Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 91, Blazers 82
Teague took it to the Blazers. (AP Photo)
The Hawks were desperate for a W and it showed before the game (L.D. bucked his recent trends and started Teague and Zaza); during it (the Hawks were forced to grind for three quarters and did it); and after (a strong sense of relief in the locker room).
- “I’m just glad we got the win,” said Teague, whose pep was just what a tired and beat down team (and the stagnating offense) needed.
- “He was absolutely sensational from start to finish on both ends of the floor,” L.D. said. “Defensively he did a great job of picking the ball up and harassing the ball. His speed and his quickness is just something we don’t have. When we put him in games we rely on him to be a nuisance defensively and offensively just to stay in the attack mode.”
- Teague did both against the Blazers. With Andre Miller no threat to get around him, Teague cut off his space and made it difficult for Miller to initiate Portland’s offense. And there was no one on the floor faster than Teague, who ran circles around the Blazers while batting passes, blocking shots and sometimes running a one-man break through traffic.
- “Jeff Teague had a great game,” Wesley Matthews said. “He played the passing lane well and was really active and caused some problems for us.”
- Teague’s 6-0 run at the end of the first quarter gave the Hawks some life and snapped sleepy Philips out of its slumber.
- “Those possessions at the end of the first quarter changed things,” Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. “It gave them some energy and got them right back in the game.”
- “Coach told us to get up there and put on the pressure and try to overplay the passing lanes and make something happen,” he said. “I got my hands on a couple of the balls. I got lucky.”
- Nothing lucky about Teague’s line: 24 points, three assists, five steals, three blocked shots, one turnover, 11/17 FG. He dominated his matchup with Miller, who never could back him down into the post.
- About the only thing Teague didn’t do well was shoot free throws (1 for 4) or finish on open floaters in the lane.
- “I am hoping this will be kind of a springboard for him,” Drew said. “It’s been kind of an up-and-down season for him. He’s played some minutes, he’s started a few games, and he’s gone stretches where he hasn’t played. But during that stretch I never stopped believing in that kid because I saw the package that he brings. He can make shots, he’s got speed, he’s got quickness, he can go from end to end. Defensively he can be a nuisance.”
- Teague couldn’t be blamed if he didn’t always feel the love from Drew but he said his confidence never wavered.
- “It felt great to get an opportunity to get out here and play, something I’ve wanted to do all year,” Teague said.
- “It’s important that he keeps believing in himself because I will never lose the belief in him,” Drew said. “I’m committed to him. I know that at times he shows signs of a lack of confidence. For whatever reason, I don’t know, because I recognize the fact that this kid if he’s playing at a level I know he can he can be pretty good and tonight he showed that. I just have to keep being that little birdie on his shoulder and keep letting him know how good he can be for our team.”
- Just as important as Teague’s spark was the interior defense provided by Josh and Zaza. Aldridge never found much space around the basket.
- “We did our best with him,” Drew said. “They started making threes so we made a decision particularly in the second half to just play him heads up and I thought both Zaza and Josh Smith did a great job on him. He made some shots but they were contested.”
- Atlanta’s rebounding got a big boost from Marvin (eight total, six defensive). This was another game where he seemed to be comfortable coming off the bench and focusing on a limited role.
- Joe still can’t get on track with his shot but his four rebounds in the third quarter were important. Josh also had four and Zaza had three as Hawks rebounded all 12 of Portland’s misses in the third quarter (two were credited to the team).
- “We were missing shots like crazy,” McMillan said. “We were missing threes last night (at Charlotte) and tonight we were missing shots again. We were missing layups and we just looked drained tonight.”
- Damien Wilkins made 6 of 9 shots, had two assists and no turnovers in 26 minutes. He doesn’t often force things on offense: “Joe was in foul trouble and so was Jamal. I had to come in and be aggressive and hold the floor down until they got back.”
- Wilkins is effective defensively when given an assignment that requires more force than finesse.
- “Damien came in and gave us some really good minutes,” Drew said. “He really played a physical game. He really banged with Roy, who they like to isolate.”
- The Hawks solved Portland’s zone in the second half, no small thing for this team. Jamal was a big reason why.
- “We actually went back to our man-to-man offense against the zone which turned out to be pretty good,” Drew said. “We started moving the ball real well and then Jamal started being a little more aggressive. First half I thought he was lethargic. At halftime I called him into my office and told him: ‘I need you to be aggressive, I need you to be in attack mode. Stay off the officials and just play basketball.’”
- The Hawks had just 18 assists on 40 field goals but a lot of that was because they had 13 field goals and 27 points on the break.
- “We’re at home,” Teague said. “We’ve got to try to play an uptempo game and get some easy buckets because our shots wasn’t falling lately. Getting some easy run-outs and things like that helped.”
- The Hawks get Milwaukee next in the game that was postponed by the snowstorm.
- “Hopefully this will take a little bit of the sting out of what we’ve been going through lately,” Drew said. “It’s going to be a grind every time we step on the floor. We’ve got to be prepared to bring our ‘A’ game every single time. We’ve got to grind it out. I know some guys are banged up, mentally they are fatigued, but guess what: So are 29 other teams. So we have to just step up and respond like other teams do.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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163 comments Add your comment
mykhalc
March 13th, 2011
2:01 pm
postal on the TV…
Sautee
March 13th, 2011
2:05 pm
myk,
Non-Hawks, but did you ever get into Oakley’s playing? Man, you should listen to “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed” today and dig his bass playing on that track. SOOO locked in with both the drummers and the solos.
It’s my favorite bass track of all time. And that’s covering a LOT of ground.
Sautee
March 13th, 2011
2:08 pm
OK, we now return you to your regularly scheduled Hawks complaints.
mykhalc
March 13th, 2011
2:09 pm
yo Sautee…i’ll have to check that bro!!! thanks for the heads-up!
Sautee
March 13th, 2011
2:24 pm
myk,
To be clear, I’m speaking of the live version from Fillmore East.
JSS
March 13th, 2011
2:27 pm
@ Sautee…
I’ll share my Duane Allman playing my old Stella acoustic and playing touch football with us when were kids back in 1969 with you one day…
JSS
March 13th, 2011
2:30 pm
@ Sautee…
I’ll share my Duane Allman playing my old Stella acoustic and playing touch football with us when were kids back in 1969 story with you one day…
O'Brien
March 13th, 2011
2:38 pm
I dont know how to explain it, but I think Teague’s problem is simple.
When he plays with the bench, he is not as confident, he is not as aggressive, he defers to Jamal, and sometimes he makes good passes only to see a bench player (maybe Josh Powell or ZaZa) fumble the ball or miss the shot.
Also, when he would make a mistake on defense, it would get magnified, because he had Jamal and Powell and/or ZaZa on the court with him.
But I am very disappointed in LD (and his coach speak), and I hardly take him seriously anymore.
There were games when Bibby was giving us nothing (and we would lose), and it never crossed LD’s mind to try JT as the starter? Bibby and the team might struggle in the first half, and fall behind by double digits, but what would LD do? Start the same lineup in the second half, only to see the team fall further behind.
LD complained about too many jump shots, and how we let the other PG get in the lane. All Bibby did was take jump shots, and his defense was horrible, and it never crossed LD’s mind to try Teague with the starters?
All season long, Ken Strickland and others suggested trying Teague with the starters to see what he could do. But LD never did. And give Strickland credit. he has always said that if Teague got 30 mpg with the starters, he could easily average 9 pts and 4 assists (which is what Bibby averaged). Sure, Teague is not the 3-pt shooter Bibby is, and he will have his ups and downs (as any second year player will), but as LD said. His speed and quickness is something nobody else on this team has.
LD was forced to start him after the trade, and the team played well with teague starting and Kirk coming off the bench. But the minute Kirk was ready, back to the bench for Teague, with inconsistent minutes again.
I’m not saying Teague is our saviour. But LD (at the very least) can give him the Royal Ivey treatment. Ivey would start the first half and second half (for Woody), and that was the bulk of his minutes.
LD needs to do the same with teague. Start him. If he seems lost out there after a few minutes, then pull him and bring in Kirk. But maybe Teague will do enough with the starters so that the bench unit will be stronger with Jamal and Kirk.
The question is, will LD start Teague on Tuesday? I think he should. But I wont be surprised if he doesn’t.
mykhalc
March 13th, 2011
2:40 pm
@Sautee…got cha bro!!
i_am_soulstar
March 13th, 2011
2:47 pm
I’m a fan of what Teague did last night. I don’t think he’s gonna do it every night, but the guy clearly can contribute on both ends when given the minutes. And he wasn’t asked to run the point either, he just got to be his regular combo-guard self. I wonder what line-up Drew’s going with next game. Any bets?
i_am_soulstar
March 13th, 2011
2:50 pm
I don’t know about starting Teague at PG. He plays his best as a 2 guard, although he’s small for a 2. If anything, I’d start Kirk/Teague/Joe/Josh/Al for now. He’s not ready for PG.
AG
March 13th, 2011
3:08 pm
I know I am not the mad blogger, but I have said all along START JEFF TEAGUE. Even when Bradley said bench Marvin,I was like bench Bibby. I think as long as he plays 30 min he will do well. Oh, how dumb is Josh Powell???
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
3:16 pm
“Salim used to have games like this too, when he got playing time.”
No he didn’t. Salim was an awful defender and subpar ball handler whose one offensive skill didn’t make up for his D-league quality skills in every other aspect of the game. Teague, at least over the past couple of months, has been a fantastic defender whose other skills at least show the potential to develop into NBA-caliber assets if they haven’t already. There is zero compatison between the two.
Shake Something
March 13th, 2011
3:37 pm
Clearly Teague plays better with the starters. Clearly Marvin provides more energy as a bench player. Clearly Damien plays consistently well enough to deserve a prominent role. Clearly Teague and Kirk are capable enough at the point guard position to where Jamal should not see a single minute at the point. These are all very easily observable things.
Seriously, if LD buries Teague on the bench again this year, as far as I’m concerned it’s a fireable offense.
Co-sign with all of that Najeh.Its like you stole my thoughts.Its been clear all season for doing such things and thats why LD still should be fired regardless if he buries Teague or doesn’t continue to tinker the lineup. Its bad when the fans know more than the coach.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
3:40 pm
“But IMO Josh is already a “borderline” great rebounder, just using his athletic ability. I just wish he’d learn to block out. He could add 1.5+ per game if he did.”
Among all players who have played over 1000 minutes, Smoove is 41st in rebound rate, while Al is 22nd. I’m not going to bother counting all the people after him, but I see that he statistically is a better rebounder than such players as Luis Scola, Paul Millsap, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Nene. I think one can assume from that stat that Smoove is a good rebounder, and of course this doesn’t take into account that he is playing next to another good rebounding big man (unlike some people ahead of him such as Kris Humphries or Jeff Foster). I think there is some truth to northcyde’s point — in many (I would say most) games, Smoove is a borderline great rebounder, but there have been enough games in which he has underwhelmed on the boards, which has hurt his overall rebound rate and has also lowered the chance of a Hawks victory.
And really his defensive rebounding rate is pretty good, stacking up with most of the people ahead of him, only percentage points
below Al. It’s his offensive rebounding that doesn’t approach the level of most of the people ahead of him on that list.
Evey
March 13th, 2011
3:53 pm
You people seem to have a problem with jj making his millions what I don’t understand is why not be mad at the owners who offered him the money,it amaze me how fans or so call fans always get upset with the athlete and not so much the owners,that’s dumb,they offered it to him and he took it just you or I would have so lay the f..k off this man for doing the same thing we would have done,you’re all loving Jeff for right now,I wonder how that’s gone last.
D.S.G.B.
March 13th, 2011
3:57 pm
Finally. Teague gets some significant pt. Our best lineup is
1=teague
2=kirk
3=jj
4=josh
5=al
This way, you have two knockdown perimeter shooters, that cannot be left open, which opens up the floor for teague to get into the lane. now add the unmatched athleticism of josh and al cutting to the basket, and no team in the nba can defend the hawks. and just think of the production off the bench. I dont see what is so difficult here.
D.S.G.B.
March 13th, 2011
4:01 pm
with the type of team that we have, which could be athletically dominating, we need space to exploit it. Basketball period, needs space to have a flowing offense. I see it sooo clearly, i just wish somebody that can do something about it would see it too.
northcyde
March 13th, 2011
4:19 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
3:16 pm
“Salim used to have games like this too, when he got playing time.”
No he didn’t. Salim was an awful defender and subpar ball handler whose one offensive skill didn’t make up for his D-league quality skills in every other aspect of the game. Teague, at least over the past couple of months, has been a fantastic defender whose other skills at least show the potential to develop into NBA-caliber assets if they haven’t already. There is zero compatison between the two.
*******
Najeh . . I’m not talking about games exactly like this. I’m talking about games in which he was highly effective playing HIS TYPE OF GAME, while he was in the starting lineup, or when he got major playing time.
Rookie year:
- 30 pts on 11 – 15 shooting ( 4 – 7 from three ) vs New Orleans . . the game in which he scored like 24 in the 4th quarter after the Hawks were getting killed. Dude damn near won the game for us.
- 21 pts on 7 – 15 shooting ( 3 – 5 from three ) in a win @ Denver, in a game in which he was instrumental in bringing the Hawks back into the game after being down 17 in the 4th quarter. I still have this game on tape. It was also one of Shelden’s better defensive games. Chill, Marvin, and Zaza were out. Salim was the Player of the Game.
- 26 points on 10 – 17 shooting ( 3 – 7 from three ) in a blowout loss @ Sacramento . . a game in which JJ was out and our main guys played like absolute crap. But Salim straight up balled, in a blowout situation.
- 37 points on 14 – 20 shooting ( 6 – 9 from three ) in a close loss vs Portland . . JJ had gotten hurt in March ( or we just decided to “tank” the season to have a possibility at a top 3 pick ), and Salim had to play major minutes in his absence. The 37 points is the highest point total scored by ANY HAWK not named Joe Johnson in the past 6 years.
- 21 points on 7 – 15 shooting ( 7 – 11 from three ) in a win vs Milwaukee . . I’m trying to think when was the last time a Hawk made 7 threes in a game since JJ has been here. Now that I’ve looked, JJ did it one time. Nobody else in a Hawks uniform the past 6 years have done it.
********
I can even do this for a guy like Shelden Williams. He’s had some big games when he has gotten a chance to start. But Salim’s numbers, on a per 36 minute basis, was very comparable to Jamal Crawford’s ( before he joined the Hawks ). That’s one of the reasons I was initially against bringing Jamal here. He played well enough last year to prove me wrong. But he’s reverted back to his “feast or famine” self this year.
Consistency is the key for Teague. He doesn’t have to be this stellar every night. But he does need to be solid every night. We have too many guys on this team that fluctuate from great to garbage, including our main guys like JJ and Smith. So we need people who can give us a consistent effort on a nightly basis.
If Teague plays 20 minutes a night, I’ll take 8 points – 3 assists – and a steal or two from him in a heartbeat.
northcyde
March 13th, 2011
4:20 pm
Note: all of those games didn’t occur in Salim’s rookie year. Only the first game did. The rest was during his 2nd year.
O'Brien
March 13th, 2011
4:23 pm
As for the Josh discussion, What I want from Josh is for him to make up his mind that every game, he will focus on defense and rebounding. Those 2 things rub off on the rest of the team.
He does not need to make up his mind that he is going to knock down three 3’s, and he doesnt have to make up his mind that he will be a distributor on the break.
All he needs to do, is to focus on defense and rebounding…and let the offense come to him. Too often (like last night) the PG is next to him, and rather than give it up, he tries to make a play.
In addition to his 5 turnovers last night, He almost had 2 more turnovers (they called a blocking foul, when it was real close to being an offensive foul). When he is flying high and dunking and is energetic, I think thats when the team benefits the most.
O'Brien
March 13th, 2011
4:26 pm
northcyde,
If Teague plays 20 minutes a night, I’ll take 8 points – 3 assists – and a steal or two from him in a heartbeat..
Co-sign. Especially if he utilizes his speed and is pushing the ball, while playing good defense. And I think he is more likely to do that IF LD plays him with the starters.
Do you think LD will start him on Tuesday?
northcyde
March 13th, 2011
4:32 pm
And the reason why Smith’s offensive rebounding rate doesn’t approach the other guys, is because he hangs out on the perimeter too much. Thing is though, last year, he was a pretty good offensive rebounder. He was a top 20 offensive rebounder last year.
To me, the rebounding issue with Josh Smith, is just like the free throw issue with Joe Johnson. It’s an indication that both players aren’t willing to bang on the inside, like they should be. It’s the reason why both players are considered to be “soft” by a lot of people.
If we can get some extra toughness out of those two, maybe things wouldn’t be a chaotic as they are right now.
We need Smith to play like “Smash”, not “Smoove” . . and we need JJ to play more like the big guard that he is, not like a 6-4 shooting guard.
prison mike
March 13th, 2011
4:37 pm
What I don’t hear is what js did to la on defense. Only allowed 4 points when matched up directly on him. 2 of those were on a pick and roll lob dunk and the other 2 was on free throws from a hinrich foul.
Josh is professional enough to lose weight to better play the 3 when or if they finally bring in a solid big.
northcyde
March 13th, 2011
4:43 pm
LOL O’Brien . . . I want to say yes, but I don’t think he will.
Although with the way Milwaukee’s team is constructed, you could go with a Teague – Hinrich combo at the guard, and JJ at the 3. I don’t think LD will bench Hinrich in favor of Teague, even if it would balance the team out better.
And to me, the issue is still on the inside as well. If Horford and Smith continue to play more on the outside on offense, we need someone on the inside to try to keep a few possessions alive via offensive rebounding.
To me, he should try Teague – JJ – Smith – Horford – Zaza
But I wouldn’t be mad if he went Teague – Hinrich – JJ – Smith – Horford
But knowing LD, he’ll go Hinrich – JJ – Smith – Horford – Collins
terrell
March 13th, 2011
4:44 pm
Told yall Zaza, Mo, Powell, etc… would make Magic Johnson look bad. Much less Jeff Teague. Looks a little different when playing with guys that can actually play huh.
terrell
March 13th, 2011
4:57 pm
Northcyde, I dont like Hinrich at the 2, or Josh at the 3. Let Kirk backup Teague. Teague cant play wih Jamal. Hinrich can.
Id go
Teague/JJ/Damien/Josh/Al
Hinrich/Jamal/Marvin/Zaza
Bench helluva lot deeper
Grandad
March 13th, 2011
5:01 pm
terrell
[`cept for Zaza, played 30+ min.]
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
5:39 pm
“You people seem to have a problem with jj making his millions what I don’t understand is why not be mad at the owners who offered him the money”
The owners certainly deserve the blame for Joe’s contract, not Joe. Joe did what anyone else would do if offered $126 million. But it is fair to hold Joe accountable for his performance regressing from the last couple of seasons.
O'Brien
March 13th, 2011
5:39 pm
northcyde,
To me, he should try Teague – JJ – Smith – Horford – Zaza.
I’m ok with that. Just like Teague, ZaZa seems to play better when he starts and gets decent minutes. However, if Josh is playing SF, LD needs to tell Josh that he wants him to get 10 rebounds. maybe giving him a specific goal like that will help Josh to bang a little more.
Knowing LD and Josh, LD probably just tells Josh “Do what you do, but be more selective”.
But I wouldn’t be mad if he went Teague – Hinrich – JJ – Smith – Horford.
Since being traded to the Hawks, Hinrich is 15-28 (54%) from 3. He is the one guy I am most comfortable with shooting 3’s right now. And his defense is good enough where he can handle SG, so I’m ok with this lineup too. Plus it gets Josh back to PF, so he should spend less time on the perimeter.
But knowing LD, he’ll go Hinrich – JJ – Smith – Horford – Collins.
If he starts Hinrich, I think Teague will not be as productive playing with Jamal off the bench (assuming Teague gets minutes).
And if he does not start Teague, what kind of message is he sending to the young fellow. LD: “Jeff, although you were sensational playing with the starters (and is probably the main reason why we won the Blazers game), I am going back to Hinrich (although Hinrich played 16 minutes and went 0-4 from the field).
But don’t worry. I still believe in you. And you will get minutes coming off the bench playing with Jamal.”
As for Collins…On the season;
Bucks at Hawks; 11/10/2010; Bucks win.
Collins starts. 10 minutes, 0 points, 1 assist, 3 turnovers, 3 fouls.
Bogut: 26 minutes, 8 points, 6 rebounds.
Hawks at Bucks 12/27/2010; Hawks win.
Collins starts. 32 minutes, 4 points, 12 rebounds
Bogut: 26 minutes, 14 points, 11 rebounds.
This is our third matchup of the season, and since Collins has started both games, I think he will start this game. However, even if Collins starts, I think LD needs to start Teague at PG.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
5:50 pm
Smoove’s defensive rebounding and total rebounding rate are both at career high levels this year. His offensive rebounding rate last year was a career high (which still put him outside the top 100, only marginally ahead of Josh Powell), and this year it has come back down to the level at which it was two years ago.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
5:53 pm
I’m not a fan of Zaza starting. He’s an energy guy who can’t block shots. That is the kind of game ideally suited for a bench player. He does a decent job of man to man defense, but his off the ball defense is pretty terrible, and we all know about his hands and ability (or lack thereof) to finish inside.
Collins doesn’t screw up nearly as much as Zaza does and he does a better job of playing within his ability, not to mention he has proven he can handle Dwight Howard one on one, something Zaza has not proven. The guy takes two charges every time he starts. Keep him in the big lineup.
Ra'mon
March 13th, 2011
6:34 pm
Najeh, Josh’s offensive rebound rate could be caused more from LD’s scheme than from Josh’s play. I say this because, when a shot goes up, where most PF’s have the opportunity to crash the boards, Josh has to get back on defense to hinder any possible fast break opportunity. Playing 60% of the season with Bibby (and Joe/Jamal) as the back court, leaves Josh as the only viable on transition defense. I believe if LD allowed Josh to crash the boards on the offensive glass, Josh could easily average 10.5 – 12 rebounds per game. However, while his individual numbers would go up, the team would suffer more.
Ra'mon
March 13th, 2011
6:39 pm
viable option*
Rashod
March 13th, 2011
6:46 pm
Joe johnson sucks.Get this man off the team,then we’ll be a better team
prison mike
March 13th, 2011
6:52 pm
Agreed, it’s time to sit johnson out because it’s obvious something is right.
We won’t catch the magic so the line up of this one until joe is “right”.
Teague
Hinrich
Williams
Smith
Horford
can keep us above water until joe “finds himself”.
prison mike
March 13th, 2011
6:53 pm
or is not right.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 13th, 2011
6:54 pm
Nice
Nice stats on Salim’s scoring highlights, thanks. But, where is ballin now?
I hope he saved his money. (no sarcasm there)
_________________
What Teague did last night goes beyond scoring. Teague almost has
John Wall speed, I won’t go so far as Iverson speed, though, that man was a blurr. Like the DOT sign says: SPEED KILLS
___________________
What Teague did was amazing. His defense is a gift, did you see the blocks. You can’t lose defense and energy between games, defense never goes cold like shooting. Defense is a gift and Teague has the gift.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 13th, 2011
7:00 pm
Nice (cont’d.)
.
Energy, heart and desire can’t be captured in stats.
doc
March 13th, 2011
7:53 pm
funny stuff dmb.
maybe j powell needs to be nuts and berry flakes for breakfast after last night.
Evey
March 13th, 2011
8:07 pm
Najeh I understand he should be held accountable,but why do fans continue to harp on the money he makes,that’s not the reason he’s hasn’t been playing well lately,get on him about not playing up to his capability,not for the amount of money he makes.
HawkEye
March 13th, 2011
8:48 pm
All NBA teams should strive for easy baskets/points. The main thing about the Hawks on offense is they must learn how to get easier shots everytime they are on offense, especially when they are struggling making shots. In order from easiest to hardest: dunks, lay-ups, 2-point jumpshots (uncontested), 2-point jumpshots (contested), 3-point jumpshots (uncontested), 3-point jumpshots (contested). Most of these shots depend highly on the player (for some people cannot shoot jumpshots). Also, if you were to factor in free-throws, they would fall either before or after dunks and lay-ups, (again, depends on the player), but definetily before 2-point jumpshots. Furthermore, in-game situatians may alter the degree of difficulty of these shots. For example, if Jamal has his shot going, run plays to get him more looks most out of him until he cools off. However, again the focus would be to make sure that Jamal gets easier shot attempts. All I am saying is that the Hawks should get easier shots (mostly uncontested and free-throws).
I am not much of a stats person, but i would love to know the hawks percentages and frequencies of each of these shots during a game and their record according to these shots. Something tells me their record when they hoist up more that 15 or more 3’s is abysmal.
Sautee
March 13th, 2011
8:52 pm
Evey,
The reason folks mention his salary is because it’s reasonable to expect your highest paid player to be your most productive player, and lately the word productive and Joe don’t belong in the same sentence.
rusty
March 13th, 2011
8:54 pm
I don’t understand why any one would want to keep watching our crappy slow iso offense except possibly nortcyde as I know he wants it to run through jj. Jt brings speed uptempo basketball to us
Making us look like a team worth watching.this team needs jt a hell of a lot more than he needs them. He can be a star somewhere else. If ld don’t give him hugh min he is beyond stupid. The dumb asses should have game him a REAL chance last year
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
8:57 pm
Pacers beat the Knicks at MSG. Tyler Hansbrough led all scorers. Hawks are now 3.5 games up on New York (3 in the loss column). Hawks have 16 games left; Knicks have 17.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 13th, 2011
9:12 pm
Also, the Bucks — Atlanta’s next opponent — just scored 56 points against the Celtics.
hawks_4_life
March 13th, 2011
9:55 pm
Real question is who do we matchup better against. The new look Magic, the Bulls with with the legit MVP or the cry baby Heat. Boston is getting the number one seed anything else is a toss up.
O'Brien
March 13th, 2011
10:05 pm
Najeh,
Its looking more and more like a Hawks vs Magic first round matchup. And if that happens, I think the Hawks have a chance to beat them in 7 games. However, JJ needs to find his form for that to happen.
J from the A
March 13th, 2011
10:24 pm
@hawks_4_life
I like the Hawk’s chances against the cry-baby Heat or the new-look Magic.
I am really unsure about the Bulls.
Either way, any of those match-ups would be a tough (but perhaps winnable) match-up.
I really don’t see the Hawks falling to the 6th seed. I doubt the Magic move ahead of the Heat. This should leave the Hawks facing the Magic (with the Magic having home-court advantage).
Jae Evolution
March 13th, 2011
10:39 pm
Right now our goal should be to grab the 4th spot from the Magic, and try to gain homecourt in the 1st Round.
Not sure that’s going to help us all that much seeing as The Highlight Factory lately should be renamed The Morgue, but it would be nice to get off to a strong start with a possible booming crowd.