Atlanta Hawks: Larry Drew’s dilemma
Washington–I honestly don’t know the right answer to this health vs. momentum dilemma faced by L.D. There is some inherent contradiction in his declaration that health is most important and his desire to finish the season with momentum but, in my view at least, both have merit.
Several Hawks players are banged up and could probably use some rest but don’t they also have to stay in tune? The team hasn’t played well since February but, at this point, aren’t the Hawks as good as they are going to get and so the “fine tuning” L.D. is looking for is too little, too late?
You can sense that players also aren’t quite sure how to feel about the situation.
J.J. says health is the main concern but in the next breath he says he wants to get his game in gear. “My main concern right now is getting into some kind of rhythm going into the playoffs,” he said.
Al says it’s important for the Hawks to “get better as a team and keep up our shape” but then comes out of the equation favoring time off.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to that, just being honest,” he said. “But I think [L.D.] would rather have us play.”
Drew said he still doesn’t plan to sit any of his regulars. Instead, he’d like for the Hawks’ reserves to play well enough that the starters wouldn’t be required to play extended minutes.
“If I’ve got bench guys out there and they are in a real good rhythm I will leave the starters on the bench as long as I can,” he said. “If it’s not getting anywhere and we’re not playing well or we are not in a good rhythm, I don’t want to finish the season like that. I want to finish feeling good about how we play.”
Notes
- Al on the ankle: “It’s good. It’s as good as it’s been, so that’s good news. I am pretty much back to normal.”
- Joe on the thumb: “It’s all right. It’s never going to be 100 percent until the season is over but it’s nothing that is going to stop me from doing anything. I’ve just got to play through it.”
- Joe on the elbow: “It’s good as it’s going to get.” How good is that? “It’s pretty much 100 percent. It feels a little weak every now and then but it’s good.”
- Marvin on his back: “I feel pretty good. It gets sore at times.”
- JC2 and Mo visited with Hawks players and team personnel after they got up shots prior to the game.
- “It was good seeing them again,” Jordan said. “I was real close friends with them. It became like a family in the little time I was there. I expect to spend more time with them through the years. I talk to them all the time. They always congratulate me after every game.”
- Jordan on his feelings at the time of the trade: “I knew it was a business coming in. They wanted to try to make a playoff push. Now I am getting playing time. It was good for both of us.”
- With the Wizards, JC2 is averaging 33.2 minutes, 17.2 points and 16.6 shots. “You have got to play to get better,” he said. “Hopefully next year we win more games. That’s my goal.”
- Drew on JC2: “We are going to treat him like any other scorer. We have to be with him on the catch. We have to affect the pick-and-roll but more importantly keep him contained and not let him get it going.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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318 comments Add your comment
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:11 pm
Here we go
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:11 pm
“GIVE TEAGUE A CHANCE!”
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:12 pm
I’ve been on injured reserve the past few days. Had to get my damn gall bladder taken out of me. I’ve never been shot, but this is how it has to feel. I’m sore as hell.
But I’m back in time to see “The Jordan Crawford Show”.
Hopefully the Hawks won’t play around with these dudes and kill them early. Nice opening shot by Marvin.
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:14 pm
Well look like Jordan Crawford will be on the bench early.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
7:17 pm
If Al is back to normal then I want 10+ rebounds.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:17 pm
My biggest fear is that both Wall and Crawford turn out to be good guards. And they already have a nice frontcourt in McGee and Blatche. All they need is a SF.
So imagine if this team won the NBA Lottery, and got the kid from Arizona . . . Derrick Williams. That’s going to be a nice young team to build on. And they’re enough under the cap, even with a new agreement, that they could add a nice vet free agent or two.
The last thing we need is for Washington to start being a tough out for us, and approach being a .500 team right away.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:18 pm
SMH . . already looking like garbage.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
7:18 pm
yuck.
put in Jeff..
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
7:18 pm
i think i smelled the same thing northcyde.
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:19 pm
How did we not get McGee in that trade?
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:20 pm
Larry Doo should have just rested these guys. The last two nights they have shown that they don’t want to be out there anyway.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:21 pm
Because the Wiz aren’t stupid @ tremaine.
No way they give McGee up for Bibby and Jordan. We were the desperate team, not them. That’s why we didn’t mind making that trade for “so called scrubs”.
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:22 pm
sloppy and sluggish
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:23 pm
Wow . . WTF is wrong with Horford? Grab the rebound off the bat? Come on Al . . this is NOT the time to go soft on us.
Wabe
April 9th, 2011
7:24 pm
Free Jeff Teague
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
7:24 pm
northcyde,
too late!
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:24 pm
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:21 pm
Because the Wiz aren’t stupid @ tremaine.
No way they give McGee up for Bibby and Jordan. We were the desperate team, not them. That’s why we didn’t mind making that trade for “so called scrubs”.
And they get our first pick. SAD!!!
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:25 pm
SMH Hilton.
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:25 pm
Armstrong is terrible
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:26 pm
Bad shot JJ . . you’re a 29% 3 point shooter.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:26 pm
LOL. . . seriously? We’re about to get ran by the Wizards?
Wabe
April 9th, 2011
7:27 pm
Free Jeff Teague you f’n bum coach
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:27 pm
this team might not get out of the first round
Wabe
April 9th, 2011
7:27 pm
Bout time.
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:27 pm
TEAGUE!!!!!!!!!!!
Iceman
April 9th, 2011
7:30 pm
Wall is to fast, he will penetrate then dish to a big man
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:32 pm
I bet McGee use to abuse Hilton Armstrong in practice. Thats probably why he looks scared out there. SMH!!!
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:33 pm
good block Teague
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:33 pm
Wow @ Wall
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:34 pm
Nice move Wall. Way to go back at him Teague.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
7:35 pm
looked like good D to me..
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:35 pm
Teague is still in attack mode and its good to see
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
7:37 pm
Looks like the jump shots aren’t falling so far tonight Man, I hate this jump-shooting offense. Drew is such a poor coach. He’s below mediocre at this point. I can’t even believe the level of his stupidity. He actually had Jamal matched up on Wall when Teague was in the game. Drew continues to amaze me with his lack of knowledge. Just incredible…
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:37 pm
The JJ effect . . . Jordan really didn’t even look to score on JJ but once.
But on the other end, he picked up 2 quick fouls trying to guard JJ.
It’ll be interesting how aggressive Jordan is, when he comes back in the 2nd quarter, especially if Drew has the “2 foul rule” in full effect for JJ.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:39 pm
2 rebounds for Al. This dude has to start rebounding.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
7:39 pm
Get Well Soon!
Northcyde, please get well soon! Did you have laproscopy-sp surgery?
We sure missed you.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:39 pm
Lester . . come on man. Not ready to play?
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
7:39 pm
Sometimes, I don’t even care if the shot doesn’t go in – it’s so refreshing to see our PG being able / willing to penetrate!
FREE TEAGUE
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
7:40 pm
Wow, the Hawks really look terrible, and it’s not just due to the fact that we have injuries. The offense looks awful. It looks by far worse than any other playoff team. Meanwhile. the team defense is nearly nonexistent. I hope the reason for this is just because the players don’t care much about these last few games, because if they are actually trying and this is what the effort shows, we may get embarrassed worse than last year in the playoffs this year. With Drew coaching the team, I wouldn’t be surprised if we lost by an average margin of 20+ points in the playoffs.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:41 pm
TRADE SMOOVE!
(lmao)
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
7:41 pm
northcyde,
But isn’t it great that Al is “back to normal”?
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:41 pm
Etan is garbage smh
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:42 pm
yep @ drmaryb.
I had 2 gallstones blocking my bile duct, causing me to go to the ER on Wednesday night. My 3rd attack like that in 5 days.
Then my bladder was full of stones. So they had to clear the bile duct and remove the gallbladder. Hopefully this will solve the problem, along with a much needed diet change.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:43 pm
LOL @ Sautee. I noticed that dude wasn’t rebounding consistently back in January. It’s definitely a concern.
Damn . . Jordan looked real good on that break.
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:43 pm
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
7:39 pm
Sometimes, I don’t even care if the shot doesn’t go in – it’s so refreshing to see our PG being able / willing to penetrate!
FREE TEAGUE
co-sign
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:43 pm
A few relatively obvious observations:
-For a guy who has been his team’s #1 option for six years now, Joe is remarkably awful at passing out of double teams.
-For a guy who, by every available metric, is the best defensive player on this team, Smoove’s defense is awfully underappreciated by Hawks fans.
-Whenever Teague has controlled the ball, good things have happened. Unfortunately, as long as he’s on the floor with Jamal, he’s not going to control the ball more often than not.
-Jordan Crawford looks pretty nice.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
7:43 pm
“2 rebounds for Al. This dude has to start rebounding.”
I can’t figure out what is up with Al. For most of the season, he was rebounding the ball really well. He even had a long stretch where he was averaging 10+ boards a night. However, for the last month or so, his rebounding has looked terrible, overall. I don’t know if he was/is hurt/injured and just hasn’t said anything, or if he’s just not into the games, or what the problem is. This is definitely worrying me though, because Al is one of only two consistent rebounders on the team. I hope the problem is just that he’s taking it easy these last couple of games because if he rebounds like this in the playoffs, we are going to be in some serious trouble.
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:44 pm
Wow, we about to lose by 40+ to the Washington Wizards. SAD!!!
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:44 pm
this is flat out ugly.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:45 pm
So when the Hawks lose this game in a manner just as embarrassing as their losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans earlier this year, will people start anointing Smoove as the Hawks’ MVP the way they did for Al when he missed those games? Just wondering.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
7:45 pm
Northcyde,
Welcome back. My mom had her gall bladder taken out a couple years back, so I know how rough it is.
As for the team and their play, regardless of what they say, and regardless of what LD says, I think the guys have checked out mentally, and are just waiting for the playoffs.
So why continue to play them if they are getting blown out? Is that helping with momentum? Nope. And there still is a risk of injury.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:45 pm
Also, Hilton Armstrong is a scrub. Yeah, he can block shots, but he has little to no awareness of team defensive concepts.
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
7:47 pm
“For a guy who, by every available metric, is the best defensive player on this team, Smoove’s defense is awfully underappreciated by Hawks fans.”
This actually isn’t entirely true. He’s the best help-defender on the team, hands-down, and a great team defender, but he’s not the best individual defender on the team. Still, he may be the best defender, overall, but not in all categories, just overall. Josh is not a great individual post-defender, but I’d say that’s his biggest weakness on the defensive end. That, and his occasion inability to stay disciplined when playing defense. He bites on too many fakes right now, that’s why his shot blocking is down this season.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:47 pm
LOL @ Najeh . . just had to take a shot at JJ.
If it wasn’t for JJ, Jordan would’ve played the entire 1st quarter and he’d probably have 12 points by now, and we’d be down 28.
A lot of you still think one of the major problems with the Hawks is JJ. I think JJ knows that he’s going to have to be in “hero mode” during the playoffs, or else we won’t win. This team isn’t rebounding or defending lately.
Washington getting anything they want, inside or outside.
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
7:47 pm
Wizards announcers pretty much jizzing their pants over JC2 lol.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
7:47 pm
NO effort from JJ on that loose ball. Pitiful.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
7:48 pm
“With the Wizards, JC2 is averaging 33.2 minutes, 17.2 points and 16.6 shots. “You have got to play to get better,” he said..”
JC2 and JT0 probably have that discussion all the time…Shaking their heads at LD…
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:48 pm
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:45 pm
So when the Hawks lose this game in a manner just as embarrassing as their losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans earlier this year, will people start anointing Smoove as the Hawks’ MVP the way they did for Al when he missed those games? Just wondering.
Nope, clearly the starters would rather be resting for the playoffs than out there playing the Wizards. I don’t blame them.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:49 pm
There you go Jamal.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:51 pm
And I’m sorry . . . Jordan could’ve played point for us. I knew Drew was full of crap earlier in the year, when he said that Jordan was a 2.
No Larry . . he’s a combo guard in the mode of Randy Foye/Steve Francis.
Wabe
April 9th, 2011
7:51 pm
This is dumb.
What’s the point of playing your starters? Might as well rest them. They’re not even really playin…half-arse effort.
I think being down double digits to the Wizards should give Drew an obvious answer to his ‘dilema’. No use in playing your starters when they’re not even playin.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
7:51 pm
“So when the Hawks lose this game in a manner just as embarrassing as their losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans earlier this year, will people start anointing Smoove as the Hawks’ MVP the way they did for Al when he missed those games? Just wondering.”
I doubt people will do that since most people are under the impression that these games don’t count for much, and Drew is also not playing his starters regular minutes. With that being said, I doubt we will lose by 40 in this game. That New Orleans loss is pretty much cemented as the worst loss of the season at this point. By the way, we realize that you love Josh. That’s very clear. I understand you are trying to emphasize his value to the team, but I don’t know if these posts are really encouraging that in this type of situation.
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
7:51 pm
Wow, the Wiz are pretty much putting on a clinic.
Hawks better be “taking it easy” and getting pumped up for the playoffs….
Sigh….
Wabe
April 9th, 2011
7:52 pm
What momentum can they really carry forward into the playoffs when they’re getting worked by scrub teams?
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:52 pm
Jamal has been on fire but the Hawks might have the worst collection of back up bigs in the league
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
7:52 pm
FIRE LD RIGHT NOW!
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
7:53 pm
@ Wade at 7:51 pm,
You are exactly right. It’s too bad Drew is not intelligent enough to realize that.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:53 pm
That’s where JJ needs to start living. Drive the lane and shoot that floater as much as you can.
ISO ball in full effect tonight.
JJ is 3 – 5 for 6 points
Jamal is 5 – 7 for 13 points
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
7:53 pm
Capt Kirk Is TERRIBLE!
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
7:54 pm
Something sort of irrelevant to the game, but…
Jamal really has a pretty shot. Nice release, nice swooping arch.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:54 pm
“A lot of you still think one of the major problems with the Hawks is JJ. I think JJ knows that he’s going to have to be in “hero mode” during the playoffs, or else we won’t win. ”
We have already seen what Joe in “hero mode” gets the Hawks — the worst series sweep in the history of the NBA playoffs. The last thing I want to see is Joe controlling the ball more. All I ask of him is that he make decisions quickly. Is that too much to ask? Is it too much to ask to see JaVale McGee coming over to double and quickly passing the ball to Zaza instead of waiting for five seconds to decide what to do?
The Hawks came away empty on at least five possessions in the first quarter thanks to the following sequence: Joe gets the ball in the post, Wizards double, the gears turn at a snail’s pace in Joe’s head as he figures out what to do, the ball goes out to the perimeter, and the Hawks either end up with a bad shot or a turnover. And this is against the Wizards’ pathetic defense. What is it going to look like when Dwight Howard is down low controlling the paint while Joe is taking his own sweet time deciding what to do with the basketball against the double team?
When supposedly lesser players — namely, Smoove — can get the ball out of their hands against double teams quickly, it’s not asking too much for Joe to do the same thing. He did it against Houston. Why can’t he do it every game?
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:55 pm
There you go JJ. Make the superstar type shots.
I was worried that he was going to shoot the 3. I’d much rather for him to take the “superstar shot” than the open 3.
Monger
April 9th, 2011
7:55 pm
I really hope Jordan Crawford goes for 50 in this game, and absolutely embarasses the Hawks gaurding him, just so our ownership understands what big losers they are and how much of an embarrasment they are to the city of Atlanta!!! However, I dont think that will happen as they seem to have some sort of major denial issues and become blind at any critisism of their stupidity, also this team is immune to embarrasment and strangely seem to thrive in getting embarrassed. Just a night after losing to the 8th seed Pacers by double digits ,we are getting slammed by the Wizards by almost 20 points and its not even halftime!! Joe as usual cant hit the side of a barn with his shot, commiting bunches of turnovers, and seems to have checked out. They seemed to love getting embarrassed and run off the court in every major city including their own…How else can you explain a suppossed playoff team losing by double digits 14 times this year. They lost to the Bulls by 40 or so, Blown out by the Heat by 30, Blown out by the Lakers by 30, Blown out by OKC, Washington, They seem to relish it and our actually smiling on the bench getting blown out by the lowly Wizards, and Larry Drew is the worst coach in the league, maybe in the history of the league. I have no idea how he can be so bad at teaching a defense, teaching an offense, putting in the correct players, calling the right plays, preparing game plans….He fails MISERABLY at EVERY coaching category…HE HAS TO BE FIRED OR FORCED TO RESIGN!!!
Sid
April 9th, 2011
7:56 pm
a first round fizzle…..what a waste of time.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:56 pm
6′2″ John Wall blocks 6′10″ Aldrea Bargford.
cp
April 9th, 2011
7:56 pm
smh Al getting swatted by pg’s and this team cannot rebound
tremaine
April 9th, 2011
7:57 pm
Me and my fantasy team still waiting for the Jordan Crawford show to come on.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:57 pm
Wrong Najeh. I’ve already illustrated to you a few weeks ago that JJ didn’t even shoot enough in most of those games to make a difference. The only game he really tried to take over, was Game 3 of the Orlando series.
Your best players need the ball in their hands. Not to be decoys for other inconsistent shooters.
When the playoffs come around. JJ, Jamal, Smith, and Horford need to be taking the vast majority of the shots. And they need to take their shots in their spots.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
7:57 pm
Northcyde,
LD is full of crap, because everyone and their mama know Jamal is a 2. But that hasn’t stopped LD from playing him at PG, so why should JC2 be any different?
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:57 pm
Nice Marvin . . did the basket count?
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
7:58 pm
lol O’Brien . . . good point
Jordan wasn’t a PG . .but Jamal frequently plays PG, even though it’s OBVIOUS that he’s not a PG.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
7:59 pm
“everyone and their mama know Jamal is a 2. But that hasn’t stopped LD from playing him at PG, so why should JC2 be any different?”
Great point.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
8:00 pm
northcyde,
One thing I agree with Najeh on. Hero mode or not, JJ takes too long to pass the ball out of the double team. if he passes it quickly, maybe he gets it back, or maybe we get a better shot off.
Is that too much to ask? Be more decisive with the ball.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:00 pm
Offensive rebuonds:
Hawks – 1
Wizards – 9
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
8:01 pm
Northcyde!
Ouch! You had a porcelain gallbladder (completely calcified/bone/stones). I’ll bet you had some indigestion too?
No more cheese, fries and buffalo wings for you.
Just rabbit food! Your wife will have to lead the way.
Broiled fish, chicken, steamed veggies and fresh fruits.
We should all eat that way, all of us! I’m glad you’re still alive and kicking. What would we do without our statistician and knowledgeable one? I don’t even want to know.
__________________
Has Al even been in the painted area consistently since last year?
Where has the thrill gone? Have this team quit on another coach in less than 2 years? What do they do at night, when they go home?
Somebody need to investigate this.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:01 pm
I wouldn’t even mind Joe taking 20 shots a game if he would just be decisive. If he is going to hold the ball for five seconds trying to decide what to do and let the defense key in on him, though, the vast majority of those 20 shots are going to be contested bricks. Joe is not good enough to consistently make contested shots.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:03 pm
The reason jj doesn’t pass well out of a double team is because he isn’t looking to pass, he wants the shot iso joe
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
8:03 pm
According to NBA.com, our entire team is negative in the +/- column.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:03 pm
the Hawks will get murdered come playoffs if they keep jogging back in transition defense.
those will be 3 balls against Orlando.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:03 pm
As Marvin’s jumper has gotten better over the last few weeks, Al’s jumper has seemingly gotten worse.
bird
April 9th, 2011
8:04 pm
Free Pape Sy!!
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:04 pm
LOL . . and why has Teague only played 7 minutes in this game?
OMG . . Horford got an offensive rebound.
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:04 pm
just pathetic
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:04 pm
“The reason jj doesn’t pass well out of a double team is because he isn’t looking to pass, he wants the shot iso joe”
I don’t even think this is the case. I wouldn’t say Joe is selfish. I think he’s just slow.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:06 pm
Rusty . . actually, JJ is purposely trying to draw the double team, so that he can pass the ball. Like a lot of people, I would rather he’d just go quick and look for his own shot. JJ plays his version of the “Wildcat offense”.
A main scorer that doesn’t even take 17 shots a game, is NOT a ball hog.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:08 pm
Joe lives to be the man unfortunately he is not good enough.
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
8:08 pm
Is LD telling Al to take his game outside?
I don’t see any other reason why our FREAKIN CENTER is always near the 3 pt line…
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:08 pm
These last few games are incredibly boring. I just hope the team shows some life once the playoffs start because, as most people have already pointed out, the team looks like they are just going through the motions in this one. Everyone is reacting very slowly and the players look lethargic out there.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:09 pm
The Wiz are the total aggressor in this game
20 FT attempts
10 offensive rebounds
6 steals
6 blocks
Hawks
6 FT attempts
2 offensive rebounds
3 steals
3 blocks
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:09 pm
Awful job blocking out by Joe on that last shot of the half. Mo went right around him for the tip.
myrak43
April 9th, 2011
8:09 pm
did you see Moe Evans get a rebound over Horford?
superiorblogman
April 9th, 2011
8:10 pm
This is all on the Bigs. 13 to 26 rebounds. The referees have been bad as usual the Hawks get no calls because they don’t have anyone that is constantly in mainstream commercials. The Hawks need a superstar coach since they will only get a true superstar player through the draft in which they suck.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:10 pm
“These last few games are incredibly boring.”
It would be a little more interesting if Teague got extensive playing time, which is what I was hoping for when I tuned in to watch tonight. Teague is already the main reason I even watch meaningful Hawks games — the last thing I want to see is Teague riding the bench against a lottery team in a game that means nothing.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:10 pm
“Is LD telling Al to take his game outside?”
I’m pretty sure that that is the case. Al has always been the type of guy to do what the coach instructs him to do without complaining, and we know Al isn’t afraid of contact, so there aren’t many other excuses. Also, L.D. has eluded to the idea that he wants Horford to stretch the defense with his jumper. He has never said directly that he wants Al to take his game outside, but I’ve seen comments that seem to suggest that he would prefer Al taking the jump shot rather than playing in the post primarily. Maybe other people interpret L.D.’s comments differently, but that’s what I notice when I analyze his comments regarding Al.
myrak43
April 9th, 2011
8:11 pm
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:09 pm
Awful job blocking out by Joe on that last shot of the half. Mo went right around him for the tip.
that was Horford not Joe
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:12 pm
Nortcyde that is the biggest crap I’ve ever heard,why would any one want to wait until the double team comes while eating the cloak up. We all know he wants to shoot the ball & also how well can any one pass while being smothered by 2 or 3 people. Get real,stop preaching nonsense.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:12 pm
Also, LD needs to make up his mind. Right now he’s playing both sides of the “start ‘em/sit ‘em” fence. On the one hand he lets players like Etan Thomas and Hilton Armstrong play for stretches when the game is still in doubt; on the other hand, he has four starters on pace for 30+ minutes and one on pace for 40+. Either you are trying to win or you are playing out the string. Make up your mind.
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
8:12 pm
“did you see Moe Evans get a rebound over Horford?”
I think Horford actually, inadvertently, tipped in that last Wizards basket. They just credited Mo with the basket since he was the closest one to Al. I could be wrong, but that’s what it looked like to me when I watched it again.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:15 pm
Al averaged 8.4 boards in March and so far is averaging 8 boards in April. In every previous month, he was at 9.4 or higher.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:16 pm
“Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:09 pm
Awful job blocking out by Joe on that last shot of the half. Mo went right around him for the tip.
that was Horford not Joe”
Actually, Sautee was correct. That was Joe’s man who came around and got the tip in. Horford had his man (McGee) boxed out, but Mo Evans just went right around Joe and slipped in next to Horford to get that tip.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:17 pm
Crusty . . if he wanted to shoot the ball, why wouldn’t he just do like Jamal Crawford, and shoot right away? He doesn’t shoot right away because he keeps the pass/shoot option open.
Now if you want to criticize him for holding the ball so long, that’s one thing. But the guy isn’t just holding the ball so that he can shoot it. JJ has been a very willing passer out of the double team since he’s been in Atlanta.
You talk like he takes 20 shots a game.
No.
What people don’t like, is the fact that he doesn’t make up his mind quick enough to score . . even if the shot is successful. They hate ISO, whether it is successful or not . . because it’s too deliberate and boring.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:19 pm
Is dumb ass saving jt for the playoffs or will he keep him on the bench as usual. What the hell did jt do to ld, that’s got to be the question of the year,maybe jc2 was also involved.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:19 pm
“Al averaged 8.4 boards in March and so far is averaging 8 boards in April. In every previous month, he was at 9.4 or higher.”
This is disturbing. I hope this is because he was hurt/injured, and not just because he wasn’t putting in the effort. It has appeared to me that Horford hasn’t been as interested in games lately. His post-game comments, his demeanor on the court, etc. all seem uncharacteristic. I don’t know what’s going on with him. Maybe he is just annoyed with the way the team has been playing, but that doesn’t sound like Horford either. I just hope he steps it up in the playoffs and plays like the 17 and 10 guy that we saw for most of the season.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:20 pm
myrak43,
Actually I thought it was Horford too, but I’m taping that game and played it back to see. I was all ready to dis Big Al for being lazy. Horford DID jump late, but Evans was definitely JJ’s man. And with a good blockout, Horford easily secures the rebound and they have 2 fewer points.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:20 pm
Nortcyde stop talking stupid.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:21 pm
OMG . . he hit a long jumper. Don’t shoot no more JJ. Save those 3 pointers
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:22 pm
Teague played well last night but has barely played in this game
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:22 pm
No he wasn’t Nique . . Wall was there easily.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:23 pm
“They hate ISO, whether it is successful or not . . because it’s too deliberate and boring.”
Or, because Joe is not good enough to make it work.
The Hawks were ranked high in offensive efficiency running iso-Joe mainly because they were able to collect the offensive rebound when he threw up contested bricks out of isolation. Expecting that to happen against bigger teams is an exercise in futility.
Now, if Joe was the kind of player who was explosive enough to get to the free throw line when his shot isn’t falling, iso-Joe would be much more effective. This is, for example, why isolating Wade or Kobe or LeBron is effective. But Joe is not that player, and it’s not his fault that he’s not that player. He is what he is, and it’s the coaching staff’s job to put him in a position where his benefit to the team is maximized.
It’s not the number of shots he gets that’s the problem. If he got 20 good shots per game within the flow of the offense, I’d have no problem with it.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:23 pm
Now there’s a quick shot.
He thought and shot quickly. Is that what people like?
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:23 pm
“What people don’t like, is the fact that he doesn’t make up his mind quick enough to score . . even if the shot is successful. They hate ISO, whether it is successful or not . . because it’s too deliberate and boring.”
Personally, I don’t dislike isolation because it’s deliberate or boring. I dislike it because it’s predictable (for opposing defenses), and as a result, typically, highly inefficient.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
8:25 pm
is it just me, or does Hinrich commit a lot of fouls?
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
8:25 pm
JJ with the offensive rebound, and quick pass to Al
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:26 pm
Two opportunities Al has had to dunk the ball — one on that lay in and one on the fast break in the 2nd quarter — and he laid it up both times. Maybe his injury is also affecting hiM?
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:26 pm
Hinrich doesnt do much other than fouling
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:26 pm
Worse coach going into the playoffs. Team playing crappy what do you do nothing. Teague playing great what do you do put him on the bench.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:26 pm
The hawks for years have had the lousiest looking offense in the league. Other teams penetrate & get easy baskets. We don’t have an offense,just a bunch of jump shooters.jj is the worse offender as he eats the cloak up while being double & triple teamed. The only good thing that comes out of it is if he makes the basket, other wise all ball movement comes to a stop. As for jc1 at least he don’t eat the cloak up, maybe we will get another shot.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:27 pm
Mo driving right past Marvin for the dunk. No help defense. Damn Smoove and his low basketball IQ not helping out in the paint.l
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:27 pm
EFFORT EFFORT EFFORT.
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:27 pm
Blown out to a lottery team. LARRY I *^%&$^$ HATE THE FACT THAT YOU ARE OUR COACH.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
this link is incredibly telling..
http://nbaplaybook.com/2011/04/08/round-1-preview-orlando-vs-atlanta-defensive-breakdown/
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
Wrong again Najeh. JJ was one of the better ISO scorers in the league last year, and has been for some time now. The dude had one of his best seasons last year and made 3rd team All-NBA.
This year, he’s playing nowhere near that level. But JJ took and made tough shots all the time last year ( so did Jamal ). And he consistently did it against every team with the exception of Orlando in the playoffs.
The difference last year is that Jamal and JJ were the ones taking the majority of the shots, while our bigs would get some of their shots via offensive rebounds.
SMOY and 3rd team All-NBA you’re talking about there.
With the change in the offense this year, the bigs are on the outside more, getting less offensive rebounds, while taking shots away from our best shotmakers.
That’s why we’re in the situation we’re in now/
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
HOW BOUT YOU GROW A PAIR AND BENCH SOMEONE……YOU FREAKING SUCK
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
THIS IS EMBARRASSING….REALLY?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:28 pm
Al stands around watching as Andray Blatche gets the offensive board and the dunk. Maybe he also has a low basketball IQ.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:29 pm
LOL . . another offensive rebound.
That’s 11
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:29 pm
Lazy effort on defense by Marvin. Al not blocking out. These cats have mailed it in. Just empty the bench
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:30 pm
You know why, thats because the coach allows it. How bout you light a fire under their #$$. Bench someone do something.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:31 pm
“Al stands around watching as Andray Blatche gets the offensive board and the dunk. Maybe he also has a low basketball IQ.”
Actually, he was doing what you are instructed to do in that situation. He boxed out the man closest to him (McGee), but since he left blatche and no one else covered for him, it led to an offensive rebound. That’s why the Hawks are so bad with their transition defense. I’m not saying Al didn’t make a mistake by losing blatche in the first place, but our team defense really isn’t very good when it comes to covering for others.
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
8:31 pm
The announcers said that Flip acknowledged that this team is a group of D-League Allstars.
And the Hawks are getting hammered by them.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
8:32 pm
Rehab is For Quitters!
NagoyaHawk
April 9th, 2011
8:32 pm
Comical.
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
8:32 pm
Which TEAM is The Worst? HAWKS OR Wizard? Right now it is Da HAWKS!
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:33 pm
Horford had no problem dunking that last one, Najeh. So, I’m guessing an injury wasn’t the motivation for those last layups that you brought up.
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
8:33 pm
Someone on here the other night was talking about how “Blatche takes so many shots per game and that it doesn’t matter cause the Wiz are a crap team” (JC2 argument pretty much).
I would kill a man if the Hawks could get Blatche.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:33 pm
Teague Party!
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:34 pm
THIS GAME IS SOOO AWESOME (SARCASM).
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:35 pm
“Horford had no problem dunking that last one, Najeh. So, I’m guessing an injury wasn’t the motivation for those last layups that you brought up.”
Good. I hope he’s not injured.
On the previous post regarding basketball IQ, I think you missed the sarcasm.
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
8:35 pm
80 To 59 Wizard. TOO MANY TURNOVERS(Hawks). Play Teague MORE ………………..Woody LITE
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:35 pm
Teagues deserves way more playing time, its a different team with him on the floor.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:35 pm
Finally, Al is attacking the basket, even if it’s just in transition. That’s a welcomed sight.
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:36 pm
Teague should be starting. Hinrich doesnt make much of an impact
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:36 pm
Bigdave . . I just peeped that nbaplaybook link you posted. The team is just lazy.
Nice move by Teague, even though it didn’t go down.
Lack of effort again, not recognizing that Blatche is a shooter and not closing out on him.
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:36 pm
GREAT DEFENSE
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:36 pm
LOL . . Jordan looking like Doc Rivers
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:37 pm
Jordan>Kirk
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
8:38 pm
Offensive interference!
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:38 pm
LD COULDNT EVEN KEEP HIS SON IN BBALL HOW CAN HE KEEP THESE GUYS HEAD IN THE GAME.
Jae Evolution
April 9th, 2011
8:38 pm
Washington is playing worse D than we are, get some stops we can easily comeback.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:38 pm
We all need to talk better about Josh Smith, he is easily our most valuable player even tho we don’t have a coach to keep him under control.
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
8:39 pm
Jim Mora Sr. said it best………………”PLAYOFF! This season should end for the hawks after the Heat Game. They have already mail it in on Woody Lite!
superiorblogman
April 9th, 2011
8:40 pm
Nique is a bytch. Teague makes a floater over McGee then when he misses one over McGee Nique says your not gonna make that shot over a 7 Fter. Lastly, none of the Hawks are playing D
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:40 pm
On 4 different occasions we have used a big to trap a wing and they got a dunk or a layup every time. When do we adjust and stop trapping smalls?
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:40 pm
“On the previous post regarding basketball IQ, I think you missed the sarcasm.”
I got the sarcasm in that last one. I also know you were eluding to the comments people make about Smoove. I just thought I’d point out how bad our team defense was, since it just annoys me. We have countless breakdowns on defense in every game due to poor help.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:42 pm
Washington is giving a lot more effort than us though.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
8:42 pm
I’m sure giving up mike & mo was worth kh. I really don’t think he is very good ,definitely not a good penetrating pg or much of a defensive presence.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:42 pm
Jordan showed a natural passing ability, the ability to make the right read and distribute w/ accuracy since summer league.
couldve given you a lot at the lead guard position. including the ability to back down smaller guards. clearly he can knock down a shot.
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:45 pm
looked like Teague got fouled but no call
superiorblogman
April 9th, 2011
8:45 pm
Nique and Bob are some incompetent bytches fire there arses too
Jae Evolution
April 9th, 2011
8:45 pm
Teague needs to let his emotion out, he always stops himself mid way when a questionable call is made on him, at the end thats a possible foul, you look at the ref and yell THAT’S A FOUL MAN, DAMN! Don’t be scared to.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:46 pm
Going back to when JJ got hurt in December, I thought that was going to be the time in which Jordan got a chance to prove himself as a player. Instead, we sign Damien Wilkins, and he gets the majority of the minutes that Jordan may have received with JJ out.
That was an indication right there that the coach wasn’t going to give Jordan a good look. Unfortunately, Teague really didn’t get a lot of burn during that time either.
Just dysfunction all the way around from this organization this year.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:46 pm
It’s interesting that despite playing very lethargic in the first half, Horford has actually turned things around into a pretty good performance so far tonight. It’s a 20-10 night for him already, through 3 quarters. Once he came out of hibernation and started attacking the basket in the third quarter, he’s actually looked pretty good. That’s a good sign. At least we know Al was only playing poorly due to physical limitations (e.g. injuries). I just hope he gives it all he’s got in the playoffs. I hope everyone does (and plays smart along with that). I hate it when anyone tries to play “hero-ball”.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:47 pm
wow . . . WTF Hinrich?
Melvin
April 9th, 2011
8:47 pm
LD has no idea of what lineup to play. Teague,Kirk,Jamal,Marvin,Powell?
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:47 pm
Who here is excited about the playoffs.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:48 pm
but this league, as is true in most professional sports particularly football, is all about harmony between player system, coaching, and organization to maximize and harness certain talents..
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:49 pm
Knowing that this game really doesn’t mean much of anything, and we are down by a large margin and probably don’t have enough time to make a comeback at this point, I wonder if L.D. will play Joe or Al at all the rest of the game. I don’t think it would really serve any meaningful purpose to put them back in at this point, but you never know what is going on in the mind of Drew. He’s a strange man when it comes to making basketball-related decisions. If he put them back in, I’m just going to assume that everything he said about resting players is BS to make some of the listeners happy.
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:49 pm
Melvin,
I accept the fact that LD is not capable of being a successful playoff coach.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:49 pm
Aaron,
I’m a Horford fan, but that’s the least impact from a ga20 and10 game I’ve ever seen.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:49 pm
Nique . . quit making excuses for Hinrich. He should’ve been able to take him. If he can’t take him, why the hell did we trade for him?
Oh I forgot . . to play defense.
Wall’s numbers
14 pts . .6 asst . . 5 rebs ( 6 – 13 FG )
Kirk’s numbers
3 pts . . 4 asst . . 0 rebs ( 1 – 5 FG )
Art Vandelay
April 9th, 2011
8:50 pm
This line up that is on the court is lol
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:50 pm
i admit, i was fooled.
i figured we’d actually look like a NBA team offensively.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:51 pm
bigdave,
Excellent point. I’m afraid we have a chemistry problem.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:51 pm
“Who here is excited about the playoffs.”
I’m excited about the playoffs, not necessarily because of the Hawks, but just because there are a lot of great matchups this season. I’m really looking forward to the nuggets-thunder matchup (if it happens). I think that could be a classic. I’d also like to see who is more overrated, Miami or New York, in that matchup (if it happens). There are a lot of interesting matchups this year, for sure. I can’t wait for the playoffs. Even if the Hawks are eliminated in the first round, there will still be plenty to watch if you are a diehard hoops fan.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:51 pm
Wow Hinrich . . . WTF again?
HE backed all the way down into the lane, instead of going up to Wall to try to stop the ball. Stands there to draw a charge, but gets a blocking foul called on him.
Kirk may be the 6th best guard on the court tonight.
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:52 pm
LD GO PLAY IN TRAFFIC ASAP
WOLLEY STEKCAJ
April 9th, 2011
8:52 pm
No one cares about this team or group of people pretending to be a team. Hawks are a good example of why a heart transplant is needed. No heart, no fire, no concern, no interest, and no concern for fans.. They will be gone very quickly with NO wins in the playoffs!
hawks_4_life
April 9th, 2011
8:53 pm
How can you expect Al to make a difference when he is setting pics 20ft away from the basket.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:53 pm
“I’m a Horford fan, but that’s the least impact from a ga20 and10 game I’ve ever seen.”
I think he had a pretty significant impact in the third quarter. You could see it in the the way the team gained momentum through his plays and the score started to change. In terms of the first half though, he was almost invisible. Overall, though, looking at the stats, I was just surprised that he had a pretty good statistical game, even though it looked like he only really tried for one quarter.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:53 pm
As I said last night, we’re working on our playoff defense.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
8:55 pm
Ex-Lax!
Lester Conner has a look of constipation on his face.
That is the look of unemployment in the very near future.
2 + 4 games left this season and it’s time to pack the apartment and call:
2 Men and a Truck! (Low Rise Trucks – Fully Insured)
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
8:55 pm
“How can you expect Al to make a difference when he is setting pics 20ft away from the basket.”
You should ask Larry Drew that. I’d love to hear what garbage excuse he’d come up with for that.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
8:55 pm
aron,
Yes, Al had a good quarter on offense, but Blatche lit him up on D in the 3rd. And they outscored us by 1.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:55 pm
lateral move.
if money wasnt an object i would’ve loved to have seen this team under the leadership of Baron “Byron” Davis.
in your face style.. yell @ you when you’re not where you need to be.. get you the ball and pat you on the back when you are..
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
Pape looks like Ty Corbin. This is my first real look at the kid.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
“Wrong again Najeh. JJ was one of the better ISO scorers in the league last year, and has been for some time now. The dude had one of his best seasons last year and made 3rd team All-NBA.
This year, he’s playing nowhere near that level. But JJ took and made tough shots all the time last year ( so did Jamal ). And he consistently did it against every team with the exception of Orlando in the playoffs.”
Yeah, and when he didn’t make those tough shots — everyone who gets isolated goes through those stretches — he couldn’t get to the line. His free throw rate has been bad over the past few seasons and it’s bad this year. That’s the problem with isolating Joe as opposed to isolating more explosive players. Yeah, he might go through his occasional stretches when he’s hitting those shots, but when he’s not, the team is screwed unless they can get the offensive board. And when you start nobody over 6′10″, you’re not going to get those offensive boards very easily against bigger teams, particularly in the playoffs when the pace slows and refs allow teams to get away with more physicality.
“With the change in the offense this year, the bigs are on the outside more, getting less offensive rebounds”
On this point you are right. There are three significant differences between the Hawks’ offense this year and last year statistically — their free throw rate has gone from bad to abysmal, their offensive rebound rate has gone from fantastic to abysmal, and they are shooting worse from 3. The first two are related — a lot of the Hawks’ free throw opportunities last year came as a result of those bigs inside getting offensive boards and going back up to draw fouls. The third is pretty much a direct result of Joe and Jamal’s 3 point percentage plummeting.
But there is no law that says that either your best scorer should take contested jumpers or your big men should hang out 15 feet away from the basket. Setting up Joe with easier, more makeable shots and keeping the big men in the paint are not mutually exclusive.
mykhalc
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
i really appreciate all you guys. you save me from watchin’ this $hit!!! NCIS marathon!!!
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
Wow @ Pape . . da hell?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
Pape!
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
That was a Ruben Patterson type move.
Melvin
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
Yes, Pape made his first NBA shot…
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
8:56 pm
Sautee…
oooohh big time.
thats why they can see each other get beat, and look @ the beat man like i had my man..
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
8:57 pm
They are “winning” this game with pure Wizardry!
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
“Yes, Al had a good quarter on offense, but Blatche lit him up on D in the 3rd. And they outscored us by 1.”
That’s actually not necessarily true. Yes, Al left Blatche alone on several occasions to help out on someone else and Blatche made him pay, but that’s not all Al’s fault. As I mentioned before, the team defense has been horrid tonight. Al’s defense definitely looked subpar at times, but it wasn’t like blatche was “lighting him up” in one on one situations and he was failing to stop it. Blatche scored most of his points on open jumps and breakaway layups/dunks. Still, I can understand what you are saying. At any rate, I think it was a good quarter by Al, but in the grand scheme of things, it obviously wasn’t going to win us the game.
Melvin
April 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
Did these guys quit on LD before the playoffs start?
Double Zero Eight
April 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
Drew mainly wants an excuse for losing. The Hawks have lost their
way. By Sund’s earlier assessments, this season is a step
backwards.
cp
April 9th, 2011
8:58 pm
nice move Sy
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
8:59 pm
Incredible that the Wiz are going to beat us by 30+ points.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
8:59 pm
“They are “winning” this game with pure Wizardry!”
LMAO. I hope Orlando doesn’t beat us in the playoffs using Magic.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:00 pm
And I guess Drew will use this game to not give Teague decent playing time during the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kirk was easily the worst guard on the floor tonight, on both teams.
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
9:01 pm
“…this season is a step backwards.”
Definitely.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:01 pm
i dont think Al hitting 18 ft jumpers do anything for the Hawks momentum wise.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:02 pm
LOL @ NIque . . . you know good and well Damien wouldn’t have hit that shot anyway, had Teague passed him the ball.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:02 pm
i think Teague would try that floater from 3 pt depth..
get a leaner kid..
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:03 pm
Quit picking on Teague, Nique. The fact that the Hawks still have one guy who is willing to go into the paint instead of passing it to the perimeter is a blessing.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:03 pm
The fat Lady has just got out her chair..She is starting to take steps towards the stairs which lead to the stage!!!
The Hawks are in HUGE TROUBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The brooms are out against the wall!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:03 pm
pardon.. stop and pop.
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
9:03 pm
“And I guess Drew will use this game to not give Teague decent playing time during the playoffs. Meanwhile, Kirk was easily the worst guard on the floor tonight, on both teams.”
I agree. I didn’t like his shot selection at all, and while he was definitely hustling on D, it wasn’t necessarily smart hustle. He committed a lot of silly fouls after getting burned on D. It kind of reminded me of Bibby when he used to grab players after they blew past him on D. Also, Hinrich’s decision making wasn’t at all the way it should have been for a point guard.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:04 pm
Nice take Pape
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:04 pm
i think effort has a lot to do w/ believing in scheme.
OK I SEE U POPS!
cp
April 9th, 2011
9:05 pm
lol@Nique mad Teague didnt pass Damien the ball
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:05 pm
I’m a pretty big NBA fan, but I gotta admit, I had never heard of Othyus Jeffers until a few days ago and this is the first I’m ever hearing of Larry Owens.
I guess the five Wizards fans watching this are probably saying the same thing about Pape Sy.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:06 pm
LD lost this team months ago…….SHOOT…………..
drmaryb (*_-)
April 9th, 2011
9:06 pm
CNN
Airing The Reagan Assassination attempt by Henkley.
Haven’t we seen this documentary an awful lot these past 12 months?
Hmmmmm … What’s really up with that?
The interviewee just said, “A President has to be willing to risk his life at all times.”. (subliminal message?)
__________________
The Hawks are being annihilated on the boards and defense as well.
Darnell
April 9th, 2011
9:06 pm
“i dont think Al hitting 18 ft jumpers do anything for the Hawks momentum wise.”
It actually has given the team momentum before when Al hit a big shot, regardless of whether it was from 5 ft. or 18 ft. I think the guy who mentioned Al giving the team momentum in the third quarter was talking about his dunks though. I could be wrong, but since Al only took 1 or 2 jump shots in the third quarter, I don’t think he could have been talking about jump shots.
Chea
April 9th, 2011
9:06 pm
LOL @ the irony of the Wizards being too far up for JC2 to be playing, when all the burn he got here was in garbajosa time.
Wizards may set their season high for victory margin.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:07 pm
which is why we have been successful against Orlando. even w/ that first loss, afterward they knew they had a game plan.. thing is we had one last year, just didnt apply it.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
9:07 pm
northcyde, Najeh,
If it was Jamal who overlooked an open Damien, and bricked the shot, Nique wouldnt have said a word.
I dont know what it is about Woody, LD, and even Nique. They tend to make excuses for the vets, but are quick to criticize the young pups..
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
9:08 pm
“lol@Nique mad Teague didnt pass Damien the ball”
You’ve got to have your nephew’s back! LOL.
Chea
April 9th, 2011
9:09 pm
Yi is having success, posting up de facto chairs again.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:09 pm
For whatever it’s worth, this season the Hawks are:
4-2 without Jamal
3-2 without Al
6-4 without Joe
1-4 without Smoove
Jmac
April 9th, 2011
9:09 pm
The Hawks showed their true character tonight. They didn’t even come close to trying to play hard. The league ought to refund the money to all the people who purchased tickets to that game. What a disgrace.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:09 pm
Nique=BK,biased against 6′4″ and under ballers????
cp
April 9th, 2011
9:10 pm
I wish they would bring the Stinger back. I dont like listening to Nique
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:10 pm
i wish Nique would critique everyone’s game as heavy as he does for Jeff, Josh, and Joe..
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:11 pm
Even fuggin Yi is ballin.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:12 pm
“The interviewee just said, “A President has to be willing to risk his life at all times.”. (subliminal message?)” Yeah drmaryb..Whats up with that on CNN?
Marvin went invisible again????????????
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
9:13 pm
This really is a horrible offensive unit on the floor for the Hawks. If you look at it player-by-player, you have:
Teague: can’t shoot the ball from the perimeter
Pape Sy: can’t shoot the ball at all (I’m exaggerating, but I think you guys get what I’m saying here)
Damien: can’t shoot the ball from the perimeter
Josh Powell: can shoot the ball from the perimeter better than anyone on the floor with him in this unit, but has not post up game
Hilton Armstrong: can’t shoot the ball at all and has no post game
I would at least think that this unit would be fairly solid on defense, but apparently, that is not the case. The lead has really ballooned for washington in the fourth quarter with our bench scrub unit.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:13 pm
Darnell..
Al dunked tonight????
a big shot vs a few pts here and there during a blow out that you give right back defensively is apples to oranges.
even season long i can remember Al’s “momentum” plays being him blocking a shot, or going hard to the basket resulting in a foul, or him yamming on someone.
cp
April 9th, 2011
9:14 pm
With good coaching Sy looks like he could be a solid player
superiorblogman
April 9th, 2011
9:15 pm
It’s all Teague’s fault if you ask Dominique. I am now sure he was part of that awful trade. Well I am done around here guys phuck you all and these sorry as Hawks. Die a slow death MF’ers
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:15 pm
well.. whats his face.. Lester Conner.. he definitely called it. shame.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:16 pm
LD looks like he wants to cry on the side line…He should of coached Highschoolers….
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:16 pm
Oh yeah, also, 10-7 without Marvin.
So to recap, the Hawks this year are above .500 when down one man for each of their top 5 players in minutes, except Smoove.
10-7 without Marvin
4-2 without Jamal
3-2 without Al
6-4 without Joe
1-4 without Smoove
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:18 pm
TRADE JOSH SMITH!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:18 pm
“TRADE JOSH SMITH!!!!!!!”
Addition by subtraction!
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:18 pm
Najeh, two words: MELTDOWN PLAYOFFS…………………………………
Chea
April 9th, 2011
9:19 pm
najeh, it’s cuz there was so much basketball iq on the floor without smoove that drew didn’t know what to do with it. there’s obviously gonna be an adjustment period for that
Roland
April 9th, 2011
9:19 pm
“For whatever it’s worth, this season the Hawks are:
4-2 without Jamal
3-2 without Al
6-4 without Joe
1-4 without Smoove”
I don’t think that last stat really means anything, since the last 2 games have been meaningless and no starter has even played 30 minutes in those games. Also, it really didn’t appear that the Hawks were trying to win this game. We need a larger sample size to see how the team fairs without Smoove. Actually, to be honest, it’s tough to tell how the team would do overall without any of these players, since it depends on the opponent.
Keep in mind that we defeated some of our toughest opponents without Joe and Josh, meanwhile losing to some of our easiest opponents without them. We beat Orlando without Joe and Chicago without Josh, meanwhile losing to some garbage teams like this. A lot of things are a mystery with this team.I definitely feel like the team would totally collapse if we had both Al and Josh out.
NUNNA!!
April 9th, 2011
9:19 pm
Northcyde,CP
I said the same thing about nique last night..
Teague had a 1 man break and jamaal was trailing and stopped at the 3 point line and teage kicked it out to him and he missed..What did nique say? Teague should have drove the ball against the 2 defenders and we were shooting too many jump shots..
And tonite when Damien was trailing on the break and Sy was running towards the lane,Teague passed him the ball and this clown starts to get on Teague because,he didn’t pass it to Damien..
Nique,i loved u as a player and i enjoy u as a side kick to Rathbun but u show too much freaking favortism to your neph son..
And lets admit it..Damien is good but he does not have the skills u had nor even his dad Gerald..
I’ll say it to yo face and i bet u won’t kick my @$&!!
NUNNA!!
April 9th, 2011
9:21 pm
Superiorblogman,lol..Come on dude..Yo,its all love on here son..Its all love..We agree to disagree sometimes,lol..
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:22 pm
It’ll be interesting to see how Drew distributes the minutes on Monday night. Miami is going to go full strength, because they want that #2 seed. The Hawks, by all means, should probably rest JJ and Horford at the very least.
But because it’s a “big game”, both will probably play at least some.
niremetal
April 9th, 2011
9:22 pm
LD is a useless human being. Played JJ and Al 30 minutes in a meaningless game and we got blown out anyway.
MC, does he really just not get the need to let nagging injuries heal before the playoffs? Has he just forgotten that in each of the past 2 playoffs, we did not lose because of “rust” or “lack of rhythm” (we actually started strong each of the past 2 playoffs), but we did lose at least in part because the guys went in banged up and broke down quickly in the playoff grind?
He was THERE for those playoffs. He SAW how Bibby’s thumb, JJ’s foot (in ‘09) and elbow (’10), Marvin’s back/wrist, etc etc all affected their playoff performance. Does he just not care? Does he have amnesia? These aren’t idle questions, MC. I really don’t understand how on earth he thinks that rust or rhythm should be a concern. I think anyone in the world would rather drop a game due to rust than drop a whole series due to injuries and exhaustion.
Ole Hawks Fan
April 9th, 2011
9:22 pm
Who’s got playoff tickets?
Dr. Duff
April 9th, 2011
9:23 pm
It’s hilarious that the Josh lovers are trying to emphasize his value based upon 2 meaningless games where the bench played a huge amount of minutes in a games that were basically “garbage time” from start to finish.
This is a really bad way to try and make that argument, guys. At least find some meaningful games to base this off of. This is almost as dumb as saying that the Bibby was the MVP of the Hawks since the team record has been awful since he was traded. Actually, it’s even dumber than that. Wow is all I can say.
niremetal
April 9th, 2011
9:23 pm
FOR A THIRD STRAIGHT YEAR
Lp
April 9th, 2011
9:23 pm
love the new offense coach drew
The Game Has Changed
April 9th, 2011
9:23 pm
When we make it to the Eastern Conference finals this year, we will not have enough room on the bandwagon for you cry babies, impatient, disrespectful, haters. Dig That
PortCity
April 9th, 2011
9:25 pm
There’s only one thing I’m excited about regarding the Hawks. Anticipating who the new owner may be.
Dr. Duff
April 9th, 2011
9:25 pm
Larry Drew is a disgrace. Dig that. If you want to make it to the ECF, it would be best to help encourage that he is replaced as soon as possible.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:25 pm
up next Monday Night, MIAMI by 50 cents…………………………!He He
Peter
April 9th, 2011
9:26 pm
WOW looks like the team has taken steps……..Backwards, and they will get blown out in the first round.
Look the Trasher’s are dead in the water, and the Hawks are dying a slow death….The ownership group hasn’t a clue, and the product is the proof.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:27 pm
Princton Offense,more like West Georgia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Aaron
April 9th, 2011
9:28 pm
Well, I’m out for tonight. I’ll be back for the next meaningless game on Monday. Hopefully, by then, Drew will realize that it is pointless to even play his starters for 1 second in the final 2 games, but knowing Drew, he’ll do something stupid and probably play Al, Josh, and Joe all 30+ minutes in a losing effort. At any rate, we’ll have to wait and see. Until next time…
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:28 pm
lol..
look @ the points in the paint and offensive rebounding differential..
if these games were for the 4th seed, those problems still linger.
meaningless or not.. its telling.. the Hawks found ways to play soundly for @ least .500 ball w/ the others out..
not so much w/ out Josh.
it’s hilarious that the Josh (haters) are trying to discount his value based upon 2 meaningless games.
if they had moved Josh @ the deadline.. you wouldve seen more of what you’ve just witnessed..
lukas
April 9th, 2011
9:32 pm
If Bill Simmons is some kind of future-teller, Josh Smith will be out of here soon: “a three-teamer that sends Smith and Pachulia to the Clippers, Chris Kaman to Cleveland (absorbed by their trade exception for LeBron James), and Al-Farouq Aminu to Atlanta”.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/110408&sportCat=nba
It’s very funny what he has to say about the Hawks, and the deppressing part about it is that he may be right.
Sautee
April 9th, 2011
9:32 pm
The Game Has Changed,
You should take that attitude to your local bookie. I’m sure you will make a bundle and come back and tell us how “stoopid” we all are.
Go ahead if you’re that sure.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:33 pm
The Game . . . I hope you’re right man. God willing, I will be at one of those Orlando playoff games, regardless of what happens in Games 1 and 2.
If we do beat Orlando, Chicago is probably the team to play, seeing that they have the least playoff experience out of Boston and Miami. If we’re somehow able to contain Rose, and the “core” shows up, we do have a shot in Round 2.
LOL . . but we got to get out of Round 1 first. Expecting the Hawks to steal one of the first 2 games in Orlando, is almost an impossible task. If anything, we need to be going to Orlando tied 2 – 2, and try to steal Game 5, so that we can close out Game 6 in ATL.
If the series goes 7 games, no way we beat the Magic in a Game 7 in Orlando.
bigdave
April 9th, 2011
9:33 pm
“soundly (defensively)”
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:33 pm
Jettison the core Scottie..Make it so! AYE Captain………..
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:35 pm
Hawks dont have a shot with LD at the helm..Start counting your brooms………….
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
9:35 pm
Funny thinks za za couldn’t stop a midget from scoring unless he fouled him. Mo looked like a superstar with Marvin guarding him. Jc2 not counting his shooting ability is already a better point guard than Kurt. Joe must have lost some of his money on the court as he’s always looking at the floor. Is ld picking his substitutions out of a hat with the sense they make. Again jt makes a lot of good plays I guess ld is also looking for some money on the floor as he probably will need some soon & never sees how good jt is.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:37 pm
nice way to enter the playoffs LD, 0-6!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:38 pm
I would not LET LD COACH THE PLAYOFFS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! KICK ROCKS…………….
Harpie
April 9th, 2011
9:41 pm
Up until about a month ago, Al was the best thing the Hawks had had going for them for a long time. Then, all of a sudden, his game took a downturn. I’m pretty sure that the regression of his game is due to the fact that he is sick and tired of playing for the stupidest coach in the history of basketball ( not to mention, some pretty stupid teammates, too ). Larry Drew has sucked this team dry!
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
9:41 pm
ESPN clowning us on NBA Coast to Coast.
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:42 pm
Its beyond embarrasing now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:43 pm
NOT FUNNY ALL grasshopper
darrell starks
April 9th, 2011
9:45 pm
Man you can tell the different between the 2 COACHES, LD is horrible.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
9:46 pm
northcyde,
Even if the Hawks steal game 1 or 2 in Orlando, our home record is 24-16, while Orlando is 22-18 on the road. Therefore, I dont think Orlando will have much trouble winning at least 1 game in ATL.
darrell starks
April 9th, 2011
9:47 pm
This is what happen when you don’t develop your bench, they become street ballers LOL!!!!!!!!
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Slimjr
April 9th, 2011
9:48 pm
Why do people keep saying this game does not matter??????????????????????When you lose by one of the worst teams in the League by 32????? Are you kidding me…Does Kobe lose by 32 in a so called meaningless games???? Enough said… Iam out. I cant take it any more….Goodnight fanatics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next, Miami by 50 cents….
darrell starks
April 9th, 2011
9:48 pm
Flip Saunder have develop his bench as you can tell between the 2 team.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!
The Rock
April 9th, 2011
9:48 pm
I don’t care who the Hawks put on the floor, they should never lose to the Wizards by 32.
This is lost #4 in a row.
This team has traded away a young player in JC2, their 1st round pick for next year, and have nothing to show for it.
It’s a good thing that next season will be cancelled in the NBA.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:51 pm
Etan Thomas is doing spoken word poetry on SportSouth right now.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:54 pm
“It’s hilarious that the Josh lovers are trying to emphasize his value based upon 2 meaningless games where the bench played a huge amount of minutes in a games that were basically “garbage time” from start to finish.”
Nice bullsh-t excuse there. I’m sorry, but the Magic are also locked into their seed, and they are not losing to the worst team in the league by 30+ points.
The point of that post was to refute the prevalent idea that Smoove is the root cause of this team’s problems and that this team would be better off without him. Nobody on this team is so great that they should be above criticism, including him, but the idea that he is somehow a net negative for this team is plain idiotic. This team’s problems start at the top and trickle down to the bottom, encompassing everyone along the way. There is no player who is the biggest reason for it (like Smoove) any more than there is a player on this team who is beyond reproach (including Al). The inordinate amount of Smoove-hating that goes on around here needs to stop.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:56 pm
Sorry, I meant to say “one of the worst teams in the league”. The Wizards are not worse than Cleveland or Minnesota.
darrell starks
April 9th, 2011
9:56 pm
ZAZA lack of PT the hole year
TEAGUE lack of PT the hole year
DAMIEN lack of PT the hole year
POWELL lack of PT the hole year
JC2 lack of PT the hole year
COLLINS lack of PT the hole year
NICK VAN EXEL lack of PT the hole year
ETAN lack of PT the hole year
RICK SUND lack of PT the hole year
THE HOLE SEASON HAVE BEEN A WASTE
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
9:57 pm
“When we make it to the Eastern Conference finals this year, we will not have enough room on the bandwagon for you cry babies, impatient, disrespectful, haters. Dig That”
I guess Michael Gearon does post here after all.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
10:01 pm
Serious question: if you just crawled out from under a rock and heard about the NBA for the first time today, would you rather be a fan of a team like the Wizards, with a budding superstar in John Wall and several other solid young pieces with hope for the future, or a fan of the Hawks, who are basically stuck in 45 win/first round blowout mode until Joe’s contract expires?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
10:08 pm
Also, a special middle finger to Zaza for giving me jack sh-t on a day when I picked him up in fantasy basketball to try to beat Samuel in the championship. He is murdering me right now.
Rev in Tampa
April 9th, 2011
10:09 pm
I performed a wedding up on the panhandle tonight. The groom was twenty minutes late, a water moccasin made an unexpected intrusion, and they forgot forks for the wedding cake.
Sounds like it was not nearly the fiasco that you guys witnessed on the basketball court.
It all goes back to Drew. He is either weak-minded or double-minded. I haven’t decided which. Either one ends in defeat.
Weak-minded – He is worried about his job so he tries to pad his win total, but the players know the game is meaningless so they mail it in.
Double-minded – He really can’t decide which is best: stay in rhythm or rest and heal.
The players told him by their performance against Indy what they perfer and reaffirmed their decision tonight. If they struggled to step it up and stay focused earlier in the season when the games had meaning, what on earth did Drew expect this bunch to do when the games don’t matter???
By the way, big co-sign to Ken Strickland’s post on the previous blog-posting. It was good to hear from you, Ken.
Rusty
April 9th, 2011
10:12 pm
Nique. My favorite hawk of all time I hate to say this but you suck jt makes 2 good passes in traffic which are bobbled & you say bad things against him. Kiss useless Joes ass maybe he will give you some money to pay for those suits.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 9th, 2011
10:15 pm
Yeah, I like Nique when his mistakes are limited to pronouncing words wrong, but when he starts singling out some people while ignoring the plethora of mistakes that come from everyone else, he goes from funny to annoying.
northcyde
April 9th, 2011
10:15 pm
You would be a Hawks fan, because the Wizards are never shown on TV. At least you’d get to see the Hawks in the playoffs. With the Wiz, all you’d have is “hope”, with only one or two national TV games a year.
Give me actual playoff appearances over hoping to make the playoffs, any day of the week.
In a league in which Durant, Rose, Lebron, and Dwight will be the superstars in the league 5 years from now, how likely will the Wizards be to break through the same barrier that we’ve failed to break through? Heck, even Kobe may be able to play at an All-Star level for another 3 – 4 years.
With the Hawks, I know we at least have 3 players who are All-Star or borderline All-Star caliber players that may have another 3 years of playoff basketball left in them. If we’d get lucky and find someone else to buy the team and install a competent management team to assemble complimentary pieces ( or trade the core for a true star ), we’d be much further along than the Wiz.
No way I’d trade places with them. I just want one or two of their players.
dawgforlife
April 9th, 2011
10:19 pm
The hawks are horrible. They will be swept in the playoffs. They have no heart. I have never met a bunch of men less worried about losing. It is time to cut our losses and start over. We’re stuck with JJ because of his idiotic contract. We need to keep Teague and let him grow. Will he make mistakes? …absolutely…Is one of the fastest/quickest players I’ve ever seen?…absolutely…keep Al Hortford…everyone else…show em the door and start over trying to build through the draft…playing uninspired and drafting in the 20’s every year isn’t cutting it.
Astro Joe
April 9th, 2011
10:49 pm
It’s a players league. Just because your coach makes you go out on the court, it doesn’t mean thst you will provide the same effort in s mesningless game as in game 55 when playoff positioning was still an issue. These guys are playing “not to get hurt”. They are tired, this season has been an absolute grind with few easy wins and mostly frustration for all around. And yet, they are being asked to play 30 minutes against the Wizards.
Sounds like ‘Nique picked on someone’s favorite All-Star in waiting. Haha.
doc
April 9th, 2011
10:51 pm
guys, for all the comparison to the now wiz vs the now hawks, it wasnt but a very bad contract, poor team chemistry, an imbalanced roster and an injured player that the wiz who were one step ahead of us talking about making the next step, ended up lottery. how quickly the “mighty” can fall. we saw this in the team in the playoffs, preseason and during the season. this ship might have sailed. in a short while we will see if it can right itself. which way is the arrow pointing? etan might be able to tell as he has seen both teams.
Worldwide Clyde
April 9th, 2011
10:58 pm
FIRE LD
Gearon your team got blown out by a D-League team. Do you really expect me to spend my hard earned money to see them in the playoffs? You can complain about fan support all you want but you really need to complain about team’s effort.
playmeortrademe
April 9th, 2011
11:01 pm
Well, your Atlanta Hawks are screwwwwwed. The only question is, will Orlando break their own record for margin of victory in a playoff series? Have you ever seen a team with so much potential go absolutely nowhere because of coaching and management? Three years ago after the Boston series, you had to think the team would be ready to contend for a title in two to three years, but you knew they needed a point guard better than Bibby, a presence in the paint, and a high quality head coach. The Hawks went 0 for 3, then, in a move only slightly less stupid than the Koncak deal, signed J-J-Joe to the max, which will handicap the franchise for years. After two more seasons of 1st round humiliations and predictably bad trades of Smith and Horford, the Hawks will be the joke of the league winning less than 30 games and playing in front of 5,000 fans at Philips. Ladies and gentlemen, your Atlanta Hawks.
O'Brien
April 9th, 2011
11:01 pm
doc,
Good point about how the Wiz have fallen and how quick the Hawks might fall too.
We already have a bad contract, bad Chemistry, and we changed HC (which hasn’t worked). All we need is one big season-ending injury, and who knows…
AJ,
Exactly. If LD hasnt been able to get players to buy in when the games were important, what makes him think he will get players to buy in when the games are meaningless?
I dont think now is the time to be forcing them to play, so I think he should let them rest (especially Al, JJ, Josh and Twin).
bghawk
April 9th, 2011
11:02 pm
Woody or Drew??
bghawk
April 9th, 2011
11:02 pm
who would ya rather have?
Booo!
April 9th, 2011
11:05 pm
I would Start Teague, Pape, JJ, Smoove, and Horf
JJ needs to go back to his pheonix days as a spot-up shooter. Sy and Teague are good defenders who slash and draw fouls. It’s aout balance. All that (Jumpshooting)offense isnt needed in the starting lineup.
Nique can shut up! That was a good pass by Teague. Teage made the EXACT same play the next trip down and Pape went to the line! Didn’t hear a peep out of nique after that one though!
Fire LD!
Free The Teague!
Freee Pape Sy!
joe
April 9th, 2011
11:28 pm
LD overmatched, Hawks hired him because he was cheapest option. They are weak and it won’t get any better anytime soon.Contracts they can’t trade ( JJ, MW ). No light at the end of this tunnel. Out in 4 games in first round. MISERABLE !!!!!!!
mykhalc
April 9th, 2011
11:32 pm
tick…tick…tick…KA BOOM!!! in fact, self-combustion is already occurrin’ with this bunch of ‘ain’t got it…don’t want it…and ain’t tryin’ to find it’ non-professionals!!! from the top down…blow ‘em up PLEASE!!!
jgsbrids
April 9th, 2011
11:34 pm
no worries–we’ll just hit that playoffs switch!
what in the he** was that?
what a joke!
someone please show these guys how to box out. then tell them when a teammate shoots the ball go for the rebound–my goodness i stopped counting at 20 shots with no hawk even close to an offensive board…when i played the coach would pull someone for shooting the ball with no one underneath.
wow! drew just needs to re-sign–too bad they didn’t give kruger or stotts this long to figure things out–i can’t believe how bad this team is–and the worst part–they could care less.
Big Ray
April 10th, 2011
12:14 pm
Well, a 32 point loss means that the players outvoted LD as far as “rest vs. rhythm.”
Roach
April 10th, 2011
2:19 pm
What’s the over-under on average percent vacant seats for the Hawks’ two home playoff games? I think Vegas starts them at 25%, given the two embarrassing open losses in Orlando. Nothing to see here, folks–move along.
hawkfan335
April 10th, 2011
6:13 pm
I was reading the Peter Vecsey column in today’s NY paper and he said that if the Hawks have a disaster in the 1st round of the playoffs, Coach Drew could be gone. Any truth to this?
Hawk fan?
April 11th, 2011
11:48 am
I agree with Rusty…give Josh a break. Take a look at his stat sheet! When he plays he contributes across the board consistently and obviously the Hawks missed him in the past three games. He just gets no credit because he takes a few ill advised jumpers. Who doesn’t? Believe me, if they trade him this team is going nowhere faster!!! And Heinrich? Absolutely no chemistry with him on the floor. I still stick to my theory that we should have kept Bibby. At least he was a true floor general…getting the ball where the h#$! it needed to be and popping a three pointer when it was most needed. I see that the Heat have no problem utilizing him in that manner. As a matter of fact…lets go HEAT! lmao!
Grandad
April 11th, 2011
5:09 pm
http://www.youtube.com/user/EliteproNV
Grandad
April 11th, 2011
5:21 pm
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://vimeo.com/10890256&sa=X&ei=em6jTd_QMYnogQewysXkBQ&ved=0CEUQuAIwAg&usg=AFQjCNGGCa2ZILSyJVkIw1IvkBA-d2BHRQ
Grandad
April 11th, 2011
5:22 pm
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CDIQtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DsLRBajfq6xE&ei=DnGjTcu5FKaB0QG_pP2XBQ&usg=AFQjCNEuY1ta2gf5um9GDJ-ybqGnXI2IbQ
Vic in Florida
April 11th, 2011
10:06 pm
I think Larry Drew is the worse fit for a head coach for Atlanta, and I have been saying this since day one. The guy doesn’t have a clue of what to do with this team. I am a die hard Atlanta fan of all sports, and it drives me crazy to see this team taking steps backwards. There was a lot that I didn’t like about Woodson, but the club did better each year. Drew plays his bench in situations where his starters should be doing what they are paid for. I have watch too many games where the game would be close and he would have his bench on the floor until the lead was pushed to double figures. He consistantly runs plays for Josh Smith to shoot three point jumpers, when Josh should be somewhere closer to the basket to help with rebounding, and scoring inside. And tonight the bench did and awesome job erasing a huge lead by the Heat, but if Drew was trying to win that game and go into the playoffs with some kind of momentum, his big money players should have been in the game in the fourth quarter when the score was tied. Every game I am screaming at the television because I feel I can coach the Hawks better than him. If someone in that organization doesn’t sit down and get his head in the right place the Hawks are looking to be back as foot stools of the league. Can you people in Atlanta please put some heat on this guy so we can get some performance from our team, because we have a talented group. We should be playing better. Another thing, why in tha hell did Atlanta pay Joe Johnson all of that money after how he performed in the playoffs last year? If anything they should have given Jamal Crawford a raise and made him a starter. Joe, when are you gonna earn your money? I know that I am not the only one that is seeing this team falling apart. I cancelled my trip to Atlanta for the second Heat game(tonight’s game) because of the first game the Heat played in Atlanta. I didn’t expect Larry Drew to do anything different and the trip was not a cheap one, and wasn’t much fun with my Miami Heat fiance cheering in my ear the whole game. The Hawks have lost what?? their last three, and two were blowouts to teams we should be beating the breaks off. I hope something changes with his coaching philosophies before this weekend or the Orlando series will be short and very ugly one.
Vic in Florida
April 11th, 2011
10:12 pm
From the post above, trading Bibby was a good move because Kurt is three times the defender and can shoot the ball just as well. So I don’t have a problem with that.
nique
April 12th, 2011
6:31 pm
Can one of the AJC writers please do a story on Jordan Crawford’s success on the Wiz? Please? It would also be fun to compare his stats to Heinrich’s of course.
tanker
April 13th, 2011
1:25 pm
@ Wade, if D is bum that makes you DUMB for watching.
@ Darnell, can you do a better job, I DON’t think so. SO… SHUT IT UP!