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Heat 106, Hawks 85

1:56 am March 19, 2011, by Ken Sugiura

Greetings, all

Not sure what there is to say that hasn’t been said.

- Prior to the game, Larry Drew said, among other things, he wanted the team to score in transition, rebound, move the ball on offense and not focus so much on the Big Three that the other players beat you. Well, the Hawks did one of those things.

- The Hawks scored 18 fast-break points, 10 in the inconsequential fourth quarter. They rarely made much of an effort to run after Heat misses or turnovers. They were out-rebounded 50-27. Part of that is due to the fact that Miami didn’t give them many chances to rebound, but 50-27 is kind of hard to explain away. Josh Smith and Al Horford combined for six rebounds. Smith was out chasing LeBron James, so that explains maybe part of it, but Horford’s three rebounds is a season low. Jason Collins had one.

The ball didn’t move well, again.

“Miami’s a solid defensive team,” Drew said. “They do a great job, particularly on the first side of the offense. You have to force them to shift their defense and then you have to attack. We didn’t do that. Once the ball came out, we settled again for three’s.”

- Damien Wilkins showed up, playing physical defense on James. He was 6-for-8 from the field and had 14 points, nine before the fourth quarter.

“To me, it felt or seemed like we were conceding the fact that [James] was making shots,” he said. “He was way too comfortable pulling up for jump shots, coming down and just doing whatever he wanted to do, just showing way too much respect. … I think we could have done a better job showing a little bit more resistance.”

- Hawks have lost 17 games by 10 or more points, which is more than they permitted either of the past two seasons.

Horford: “We’re going through a real rough patch right now. We’re going to keep fighting and we have to figure it out.”

- Through the first three quarters, the Hawks were 5-for-22 on shots from 16 feet or longer – not counting Jamal Crawford’s first half-ending heave – including one stretch when they missed 13 straight in the second and third quarters. They were 3-for-21 before Jeff Teague and Wilkins hit long jumpers at the end of the third.

“We got off to a good start, I think,” Horford said. “We kind of lost our focus in the second quarter. After that, we just couldn’t get back in it.”

- Ineffective nights for Joe Johnson and Crawford. Johnson was 4-for-8 for nine points and Crawford was 0-for-4 for zero points. It’s Crawford’s first scoreless game since the final game of the 2006-2007 season, when he played half a minute after coming back from a broken ankle. As was noted by some posters, he was minus-26 in 24 minutes. Crawford has been having his best shooting month, percentage-wise, since December, but obviously a rough night.

While we’re at it, Horford was minus-27 in 29 minutes and Smith was minus-31 in 27 minutes. Interestingly, would you believe Bosh had a better plus/minus than James (32 to 23)? Wilkins was plus-10.

- Hawks have had fewer free throws than their opponent for the past seven games. After playing largely exceptional defense in the first nine games of the Kirk Hinrich era – 42.8 percent – the Hawks let Denver and Miami shoot 53.5 percent in the past two games and 50 percent from 3-point range.

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197 comments Add your comment

Najeh Davenpoop

March 19th, 2011
8:38 pm

But the problems, and the Hawks’ difficulties in correcting them, perhaps point to a more fundamental issue revealed in how Johnson’s declaration was communicated.

Said forward Josh Smith, “I think that we’re afraid to hurt people’s feelings.”

A flipside to one of the Hawks’ greatest strengths — that players genuinely like each other and enjoy being around one another — may also be holding them back at this crucial juncture. While team co-captains Smith, Johnson and center Al Horford have leadership qualities, a willingness to hold teammates accountable for their effort and performance doesn’t come naturally to any of them.

Damn, I would have loved to see the Hawks get Ben Wallace at the trade deadline.

N.D.T.K.A.

March 19th, 2011
8:48 pm

If the coach cannot make them play then he should take them out of the game!! Which means it is still his fault! This guy should have never been hired!! This was a bad experiment and now the team and fans suffer!!

The reason the Jordan Crawford trade was not bad is because you need a real coach to allow the young guys to play. Teague is barely getting minutes as it is and playing well. Drew and his staff are not going to develop any players no matter the talent. The only players that would start for the Hawks under Drew’s or formerly Woody’s staff are lottery picks and basically no dramatic developement takes place.

The addage goes you get what you pay for. The ASG will not hire a proven, quality NBA caliber coach who will develop, demand, and take the team to task. And coaches like these(Byron Scott, Avery Johnson, Jerry Sloan) are not coming to Atlanta with this ownership group because they no the ownership is about making a profit and not winning a title.

BTW San Diego State looked pretty good tonight, they may make the final four!!

mykhalc

March 19th, 2011
8:53 pm

“I think that it’s going to start happening, that guys are going to start policing each other more and holding each other accountable,” Smith said. “When we do that, that’s when we’re going to reach elite status.”

did he just use the word elite in regards to the Hawks!!??? WTF!!! PLEASE put the pipe down and step away!!! an emergency intervention is badly needed for this group!!!

Najeh Davenpoop

March 19th, 2011
9:21 pm

Wow. The end of this Butler-Pittsburgh game just featured two of the dumbest fouls I have ever seen in my life.

bigdave

March 19th, 2011
9:32 pm

looks like Mike Bibby will be handed the keys to that Ferrari w/ the Dade County tag..

Chalmers was just carried off the court w/ a non-contact knee injury..

slimjr

March 19th, 2011
9:56 pm

Bibby got 14 pts tonight……Miami up by 9 with 1:14 left…

slimjr

March 19th, 2011
9:58 pm

JC1 for JR Smith!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!All day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He’s got 28 off the bench and just drilled a trey in Wade’s neck…

slimjr

March 19th, 2011
10:03 pm

Afraid to hurt feelings????Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MARVINA REALLY HAS RUBBED OFF YOU GIRLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O'Brien

March 19th, 2011
10:20 pm

“captaints” was a Freudian slip :smile: But that is what they should be called.

Another issue with the accountability is if players wont do it, the HC has to do it. But LD was their therapist when Woody was here, and he has not shown any accountability either. So there is no leadership on the sidelines, and there is no leadership on the court.

I’ll say this again. I know its drastic, but I think LD should strip all 3 captaints, and give Kirk the position. Captain Kirk already has a ring to it, and I think he would be less concerned about hurting feelings, plus I like when the captain is a PG, since he is supposed to be an extension of the HC on the court.

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
10:24 pm

I could buy this whole injury deal except:

1) I’m watching the team implode. I’m not watching a well coached, disciplined team following the coach’s game plan, but just coming up short because of injuries. I’m watching total disregard for the Coach and his game plan by most of the team.

And that is the Coach’s fault for allowing it usually.

2) I’m also watching perplexing substitution patterns, especially as the season has worn on, but really throughout the season. A substitution pattern that makes no sense, and predictably to almost every Hawk fan, puts in a position to lose.

I mean, we all groan when Jamal comes in at point. We know we are about to digress. Doesn’t LD?

So that’s why I don’t buy the injury excuse. I thought we played well until about the midway point of the season with injuries.

But I think that was just hold over from last year. The further away we get from last season, the more confused and chaotic we have become.

And BTW – the typo “Bibbly” was classic, can’t remember who did it a few posts up!

superiorblogman

March 19th, 2011
10:33 pm

Hawks suck. You bloggers are inferior to me

Grandad

March 19th, 2011
10:34 pm

Mr Sprblgmanure:

You started it. So I reckon it’s on. heh, heh.

You referred to me as an “old idiot”.
I can live with that.

How do you cope with being a racist bigot?

Furthermore, you come on a basketball blog,
spouting nonsense while seemingly posing
as a hoops master.
Yet, in reality you’re no more than a kibitzer.

Given my age and experience, I’m the real doyen.

Now, who’s the idiot?

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
10:44 pm

Inferior – Didn’t you sign off this blog a few days ago and say you were going to go work on the problems of the world?

Bye Bye

Jae Evolution

March 19th, 2011
10:45 pm

Good article about our transformation from one of the best offenses to one of the worst…

http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2011/03/19/statscube-the-demise-of-the-hawks/?ls=iref:nbahpt1

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
10:45 pm

Inferior – And you can go work on that other blog your starting now. Come tell us when your thru. And then stay on that blog, if you have enough time between working for world peace, world hunger and the like, all the while being a racist.

Weird

Booo!

March 19th, 2011
10:49 pm

Well Kirk is gonna have to be captian from either the SG spot or the bench because Jeff Teague is our starting Point guard from now on im my mind…..besides Horford is the real Captain and we all know it.

Wilkins and Teague need to start. Teague, Joe, Wilkins, Josh, Horford

and I really hope LD is contemplating putting Josh on the bench. I thought he was growing up but apparently Smooves shot selection last year yeas a result of a better coach (Woodson….ugh) putting his foot down.

Fire Drew, hire Lambieer.

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
10:54 pm

From Hoopinion:

“Congratulate everyone who answered “three games later” when asked “When will Jeff Teague fall out of the rotation again following his excellent performance against Portland?”

Sigh

Najeh Davenpoop

March 19th, 2011
10:55 pm

If being inferior means I don’t think paying Andris Biedrins $27 million over the next three years is a good idea, I hope I can be as inferior as possible.

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
10:58 pm

Jae – Great article, thanks!

lewis

March 19th, 2011
11:01 pm

Yeah, the Sixers are like, significantly better than us.

real damn shame. After the celtics series a few years back I never thought it would come to this.

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
11:02 pm

Najeh – I have no idea what you are referring to. Biedrins is worth maybe Two Year Vet Exception money.

If referring to myself, I was referring to another blogger as “inferior” for reasons because of his blog name.

SteveW

March 19th, 2011
11:03 pm

Or did inferior blog man show how low he can go by stealing Najeh’s handle?

O'Brien

March 19th, 2011
11:05 pm

Thanks for the link Jae.

The Hawks are nine games over .500, but they’ve outscored their opponents by only three points this season, because Friday was not the first time they’ve been blown out. Six times they’ve lost by more than 20 points..

6 losses by more than 20 points? Ouch.

I wonder if Jamal still reads this blog. They should post those numbers in locker room.

Najeh Davenpoop

March 19th, 2011
11:12 pm

“Najeh – I have no idea what you are referring to. Biedrins is worth maybe Two Year Vet Exception money.”

I was referring to his insistence on wanting to trade Josh Smith for Andris Biedrins.

Najeh Davenpoop

March 19th, 2011
11:12 pm

I’m on your side when it comes to Biedrins. Maybe I should have made my previous post more clear.

Grandad

March 19th, 2011
11:25 pm

We are not that far away from being a contender.
However, it’s going to take some nuggets from existing
owners / front office or new owners.

We don’t need a complete implosion.
But we cannot keep on keepin’ on.

1. Joe gotta go
2. Josh (and I like Josh for the most part) is our best trade chip.
*[gotta go]
3. Must get Bigger [2 Bigs] * see josh trade chip
4. Live with Teaguer for another year.
5. Let Jamal go
6. Cut Marv, give him away, buy him out, trade him, anything !
7. Not again…Go find the right Coach this time:
[in no particular order]
* Ben Howland
* Mike Budenholzer
* Leonard Hamilton
* Adrian Dantley
* Stacey Augmon
8. Keep Cap’n Kirk & D. Wilkins
9. Retain glue guys…Zaza, Collins, Armstrong
10. Al = a given !

These seven + @ least two Bigs;
add money from letting Jamal go,
sign Battier + + + picks from trades.

There you go…simple.
Git ‘er done !

Jae Evolution

March 19th, 2011
11:25 pm

Any quality wins for the rest of the season are no more than fool’s gold. This team follows up great wins, with 20 point blowouts at home, I’ve never seen a team just give up when they miss a few jumpers.

JeJe

March 19th, 2011
11:57 pm

This team is garbage.

We’re so bad now that Mike Bibby might actually have helped us

God Damnit

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
12:04 am

FIRE LD
FIRE WOODY
FIRE SUND

Grandad

March 20th, 2011
12:35 am

good points

Now that’s funny.

Grandad

March 20th, 2011
12:39 am

Mr good points,

you should be a comedian.

It’s all in good fun. [spbm]

Jae Evolution

March 20th, 2011
1:41 am

LD, time to go back to Iso-Joe, go call up your old friend Woody and ask him for his playbook.

Man, the last thing I thought the Hawks would struggle with is scoring.

Charles Maddox

March 20th, 2011
2:47 am

For the last four years I have watch the Atlanta Hawks. Coach Woodson made the team better every year. He got the best out of the team that they could give. And then he gets replaced. The organization is sorry, instead of evaluating what would be needed to get to the next level, they fired coach Woodson because they think there team is better than it is. The new coach hasn’t and won’t do as good as coach Woodson did, and thats not a bad reflection on his coaching ability its a refection on the talent he has to work with. As I said, the hawks organization is SORRY! and they let go an excellent coach that if he had the right people would have brought a championship to Atlanta.

rusty

March 20th, 2011
4:01 am

grandad how can you say we arent that far from being contenders then name a bunch of things that need to be done for that to happen? if thats the case the whole nba isnt that far away from being a contender

Najeh Davenpoop

March 20th, 2011
4:21 am

The Hawks can be contenders if they bring in a 4th player who is as good or better than Joe, Smoove, and Al (or, for that matter, if Teague develops into such a player). But I don’t think they can seriously contend by just surrounding this “core” with complementary pieces. None of the Hawks’ medium-sized three (calling them a big three is a bit of a stretch) is consistent enough to make me think that they alone can carry a real contender together.

Gator

March 20th, 2011
5:46 am

The Medium Three —– I like it!!

Sautee

March 20th, 2011
8:50 am

Gee I wonder who THAT was?

O'Brien

March 20th, 2011
9:20 am

Which hawks team shows up today? The one that crushed Milwaukee, or the one that lost to Detroit by 23 points earlier in the season?

And What’s LD’s lineup? Does teague even play the first half?

This late in the season, we should not have so many questions…

The Game Has Changed

March 20th, 2011
9:30 am

OBrien- You are right about us having too many questions this late in the season. I think if the coach contiues to let Josh shoot threes and dribble the ball up court,we are doomed,

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
11:47 am

The only teams in the NBA the Hawks would beat in a Playoff series right now are:

The Clippers, Timberwolves, Kings, Wizards, the Raptors, the Cavs and maybe Memphis and the Pacers (they both have improved)

Rufus1

March 20th, 2011
12:25 pm

LD is still here….UGH

I was hoping when I returned to this blog LD would be gone…..No luck.

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
1:54 pm

LD is one of the most uninspiring-sounding coaches I’ve ever seen. He talks like he just woke up and he’s going through a family emergency (God forbid)

bigdave

March 20th, 2011
1:54 pm

smh… “more of a traditional lineup going forward” expect traditional results.

Marvin.. 5-7 pts. 5 rebs.

guy looked halfway decent off the bench.

“wanted to take a look @ some things, particularly involving Jeff… thought he played well”

smh. im a bit done w/ Drew.

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
1:58 pm

Start Teague Joe Damien Horford ZaZa

Hinrich Smoove Marvin off bench

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
2:00 pm

The only teams in the NBA the Hawks would beat in a Playoff series right now are:

The Clippers, Timberwolves, Kings, Wizards, the Raptors, the Cavs and maybe Memphis and the Pacers (they both have improved).

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
2:12 pm

We all know what will happen. We lose today and lose vs. Chicago Tuesday

JeJe

March 20th, 2011
3:21 pm

That article about no one calling anyone out was dead on point. We need more altercations in the game, more technical fouls

No fire on this team

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