Atlanta Hawks at Rockets: Clinching seed is the carrot
There’s a juicy carrot out there for the Hawks tonight.
Beat the Rockets and they clinch the No. 5 seed in the East. Clinch the No. 5 seed and then all of their tired bodies and minds might get a break over the final five games.
“I want to clinch before I even think about doing that,” L.D. said.
That’s some pretty good incentive.
“It should be for the guys,” Drew said. “A couple of weeks ago we were talking about it but kind of looking at how we were playing, looking at the schedule, it wasn’t a sure lock. Here we are with an opportunity to clinch it.”
No one can be blamed for not trusting the Hawks. A season’s worth of questions were not suddenly answered by two good efforts that included likely outliers like J.J. getting to the line, Josh draining tough jump shots and Zaza wrecking the team he likes to wreck most.
What L.D. thinks can most be duplicated is the focus and determination that allowed the Hawks to win ugly against good opponents.
“Probably the grind-em-out presence that we played with in both games,” Drew said. “Against Orlando, I thought we did a really good job in matching their physicality. I thought we did a good job in playing physical. Those type opponents, that’s the type of effort you have to have against them. I thought it was the same thing against Boston. Both games turned into half court games, we turned them into grind-em-out games and we played with a physical toughness.”
Game notes
- “Regular” lineup for the Hawks: Hinrich, J.J., Marvin, Smoove, Al.
- The Rockets seemingly were done after they traded away Aaron Brooks and Shane Battier at the deadline. Instead they’ve surged and are desperately trying to make the playoffs. Henry Abbott at TrueHoop reported that the Rockets are motivated to stick it to fans, media, and the team’s front office, and I’m wondering if that might work for the Hawks, too.
- The Rockets are a better offensive rebounding team than the Magic and Celtics. Impressive work considering they aren’t a big team.
- “Scola bangs inside, Hayes bangs inside, Hill comes in and bangs inside, Patterson comes in and bangs inside,” Drew said. “They play extremely fast, they get up and down the floor, but yet they play with a physicality. I am hoping that the way we played the last couple games will carry over into tonight’s game.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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418 comments Add your comment
Najeh Davenpoop
April 3rd, 2011
10:36 pm
I counted at least three occasions — one late in the game, two early in the game — when Joe got the ball in or near the paint in position to score and turned it over. The number of looks Joe got had absolutely nothing to do with this loss. If anything, Joe shares a large part of the responsibility of not being able to check Kevin Martin.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
10:39 pm
“It’s funny that your description of what Al should do is pretty much what he did against the Celtics in our win on Friday, but of course, you forgot about that already.”
______________
Ah … I was at that game, I saw it in person! I don’t give a rat’s tail if Al scores 28 pts from 16 – 23 feet! My complaint is the STYLE of play.
A Big man playing 16 – 23 feet AWAY from the basket is just plain SOFT!
If he is out there? Who the hell is in the paint? Who is drawing a foul to put the entire team in the penalty for FT’s! How many FT’s will he get out there? Who is going to REBOUND the OFFENSIVE glass?
ZaZa won that Celtics game, NOT Al! I am not upset about ONE game, I am disgusted about ALL of them! ALL OF THEM! Look at the stats people!
Are you really satisfied with REGRESSION? Really?
Then get off MY comments and SCROLL PAST my posts! Grow a brain!
Teams circle our games and got champagne in the locker room!
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
10:43 pm
@drmaryb
If you’ve been giving this argument since November, then you have been a dumbass since then. Horford isn’t good at creating his own shots in the post, which is why he has drawn his game out to the 16-23 foot range where he is leading the league. His usage rate is terrible, which may also explain why he felt he had to take his game out of the post.
And where are we in the bottom in the league in defense? We are 7th in defense. Want to know why we have dropped out of the top half of the league in offensives categories? It has to do with Josh Smith’s jump shooting and Jamal Crawford’s and Joe Johnson’s ineffectiveness.
Question: who would you trade for Al? Nene? Because Al has a better defensive and offensive rebounding rate than Nene, a better AST:TO ratio, and a better EWA and PER. The only thing Nene has on Al is FG%.
You are trying to blame this season’s letdown on Al when it has really been poor offensive calls, Jamal and Joe’s inefficiency, and (at the beginning of the season) poor defense by the point guard position. Hell, Al and Josh have been the best players on the team BY FAR this year, yet they are taking the brunt of everybody’s shots. Turn down the stupid!!
lewis
April 3rd, 2011
10:47 pm
rocknblues81
April 3rd, 2011
10:08 pm
Kirk Hinrich stinks.
Am I the only one tired of slow footed white guy at PG?
Btw, Crawford is tearing it up for Washington.
yes his name was bibby but he was only half white
superiorblogman
April 3rd, 2011
10:50 pm
This particular loss has nothing to do with Kevin Martin getting how many ever he did. It is not like he was torching Joe to start with and the guy averages 23 a game. Joe got well over his average. If Al had dominated like it says he should on paper and if Kirk had have played like the great Defensive player you guys keep lying like he is or if LD had simply stayed big and not allowed Houston to get into a running game by playing down to there style we would have won, more Teague and more Marvin we would have won. This game is on LD, Horford, and Hinrich if we have to point fingers. If we are not into pointing fingers it is still obvious that LD’s lack of experience is killing this team.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
10:53 pm
MJC
“You are insinuating that Al gets the ball when he isn’t open; he isn’t great at creating his own shots.”
_______________
Just because you’re open, doesn’t mean you have to shoot?
Ever heard of a pump fake and drive for an AND-1, or kick, or hitting a cutter, (oh wait, no player movement).
In the 4th when Al was fouled by Hayes or Patterson, he doesn’t get a foul shot because Houston was not oin the penalty! Why is that?
Because, like Joe said “we are all jump shooters, it is what it is, man.”
I don’t even have to look at the box score to tell you that your so-called big man didn’t draw any fouls and had NO FT’s! He never will shooting from 16 to 23 feet away from the paint! Are you DEAF?
How many times top I have to repeat myself? Are you autistic?
Just leave me alone! Got bother somebody else! I need a midol!
doc
April 3rd, 2011
10:55 pm
basically we didnt want to play defense tonight. we gave them space and the took advantage of it all the way around. no one played defense with any focus, intensity or intelligence.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:00 pm
Everyone saw the game tonight and witnessed a mess, nuff said.
Wabe
April 3rd, 2011
11:01 pm
want analysis? why’d we lose?
it’s the hawks. period. no need to get any deeper than that.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:01 pm
drmaryb, if you look at the stats I gave you, it is apparent that Al does get in the paint. In THIS game, Chuck Hayes did an effective job of boxing out and keeping Al out of the paint. But, if we look at the ENTIRE SEASON, evidence shows that Al has been in the paint enough to grab rebounds and has been effective enough from mid-range to warrant his shots from there. Just because you refuse to correctly look at someone else’s argument doesn’t make you right; it makes you an imbecile.
Aaron
April 3rd, 2011
11:03 pm
MJC is spot on. Good points. If I were you, I wouldn’t even bother arguing with drmaryb. What’s the point of arguing with someone who doesn’t understand the game and doesn’t even bother to listen to what someone else has to say if they don’t immediately agree?
How silly is it to call out one of the only good players we have and try to put the blame for the team’s shortcomings on him, when he is the only guy who even plays smart and with heart each and every night? It doesn’t even make sense. Al definitely had a bad night tonight, but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had great nights during the season where he was the main reason why we won games. Everyone has bad nights, and it’s alright to criticize, but it pisses me off when people want to call out a player for one bad game, but won’t even acknowledge or admit that credit is deserved for a good game.
This comment really was funny to me: “ZaZa won that Celtics game, NOT Al! I am not upset about ONE game, I am disgusted about ALL of them! ALL OF THEM! Look at the stats people!”
How blind can a person be? Mary, if you didn’t think that Al was a huge reason why we won that celtics game, then you really don’t know anything about the game of basketball. Al not only did all of the little things in that game and played suffocating defense on his matchup, but he led the team in rebounding, assists, steals, blocks, and scored his points on efficient shooting. Zaza definitely had a great game and he deserves lots of credit, but there’s no way the Hawks win that game without Al, and they probably wouldn’t have won it without Jamal either.
The stupidity continues. Look at this line “Look at the stats people!”. You should practice what you preach, because obviously, you’re not looking at the stats, mary. Al has improved in just about every area this year, and PER is not that far below MVP-caliber players. You just make yourself look like a total fool when you tell someone to look at the stats and they completely ruin your argument.
Open your eyes and look around. Think about what you are saying. Also, if you don’t want to be criticized, don’t post rude, crazy remarks.
Ray
April 3rd, 2011
11:06 pm
drmaryb said “…I need a midol!”
This is definitely true.
northcyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:07 pm
Of course it does Najeh. It’s always JJ’s fault. That’s why he should try to do more, so that it won’t be any question whose fault it is. You make a point to point out every turnover or supposed bad shot he takes, like the Smith haters do when he takes a jumper ( even if it’s late in the shot clock ).
But at some point, this team is simply going to have to let the people who can BALL, either win or lose the game for us. Smith and JJ did all they could tonight to help us win. Neither will get much criticism from me tonight at all. Others simply have to do their job. Some did. Some didn’t.
You say that getting JJ more looks wouldn’t have had absolutely no bearing on the outcome of the game, which may or may not be true. Remember, we started the 2nd half up by like 6 or 7 . . and was down by 5 at the end of the quarter.
JJ goes 2 – 4 in the quarter
Hawks go 7 – 21 in the quarter
Maybe if we get JJ 3 more shots toward end of the quarter, he goes 2 – 7 . . or 5 – 7.
If he goes 2 – 7, the result stays the same, because other people missed shots left and right that quarter.
If he goes 5 – 7, we may hold onto our 6 or 7 point lead going into the 4th quarter, because they would’ve never gone on that 15 – 4 run to end the quarter to put them up 5.
Of course it may not have mattered. LOL . . yeah right. He was 7 – 11 FG at one point in that 3rd quarter. At that point, that’s when you feed and fan a person, to see if he can put up a big number. And I don’t care if he got the ball via ISO or via Smith passing him the ball. At that point, you see if he can put up a big number and possibly blow the game open.
But the team, coach, nor the fans want him to do that. It’s all about “balance”.
The irony though, is that this team stays out of balance, either on offense or on defense, or on both at the same time.
********************
If Horford isn’t willing to battle on a nightly basis, and would rather play like Troy Murphy on offense, Drew should start Zaza and see if he can do what Chuck Hayes did on the boards tonight. Don’t waste playing Zaza with the 2nd team, play him with the starters, if our bigs refuse ( or can’t ) play on the inside and battle.
We will continue to fundamentally disagree with how this team should operate, and that’s cool. It makes for decent debate at times. History IS on my side though.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:09 pm
Josh has been Mr. dumdeedumdeedum all season. (1) He is not a point guard but likes to think he is, (2) He is not a pure shooter, let alone a shooter period, (3) His defense only comes at the spectucular otherwise he is a weak defensive player(4) He does not understand the concept of basketball(5) He’s all about himself(6)He is soft does not like contact, he avoids it(7) After 5 years playing this is the best he will ever be.
northcyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:11 pm
And while people are criticizing drmaryb . . . she is exactly right. No one is void of being criticized on this team. When a player is NOT doing what they’re supposed to be doing . . whether it be JJ not scoring and making plays . . Smith not giving us that energy on defense and on the boards . . or Al not playing like a big . . they should get called out on it.
Until Horford decides to become a BADAZZ every night, we will continue to see this every now and then. His midrange jumper is great. But he is our center. And when he plays center, we need him playing like a center, especially on the boards.
No way can our starting center play 41 minutes, but only get 4 rebounds. That’s equivalent to JJ scoring 7 points or Smith going 1 – 8 FG on his jumpshots. Each scenario is INEXCUSABLE.
Jerome
April 3rd, 2011
11:13 pm
Why is there so much of a blame game on this blog after each and every loss? People are always trying to point the finger. The Joe haters will blame Joe, the Josh haters will blame Josh, and the (few) Al haters will jump to the occasion to blame him if he has a bad game. Sometimes, people will not know who to blame so they will start to talk about how much of a disappointment Marvin has been. The excuse list goes on and on. The bottom line is that the team lost, and it’s a team game, so the blame goes to everyone, just as the victories are shared by everyone.
Regardless of who played well and who didn’t, everyone could have played better, the coach could have coached better, but ultimately, it didn’t happen, and we lost. Instead of talking about what the problem was, people (hopefully the players and coach), should be talking about how to solve it, and then actually follow through, because as it stands right now, all the team does is talk about the same problems over and over, while failing to address them on a consistent basis.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:14 pm
Zsa Zsa should be your starting center with Al as your power forward and ISO Joe as small forward with Heirich as shooting guard and Teague as point. That’s about the best defensive lineup the “SOFT’S” have. Tonight with our bigs Twin could have takened care of the middle. LD is a bad coach pure and simple and a new coach will have Josh and Marvin coming off the bench, it’s about all they are worth anyway.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 3rd, 2011
11:14 pm
“Of course it does Najeh. It’s always JJ’s fault. That’s why he should try to do more, so that it won’t be any question whose fault it is. You make a point to point out every turnover or supposed bad shot he takes, like the Smith haters do when he takes a jumper”
I only make it a point to point out his turnovers and/or bad shots if they result from a poor offensive possession, usually iso-Joe. He has every right to brick shots and turn the ball over as often as everyone else on the team. The point was that in addition to the 19 shots he got, he would have had at least 3 more — putting him over your 20-shot threshold — if he hadn’t blown those point blank opportunities by turning it over, and as a result insinuating that the Hawks would have won if he had more looks is pretty far off base.
Joe played well tonight. If I’m going to point fingers at players, I’m going to start with Al and Kirk. And like you admit yourself, the offense wasn’t the problem, so Joe’s shot attempts shouldn’t figure into the question of why the Hawks lost anyway.
“But at some point, this team is simply going to have to let the people who can BALL, either win or lose the game for us.”
Exactly, which is why Teague should play more.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:16 pm
How can they talk about and solve their problems when each player does not know his problem and the coach is unaware also?
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
11:17 pm
Who the hell is
Roy G?
MJC?
Never heard of these clowns until 5 mins. ago. Go to hell.
LOL! Keep Scrolling people!
northcyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:18 pm
Terrell . . why criticize Smith tonight? Horford is the one who didn’t show up. The main guys on this team can’t afford to take nights off, because of the lack of quality depth we have. All 3 are going to have to do SOMETHING well on a nightly basis.
Smith was 3 assists away from a triple-double. Why even criticize him, when Horford didn’t give us anything until the 4th quarter?
Al getting 4 rebounds is unacceptable.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:20 pm
drmaryb, this “clown” usually only posts a couple of times a week because there is rarely an argument as stupid as yours that draws me into debate. Otherwise, when I am on the internet, I frequent places that actually know basketball.
Gerald
April 3rd, 2011
11:21 pm
“Until Horford decides to become a BADAZZ every night, we will continue to see this every now and then. His midrange jumper is great. But he is our center. And when he plays center, we need him playing like a center, especially on the boards.”
This is true for the most part. No one should be immune from criticism, however I have one small issue with this analysis. I agree that Al should always be a force on the glass, and he should always defend his matchup with all he’s got. However, this notion of “playing like a center” on the offensive end is kind of up in the air. While I’d love to see the Hawks establish a presence inside in every game, I have no problem with Al taking the midrange shot to score points, as long as we still have someone scoring inside. I’d love for that someone to be Al, but with the way Drew has guys playing on the offensive end, I doubt we are going to see Al inside on a consistent basis, under this coaching staff. Typically, Al is running the offense from the high post and setting things up, and then spotting up or setting picks. He does mix it up inside, but usually when he has great low post position, his teammates fail to get him the ball, and it’s very, very rare for the team to run an actual post-up play for him. Part of it may have to do with Al not being aggressive enough inside, and part of it has to do with other factors like a failure to recognize Al inside and a failure to deliver the ball. At any rate, what I am saying is, as long as Al produces like a big man, I don’t care exactly how he scores his points, as long as he scores them and we have an inside presence.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 3rd, 2011
11:22 pm
“Of course it may not have mattered. LOL . . yeah right. He was 7 – 11 FG at one point in that 3rd quarter. At that point, that’s when you feed and fan a person, to see if he can put up a big number. And I don’t care if he got the ball via ISO or via Smith passing him the ball. At that point, you see if he can put up a big number and possibly blow the game open.”
By my recollection, Joe went about 1/4 on isos and made the majority of his shots where he was set up by someone (usually Smoove).
I don’t have any problem with feeding him when he’s making shots, but it shouldn’t come off iso on the perimeter. If they want to isolate him, get him the ball in the post and clear out so he can go to work on the likes of Kevin Martin.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:23 pm
Team concept? Where ya’ll from, there is no team concept and good players are being ruined eg; Al, Jeff and Hilton Armstrong. As far as ISO Joe as big and strong as he is suppose to be he plays very small and soft. Who to blame for the loss, look at the game again, it’s obvious, as far as Kirk, this is probably the first time in his NBA career that he has to play with premadonnas who can’t live up to their own hype.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:24 pm
@Gerald
Co-sign.
James
April 3rd, 2011
11:25 pm
“Al getting 4 rebounds is unacceptable.”
This is very, very true. I’ll take it one step further and say that any starting Power Forward or Center getting only 4 rebounds while playing 40+ minutes is unacceptable. However, I expect Horford to bounce back in the next game, since he is typically very solid on the glass. At any rate, I was very disappointed in him tonight.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
11:26 pm
” Turn down the stupid!!”
__________
I just did! You’re Done! I’m scrolling.
James
April 3rd, 2011
11:30 pm
Good post, Gerald. Very good points on Horford. I agree. Also, I tend to believe that Al would welcome the opportunity to play inside more often if he was given the ball down low on a regular basis. He has never been the type of guy to shy away from contact. I’d like to see our coaching staff put more emphasis on interior play in their game plans, but it’s very clear at this point that the majority of the attack comes from the perimeter, and that’s by design. Joe is the only guy who consistently has post-up plays run for him.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:31 pm
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
11:26 pm
” Turn down the stupid!!”
__________
I just did! You’re Done! I’m scrolling.
————————————————————–
Thanks. You just proved my point for me!
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:35 pm
The seasons almost over, the broom is ready for the sweep and this season will be at an end and that is a good thing. Prolonging the inevitable is useless. Very bad coaching by LD and bad play all around as a team. If anyone thinks Al wants to hang in Atlanta I got some land I wanna sell ya. His game suffers because of lack of team ideology and a coach who has no control of the supposedly star players. Al is a winner, he just happens to be playing where losing is acceptable and that cancer spreads.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 3rd, 2011
11:35 pm
Al doesn’t have the back to the basket game to be a go to option in the low post, nor is he aggressive enough to set him up in position for him to take advantage of his very good face up game. What the Hawks can do, however, is run pick and rolls with him where he gets the ball in the paint going towards the basket, allowing him to use his above average ability to finish to either score or get fouled.
It’s pretty much the same thing that works with Smoove more often than not, including in this game.
Anyway, the usage of Al on offense wasn’t as big of a problem in this game as his inability to D up or box out against Hayes.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:37 pm
@W.R.
Al just signed a 5 year extension, so I don’t think he is going to be leaving Atlanta anytime soon.
Get Real
April 3rd, 2011
11:40 pm
Watched the entire game. Comments:
1. When is Josh Smith NOT upset about something. Pouting, upset, whinny, bratty child-faced, “I’m deserving”, “I’m a victim” of …. —— the list could go on indefinititely. Get this SOB off of this team. And do it yesterday! And please don’t quote me his individual stats. I WATCHED THE GAME.
2. Horford is just plain soft! Who cannot manhandle Horford? He’s nothing but a complimentary player who needs real men surrounding him so that he can stay out on the perimeter and shoot his pretty little mid-range jumpers. Little girls (and boys) can make these!
(Maybe Al would be happier in Miami with his Sony Crockett/Rico Tubbs shave-job and his Dominican roots? Trade him for one of Miami’s “Big 3″ (not named Lebron) and everyone might be much happier. Heck, trade him for Joel Anthony, for that matter, at least we would get a real grown male on our starting front line for a change.)
3. What on earth could possibly explain the Hawks’ handling of Teague? It’s bordering on one of the most outrageous situations I’ve ever wittnessed in professional sports. My only guess at this point is that either Teague (or his daddy) must’ve boinked both LD and Woody’s ole ladies’ —along with several of the of the ole ladies of the ASG? Nothing else make any sense at this point.
northcyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:40 pm
Gerald . . who is going to be that inside presence? Smith?
Horford is the center. Why can’t he be the inside presence?
The problem occurs when his jumper isn’t falling. Who is going to rebound his misses? Al missed 10 shots tonight. We got 3 offensive rebounds off of his shots. That’s actually good. But here’s the kicker.
2 of those misses came within 10 feet of the basket. That’s an area in which he can get his own rebound if he misses the shot, which he did one time. Smith got the other. But of the 8 jumpers he missed, only 1 was rebounded.
The big problem with this, is that Horford is arguably our best rebounder. So when our best rebounder is shooting and missing jumpers, we probably won’t get an offensive rebound.
That’s why I say that if Horford is going to continue to play on the outside, we need to play Zaza alongside him. AT least give us a chance for a 2nd change rebound.
It’s the kind of “out of balance” that I’m talking about. Big men taking jumpers . . no one to rebound the ball . . other team gets the rebound and goes the other way.
Some games, he simply needs to play like he’s 6 – 10 . . not 6 – 4
*******************
For those of you who diss women’s basketball, Mya Moore is putting on a show, trying her best to carry her team. But it may be all for naught, as Notre Dame is simply the better team tonight. Mya has scored UCONN’s last 16 points, and just got fouled on a 3 to possibly make it 19 in a row.
But they can’t get stops on the other end.
W.R.Terrell
April 3rd, 2011
11:41 pm
Why does anyone believe that the Atlanta braintrust makes smart moves. If Al’s name comes up, he’s probaly gone because he’s about he best thing the “SOFT’S” have to offer.
James
April 3rd, 2011
11:42 pm
“Anyway, the usage of Al on offense wasn’t as big of a problem in this game as his inability to D up or box out against Hayes.”
Najeh, Al was not guarding Hayes tonight. He was guarding Scola, and Patterson (to a smaller extent). I don’t know why you keep bringing up his Hayes when talking about Al. That was not the matchup tonight that the Hawks went with Josh was matched up with Hayes. On the offensive end, Al was being defended by Hayes, but not vice versa.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:46 pm
@Get Real
Your first argument is invalid: LeBron James, Chris Paul, and Kobe Bryant complain a lot, but I’d happily have either of those SOBs on our team.
Your second point is also invalid because Horford is in the top 10 in rebounding. He must be doing something right to grab all those rebounds. See Gerald’s and northcyde’s comments earlier because they addresses this very nicely.
Your third point is accurate.
Worldwide Clyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:47 pm
Did Terrance Moore just do my infamous *yawn* on Channel 2 Sports Zone? I didn’t know he reads this blog too.
FIRE DREW
Gerald
April 3rd, 2011
11:47 pm
“Al doesn’t have the back to the basket game to be a go to option in the low post, nor is he aggressive enough to set him up in position for him to take advantage of his very good face up game. What the Hawks can do, however, is run pick and rolls with him where he gets the ball in the paint going towards the basket, allowing him to use his above average ability to finish to either score or get fouled.”
Apparently, there are a lot of opposing coaches who disagree with you. When asked about Horford, most coaches cite his post-game as a strength before mentioning his jump shot, and in case you haven’t noticed, teams are willing to give Horford the jump shot over a post-up because they respect his ability in the post. That’s why he so often gets doubled in the post. I will agree that his post-game needs work, but it is still effective enough to be utilized against most opponents. Also, Al’s face-up game is more than effective enough to be used against anyone. To fully utilize Al, the team could do a lot more than just run pick-and-pops with him, they just fail to do so, and many times, it seems like Al is fine with that. It would definitely help if he were more aggressive and demanded the ball, but I don’t think the issue is that he doesn’t have the skill, but moreso that he doesn’t have the confidence or the desire to want plays run through him more often. He seems totally content with deferring sometimes, which is kind of silly, but I’m hoping he becomes more of an Alpha-dog as his career progresses.
superiorblogman
April 3rd, 2011
11:48 pm
Al Horford is my favorite Hawk by a dwindling margin these days because I am starting to wonder rather he is a dominant player at any position. He cries like a bytch about playing PF then gets dominated tonight by nothing but PF’s, there were no C’s on the floor tonight and Horford still could not dominate. He is my favorite Hawk but it is the truth.
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:48 pm
That should be “they address this” in my previous comment.
Get Real
April 3rd, 2011
11:50 pm
Northcyde writes:
“Horford is the center. Why can’t he be the inside presence?
The problem occurs when his jumper isn’t falling”
__________________________________________________
(Horford is the) Center…..JUMPSHOT not falling.
Does everyone actually grasp this? It’s a bit comical, really. Isn’t it?
MJC
April 3rd, 2011
11:53 pm
@Get Real
You are going with the archaic argument that Centers shouldn’t try to move their game out of the paint. Olajuwon and Ewing were very good at bringing their games out and it allowed the paint to open up for their teammates.
Gerald
April 3rd, 2011
11:53 pm
“Horford is the center. Why can’t he be the inside presence?”
Ask this to the coaching staff. It is their decision to play him at the center position, and Al is encouraged to utilize the midrange jump shot, so I don’t see him changing that habit without any outside motivation, if that is what he is being told to do.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 3rd, 2011
11:55 pm
4 rebounds is about right, when you’re standing 23 feet away from the rim. A center can get 4 rebounds by accident. Sometimes, the ball just lands In your hands.
Al played inside against Boston, so I guess he just mailed it in tonight.
Perhaps he pacing himself for the play offs to rest his sore ankle or something. But, he went to The All Star Games twice as a center, happily!
But, he said, ” I’m a natural PF.” OK, then be one and play inside, your team can not win without the ball, so focus on rebounds and some And-1’s, and pts in the paint as your bread and butter.
Instead of saying next season you will add the 3 pointer, how about chucking that notion and working on some low post offense and dribbling.
You now, big guy stuff, like a:
Drop Step
Back to the Basket move
Bilateral hook shot
Base Line Jumper
Boxing Out
Pump Fake & Drive
Or even a Quick Step in the post instead of a Joe Johnson ball pounding and last minute pass to Josh @ the three 4-5X per game.
Last year, Al was hands down my favorite player. Even if he can’t do all the things on that list, he played BIG! But, this season is a wrap if this is hwo were gonna’ play in 4 weeks. So, next year, Al please don’t ONE thing on that list and what ever you do? Please don’t come back with a 3 pt shot! If you do? Shame on You! Shame on Drew! Shame on Sund!
We already got:
Joe
Josh
Jamal
Kirk
Marvin
Struggling to do that job! We don’t need 6 of yall shooting 3’s!
__________________
This team is the most duplicitous, dis-jointed, unbalanced roster in the NBA! We got 4 SG’s and 2PF’s and one of the SG’s might be a PG if he ever got some PT, we might find out.
James
April 3rd, 2011
11:57 pm
Excellent point @ 11:53 pm, MJC.
A lot of people who haven’t played organized basketball do not realize the significance of having a big man who can stretch the defense. It is a huge advantage to have and it really makes things easier for the player’s teammates. With that being said, it is still important to have an inside presence. I’m not saying that the team’s big men should strictly play outside, but it definitely is not a problem for them to have the ability to stretch their games out to the perimeter. That’s a great strength to have, as long as you don’t forget that they can be forces inside too.
northcyde
April 3rd, 2011
11:59 pm
Props to Skylar Diggins though, for matching Mya’s performance with a big game herself.
(( checking her age before I make a comment ))
OK . . she’s only 20, so I’ll just say that Skylar is a cutie and leave it at that.
Her mama is fine. Skylar will age well.
slimjr
April 4th, 2011
12:01 am
Al for NENE yesterday…
Al you let those guards get uncontested layups again..I have finally figured you out.. You just dont have the reaction speed to close and block shots dude.Your just not trained or wired that way..You look about 6′3′ in the paint!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You have absolutely no intimidation factor at all…SOFT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just like your buddy Maaaaaarvin…….Train wreck comin…Playoffs?? Playoff..
Does anybody have the stat ref the Hawks record against West coast teams this year, I am guessing 4-12? 3-13?? I know its brutally pathetic…………………………
Last check JC2 had 23 point, 5rebounds,2 assist, 2 steals….Nice……
MJC
April 4th, 2011
12:02 am
@northcyde
UConn’s women lost? Don’t tell ESPN that!