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
l
March 11th, 2011
10:03 pm
can’t watch this team anymore Marvin should his sorry butt on the bench Teague has three strong games as a starter but this refuses to play him ( destroyed the yong mans confidence) please sell this team to someone who really wants to win and please FIRE LD
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:03 pm
Or possibly Hawks-Celtics 1st rd.
Wabe
March 11th, 2011
10:04 pm
i’d rather lose 50+ games and try to draft a legit stud than continue with this bogus mediocority…
the hawks aren’t great. they’re not bad. but they’re not good either.
they’re the hawks. that about sums it up.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:04 pm
“Drew says low post is a priority”. lol!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:04 pm
On the rare occasions where the Hawks have posted up in this game, they have looked good. Pretty much every other occasion, they have looked awful.
welikebaseball2
March 11th, 2011
10:04 pm
Wow…we are indeed a jumpshooting team…and not a very good one…
RaJaH
March 11th, 2011
10:05 pm
Well…that just might be the dagger in the coffin!
Wabe
March 11th, 2011
10:05 pm
then dorkis burke and bums on espn are astonished why folks chant mvp for opposing players in our arena…
its the same ish every year. why are you gonna pay good money to go watch the same ish.
would you pay good money to watch the same movie over and over and over again?
f the hawks man
brigadierjerry
March 11th, 2011
10:06 pm
Fundamentally this team has a lot of issues spacing, floor balance, execution.I get the impression as others have said this team i believe peaked last year.Josh needs to learn some back to the basket moves because his handle cannot beat anyone off the dribble.Josh should really try to pattern his game after Zach Randolph.
JaeEvolution
March 11th, 2011
10:06 pm
The Hawks are not a bad team, they have multiple undefined roles, apparently everyone on the team is a jumpshooter. No one wants to hurt each others feelings, so this is what you get.
Tremaine
March 11th, 2011
10:07 pm
Nice Rose only scored 32 tonight.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:07 pm
Seriously, when is the last time the Hawks had someone who can do what Rose can do?
Or Durant?
Or Kobe?
Or Carmelo?
And the fans are at fault for not supporting this franchise?
Get the F-CK out of here.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:07 pm
If the Hawks had any sense, they’d get rid of Uncle Larry as ASAP. Looks like it aint getting any better.
Not Sund
March 11th, 2011
10:07 pm
L.D. is one season and done y’all.
These guys aun’t even trying anymore.
They just jacking up shots from anywhere.
I’ma go cruise he internet.
Booo!
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
IDK why PPL think Horford is a savior or something. He just takes what the defense gives him. Sure He’s developed a nice midrange game but how many plays were called for Horford in the post?
Nice Work LD…
Ra'mon
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
Najeh, how many post ups do Al have this game?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
“Josh needs to learn some back to the basket moves because his handle cannot beat anyone off the dribble.”
Smoove was actually not bad with his back to the basket in this game. The problem is, he was horrendous in all other situations.
welikebaseball2
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
Alright, trivia time. Can anyone name ONE thing Marvin brings to the table on a consistent basis?
James
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
Another night where we settled for too many jump shots, failed to get to the free throw line, and failed to get Al involved early.
Meanwhile, Josh forced a bunch of shots and tried to do too much on the offensive end while Al didn’t try to do enough on the offensive end. All the while, our coach stuck with the same rotation, regardless of how our players were producing.
Basically, this is a typical Hawks loss.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:08 pm
I’d trade Josh for Randolph tonight. We need a post up player in the worst way.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
“L.D. is one season and done y’all.”
He’s the cheapest coach in the league. That alone makes him the Coach of the Year in the eyes of the DASG. Get used to him. He’ll be back next year.
dayoldfries
March 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
4-10 since 76ers embarrassment at home
Melvin
March 11th, 2011
10:09 pm
Another ugly lost. Do the Hawks have a tentative agreement to sell this team yet? I want knew owners in place before this summer…
Sautee
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
“i’d rather lose 50+ games and try to draft a legit stud than continue with this bogus mediocority…”
The HAWKS drafting a stud?
wabe, that’s the funniest thing anyone’s said tonight.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
welikebaseball2, how bout a big ass?
Tremaine
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
Why would LD play Teague when Rose is lighting them up? He didn’t play the bigs when Bynum was killing us last game. Great job coach, keep up the good work.
welikebaseball2
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
We have no offensive identity & a defensive identity in principal only. Sickening.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
Knicks fans in Atlanta come stronger with the MVP chants than Bulls fans in Chicago.
SteveW
March 11th, 2011
10:10 pm
Gotta fire LD in the next 3 Games so the new guy can implement his system in time for the playoffs. I say get that Cavs guy from last year. He was pretty good .
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
Josh Powell hits a jumper. Expect him to get 20 minutes tomorrow.
brigadierjerry
March 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
Maybe Pippen and Horace Grant can come back from retirement and helo Atlanta
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
No way they bring LD back. Better upset somebody in the Playoffs. Yeah right!
Booo!
March 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
F-LD!!!!
Is that Jeff Teague? 8-0
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:11 pm
Teague bricks a 3. That’s 4 more DNPs for him coming up.
20 points in the HALF for the Hawks.
Nique's Revenge
March 11th, 2011
10:12 pm
dump drew now. get a star coach in here for the rest of the season so we can start remolding this team now and get rid of any beyotches who refuse to change
welikebaseball2
March 11th, 2011
10:12 pm
@terrell: LOL!!! We have a winner!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Free Jeff Teague
Nique's Revenge
March 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Dominique: [the Hawks] “gotta get a win to get back on the right track”
really?
Booo!
March 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Mark Jackson, Bill Laimbeer or Dwayne Casey
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Bill Laimbeer please? Btw, did anyone notice when Josh was clappin his hands trying to get Kirk to pass him the ball on the perimeter, and Kirk thought better of it? Hilarious.
SteveW
March 11th, 2011
10:13 pm
Maneb – hope your wrong about LD
Najeh Davenpoop
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
I guess Boston is not the only city that has an inexplicable fascination with Brian Scalabrine.
SteveW
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
Enter your comments here
Nique's Revenge
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
24 points in the WHOLE SECOND HALF. and that INCLUDES garbage buckets. sigh. bye, drew
Wabe
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
sautee,
very true. that’s why i said *try*. if there was a fantasy draft in the nba, and the hawks could have anybody they wanted (lebron, wade, carmelo, kobe, d.rose, dwight), they’d all be sitting there, and we’d take eduardo najera.
that’s how terrible this thing is from top to bottom.
but i still wouldn’t mind some lottery picks. at least something to get excited about. this stuff has gotten to the point where you’re just shrugging your shoulders and saying, “go figure, it’s the f’n hawks”.
bunch of bums
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
Feel sorry for LD, but he got to go.
welikebaseball2
March 11th, 2011
10:14 pm
@Najeh: You hit the nail on the head about ASG hiring & keeping L.D. Sad, but true. And they are getting out of him what they paid for…which isn’t much.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
And why is Marvin still in the NBA again?
Samuel
March 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
I missed the game but yall’s analysis was way better than any game could be. I see people her are making excuses for Josh playing dumb. He may infact still be hurt but I could sworn I saw him sky about 12 feet for an alley oop the other night. Lazy, stubborn and dumb is a bad combination.
terrell
March 11th, 2011
10:15 pm
One more thing to say. JOSH WILL NEVER MAKE THE ALL STAR TEAM.