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Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 106, Nets 70

11:38 pm December 27, 2011, by Michael Cunningham

Newark, N.J.–The Nets without Brook Lopez are not very good and they likely were gassed after coming back from 21 down to win at Washington last night. On the other hand, it kind of felt like the Hawks could have won with their second unit, and when’s the last time you could say that about them against any opponent?

  • The reserves scored 55 of 106 points and collected 27 of 51 rebounds. More importantly, the Hawks extended their lead even as the reserves kept checking in. None of the starters played more than 26 minutes.
  • “Man, I tip my hat to those guys,” Josh Smith said. “This is probably the deepest bench we’ve had in a long time, where [starters] are coming off and the bench is keeping the same intensity and energy as the starters, if not more. If we have this on a consistent basis I think we are going to be a pretty good team.”
  • There’s no one on the bench you can expect will regularly have the kind of scoring impact as Jamal Crawford. But maybe there are enough pieces that can do a little bit of everything to cobble together an effective unit. “It’s a little different look,” Al Horford said. “We don’t have that explosive scorer like Jamal but we are doing it as a unit.”
  • Zaza Pachulia (13 points on 8 shots) was getting deep position on post-ups and did his usual good work on the boards. He dunked on Shelden Williams for an and-1.
  • Like he did in the preseason, Vladimir Radmonivic (five assists, four steals) showed he can offer more than just 3-point shooting. The Nets for some reason kept losing him at the 3-point line. He passed up a couple open looks because the Hawks were coasting and he wanted to use some clock.
  • After sleepwalking through camp, Tracy McGrady suddenly was posting up, driving to the basket and generally playing with pep. He didn’t get a couple calls on drives and was hit with a tech for complaining about it.
  • I figured he T-Mac was saving it. “I’m a gamer, man,” he said. “That’s what I am. I just get bored with preseason. I know that sounds crazy but I really do. The anticipation builds up for the offseason, especially being healthy and get out there and play. I’m like, let’s get this real thing going on.”
  • Marvin Williams was the most effective starter. It was the textbook for how he can get involved: crash the glass (four offensive rebounds), get to the line (6 for 7 on free throws) and get in the open floor. His 3 for 9 shooting line included a couple tip-ins that wouldn’t fall.
  • “I know his back is feeling better,” Larry Drew said of Marvin. “I told him I want him to be more aggressive. I want him to get the ball off the glass and bring it the length of the floor. He’s capable of doing that. Sometimes he gets a little timid.”
  • “He’s been telling me to do that the last couple of seasons,” Marvin said. “I worked on my ball-handling a lot in the offseason and even still 15 or 20 minutes after practice or before games. I feel more comfortable with it.”
  • Josh and Al helped control Kris Humphries. Jeff Teague and Jannero Pargo made Deron Williams work. “We’re having a tough time getting Deron space out there on the floor,” Avery Johnson said.
  • Pretty much every time the Nets turned the corner or swung the ball there were bodies and flailing arms waiting. “We have guys that are versatile and have length,” Drew said. “Our defensive scheme tonight was to try to put them under as much duress as we possibly could.”
  • Teague said his left ankle is still sore. It was hard to tell on a couple of those explosive drives to the basket. And if he really has improved his 3-point shot, look out.
  • Drew used some of the trapping and ball pressure schemes the Hawks showed in the preseason. It had the desired effect of forcing the Nets to speed up and they aren’t good enough to make plays at that pace. The approach won’t work against better opponents or if Atlanta’s reserves don’t bring it like they did tonight.
  • “Some nights we trap, some nights we don’t,” Drew said. “We try not to be a predictable ball club. A lot of times the game and the personnel predicate how we cover certain things.”
  • I’m curious to see if the Hawks drill Washington tomorrow, too. “We can’t get satisfied with this,” Zaza said. “We have to keep it up. We should put this game behind us when we get to the plane.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

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100 comments Add your comment

Grandmatser JeJe

December 27th, 2011
11:40 pm

FIRE WOODY

Grandmaster JeJe

December 27th, 2011
11:41 pm

Told you all:

We should’ve won by 20-25, easy.

Deepest bench in ages

Must start 3-0. These teams suck
Why has it taken Marvin 6 years to figure out he is 6″9, has long arms, and should be getting 7-8 rebounds a game?

#Pathetic

We need to be EXTREMELY careful to keep T-Mac healthy. 20 minutes is not a small amount. He still has swagger but his finishing is a bit off. He still had 12 points at least

I also said Radmanovic is the sleeper signing of the year.

MARVIN AND ZAZA: KEEP ATTACKING

Grandmaster JeJe

December 27th, 2011
11:44 pm

“Man, I tip my hat to those guys,” Josh Smith said. “This is probably the deepest bench we’ve had in a long time, where [starters] are coming off and the bench is keeping the same intensity and energy as the starters, if not more. If we have this on a consistent basis I think we are going to be a pretty good team.”

That’s all this team aspires to be – a “pretty good team.”

Ask the players. Ask the owners.

NO ONE wants to win a championship on this team. This isn’t a negative post – it’s the truth

Reality Check

December 27th, 2011
11:45 pm

So, did Deron “check out”?

kerpal

December 27th, 2011
11:48 pm

it was a great game but its only a scrub team.

SteveW

December 27th, 2011
11:49 pm

Norris Cole, like I’ve said before, may be just good enough to put Miami over the top. He’s a pesky, speedy guy.

Be a good back up for Teague.

kerpal

December 27th, 2011
11:49 pm

we need to see if we can beat good teams as well.

Buddy Grizzard

December 27th, 2011
11:49 pm

Just in case you missed it:

“lol if Sy becomes a premier SG. Reminds me of Ginobli” – superior blog troll

Pape Sy.

Can’t make the French national team. Plays for a third-division French team and has been a bench player most of his career. Can’t run the point in the NBA and got cut by the Hawks. But Superior sees Ginobli…LMFAO.

UGA

December 27th, 2011
11:50 pm

WOW……….whatever the case, this was impressive.

SteveW

December 27th, 2011
11:51 pm

I wonder if we’re really this good? Al and Josh are going to have a tough time against big 5 and 4 combo’s some nites I would guess – be our bench can help there.

If Marvin turns into something approaching Luol Deng, we may be a very tough team all season.

And Teague did what he did last season – He makes the other PG have a subpar game.

SteveW

December 27th, 2011
11:53 pm

These scrub teams were pressing the Hawks last year – this felt good.

Najeh Davenpoop

December 27th, 2011
11:53 pm

FTPB

“Ken, Najeh, and any other Hawk fans I do not know what you guys think but my litmus tests for the Hawks will be when they play Chicago and Miami.”

Absolutely. It should be that way for any Eastern Conference team.

I was very encouraged that the Hawks didn’t let up in the second half, and kept their feet on the Nets’ throats and blew them out. That is a change from last year when they would routinely let inferior teams back in the game. I hope this is a sign that they have developed the mental toughness to where they will climb back into the game when they inevitably trail against Chicago and Miami, rather than getting blown out like they routinely would last year. More than anything, that’s what I will be looking for next week.

SteveW

December 27th, 2011
11:54 pm

And If TMac approaches anything like his former self…

And I was dead wrong about Vlad rad – at least to this point – guys way better than I ever thought.

jdewayneatl

December 27th, 2011
11:57 pm

Who needs Jamal when we have the BenchSquad. The keys to the game was suffocating defense, excellent ball movement, and a bench that knows how to play at a high level. When Hinrich comes back, the Hawks will have 5 legitimate bench players that have played big minutes as starters.

JSS

December 27th, 2011
11:59 pm

Get your rest MC!!!

SteveW

December 28th, 2011
12:01 am

Man, and I hate to say it, but that Leuer guy beasted tonite – 14 and 8, a couple of blocks in only 20 minutes.

Now we really get to hear about that trade for the 37,000th time.

Wouldn’t it be funny if Sund called about the trade months ago, the Bucks said no way ever, and this guy is about to have a meltdown to get it done?

I doubt that happened – but trades are proposed all the time behind the scenes that are never leaked to the public, due to the sensitivity of the players.

SteveW

December 28th, 2011
12:03 am

MC – Good article BTW – Thanks – You’ve been off the chain the last month or so.

Gwinnett Fred

December 28th, 2011
12:07 am

VERY nice write up on the game MC!

And a VERY nice game to write up too Hawks!

Hope more than just me and my family took advantage of $18 lower level seating Wednesday and have at least the lower bowl sold out. Hope to see you there!

superiorblogman

December 28th, 2011
12:07 am

Go Hawks! Waiting on 2morrow night. Wiz are definitely better than the Nets.

Wall
Crawford/Young
whoever
Blache
McGee

Should be a good matchup. Really interesting to see what Jordan and Chris Singleton look like.

jake

December 28th, 2011
12:10 am

Remeber when i said dont judge tmac on two meaningless preseason games. His first step was the most impressive aspect of everything. He’ll het better and better.I dont expect 20 a night anymore, but 10 points 5 assiosts from here on is a real gettable goal.

Around the Nets: Hawks-Nets postgame reactions | Nets Are Scorching

December 28th, 2011
12:16 am

[...] Cunningham, Atlanta-Journal Constitution — Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 106, Nets 70 Overwhelmingly positive vibes for Kris Humphries, who was under vocal attack from opposing fans [...]

SoullRenaissance ~ formerly Hawks Fan in New Orleans

December 28th, 2011
12:19 am

Is MARVIN no longer THE DUCK!!!???
Wow. I know its just a bad Nets team but if Teague and continue to impress (IMO Teague is our point finally), Marvin permanently elevates this game, and the bench plays like this – LOOK OUT EAST!
Imagine if Teague started from jump last year – those blowout loses may not have happened, who knows. I do know that this is LD’s chance to make amends for the rookie coach blunders last year and utilize his bench efficiently and effectively…I am happy to say I am back in ATL to stay, I did not have to hear the Saints Fans harass me about them knocking the ‘bird doodoo’ outta the Falcons…Being able to catch more Hawks games would be equally rewarding….DAYUM that bench looked good tonight.

J.J.M.

December 28th, 2011
12:22 am

anybody have a video of that willie green crossover please post it!

Section 303

December 28th, 2011
12:28 am

Good start. I had to watch the game on my iPhone. I’m up in Michigan visiting family. Will be watching on my phone tomorrow, too.

Hawks just took care of business. Like that none of the starters where overextended. Saving legs is going to be so important this season. Guys should be fresh for the home opener tomorrow night. Will be the first home opener I have not attended in 9 years.

Thought Zaza played a strong game. Plus, T-Mac looks like he can still play. Just a good start all the way around. Not much else to say.

SoullRenaissance ~ formerly Hawks Fan in New Orleans

December 28th, 2011
12:29 am

@Steve W, I totally agree with your 11:53 post. The Hawks had a knack for playing down to the competition in seasons past and last year, they built leads at the half only to squander them in the 2nd half and had many weak offensive 4th quarters. This was probably due in part to starter fatigue and and crappy 2nd unit minus Jamal. And Jamal’s putrid defense.

Ken Strickland

December 28th, 2011
12:37 am

Everyone likes to make a issue of Jamal Crawford’s prolific scoring ability, but they to take into consideration how much he has to:
1-control the ball
2-dominate the OFF
3-how many shots he takes
4-how streaky he can be.
When he’s on, he’s unstoppable, but when he’s not, he hurts the team because he does little else besides score, and he’s a total DEF liability. Excluding Zaza, Sund has put together the deepest, most talented bench since the days of Mookie Blaylock, and they did it for less the money we would have paid to resign Jamal alone.

Najeh Davenpoop

December 28th, 2011
12:50 am

Let’s not go too overboard pumping up this bench and minimizing what Jamal did. This bench still has to prove it can be this effective against better competition, and while Jamal’s flaws were obvious, the guy did contribute significantly when his shot was falling.

Mac-Town #maconchevyrider

December 28th, 2011
12:53 am

“Man, I tip my hat to those guys,” Josh Smith said. “This is probably the deepest bench we’ve had in a long time, where [starters] are coming off and the bench is keeping the same intensity and energy as the starters, if not more. If we have this on a consistent basis I think we are going to be a pretty good team.”

real talk

Buddy Grizzard

December 28th, 2011
12:56 am

“I also said Radmanovic is the sleeper signing of the year.” – Grandmaster JeJe

I think the tendency with Radman in the past has been to judge him based on what he doesn’t do because of his size. He’s a finesse 4 that plays outside and has alot of game. But you put him on a team like the Hawks with the best backup center in the NBA and nobody is asking him to be a banger, which isn’t his game. You can see that Radman and Zaza look like they’ve been playing together their whole career.

ntrigue

December 28th, 2011
1:03 am

December 27th, 2011
11:46 pm

Hawks will be better due to deeper bench. I said it all along ….we didn’t get a superstar so everyone starts to doubt this team but this team is built as a team that can score from position thats on the floor. The biggest differnce between last yr and this year is team defense if we keep this up we should at least be in the East Finals! Go Hawks! Where are the haters that been saying our pickups were terrible I guess you all will come out soon as we lose one game. FYI we will lose a gm this year every team does lol but when we lose that when all the Josh smith bashers come out of hibernation! I love it just wish we had more die hard fans like me born and raised in Atlanta!!!!
Go Hawks!!!

Tron

December 28th, 2011
1:20 am

T-Mac is going to be a beast this year and predict 6th man of the year. I saw all you guys complaining of his signing. He is going to help this team win a lot of games… PERIOD!

NT1914

December 28th, 2011
1:25 am

We need to be EXTREMELY careful to keep T-Mac healthy. 20 minutes is not a small amount. > Thats a quarter and 8 minutes. That’s not even 1 half of basketball. He needs to get 30 minutes a night. Jamal Crawford had 14 points in 30 minutes a night TMAC prob can give us 18-20 with minutes like that.

O'Brien

December 28th, 2011
1:29 am

Great win for the Hawks tonight. And with the starters not playing many minutes, they should be ready to go tomorrow. No excuse for not being 2-0.

And I’ve given Marvin a hard time in the past, so I will give him his due tonight. I liked his game. If we can get that consistently, that will be a great asset for the Hawks.

Ken S,

Slow down buddy. Let’s see how the bench looks against Chicago and Miami, and then we’ll have a better idea of what to expect against good teams.

O'Brien

December 28th, 2011
1:33 am

I dont know how Kevin Love does it, but dude had 31 points and 20 rebounds tonight. He was only 6-18 from the field, but he did have 24 FTA. In 2 games, he is averaging 26.5 pts and 16 rebs per game.

Big Daddy

December 28th, 2011
1:35 am

Great write-up MC. I was impressed with the team ball in this game and the fact they kept the pressure on and did not let them back in the game, once they got them down. The bench is definitely deeper which means any number of people can get hot on any given night and be the spark for the team.

There were good and timely substitutions and the bench players were allowed to stay in and contribute. That is going to be especially important given the tight schedule everyone has in this shortened season.

Big cheer for JT on his first start as the man at point. He is only going to get better and although his outside shooting needs a little work, I have confidence that it will as well as his all-around game. Josh is hitting his medium range jumper also. Rad is a big surprise and we will definitely need his outside shooting in games, particularly against the better teams. This will help us inside against the top clubs. I hope Joe gets his shot back. Besides his salary, he needs to be the guy nobody wants to see on the wing by himself and he needs to make them pay everytime he finds himself in that situation. His elbow should be fine now.

I feel a lot of optimism about this team and am looking forward to watching them do very well this year. GO HAWKS!!!!

Buddy Grizzard

December 28th, 2011
3:01 am

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/34685/what-will-magic-want-for-dwight

Sources told ESPN.com that the aforementioned Hawks, meanwhile, engaged Orlando in trade talks for Howard earlier this month with an offer believed to be headlined by $124 million guard Joe Johnson and swingman Josh Smith. You have to figure that the Magic, though, would insist on Al Horford if such discussions ever got serious.

The Hawks are not on Howard’s short list of preferred trade destinations alongside the Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks, even though Atlanta is his hometown. That’s presumably because Howard wants no part of Atlanta’s perpetually unsettled ownership situation. The Hawks nonetheless took the risk of pursuing Howard anyway and, according to sources, felt like they were making some semblance of progress before the Magic shut down talks.

Buddy Grizzard

December 28th, 2011
3:10 am

Old Horse not playin ya’ll.

JaeEvolution

December 28th, 2011
3:14 am

I think Atlanta is a darkhorse to receive Dwight, we have a lot of favorable young pieces and expiring contracts in Teague, Smith, Horford, Hinrich, Marvin, and even Zaza is a good trade chip, also we have 1st rounders and we could put together a pretty good package.

Until he is traded I have hope we can get him, my personal trade would be Zaza, Hinrich, Hoford, and 2012 1st rounder, but I doubt they would ever accept that. If they did though Teague, Johnson, Marvin, Smoove, Dwight along with keeping a majority of our bench man we’d instantly be legit contenders for YEARS.

Buddy Grizzard

December 28th, 2011
3:32 am

I’ve been saying Joe and Al for Dwight and Hedo. We know ORL wants to dump Hedo’s contract on whoever gets Dwight. They probably would also like to dump Duhon. From that point it’s all about what they want. They may want to take Marvin and get three starters for two. They may want Hinrich’s expiring contract.

If we did Al, Joe and Marvin for Dwight, Hedo and Duhon, our lineup would look like this:

C: Dwight, Zaza
PF: Josh, Vlad
SF: Hedo, T-Mac, Ivan Johnson
SG: Kirk, T-Mac, Green, Stack
PG: Teague, Duhon

Shooting guard immediately goes from a strength to a weakness but, um, we get Dwight.

tjhook

December 28th, 2011
3:32 am

Who’s looking at requesting a #77 jersey? Vladimir Rad bought the game last night

wordsmithtom

December 28th, 2011
4:54 am

Telling stat: bench scored 55 points.
Two points to consider, one from a blogger and the other from MC. No iso + Vlad passing up open shots in 4th quarter in order to run down the clock. That’s vet leadership plus better ball distribution. If we were a rebuilding team, then we should keep rookies on the bench to develop. We’re no longer in building mode. It’s time to do it. When you have vets on the bench that know how to play, you get 55 point nights….nights to let the starters rest….nights when you extend leads instead of giving them back.
One game…I know….but one game I didn’t see last year.

northcyde

December 28th, 2011
5:11 am

Good win for the Hawks last night. Good teams usually take care of bad teams and immediately put them out of their misery, and that’s exactly what the Hawks did last night.

Despite Jersey coming back and beating Washington, the Wizards are a better team, and will put up a little more resistance than the Nets did. If we can keep them off the boards, and force Wall and Jordan to take tough shots, we should be looking at a 15+ point win.

Last night was all about the defense and the energy the team brought to the table. You rarely saw that out of all 10 guys last year.

I agree with most that the true litmus test for this squad, will come next week, when we play those insane stretch of games against high quality squads. Until then, I will hopefully enjoy watching these next two games vs the Wiz and the Nets once again.

Oh . . by the way

Jamal Crawford

6 points
4 assists
1 rebound
1 steal

2 – 12 FG
0 – 3 3FG
2 – 2 FT

( +5 ) for the night

in 25 minutes

northcyde

December 28th, 2011
5:12 am

My bad . . . I made a mistake.

Jamal was 2 – 11 FG . . . not 2 – 12

ICECOLD

December 28th, 2011
5:13 am

GrandMaster Je Je
“Man, I tip my hat to those guys,” Josh Smith said. “This is probably the deepest bench we’ve had in a long time, where [starters] are coming off and the bench is keeping the same intensity and energy as the starters, if not more. If we have this on a consistent basis I think we are going to be a pretty good team.”

That’s all this team aspires to be – a “pretty good team.”

Ask the players. Ask the owners.

NO ONE wants to win a championship on this team. This isn’t a negative post – it’s the truth

SHUT UP!!!! THEY NEVER WON A CHAMPIONSHIP, SO THEY CANT SAY, WELL THIS YEAR WE GOING TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP.. LET THEM PLAY THEY ROLE AS A TEAM THAT’S NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN…. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO KEEP UNDERESTIMATING THEM, LET THEM DO IT.. THEY NEED TO SAY THAT UNTIL THEY WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP, A PRETTY GOOD TEAM.

Even after they win, they should say, well we was a pretty good team, so hopefully , we would be a pretty good team next year and win another one..

SWAGG!!

wordsmithtom

December 28th, 2011
5:19 am

ICECOLD, too true. Except, Stack said when he signed he thought this crew could get him a ring. I know, that’s a stretch to think a 15′th bench player can be a difference, but maybe, just maybe he can light a fire under the core and get them to thinking they CAN actually win. From all the negative press, and I might add blog posts, they CAN’T, so why should they say they can. Until their LEADERS say CAN, the rest won’t. Last night, the bench said CAN CAN CAN CAN. With their effeort, if not their words.

wordsmithtom

December 28th, 2011
5:20 am

And while I’m on a soapbox, where are the macaroons who said to amnesty MW? 14pts and 9 boards in 22 minutes. Amnesty material???!!! Sheesh, the idiocy of some posters.

tony

December 28th, 2011
5:31 am

Tron

December 28th, 2011
1:20 am

I saw all you guys complaining of his signing.
____________________________________________

I thought it was a smart move to sign T-Mac but I was a little worry about his performance in those 2 preseason games but maybe he was saving his best for the regular season, who knows? Nevertheless, I think that young man has alot left in the tank.

I think Vladimir Radmanovic has found his comfort zone in Atlanta thanks to LD for believing in him. I didn’t realize he could defend as well as he has. Good job young man. I think the 2nd unit is just as good as the 1st unit especially from a scoring standpoint but they need to maintain that same level of play throughout the course of the season……if they can do that, the skies the limit for this basketball team. Last night they played like a 52-14 team but can they play that way for 65 more games? Good job LD.

ICECOLD

December 28th, 2011
5:32 am

LAST YEAR
Jamal Crawford has to score a lot to be relevant , because he didnt play any defense. Name one championship team who top scorer didnt play any defense. Im glad they got rid of him because you can not have a true contender with key players not playing any defense. Thats why when he had his off nights, and he in the game a lot, we got blown out. Everybody was stuck and didnt know what to do. Our bench didnt have any depth so when the Hawks was off, they was off bad.

Now if somebody is having a off game, our bench is deep enough where we can at least keep the game close or hold a lead because we have veterans that know how to play and finish games

Jamal Crawford never really knew how to win. He had never been to the playoffs, he was inconsistent, and didnt play any defense. The only thing I was afraid of was not being able to replace his three point shooting, and speed on offense. Now Teague starting and is capable of both, and we have a pure three point shooter with size who also play decent defense ( 17 point game ) .

So yes we are better then last year, a lot better.

As a team, while other teams trying to stack up and get three superstars and no bench.. The Hawks are loaded with a starting five with 3 all stars in Joe Josh and Al, a point guard who could be a all star one day, and a more confident Marvin Williams.

Teams I know we are better then who suppose to be contenders who could beat us before
Lakers
Orlando
Boston

Teams that we would probably struggle with,
Clippers ( Jeff could stay in Front of Chris Paul and our Bench is deeper then theirs )
Miami Heat ( but I think we are better then them, deeper bench )
New York ( which I think in the playoffs, we could grind that out and win that series )
Oklahoma ( and the only time to worry about them is in the Championship game )

thats it. seriously.. This season is looking good. I would take this team over any other team. Who else we might struggle with?

FreshFromAtl

December 28th, 2011
5:40 am

wordsmithtom,

I agree 100%. Couldn’t have said it any better.

FreshFromAtl

December 28th, 2011
5:41 am

Referencing to your 4:54am post.

ICECOLD

December 28th, 2011
5:58 am

I just don’t understand why so many teams are trying to be like Miami, they didn’t even win a championship. Only True teams win championships, Lakers, Dallas, Spurs, Detroit, Miami back then had a true team. those where teams who got players through the draft, ( and Shaq , but who dont try to get a true center, )

Lebron was closer to a ring with a true team in Cleveland.. he might always make the playoffs, but I dont think he will get a ring . Other teams are getting better too.

LETS GO HAWKS !!!!

Just Joe

December 28th, 2011
6:10 am

Too many long 2’s. Poor assists to turnovers ratio for our PG’s (of course all we have on the roster is a bunch of combo guards).

Better PG play, and get Josh and Al closer to the basket. Just a couple of things I hope to see tonight.

Just Joe

December 28th, 2011
6:31 am

No complaints on the defensive end. Thought Teague and Pargo did a great job of getting over screens. Can’t say enough about ZaZa. The length of Vlad and TMac is disruptive.

troy

December 28th, 2011
6:45 am

Been waiting a very long time Tmac, but it has been worth the wait. He will only keep on getting better. More good things are to come for this Atlanta Hawks team. This is their year to shine :)

richbrave

December 28th, 2011
7:22 am

Can’t be here tonight unfortunately, two of my grandsons have a B-Ball tournament in CUMBERLAND, Va., but I’ll be rooting for both teams to show well. I love me some CHRIS SINGLETON. I think the WIZZIES caught lightning in a bottle, a good player. I also think SHELVIN MACK will be a BILLUPS-type if the coaching in WASHINGTON doesn’t ruin him first.

Anyway, great win HAWKSTERS, and keep it up. Beat up on BLATCHE will you? He and NICK YOUNG need to go. Well, YOUNG will be gone after this season at least.

FreshFromAtl

December 28th, 2011
7:44 am

Richbrave,

Haven’t saw you around these parts in a looonnnngggg time.

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
7:50 am

LMAO at the “I told you so” guys. Let’s not get carried away. It was a great win against a team that we are much better than. There were alot of positives you can take from this game (Marvin, Teague, Vlad and bench play as a whole) but can they do this against real competition? Luckily, we will get our answer next week. We got the Bulls and Heat twice.

Buddy Grizzard

December 28th, 2011
7:52 am

If the Hawks lose to a horrible team like the Wizards, then this is the same Hawks as last year. If they truly have turned the corner, they will win convincingly tonight. Watch JC2 try to guard Joe.

ICECOLD

December 28th, 2011
7:57 am

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
7:50 am

LMAO at the “I told you so” guys. Let’s not get carried away. It was a great win against a team that we are much better than. There were alot of positives you can take from this game (Marvin, Teague, Vlad and bench play as a whole) but can they do this against real competition? Luckily, we will get our answer next week. We got the Bulls and Heat twice.

I feel ya, but this team still had Derron Williams, Chris Humphrey and they did win against The Wizards. and this same team that we just beat by 36 points, we couldnt even beat them at home last year!!! and the Hawks are still learning how each other play, they still trying to figure each other out!!

So to win by 36 and yo starters didnt even play the whole time, thats saying a lot!!

So yes , People should celebrate, especially when you see teams like the Lakers go 0-2, Boston 0-2, Orlando 1-1 against average teams.. .Winning by 36 is pretty good. ( pretty Good team )

So be proud.! ! !

and dont forget the season is only 66 games.. So every game trully counts !! So we better go 3 and 0 starting because one game could cost you the playoffs this year!!

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
7:57 am

@Buddy Grizzard

The Hawks should be 4-0 after this week. Real season starts on Monday.

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
8:03 am

@ICECOLD

Really, you mentioned the Wizards and Kris Humphries? I’m happy the Hawks took care of business but shouldn’t we expect this from a second round playoff team or have we lowered our expectations again this year?

Trojan

December 28th, 2011
8:06 am

Green and Pargo were active on defense. We have never had reserves play that hard on defense. McGrady showed glimpses of his potential, Vlad looked great, ZaZa looked great, Teague looked great, Ivan looked great, Marvin looked great.

Wow!

Mike is Back

December 28th, 2011
8:12 am

MC, I would suspect you enjoyed this performance by the Hawks…as much as the fans did.

TERRIFIC start by the HAWKS…now we need to see more of the same as the season unfolds. It’s only one game…let’s see what happens…when we play Miami and Chicago.

OUSTANDING TEAM EFFORT…from start to finish.

KEEP IT GOING…LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wordsmithtom

December 28th, 2011
8:23 am

Icecold,
Spot on about team concept. True teams are more than any “big three”. Check out the flag presentation at Dallas. Who was the first player to stand up and talk? Their 6th man, Jason Terry. Miami hasn’t proved yet they have the heart. They beat Dallas Sunday, and have more pieces than last year when it comes to the bench, but do they have the heart to jell as a unit, not just a “big 3″.

That’s the intangible we’ve lacked, but in TMac, Stack, and Vlad, we now have.

Manny

December 28th, 2011
8:27 am

All I kept saying was “Dang, we gotta deep bench!” I mean, they just kept coming off the bench!

OK, granted that the ASG went to Goodwill to shop for some of our bench players, but you can find good deals at the Goodwill.

I agree, we need better PG play as far as assist vs. turnovers, but I think that will come. But Radmanovic is a beast. And I saw some life in McGrady (but tell Mcgrady that he’s coming off the bench. He’s not going to get the same calls.)

Trojan

December 28th, 2011
8:32 am

Marvin had spring in his step. He had confidence in his shot. He can be a real difference maker in our team.

honest_abe

December 28th, 2011
8:40 am

still too many jump shots. but i’m definitely encouraged by marvin’s “newfound” health as well as the bench. willie, tmac, radmonovic, zaza = pretty solid. add hinrich to that bunch and it’s definitely one of the better benches in the league.

Rev in Tampa

December 28th, 2011
8:40 am

This condensed schedule is going to be as tough on me as it is on the Hawks. I’m out several nights a week and a committed family man. I’ve already been strategizing about how I am going to be able to watch the game tonight while promoting harmony in the family. Thankfully I’ve spoiled my children and they are all Hawks fans, but my wife is not so enamoured with basketball.

Ernest

December 28th, 2011
8:41 am

One of the most complete basketball games I’ve seen by a Hawks team in years. True, this was the Nets without their starting center but these are still professionals. I can’t wait to see how this team matches up with the ‘anointed’ powers in the league. Some may have more overall talent in the starting 5 but it will be hard for teams to match up with our 2nd 5. Having the ability to apply constant defensive pressure while not giving up much offensively can be the difference this year.

honest_abe

December 28th, 2011
8:43 am

btw pargo sucks worse than i thought.

JM

December 28th, 2011
8:44 am

Good game even if it was the Nets. The Hawks have had problems with bad teams over the last few years; either playing down to them or not putting them away. Last night was a great of example of taking care of business with these lesser teams. Let’s keep it up tonight against the Wiz.

ry

December 28th, 2011
8:44 am

I like Ivan’s energy and rebounding,but with the technical last night I think he showed that he still can’t control himself. That’s too bad.

Just Joe

December 28th, 2011
8:46 am

Marvin still has the worst hands in the league. Fumbles the ball way too much, and kept missing easy tip-ins at the rim. 33% from the field as a result. Let’s not forget that he was being guarded by Marshon Brooks and Damion James for a good portion of the game. He needs to win his matchup with Rashard Lewis tonight as well. Also surprised we didn’t get a “heat check” from Nique last night when Marvin launched his 3rd 3-pt attempt, which was from way too deep.

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
8:58 am

What is the goal for this year Hawks team?

chris

December 28th, 2011
9:06 am

I’m glad Ivan got the tech. We need someone who will not back down from anyone. Okur was trying to push him around on purpose. We have All-stars, team players, the good Vets, but the only bully we had was Pachulia, and he is only a bully in the playoffs. We need Ivan as much as Tmac, Vlad, or Pargo!!!

KevinM

December 28th, 2011
9:06 am

“wordsmithtom

December 28th, 2011
5:20 am
And while I’m on a soapbox, where are the macaroons who said to amnesty MW? 14pts and 9 boards in 22 minutes. Amnesty material???!!! Sheesh, the idiocy of some posters.”

I am here to tell you I asked for Marvin’s amnesty. You can’t see why?
After one game, you are going to say Marvin is a changed player? How many YEARS have we been waiting for his potential? Where is he ranked among SFs in the NBA?
One game against NJ, one game against Cleveland last year, one game here and there is not going to change my opinion.
I can say that Marvin played well, but I still see alot of the old Marvin as well. When his shots go down, he looks good. Rathburn even gave him kudos on a tipped offensive rebound for nothing because we didn’t keep possession.
I stand my ground and still say we could have amnestied Marvin and gotten more in return for his 8M/year that what he gives us. The problem is if you amnesty him, who says Gearon will spend money in his absence. If he isn’t, roll the dice with him. We’ve only been doing that for what 7 years now?

Wait til Marvin plays against teams that are playoff contenders. NJ and Washington are not in that class yet.

Kudos to Marvin on a positive start.

Amnesty material? Joe is amnesty material as well. Whatever it takes to give your team the ability to continue to improve.

If Rip Hamilton, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups and Baron Davis can be amnestied, then Marvin more than fits that model here.

hawks_4_life

December 28th, 2011
9:07 am

I was at the game and here are my notes:

Teague’s jumpshot looks really good.
Marvin was the “x” factor last night. His effort was undeniable and he was rebounding like a monster.
Pargo’s defense and effort was awesome the minute he got into the game, he made Deron a no factor.
T-mac if he plays like last night will make us forget about Crawford because he has so much more intangibles to offer.
Radmonovic’s jumpshot is for real.

Truth B. Known

December 28th, 2011
9:07 am

MC’s write up was pretty good. I think he did a good job of capturing the essence of the moment. I hope he can keep that up. I missed parts of the game but the write up covered what I would have been looking for and feed my curiosity.

2 of the issues being over looked in terms of relevance. 1. The nets were gassed, had to travel back home. no rest, juxtapose that with the hawks who were excited to get the 1st game underway, also being the last team to play so you know the energy would be there. 2) Do we penetrate as much with a healthy Lopez in the paint? Do the Nets perimeter defenders play a different game if the post is anchored? / Yes, Yes. / This would have been a different game and much closer if you consider the aforementioned 2 factors .

Bottom line is, its was a fun win, and winning is always fun, however don’t get it “twisted”, this was by no means a measure of the teams performance capability, but more a measure of what NJ brings to the table, which was intensified by the lack of Lopez, and the schedule.

where are the real fans

December 28th, 2011
9:12 am

Good game by the hawks last night. The bench was great last night, even with their (few) miscues. They’re going to be a above average defensive group with good scoring. Maybe not 55 a night but an average of 35-45 a night. I’m not worried about are starters they barely had a chance to really hit a stride. Yes they were in there for 20+ minutes, but Josh was in foul trouble early on(and you saw some of the old Josh leak out with all those soft fouls they were calling), Joe started heating up then was put on the bench, Al had a mixture of Josh and Joe, Teague played well when he was in there, and Marvin NEEDS to play like this on an almost every game clip(he’s going to have off nights).

KZ

December 28th, 2011
9:12 am

“What is the goal for this year Hawks team?”

To be competitive and entertaining

Ken Strickland

December 28th, 2011
9:12 am

There’s still so much talk about replacing Jamal’s OFF, and not enough talk about the awful DEF we also lost with his departure? With our improved DEF, particularily our perimeter DEF, we’ll definitely offset some to the OFF we’ve conceivably lost. This team is now about playing solid DEF, not just talking about it.

It’s funny how some can appreciate the Bulls DEF being the foundation for their success, but they can’t seem to appreciate it becoming the foundation for the Hawks success. And you can’t keep trying to overlook or minimize the vast improvement of our bench, but Radmanovic, Johnson, and TMac will provide more rebounding, scoring, more consistent scoring and rebounding, ball handling and DEF than EThomas, DWilkins, JPowell, and HArmstrong ever provided.

Pargo gives us our 1st true backup PG in I don’t know when, especially one with enough speed and quickness to continue providing the OFF and DEF pressure that Teague provides our starting unit. Also, with the exception of IJohnson, Zaza and Twin, all of our other 5 none starters(Pargo, Sloan, TMac, Radmanovic, Green, and Stackhouse) can effectively shoot 3s. Besides Jamal, who off last yrs bench could effectively shoot 3s?

J from the A

December 28th, 2011
9:13 am

Everything has already been said, but:

1. Good win is good
2. Perspective: The win was against the Nets — a Nets without Lopez
3. But the Hawks split with the Nets last year, so maybe a blowout against the Nets is something of note.
4. To my pleasant surprise, the bench looked impressive.
5. Again, the bench looked impressive _against the Nets_

…

germanhawksfan

December 28th, 2011
9:14 am

Radmonivic – Michael Cunningham, you better learn to spell that name right: Radmanovic!
But you’re gonna go for a nickname anyway, right?
He looks like a great addition to the Hawks roster!

J from the A

December 28th, 2011
9:16 am

Ivan might have received a tech last night, but I am not sure if the tech was a result of him “loosing control.” The response that “earned” him the tech was very moderate. Unless I missed something, it wasn’t clear that he deserved a tech. (McGrady’s staredowns of the refs appeared more tech-worthy than Johnson’s complaint.)

hawks_4_life

December 28th, 2011
9:18 am

I love the defensive intensity, IT WAS AWESOME.

Hawks4Eva

December 28th, 2011
9:21 am

Ken Strickland

December 28th, 2011
9:12 am
==============================
ALL GREAT POINTS…

Comparing the bench of last year with Ethan Thomas, Damien Wilkins, Josh Powell, and H.Armstrong and few other bums with Our current bench Pargo, Sloan, TMac, Radmanovic, Green, Ivan Johnson) is a significant upgrade – without question!

Quote of the Day — December 28, 2011 | JockSpin.com

December 28th, 2011
9:27 am

[...] Tracy McGrady: “I’m a gamer, man. That’s what I am. I just get bored with preseason. I know that sounds crazy but I really do. The anticipation builds up for the offseason, especially being healthy and get out there and play. I’m like, let’s get this real thing going on.” [...]

joe white

December 28th, 2011
9:30 am

Good win for the hawks, and we should play like night in and out. We can go far with this team.GO Hawks

Fundamentals

December 28th, 2011
9:30 am

Upgraded bench, defined roles, TEAM ball, hustle. Top to bottom a nice job. Starters will shine tonight. Great job Hawks!

DS

December 28th, 2011
9:32 am

Is it really possible that Dwight comes home????
Al/Kirk/Marvin/Zaza for DH12/Hedo/Duhon
I know the Magic would never take that, but I’m still really hyped from the game last night! So let me fantazise with that trade for a little while.

DS

December 28th, 2011
9:34 am

*fantasize

Hawks4Eva

December 28th, 2011
9:37 am

2010 Last Years Bench Team:
Jason Collins
Jamal Crawford
Maurice Evans
ZaZa Pachulia
Josh Powell
Jeff Teague
Etan Thomas
Hilton Armstrong

This Years Hawks Bench:
Jason Collins
ZaZa Pachulia
Pargo, (Kirk Hinrich)
Sloan,
Tracy MacGrady,
Radmanovic,
Green,
Ivan Johnson

Combine the upgraded bench with:
1.) An healthier and improved Marvin Williams
2.) A more confident and experienced Jeff Teague
3.) A more determined Joe Johnson
4.) An improved emphasis on Up tempo Offense
5.) An improved emphasis on hustling/aggressive defense
6.) A shorten season with more games compacted back-to-back

I believe makes us the #3 team in the East behind:
1.) Miami
2.) Chicago
3.) Atlanta
4.) Boston
5.) Milwaukee

Laughing out Loud

December 28th, 2011
9:40 am

High Flying Hawks!!!!!!!!!!! ! – O for the season! It’s great to see the bench scoring from the newcomers.

KevinM

December 28th, 2011
9:43 am

Add Travis Outlaw to my list of players that were amnestied and justifying why Marvin could have fit right along with them.
He has to produce now.

KZ

December 28th, 2011
9:48 am

Ivan’s technical foul was the play of the game last night.

About time.

Tremaine

December 28th, 2011
9:51 am

KZ

December 28th, 2011
9:12 am
“What is the goal for this year Hawks team?”

To be competitive and entertaining

Is that it?

KZ

December 28th, 2011
9:58 am

“What is the goal for this year Hawks team?”

To be competitive and entertaining

Is that it?”

****************

Ask Michael Gearon Jr.

Wabe

December 28th, 2011
10:02 am

I’ll wait before I eat my crow…

Wanna see how they do against some of the better teams in the league.

But, just watching last night, I think it’s safe to say we do have a deeper bench than we’ve had.

- Pargo plays solid defense.
- T-Mac will be good for 10-12 ppg if he can stay healthy
- Rad was a great signing. I like this dude’s game. He can do a lot more than shoot. He can do a little bit of everything. We haven’t had a true stretch 4 ever, and this guy gives us something new.
- Wasn’t all that impressed with Willie Green, but, he’s got the track record to be a pretty decent player coming off the bench.
- Ivan Johnson has some intensity and hustle in him. Not sure how many minutes he’ll get. Got some garbage time last night.

This is all minus Hinrich, who should be coming off that bench backing up JJ at the 2. Pargo, Hinrich, T-Mac, Rad, Zaza. That’s not a bad 2nd unit.

Michael Cunningham

December 28th, 2011
10:03 am

new blog is posted. shutting down this thread.

ATL Hawks vs. NJ Nets: Reactions & Recaps From Around The Web - Soaring Down South

December 28th, 2011
2:35 pm

[...] Michael Cunningham of the AJC talked about how great the Hawks bench played and got some good quotes… [...]