Atlanta Hawks: Bobcats 79, Hawks 77 (exhibition)
- The regulars were kind of besides the point in this one, so let’s go straight to the other guys.
- Donald Sloan had some shaky moments. D.J. Augustin blew by him on Sloan’s first and second defensive possession (though Josh Smith slid in to take a charge on the second play).
- “To be honest, I was nervous at the beginning when I first got in,” Sloan said. “But [Larry Drew] surrounded me with the guys that have been doing it for a while and made me calm down a little bit. Second half, I was as comfortable as I’ve been all year.”
- In the closing moments, Sloan let Kemba Walker rub him off a screen too easily before Walker made that floater and Sloan also didn’t immediately foul Walker after the long rebound. Sloan does have quick hands and he had some nice pick-and-roll action with Al Horford.
- “Sloan looked pretty good at the point guard position,” Josh Smith said. “Wanamaker looked pretty decent defensively and offensively making sure everyone was set and getting us into our plays.”
- Pape Sy alternated moments of impressive athleticism and aggressiveness with displays of shaky ball-handling and decision-making (though that was a nice baseline drive with a bounce pass to Ivan Johnson for a layup). Sy’s jump shot was pretty brutal.
- Sy still looks like a two to me, and that’s where LD played him all night. “I didn’t play him at the one but he was in situations where he was handling the ball,” Drew said. “He seems to be a little bit more comfortable playing the off-guard position. But I rotated the guys with who was handling the ball and initiating plays.”
- Brad Wanamaker isn’t very quick but he was able to contain the speedy Augustin for the most part. He again showed his knack for using his body to get in the lane and create space to get off shots. He had a couple bad turnovers in the fourth quarter. “Wanamaker, I was very impressed with him and his poise and his ‘chippiness,’” Horford said.
- I thought Keith Benson looked pretty good defensively. He seems to have pretty good help-side instincts and even defended well away from the basket. Benson had trouble holding his ground physically but it wasn’t for lack of trying.
- Vladimir Radmanovic got in early foul trouble and never really resurfaced. He made his first shot, a 3-pointer, after Joe Johnson drew attention and swung it to him.
- Tracy McGrady was just kind of out there.
- Jerry Stackhouse still hasn’t shown anything. It looks like this could be it for Stack.
- Marvin Williams showed some real grit around the basket and made his man work for shots. There were no negatives in his stat line. “I feel really good,” he said. “To be out there and be able to run and jump–I took a few falls and was able to get up–so, yeah, I feel really good. I’ve done a lot of things, training and rehabbing in the summertime, so I know in teh back of my head I can take a beating.”
- Jeff Teague is going to get into the lane all the time. It’s going to be a matter of how well he finishes and finds teammates once he’s in there. He didn’t have a turnover.
- Magnum Rolle fights for rebounds and has a nice face-up J. He looked pretty good to be playing on a sore foot and still out of shape.
- Horford didn’t really go inside but the Bobcats were giving him jump shots and he’s among the best at making them so that’s what he did. No rebounds, though, on a night where Charlotte’s bigs were fighting for them. “For me, I was just happy to be back out there playing against somebody else,” Horford said. “I think once the regular season starts we will be ready to go.”
- Josh locked up Tyrus Thomas, ran the floor well and cleaned up the defensive glass.
- The starters look pretty sharp on offense already. “We knew we weren’t going to get that many minutes so we wanted to make sire we played them as hard as possible,” Josh said. “The starting five played well together as far as sharing the basketball and getting each other open looks. We’ve been together for so long we just know and trust each other on the court.”
- “Zaza came in and did a good job, too,” Drew said. “Our starters, we are pretty set on the top eight guys. Those guys understand what I am expecting from them. In that regard, we are feeling pretty good about ourselves. But we are looking to solidify that backup point guard spot.”
- Joe Johnson treated the Bobcats like he treats Atlanta’s second unit in scrimmages.
- The starters weren’t so great on defense. Charlotte got lots of open looks on 3-pointers and I didn’t see the Hawks closing out very hard.
- The scoring stopped once the Hawks went to their second/third unit. Atlanta’s reserves were pretty good on D but hard to know what to make of it considering the competition.
- Jannero Pargo’s contract will not be guaranteed. The league guarantee date is Feb. 10.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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226 comments Add your comment
Grandmaster JeJe
December 19th, 2011
11:27 pm
FIRST TWICE IN 1 DAY
Luke M
December 19th, 2011
11:32 pm
Thanks, MC. Feels good to have Hawks basketball in our lives again.
@pcnitai
December 19th, 2011
11:36 pm
Pape Sy is really fast! He needs to work on his ball handling and his midrange jumper though. Was Twin not dressed for this game?
Macaroni Tony
December 19th, 2011
11:57 pm
I didn’t see the game, but I heard it on the radio. It seems like we need to have a deeper bench; also I think we need one more big to bang around down low.
NUNNA!!
December 19th, 2011
11:59 pm
Magnum Rolle was wired up on defense tonite..
Benson looked good as well..
Josh worries me with his “fade away jumpers”…
And how he still overlooks Teague and will not let him bring the ball up the floor for a break..
LD is scared of Josh Smith..
ntrigue
December 20th, 2011
12:02 am
I like what i saw overall considering 1st preseason game
Melvin
December 20th, 2011
12:07 am
“Our starters, we are pretty set on the top eight guys.”- LD
MC,
I assume TMac, ZaZa are the 6th and 7th players, Who is the 8th.
superiorblogman
December 20th, 2011
12:09 am
Uhm, Teague was great with on-ball defense. I don’t know what MC is typing about. The starters were encouraging but that bench is pure manure. I like Benson a lot more than Rolle, and I could do without Wanamaker or Sloan. I could do without T-Mac or Stack because Bogans is greater than both put together at this point.
MC, any chance we bring in Bogans?
Melvin
December 20th, 2011
12:10 am
MC,
Nevermind, the 8th guy is Radmanovic,
Slimjr
December 20th, 2011
12:52 am
Stephanie is Ready!
Hawks….yawn….
Slimjr
December 20th, 2011
12:54 am
Clippers are dismantling the Lakers! Impressive, up as many as 27 with the starters getting major minutes…
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
12:56 am
Thank goodness Pargo’s contract ain’t guaranteed yet.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
12:58 am
Kirk will be top 8 eventually,
with Vlad & Benson rounding out top ten.
Collins is what he is, whatever that is.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
12:58 am
FTPB
“If you could choose one coach in today’s NBA to coach the Hawks, who would it be? Your answer has to be one of the 30 active NBA head coaches.”
Popovich is the best NBA coach I have seen in my life. He is the Belichick of the NBA.
Besides him, I have thought for a long time that Adelman would be a particularly good fit for the Hawks’ roster.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
12:59 am
The bench could be a strength ?
Size & Rebounding will be our undoing.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:00 am
“Tracy McGrady was just kind of out there.”
This is pure speculation, but T-Mac seems like the type who, with his injury history, is not going to exert himself in a meaningless game. I am not going to pass judgment on him until I see him in a real game.
tony
December 20th, 2011
1:01 am
I see the hawks in the nba lottery or close to it. Kendall Marshall-pg or Andre Drummond-c should be our guy.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:02 am
I didn’t watch the game, but in the NBA.com highlights I see a possession where the Hawks are playing zone, miscommunication leads to nobody closing out on an open shooter, and more miscommunication leads to nobody boxing out the rebounder, leading to a tip in for the Bobcats. Some things don’t change, apparently.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
1:05 am
Najeh
Pop or Doc / either one.
darrell starks
December 20th, 2011
1:07 am
Couple of reason why Hawks must bring Marvin off the bench, first the bench have been depleted with Jamal exit and Damien gone, plus playing big with Collins starting at center would allow for and deeper rotation and give this team a balance attack.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
JaeEvolution
December 20th, 2011
1:08 am
Tony, Andre Drummond is a top 3 lock, we have no chance unless we trade up for him. Kendall Marshall is more reasonable because he could slip to us at a 17, 18, or 19th pick, wouldn’t take him either though Jeff Teague is still young and has a lot of room to grow.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:08 am
I don’t pass judgment on preseason games, and I didn’t watch this one anyway, but a few things stand out from the box score:
Seems like Smoove and Teague respectively did a good job on D against Tyrus Thomas and DJ Augustin.
Teague may not be a great finisher yet (I saw him badly miss a floater in the highlights) but 4/8 with no turnovers is not a bad stat line. If he shoots efficiently and plays good D every game he gives the Hawks a chance to win. I hope he finds a way to get to the line more often when the season starts though.
6 boards (3 offensive) in 21 minutes for Marvin is a good sign.
0 boards in 16 minutes for Al is not a good sign. That is what Jason Collins would do. Al was also the only starter with a negative plus/minus, and his Bobcats counterpart (Diaw) had an efficient game. Maybe Al is saving it for the regular season like T-Mac.
The Hawks’ bench was mostly negative plus minus, and the Bobcats’ bench was mostly positive. Just like last year. And the year before. And the year before…
Nice to see Benson putting up numbers in the box score. MC’s description of him as a lanky shot blocker who isn’t strong enough to hold his ground is exactly what I thought he’d be based on what little I have seen of him on Youtube.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:09 am
Meanwhile, in non-Hawks related news, the Clippers are scary. That team is going to be a problem.
darrell starks
December 20th, 2011
1:13 am
If you get out rebounded by Bobcats then major problems is head.
Hawks 42 rebounds
Bobcats 46 rebounds
Hawks was out rebounded by a team with no center, be prepared for Hawks be dominated in the paint this year with LD playing this smallish line up.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Rusty
December 20th, 2011
1:14 am
Believe me LD will always find new ways to give away games. LD & JJ will never let JT run a game the way a point guard should. jT needs to get out of Atlanta as ld will ruin him. This man is a horrible coach.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
1:14 am
Najeh
Lanky shot-blocker;
wasn’t that what Camby was as a rookie ?
darrell starks
December 20th, 2011
1:23 am
I like Pape Sy a lot, LD must play the guy and don’t mess this up like he did last year with Jeff and Jamal.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
JaeEvolution
December 20th, 2011
1:25 am
We can pretty much kiss our 2nd round trips goodbye, with literally every team around us getting stronger EXCEPT us.
Miami, Bulls, Boston already legit contenders, Knicks adding Chandler and Davis who still has some game, Pacers and Sixers who have young studs and are both incredibly deep. And then the darkhorse who I think soon will have both D-Will and Dwight is the Nets they instantly become contenders.
Then you have the Hawks who really didn’t do anything to get better, potentially got worse, we’re still good but we’re not beating any of the big boys with all this star power teaming up in the East.
Slimjr
December 20th, 2011
1:27 am
The Clippers are Freaking real deal this year!!!!
Slimjr
December 20th, 2011
1:28 am
The bench is going to be a major problem with all the backs to backs to backs……..
Slimjr
December 20th, 2011
1:32 am
Sorry to hear the Kings voided Chuck Hayes new contract due to Heart problem found during his physical!
Just sucks!
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:46 am
“We can pretty much kiss our 2nd round trips goodbye, with literally every team around us getting stronger EXCEPT us.”
At the risk of sounding like Ken Strickland, I thought the same thing last year, only to be proven wrong. I certainly don’t see how the Hawks can improve on last year’s performance, but who knows.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:47 am
“Lanky shot-blocker;
wasn’t that what Camby was as a rookie ?”
True, but so was Keon Clark, and I think at his draft position it’s much more realistic to expect Benson to become Clark than Camby.
JaeEvolution
December 20th, 2011
1:49 am
Hawks should be scouting pretty hard on Meyers Leonard 7 foot sophmore out of Illinois. Athletic big man, can run the floor, good shot blocker, average rebounder.
Another player they should be looking at is Memphis guard Will Barton, just a few days ago the kid had 16 boards and 19 FT attempts against 4th ranked Louisville. He is the best rebounding guard in college and is only 6′6 170, long lanky does damage from mid-range and can get to the line something this team NEVER does.
Those are two players the Hawks I think can get in the draft and desperately NEED in the draft.
Rod from College Park
December 20th, 2011
1:51 am
We won’t be able to score this year. All of the Jamal haters will see how important he was to this team. Was he worth 10 mil per, no, but is he worth 5 mil per, yes.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
1:53 am
Three observations after looking @ box-score:
1. Ivan Johnson = interesting case.
avg was over 22 per game in over 50 games in D-League – last yr.
(go to Draft Express & read about him)
If this is old news – I apologize – I had never heard of the young fella.
2. Benson with 3 blocks had the highest (+/-) with a (+7)
3. It may be time we bid adieu to Pape Sy.
LD needs to own up to his mistake now.
He’s costing the Hawks money that could be used for a Big.
MC always brings up the investment to bring him over.
I believe it’s time to cut bait.
darrell starks
December 20th, 2011
1:56 am
Najeh Davenpoop, I felt the same way last year 2, but i all so was wrong lol!!!!!!!!!!! realistically 7seed at best last year.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
December 20th, 2011
1:56 am
In fact, Solomon Jones may be a more realistic expectation than either one of them.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
1:57 am
Najeh
agreed / only an observation.
maybe somewhere betwixt or between ?
JaeEvolution
December 20th, 2011
1:59 am
This year will be the eye opener, Jamal may have not been good defensively or done much else when not scoring, but he was a threat at all times on the court because you knew he could score.
Some people on this board think our defense will become drastically better, it may, but let’s not forget defense means NOTHING if you don’t get a rebound and that is something the Hawks have never done well. This team from top to bottom should rank top 10 in rebounding, forced turnovers, and blocks. The Hawks don’t put a body on people, some guy on the Bobcats got two putbacks in the span of two mintues because Marvin didn’t put a body on him, the LITTLE things help you win games…but why am I saying what has been said 100 times.
The Truth
December 20th, 2011
2:02 am
After watching this game, it is safe to say:
1) The Hawks 2nd unit will struggle scoring until Kirk return
2) If Marvin is primarily used as a 2nd game unit player, the 1st unit rebounding will struggle because Al interest in rebounding seem to be fading while Josh perimeter shooting continues along with Twin rebounding limitations. The 1st unit still has chemistry issues in this regard.
3) The signing of Pargo, the Hawks roster woos continue thanks to Sund
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
2:02 am
Najeh;
or Larry Sanders, not the comedian ?
[obscure Garry Shandling ref]
hawks_4_life
December 20th, 2011
2:16 am
Join the ajc bloggers fantasy basketball league created by Astro Joe.
http://basketball.fantasysports.yahoo.com/nba/register/joinprivateleague_league_select?jsubmit=1&league_id=113455&password=cheer4hawks&.scrumb=
The Truth
December 20th, 2011
2:19 am
Woes (typo) sorry
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
2:25 am
I am completely confounded, mystified, and chaffed,
by the Hawks brain-trust.
The Charlotte Bobcats just obtained Byron Mullens
from OKC for a 2nd round pick in 2013.
Where were we ?
Mullens is a legit 7 ftr with skill.
Obtained for next to nothing.
aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh !
The B-cats went out and got a Big for a Bag O’ Doughnuts !
Sund is killin’ me by torture.
Grandad
December 20th, 2011
2:27 am
I Quit !
superiorblogman
December 20th, 2011
2:48 am
JaeEvolution
December 20th, 2011
1:49 am
Hawks should be scouting pretty hard on Meyers Leonard 7 foot sophmore out of Illinois. Athletic big man, can run the floor, good shot blocker, average rebounder.
Only a absolute fool would draft that guy he is pure garbage. No mixing words about him, straight garbage
tony
December 20th, 2011
2:53 am
I think ASG is positioning themselves for the nba lottery. I really like Harrison Barnes because the hawks need a smart scorer and if we’re lucky, we could draft Renardo Sidney in the 2nd round but I doudt they would pass on Andre Drummond if they get the 1st pick..
http://youtu.be/tI3cDCcuOV8
superiorblogman
December 20th, 2011
2:57 am
Stack and Wanamaker should probably be cut 2morrow but it will probably be Wanamaker and Ivan Johnson whom does not deserve to be cut.
superiorblogman
December 20th, 2011
3:00 am
This draft is overrated as they come and the Hawks are going to make the playoffs people. I think more than likely the ASG will decide to go ahead and make a real move to improve team before trade-deadline as it will be obvious that we don’t have enough this year.
Dalembert is still out there
Bogans is greater than T-Mac and Stack