the pg not in the hands of jj
rusty
March 10th, 2011
2:43 pm
I would put jt in the game & tell him I want him always to push the tempo. ( like rondo) could we play any worse than we are now. But of course ld will never change anything.
tom
March 10th, 2011
2:54 pm
if they are intent on just being a jump shooting team they need to play faster to get more possessions and try to outscore the opponent.
tyger
March 10th, 2011
2:57 pm
Not that I care anymore, but…
when I was coming up, guys stayed in college and learned the fundamentals – the difference between pros and amateurs was that they didn’t miss “open shots or free throws”.
So, if you wanted to play, you worked to become a great shooter, not just a dunker and 3pt shooter. You developed the mid-range game, the floater, the tear drop, the fade-away, the baby hook, etc. You had to have an array of shots for any situation.
Well, it’s different now, but it’s not Larry Drew’s philosophy that’s flawed, it’s the players that are flawed. If they can’t hit open jump shots, they shouldnt be in the NBA. That’s the problem.
Look, you’re paying a guy $20M per year that doesn’t have sense enough to get to the free throw line. Superstars shoot 10FT per game, how many does JJ get? Maybe 5, he’s scared of the paint.
MsDee
March 10th, 2011
3:27 pm
We need to forget about this season. What needs to take place for next season is for the ASG to announce that they will be selling the Hawks since they OBVIOUSLY dont now how to market this team..(wrong/STUPID move selling Kobe’s jersey the other night in Phillips Arena), Next work out a 2 or 3 team trade to send Joe Johnson to the New Jersey Nets in return for whatever we could get from him. Finally, work out the necessary details on how to get Dwight Howard in a Hawks uniform by 2013! Build this team around Dwight and Horford. Both would work wonders for us..while Horford got that 15-20fter going, Howard can crash the boards for rebounds and easy put backs. We would not have to then worry about Josh taking too many jumpers cause then we will have a rebounding GENIUS down low! Keep Jamal to feel in for Joe and bring Teague off bench since he wouldnt have to worry about Jamal taking over the 2nd unit.
SteveW
March 10th, 2011
3:30 pm
Nate McMillan gets some consideration for COY also. The Trailblazers have had 3 devastating knee injures, everybody wrote them off, with good reason, and here they are with the same record as the Hawks. McMillan has done a great job.
Tyger – I don’t think JJ has gone to the FT line over 2 times in any game in the last 10. Doing that from memory, so you may want to check me out on that. But it’s not much.
SteveW
March 10th, 2011
3:33 pm
Collins in Philly has the horses to run the Motion O.
And Lou Williiams got to the foul line 10 times in 23 minutes last night. That’s more than our entire starting lineup gets there combined in a game usually, at least recently.
SteveW
March 10th, 2011
3:37 pm
Our problem is not ASG – they’ve spent the bucks this year.
Sund is not our problem.
Hiring the players coach seems to be the problem.
Bibby and Mo having the wheels come off was a problem
JJ and Jamal not producing is a problem
Having Josh shoot alot of jumpers and not play in the post as much is a problem.
And is it just me, or does Josh look small in the post? He’s usually the smallest guy in there when I see him.
SteveW
March 10th, 2011
3:39 pm
Josh Smith shooting 29.4% from 10-15 feet is a problem. He should work on that over the summer.