Atlanta Hawks: Rockets 114, Hawks 109
- Well, so much for that. And that.
- This looked nothing like the last two games for the Hawks. But then the Rockets are a better offensive team than either Orlando or Boston.
- The Hawks were made to scramble as Kevin Martin and Kyle Lowry danced through their defense. Bibby isn’t out there anymore so that’s on Hinrich, J.J., Teague and Jamal.
- “We gave up too many dribble-drives, too much dribble-penetration,” Smoove said. “They scored 56 points in the paint; that’s way too many. I think if we could have closed in some of those gaps and made them kick it out to shooters, it might have been a different outcome.”
- Closing out harder on those shooters, especially Scola, might also have helped. So too would being patient and taking better shots so the Rockets couldn’t corral long rebounds and take off running.
- The Hawks were up 63-49 and in control near halftime but Lowry beat them down the court for an and-1 and Martin did the same to set up Budinger’s layup. The Rockets kept running in the third quarter and the Hawks helped them out with poor shot selection.
- J.J. opened the period with a missed 5-footer. It would be another 12 possessions before the Hawks attempted a shot from closer than 14 feet and they didn’t earn a free throw either. During that time Atlanta’s 65-56 lead turned into a 77-77 tie.
- “At some point you hope that it clocks in to stay with that’s working,” L.D. said.
- The Rockets shot 57 percent from the field, a season high for a Hawks opponent.
- “We didn’t do a great job helping one another,” J.J. said. “We gave up way too many points in the paint. We didn’t play inside out defensively and make them make those shots. We made it tough on ourselves.”
- Compare two key possessions for each team.
- The Hawks were down 107-105 after Jamal made a technical free throw. The Hawks called a timeout and drew up their “squeeze” play, the set they used to beat Orlando and Toronto when Bibby came off a double screen through the lane.
- Jamal got the call this time but the play ended with him forcing a 3-pointer. “I didn’t catch it clean,” Jamal said.
- “We just didn’t execute the play,” Drew said.
- The Rockets had no such problems on their next possession. Lowry easily got into the lane, Atlanta’s bigs helped and Scola simply had to take Lowry’s pass and step into an open 18-footer.
- Other than a brief stretch in the second quarter, the Hawks didn’t commit to finding ways to score other than by jump shot. “They hit a lot of jumpers [in the first half],” Chuck Hayes said. “Out of 60 points, they only had 20 in the paint. So they were taking the shots we wanted them to take, they just made them.”
- The Hawks also scored 15 points from the line in the first half. That aggressiveness faded after halftime when they had just four free-throw attempts.
- “They did just what we said they were going to do: isolations, post-ups and pick-and-rolls,” Rick Adelman said. “Then in the second half we came out with a much better effort defensively and then down the stretch we switched Courtney [Lee] onto Johnson. He did a great job on Johnson in the last three minutes. He made him take tough shots.”
- Joe scored 25 points on 19 shots and had seven assists. “It felt all right,” he said. “I just tried to get to the post and get some easy baskets. They started doubling quick.”
- J.J.’s three fourth-quarter turnovers included an errant pass that led to Martin’s layup that put the Rockets up for good and a palming violation with Atlanta down 103-102.
- Al made three consecutive baskets in the fourth but otherwise was strangely passive against a team with no 7-footers to stymie him. He had just four rebounds in 41 minutes.
- Josh more than offset some errant long jumpers by scoring 21 points on 16 shots and adding seven assists and two steals with just one turnover.
- Marvin played just 25 minutes. Maybe it should have been more considering his defense and willingness to at least try to get to the free-throw line.
- With Hinrich in foul trouble, Teague logged 20 minutes and was efficient and confident on offense. His one miss in five field-goal attempts was a rushed 3-pointer with the Hawks down 112-109.
- Not even Teague could stay in front of Martin. “He can score,” Teague said. “That’s what he does. He can make shots and he knows how to get to the free-throw line. Somebody that is putting that much pressure on you all the time it’s always going to be a tough person to guard.”
- Drew played just eight guys. Zaza was in foul trouble but none of the other three available bigs played. Neither did Damien, though he’s not the answer against the likes of Martin.
- Lowry ended up with six stitches after a collision with Zaza. He tried to go after Zaza before heading to the locker room to get fixed up. “It was a dirty play by him,” Lowry said.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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132 comments Add your comment
MJC
April 4th, 2011
1:07 am
We may lose to Orlando in the playoffs again, but it isn’t going to be a beatdown. Not only is this not the same Orlando team as last year, but we don’t have to double team D-Howard. The whole reason we got shellacked last year is because Woody started Horford at the C against Howard, who then commanded a double team, and then left one of their shooters wide open. No matter how much people may criticize LD, one of his best decisions was getting Collins in shape to play Dwight.
Ron
April 4th, 2011
1:08 am
I’ve noticed most people are pretty unhappy with how Al played tonight, and rightfully so. However, I actually don’t think that Al had that bad of a night on the defensive end. Overall, he was bad, but not as much on the defensive end, as on the offensive end. Offensively, he really just missed a lot of shots, but his lack of aggressiveness and ability to mix it up inside in this game was disappointing. Still, his individual defense was actually very solid, it was his rotations and help that were subpar. Several times, he left guys like Scola and Patterson wide open helping on drives or trying to help corral Kevin Martin. Also, he gave up too many offensive boards, but Al’s biggest struggle tonight was definitely on the defensive end.
Defensively, this team has holes all over the floor. Our rotations are way too slow, and too often, no one “helps the helper” on this team. When Al or Josh help out on drives or dribble penetration, no one attempts to rotate over to their men, and things typically collapse at that point. However, on the other hand, if they don’t help out, teams usually get wide open layups. That’s just bad team defense, and that is a problem that the team seriously needs to address.
Offensively, I’ve said before, and I’ll keep it brief, that this system is just not right for the team and the lack of interior play that this system provides causes the team to become overly reliant on the jump shot (pretty much every Hawks observer knows this by now), which is why our team play looks so incredibly inconsistent. When the jump shots are falling, things look okay, but when the shots are not falling, we look terrible, unless we have excellent hustling efforts like we did against Boston on Friday.
It’s basically the same old story, regardless of the game or opponent. Regardless of who had an off night, the team still has all of the same issues. Occasionally, one player may have a huge night and cover up the mistakes of others, but that doesn’t mean the issues aren’t still there. Al had an awful night tonight, while others like Joe and Josh had decent nights, but the team, as a whole, still suffered from the same issues. We can’t rely on individual performances to carry us in the playoffs. Unless the philosophy and team play drastically improves, we will nothing more than a warm up in the playoffs.
Elliot
April 4th, 2011
1:10 am
“well then start jumpin………..LOL”
The last time I checked, Al still played for ATL. If/when he starts playing for Denver, I’ll “start jumpin”.
Ron
April 4th, 2011
1:12 am
Correction in my last post: “…biggest struggle was on the OFFENSIVE end”, in regards to Al. Although, I still think his biggest struggle, overall, was rebounding the ball, which could be categorized as defense in many ways,but I just want to clarify, since that last post probably didn’t make much sense with that typo.
Eric
April 4th, 2011
1:14 am
“No matter how much people may criticize LD, one of his best decisions was getting Collins in shape to play Dwight.”
How do you know that was L.D.’s decision? Was this in an article somewhere?
James on Pharr Rd
April 4th, 2011
1:14 am
On defense:LD should have tried trap defense on Martin to force the ball out of his hands, but this and many other issues are why we need to spend major on coaching next year.
On offense, we have struggled against quick teams that will sag into the lanes and dare us to shoot. We are better of posting Al in the middle and live with a few of his mid range jumpers while focusing on dribble penetration by JT,JC,JJ.
Jerry West
April 4th, 2011
1:15 am
Since we’re talking fine lady hoops coaches, check out LSU’s new coach, Nikki Caldwell.
Jermaine
April 4th, 2011
1:20 am
““I can’t believe that the play from the timeout in the last few seconds of the game called for Jeff Teague to have the ball in his hands to take that shot. I have wanted JT to play as much as the others but the ball should have been in JJ, JC or KH hands.”
Kirk fouled out, or else he would have been in the game.”
I still don’t understand why Teague was in the game in that situation. It would have made more sense to have Marvin in there. He’s a more reliable shooter, and we could have used him as a screener as well. Not only that, but I don’t think Marvin would have panicked the same way Teague did in that situation, since he’s got a lot more experience.
I suppose it was a good experience for Teague, anyway. If he is put in that situation again, you know he won’t make the same mistake. However, if L.D. actually wanted to win that game, it would have made a lot more sense to have Marvin in, rather than Teague.
MJC
April 4th, 2011
1:21 am
Eric
April 4th, 2011
1:14 am
“No matter how much people may criticize LD, one of his best decisions was getting Collins in shape to play Dwight.”
How do you know that was L.D.’s decision? Was this in an article somewhere?
———————————————————————
I remember seeing something before the season started that Collins got into shape over the offseason so he would have a chance at getting more minutes with LD as coach.
Wabe
April 4th, 2011
1:26 am
Najeh Davenpoop
April 4th, 2011
12:45 am
“Speaking of Teague, I guess I should post my Teague update. I should point out that LD f-cked me over in this game. Teague had played 19 minutes and 53 seconds when Kirk fouled out, and as a result Teague had to play the last 11 seconds of the game — the sequence where he bricked the desperation 3 and Houston rebounded and iced the game. Not really Teague’s strength, pulling up for 3s with the clock running down. As a result, this game is going to skew the hell out of my Teague update, despite the fact that Teague played very well and the Hawks quite possibly may have won if he had played more in the 2nd half, considering how much Kirk struggled to keep Lowry in front of him. But it’s all good. In the interest of honesty, I’ll count this as a loss when Teague cracks the 20 minute threshold.
Since the Bibby trade, the Hawks are:
4-3 when Teague plays 20+ minutes, 6-8 when he doesn’t
4-3 when Teague starts, 6-8 when he doesn’t
2-1 with the Teague/Kirk starting back court, 8-10 with all other lineup configurations
Free Jeff Teague”
F the records, and who cares if its skewed. You’re dead on…free Jeff Teague.
Truth is, if they’d let him loose, I think a couple of seasons from now, people would be happy that we did. Immediately, he might not live up to what people are expecting out of their starting PG night in and night out, but with minutes, this kid could be a solid player – not just a rotational peice – down the road.
Again, I’m not sure what LD’s thinking is about this kid. It just boggles my mind why a team that’s been desperate for a true PG for years upon years doesn’t give this kid a real shot. Both Woody/Drew gave Bibby the bulk of the minutes and played Jamal at point when Bibby wasn’t in more times than not. Why? Nobody will ever know.
Now, you’ve got something similar with Hinrich here. I’ll admit, Teague’s minutes have been better since the Hinrich deal, but if you look closely, the Hawks aren’t really losing much, and could even be better off in many ways, by giving Teague the go over Hinrich.
We’re stuck with coaches who think too much about job security, and thus we’ve been stuck in a rut in the player development department. I just can’t help thinking about what Chills said about this team and how the environment takes a toll on young players. Some of these young guys the Hawks let rot on the bench could make the Hawks better off, but you’re gonna have to live with some of the mistakes they make. If you can just be patient and live with those mistakes throughout the course of the season, you’ll be much better off come playoff time. But obviously, we’ve been screwed having coaches/GM’s that we have.
Wabe
April 4th, 2011
1:33 am
For the Atlanta Hawks, there’s no point in drafting players in the NBA Draft. Those players just rot.
I can’t help but think where guys that are contributing on other teams like Gary Neal or Wes Matthews would be if they got stuck on this team.
Just look at Jordan Crawford right now. Clearly a guy that could’ve helped this club, but this club obviously thinks having too many guys that can contribute is a problem. Seriously, what team hates having too many gaurds? When one’s not feeling it, plug another one in. Jamal didn’t have the greatest of seasons, but we still couldn’t experiment through the regular season and find ways to give this kid burn.
It’s beyond frustrating. And it’s laughable when people get upset at folks because of the Hawks boneheaded-ness. The GM is a bum, and the coach is looking pretty stupid too for not finding minutes for a guy who clearly could’ve played a role. And you’d think seeing Jordan Crawford doing what he’s doing in Washington would make coach think a bit harder about Teague’s potential. Take the shackles off of him and let him loose you F’N BUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21
April 4th, 2011
1:43 am
Dominique might suck as an announcer but looks like he can still throw down.
http://www.tmz.com/videos?autoplay=true&mediaKey=91b91f19-66dd-4db6-a9dc-cfee1cf12b05&isShareURL=true
James on Pharr Rd
April 4th, 2011
1:44 am
In spite of the Free JT all around the A, I think that at this time we should focus on the playoffs, and our best match up in the point guard position-Jameer Nelson. Hinrich can play better than average half court defense, but we ought to let Teague start for the rest of the regular season games because he matches very well against Jameer and now would be a good time to get some sort of rhythm.
Ryan
April 4th, 2011
2:19 am
I love al… but he has to play more in the post. we need the old al, not this jumpshooting non-post al
The Truth
April 4th, 2011
2:47 am
The Hawks lost this game not because Houston was the better ball club. That is not The Truth! Both teams played similar strong offense and weak defense. The difference; however was that Houston players had a higher basketball IQ and a better coach than the Hawks. When Houston got down, they didn’t settle for jumpers, they attacked the rim, got foul and made the game easy. When the Hawks got down, they caused TOs, attempted tough, difficult and wild shots and didn’t attack the rim even though the refs were calling everything. They failed to capitalize on Houston small lineup. When the game was on the line, the Hawks made a series of bad plays by JJ, Hinrich and Crawford while Houston was playing smart “low-risk” basketball during the last few minutes of the 4th. LD calls time-out only for Crawford to launch a wild shot against 2-defenders when we really needed an inside play for an easy basket. How stupid was that? I had to wonder did LD called that play or was Crawford trying to be a hero. Other than Josh one block shot (in the paint), you would be hard press to recall any defensive plays of significance made by the Hawks. Give Rick Adelman credit for throwing in a defensive wrinkle by switching Courtney Lee on JJ in the final minutes of the game. This “new look” JJ saw may have been responsible for some of his critical TOs.
The moral of this lost is:
If the Hawks are going to play soft as cotton defense which by itself is a recipe for disaster, then at least play smarter than your opponent.
Dumbfounded as to why a team “greener” than the Hawks played smarter than them.
superiorblogman
April 4th, 2011
3:48 am
Okay, I know the season is not officially over and it is possible that the Hawks make it to the 2nd rd and put up a 6 game fight against a Bulls team that I am still not impressed with, but major changes are still needed to get to a championship level. Look, as much brutally honest, borderline; negative stuff as I post about this franchise, I can let it all go at the end of the season like it never happened if Larry Drew is fired, Rick Sund let go, and we get new owners. That’s all it takes to appease me.
JSS
April 4th, 2011
4:00 am
@ Jerry West, Northcyde, and others…
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/489896/P1000921-Coach_Caldwell_medium.jpg
I was wondering how long before somebody mentioned Nikki Caldwell… There’s only one thing to Google: Nikki Caldwell 25th Anniversary Cedar-Sinai Sports Spectular… There’s is nowhere to breakout a dress like that in the Bayou! Life in L.A. will never be the same
!
Atlanta Hawks – decidedly devisive | Atlanta Hawks: Fan Nest
April 4th, 2011
4:42 am
[...] in a scramble to explain why it went down the way it did. Enter our three team captains, who always know what the problem is. Let’s take a look at some very telling quotes obtained by the AJC’s beat writer, [...]
sam'l
April 4th, 2011
4:56 am
The Hawks lost because……they really didn’t want to win this game. The free Jeff Teague movement would have been better if it were the free Jordan Crawford brigade, but that’s over and you missed the train. (So did I, but I can learn)
We had time for two 3-point shots at the end of the game. Joe Johnson went for two, not really a bad idea…he could have picked up a foul…..or Houston could have missed free throws…….but we let their ace free throw shooter almost get to the other end of the floor before we fouled him……and he never should have gotten the ball in the first place….meaning we accepted that we would need a three at the end of the game….We accepted that….but not being smart.
I knew when Teague had the ball it wasn’t gonig to end well….he could take that shot 100 times without making it…..Crawford or Johnson should havehad the ball…..shot a three with 4 seconds with Smith (not J Smoothe) and Horford crashing the boards….I guess not saving a timeout is on Drew’s head.
But even during the game, you just didn’t see any killer instinct from the Hawks……and that’s why they lost.
Big Ray
April 4th, 2011
5:03 am
Worst way to draw up a play at the end of the game. You don’t want Teague taking that shot.
On the Al Horford criticism – it’s well warranted. He had a bad game.
On the opposing arguments on Larry Drew. Both sides have points, but Najeh Davenpoop will always be a superior blogger to…well…I need not say, I’m sure…
LOL@ Northcyde . You know things are bad when true fans of the game are making comments about the commentators….but he’s right. She’s a looker…
Kirk Hinrich clearly had a bad game. Jeff Teague was clearly playing fairly well. Larry Drew clearly is not the coach for this team.
Remember Sund talking about how they picked up a scorer when they got Jordan Crawford? Remember how they said it was always good to get another scorer?
Dude could ball. Drew sat his butt on the bench. Now let’s not get it twisted. Crawford couldn’t give us the production HERE that he gives Washington without sitting or trading Joe or Jamal. We all know the deal with Joe, and Sund refused to trade Jamal. That spelled the end for Jordan, once the trade was made.
Look at it this way, Jordan was “freed.” Now he can write letters to Teague and tell him what freedom is like. LOL.
5thwardtexas
April 4th, 2011
6:40 am
who didnt see this coming? embarrassing team from an embarrassing, worthless city full of men that want to be women. hawks wouldnt be .500 if they were in the west as i said before.
O'Brien
April 4th, 2011
7:40 am
I think this loss was a team effort (or lack of), especially on defense.
Al did not play well, and if he keeps this up, we may have to change his name from “the Boss” to “the supervisor”.
Trojan
April 4th, 2011
7:44 am
Teague had 10 points in 20 minutes. I guess that means he won’t play again for a couple of games.
LD is taking this team nowhere.
O'Brien
April 4th, 2011
7:48 am
One of the reasons I think ATL will lose in the first round is because as a team, we are too predictable, and too dependent on jumpers;
“They did just what we said they were going to do: isolations, post-ups and pick-and-rolls,” Rick Adelman said.
Chuck Hayes said. “Out of 60 points, they only had 20 in the paint. So they were taking the shots we wanted them to take, they just made them.”.
In the playoffs, our opponent will adjust, but I have little confidence in LD and the Hawks players making any adjustments, especially when jumpers are not falling.
And props to Chuck Hayes for not complaining about wanting to play PF. Dude is 6′6″, and just plays. I think he is a free agent, and I would love to have him on our team.
phil
April 4th, 2011
8:35 am
What did I babble the other day? Defense wins these games. We gave up 31 more points in this one than against Boston the other night. Don’t give me that better offense crap. The Hawks fell on their collective faces once again because the defensive intensity wasn’t there. Yes, they hung around for a change in a game like this, but they can’t win if doing nothing to stop the other side….simple as that.
tony
April 4th, 2011
8:47 am
Al Horford Hinrich and LD’s fault. If you have to ask someone if they think it is mostly on the players and not LD you can’t see or don’t have a basketball mind. Jamal and Kirk played 2 many minutes they could have easisly been subbed for Marvin and Jeff and that would have been a win
Hinich fault? What game did you watch young man? Captain Kirk was the reason why they built that 7 point lead in the 4th quarter until BONEHEAD(JS) started shooting bricks and the team started turning the ball over. I see where certain players dodge Kirk throughout the game which explains why he struggles offensively.
Besides, it’s immuture to blame the players for losing this game because a coach has 4 quarters to make the neccessary adjustments to come away with a victory. This team is inefficient in too many areas.
1) poor passing
2) poor shoot selection
3) incoherent(as a team)
4) lack team chemistry
5) No true postions
These are coaching issures not players issures.
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
8:53 am
“Al did not play well, and if he keeps this up, we may have to change his name from “the Boss” to “the supervisor”.” LOL…..
Dribble penetration= uncontested layups to the rim are the HAWKS KRYPTONITE and will be their undoing in the playoffs…AL you look like your stuck in quick sand!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SLOW MOTION LIKE THE MATRIX…
AL=THE MATRIX-slow motion
ISO got touched last night
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
8:55 am
^^^^^^^^^^
torched.
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
8:57 am
“Chuck Hayes said. “Out of 60 points, they only had 20 in the paint. So they were taking the shots we wanted them to take, they just made them.”.”
Chuck took your Lunch money AL and Josh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
9:00 am
Teague can watch JC2 Highlights on youtube or NBA TV!!!! LOL
JeJe
April 4th, 2011
9:02 am
How was Damien not the answer for K.Martin? He’s a better defender than anyone else on this team
Horrendous job playing defense. Everyone was open. I remember this was the same against the Rockets in Atlanta too
Myrak43
April 4th, 2011
9:10 am
“”The last time I checked, Al still played for ATL. If/when he starts playing for Denver, I’ll “start jumpin”.”"
so does that mean when Horford is traded for Bogut you are going to jump on the Bucks train?
Geemack
April 4th, 2011
9:36 am
Why is horrible shot selection still an issue with this team, and horrible defense.
This is the reason I refuse to get excited for the Hawks playoff chances.
There is no reason the Hawks shouldn’t beat the Magic in the 1st round, even without home court advantage. However I know the Hawks will find a way to give Orlando the series in 5 games.
Astro Joe
April 4th, 2011
9:47 am
Not that he game should have come down to the last play, but Teague should not have come in when Hinrich fouled out, it should have been Marvin. Jamal or Joe should have brought the ball upcourt and either taken the shot or looked for Marvin, Josh or even Al behind the 3-point line. Teague played well in the game but was not the right guy for the last 10 seconds (when a 3 was required). Lowery becomes the role-model for Teague, he entered his NBA career as a one-trick pony but has learned over the past few seasons to become a more complete PG. Of course, Lowery always played with fire in his belly which I am sure has helped him stay motivated through the hours of individual practice that he has put in his game.
Rev in Tampa
April 4th, 2011
10:21 am
•Other than a brief stretch in the second quarter, the Hawks didn’t commit to finding ways to score other than by jump shot. “They hit a lot of jumpers [in the first half],” Chuck Hayes said. “Out of 60 points, they only had 20 in the paint. So they were taking the shots we wanted them to take, they just made them.”
This is THE REASON the Hawks won’t do anything in the playoffs.
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
11:00 am
Well Doc, got half my prediction right! I said Houston by 10… LOL..
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
11:01 am
up Next, Tuesday night San Antonio by 20!
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
11:03 am
Duncan will take Al’s lunch and dinner money!!!!!!!!!!LOL
sam'l
April 4th, 2011
11:13 am
Try a press…..see if it works….two platoon if necessary….get ready for Orlando…..
watch the films……
play hard…..if not get benched..
watch a guard fly by….get benched.
pachulia…….it’s great to be strong…..but learn how to do it without elbowing your opponent in the neck or wrapping your arms around their neck.
Not that I care that much, but you don’t want to be suspended against Orlando……
Rusty
April 4th, 2011
11:16 am
The hawks are such a sad team to watch,slow iso offense,no real ball movement(passing around the
the perimeter) no player movement always leading to jumpshots, horrible defense,iso play jj no one playing the right way. Every team in the NBA gets easy shots but us. We are being out coached every game. This coach is horrible has no sense in substitutions,has no real offensive system that works,holds no one accountable. I blame him for the loss of jc2 & the horrible handling of jt. Why is Wilkins not playing at all,why does Etan never see the floor. This coach should be gone or we will have the same kind of year next season.
sam'l
April 4th, 2011
11:16 am
I’ll be quiet now, but has anyone noticed Pat Riley ever talking to anyone or even moving during his cameos at the Miami games.
i suspect this is just a cardboard cutout the maintenance staff places in the stands before games.
The real Riley is under the stands reading the “Art of War.”
Slimjr
April 4th, 2011
11:19 am
Prediction, SUND AND LD(LAME DUCK) will be back……next season….LOL
The Truth
April 4th, 2011
11:20 am
** Lost = Loss (lol way pass my bedtime) **
bigdave
April 4th, 2011
11:29 am
omg.. i cant believe i missed the dialogue about Al last night..
did someone actually say the league respects his post game.. rather him take mid range jumpers?
no.. more like most NBA defensive strategies will live w/ your big man taking mid range shots. “So they were taking the shots we wanted them to take, they just made them.” now exception being Dirk..
last 2 games Al has experience defenders crowding him when he is in his sweet spot and they will give him that jumper a foot or 2 inside 3 and dare him to knock it down w/ regularity.
against Boston Al decided to play like a big. he crashed the boards, got put backs, tap outs.. tough baskets inside. he had a vintage Al game, predicated on (out working) his opponent. Al could play like this nightly if he chose to.. kinda like his old college buddy up in Chicago.
good defenses are not concearned w/ Al a ft or 2 inside the the 3 pt line or down on the low block. they consistently guard him 1 on 1 down low knowing he will eventually throw up a prayer. in his sweet spot, they are crowding him forcing him to make a quick move, putting the ball on the floor, creating his own shot. we saw that happen twice last night. Al threw up a couple of wild shots.
4 rebs. doesnt surprise me.. Al watches rebs on a nightly basis @ times. Sautee and i call him out on it..
helping on penetrating players.. ha, sike. Al will stay w/ his man, will not contest or foul. then he’ll look @ Josh w/ a stupid face and clap his hands.
Josh Smith PF > Al Horford PF
game was over when Jamal took a 25fter out of a time out.. Josh had been going all night, down low even. had it been Al hot, LD would have run a pick and roll for him. Josh should have gotten the ball more late. he and Joe (minus the turns) were rolling..
Scoop
April 4th, 2011
11:52 am
-the effort was there by the Hawks, so the result should not matter….
But I put the blame on Coach Drew. Im noticing a pattern, not at all unlike past years, where LD is running his players into the ground in the 2nd half. THERE IS A REASON WE BLOW LEADS IN THE 2ND HALF!!!!!!!
Guys are just to gased to execute down the stretch. Last night, Joe and Al played the entire 2nd half AND DID THE SAME AGAINST BOSTON THE GAME BEFORE!!!! AND PLAYED 40+ AGAINST ORLANDO. This should be about the long term(playoffs????). We are locked in to the 5th seed….why in the world is LD playing guys 40+ minutes at this point in the season????? Woody was that short-sighted and it cost him in the playoffs when Joe had nothing left and ultimately cost him his job. Sadly, the same fate may reoccur……..
On a postive note, the most overlooked aspect to the game was Smoove. He had a hell of a game. No contested fade-aways, no forced passes/turnovers, and a lot of energy. For what its worth, hes got my respect for showing he is humble enough to know he needs to adjust his gae for the sake of the team(even though I noticied a hint of sarcasm in his halftime interview). The key for Smoove is to play like that consistently.I will say it again, Smoove needs to hit the glass. He and Zaza inside going after offensive boards would be unstopable.
I MUS WRITE
April 4th, 2011
11:53 am
Slim Jr -you’z about a complaining AZZ MOFO. LOL Why is everyone bashing AL-Give the man a break-he had a bad game. Al is a warrior and he gives the team everything he has. Y not complain about JJ who has been missing all dam season-except for january……
By the way Al is 6′9 and posting centers puts him at a disadvantage most nights.
I said it before but I thought the nuggets got the better of that trade. felton,galo,Chandler Mozgov and 2 first rd picks. Add those guys to Nene ,Martin, Jr Smith. I wouldnt be suprised to see them in the WCF…. ” O they wont score enuff with Melo gone” Really…. Jr Smith and Chandler gives you the same production as Melo-even though they are not as good.
BUTLER BULLDOGS 2011 NCAA CHAMPS!!!!
Scoop
April 4th, 2011
11:58 am
@ Big Dave
-are you seriously comparing Al to Smoove???????????
FACT:
-shooting percentage=Al
-rebounds=Al
-efficiency rating=Al
-(+/-) rating=Al
-Turnovers=Josh
O'Brien
April 4th, 2011
12:20 pm
From Mark Bradley’s new blog;
They chose continuity, albeit with a twist. They fired their coach but promoted his assistant. (Message: “We’ve changed, but not really.”).
For discussion purposes, let’s say the Hawks upset Orlando and lose routinely to Chicago in the conference semis. Even the easily satisfied Atlanta Spirit would have trouble framing that as progress.
How could you give Larry Drew rave reviews if his team falls at the same hurdle as Mike Woodson’s? And if dissimilar-in-demeanor coaches wind up with the same result, is it even the coach at all?.
http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2011/04/04/if-the-hawks-dont-make-a-playoff-run-will-josh-be-jettisoned/?cxntfid=blogs_mark_bradley_blog /
Nate ArchiBALL
April 4th, 2011
12:22 pm
How is this for a stat? 22 games without attempting a free throw – Al Horford.
MistaGamer
April 4th, 2011
12:30 pm
Did this clown LD really just say “Stay with what’s working”???????
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!!