Blazers at Atlanta Hawks: Horford out; Zaza and Teague in
Teague and Zaza have been in and out of L.D.’s rotation this season. Now they both will start tonight with Hinrich at shooting guard, J.J. at small forward and Josh at power forward.
Zaza gets the nod because Al, according to a Hawks spokesman, hurt his left ankle (not the one he injured before) when he came down on Deng’s foot at Chicago last night. Teague will start and Marvin goes to the bench because Atlanta’s free fall has prompted the lineup tweak that Drew has hinted at since before the All-Star break.
“We’ve lost four in a row,” Drew said. “I’ve got to shake things up. We’ll see if we start with more energy.”
Teague didn’t play at Chicago until garbage time despite Hinrich’s foul trouble and D-Rose’s easy (for him at least) drives into the lane. Now Teague gets Andre Miller, a matchup that Drew had concerned when Teague started at Portland while Hinrich got up to speed.
Zaza had one of his best games of the season at Portland, a couple days after L.D. indicated he favored Josh Powell and Zaza said he was unhappy. Two games later Zaza got just six minutes against the Thunder and then one minute against the Knicks.
After playing 22 minutes against the Lakers, logging 17 at Chicago and now starting tonight, Zaza presumably is back in Drew’s rotation.
“He’s done a good job,” L.D. said. “Looking back at our last game we played them, he played pretty well. Hopefully he will bring that type energy tonight. With Camby and Aldridge, they are pretty long. I was toying with the fact of starting Twin but elected to go with Zaza just [for] more of an offensive presence. It gives me a bit more flexibility.”
As for Al (who was in the training room pregame), L.D. said he thinks he’s still favoring the right ankle after suffering the injury at Miami on Jan. 18.
“I know he’s been a little sore,” Drew said. “I can tell he’s not moving as well as he has in the past. I saw it early in last night’s game. He tried to turn and shoot and had nothing, no lift on it as if he didn’t want to put any kind of pressure on it.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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380 comments Add your comment
Melvin
March 12th, 2011
8:52 pm
KPT… Keep playing Teague, LD….
EmirS.
March 12th, 2011
8:52 pm
Teague and Wilkins…
I’m gonna buy a Wilkins jersey too.
(After I save for the Teague jersey…)
terrell
March 12th, 2011
8:53 pm
Teague!
Little Fawkers
March 12th, 2011
8:53 pm
Mark Bradley is the biggest Atlanta bandwagon fan ever. If they win he is all about it but if they lose (when they lose) he thinks its end of the world. Punk A!!!
Paradise Lost
March 12th, 2011
8:54 pm
Co-sign MsDee. That last Teague/Wilkins play was inspiring. We finally found the players with heart and Passion. Oh, and some moves on both ends don’t hurt.
EmirS.
March 12th, 2011
8:54 pm
@Blast
Thank you for stating that sir. I think this is the first time I’ve seen LD actually take offense out for defnese WHILE having a lead. And look at it now…defense turning into offense…..
Tremaine
March 12th, 2011
8:55 pm
Nice run Marvin.
prison mike
March 12th, 2011
8:55 pm
If zaza can give this effort EVERY single game he wouldn’t get bashed on various hawk blogs.
Jase
March 12th, 2011
8:56 pm
Jeff,kirk,Joe,Josh,al need to be the starting 5
Sautee
March 12th, 2011
8:56 pm
Joe playing the 4? Or Damien?
That’s a shrimp lineup.
Jae Evolution
March 12th, 2011
8:56 pm
Damien is becoming one of my favorite players.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 12th, 2011
8:57 pm
Say what we will, but ZaZa is a terrific rebounder!
Taj Mahal Jamal – is b a c K! Oh Yeah!
Melvin
March 12th, 2011
8:57 pm
KPT…..
Jae Evolution
March 12th, 2011
8:57 pm
YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 12th, 2011
8:58 pm
If Drew continues to leave Teague planted to the bench now somebody needs to check his blood sugar level.
EmirS.
March 12th, 2011
8:58 pm
Yea…I’m defintley buying that Teague jersey
prison mike
March 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
damn teague i got your first drink or lap dance at the strip club.
Sleepy
March 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
Now this is how Teague should respond after the coach says you didnt get minutes the last time these teams faced each other because he didnt like your matchup with Miller.
And please dont anyone say he wouldve been doing this all the time with minutes . This is a great game for him to build on if anything a game like this shows that he should play no matter what the coach or anyone else says thats his game play to his strengths not Joes or Joshs or jamals or Als .
bigdave
March 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
i say start Damien @ the 3.. Jeff @ point..
bring Kirk.. Jamal.. and Marvin off bench..
Blast
March 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
Very happy for Teague, man. He should be Hawks starting point from now on. Without him, Hawks would have lost tonight.
MsDee
March 12th, 2011
9:00 pm
@Tremaine,
Can we all say..TEAGUE, together!!!!!
Sautee
March 12th, 2011
9:01 pm
Is it just me, or does Damien seem more poised than some of our starters?
cough joe cough
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 12th, 2011
9:02 pm
Damien’s really earned his minutes.
Paradise Lost
March 12th, 2011
9:02 pm
Several have said Teague plays better with the starters…it seems the starters play better with him, too. Maybe it’s a fired up/energy thing, maybe it’s a pride thing (can’t let the young dude show me up), but whatever it is, I hope this chemistry is reinforced in LD’s eyes.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 12th, 2011
9:02 pm
Smelling Salts!
Teague been sniffing that ammonia!
Teague playing like Mookie, he might get 10 steals tonight.
Mookie was a terrible shooter as well, very streaky 3 point shooter!
Whenever, Mookie hit his threes? We called them “Mookie – Daggers!”
Teague is impersonating Mookie and Rondo tonight!
Start HIM! MVP MVP MVP MVP MVP! BTW, I’m at the game yall!
I’m trying to start The Wave … These kids looked at me like I’m crazy.
LOL! I better sit my ole’ fine azz down now.
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
wow@reserves
Nique's Revenge
March 12th, 2011
9:03 pm
spud webb visit teague lately?
Tremaine
March 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
TEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Josh Smith is garbage.
Jerry West
March 12th, 2011
9:05 pm
geez, 4 FTA? FOUR?! ah well, here come 5 and 6.
Nique's Revenge
March 12th, 2011
9:06 pm
FOUL on wallace’s hair
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 12th, 2011
9:06 pm
11 pts for the superstar
Melvin
March 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
Dribble, dribble, dribble…. and it started with Joe.
Jerry West
March 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
way to blow the possession there, Iso Joe.
Paradise Lost
March 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
Josh could be a possible exception to my last post…
Mac-Town, Georgia (urban-macon.blogspot.com)
March 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
wallace dont kno if he want dreads or braids
Sautee
March 12th, 2011
9:07 pm
I’ll have to say that was some pretty impressive pounding of the ball by Joe and Jamal.
Tremaine
March 12th, 2011
9:08 pm
Good pass Teague.
Melvin
March 12th, 2011
9:08 pm
Look at the way Teague drive and dish the ball…. KPT, LD
jwdog8
March 12th, 2011
9:08 pm
did everyone notice the change in momentum when josh entered the game
Melvin
March 12th, 2011
9:10 pm
KPT, LD…
Carlos
March 12th, 2011
9:11 pm
you bet, jwdog8
Atlanta fans and bloggers are blinded by Josh Smith’s highlight reel dunks and that he’s a local native.
Josh Smith is a spreading cancer.
O'Brien
March 12th, 2011
9:12 pm
Meanwhile, Josh is 4 assists and 5 turnovers away from a quadruple double
bigdave,
I agree. Start Teague at PG, Damien at SF. The bench will look real good with Hinrich, Jamal, and Marvin.
DMB,
Even if Bibby was here, I dont think we beat the Lakers, OKC etc. And I dont think losing Bibby messed up our Chemistry. MC pointed out that the players were getting frustrated with having to cover for Bibby on defense.
Sautee
March 12th, 2011
9:13 pm
Did even the most rabid Teague fan ever think he’d play 38 minutes tonight?
Tremaine
March 12th, 2011
9:13 pm
Loving the MVP chant.
O'Brien
March 12th, 2011
9:14 pm
Once we get under a minute left, LD needs to put Pape Sy in.
Melvin,
PPS LD…Play Pape Sy.
Freshfromatl
March 12th, 2011
9:14 pm
MVP chants for Teague!
jwdog8
March 12th, 2011
9:14 pm
Im a big mike bibby fan, but his days as a starter were over. We are losing nothing in his absence.
Sautee
March 12th, 2011
9:15 pm
O’B,
He’s the only player in the league capable of a quintuple double, LOL
(pts, reb, blks, stls, tos)
Paradise Lost
March 12th, 2011
9:15 pm
Wow, ASG. Kicking yourselves yet? Rookie contract player and Mr. Ten Day proving to be your best production for bargain basement prices.
Section 212
March 12th, 2011
9:16 pm
Finger roll!