Bulls at Atlanta Hawks Game 4: Larry Drew: ‘No time to experiment with limitations’
This is what it’s like to coach the Hawks sometimes. . .
L.D. looks at his computer screen, where Smoove’s shooting percentages by distance are displayed. He holds up a shooting chart of Josh’s misses and makes.
These are the tools L.D. uses to try to convince Josh to stop taking Js.
“I’ve had talks with him: ‘You can’t take those shots. You are not making them,’” he said. “When I talk to my players and I am making a point, I back it up with numbers and facts and video.”
It’s not just Josh.
Following Game 3, the theory among Atlanta’s bigs was that their help against D-Rose’s penetration contributed to Chicago’s 18 offensive rebounds. So L.D. showed his players video cut-ups of each of those rebounds and put them into categories.
“Whether it’s Rose involved, or whether a poor block out or bad rotation, or whether they just man-for-man went after that ball more than we did,” he said.
Drew said “not blocking out” won in a landslide.
“At the end of the game, we look at the stat sheet and say, ‘Eighteen offensive rebounds, we have got to do something differently if our coverages are putting us at a disadvantage.’” Drew said. “That was not the case. This is just about man-on-man. It’s my will against his will.”
And so it goes down the list, L.D. showing the Hawks how they can be better and the players seeming to get the message only sometimes.
“You hope as a coach [you have] a team that knows their strengths and knows their limitations,” Drew said. “A player that knows strengths tries to put himself in a position where he can be successful nine times out of 10. A player who has limitations, he is going to try to stay away from it as much as he can because he knows that is going to hurt himself and hurt the team. Here we are in playoff basketball; it is no time to experiment with your limitations now.”
The Hawks shared the ball in Game 1, their best offensive game of the series. But by Game 3 it was lots of dribbling by J.J., no ball movement, no player movement, poor shot selection.
“That’s the story of the whole year,” L.D. said. “We play together and play out of double teams one game, then we come back and try to beat the double teams ourselves the next game. That’s just inconsistency. We watch film and we show where we do move the ball out of a double team. And then we have games where we try to beat the double teams ourselves. We show that day, after day, after day, after day. It’s got to click in and they’ve got to see when we move the ball, it works. And when we move the ball, we become more effective. And when we move the ball, it puts the defense in a bind.”
I told L.D. his players sometimes seem more focused on the result than the process. In other words, if they share the ball and the shots go in then they have no problem keeping it up. If they share the ball and they don’t make shots–even if they creates some good ones–then it doesn’t take long before they abandon that approach and start going one-on-one.
“It’s not going to work all the time,” Drew said. “In sharing the basketball, success should not be predicated on our makes. It should be predicated on are we getting good shots or the shot that we want or if it’s a high percentage shots. As long as we get good looks, and it’s the right person shooting it, that’s successful offense.”
What about Al?
Al’s offensive struggles have caused great anxiety among my blog people. Some of you have implored me to “find out what’s going on with Al,” as if you don’t believe what you see so there must be some hidden reason to explain his ineffectiveness.
Seriously, though, I understand the angst. You may not like it when J.J. dribbles out possessions or Josh jacks up momentum-sapping Js but at least those are expected developments. But if the most reliable scorer on the team for most of the season can’t get it done, then all hope is lost.
In the comments yesterday I said that my view was a) the pick-and-pop hasn’t been there for Al b) he’s been stymied by Chicago’s physical D, led by Noah, when he tries to go inside and c) he’s been taking too long to make decisions with the ball (it got him, too).
Today L.D. gave his view on Al’s issues:
“I don’t think it’s as much they have taken [the jump shot] away as he is rushing his shot when he gets it. Down in the low post he has got to be more of a workhorse. They are matching Noah on him and Noah is a good defender and I think that is bothering him a little bit. They are playing him more physical where he is not getting to his spots. Even Gibson is matched up against him and we are not gaining an advantage. He has got to be more of a workhorse down low, he has got to look for his shot. He’s had some good looks, particularly the last game, last game he was really just rushing his shot. There were a couple he took it looked like they didn’t have a chance. He has got to be more in-tune, more in-focus, and work into getting into his shooting spot and shooting form faster. They are a good defensive team and they get to people quicker.”
Al said after Game 3 that the Bulls have taken away the pick-and-pops and he’d like to get more post-ups. So today I asked him if he still thinks that’s the answer.
“At this point I am really going to focus more on my defense and rebounding,” he said. “If I get the post-ups that’s great but I think I have to keep impacting the team on the defense end and rebounding in order to make a difference.”
Al has had some success by quickly driving the ball when Noah runs hard at him to deny the pick-and-pop. Al said that’s one option to counter it.
“I just have to make adjustments as a player,” he said. “Whether it is giving an extra pass to my teammates or rolling instead of popping—just something different.”
‘Trust each other’
L.D. also had more to say about what Joe needs to do to get on track:
“First of all, you have got to really study film. Look and see what they are trying to take away from you. Look and see from a team defensive standpoint what they are trying to do to you. Obviously with him on the side they are crowding him and bringing an extra guy over–what we saw against Orlando, basically. They are playing him a little bit more aggressive on the ball, but as far as bringing another guy over it’s the same thing [the Magic] did with Dwight and we combated that by not just pounding the ball but swinging it quick and getting it to the other side and attack it. A lot of his attacks have to be from the middle of the floor, we will put more focus on that moving forward. But the one thing you can’t do is pound, and pound, and pound the ball and try to shoot it over double teams because you are playing into their hands. We have got to have the same trust in this series as we had in the Orlando series. We played out of double teams, we got the ball moved, we went into the second phase of our offense. We’ve got to trust in one another. We have definitely got to get the ball moved. Especially in this series because Chicago, on paper, is a better defensive team. Against a team that loads up on the first side, they are rangy, athletic, strong, you can’t hold the ball on one side and try to pound it.”
Notes
- L.D. said he’s considering going with a “big” lineup that includes Twin or Zaza.
- UPDATE: It’s the Twin lineup. Drew’s reasoning: “It gives us a different look. It also helps us on the glass. They had 18 offensive rebounds the last game and the fact we did have some success with that lineup vs. Orlando, our guys are familiar with it. I think it’s time for change. We’ve made the decision to go with a bigger lineup and defensively we will tweak some things.”
- Twin will have to check Noah, who presents a different dilemma than Dwight. “It will be a challenge for him,” L.D. said. “Noah is an energy guy that moves around a lot in the paint area. But I have all the confidence in the world that Jason has the ability to keep him off the glass. Jason certainly took the challenge against Dwight, understanding that Dwight is a little more sataionary than Noah, but I’m confident Jason can get the job done.”
- The Bulls beat writers told me Thibodeau likely will crossmatch Noah against Al and give Twin to Boozer. Maybe Twin can post him up.
- The Hawks have changed up their coverages for D-Rose. “We made some adjustments,” Jamal said. “I am sure you guys will be able to see tonight.”
- Jamal on Atlanta’s plan to be more physical with Rose: “That’s for everybody. It’s the playoffs. We are not getting easy baskets so they shouldn’t, either.”
- Boozer has torn ligaments in his big toe.
- L.D. on the delicate nature of being critical of star players during meetings: “Real pros look it in the eye and say, ‘Coach, you know what, you are right.’ They will say, ‘I have got to do this better, I have go to do that better.’ I am always open to suggestions from any of my players if there is something they would rather do. Sometimes as coaches we can make suggestions and a player says. ‘Let’s come back and try this way.’ I am good with that.”
- Thibodeau on Teague successfully stepping in for Hinrich: “He’s a good player. He can score the ball and he’s done a good job defensively. It says a lot about him. It shows he’s stayed ready. He’s gotten his opportunity and he’s playing well.”
- Thibodeau on the Hawks: “They are a tough team. They are hard to guard. They have a lot of weapons. We understand we have to play well but we are not changing what we do.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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917 comments Add your comment
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:18 pm
happy mother’s day blog mommas!!!
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:20 pm
We did not make any adjustments from game 2 to 3. We got destroyed on the glass horribly too.
LD is an awful head coach
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:20 pm
Lakers will end up with Dwight. No way they let Kobe retire without having a bonafide superstar to carry the torch. Prolly a sign and trade for Bynum and picks.
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:21 pm
@dukester
Jason Collins is a center already on this roster. Something has to give. The SF is the middle player, the glue guy, and the identity of the team.
Memphis has Battier, Thunder have Durant, Miami has Lebron, Chicago has the steady Luol Deng.
And Atlanta starts Marvin Williams. while Josh Smith and Al Horford have to rebound and never get to get out and run.
Thibodeau would have this team in the ECF playing BIG and REBOUNDING lol.
Boozer is a quarter inch shorter than our center, 20 pounds (solid base for rebounding) heavier than our “power” forward and has longer wingspan than our “center”
Al Horford cannot outrebound Noah with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams!
Josh Smith cannot box out and get the ball for Marvin Williams. Marvin Williams does nothing until last series when we bring him off the bench to defend and hit 3s.
Larry Drew are you serious?
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2011
5:21 pm
Jason Terry is on fire.
The Terry for Walker trade was made with the idea of clearing salary, which is understandable. Rebuilding teams trade good players to free up cap space all the time. Of course, the Hawks ended up using a significant chunk of that cap room for Speedy Claxton, and they also didn’t get any first round picks in return, which is what makes that a really bad move in hindsight.
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:22 pm
The Marvin Williams curse continues.
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:23 pm
@terrell…good trade scenario man!!!
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:24 pm
Larry Drew would have played Magic Johnson at center, Joe “6′9 wingspan so I can’t drive and get fouled” Johnson at small forward and himself at point guard.
Over or under: Joe Johnson and Marvin combine for 10 free throws?
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:24 pm
Larry Drew would have played Magic Johnson at center, Joe “6′9 wingspan so I can’t drive and get fouled” Johnson at small forward and himself at point guard.
Over or under: Joe Johnson and Marvin combine for 10 free throws?
Winston
May 8th, 2011
5:25 pm
Joe Johnson’s attitude is why I haven’t gone to a game all season. For almost $20 million a year, you can stick me anywhere. I’ll continue to cheer for them, but until our biggest “star” can show some respect, I, for one, will not be giving the Hawks any of my money.
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:28 pm
Gotta work tonight so I cant watch the game. Probably a good thing. lol
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:29 pm
stick a fork in ‘em!!! who had $1000 to put on a DAL sweep???
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:29 pm
Hubie just said Dallas only rotates 9 players.
He said “only.”
We rotate about 7.5
5 starters + Jamal + ZaZa
Marvin = 0.5
drmaryb (*_-)
May 8th, 2011
5:31 pm
Whoopie! Yeah!
That exuberant scream you just heard was Michael Jordan’s legacy of 6 Championships over Kobe’s 5, being preserved.
Kobe will never tout that he has won as many rings as Michael, ever in his life time.
Happy Mother’s Day! MJ!
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:31 pm
Kirk starts playing well, and gets hurt right before the 2nd rd. Horford plays well all year, and turns into Chris Bosh when we need him most. Our luck around here is awful.
Michael Cunningham
May 8th, 2011
5:32 pm
@northcyde MC . . if JJ gets it done tonight, please devote 1/2 of your blog to him, seeing that you didn’t even give him one paragraph after Game 1. He arguably played the best road playoff game that any Hawk has played, since Nique’s 47 pts up in Boston in Game 7 back in 1988. But he couldn’t get a paragraph, or even much praise, after that performance.
this probably qualifies as praise:
Johnson scored a game-high 34 points, one shy of his career high for the postseason. After signing the league’s richest contract last summer, Johnson had his least productive and efficient season for the Hawks but has delivered in important moments during the postseason.
“It’s big, man,” Johnson said. “The regular season is over. The playoffs is a whole different season. I just wanted to come out, be aggressive and make plays.
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:36 pm
LAL just turned into DET!!! WTF!!! class-less punks!!!
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:37 pm
That sounds like every one of Joe’s interviews. lol
J from the A
May 8th, 2011
5:37 pm
LA Lakers are disgusting. PERIOD
J from the A
May 8th, 2011
5:37 pm
An embarrassment to the NBA.
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:38 pm
MC, that sounds like every one of Joe’s interviews. lol
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:39 pm
How about this coach?
“You hope as a {player} [you have] a {coach} that knows their strengths and knows their limitations,” Drew said. “A {coach} that knows strengths tries to put {his players} in a position where he can be successful nine times out of 10. A {coach with} player that have limitations, he is going to try to stay away from it as much as he can because he knows that is going to hurt himself and hurt the team.
Here we are in playoff basketball; it is no time to experiment with your limitations now.”
The Hawks kept the same lineup that the team used Tuesday night against Portland — guards Hinrich and Teague, forwards Joe Johnson and Josh Smith and center Al Horford. Johnson was asked the last time he played small forward. He replied: “Probably never.”
-March 16, 2011
???????????? WTF is going on?
northcyde
May 8th, 2011
5:39 pm
Damn. . so that’s how the Lakere are going to go out? Getting blown out, and taking cheap shots on people? Should’ve done that earlier in the game, if you were going to do that. Bynum may have just broken Barea’s ribs with that shot. If so, Stern needs to come down HARD on him for that play. 10 game suspension at least, if his ribs are broken.
LOL@ Artest walking him off the floor. He’s the consoling figure? Damn Lakers. Going out like suckas.
drmaryb (*_-)
May 8th, 2011
5:39 pm
Bush League!
Fakers!
Posers!
Lakers
Aye Lakers! Don’t even bother to come to the presser, pay the fine and just board your plane. Bynum! Keep your shirt on! You Sir, are not Dennis Rodman. Rodman was a jerk – but he was real! You are a poser!
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:40 pm
Magic Johnson will tear them a new one in post game!!! class-less punks!!!
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:41 pm
to terrell’s point earlier…i think Bynum might want outta LA….
terrell
May 8th, 2011
5:41 pm
I’m giving the Lakers a pass. They’re back to back champions. Hawks are the ones that’s disgusting. Especially when they play like they played the other night.
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:43 pm
Limitations:
Joe Johnson drawing fouls as a SF
Josh Smith boxing out centers without getting abused
Josh Smith posting up Boozer/Noah
Marvin Williams as a STARTER
Jason Collins/Pachulia without Josh Smith and Al Horford
This is the EXACT same lineup that took 7 games to beat Milwaukee what is going on in the NBA?
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:47 pm
Right now Josh is watching this game and thinking about how hot Dallas was beyond the 3pt line.
He’s licking his chops, getting ready to shoot 3s
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:49 pm
LOL @ everyone taking shots at MC, and with 1 sentence, he is one-by-one he is destroying and hushing all the haters
LOL
Do Work
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:49 pm
*he is one-by-one destroying…..
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
5:50 pm
Almost feel bad for Kobe. And that’s saying a lot
northcyde
May 8th, 2011
5:51 pm
Slim
May 8th, 2011
5:14 pm
JJ shoots 20 shots and lots of 3s makes half we win.
JJ jacks up 20 shots and hits 45% we lose.
*******************
Wrong Slim.
JJ could go 9 – 21 today, and we can still win. But the team would have to gather some offensive boards. And that is more likely with a guard shooting the ball and missing, than with a big shooting the ball and missing. When our bigs shoot jumpers and miss, there are no rebounds, because no one is in the paint.
Chicago won Game 2 with Rose shooting 10 – 27 FG. Great defense on their part, combined with them getting 14 offensive rebounds, helped them win that game.
The right people just have to be shooting the ball. And if JJ is going to get up his shots tonight, guys like Horford and Smith need to be around the rim to possibly get offensive rebounds. While people may not like that, it was one of the main reasons why we won 53 games last year. The only downfall to last year, was how the 2nd round vs Orlando went.
Hawks are 5 – 0 when JJ scores 20+ points ( no matter what his shooting percentage is )
Hawks are 5 – 1 when Jamal gets 19 or more points, no matter what he shoots.
JJ went 9 – 23 . . 6 – 15 . . and 10 – 25 in the Orlando series, and we won those games because he got 20 points, and other people played well in other areas. But JJ was the focal point of the offense.
When JJ takes 15 or less shots . . we’re 1 – 4
When Jamal gets 10 or less shots . . we’re 0 – 3
The right people need to be shooting the ball, double teams or not.
mykhalc
May 8th, 2011
5:55 pm
yeah…but everybody thinks they are the right person!!! like i said, cats wanna define their own roles…
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2011
5:56 pm
LD’s comments, including the ones here, lead me to believe he knows what needs to be done. The fact that the Hawks so consistently don’t do what needs to be done leads me to believe that LD doesn’t have the ability to get through to this group of players and motivate them.
Good to hear Al say he wants to focus on D and rebounding. In light of Smoove’s own offensive struggles in these playoffs, I hope he does the same.
dukester
May 8th, 2011
5:57 pm
@SLIM lol are you comparing the athleticism, shot blocking skills, rebounding and even offensive skills of Tyson Chandler to Jason Collins?? or for that fact any so called center we have? Thats one of the reasons peep in on these boards and hurry up and leave. Geessshh
Time
May 8th, 2011
5:59 pm
Hire Bill Laimbeer
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2011
6:00 pm
“how would you feel if all the transplants fill up the gym more than the locals.”
This idea that all the opposing team fans at Philips are transplants is a joke. Most of these people are born and raised in ATL and jumped on the bandwagon of other teams because ATL has never had a championship contending team. I know plenty of people like this.
Also, of you think this only happens in Philips, you must not have watched the Bulls-Pacers series.
Time
May 8th, 2011
6:02 pm
Al Horford, Josh Smith and Joe Johnson for Bynum. Yea, he’s dirty, but atleast he cares.
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
6:03 pm
Lakers got eliminated before us!
FIRE LD
northcyde
May 8th, 2011
6:04 pm
doc
May 8th, 2011
5:15 pm
jj is soooo articulate, isnt he? stuck with it?
and i just saw it, LOL at northcyde. if we lose can we tear into him on how frail he is on being the guy for the next 5 months or until the cba is done, northcyde? your green lantern went dark the last two games bro. no light there.
we go from being described as so athletic to being a one man gang easily subdued. what is it and how can we be more? jj moved in the first game around picks. he and the rest of them got dead feet and became statues as contested ball after contested ball “fell” into their hands. they had better come out with more effort than the lakers did or we all sit home thursday.
*************************
You guys are going to tear into him anyway if we lose, regardless of how well his plays. But if he plays well and win, very few people will give him credit for it, just like they didn’t in Game 1.
It’s just funny to me how most of you don’t want the most talented player on the team to “try to get his”, when every other best player on the team does exactly that. A scoring JJ is a positive for the Hawks, not a negative. But to score, he has to shoot. And sometimes he has to take bad shots in order to score.
At that point, it’s up to our bigs to at least gather in 2 or 3 of his misses, so that we can possibly score on that possession, despite a miss by him. It’s all about balance. The right people need to be shooting the ball.
If by halftime, JJ only has 6 shots, while guys like Smith and Marvin have 7 or 8 shots, it’s probably a good bet that we’re losing by at least 10.
At least Barea is OK, I guess. He’s back in the game.
Prediction: Mike Woodson will be the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers will acquire Jamal Crawford in the offseason, and the Lakers will go with a Kobe – Jamal ISO attack, with emphasis on defense and rebounding by the bigs.
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
6:05 pm
When a team gets eliminated, what does the winning team’s play say to someone, say Kobe? “Great series. You are an amazing play?”
Always wondered
Magic Johnson
May 8th, 2011
6:06 pm
@MC what does he think of keeping Josh at the 3 and going at Deng, while Joe goes at Bogans
and we pursue offensive rebounds?
Did we have energy in Orlando? Then go back to that lineup Drew. Nobody purposely plays small ball anymore Drew. We are the smallest in the league.
Josh Smith, Al Horford, Collins/Zaza > Randolph, Battier, Gasol
Remember Larry Bird? he posted up. Marvin Williams does not. Josh Smith as a 3 does
Remember Kevin McHale? he was 6′10 posted up. Josh Smith is not 6′10. Al Horford is.
Remember Robert Parish? he defended the post. Marvin Williams does not. Jason Collins and Zaza do.
A coach that acts like he doesn’t know his players limitations is incompetent.
What do u think Magic Johnson would prefer
Team A
-Magic Johnson
-Joe Johnson > Byron Scott
-Josh Smith as James Worthy
-Al Horford > Kurt Rambis
-Jason Collins/Zaza Pachulia
or Team B
-Magic Johnson
-Joe Johnson
-Marvin Williams
-Josh Smith
-Al Horford
::::
I know which lineups Derrick Rose prefers:
::::
Publicly, Derrick Rose told the Chicago Sun Times Wednesday that he was concerned that the Bulls were “not moving in the right direction.”
Privately, within the Bulls locker room, their belief that they could beat the Celtics changed when Boston traded Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City.
The Bulls felt that with Perkins gone, everything changed for the Celtics. They no longer had the toughness, the tenacity, the presence in the post.
“He was tough,” Rose said. “He was really tough to go around. They’re different.
“We know we can beat them,” Rose flatly said.
:::
Translation:
Publicly, Derrick Rose told the Chicago Sun Times Wednesday that he was concerned that the Bulls were “not moving in the right direction.”
Privately, within the Bulls locker room, their belief that they could beat the {Hawks} changed when {Atlanta} swapped {Zaza Pachulia/Jason Collins combo} to the bench for {Marvin Williams}.
The Bulls felt that with {Smith no longer a small forward and no center helping he and Horford clog the lane}, everything changed for the Hawks. They no longer had the toughness, the tenacity, the presence in the post.
“{They were} tough,” Rose said. “He was really tough to go around. They’re different.
“We know we can beat them,” Rose flatly said.
cp
May 8th, 2011
6:07 pm
@MC you have been doing a job during the playoffs…….. a lot of us have been complaining about guys not boxing out. Guys are standing around watching the ball instead of putting a body on somebody and grabbing the ball. The Bulls are hustling and diving for the loose balls while the Hawks stand around and watch.They have to get after it tonight and act like they want it
.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2011
6:14 pm
“Drew seems to think that his scheme will work, if the players will execute it. Sounds a lot like the former coach who didn’t get brought back”
The former coach didn’t have a scheme.
It’s fair to say a missed jumper by a guard is easier rebounded than a missed jumper by a big man. What that statement doesn’t consider is that shots at or near the rim are easier rebounded regardless of who shoots them. Ball movement is good, but player movement is just as important; without it, the “motion” offense ends up with a jumper. When the Hawks have actually executed the “motion” offense they get shots at the rim at least as often as they get open jumpers.
Basically, the big men need to be posting up and/or rolling to the hoop off the pick and rolls, and the guards need to feed them if they are open inside. There are better alternatives than either Joe shooting jumpers off of isolation or Smoove or Al shooting open jumpers off of ball movement.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 8th, 2011
6:17 pm
“Prediction: Mike Woodson will be the next coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers will acquire Jamal Crawford in the offseason, and the Lakers will go with a Kobe – Jamal ISO attack, with emphasis on defense and rebounding by the bigs.”
This will never happen, but even if it did, Kobe gets to the free throw line at a much greater clip than Joe and hits tough shots at a much greater clip than Joe, which makes iso-Kobe much more effective than iso-Joe. If Joe had Kobe’s talent nobody would have minded iso-Joe.
northcyde
May 8th, 2011
6:18 pm
@ MC 5:32
Nah MC . . that’s not praise. That’s you writing as a professional writer doing what you’re required to do. It would be professionally negligent to not cite that JJ played well in your official write-up of the game. Your tone was totally different on the blog that night, than it was for the write-up for the online/print version of the AJC.
It’s just a pattern that when JJ plays well, people, including yourself, either downplay it or overlook it. But when he plays bad, all of his flaws have a big spotlight put on it. It’s cool though. LOL . . let Jamal have a big game though, and you’ll write that he’s “balling” on your blog. It is what it is.
Like I said after Game 1 that night . . JJ is the most “taken for granted” player in Atlanta sports history. Maybe only Jesse Tuggle and Otis Nixon were more taken for granted, than JJ is now.
I love watching the blog while the game is going on. If JJ makes a play, only bigdave will consistently comment on it. But let him mess up, 8 or 9 people will comment. I’ve been seeing this for years. I guess JJ is just not a likable personality for most Hawk fans.
I guess I’m different than most Hawk fans though. I’m thankful that JJ even came to this franchise, and help make us relevant again. And while I may “cheerlead” harder for him, than most players, I’ll at least acknowledge when other people are playing well . . including Jamal . . whose game I don’t necessarily like. But when he’s balling, I won’t keep silent about it.
All I ask, is if he balls tonight, you write about in your blog report, as well as your official ajc.com report. If he stinks it up, feel free to criticize him any way you want.
South ga boy in the atl
May 8th, 2011
6:19 pm
Michael, thanks for asking (I know u have before too) about what he’s doing to try and get thru to Josh. My only comment is that he has said some of those same things to him all season, albeit maybe more forcefully and with props this time, but if trying to show Josh, from an intelectional point of view, what he should be and should not be doing hasn’t worked this yr then why would it work now. Isn’t that the definition of insanity. Why not start him and then bring him into the game after a couple of minutes, or pull him out immediately the first time he jacks a long jumper. Rational just doesn’t work on him. He’s an emotional player, a lot of times to his and the teams detriment, and the only thing that might work is emotionally embarrassing him and challenging his pride thru consequences, not just TALKING to him. I know he’s the most frustrating pro player I have ever seen. He could be all time great if he would play to his strengths and stay away from his weaknesses but he’s in his 7th yr and I’m convinced HE REFUSES TO CHANGE AND IT’S KILLING OUR TEAM SO LET HIM GO SELL CRAZY SOMEWHERE ELSE
Ant banks
May 8th, 2011
6:19 pm
I read the beginning of this article twice. Larry drew is a good coach. He is showing the players where there weaknesses are. Would philiip do something diff? Would Riley? I understand the vehement chorus against asg, sund and players. What would doc rivers or Byron Scott do diff with this team?
It ain’t Larry that’s the prob
Jason Terry
May 8th, 2011
6:20 pm
@Najeh
Indianapolis is a little over a hour away from CHI, that a bad comparison. And I know plenty of people that moved here from all over the place for jobs, I’m one of them moving from Miami and I go to plenty of games and when I ask people where they are from, I meet more transplants then locals.