Atlanta Hawks: Bulls 114, Hawks 81
- Perhaps it’s best to just skip those video “highlights” above.
- The Hawks got down and stayed down. At Philips. Again. The Bulls balled and the Hawks bailed.
- The Hawks checked out against Orlando last spring (can’t say they did the same vs. Bucks after that W in Game 6). This time it looks like they are doing it before the playoffs even start.
- L.D. keeps preaching the same things and nothing changes. Is he still confident he can get through to this group?
- “I am going to keep trying.” he said. “Right now I think the most important thing with our team has nothing to do with Xs and Os. It’s got to do with just our whole mental state. Coming out and playing hard and sustaining that and being able to play hard for four quarters. I am going to continue to try to preach that message. Hopefully it will get through as we wind down this regular season.”
- That’s not exactly a stirring speech to rally the Hawks but, hey, at least it’s honest.
- And, anyway, all the talk from the Hawks is getting old. At the expense of ticking off my blog people, who no doubt are sick and tired of hearing from the Hawks after games like this, I will share what they had to say. J.J. sounded as if he’s pretty tired of hearing it, too.
- “We are a team that sits here in this locker room and talk about all the time ‘What we’ve got to do, what we need to do,’” he said. “And then we go out on the floor and do things that are out of our character. It makes us all look bad. Until we get that part of the game down we are going to continue to look bad. We have had countless meetings throughout the season that have meant nothing. I don’t even know what to say about it.”
- Of course there is the possibility that what’s happening is completely in line with this group’s character. Could it be that the Hawks need a new mix of players and/or new voices?
- “Maybe,” J.J. said. “Shaking it up a little always rejuvenates. I don’t know what we need. More so than anything come out and have each others’ backs. We haven’t been doing that, especially against upper-echelon teams. Teams that are not in the playoffs we will come out and play together and beat them. But the great teams, the top teams in the league, we come out and it seems like we don’t fight back.”
- The Hawks now own the three worst home Ls in the league this season. “The [stuff] is starting to get embarrassing,” Smoove said. “We are too good of a team to be getting blown out in our own gym.”
- “When you are at home you would think the sense of urgency would be there a little bit more and be jacked up and play with more energy,” Drew said. “We do the opposite for some reason. I am at a loss for words for that.”
- Bulls fans invaded Philips but, as Drew said: “We should be used to it by now. It should be something we can totally just block it out and go play.”
- Believe it or not the score was tied at 17-17 late in the first quarter. Then D-Rose and the Bulls put it on the Hawks and never let up.
- “What happened the last time we were here was definitely on our minds,” Rose said. “We knew once we got that lead we couldn’t let that happen again.”
- That was no sweat since the Hawks showed no indication that they wanted to make the Bulls work for it this time. “This team was up on us by 20 points at halftime last time we played here,” Smoove said. “We fought back, showed some resilliance. I seen the passion in our eyes and the will to win the game. Tonight it was just nonexistent.”
- “It’s frustrating and it’s embarrassing as a competitor,” Marvin said. “I think everybody in here, including the coaching staff, is embarrassed with our effort today.”
- “It went downhill very fast,” L.D. said. “It’s kind of a familiar sight to see–when a team makes a little run on us, our body language just changes. We have to learn how to respond in those situations. That’s just the bottom line. There is no magic pill. There is nothing to do but just roll your sleeves up and tough it a little bit more.”
- Probably no one was going to slow D-Rose the way he was playing tonight. Teague didn’t even get a chance so I guess that means he’s officially dropped out of the rotation again.
- Like he did at Chicago, D-Rose danced to the rim and did what he wanted without penalty.
- “We didn’t run any coverages,” Josh said. “We didn’t help each other and when you don’t help each other it gets contagious. We was giving up too much stuff–junmp shots, dribble drives to the paint, wide open layups, and no one was giving hard fouls. We didn’t show any resistance.”
- The Bulls are starting to look like the class of the East. They won despite injuries. They keep winning even as their schedule toughens. This is the time of the year when the real teams announce themselves and the Bulls are doing it.
- “Give them credit,” J.J. said. “They have been the hottest team in the league and they have been showing it all year. They came in here and kicked our ass pretty much the whole game. It is what it is.”
- It’s also the time of year when teams who once looked good are exposed as lacking what it takes. That’s the Hawks.
- “It’s going to take action. Results,” Joe said. “We are getting nothing out of sitting in here and talking about it or talking to one another. We have got to go out there on the court and do it. It’s matter of going out there and putting forth the effort.”
- L.D. took Zaza out of the game in the second half and the two had words. I couldn’t make out exactly what Zaza said but it looked like he wasn’t happy about whatever Drew said to him.
- L.D. said he told Zaza he didn’t like the jump shot he attempted on the previous possession: “You don’t go on your own, you don’t start trying to do things you aren’t capable of doing. You don’t deviate from what the team is expecting. You continue to play the right way. That was either a shot where he saw he was about to come out of the game or just a bad shot.”
- Said Zaza: “Obviously a game like that nobody feels good about it. We are not happy. These kind of things happen. We move on.”
- Al left the game in the second half with a hamstring strain. “He was OK,” Drew said. “I think the hamstring is still bothering him a little bit. We sat him in the fourth quarter and hopefully he will be ready to go tomorrow.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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400 comments Add your comment
Farnsworthy
March 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
The “Hawks” looked more like Parakeets last night. Does anyone really care at this point?
mykhalc
March 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
and of course Josh has nowhere near the enforcer presence that KM has.
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
4:17 pm
Najeh ~~> Co-Sign @ 3:20 pm
I agree that Joe is our best post scorer.
[+]
I wholeheartedly agree that a team that employs
an inside out philosopy will be more successful.
drmaryb said something similar recently using a fb analogy;
“run the ball to set up the pass”
Utilizing the post doesn’t necessarily mean the low blocks:
(mid post, elbows, short corner, euro post, etc)
all these can be exploited by Joe Al & Josh to extremes,
not only by sitting down in the post but;
cutting, flashing, duck ins, pick & rolls, & slips.
Najeh ~~> of all the tangible quantifiable *predilective
*[made up word] qualities, your analysis today ranks
@ the top.
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
4:24 pm
from my 4:17 pm post …^…above…^…
Najeh ~~> of all the tangible quantifiable *predilective
*[made up word] qualities, your analysis [ ____*_____ ]
today ranks @ the top.
* [ ____*____ ] insert TJS, *(team jump shot)*
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
4:25 pm
*of TJS
drmaryb (*_-)
March 23rd, 2011
4:26 pm
Najeh!
Lead Dog posting today. My only view is the lead dog’s azz.
Keep it coming, I’ll scoop the poop!
Rev in Tampa
March 23rd, 2011
4:39 pm
northcyde,
I missed most of the first half last night (at my daughter’s flag-football game). I am curious about when the hawks fell behind. Could you use your popcorn machine to help us out?
You said it happened when Marvin went out, but vava says it happened when Jamal came in, while Rod from CP says it happened at another time (can’t remember what Rod said).
Could you compare the three instances? Did any of these things coincide to create a perfect storm? I am not a numbers guy otherwise I would try it myself.
drmaryb (*_-)
March 23rd, 2011
4:40 pm
NATO Air Assault!
Word on the street Wednesday:
Mommar Ghadaffi’s son was killed from shelling in the wee hours of the AM this morning. Ghadaffi’s “yes men” from inner circle are calling the NATO to see what their options are?
_______________
Option #1 – Run!
Option #2 – Run like hell!
Option #3 – Repeat Option #2
_________________
I’m just saying.
Maybe, the Hawks inner – circle will make a call to NATO and get their options for tonight’s contest. I’ll be happy to lay them out for the fellas. (See Option #2)
joey
March 23rd, 2011
4:45 pm
the problem is joe. he has the talent to be a top 10 player but he is to passive,and he has no killer instincts, he needs to take the team on his shoulders and carry them like he did in 2007 against boston if he does that the hawks have the talent to contend but the problems is he lacks killer instinct that d rose d wade l james, k bryant have, when he starts becoming more aggresive this team the hawks will drastically become better
BA
March 23rd, 2011
4:49 pm
Zaza did make some bad plays on offense but even worse on defense. Coach Drew got all over Zaza on the bench but is he getting on Josh Smith for taking all those bad jumpers. Sometime he needs to pull him out the game for that crap too and chew him out. I’m really waiting to see if J-Smooth will even mature and stop crying about every call that doesn’t go his way. Joe is not a Superstar( NO HEART). A real superstar would let his team get destroyed like that especially on your home court. PEOPLE spend their hard earned money to see a good game. Win or lose I will always be a hawks fan but if I pay to go see THEM I want them to compete this all I ask. Good game Marvin at least you looked like you wanted to play and Jeff Teague hang in there maybe one day.
BA
Najeh Davenpoop
March 23rd, 2011
4:56 pm
For some reason everything about this makes me LOL.
http://twitter.com/#!/nwilborn19/status/50661771467423745
joey
March 23rd, 2011
4:59 pm
again,the problem is joe. he has the talent to be a top 10 player but he is to passive,and he has no killer instincts, he needs to take the team on his shoulders and carry them like he did in 2007 against boston if he does that the hawks have the talent to contend but the problems is he lacks killer instinct that d rose d wade l james, k bryant have, when he starts becoming more aggresive this team the hawks will drastically become better
Najeh Davenpoop
March 23rd, 2011
5:10 pm
Someone posted the link to this on Mark Bradley’s article. Can’t say I disagree with any of it.
http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/03/23/some-small-steps-could-help-hawks-improve/
Rev in Tampa
March 23rd, 2011
5:13 pm
Some of you people need to settle down your ideas on blowing up this team. I am just as frustrated but all my emotion is aimed at Drew and the management.
This team is better than we have seen this year. For that matter, they are better than we saw last year. The coaching has been the problem.
I realize that this team’s players have issues – timid leadership, headstrong, lacks heart – but those issues are only issues when the coaching staff so completely fails them that they are left bewildered. Thus you hear JJ say, “I don’t even know what to say about it.”
Meanwhile Drew says, “Right now I think the most important thing with our team has nothing to do with Xs and Os.”
See that? Right there is the LOAD OF CRAP line. It has everything to do with Xs and Os. Drew is not putting this team in a position to be successful. His strategy is not working so he doubles down his criticism of the players. After he excluded himself from criticism for his strategy he went on to say, “It’s got to do with just our whole mental state. Coming out and playing hard and sustaining that and being able to play hard for four quarters. I am going to continue to try to preach that message. Hopefully it will get through as we wind down this regular season.”
There used to be a saying that the coach takes all the blame for the loss and gives all the credit to the players for a victory. (I bet Grandad knows the exact quote by heart).
Drew is sending his team out on the floor to play with poor rotations (Marvin starting, Teague out of rotation), players out of position (jamal at point), no rebounding (all 5 players running back on defense once the shot goes up), no post-up offense (all jumpshots), no accountability (Drew could make Josh stop shooting jumpshots if he wanted to just like Woodson did), etc. I’m sure others on the blog could add to the list.
Woodson got this same group of players to play some winning basketball with smoke and mirrors. But I think this group has enough talent to play a conventional brand of basketball and still win. We still need more balance on the roster and a center (I think we have found our point guard for the future and he ain’t named Kirk).
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:16 pm
NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD TAKE JOE MAX. WE ARE STUCK WITH HIM..
SHOP JOSH
SHOP AL
ASAP ONCE THE FIRST ROUND MELTDOWN/BEATDOWN HAS BEEN COMPLETED…
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:17 pm
LD WAS AN ASSISTANT HC FOR 18 YEARS?????????????NOW WE KNOW WHY………..
LD KICK ROCKS……………..
mykhalc
March 23rd, 2011
5:18 pm
yep…he sayin’ what’s already been said by many and many times on this blog.
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:20 pm
MARVIN SHOULD NOT EVEN START IN THE D-LEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHAT A 6-9 JOKE………………………….IT WAS THE WORST PICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SHELDON A CLOSE 2ND!
mykhalc
March 23rd, 2011
5:22 pm
well at least we NOW know why Woodson’s offense was so bad and predictable. now we can blame Woodson for keepin’ LD as an asst for as long as he did. this team peaked 2 to 3 seasons ago. KA BOOM PLEASE!!!
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:22 pm
SUND=LD=JOSH…………THOSE 3 ARE A MAJOR HAWK PROBLEMS..AND WHY THIS TEAM HAS REGRESSED SO RAPIDLY!!!!!!!!!!
joey
March 23rd, 2011
5:25 pm
1 again,the problem is joe. he has the talent to be a top 10 player but he is to passive,and he has no killer instincts, he needs to take the team on his shoulders and carry them like he did in 2007 against boston if he does that the hawks have the talent to contend but the problems is he lacks killer instinct that d rose d wade l james, k bryant have, when he starts becoming more aggresive this team the hawks will drastically become better
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:25 pm
NONE OF THE 3 STOOGES ARE RIM PROTECTORS.YOU GOT CARD BLANCH TO THE RIM ANY TIME YOU LIKE…..
D-LEAGUE STUFF……….DOWN 45 IN THE 3RD LAST NIGHT WITH YOUR STARTERS!!!!!!!!
LD JUST QUIT LIKE YOUR TEAM DID………………….
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
5:30 pm
Rev in Tampa
I’m not sure there was any one moment when
the game got out of hand.
Josh got two fouls and came out but Zaza came in
and mixed it up.
I thought the officials allowed contact inside when
we had the ball, yet when Chicago went inside it was
hands off Rose, as he has risen to LbJ, D.Wade, level.
Poor Zaza gets hammered on every shot but
gets to the line infrequently. [by comparison]
In no way am I saying the officials turned the game.
2 roughly the 3 min mark of the 1st qtr the Bulls
put their foot on our throat and we lay there passively.
Regardless of the early score Chi was playing with more
aggression. I felt like Boozer moreso than anyone set the
tone early with his Oakley[esque] physical presence.
All the Hawks (all of them) filed meekly off to slaughter.
No one fought back,
therefore, blame is widespread and cannot be placed
on one person coming or goning in or out.
Leadership starts @ the top.
A winning culture starts higher than LD or Sund !
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
5:34 pm
* @ roughly the 3 min mark
* [Not] “2″ roughly the 3 min mark
Grandad
March 23rd, 2011
5:35 pm
* goning ?
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
5:38 pm
there must be something sinister going on down here to not have won any ECF or partaken in an NBA Finals for 43 years seems pretty strange indeed…I know this state started out as a penal colony and over years treated folks like sh–! But WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
O'Brien
March 23rd, 2011
5:52 pm
Rod,
As bad as the hawks have been, I wont put it all on Jamal and I wont put it all on Marvin (or any one player). Its a team and coaching effort.
Najeh, Josh has been in the game for other blowouts too.
Section 303,
I think Josh’s biggest problems are mental. He has lots of talent. Trade him to a team coached by pop, Jerry Sloan, doc rivers, and he would turn into an all star in my opinion. He just needs guidance and to listen to his coach.
slimjr
March 23rd, 2011
6:09 pm
Hawks @ Philly in 53 mins and counting! On Feb 8th Philly went up by 20 in the 1st quarter!!! Ended up bashing the Hawks 117-83!! OUCH……………………..Wow it does not look good for LD?????????????
Keith
March 23rd, 2011
6:13 pm
I said it then and I will say it now. There was not a better replacement out there for “Woody” at the time the fact that Josh sit back and shoot jumpers lets me know that no one on that team is listening to him and if letting Josh shoot jumpers is part of the plan…….SMH…. at least “Woody” would have had some words for that craziness and sat him down and let him thing about it. As soon as the Hawks got down 10 points there body language changed and mentally they were already at the house eating popcorn.
TRUTH
March 23rd, 2011
6:14 pm
Oooo, the Hawks can STINK up the place. To the owners of the Hawks, STOP BEING CHEAP!! I don’t care how hard Atlanta sportswriters try to make the Hawks sound cool by assigning nicknames to bench players who are posing as starters here. J.J.?? J. Smoove?? Really?? They can’t even carry the socks of PLAYERS like DWIGHT, K.G., Tim Duncan, (and for my nickname crew… Superman, The Big Ticket, and The Big Fundamental, acordingly). The difference is those with the slick nicnames have other components that comprise a team. The team has a following called fans (something that after 15 years in Atlanta I have yet to see rally…but then Atlanta has not had a team since Dominique.)
As for the coach, well, again, when there was a chance to get the good ones, the Hawks decided to go cheap. L.D. (henceforth to be known as “Losin’ Drew”) is a bench coach at best. He has no track record and any win he earns with the current lineup is a surprising moment. The Hawks passed on Avery Johnson, Byron Scott (Cavs), Mark D’Antonio (Knicks), and a boatload of others and they came up with L.D. (blank stare). Woody was by far a better coach. Although J. Smoove didn’t like him because Woody called his punk (expletive) out.
My other question is why do the Hawks continue to hang on to players that NO ONE ELSE would ever want. ZaZa? And the last time he was contributory to a win was….I’ll wait… I know he was from the Billy Knight era, but with Billy should ZaZa have faded. Along with J. Smoove, J.J. (I’m still wondering about that crazy contract he got), Marvin, etc.
No, Atlanta, the only star on the Hawks truly is Al Horford. He plays hard and with something you can’t teach, heart. I wish, for him, he gets traded and goes to a team that deserves his level of play. I’m sure he wishes he was Noah and the Bulls. Better team, better fan support, and a class organization that is committed to winning.
Although Atlanta got slammed last night, the entire organization should have been taking notes on how its done.
What an embarrasment….
J from the A
March 23rd, 2011
6:17 pm
@drmaryb you are a fool for that one! [see 4:40 pm]
keep ‘em coming!
DJ
March 23rd, 2011
6:19 pm
It is plain and simple. The Hawks or (HACKS) are scared!! They do not have a leader. If Boston go blow out like this KG would be all up in everyone’s a_ _! Not a KG fan but I respect his passion which I cannot see on the court when the Hacks play. I remember see more passion and effort when they traded away everyone, back when Bob Sura was playing.
DJ
March 23rd, 2011
6:21 pm
Its Allen Houston all over again. Wash-up huge contract. Knicks just now rebounding. We got a long way to go until we get from under our Joe Johnson.
I MUS WRITE
March 23rd, 2011
6:39 pm
Random:
Derrick Rose is awsome
Joe Johnson is a total disapoinment thus far
Jamal blew his load last year
Marvin is horrible
Josh is shooting better than Joe/Marvin
LD was bad/cheap hire.
Woody got alot more from the same players
Dwight Howard will dominate in the 1st round series
I know there are big men in the D League better than ZAZA
Horford Smovve New Coach = Hawks future -trade the remaining peices.
Is Jjimmer Ferrdett the new Adam Morrison or can he really play in the NBA?
ag
March 23rd, 2011
6:40 pm
is teague starting tonight?
Col. Angus
March 23rd, 2011
6:48 pm
Hawks are going nowhere but down until the team has new owners, GM and coach. This team needs to be blown up and done over. Every one of them should be ashamed to cash their checks.
bob
March 23rd, 2011
6:52 pm
It will take three years minimum before contracts will even allow breaking up this horrible team. At least four years of lottery picks to have some young talent, and then at least three more years for those players to develop. Absolute earliest chance of making the Eastern Conference Championship, 2022. Maybe for Al Horford’s swan song.
I sure hope Tech finds a good coach so we can have basketball worth watching in this town this decade.
Sautee
March 23rd, 2011
6:54 pm
IMUS,
He reminds me of a slightly smaller Matt Harpring who had a decent career.
cp
March 23rd, 2011
6:59 pm
SMDH LD going with the same lineup that has been getting smoked. Really LD?
leedsatlanta
March 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fire-Larry-Drew/196704723682688?sk=wall
Take action now!!!!!!!!!!!
John Jensen
March 23rd, 2011
7:00 pm
We badly need to fire L.D. He’s completely destroying this franchise. I don’t know how much more the fans can take before people just stop showing up. Attendance is dwindling more and more, unless the fans are coming to watch the opposing team, and it looks like things are just going to get worse for the Hawks. It’s sad to see the consistent trend of improvement come to an end at the hands of a selfish, biased, clueless rookie coach. L.D. needs to go ASAP.
O'Reilly
March 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
“SMDH LD going with the same lineup that has been getting smoked. Really LD?”
It seems like you scratch your head a lot these days. Almost every post I see from you includes “smh” in one form or another. If Drew finally just got fired, you wouldn’t have to scratch so much.
ag
March 23rd, 2011
7:03 pm
You get blown out at home and keep your starting job. Great message Drew. FIRE LARRY DREW
Keep your head up Teague!
niremetal
March 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
I don’t know O’Reilly. But I like him already.
brigadierjerry
March 23rd, 2011
7:08 pm
Would you trade for him in the off season?Only has one year left on his contract
Felton forcing trade?
http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=19198
would you trade for him? I’d love to have him as a Hawk next season
Najeh Davenpoop
March 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
So… no new blog?
Najeh Davenpoop
March 23rd, 2011
7:11 pm
Never mind, it’s up.
cp
March 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
smh is not scratching my head. that was very corny. when you see my name just skip whatever I post
badd DAWG
March 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
These guys are the worst team the Hawks have ever sent out on the floor,effort wise. A championship is out of the question. The only nicknames they deserve aren”t printable.If it were up to the fan on the street,(he is not in the stands) half these guys would be outta here after laying down in the playoffs last spring. Have fun spending your money Hawks and Go Braves!
bigdave
March 23rd, 2011
7:13 pm
Kirk getting beat off the dribble early..