Heat at Atlanta Hawks: Williams injury shows risks of gearing up for meaningless games
Marvin turned an ankle at Washington and may not play tonight. I remember Marvin limping a bit during the game but he ended up playing 29 minutes and I don’t recall him getting treatment after the game.
In any event, Marvin’s injury provides a (admittedly after-the-fact) counterargument to the notion that the Hawks need to use these games to get ready for the playoffs.
“You are hoping your team looks at is an opportunity to gain momentum going into the playoffs,” L.D. said. “Looking at the last couple games, that’s not the case and I am concerned about that. But at the same time, keeping things in their proper perspective, we want to try to get to the playoffs as healthy as we can. What happened to Marvin the other night is the one thing you don’t want to happen where you get a starter or key guy hurt in a game that has very little meaning.”
Josh will return to the lineup tonight. L.D. said Josh will play limited minutes with the main goal of getting him some work after sitting out a week.
“I feel good,” Smoove said. “The swelling is down. I am going to play tonight and see how it feels in game action.”
Even after the injury to Marvin, J.J. still says the starters need minutes before the playoffs.
“It’s just a gamble you have to take when you are trying to get some chemistry and rhythm,” he said. “It happens, man. Guys are going to get injuries and nick nacks. You hope it doesn’t happen but it does.”
Better effort?
The Hawks mailed it in against a marginal playoff team and a lottery squad that played three D-League refugees. Maybe they will find some inspiration in playing the Heat.
“Especially the way they beat us here last time,” Jamal said. “They have a lot of momentum [after] beating Boston. We feel like we can get the momentum going towards the playoffs. I think we will be fired up for tonight.”
J.J. said he’s not sure about that.
“I have no clue. I don’t know,” he said. “The last few games we have played have been unacceptable. With us being back home maybe we will come out and play better.”
The Heat are trying to finish a game ahead of Boston to earn the No. 2 seed in the East. The Hawks could help prevent that, which would have no effect on their path through the playoffs but it would be something.
“No question there’s that,” Al said. “But at the same time we have to come out and play for ourselves.”
Iso-Kirk?
At Washington on Saturday there were several possessions in which Hinrich dribbled to every area of the half court while the rest of the Hawks stood and watched. He would make a move, dribble through traffic and then look up to see his teammates still standing.
It was unclear exactly what Hinrich and Hawks were trying to accomplish.
“There’s times when offensively we get a little stagnant,” Hinrich said. “It’s just one of those things we have to guard [against]. I think it all comes back to defense. If we are getting stops, the game is so much easier for us. We have got so many energy who can make plays and I think that is where our strength lies. So we will focus on that.”
Is Hinrich still learning his teammates’ games?
“I feel more and more comfortable every day,” he said. “I’ve very excited about what lies ahead of us. I think we still can be a very dangerous team and I think every guy in here believes that.”
Jameer takes a jab
It seems there is some buzz in Hawks fandom about Jameer’s comment to D-Rose that he would “catch you in the second round.” AJC wise guy Jeff Schultz asks: “Is it wise for the starting point guard on the Orlando Magic to just be assuming victory over Atlanta in the first round?”
I guess the Hawks can put that quote on the bulletin board. Come to think of it, they don’t really have a bulletin board as far as I can tell. Does any team, really? I see lots of grease boards, no bulletin boards.
Anyway, the Hawks do have a bunch of signs with inspirational slogans hanging in the locker room and hallways. Those didn’t inspire them to avoid taking a historic L from the Magic last spring or three 30-point beat downs at home and one to the Wiz this season so excuse me if I’m skeptical that something like Jameer’s quotes will have much effect on this group.
Al honored
The league awarded Al the the NBA Cares Community Assist Award for March after he donated $23,000 to Direct Relief International to assist Japan and the Pacific region following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. I ran into a Japanese reporter friend while I was in Houston and he says the people in his country are very appreciative of Al’s gesture.
Hawks sign Rolle
The Hawks today signed forward Magnum Rolle.
The Thunder selected Rolle, 25, with the 51st overall pick in the NBA draft before trading his rights to Indiana. The 6-foot-11 forward was in training camp with the Pacers last summer but ended up playing 15 games this season with the Maine Red Claws of the D-League.
Rolle, a native of the Bahamas, played at LSU and Louisiana Tech.
Atlanta now has 15 players on its roster.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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487 comments Add your comment
terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:09 pm
LD must be hoping for an injury, so he’ll have an excuse???
tremaine
April 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
Time to go night, night.
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
Nice move by Marvin.
Miami shooting 60%
Melvin
April 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
These guys are just toying with the Hawks…
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
Nice drive Marvin.
Doesn’t matter though. This game ended when Wade got his uncontested dunk over Kirk and Marvin. That dunk was the signal for folding time.
cp
April 11th, 2011
8:10 pm
O’Brien I wouldnt be shocked if LD really does come out and say that. I truly dont understand why Hinrich continues to start.
bsg3003
April 11th, 2011
8:11 pm
if the score gets bad enough in the 3rd maybe teague can score 20 again!
Walter Ray
April 11th, 2011
8:11 pm
“Walter Ray,
Joe was saving Al the embarrassment of Wade blocking his shot”
LOL. Joe should have been focusing on saving himself from his own embarrassment.
bigdave
April 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
great help Marvin.. smh.
terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
What you have to say about that defense by Damien Nique?
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
Horrible D by Damien . . come on Nephew
cp
April 11th, 2011
8:12 pm
lol@terrell. I was actually thinking that earlier today.
lewis
April 11th, 2011
8:14 pm
marvins had it going for awhile. no lie
Walter Ray
April 11th, 2011
8:14 pm
It will be a great day when Larry Drew is no longer the coach of the Hawks.
Sleepy
April 11th, 2011
8:15 pm
LOL @ bsg3003 Thats what it seems like some of these posters want to happen .
We getting pounded on the boards again 23-13 and the heat has 8 offensive boards
Our starting 5 has 8 rebounds while Lebron by himself has 7
yet super teague will save us
lukas
April 11th, 2011
8:15 pm
Wow!! even LD knows he’s going to get fire after the 1st round exit. What has happened to his team, besides JJ crippling contract?
terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:16 pm
Hawks players are just your avg Joe’s. Ld is just your avg idiot. FREE TEAGUE LIKE YOU FREED JORDAN.
drmaryb (*_-)
April 11th, 2011
8:17 pm
Steve Holman
“A Lay-Up! A Lay-Up! Wade just went past Damien Wilkins like his shoes were cemented to the FLOOR! And that’s how the end the quarter! Giving the Heat 62 points!”
Steve is disgusted too! Play Teague 48 minutes, he deserves that.
__________________
What is Boston doing in Washington? Hawks playing no defense and Al is nowhere to be found! What is going on?
drmaryb (*_-)
April 11th, 2011
8:18 pm
Josh has 5 off boards! Nice!
Walter Ray
April 11th, 2011
8:19 pm
“LD is going to say he brought Kirk back in because he wants to get him in rhythym for the playoffs.
But Teague has outplayed him (imo, Bibby outplayed him).”
Great point. This is probably exactly what L.D. would say if he were asked about the situation. By the way, I agree that Bibby has outplayed Kirk on the offensive end. Hinrich is better than Bibby defensively, but I think Bibby helped the team out more offensively since he was a good at making open shots, did not consume a large amount of the team’s attempts, and he was a pass-first point guard. Kirk, on the other hand, only adds to the ball-hogging problem that we already have here by trying to do too much offensively and taking a lot of bad shots. That’s the last thing we need on the offensive end is someone who wants overdribble and take more long, contested jumpers.
Rusty
April 11th, 2011
8:19 pm
God at the 6 min time in 1st quarter it looks like kh can’t handle mb. He has driven around kh as if he wasn’t present.
W.R.Terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:20 pm
We are at halftime 62 – 46 Miami. A 16 point defecit at the moment is not too bad it could be worse. I’m thinking the “SOFT’S” got em right where they want em and will pull off an amazing upset and win by 10. By the way I have some land for sale and will be glad to talk with you about buying some serious beach front property in Japan. I can give you one helluva deal. I’m going to get ready for the 2nd half because I know there will be screams and yells as we watch the “SOFT’S” do what they do best.
Sleepy
April 11th, 2011
8:20 pm
Kirk is a ballhog and takes bad shots but Teague is pass first ROFLMAO
Walter Ray
April 11th, 2011
8:21 pm
drmaryb,
I like Steve Holman’s emotion when calling the games. He’s a big-time homer, but at least he calls it like it is when it comes to the Hawks making mistakes. He doesn’t try to sugar-coat things, he calls the Hawks out when they play like garbage. At least someone in the Hawks media is brave enough to do so. All Bob and ‘Nique do is make excuses for the team, but I can’t necessarily blame them, after all, they get paid to help promote the team.
bsg3003
April 11th, 2011
8:22 pm
my main question is…whats the point of drafting someone in the first round if they are just gonna rot on the bench. teague has blazing speed that no one on this team can even touch. he even developed himself a floater that consistently goes in! and he plays defense better than most one the team, what else could someone want??
Walter Ray
April 11th, 2011
8:23 pm
“God at the 6 min time in 1st quarter it looks like kh can’t handle mb. He has driven around kh as if he wasn’t present.”
Kirk is an excellent defender though. Mike Bibby must just be one of those few elite PGs that Kirk is just over-matched against…
terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:24 pm
BK wanted to fire Woody, ASG said he’s their guy. Sund wanted to hire Dwayne Casey, Asg wanted Uncle Larry. lol. I’d take Casey or Woody oer Larry in a NY minute.
Joel
April 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
“I’d take Casey or Woody oer Larry in a NY minute.”
I think just about anyone would. What positive thing does Larry Drew even bring to the table for an NBA team?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:27 pm
They have 100 level seats for the Hawks-Magic playoff series on Stubhub for under $50. If the Hawks keep playing the way they are right now I might be able to get them for $30 by the time Game 3 rolls around.
W.R.Terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
Ok time to watch trickball Jamal and the rest of the “SOFT’S” do whatever they do
lukas
April 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
Does anyone have a link for the game please?
cp
April 11th, 2011
8:29 pm
Like I said the other day, the Hawks might have the worst collection of back up bigs in the league
terrell
April 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
Hawks starters would make a nice bench for a contender.
Slimj4
April 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
Lets see 16 times 2= 32 point win.That sounds about right another beat down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
they really do @ cp . . . just a horrible collection.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:30 pm
Bibby bricks a 3 while Kirk’s high basketball IQ is telling him to look at the basket.
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
Come on KIRK . . . can you make a PG type play?
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
lukas, try atdhe.fm
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:31 pm
NO one under the board with Smith taking that jumper.
Sleepy
April 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
Everyones whining about who they would prefer as coach now lol when none of those coaches would consider this team because the ownership and fans made certain players untouchable or the “the core” so what quality coach is gonna come into a situation where after simply making the playoffs the fanbase and ownership wont give him the ability to evaluate and make changes to his team as fit .
Thats why Drew is here because no top tier coach will take on a gig like that with those limitations when you arent talking about true superstar players .
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
And it wasn’t necessarily a bad shot from Smith . . it;s justg that no one was under the boards.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:32 pm
WTF is Kirk doing not passing to Al on that break?
cp
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
lol Hinrich
Slimj4
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Drew will be back..Lottery team by 2013…..
bigdave
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
shouldve passed the ball.. or dunked it.
START JEFF TEAGUE!
lukas
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Najeh,
Already tried. Is not working.
northcyde
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
Refs trying to keep this game close.
LOL. . I can’t believe that Bibby was trying to take Kirk off the dribble.
Wow Kirk . . get out the game please.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:33 pm
If Kirk isn’t hitting those jumpers, he’s pretty useless. I remember saying the exact same thing about Bibby in January.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 11th, 2011
8:34 pm
That… was a horrible offensive possession.
Sleepy
April 11th, 2011
8:35 pm
look at all the pretty jumpshots ……….