Atlanta Hawks at Bulls: Drew says low post is priority
Chicago–Plan A hasn’t been working for the Hawks’ offense.
What does L.D. want to see tonight instead of jumpers?
“First, establish ourselves in the low post,” he said. “If the ball does come on the kick out, everything doesn’t have to be a three. We are sitting outside, sitting at that 3-point line, [and] we can move in closer. Instead of turning it into a 3, turn it into an 18- to 20-footer. Our drive-and-kick game has to be up to par, force them to not just defend a shot on the closeout but teams have to have a fear about closing out and putting the ball on the floor.”
Even considering their poor 3-point shooting as of late, this season the 3-pointer has been (not surprisingly) much better for the Hawks than long 2-pointers. Then again, Bibby is gone and J.J. is in a slide, leaving Smoove as the team’s best 3-point shooter (not counting Al’s 2 for 4 and Twin’s 1 for 1).
L.D. dismissed Al’s back injury as a factor in his game moving outside.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think sometimes players they stay with what’s comfortable to them. Obviously he is making jump shots but both he and Josh have to establish themselves down in the low post still. We run plays to get them involved in the post and they have got to establish themselves in there.
“Just keep mixing it up. I don’t want them to be predictable in what they do. I want their overall offensive game to be hard to predict because they both have the ability to play inside and out.”
Game notes . . .
- “Normal” lineup for Hawks: Hinrich, J.J., Marvin, Josh, Al. Etan and Pape are inactive.
- Boozer is out for the Bulls and Kurt Thomas will take his place. Luol Deng is a game-time decision.
- Even with Boozer out, the Bulls still have Thomas, Noah, Omar Asik and Taj Gibson on the front line. No wonder they managed to keep winning despite Boozer missing 15 games and Noah sitting out 30 (of course it also helps to have D-Rose and that Noah’s absence from Dec. 18 to Feb. 17 coincided with a soft spot in Chicago’s schedule).
- Said Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau: “We’ve had injuries before with with Boozer and Joakim out. We feel like we have quality bigs up front and all of them have started.”
- After Al went off for 31 and 16 in the first meeting, Thibodeau said Gibson would be part of a gang effort against him: “At different times he will guard him. All of the bigs will. All four guys give us different looks. He’s a tough matchup.”
- Hinrich was asked how the Hawks held down D-Rose last time: “He missed shots.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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401 comments Add your comment
James
March 11th, 2011
7:56 pm
It seems like teams are really starting to put more a larger defensive focus on Al these days. It’s clear that his offensive game has gotten the attention of opposing coaches and teams. That’s a good thing, since it makes our attack less one-dimensional. No longer are teams just keying in on Joe the way they were last season (for the most part). You can’t take away everything. The more you focus on one guy, the more often the other 4 guys are open.
MistaGamer
March 11th, 2011
7:57 pm
first?
MistaGamer
March 11th, 2011
7:58 pm
fail…lawlz
terrell
March 11th, 2011
7:59 pm
Kurt Thomas? Oh no!
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:00 pm
Kurt owns the Hakws .lol! Hopefully not tonight.
Sautee
March 11th, 2011
8:01 pm
I love Hinrich’s honesty. DRose could easily go off tonight.
I sincerely hope that the Hawks will listen to LD and make the post a priority. An NOT just the first couple of trips. Joe, this means YOU.
JaeEvolution
March 11th, 2011
8:01 pm
Just like the Heat stopped their 5 game losing streak last night, I predict the Hawks pull through on this one and stop a 3 game slide.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:02 pm
I look for Smoove to take a 20 ftr from the get go.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:03 pm
Here goes LD saying intelligent things again. I’ve been saying the Hawks should go through the low post for a good two years now. Does anyone really expect any of his talk to result in action at this point?
My guess is Rose avenges his lackluster game from last week, the Hawks hang around for much of the game, but end up losing by 8 thanks to some well-timed, momentum killing 3’s by Chicago. That team gets all the breaks at home, with or without Boozer.
uh
March 11th, 2011
8:04 pm
online stream anywhere?
JeJe
March 11th, 2011
8:05 pm
FIRE SUND
ANOTHER BAD GAME FROM JOE TONIGHT
FIRE SUND
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:05 pm
Start Damien over Marvin for crying out loud.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:05 pm
Also, the Hawks better get a body on the Bulls’ bigs, especially Asik. I’m tired of seeing them play good defense and force the other team into a bad shot with 2 or 3 left on the shot clock, only to see them come away with the offensive board. That has happened way too often over the last few games. Put Zaza on Asik exclusively if necessary.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:08 pm
http://www.atdhenet.tv/35449/watch-atlanta-hawks-vs-chicago-bulls
They haven’t started the stream yet, but I’d imagine once the game starts you’ll see it up there.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 11th, 2011
8:09 pm
Defense. Period
lewis
March 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
takes these games forever to start
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:14 pm
Well at least they went to the low post on the first possession. Marvin got the ball a little outside of his range in the post. Then they come down and forget about the low post the second time down leading to a Smoove 3 with very little on the clock. So that lasted all of one possession.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:14 pm
I was wrong. Josh from 30 ft. lol!.
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:16 pm
josh smith is an absolute joke. i have never seen a player walk around on offense this much. he camps out at the three point line and waits to throw up yet another brick.
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:18 pm
josh smith has never committed a foul. ever.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:18 pm
Nice post move Al.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:20 pm
At least the defensive intensity has been pretty good so far. A couple of deflections by Smoove and good on the ball defense on the perimeter. Gotta box out Noah though.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
Joe floats to the 3 point line and kills the fast break opportunity.
Sautee
March 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
So much for the low post.
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:23 pm
Another $200 grand in Joe’s pocket tonight for his moping around and his now typical 11 points per game…..
drmaryb (*_-)
March 11th, 2011
8:23 pm
My boys came to play defense tonight. Keep it going. Don’t worry about the offense, just get stops and grind this one out in the paint on offense. Oh! And take care of the ball.
“You can not win w/o the ball!” -barkley-
So – rebound.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:24 pm
Damn… good play by Deng. 2 fouls on Smoove. Let’s see how strictly he sticks to the 2 foul rule.
Need some good minutes from Zaza on the boards.
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:25 pm
again…more complaining from this idiot about fouls…..when he obviously committed one….what a crybaby.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:25 pm
Kirk is active early, especially on D, but a little trigger happy.
Melvin
March 11th, 2011
8:26 pm
Hawks not even a treat to penetrate the lane… Nothing but jumpshots…
lewis
March 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
we all knew kurt would destory
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
Nice play by Kirk to draw contact with the clock running down. Smart play. Joe could learn from that.
James
March 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
Is it just me or does Kirk Hinrich over-handle the ball a bit sometimes?
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:29 pm
Joe still throwin up BRICKS. Damn!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:29 pm
This myth about Zaza being a good defensive player needs to stop. 2 wide open jumpers given up by Zaza to Kurt Thomas already. Crashing the boards and playing D are two entirely different things.
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
this team is becoming almost un-watchable. Larry Drew has no control. Clueless.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Joe this quarter: 0 field goals, 3 times he’s been stripped.
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Was that Justin Bieber on the Hawks sideline?
Brian
March 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
Thats why he’s getting paid the big buck Naj…..
hawks_4_life
March 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
?
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
How many times has Joe been stripped???
Sautee
March 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
Joe didn’t even TRY to get around Thomas’ screen and Deng takes Zaza off the dribble. Then he turns it over.
Joe, we need better. Earn that $199,000.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
^And that includes one time when Joe would have had a layup if he had kept going toward the hoop rather than floating out to the 3 point line, where he created an iso situation out of what should have been a fast break layup.
James
March 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
I thought the game plan was to “First, establish ourselves in the low post”. Why does Al only have 1 field goal attempt when he really the only big man we have available (Josh is out with foul trouble) to post up? Sometimes, the Hawks just don’t make sense.
Even if it’s not in the low post, why are we not trying to get Al more involved in the offense? Every starter has more attempts than him already. Even Marvin Williams has 3 attempts.
Atlgent
March 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
@James
It’s just you…Kirk rarely has the ball bc JJ is dribbling the air outta it…What you think the TV timeouts are for–they have to re-inflate the ball..
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Gotta be able to take advantage better than this when Rose is out of the game.
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
people get to the bucket with ease against us
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
If I’m not mistaken, the Hawks have gone to the low post two times since the opening possession. Al made his look, while Smoove missed his.
Sautee
March 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
Jamal at PG = recipe for disaster.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
Jamal “give up 2, get back 2″ Crawford.