Bobcats at Atlanta Hawks: Game thread
The Hawks signed guard Willie Green.
“You are talking about a guy who is a combo guard that’s a scorer, tough defender,”Larry Drew said. “He’s a guy that plays hard when he’s on the floor. He’s kind of had to do it the hard way therefore he has an appreciation for what he’s earned. I think he’s kind of a throwback. Kind of an old-school style player.”
Like Jannero Pargo, Green is more of a scorer than a playmaker. Green is the better shooter but, also like Pargo, most of his attempts are long 2s and he doesn’t draw many fouls or make many 3-pointers.
However, both players are quick, high-energy guys and Drew thinks they will help the Hawks play the new, aggressive defensive style he wants.
“You can’t play a high-energy defensive scheme if you don’t have the personnel to do it,” he said. “Both guys have played that way pretty much their whole careers. Jannero, when he was down in New Orleans and had his best years, he was very effective playing that way. Willie’s style is very similar. We’ve been putting a lot of emphasis in training camp on defense and certainly helps if you have guys who are already programmed to play that way.”
Green’s Synergy defensive numbers are lackluster, especially in isolation. He had slightly positive on-court, off-court defensive numbers for New Orleans last season, according to basketballvalue.com. His opponent PER at last season was about average, according to 82games.com.
Basically it looks as if the Hawks, after watching Jamal Crawford bolt for Portland, will have to try to win another way with their second unit.
“We’ve had to replace Jamal’s minutes and we’ve got to look in some type of way getting some real productivity from that position, whether it be scoring or defensively,” Drew said. “Me personally, I welcome a trade-off a guy who maybe won’t score as much as Jamal but a guy that can score and brings some defense and some toughness to that position.”
Notes
- Jeff Teague (ankle) is out. “It’s a mild ankle sprain,” Drew said. “For precautionary reasons we won’t have him playing today.” Donald Sloan starts in Teague’s place.
- Drew said there’s “still a chance” for Sloan, Brad Wanamaker and Pape Sy to make the roster even after Pargo and Green were added. “Hopefully they will take full advantage of the opportunity,” Drew said. “A good showing tonight would be beneficial for them.”
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331 comments Add your comment
Rev in Tampa
December 22nd, 2011
10:19 pm
I agree with Superior’s assessment of the Hawks roster
bluesteel
December 22nd, 2011
10:20 pm
Orlando got Miami’s hass tonight.
Slimjr
December 22nd, 2011
10:20 pm
Thanks Bluesteel…Why not?
DeAndre Jordan
#6 C
6′ 11″, 265 lbs
Los Angeles Clippers
BornJul 21, 1988 in Houston, TX (Age: 23)
Drafted2008: 2nd Rnd, 5th by LAC
CollegeTexas A&M
Experience3 years
Got Hops for days!
KevinM
December 22nd, 2011
10:20 pm
Co-sign superior! That’s a fair and balanced roster.
KevinM
December 22nd, 2011
10:22 pm
For us to be able to win against anyone in any situation without JT, you have to feel good.
Now can they play well against > .500 teams?
bluesteel
December 22nd, 2011
10:24 pm
Here ya go Slimjr. Check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p51gvnVSFKc
Rev in Tampa
December 22nd, 2011
10:25 pm
Its funny how nobody seemed to know Ivan Johnson even existed in the Hawks preseason camp until the first game up in Charlotte. I’d like MC to give us more information about him or even get a brief interview with him. Has Drew said anything publicly about Ivan?
Slimjr
December 22nd, 2011
10:28 pm
@blue, just nasty that DaAndre!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mike is Back
December 22nd, 2011
10:33 pm
Ivan Johnson looks like a real player…I have really been impressed by his body of work…should have gave dude some props from the last game.
bluesteel
December 22nd, 2011
10:34 pm
Slimjr I think the 3rd dunk was a face off against Al.
Rev. Ivan is a major scorer and management would be foolish not to keep him.
http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/ivan_johnson/
Najeh Davenpoop
December 22nd, 2011
10:36 pm
“Dayum…..Thats about the size of the average vava…….lmao”
Needless to say I had my screen name jacked, although I gotta admit that joke wasn’t that bad.
bluesteel
December 22nd, 2011
10:38 pm
an Johnson #44 Forward
Ivan Johnson
2010-11 Playoff Statistics
PPG 23.0
RPG 9.0
APG 3.0
EFF +25.00
NUNNA!!
December 22nd, 2011
10:40 pm
Josh looked good..Ivan looked great..Even Prago looked decent on the defensive end..
I know my boy rolle will most likely get the ax,but,he didn’t get the time nor many chances to show his game..He is one who is great on the low blocks and coming in at the end of the game with 4 minutes left to play is non inspiring but,with that being said,he did not show much at all tonite..
IF he goes somewhere else after being cut,or goes to the D-League,look for him to blossom and come back and haunt this team,lol..We always let someone get away and they turn into superstars!!
But,Ivan did what he had to do and he showed out!!
Congrats Mr.Johnson,i know u made the team!
JaeEvolution
December 22nd, 2011
10:40 pm
Does Ivan Johnson remind anyone of Dejaun Blair minus the massive girth? He has quick hands and uses his quickness to make up for his lack of size plus Ivan has a solid jumper.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 22nd, 2011
10:41 pm
I agree that SBM’s roster will probably end up being the roster going into the season. I don’t entirely understand why Sund wants Pargo and Green both on the roster, though. If I were him I would probably rather have Benson around than one of them. I still don’t think the big man depth is good enough.
kwooden
December 22nd, 2011
10:41 pm
Nice link blue, it shows that the jumpers weren’t just mistakes, the guy can score. I like his energy and decisiveness. When he got the ball, he knew immediately what he was going to do with it. He drove the lane when it was available and shot the ball when his defender backed off. All his shots looked like they came in the context of the offensive, so his teammates wheren’t out of position if he missed.
NUNNA!!
December 22nd, 2011
10:45 pm
Bluesteel,they couldn’t find a better pic for the young man?
He looks crazy on that picture
bluesteel
December 22nd, 2011
10:45 pm
Kwooden I agree with your assessment.
In a very short career the guy averages 18 pts and last year in 31.5 minutes a game he brought 22. Hes the real deal and a young man at that. This guy will be a star at some point.
I
NUNNA!!
December 22nd, 2011
10:48 pm
Kwooden says:”Nice link blue, it shows that the jumpers weren’t just mistakes, the guy can score. I like his energy and decisiveness. When he got the ball, he knew immediately what he was going to do with it. He drove the lane when it was available and shot the ball when his defender backed off. All his shots looked like they came in the context of the offensive, so his teammates wheren’t out of position if he missed.”
Agreed..
But,I just hope that Ivan doesn’t fall into the play of his teamates like Jamaal did after 15 games with the hawks and start ball hawking
doc
December 22nd, 2011
10:55 pm
ivan is a sleeper, keep him and find a way to incorporate him into the mix to see what he has early rather than late ld.
has anyone seen anything to suggest either t mac or stack can deliver on the court? t mac looks out of shape.
NUNNA!!
December 22nd, 2011
10:56 pm
Hopefully,and thats a big HOPE,with the loss of Crawford “bolting”to portland,this hawks team will learn to play the offense and the way LD talked about when he was hired here as the Coach..
And a question for all..
Knowing what we all know now about this team,if the hawks have a very ugly exit out of the playoffs or if we don’t make it to the playoffs at all should LD be brought back?
And should Sund remain as the GM?
Who would you fault and why?
NUNNA!!
December 22nd, 2011
10:59 pm
Doc,
As far as Stack and T-Mac goes,i think those Dinosaurs are here on name rec only..
I like them both but i think they’re time has come..And,if one of them sticks and the other don’t,i think that T-Mac will be the odd man out..
SteveW
December 22nd, 2011
11:05 pm
You guys remember Ivan Johnson was in the mini-camp before the lockout – MC said he looked good. Had some reviews about him on this blog – Great, Great offensive game – too confident, shoots crazy sometimes, no D, poor defensive rebounder, and a very, very, very, very troubled past.
Major NBA offensive skills, but NBA teams have been scared off by the negatives…
I like him, especially if he’s matured some.
Wonder if we keep Stack?
doc
December 22nd, 2011
11:05 pm
nunna, i thought t mac was on a guarantee contract. i dont think either one of them can be anything more than what joe smith was two years ago or etan was last year. neither one showed anything close to ivan the terrible. young guards dont impress either and why should that surprise since we havent found the key to evaluating young point guards since when? but we found another 6 ft 8 guy to add to the roster, maybe. really ivan looks better on the court than that number two pick that is 6 ft 8, too.
benson looked like he moved pretty well just not sure he knows exactly where to move to.
doc
December 22nd, 2011
11:07 pm
hmmm major issues, eh steve w? just when i thought it was safe to get back in the water.
SteveW
December 22nd, 2011
11:07 pm
And Ivan is already older than Josh, Marvin, and Al – Just sayin’
But I like him better than Vlad Rad. Good backup PF in my opinion.
Ken Strickland
December 22nd, 2011
11:09 pm
Like I said, we’re a much better team with PG JTeague, but we’re not bad without him. The uptempo pace and DEF we got from Sloan was more valuable than what we would have gotten last yr from Bibby. Thats why I wasn’t worried about our chance to win without Teague. I believe the difficult schedule will affect our frontcourt players more than our backcourt players. So, we should keep an additional Big rather than an additional Guard.
Drew answered one of my main questions when he said Pargo and Green play aggressive DEF, which will allow our 2nd unit to play the type of DEF he wants to play. That statement tells me they will be on the active roster. It also tells me he will use DEF as the primary way of getting production from his bench, rather than trying to rely on OFF, like he did last yr with Jamal.
Rev in Tampa
December 22nd, 2011
11:15 pm
Why no love for Rad on the blog? I haven’t watched either game closely, but I saw him play good perimeter defense with the steals. He seemed to be pretty active every time he was in the game. What grades would you all give him.
SteveW
December 22nd, 2011
11:18 pm
If we cut Sy, Benson, and Rolle, and keep Pargo and Green, I think we are just below the tax line.
Actually I think we can keep 1 of the 3 and be right at 70.3m, give or take a little. If we keep 2 of the 3, or Ivan and 1 more, look for Pargo to be waived before the Feb. 10th deadline when contracts become fully guaranteed.
Benson’s contract may be at least partially guaranteed, so that may factor into keeping him.
SteveW
December 22nd, 2011
11:24 pm
Last I checked we were at 69.7m, with Sy, Benson, and Rolle’s contract, but before Pargo and Green. Vets will count between $800-900,000.00 towards the tax. on minimum contracts. Other guys between $400-500,000.00. But Sy and Rolle had 788,000.00 contracts, a little more than the Sloan, Ivan Johnson’s of the world. So you cut Sy and Rolle, you have a payroll with Pargo and Green at about 69.9 mill.
Room for 1 rookie besides Benson before the Luxury Tax, or right at it – would it be Sloan or Ivan? Or would ASG pocket the cash and not get anyone else? Or go into Luxury Tax for Stack? Interesting
Michael Cunningham
December 22nd, 2011
11:25 pm
new blog posted. shutting down this thread.