Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 100, Heat 92

Grandmaster JeJe

January 2nd, 2012
11:37 pm

FIRE WOODY

ntrigue

January 2nd, 2012
11:37 pm

First

Grandmaster JeJe

January 2nd, 2012
11:38 pm

How could LD have allowed us to be lethargic early? MIAMI PLAYED LAST NIGHT. Even if Charlotte sucked vs em

Grandmaster JeJe

January 2nd, 2012
11:41 pm

It appears TMac gets most of the quotes these days, which is good. He is the only player on this team with any kind of swagger – the Alpha Male

BEN

January 2nd, 2012
11:41 pm

FIRST

JSS

January 2nd, 2012
11:42 pm

Yes Sir!!!

Grandmaster JeJe

January 2nd, 2012
11:44 pm

Like Teague’s comments. Time to become a GREAT team.

Won’t be posting here much starting tomorrow. So long AJC folk

ak

January 2nd, 2012
11:44 pm

HAHAHA YOU PEOPLE HAD TMAC done after a few meaningless preseason games.

Ryan

January 2nd, 2012
11:47 pm

T-Mac got tired of not getting respect and starting throwing his resume on the table. “Yo….scoring champ, 7 time all-star, give me some respect!”

superiorblogman

January 2nd, 2012
11:47 pm

Good win. MC quit slipping you partying with a Brazilian model or something tonite? Took you long enough.

Leave Teague alone he is what he is, go Hawks!

jlewis

January 2nd, 2012
11:49 pm

JeJe:

Tmac is playing a role, if he was so great with all that swagger, why is he playing for the minimum this year? Hawks just beat the heat and some subtle changes have taken place, JJ doesnt have to guard point guards anymore, the bench has depth with “veterans” not rookies and cast-offs that can’t play. If Josh can be reeled in, we can be really good.

Teedub

January 2nd, 2012
11:49 pm

Awesome win. Boss fought hard beginning to end. Joe was clutch. T-Mac was clutch. Teague was a handful. ZaZa was ZaZa. Even Marvin, though limited in minutes, was impactful. This Hawk fan is giddy!!

Section 303

January 2nd, 2012
11:49 pm

Marvin’s play has been one of the nicest surprises of the season. He has really been good, so far.

Joe does not get enough credit for his D. I think he is one of the better defenders in the entire league. Remember, he was the guy who slowed down Kobe in last year’s All Star game. And, he has shown well against star guards several times in the past.

Love it when the Heat lose. Just love it!

Also, great game today to all you Dawg fans. Was an instant classic. Go Green!

Grandmaster JeJe

January 2nd, 2012
11:54 pm

Tmac is playing a role, if he was so great with all that swagger, why is he playing for the minimum this year?

******
jlewis,

He has a lifetime Adidas contract and has made a bajillion dollars in he NBA. We were the most appealing team to him. He is very intelligent and articulate and I am sure he has 100M+ sitting in his bank accounts.

FreshFromATL

January 2nd, 2012
11:55 pm

T-Mac is easily the leader of this team.

Rod from College Park

January 2nd, 2012
11:56 pm

Astro Joe,

“Rod, so if I quote the entire sentence “He was invisible”, then what am I missing about that entire sentence? LeBron had 12 points in the first half. He was really eating up Marvin with those BIG 12 points, huh?”

He was invisible was not the entire sentence. The other part of the sentence was “in the first half”. You seem to have left that part out. Please inform me who’s post I am supposed to be reading on the regular. Help me please. LOL

Spud Webb

January 2nd, 2012
11:57 pm

Not signing Jamal is looking pretty good. He was a huge defensive liability. Overall the Hawks as a team looked better than the heat.

Spud Webb

January 3rd, 2012
12:00 am

Joe Johnson is playing better so far as well. Of course he will never be La bron, but at the moment we can’t worry about that. He is a very good player that does not get the credit he deserves on defense.

Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde

January 3rd, 2012
12:03 am

Gotta give credit where credit is due. The Hawks are shutting me up. T-mac is looking like a better than Jamal

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:03 am

There were a lot of Pargo haters on the blog the last couple of days. I personally think that he has been pretty solid, and has run the team effectively when Jeff is out. I don’t remember the bench losing a big lead, or getting that far behind this year. I think as the season goes on, he will get much better, and he can knock down open jumpers. He has surprised me defensively. I think he has done a good job. Not so sure about Willie Green. I like his energy, but that is about it. The bench has done a great job, so far.

Dont Brick It

January 3rd, 2012
12:06 am

ATL practice your FTs!

It’s nice that they won today but those FTs are still crucial specially on close games.

keepinitreal

January 3rd, 2012
12:07 am

I really like the look of this Hawks team. It’s a pretty complete squad now that we have a legit PG and have beefed up the bench with vets like T-Mac and VladRad. Even though we’re only five games in, I sense a maturity from this team. I don’t see many teams blowing us out this year.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
12:07 am

Again, I think there is a good chance that TMac will really relish the chance to play for a winning team that expects to make a 2nd round playoff appearance. Hopefully, he will feel more responsible for helping deliver a victory against quality teams than he has felt since his Houston days. The Knicks or Pistons weren’t competing for anything but these Hawks will be competing for a top 4 playoff spot throughout the season.

I’m glad TMac is here but let’s also understand that he is getting a lot from the Hawks as well. A quality team with players who have achieved national accolades and are expected to compete for homecourt advantage in the first round. He’s playing for a winner and that has not been true for more than a minute. My guess is that the good feeling he has is not just about individual accomplishment, but being a member of a team capable of beating a previously undefeated Heat squad in their own building.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
12:08 am

AJ – Wasn’t insinuating any one called Marvin a leader – just stating a fact about him and the entire team.

And AJ, just make sure you don’t become the one trick pony taking little pot shots at Teague regardless of how well he does. I just try to be objective, and I knew Teague had the Chicago series, last year when he started for Hinrich, and this season so far in him. He’s a good player.

And even TMac’s statements above show me he’s a leader. Not trying to hang his jersey in the rafters by any stretch – I mean, he could come out and blow a knee (I hope not!!!) tomorrow nite, and that would be that.

But if he’s healthy, he’s a Big Dawg!!!

Najeh Davenpoop

January 3rd, 2012
12:11 am

Good to see the Hawks keep the win in perspective. If they are as active on D every game as they were this game, and they can compete on the boards in every game, they are going to go far. Like LD said, it is a question of consistency.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
12:11 am

Last year at this time I had a nervous feeling, like something wasn’t quite right even though we were winning. Different feeling this year, and I think only LD or injuries could blow it.

LD needs to talk to Josh if he’s not already. Bring Stack and TMac in there if you need to. The dude has stud written all over him, it’s all up to him. God gave him the talent, he’s just got to use it.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
12:12 am

Rod, when I went to school, a sentence ended after a period I admit, I am old so maybe grammar has changed in the past few years and sentences no longer end with periods in a wrold of texting, twittering and such maybe periods no longer have meaning maybe spaces are the new way to end a sentance I don’t know anymore I am very confused how do I end this post without a period how will anyone know that I am done with my thoughts oh can I try a question mark? Whew!

Rusty

January 3rd, 2012
12:13 am

It is so great to finally see jj getting the ball & shooting rather than dribbling all night @& trying to go one on four which was depressing & boring, thanks jt

Section 212

January 3rd, 2012
12:15 am

Just have to keep TMac healthy….If TMac leads, JJ will flourish

real talk

January 3rd, 2012
12:20 am

Where is all the tmac haters? I hear cickets………he’s been solid averaging double figures shootin the ball 50 + percent, not to mention bringing added defense. To all the Mac haters, do y’all still miss Jamal who shot the ball under 40% with no defense. Get th fu** outta here!!!

Dont Brick It

January 3rd, 2012
12:21 am

“it is a question of consistency.” – LD

Same thing can be said to him. He did good today, really bad the previous game.

I’m only puzzled why can’t T-Mac and Marvin play together when those two are easily more consistent than JS.

real talk

January 3rd, 2012
12:22 am

I’m tellin you know…..Marvin is competing for the starting gig after this game lol!

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
12:23 am

Steve, I was on Teague for a very poor effort in the Houston game. Right? Did anyone else complain about his performance in Houston? Was I wrong to suggest that he should have attacked the lane in Houston? Have you seen anything from Teague in any game that he has played that would suggest that his first half against Houston was acceptable? Go back and read my comments and let me know if I said anything off base during that game. If taking 0 FGAs in a half is an acceptable way to help the team win in your opinion, then we will need to agree to disagree. Teague isn’t John Stockton. He isn’t going to produce 20 assists and help this team win with his passing. If he isn’t attacking the lane then he is hurting the team. And I said as much the other day and will say it again if he does something stupid like that again. If he isn’t in attack mode, I think he does himself and his team a great disservice. Now tell me that he was in attack mode in the first 3 quarters in Houston.

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:24 am

SteveW,

“AJ – Wasn’t insinuating any one called Marvin a leader – just stating a fact about him and the entire team. ”

Putting words in your mouth also huh? Must be a habit. LOL

Astro Joe,

My quote,

“I’m considered a Marvin hater, and I won’t say that he played bad. He played like he usually does. He was invisible. Made absolutely no impact in the game in the first half. Lebron scored 8 in the first quarter, before we started playing zone, and Marvin stood in the corner with no one checking him as usual. If McGrady stays healthy, you will continue to see less minutes for Marvin. I’m just glad to know that LD understands that. Marvin was Marvin.”

Again, maybe you can read, and obviously you know sentence structure, but work on your comprehension. If you would stop trying to take shots, and read for understanding, maybe you will see things differently. If you want to talk about sentence structure, spelling, complete sentences or any of those things, take that up with doc. LOL

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:28 am

“I’m only puzzled why can’t T-Mac and Marvin play together when those two are easily more consistent than JS.”

Because Marvin does not rebound as well as Josh, and he provides no resistance at the rim. Remember the Josh block on Lebron at the end of the game? Marvin can’t make that play.

Rev in Tampa

January 3rd, 2012
12:29 am

“If you want to talk about sentence structure, spelling, complete sentences or any of those things, take that up with doc. LOL”

Truth

real talk

January 3rd, 2012
12:30 am

Will the hawks get past the bulls? I’m like the odds getting past the bulls.

Grandmaster JeJe

January 3rd, 2012
12:35 am

Because Marvin does not rebound as well as Josh, and he provides no resistance at the rim. Remember the Josh block on Lebron at the end of the game? Marvin can’t make that play.
****

he made that play at home vs CHI last yr when he blocked Rose but I agree. Marvin still looks and plays a bit frail. We need more from him this week.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
12:37 am

so rev and rod; why and what is your point? may i ask, is there something wrong with my spelling and a few, run on sentences? heh heh

look, i much preferred dictating and having someone else type it up, in my hey day.

Get Throwed

January 3rd, 2012
12:40 am

Really like that drew uses the bench. and oh yes, M-V-Teague

Teedub

January 3rd, 2012
12:40 am

Marvin block and awesome call by Rathbun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUv8BWkqgzU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

JBrown

January 3rd, 2012
12:40 am

Our Bench Really Is Starting To Rival The Bulls Minus Willie Green Nd Plus Kirk Later on…Really Like Pargos Play Defensively…Ive Got To Tell You Hawks Fans Tonight Brought Back That Feeling From The ‘08 Boston Series Feels Good

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:40 am

doc,

lol

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
12:45 am

Sorry I had to steal your style, doc, to make a point about grammar. Dude made it sound like I didn’t quote his sentence exactly.

But Rod is right (and objective) about one thing, Marvin isn’t even the best rebounder at SF in the league (when normalized for minutes played). Clearly, that is why LD refuses to play him alongside TMac.

http://espn.go.com/nba/statistics/player/_/stat/rebounds/sort/avg48Rebounds/position/small-forwards

Get Throwed

January 3rd, 2012
12:45 am

Im kinda iffy on pargo on defense, the dude kept getting burned by john wall

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
12:46 am

Night all. I’m gone like the Heat’s winning streak.

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:48 am

How soon we all forget.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UtVCGa0YkAM

Neki

January 3rd, 2012
12:53 am

Here is the bigger question. If we actually beat the Bulls and Heat again this week, would it quell down some of the trade talk that is going on and if T-Mac continues to doing his thing – 2004 style, would that make Mavin the odd “duck” out and gone as well.

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
12:56 am

Astro Joe,

Again your comprehension is terrible. The point is that he does not rebound nor block shots better than Josh. There is a reason you had to use normalized for minutes played stats. There is a reason no coach he has played for has kept him in the game at the end of the game. I’m beginning to think that you might have been on the bus for special kids. Did they have one of those way back then?

Scoop

January 3rd, 2012
1:00 am

The difference between this game and Houston is LD yanked the regulars for the bench when things started bad. LD did a phenomenal job with the timing of his play calls and substitutions.

Smoove made a few big plays at the end with a block and steal, both on Lebron. But he played so so bad tonight!!!!!!!!

1-5 on jumpers, several errant passes that could easily have been turnovers, and poor rebounding. Smoove doesn’t box out, and with his thin frame now, he’s getting pushed around a little bit. The dude needs to add some muscle mass. He was too flabby last year and too skinny this year. What’s more, teams are forcing him to go right. He only goes left and needs to develop a right hand hook shot.

What’s more his defensive pick and roll AND offensive pick and roll game is AWFUL!!!!!!!
In the first half he set the softest pick i’ve ever seen on the sideline for Joe and the defender just brushed by and trapped joe, leading to a turnover. Defensively, he stays back on the pick and roll instead of hedging, which gives the ball handler an open lane to the basket, or at worst a switch with Smoove forced to defend a guard.

I honestly believe Smoove should be benched. He has no offensive post game and no jump shot. At the very least, Marvin should be getting his touches. It’s a joke that Marvin doesn’t get the ball more and he will average 20 points in this league, whether its with the Hawks or another team.

BTW I take back what i said about Joe not being able to play defense. He and Al and Teague did an amazing job on the perimeter and the pick and roll. I was surprised you didnt comment on the Job Teague did on Lebron in our zone MC…..Teague at Lebron at the top of the key with help from the zone inside. It really bothered Lebron and led to several turnovers. Speaking of Mr. Jeff Teague, give the man some props. If he was on any other team, this dude would be getting some serious love from the media. But the outcasts of Atlanta fly under the radar. And to be honest, i like it that way. It will make it more sweet when we win the championship this year! I’ve been on record since day that it will be the Hawks in 7 over the Thunder.

LD, if your out there plz experiment with some lineup configurations!!!!!!! Tmac Joe and Marvin on the wings, Zaza and Horford down low, and plz get Marvin some more shots. LD subs Marvin out first for Tmac so bring Marvin in and let him play with the bench before the starters come in to get him some more shots.

All in all, great win by the Hawks. I liked the vet leadership from our bench holding everyone accountable and being great teammates the whole game. We may have something here……..

Rev in Tampa

January 3rd, 2012
1:01 am

Even the ESPN computers give the Hawks no respect:

http://espn.go.com/nba/standings/_/group/2

MsDee

January 3rd, 2012
1:06 am

Wow, shame on ESPN

Rev in Tampa

January 3rd, 2012
1:06 am

Nevermind. Its that crazy playoff seeding stuff that we can never seem to fully understand. It just looks wrong to see the 3-3 Celtics having a better conference standing than the 4-1 Hawks.

MsDee

January 3rd, 2012
1:27 am

Yeah but Philly has the better record in Boston’s division. No way Boston should be listed higher than us.

Tron

January 3rd, 2012
1:39 am

I remembered when Mac signed all you guys where like….. No he can’t replace Crawford. Same on you guys. Crawford isnt half the player mcgrady is even at his stage. 5 games in and already leader and best bob IQ on team.

Dont Brick It

January 3rd, 2012
1:47 am

@Rod from College Park

Yes, it’s true Marvin can not do those spectacular blocks (now or maybe never at all). But what I’m also saying is, JS is very inconsistent on his own. Just look at the Rocket’s game. Guy goes in, blows up ATL’s momentum and chance in under a minute. They don’t have any Lebron type of players, he still jacked it up.

I will not take it from him that he’s a very good shot blocker, a good rebounder and defender (when he tries to focus), the guy can fly, he dives and all but his shot selection, decision making, TO and BBIQ is really disappointing and very costly. In short, a talented dumb player.

The guy shot 4-12, same for the Rockets game. Will shoot Js when he can clearly drive. Had TOs even dumb centers do not commit.

So why can’t anyone else sub for JS’ minutes even if it’s not Marvin?

ant banks

January 3rd, 2012
1:48 am

what is with this FIRE WOODY ish?

it was cute and funny…WHEN HE WORKED HERE TWO YEARS AGO. lol

GO HAWKS

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
2:00 am

“Yes, it’s true Marvin can not do those spectacular blocks (now or maybe never at all). But what I’m also saying is, JS is very inconsistent on his own. Just look at the Rocket’s game. Guy goes in, blows up ATL’s momentum and chance in under a minute. They don’t have any Lebron type of players, he still jacked it up.”

To say Josh is inconsistent, and insert Marvin who has probably been the most inconsistent player in Hawks history is crazy. I personally would like to see Ivan Johnson at the 4 when Josh plays terrible, but not Marvin at the 4. He can’t rebound with or guard 4’s. Bosh would destroy him.

real talk

January 3rd, 2012
2:14 am

Tmac in his ludacris voice ” Marvin I’m coming for that number 1 spot” lol!

HawkEye

January 3rd, 2012
2:16 am

Great win tonight.

Hawks better get some rest and be ready tomorrow cause it’s gonna be another track meet. Hope Marvin can hold his own against Deng and that their bench can hang with Chicago.

Can’t wait to see the rematch of Teague vs. Rose!!

Hawks Fan Down Under

January 3rd, 2012
3:48 am

Fantastic performance (except for the appalling D in the first 6 mins). Question still remains…which ATL will show up each night. The team we saw against HOU or tonights team. If they can play with more mental toughness and consistency then they can genuinely challenged for the East title. If not then its another early playoff exit. Hopefully they stay focussed.

AND we’ve still got Kirk to come back.

I just hope LD can maintian good rotations. Thought Marvin was short changed again tonight. Not in the fourth but in the third. He was hot and yanked again.

Spyro

January 3rd, 2012
4:00 am

With the way Willie Green is playing, I would like to see LD go with a 2nd unit of Pargo/TMac/IVAN/Vlad/Zaza. Not only do you shift McGrady to a smaller defender, but you get Ivan in the game, who has a fire that needs to be on the court more.

A couple of things to think about for the Bulls game: Horford, JJ, and Teague played 39, 38, and 35 minutes tonight, respectively. Both Josh and Marvin played under 30. I like that McGrady says he feels great, but I would like to keep him under 25 minutes. (He played 26 vs Miami) Zaza only played 9 minutes due to foul trouble, and Ivan Johnson didn’t play at all. Since we are in the middle of this hellish stretch of games, I think we should give Ivan some burn and hope that Zaza can give us more minutes.

This game will be a huge indictment of Josh Smith. Boozer plays defense about as well as a water fountain. If Josh really doesn’t get in the post or attack that basket, then he may have completely lost it. Sure, his defense is still good, but there is absolutely no reason for him to be taking this many jumpers.

Speaking of Josh’s jumpers, I really think there is an explanation for that. For all intents and purposes, it looks like Smoove was seriously planning to play the 3 this year; he lost 25 pounds, and supposedly put in serious work on his J. However, since we didn’t acquire a C, he still has to play the 4 and doesn’t have the strength/mass combination to dominate like he used to. (or, that is what he thinks) So, he resorted to his jump shot, which he thinks is improved, but isn’t falling. I don’t think Josh wants to accept that all that work he did over the summer is going to be worthless, and as a result, he keeps shooting and hoping that the shots fall. What needs to happen is that someone needs to get to him and tell him that he is most successful in the paint and that the majority of his shots need to come from there. I would suggest a combo of LD/TMac/Stack to do this, because Josh is more likely to listen the two vets over the coach that probably suggested all of that work he put in over the summer. If it works, then great, If it doesn’t… let’s hope we don’t get to that.

Anyways, that is my take on things. Go Hawks!

Mac-Town #maconchevyrider

January 3rd, 2012
4:41 am

Did they change the way they do seeding/division winners???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_NBA_Playoffs

We had a better record than Boston then and we still got the higher seed (#3) over them (#4) despite them being Division Winners, so why are they seeded higher now in the current rankings???

Buddy Grizzard

January 3rd, 2012
5:05 am

“Tmac is playing a role, if he was so great with all that swagger, why is he playing for the minimum this year?” – jlewis

Maybe you don’t follow the NBA. T-Mac got hurt, then was painted as a coach killer last season with Detroit. There were rumors of the Bulls taking a look at him but passing because of the perceived character issues. The Hawks took a risk by taking on a strong personality to play for a second-year coach with a questionable grip on his locker room. Look how it has paid off.

“Marvin’s play has been one of the nicest surprises of the season. He has really been good, so far.” – Section 303

You must not have read any of my posts this summer. Been preaching “Marvin return to pre-JC1 form” the whole offseason.

“Joe does not get enough credit for his D.” – Section 303

Joe gets mixed reviews for his defense, which is interesting. I think he has a strange mix of elite instincts and basketball IQ combined with uncommon strength, but declining overall athleticism. He sure put it to D-Wade tonight and put a jolt into the best shooting guard discussion.

Sources tell me that, after holding the second-team All-NBA shooting guard to 12 points on 4-for-17 shooting, Joe was heard telling Michael Gearon, Jr., “Pay me.”

“There were a lot of Pargo haters on the blog the last couple of days.” – Rod from CP

Guy hits one big shot and out rolls the bandwagon. What are his shooting stats for the season?

“LD needs to talk to Josh if he’s not already. Bring Stack and TMac in there if you need to.” – SteveW

This is exactly what I was thinking. Far from being a coach killer, T-Mac may be the best chance LD will ever have to get through to Josh. His performance in the fourth quarter against the Heat just sent his credibility with his younger teammates through the roof.

“LD did a phenomenal job with the timing of his play calls and substitutions.” – scoop

Agree. I can’t believe I just typed that.

“LD, if your out there plz experiment with some lineup configurations!!!!!!!” – scoop

Yes, please experiment with some configurations where Willie Green never sees an NBA court again without a ticket.

ICECOLD

January 3rd, 2012
5:23 am

The Hawks are good.. If they play at a high level.. It is possible for them to get home court advantage for them in the playoffis.. But we gotta control those minutes no matter what!! especially when we play back to back.. 30 minutes for the starters and 25 for the main role players .. and get Ivan Johnson in their to save some legs..

Josh Smith plays like he tryin to save his legs… which is a good thing.. but he needs to be a top 3 option.. its about time for him to make a all star team.. .

Jeff Teague is a beast.. Look at how he plays.. He is so athletic, and can do almost anything he wants out their.. I can see him averaging 20 and 5 assist next year. This year, 15 and 6 assist should be his goal. . But he is really good.

I dont know how Hinrich and Pargo and WiIlie Green and

hawks_4_life

January 3rd, 2012
5:36 am

I guessed a missed a hell of a game flying home, go hawks.

Buddy Grizzard

January 3rd, 2012
5:37 am

“With the way Willie Green is playing, I would like to see LD go with a 2nd unit of Pargo/TMac/IVAN/Vlad/Zaza.” – Spyro

Co-sign. Ivan Johnson couldn’t possibly play worse than Willie Green has.

dom

January 3rd, 2012
6:50 am

I really must admit, the hawks played a gripping game and they came up with the big win in Miami. Hats off to the team! They made solid stops on defence and scored points on the other end.

There are a few things I need to mention.

1. Success is all about consistency!!! Atlanta can be a serious competitor for the eastern conference title but they have to be able to show this performance continuously.

2. Josh Smith needs to DRIVE TO THE HOOP!!! When he does that he is at his best and the hawks team is so much stronger. During the Heat game we saw him drive a few times, he scored every time. That should be his game!!! No more jumpers!!

3. Keep pushing T-mac, this will be his return. He really is a born scorer

Go Hawks, this team has something special

Dont Brick It

January 3rd, 2012
7:17 am

Rod from College Park,

Maybe I did forget adding words like “currently” or “at the moment” after the word “consistent” for Marvin (even with just 5 games) but we will never know for sure if we keep benching him right?

I’m not a JS hater but if there’s a right time to fix the guy, it’s now or never. They have Veterans older than him and they have more experience maybe he’ll listen and learn something. Josh will never learn to smart it up if he thinks that he has no competition for minutes and the current him is “good”. That he’s “safe”.

I would like to see Ivan J play as well.

wordsmithtom

January 3rd, 2012
7:26 am

I have to reitterate my observation from the Dallas “2011 flag raising ceremony”. It was Jason Terry, the 6th man, who was the first Mav to speak. Our 3-headed captains rarely have much to say, besides the same lame excuses when they lose. Enter T Mac and we have a guy who steps up and says what the thinks, and his play backs him up. If he stays healthy, watch his example rub off on the younger guys. Dallas did not have the best players in the league, but they worked together as a team. Hawks aren’t the best collection of players in the east, but if they work as a team, their deep vet bench, esp when Kirk returns, makes them a candidate to replace Dallas as the Cinderella story of the year. But first, they must believe they can beat Miami and Chicago….last night was a good start.

northcyde

January 3rd, 2012
7:28 am

6 – 29 FG ( 20.7% ) on jumpshots for Josh Smith so far this year from 16 feet and out. No way that trend can continue. And he isn’t a historically good enough shooter to tell him to just “keep shooting” and shoot your way out of this slump.

The fact that Smith is taking 6 jumpers a game, while the best midrange shooter in the league last year ( Al Horford ) has only taken EIGHT jumpers TOTAL from that same range all year, is unacceptable.

One of the things I like doing at work, is listening to 790 AM from both Atlanta and Miami. While 790 Atlanta will neglect the Hawks most nights, 790 Miami devotes an entire hour every morning to just Miami Heat talk. It will be interesting to hear the two stations talk about the game this morning.

Haven’t turned them on yet, but I will be flipping from both stations in about 30 minutes. I love the tunein.com radio for the Android. It allows me to listen to radio stations across the country.

AtlantaDude

January 3rd, 2012
7:35 am

LD does not need TMac and Stack’s help to get Josh to stop shooting jumpers. It’s simple. If Josh shoots a jumper with more than 4 seconds left on the shot clock, LD should pull him immediately. Do that for 4 or 5 games, and you’ll see Josh’s behavior change pretty quickly.

PEDRO EL GITANO

January 3rd, 2012
7:41 am

Muy bien,gran partido!!No entiendo por que se le teme tanto a Miami.Son 2 monas corriendo y saltando(si fueran blancos diria lo mismo).
Gracias T-Mac,no lo vamos a olvidar nunca.

truth

January 3rd, 2012
7:46 am

Iam happy for the Hawks win.. but this is the REGULAR season.

Mike is Back

January 3rd, 2012
7:56 am

AtlantaDude, I agree I said as much on a previous blog…it’s unacceptable for LD not to come with simple benchmarks for Josh. Mines would be the TWO OUT OF CONTROL RULE…it coincides with LD’s two foul rule.lol

When Josh has two silly turnovers or take two ill-advised shot in a row…get HIM out the game…so he get his focus back.

GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jump Shooter X

January 3rd, 2012
8:05 am

Nice win ! Why is Willie Greene shooting the ball any way ?

J from the A

January 3rd, 2012
8:08 am

Yes, T-Mac can shoot; yes, T-Mac still has some nice moves; yes, T-Mac is an improvement on D, but what I am most impressed with so far: T-Mac is one hell of a passer! (He also appears to be a good leader and makes good decisions with the ball 95% of the time.)

Trojan

January 3rd, 2012
8:09 am

Why can’t Marvin play some of Josh’s minutes?

J from the A

January 3rd, 2012
8:11 am

I like it when Teague is playing aggressive. He is not that great PG that is going to make everyone else around him better, but when he is being aggressive (yet still composed!), good things happen and this Hawks team is a handful. I’ll even take his penetrating and aggressiveness when he misses three lay-ups in a row. In all seriousness, those three misses where all good plays, and even though he missed, all three plays were probably the right decision.

J from the A

January 3rd, 2012
8:13 am

Nice game for Horford.

And Joe … well, Joe is quietly one of the best 2 guards in the league. He does just about everything well, though, arguably he may not be the best at any one aspect. Yes, his laid back style can be a little frustrating at time, but he quietly gets it done night in and night out.

tyger

January 3rd, 2012
8:16 am

Real sign of progress…

1. The Miami win is huge…
2. But not a real sign of progress…
3. Real progress will/can be shown tonight…
4. Back to back vs. contenders….
5. Hawks traditionally win one, lose two…
6. Mentally fragile team easily becomes overconfident…
7. see Houston
8. I’m anticipating a bunch of excuses…
9. Back to back, travel, fatigue, etc…blah, blah, blah…
10. Instead, how about some leadership???

J from the A

January 3rd, 2012
8:16 am

I thought Vlad Rad was supposed to be soft, especially on D. He does seem to occasionally take a play or two off (for example see: the defensive sequence immediately following him getting stuffed on a dunk), but overall, I think he has brought great energy and even some toughness. He also seems to make pretty good decisions with the ball. If Vlad Rad can keep it up, he may be another great value pick up for the Hawks.

Hoops

January 3rd, 2012
8:28 am

I have a good feeling about this Hawks team. They have some very important players that can play important roles. It’s all about playing your role with this team. I like our team!

Go Hawks!

Wabe

January 3rd, 2012
8:30 am

Not gonna annoint T-Mac just yet…

He’s a good player, possibly still great. But, still wanna see him stay healthy and do it over the course of this season + playoffs.

Dude had a nice game, and provides a different dynamic to this team. He’s a solid team guy, and as pointed out time and time again, he’s got a great basketball IQ.

That lineup will look better than any other lineup we’ve had down the stretch.

Teague – JJ – T-Mac – J.Smith – Horford

I like the look of that. Solid at every position.

Wabe

January 3rd, 2012
8:33 am

Co-sign tyger.

I’m really looking forward to seeing whether we see the same team tonight that we saw last night.

I’ll be convinced if we can knock off the top two teams in the East in their arenas in their arenas.

Mike is Back

January 3rd, 2012
8:46 am

MC, I’m curious to see if LD will go with the BIG lineup against the Bulls. Chicago was pounding us on the glass with AL at Five.

Any indications twin and Zaza will see extended play against the Bulls?

mountain_jim

January 3rd, 2012
8:49 am

Joe’s thumb is already going to be a problem all season? Dratzo!

O'Brien

January 3rd, 2012
8:54 am

I give credit to LD and the team for a great win last night.

But LD and the team are still inconsistent, and we never know what to expect from them game to game. Hopefully, last night’s win will be a springboard for the coaches and players, and maybe there will be more consistency.

KZ

January 3rd, 2012
8:56 am

Every time Josh Smith shot last night, the Heat announcers laughed

Jump Shooter X

January 3rd, 2012
9:04 am

Josh needs to only shoot & dunk in the paint. His perimeter shooting would make a 5 year-old laugh. Some brick masons actuallty asked Josh if he wanted a part-time job laying bricks with them…

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
9:05 am

“Not gonna annoint T-Mac just yet…

He’s a good player, possibly still great. But, still wanna see him stay healthy and do it over the course of this season + playoffs.”

That’s the key. If he can stay healthy.

Buddy Grizzard,

“There were a lot of Pargo haters on the blog the last couple of days.” – Rod from CP

“Guy hits one big shot and out rolls the bandwagon. What are his shooting stats for the season?”

Actually, I said he was a solid backup the day we signed him. I’m not on his bandwagon, I just don’t think that he is terrible, like you do. He is running the team well, and giving us 5ppg, 2rpg, and 2 assist. The bench with him at the point has kept us in almost every game this year. He’s doing a decent job, and playing good defense. Plus I realize how hard it is to come back off of a serious knee injury. It takes time.

justahawkfan

January 3rd, 2012
9:07 am

Was the Heat announcers laughing at the end of the game?

wordsmithtom

January 3rd, 2012
9:15 am

justahawkfan,
LMFAO He who laughs last…..oh yea.

SLAM ONLINE | » Tracy McGrady: ‘I Haven’t Felt This Good in a Long Time’

January 3rd, 2012
9:21 am

[...] night in Miami, helping the Atlanta Hawks to hand the Heat its first loss of the season. McGrady says he feels great physically. From the AJC: “After a bad start, the Hawks settled down behind a zone defense and better [...]

Big Lou

January 3rd, 2012
9:30 am

Free Ivan!!!!! Let the scrapper play. More rebounds for the Hawks. Ivan > Green.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
9:31 am

dont know if anyone is aware but i did hear this on the way to work today that after a diagnosis of leukemia on friday and admission to a local hospital jim huber has died. he appeared always as a very class act and a wonderful craftsman of words. he was one of the many good and talented journalists that have come through the ajc and kept me reading here daily, as i have now, for maybe 50 years.

KZ

January 3rd, 2012
9:37 am

“Was the Heat announcers laughing at the end of the game?”

No, but they probably will later this year when Miami is in the Finals and we lose in the 2nd round while Josh takes jumpshots.

Dont Brick It

January 3rd, 2012
9:56 am

^ Haha.

Ken Strickland

January 3rd, 2012
9:56 am

Didn’t I say, as far back as training camp, that Miami would see a lot of the same zone DEF that Dallas used to throttle them in last yrs finals? LeBron and DWade are streaky outside shooters, and can’t carry a team or OFF with their outside shooting. If they go to the shooters on their bench, they have to sacrifice DEF, rebounding, and the ability to do anything offensively other than shoot outside shots.

Their starting lineup is vulnerable to zone DEFs, and their bench is vulnerable to a good man to man DEF. And just like last yr, they’re still vulnerable to quick, fast, penetrating PGs, and a strong presence in the middle. In last yrs win over them, we won with a last min put back. In this gm, we seized control of the gm in the 4th quarter and coasted to a convincing victory. We whipped them inside, on the boards, defensively and offensively. They’ve become accustumed to dominating teams by being able to drive to the basket and run fastbreaks.

Last night, we gave them a taste of their own medicine by taking it to the basket and dominating them inside. Pargo, Radmanovic, TMac, Zaza, and Green, all contributed to the win. They maintained consistent DEF pressure and scored enough to keep us within striking distance. We wore them down. The one thing that was revealed was our vulnerability at center when Zaza got into foul trouble. It forced Horford to play more mins than planned. We need another body, other than Twin, who can come in and eat up some mins at center.

Considering JAnthony isn’t much of a scoring threat, and Bosh is primarily an outside scoring threat, Drew could have used up some mins by using Johnson at C. Anyone that’s being critical of anyone who played in last nights gm is just looking for any excuse to b!tch. This was a total team win, and it includes HC LDrew and his staff. GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

KJB

January 3rd, 2012
10:00 am

Let’s pack the house on Thursday TNT game with Miami & cheer for the Hawks like we never cheered before!!!!! Let’s keep winning so we can get home court advantage in the playoffs!!!!! Josh please no more jumpers with over 4seconds on the clock!!!! T-Mac, I’m proud to say you’re a Hawk because this team needs players with High Basketball IQs…Thank you

doc

January 3rd, 2012
10:04 am

josh tuck the ball and move towards the basket, create contact not space. space is your enemy dude.

Big Crimson 75

January 3rd, 2012
10:17 am

This is our year. The lockout will help this team per the core have been together for awhile.
This is the best Hawks team since Joe got here. We got our point – our center – our forwards are a handful once again – and I like this bench better than what we have had the last couple years — Jamaal & nothing else. Plus, Coach Drew has a better handle on his players than Wood did. You get farther with respect !!
Go Hawks

BigTimeTECHFan

January 3rd, 2012
10:19 am

Nice blocks by Josh (LeBron) and Hortford (Wade).
Coach is right, Miami is asesome if you let them have their way, they fold when they get challanged, block let them know they were not going to come back at their will.

I to would like to see Ivan start getting a lttle time with second team, he can shoot but needs playing time to get confidence. Will be key player in playoffs if Hawks let him grow.

JJ is playing very nice ball, team is sharing the ball as well as any team in NBA.

I think by years end Atlanta and Miami will be 1 and 2 seed in the east, as long as they stay healthy

KZ

January 3rd, 2012
10:27 am

Can we cut Willie Green and sign someone else as backup SG? Arenas maybe? Pargo is okay.

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
10:38 am

Good win, but the sad thing is that we will lose tonight and thursday deflating the hot air balloon which constitutes our ball club.

The famous consistency is never there and I don’t believe in miracles: T-Mac’s resurgence is a bit inflated because EVERYONE thought he is completely washed up when in fact is still has a LITTLE in the tank (but not as much as everyone thinks).

Once teams realize that T-Mac still retains a bit of his ability, they will stop feeling kind of sorry for him and play him harder, send him to the floor and the results will not be replicated.

On last night’s game:

During the first 6 minutes we had Josh taking 5 shots, whilst Marvin took 0, JJ 1, Horford 2, Teague maybe 2 or 3…

Unacceptable that our poorest shooter is the one that believes will take over the game from outside.

If it wasn’t for Teague in the first period and the subs that brought some defensive cohesion, we could have been blown out right there.

My grades:

Teague: A- (excellent first period, keeping us afloat, excellent D when we played zone forcing TO’s – like Lebron’s out of bounds – and bad shots with his adhesive stance at the top of the key – forcing Lebron into at least a tough out of balance turnaround that barely touch the front of the rim).

JJ: B+ (excellent second quarter and in general a very balanced effort moving the ball accurately and timely and playing good D at the front of the zone).

Pargo: B (fund his shot, was very active on D and was on the floor when we made the final fun. As a third stringer, he has proven doubters – including myself before I saw his first game in NJ – that he can contribute).

Green: D (still hasn’t found his shot, but he did have open looks and if he was on the floor when we had a +12 run means that at least he did not compromise on D, which is already very important).

Marvin: C (again started the game half asleep and letting Lebron virtually unattended. I am not expecting him to stop him, but at least to try and slow him down (preferably to hurt him a bit and make him gain some fear before trotting into the paint). Came alive on the third for a short stretch and when he left for T-Mac MIA made a run, which may indicate that he was disciplined working the zone D during that period too).

T-Mac: A+ (great 4th quarter, shooting, rebounding and passing. Again, I think that his performance is a by-product of a bizarre combo of “respect for the elderly” and “lack of respect for his remaining ability” – I doubt that this “status” will linger until the playoffs).

Josh: C+ (inexcusable start of the game making all the typical mistakes. Made up for it with a much more disciplined second half, with the alley hoop and the block).

V-Rad: B- (shot like a blind man and got mugged twice at the cup BUT, played very disciplined D, rebounded and moved the ball well. Incredibly, he is impressing me with stuff completely unrelated to his shooting – which is still off).

Al: A (looks like Al is realising that he is not getting the space he got last year to launch his jumpshots and is getting back to work down low. Granted that MIA does not have any big bodies but Haslem and Anthony are renown bruisers and Al did not shy away. Light at the end of the tunnel?).

Zaza: C+ (could have played more minutes and when he was on the floor never compromised. In the first half was there when we made a run to cut MIA’s lead and in the second scored 4 important points when we made the decisive run. Although un-athletic, he sells contact well and gets to the line which is always important).

LD: B+ (would be a A if he had pulled Josh earlier, but even so, made progress in several fronts!)

Nugent, Ted Nugent

January 3rd, 2012
10:38 am

Hey KJB!,
Put your pom poms down, cheerleader
I’ll go if you buy tix, food, drink, parking etc.
Won’t happen, so calm down
Packed house or quiet house??

Nugent, Ted Nugent

January 3rd, 2012
10:40 am

Big Crimson 75
Our year? What’s that
We gonna win it all
??????
Just dumb

Nugent, Ted Nugent

January 3rd, 2012
10:43 am

KJB,
Also stop with the( !!!!!!!!!)
It’s like a woman talking with their hands

ryan

January 3rd, 2012
10:52 am

Hawks are on fire D12 you watching your home town should give something think about instead of playing with Derron Williams .

The Truth

January 3rd, 2012
10:58 am

“Anyone that’s being critical of anyone who played in last nights gm is just looking for any excuse to b!tch”

Ken

You won “The Truth” award for today.

Congratulation!

JM

January 3rd, 2012
11:02 am

There is a lot of negativity on this blog, you’d think we lost. As for Josh and his jumper, it has to become a part of his game. He will not be able to jump out the gym forever and like other great athletic players he will have to be able to develop other parts of the game. I have no problem with his shooting the J unless it is out of the flow of the game. Even if it is , I wouldn’t react as some on this blog have. Every player tries to get his now and them. And people need to relax on the BBIQ bull, as LD and others have pointed out, Josh knows where everyone is supposed to be on the floor and has a good BBIQ. Just becasue a player tries too hard to make a play or tries to get a bucket for himself doesnt mean they have a low BBIQ. Relax people, it was a win.

Go Hawks!

doc

January 3rd, 2012
11:09 am

vava, then you look so smart until they win saturday to reinforce it is impossible to predict the unpredictable hawks.

really, i hoped for a win against three losses on this string of four so one more win is gravy.

kwooden

January 3rd, 2012
11:23 am

Great win last night, but its time to worry about the Bulls. I think tonight is similar to last night in terms of the offensive. Josh has to attack Boozer in the post and make Chicago double team him. Chicago wants to run off of turnovers and not play half-court, so we’ve got to be very disciplined again on offensive. We have a definite advantage with JJ against Hamilton, so don’t be surprise if they put Deng JJ. Either way Marvin should get many opportunities on the boards and with open shots. Defensively we probably don’t have to zone as much, Teague better go under on the screen and rolls and hope that Roses is missing his shots. The big match-up to me is the benches. The Bulls have a very consistent unit, but our bench is coming along. I want to see how they match-up against Tracy because Korver clearly can’t guard him and defensive we can switch on all screen and rolls to keep up with him.

GO HAWKS!

GO HAWKS!!

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
11:24 am

Josh is shooting worse from the field than Pargo…

fortunately/unfortunately, Josh is always relevant in both our wins and in our losses.

his immaturity is what is keeping us from taking the next step.

he is “inconsistency” in the form of a bball player and that is so damn frustrating.

when he played to his strengths last year against the Bulls, we won game 4.

he only needs to replicate that game (at least the approach), but he wont.

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
11:31 am

vava74,

I agree with most of your grades. Glad to see that you can see some of the valuable things that Pargo is doing. I told you he would be a decent backup. TMac does not look like the loser you said he was, but I am wishing and praying that he can stay healthy for a whole season. Al has looked much better in the first couple of games, but as we both said, teams are closing out on his jumper, which is forcing him to play more down low. I agree also on Marv. He let Lebron run wild in the first quarter, and also did a bad job on Buddinger the Houston game, but seemed to try to pick it up in the second half. No way he keeps TMac, off the floor at the end of the game though. Just like with Flip, Jamal, Chills, and now TMac. Josh is Josh. Teague is playing really well, and may be the big reason this team progresses. He is the only guy on the team who actually attacks the rim. Good balance for a bunch of guys who all want to shoot jumpers.

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
11:33 am

kwooden,

they key to play the Bulls, IMO, is to play them exactly as we played ORL:

Put Teague on him and concentrate on shutting down the others.

Let Rose try to score 50 on Teague and tell Teague to make everything within his reach to make his life difficult but not to try to enter into a competition but simply to try to make him work on D as well without going overboard.

Last year it wasn’t Rose who won the series for CHI, it was the Hawks that lost the series but not doing a good job on the other guys.

Marvin must stay with Deng, JJ must stay on Hamilton/Brewer, Josh has to stay on Boozer and Al has to stay on Noah.

As much work Rose does, but closing the passing lane for others and making him go to the cup on his own, as much he will be tired for the final stretch of the game.

We simply need to stay in the game and make Rose lose his stamina and then will certainly start to make mistakes.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
11:39 am

Maybe we should amnesty Horford and sign this camp legend.

The Suns waived center Garret Siler after Monday’s game, putting the roster at the 13-man minimum. Siler was a project when he signed a two-year contract last season, but this season’s salary was not guaranteed. Siler, 25, played in 21 games last season but had not played this season. He would have been a likely choice to be inactive once guard Michael Redd is ready to play. Redd had his first workout with the Suns on Monday after returning from Columbus, Ohio. He will participate in his first practice Tuesday and figures to be at least a week away from playing. Arizona Republic

moboman

January 3rd, 2012
11:40 am

Only time they looked sluggish is when they went into “let Joe bring the ball up and start the offense” mode. Dont like those iso Joe moments. We looked better with the PG starting the offense.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
11:46 am

AJ – Teague played terrible at Houston? Nah, he had a pensive 1st half. He’s getting told he shoots too much by a Captain, even when he’s 9-12 last game. So he stops shooting and catches grief for not shooting. He played well in the Houston game. Not perfect, but well.

And you’ve had it in for Teague since last season. What’s the beef? He’s not CP3. He’s playing great BBall, and has everytime he’s been given the opportunity. The most consistent starter this season. So what’s the beef with him? Mad you missed on him last season?

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
11:53 am

Rod,

I am the first to do a “mea culpa” when warranted (I will never make a mea culpa on Jamal since I still believe that he is basketball’s version of cocaine – the false perception of the magnitude of the “positive” effects – induced euphoria – overrides the blatant negative effects in the minds of poor coaches* who end up overusing him).

* Popovich or Phil would know how to use Jamal, BUT Jamal would never sign for their teams since with them, Jamal’s minutes and salary slot would be much smaller than what he thinks he is worth).

Back to Pargo: since the first game in NJ I have been defending Pargo on the blog.

No one should expect more from him since the vast majority of the shots that were not going in were open shots within the offense and not forced (only a couple in the 5 games) and he did not have the luxury of spending a full mini-camp with these cats to get fully acclimatized.

He has has made a huge effort to always stay with his man on D and contest shots, which is something that Sloan proved completely unable to in the pre-season.

People complained about his performance against Wall but, for crying out loud, who is fast enough to keep up with him in the league?

It’s clear that Pargo has lost a step but I think he has embraced the opportunity we gave him and is making an honest effort to fit in, which is something not entirely common with guys known as “loose on offense”.

Even when Hinrich comes back there will be situations in which he will be able to contribute with a few minutes if we need to go small.

On Marvin: I think he will be better this season and that he will be comfortable with this “lesser role” since it seems to fit his character. There will be games in which he will give us some scoring and there will be games in which he will disappear and that’s should be enough if he remains fairly disciplined on D.

He had good games but I also agree that he started the past two games passive on D making his case for more minutes very difficult.

IMO, he should be the first to come out (in T-Mac) and then used as a sub for Josh for a few minutes since I still believe that he is better suited to play as a scoring PF off the bench (against lesser opposition) rather than as a SF.

If we look at his best moments since game 1, apart from the 3 pointers which he could still shoot as a stretch PF, he had a few good buckets out of offensive rebounds and there is something where I believe he can produce consistently.

I MUS WRITE

January 3rd, 2012
11:55 am

Good game last night …..JJ played great D,TMac is what this team has been missing, Not only does the man score but his passing ability is sick and he doesnt mind giving up the rock. JC1 gave us scoring and nothing else, I would say this is a nice upgrade.
I swear …..Marvin has been playing well but lets not get carried away-he probably wont play like this all season. If I know Marvin like i think he will disappear for a large stretch of games.

Only an idiot would compare Josh’s importance to this team vs Marvin -I wont even go there.
Pargo is a true 3rd string pg- the guy makes one shot and people wanna crown his azz like denny green said. This team will be alot better with kirk coming off the bench and pargo buried at the end…..

I agree that this second unit could do sum damage

Pargo/Kirk- Tmac- VRad-Ivan-Zaza….Size energy hustle

Here comes the bring Garret Siler home posts in 1….2….3

doc

January 3rd, 2012
11:55 am

astro you know the garrett siler story was one of hope and thirst. he was a local college grad from small school that was huge and smart. the thirst came from the fans to have a real tall presence on the hawks for a change, anyone. sorry, for him it didnt work out. i have got to admire his effort and hope he finds a way to get more experience as bigs mature late. ndbl for him?

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
11:57 am

One thing that really gets on my nerves:

If Josh can’t hit FTs consistently, when he has no opposition and all the time of the world to shoot, why the hell does he think he can hit jump-shots?

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
11:58 am

AJ – Maybe you missed this from Peachtree Hoops about the Houston game and Jeff Teague, “By comparison, Jeff Teague didn’t resonate as his Rockets point guard counterpart, but I thought that, while he could have stepped up more on the court to control the team and maybe get himself inside more to loosen up a tight Rockets defense, he was the one player needed most on the court at all times, due to Lowry.

I don’t know what crime against humanity and basketball Teague committed four minutes into the second half, but Drew singled his young point guard out for all the team’s failings and yanked him for the quarter, and immediately the Hawks lost ground with Willie Green struggling to keep up defensively at the point. Two minutes after the Hawks yanked Teague still down by nine, they were down by 13, two more minutes and the deficit now 17.

Teague’s exile lasted until there were less than ten minutes left in the game and the Hawks were down 14. Within a minute it was down to 10, another three minutes, the lead was down to six. The Hawks finished off game as they had started it, shooting themselves in the feet offensively, and watching Martin, Scola, and Budinger score 16 points in the game’s final six minutes to seal the deal. Ball game.”

“Benches Jeff Teague: A Commentary

Regarding Teague and being singled out by Coach Larry Drew: Post game, according to the Real MC’s AJC recap Saturday night, Drew offered this explanation for the teaching moment this game, and specifically Kyle Lowry’s play, offered to his own point guard.

“I hope my young guy can take a look at that and see how you can impact the game and not score points,” Drew said. “Sometimes scoring can be overrrated. Good point guards still find a way to impact the game irregardless if they score.”

Teague’s first half: 0-0 FG, four assists, one turnover. You mean like that, coach?

I’m not going to say that Teague played as well as Lowry, but a quote like that tells you that a coach is seeing what he wants to despite what’s actually going on out on the floor. Teague was actually doing exactly the type of play — don’t shoot and get your guys involved — that Drew wanted and his reward was that his coach didn’t see it that way.

Teague actually should have attacked the cup more himself early on and loosened up the defense, got to the line, etc. — it’s a strength of his, after all — but because Teague’s teammates didn’t make their shots as Lowry’s readily made theirs, Teague’s four assists against zero shots made no positive mental imprint on his coach.

Benching him for whatever in the third quarter and only affording him 13 minutes in the second half overall merely delayed any meaningful run at making the game close again and will play no stronger role in getting the result Drew is looking for. How can you shoot less than zero?”

That coupled with Northcydes excellent 4:20 pm post after the game pretty much sums up Teague and the Houston game.

Jeff Teague must not be on you fantasy roster or something. Or he is, and is not doing enough for you.

I MUS WRITE

January 3rd, 2012
11:59 am

Vava how is josh immature -I havent seen him cry’n and complaining to the refs so far. Also his shot selection is slightly better this yr-when he gets the ball on the perimeter w/h 4 seconds left he has no choice but to shoot and that hasnt happened alot. pargo and green is who you should attack. They are putrid from the field. I could shoot a better percentage……Well maybe 10 yrs ago…lol

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
12:04 pm

my new years resolution – to be more positive

pargo might be better than i first thought. but not by much. he goes from officially being the worst player ever to set foot on an nba floor to a marginal one who should be on a roster but never get pt. god awful.

josh is josh. i couldn’t have said it more succinctly. he’s a knucklehead. at least for the most part he’s kept his promise of less 3’s. now he think’s he can be more effective two feet within the line. i say if he’s going to jack up shot go back another two feet. in the off chance it goes in it’ll at least count for one more point.

hawks win in the ugliest of ways. i don’t know how they do it but they do. glad for the good start but realistic in my expectations for the rest of the week.

teague is beastin. keep it up young fella.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
12:05 pm

If you saw the ESPN Heat highlights this am, you would have thought the Heat won the game….highlight of DWade blocking VRad was good, but then they say he shot 4-17 on a bad foot….which is it ESPN?

Then they show Teague dribbling the ball in the back court. Really? Is that the best you can do? It’s like the national media protecting the Democratic party…there’s nothing fair and balanced on ESPN either.

Gotta go back to NBA-TV now…..see if the Hawks get any positive talk there or is it more Heat-support.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
12:07 pm

maybe i read aj’s post wrong. i thought all he said was for teague to be effective he needs to stay aggressive. do i need another lesson on reading comprehension?

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
12:09 pm

IMUS,

Pargo is shooting .370 from the field and Josh .365 (on 10.4 attempts per game – second for the team and MOST of them from the outside).

Pargo is shooting .313 from 3 pt land and Josh .000 (but still attempting 0.8 per game).

Yes, Green is shooting like crap, but Green is a career .424 shooter so he is bound to improve.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
12:17 pm

Teague is definitely not a problem on this team. His play should not be near as criticized and the core on this team. They have been given major minutes much longer and should know their roles on this team.
And when northcyde shows us that Josh is shooing 20% outside of 16ft, doesn’t that tell us that LD isn’t doing anything about the decisions Josh makes? I do recall him benching him once last year, but apparently it did not help. Josh still gets the ball at the end of the shot clock, which he never should. That is the team’s fault as much as it is Drew.
You just have to put yourself in better position to be successful each rip down the court. This is not a knock at all on the victory of last night. Our guys simply played better in the 4th than the Heat.

Has anyone mentioned the slow start we got off to again last night, but this time they came back and stayed close? A def area of improvement.
Also, 50-38 PITP…a key stat against any team this year.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
12:19 pm

so “ninja lite”? if that is positive then you are really creeping up on it honest.

justahawkfan

January 3rd, 2012
12:29 pm

KZ-We have 61 more games to play before the end of the regulalr season, live in the moment and enjoy this victory. Or better yet, wait until Thursday night!! We can re-visit JS’s shot selection then. Both teams are not locks to be in the play off. An injury or two to right players can derail either team’s playoff hopes. Exercise a little patience please!

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
12:31 pm

doc: it’s all about baby steps. heh

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
12:39 pm

A big stat to our team….when Joe gets 20, we are usually in the game.

Rufus1

January 3rd, 2012
12:45 pm

The Hawks have never LOST a game because of TALENT….

Coaching, B.B.I.Q.,PG, bench and size, but never TALENT. We are now starting to what we were missing(Except Size) and this is going to be an excellent year.

_________________________________________________________________________

The ball movement…

I thought the 2nd units BALL MOVEMENT would RUB OFF on the “Children of the ISO” and we starting to get very go MOVEMENT.

PS.One day we are going to have to give LD and Sund some credit for this teams performance.

cybo

January 3rd, 2012
12:45 pm

I feel good about this team. I like Jamal Crawford. There is a reason he is always traded. He is a chemistry killer and he forces teams to play help defense every possession.

Rufus1

January 3rd, 2012
12:53 pm

Al not a SHOT BLOCKER… Could we please put that to REST.

Now that he is standing UNDER THE BASKET and not chasing PG, he is PROTECTING the RIM.

Grandad

January 3rd, 2012
12:55 pm

I have decided to make a premature return to the blog !

Over the holidays my family suffered a tragic loss,
with the death of a family member.
My wife, children and grandchildren are fine ! ! !
My loved one was more than just family, he was a friend.

My thinking now is;
why isolate myself … as did the person whom I lost.
Depression is lethal ! * -not me-
*[I do not suffer from that horrific disease]

The blog is my extended community and I’ve always felt as much.

I was punishing myself for the incapacity of Sund & Gearon
by boycotting the blog.

I had decided that I was coming back to the blog when and only when
the Hawks acquired a legit Big Man.

Now – after my loss – I need my outlet back.
I, really at this time,
(until such time that I return to the game professionally)
need to talk basketball with my friends.

____________________________________________

Grandmaster JeJe – Is everything allright ?

____________________________________________

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
12:57 pm

Sudden vision:

Ivan Johnson will go bananas and score a punch in Taj’s mug AND we win by 5 points.

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
1:02 pm

Grandad,

Good to see you back.

So far Al is working and acting a bit more manly down low so there is reason for some hope.

This, in spite of the fact that he does seem to be – as reported during the camp – the guy in worst shape of the starting 5.

Tonight is the real test. Will Al the Boss come to play or will he wilt again?

WE NEED IVAN DOWN LOW TO SCHOOL TAJ !!!!!!!! UNLEASH THE TERROR!!!!!

O'Brien

January 3rd, 2012
1:14 pm

Assuming everyone is healthy, when Hinrich comes back, I think Sloan will be released, and Willie Green will spend time on the inactive list.

I hope LD doesnt start giving T-Mac too many minutes, because we need T-Mac to last an entire season.

Translation needed

January 3rd, 2012
1:17 pm

To say Josh is inconsistent, and insert Marvin who has probably been the most inconsistent player in Hawks history is crazy. I personally would like to see Ivan Johnson at the 4 when Josh plays terrible, but not Marvin at the 4. He can’t rebound with or guard 4’s. Bosh would destroy him.

^ has a blue vein throbber for marvin

O'Brien

January 3rd, 2012
1:18 pm

Vava,

Last year, Hawks had a big comeback win against the Bulls, winning 83-80. One of the stars was Al Horford, going for 31 and 16. We don’t need that much from him, but 16 and 12 will be nice.

Also, Josh needs to stay away from the jumpers outside the paint, which I think the Bulls will give him the room to take.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
1:28 pm

Steve, so not shooting in a half is good for you? It isn’t for me, not from a guy with his specific abilities. Should I assume that you would be okay if he repeats his non-shooting ways? I don’t recall his coach saying to stop shooting. That is a childish reaction… involve your teammates is different than saying “don’t try to score”. If your boss tells you to stop coming to work late, is he asking you to spend the night in the office?

Abe, you didn’t misread anything. I was hard on Teague because he checked out on his team the other day (at least that’s how I saw it).

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
1:31 pm

And Steve, I chose Ty Lawson as my young PG for my fantasy team BTW.

doc, I was just messing with Siler’s devoted following. i enjoyed reading about the young man and wish him well in whatever he plans to do next.

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vava74

January 3rd, 2012
1:37 pm

OB,

That game is a testament of what Al is capable of doing if he sets his mind to come and play like a man.

Unfortunately, come playoff time, only jump shot Al showed up.

Rusty

January 3rd, 2012
1:45 pm

Astro joe ld probably told him that he needed to look for shots for teammates, not for himself. You don’t think that jt would tell us what ld actually told him,he wants to keep getting time. I didn’t see this anywhere but it is what would make sense,nothing else does. Ld has said a lot of things since he has been a coach which was not true.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
1:59 pm

Aj – Were just going to have to disagree. You’ve said you were looking to see if he was going to cry. Maybe he was unbalanced emotionally or something of that sort. You said, “That is a childish reaction” about not shooting in the 1st half. You said he played terrible that game.

And this from the only starter with a +/- of under -14 that game. His was a -3. 1 TO in that half. 4 dimes in a half, and could’ve been more if his teammates had been shooting well.

And it’s not just the Houston game – you’ve sniping at him since last season, and earlier this season also.

How about Marv’s D on Chase? How about Josh’s J’s? How about Al’s lack of rebounding? How about JJ’s terrible job on KMart? I know you comment on those sometimes, but admit it, you’ve got it in for Teague for whatever reason.

But if you say you don’t, well, we’ll see how the rest of the season plays out.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
2:00 pm

Those T-Mac comments are refreshing considering it has taken him awhile in his own words to start feeling good again. Those knee injuries are time restricting and it has forced him to change his game a bit.
I like what I saw from him in Detroit and they were mistaken to not re-up with him.

And yes, Marvin’s minutes/shots/dribbles, whatever you want to call it, are in jeopardy again..in Year 7. So now we have to accept Marvin and 20-25 minutes…..you think JC1 or T-Mac wouldn’t like some of that money he is making? Sund has strapped us to find a gem on a scrap heap.
Now take Stack to the heap and bring in Arenas to see if he can help this bench this year.

hawks_4_life

January 3rd, 2012
2:03 pm

When do the power rankings come out? Curious to see how much respect our birds will get.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
2:08 pm

Steve, I’m not a beat writer, I have no obligation to evaluate all 15 players on the roster.

Grandad

January 3rd, 2012
2:11 pm

Comments I’ve been wanting to make:

(a) my “panties were not in a wad” as I do not wear panties;
*[ concerning my recent truncated retirement from the blog ]
nor do I wear underdrawers of any kind.
*[ I would't wear britches at all if Mrs G-dad didn't make me ]

(b) Josh + one for Pau Gasol

(c) T-Mac brings warranted authority within the team;
likewise celebrity and standing amongst NBA circles,
including media polyphemes [though blinded by Lebronysseus]
such as espn and others.

(d) my son texted me Last eve:
“Teague might be an all -star this year”

(e) Josh;
” He’s dumber than a bag of door-knobs ” (B-ball IQ)
*[automatic qualifier / I like josh]
I liken Josh to Aaron Murray (UGA), he makes plays,
but he will get you beat & sometimes flat out lose the game for you.
-Repeat … Josh for Gasol-

note:
-more to come-

____________________________________________

Najeh

BJ Mullens was simply the staw / (feather) that broke the camal’s back.
Charlotte acquired a legit 7 ftr with potential for next to nothing.
I cannot imagine, [with us holding two 2nd round picks],
that we will come close to drafting his [Mullens] potential.
*That was my straw.
_____________________________________________

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
2:12 pm

guys, guys, guys… lay off… AJ is the author and copyright holder of the following brilliant theory:

“Teague only played well in the playoffs against CHI because he was learning on the bench and in practice all year long and he would have never ever would have had that production earlier in the year if he had been given the opportunity to play consistent minutes.”

Wabe

January 3rd, 2012
2:18 pm

Teague’s always brought more to the table than Mike Bibby…

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
2:19 pm

Vava, that’s right. Y’all act like a player comes out of college ready to ball and doesn’t learn anything in NBA practices. I will ALWAYS reject that theory.

Teague even said himself that he played more basketball during this past off-season than ever before. Horford talked about him needing to “stay focused” (or something like that). Teague talked about NVE telling him to stay aggressive (or something like that). Why is it so inconceivable that something “clicked” that may not have “clicked” back in November, 2011? Why is it hard to believe that a young player could mature and see the light? Isn’t that what many hope happens for other players on the roster? If Al becomes a banger tonight, could it be that he resolved himself to bang in a way that he did not before? If Josh suddenly stops shooting from more than 18 feet, should we not assume that there was a specific point in time when he “got it” that was NOT related to playing time but was related to his own self-awareness?

Yep, I’ll stand by my theory that sometimes, the light bulb comes on outside of real basketball games.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
2:20 pm

Either Cousins or Westphal is lying…..he either asked for a trade, twice, or he didn’t.
This is going to remain dysfunctional until one of the 2 get moved out.

And several teams calling Sac to inquire about Cousins’ availability? MC, would Sund admit to any interest in the young big man? We let the Celtics get him, and that is as bad as not attempting to improve your roster.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
2:21 pm

hello gdad. yes, if sund had grabbed him up it would have made a very complete off season for sund under duress. he could have answered many issues with that especially how well we do with draft picks. guess it had something to do with money, ya think?

drmaryb.[*_*].

January 3rd, 2012
2:25 pm

The bench guys got the Hawks back in it. “We got off to a slow start but our bench really lifted us up,” Joe Johnson said. “That’s how it’s going to have to be sometimes.”
_______________

The quote of the year! Mr. Johnson does not say much, but when he does, it’s usually short and sweet. I’ve never heard this said about a Hawks bench in almost two decades. These owners have NO interest in spending money on their bench, we got lucky this year.

If the starters salaries bumps into the cap limit. You almost have to go into the luxury tax to build a useful bench. At least a little luxury tax shouldn’t be off limits.

Fantastic win, team ball goes to TMAC and the bench.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
2:28 pm

please no cousins. i can imagine him and j. smith on the court together. scary. not in a good way. i’d liken it to going into the twighlight zone and somewhat similar to my recurring nightmare i have of jr. “isaiah” rider. yak.

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January 3rd, 2012
2:29 pm

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vava74

January 3rd, 2012
2:35 pm

AJ,

Teague’s playoff performance was identical to his performance against CLE to close the 09/10 season.

His game is based on him having the trust of his coaches and his peers.

He is the type of character that needs to receive a vote of trust and will respond positively to that.

I know that you only believe in “one right way of doing things” but I know that you are wrong:

different people react differently to the same treatment, so to get the same result, sometimes you need to tailor the treatment to the subject.

some people need a degree of “pampering”, some don’t. some people react well to adversity and criticism, others don’t.

Teague needs some pampering and when he gets it he transforms into a fearless beast but when you undermine him and reign him in, he sulks.

no one is perfect and coaches need to read the character and act accordingly.

Teague’s confidence – which was booming during his first pre-season – was completely annihilated by Woody and LD has been on the same path.

singling out Teague after the HOU game was CRIMINAL and an act of COWARDICE by LD.

F@cking unbelievable if you want to know what I think and if I were the Hawks GM, LD would have been fired on the spot since that was a clear cut evidence that LD has no place being an HC.

Dept. Of Unintended Irony

January 3rd, 2012
2:46 pm

“T-Mac’s resurgence is a bit inflated because EVERYONE thought he is completely washed up when in fact is still has a LITTLE in the tank (but not as much as everyone thinks).”

OK, lemme get this straight. “Everyone” means all, or so I thought. So who are the “not everyones” who think he has more than the tank than you do?

Clear as mud there, vava. And completely contradictory.

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
2:51 pm

Department:

Yes. No clarity.

What I meant with the second “everyone” was the “new believers in the blog”.

I am taking a prudent approach on what I believe T-Mac will be able to bring to the table when teams start to zero in on him.

DB

January 3rd, 2012
2:52 pm

“T-Mac’s resurgence is a bit inflated because EVERYONE thought he is completely washed up when in fact is still has a LITTLE in the tank (but not as much as everyone thinks).” This same individual stated that teams have been feeling sorry for T-MAC…..um could it be that he is just that good. I mean he is a fregging two time scoring champion! Im not saying he is going to be the hawks savior its just now teams have to approch us with a different demeanor. It use to be that if you got into our bench that was the game….clearly not the case this year. And can we stop the josh smith trade talk. …..for his deficiencies he makes it up with hustle and heart….

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
3:00 pm

The best comparison I can give in relation to T-Mac is Horford last season:

Scouting was behind in relation to his spot shooting and teams gave him space and time to shoot.

During the playoffs, that stopped completely.

I think people were/are looking at T-Mac as washed up and are giving too much space since they don’t feel he is a threat.

Once they do, his production will drop.

And, everyone around here that NOW believes that T-Mac will be averaging 16ppg until the end of the season and in the playoffs will probably not get what they wish.

Clearer now?

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
3:02 pm

I do hope that I am wrong though!

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
3:04 pm

Vava, I agree with you. Some folk do need to be pampered. But IMO, you first try to manage them without pampering, as pampering is not an ideal way to manage an employee. You may ultimately have to “go there” but that should only come after every other management technique has been tried and failed (including incentives based on demonstrated behavior). This team needs another pampered player like they need RandMo on a long-term contract. My guess is that Teague will require less pampering as he matures.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
3:06 pm

And you can’t try every management technique in the span of a single NBA season, not when you have a dozen other “challenging” employees to manage. (Which is likely why one of LD’s first moves as the head-man was to hire a personal coach for Teague and JC2).

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
3:08 pm

AJ,

The relationship between HEAD-COACH and PLAYER is not EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE…

Man, you do mix up apples and oranges.

The relationship between HC-Player is between LEADER and FOLLOWER.

A good LEADER understands the FOLLOWERS needs and quirks and tries to adapt his leadership to that without undermining discipline.

Phil Jackson is the living proof of that type of approach.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
3:14 pm

i just don’t know if comparing horfords wide open looks with the attention tmac has been receiving is close to being accurate. tmac for what it’s worth had been creating his own mid range shot this year. last night was the first time i saw him extend beyond the 3 point line. when defenses took away horford’s looks it’s not like he had the ability to get by them and create something. tmac arguably might have the best vision on the team along with the ability to get past his defender off the dribble.

tmac isn’t going to avg 16 ppg but i think he’s vital to this team being able to advance past the 2nd round of the playoffs.

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Rusty

January 3rd, 2012
3:24 pm

Astro Joe when you draft a player with great potential you develop him by playing him ,not by sitting him on the bench. Like MB or JC1 was really getting the job done. Jeff is way better than KH who is probably on the way down.

DB

January 3rd, 2012
3:26 pm

The hawks are getting no respect nationally….yes its only the sixth or seventh game of the season but no love right now from ESPN who is biased

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
3:34 pm

“Man, you do mix up apples and oranges.”

I think it comes from that bus he rode back in the day. I think it was called the special bus. No comprehension.

On the TMac thing. What you fail to understand is that anybody in that 3 slot for the Hawks, that has any ability will be able to make a great contribution if they have any scoring prowess. the reason I really bash Marvin so hard is because he might get more wide open looks than any other player in the league, besides Josh when he shoots jumpers. When you have Joe, Josh, Al, and now Teague (Bibby) on the floor, smart defensive teams are always going to double Joe, and make someone else beat them. All you really have to do is be able to knock down a rhythm jump shot. It’s not about a specific ppg average for TMac, it about him making good decisions and being a proven threat. If he does not score, but finds Josh or Al for layups, that’s just as good. If teams adjust and play us man to man, and don’t double, then hopefully Joe should be able to get his shot much easier. Teague also helps because he can break his man down (like Jamal), but he chooses to go to the rim, instead of shooting jump shots. The only waek link on the floor if TMac is in there with the starters is Josh, when he shoots jump shots, and I am pretty positive that TMac won’t keep passing the ball to Josh for jumpshots, like another player on our team would. Hint hint.

Grandad

January 3rd, 2012
3:34 pm

LD has improved.

He knows X’s and O’s.

He needs to grow a pair

of legit Bigs with a rebounders mentality !

Thought I was talkin’ about something else – huh ?

I was, LD needs to develop a strong will.

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
3:35 pm

“tmac isn’t going to avg 16 ppg but i think he’s vital to this team being able to advance past the 2nd round of the playoffs.”

Exactly. Totally agree.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
3:36 pm

Vava, I doubt that Phil Jackson ever pampered a rookie before first trying a more traditional style of management for a year or two. That doesn’t even make walking around sense. Pampering may be the end result but it isn’t ideal and does very little to foster teamwork. Pampering can too easily be misconstrued as playing favorites, one guy has to run sprints because he forgets where to set the screen on a given play while the other guy gets a gentle and reassuring “just keep trying, you will get it down soon enough”. Sorry, not buying it.

Grandad

January 3rd, 2012
3:42 pm

Off the subject:

Mark Richt needs to learn to:

“try to win the game”
-rather than-
“try not to lose the game”.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
3:46 pm

OK, I’m done rehashing last year’s drama with Teague. A head coach who used Teague during the interview, was his position coach during his rookie season, and likely landed the job in part because he convinced the owners that he would give Teague every shot to earn more playing time is the evidence I offer that LD was ready to turn the keys over to Jeff and he blew it. The next time we see him, he is balling against Chicago. Some say that he could have done what he did in June back in November. I say that between November and June, he learned in practice. If you allow any college player to practice with professional players, they should get better. Film study, scrimmages, one-on-one drills with coaches employed by the best basketball league in the world, watching players who perform in the best basketball league in the world… all of that creates a unique opportunity to learn your craft.

I have no more desire to discuss Teague’s treatment last year than I do the ‘Nique for Manning trade. But right now, this season, I hope that Teague stays aggressive and never volunteers not to shoot the ball in a half of basketball.

Melvin

January 3rd, 2012
3:49 pm

Check the archives, I told yall Teague was a player since draft night. Not playing Teague cost Woody his job and him playing may have saved LD his job. If LD continue to play these Jedi mind games with Teague playing time like he did in the Houston game then he will be looking for another job this offseason.

Ken Strickland

January 3rd, 2012
3:50 pm

Over the course of the season, TMac just might prove to be more valuable to the Hawks than Jamal ever was. TMac’s superior passing, rebounding, DEF, versatility, and ability to score without taking a volume of shots, gives him the edge overall over Jamal. He doesn’t have to score big to be an asset, while Jamal definitely had to score big to be of any value.

Before this yr, we were totally dependent on Jamal to provide 3pt shooting and virtually any meaningful scoring off the bench. In TMac, Pargo, Green, Radmanovic and Stackhouse, we have 5 capable 3pt shooters and potential scorers. Right now, Pargo, Green and Radmanovic are off their gm as far as shooting and scoring are concerned, and we’re still doing quite well because of their solid DEF. Once they settle in, and we get Hinrich back, look out.

I must admit, Radmanovic is a whole lot more athletic and active than I ever imagined. I looked at him more as a bigger version of Bibby, but I really like the way he plays. Even though he’s known as a 3pt shooter, he doesn’t hesitate to attack the lane and take it to the hoop with authority. Last night, we took it to a Miami team known primarily for their OFF, even though they are a very good DEF team. Tonight, we go against a Chicago team known primarily for its DEF, even though there has been some OFF improvement.

Don’t be surprised to see the Hawks do to them what they did to the Heat. Our DEF was strong enough to hold the NBA’s top scoring OFF 17pts below its average, so they should be able to have an impact of the Bulls OFF. Remember, the Bulls lack of outside scoring makes them just as vulnerable to a good zone DEF as the Heat. A good zone DEF can also limit DRose’s ability to penetrate, and turn both he and Deng into jumpshooters, which isn’t their strong suit.

Grandad

January 3rd, 2012
3:50 pm

” Treat all players the same differently ”
- John Wooden -
[referring to how he handled his players]

* players have different personalities;
the coach must understand this and use this knowledge

* certain players do not get preferential treatment

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
3:51 pm

680thefan has very little respect for the Hawks. They give them little to no time….good thing we can hear them on that station.
Oh sorry, a Hawks update with Hometown is coming this hour…..should I get all the detail in short form?

KZ

January 3rd, 2012
3:58 pm

“The best comparison I can give in relation to T-Mac is Horford last season:

Scouting was behind in relation to his spot shooting and teams gave him space and time to shoot.

During the playoffs, that stopped completely.

I think people were/are looking at T-Mac as washed up and are giving too much space since they don’t feel he is a threat.

Once they do, his production will drop.

And, everyone around here that NOW believes that T-Mac will be averaging 16ppg until the end of the season and in the playoffs will probably not get what they wish.”
************

Not all of T-Mac’s points are wide-open jumpshots

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
3:59 pm

Teague:”There’s no night’s off in this league…..”

If there is anyone that can’t take a night off, its Teague.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:02 pm

AJ – Sorry, you said, “The next time we see him, he is balling against Chicago. ” Nope. He’s ballin’ on a West Coast trip waiting for Hinrich to get well. He balled all kinds of times before Chicago. Larry was just to whatever to take advantage of it.

I have no idea why Larry was so incompetent, not just in that situation, but in many last season, leading to record setting regular season losses and a lottery performance the last 38 games or so last season.

But Ld has done some things right. And I give him credit for the zone against Miami. And the new defensive try. Anyhow, lets get back to rooting for the Hawks!

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:03 pm

KevinM – But everybody has off nites in the League. Some take large parts of almost every nite off. But not JT.

Ken Strickland

January 3rd, 2012
4:05 pm

Is there anyone out there who thinks CP3 or DWill would be the elite PGs they are today if we had drafted them instead of Marvin? Woody didn’t give a doggone how much potential they might have had, they were rookies who weren’t known for their outside shooting. He proved over and over again that he’d rather have a slow, none athletic, one dimension, DEF liability running his OFF(TLue, AJohnson, MBibby), as long as he was a vet, over any rookie, no matter how much talent and/or potential they might have.

In the end, Teague will have the last laugh. He’s now our starting PG, our most consistent player to date, and will be for some time to come. Woodson will likely never get another HC job, but I’m glad he landed on his feet as the Knicks DC. Isn’t it ironic that after ignoring DEF in favor of OFF as the Hawks HC, he’s now responsible for trying to get his beloved Bibby to play DEF, along with Amare and Camelo?

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:06 pm

And I’m hoping LD becomes the next Phil Jackson. Cuz’ I wanna see the Hawks win a Championship. And we’re as close as we’ve been since Mookie, Dikembe, Steve Smith, maybe as close as Wilkins, Doc and the crew.

If TMac keeps ballin’, and some other things fall into place, maybe closer than that – like since St. Louis Hawks close.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:09 pm

Anybody else glad to see JJ poundin’ the ball less, especially in the 4th quarter?

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:10 pm

KenS – I was thinking the other day that if ATL would have just made 2 moves differently the last 10 years we would have CP3 working with Pau Gasol.

That’s why we got Billy Knight in the first place. Got the guy who stole Gasol from us.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
4:11 pm

Steve he was shooting less than 40% (as I recall) during that West Coast trip and was shooting less than 50% from within 3 feet (as I recall from the old HoopData website). Thatain’t ballin’, that is brickin’.

Kevin, the hosts on 680 once told me in email that they can’t keep listeners when they talk about the Hawks. I fired back that their boss had purchased the rights to broadcast Hawks games so he clearly thought that he could make money selling ad time on those games, yet for some reason, his employees couldn’t maintain a listening audience for a 30 minute discussion about the team? Makes no sense to me whatsoever. The team is very, very poorly supported by local radio media which is one of the reasons they struggle to engage casual fans. There should be a “Larry Drew Show” or at least one of his assistants should call in every week to discuss the team. We get 5 minutes of propaganda in the morning but very little in terms of interviews. I wasn’t a big Jamal as a player fan, but he was GREAT with the media. I don’t think they have found another player who is as personable and as willing to do interviews. No doubt, this is a very, very poorly marketed team (which is why I don’t get upset with the national media. If they can’t get love in Atlanta, why expect them to get love in Bristol). Of course, the ASG fired their Marketing guru a few years ago… so again, I can’t expect much from an ownership that doesn’t even hire a true Marketing guy.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
4:12 pm

cp3 and dwill would be elite with any coach.

ken s: what super talented pg’s are you referring to? acie law, boris diaw or salim stoudamire? sorry i’m lost. maybe he played those guys because they were better than the alternative. is acie even still in the league? heh

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
4:18 pm

Strickland, look at Acie’s rookie season, he played extensively (when he was healthy) before his extensive playing time proved that he wasn’t worthy of leading a team with playoff-aspirations. Acie has been so good since he left Woody, that he was recently cut by some overseas team after journeying around the NBA as a 3rd string PG. And please don’t mention Salim, he likewise has done nothing to prove that he is an NBA talent since spending 3 years with Woody. Royal Ivey? Puh-lease. I guess LD is bad because he couldn’t turn Pape Sy into Rajon Rondo, huh? All players are capable of being an NBA contributor, they just need time (and maybe some pampering). Ain’t buying that either.

FreshFromATL

January 3rd, 2012
4:24 pm

Hawks ranked 5th in SI’s Power Rankings:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/?eref=sinav&sct=hp_nv_a

FreshFromATL

January 3rd, 2012
4:26 pm

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/britt_robson/01/03/power.rankings/index.html?sct=nba_t11_a1

5

Atlanta Hawks (4-1)
After beating up on patsies New Jersey (twice) and Washington to start the season, the Hawks demonstrated how they might be able to finally rise out of the second tier this year as they won at Miami on Monday. Third-year point guard Jeff Teague had another strong game with 7-of-11 shooting (including 4-of-7 penetrating to the rim) and four steals. Former scoring champ Tracy McGrady continued to brighten the twilight of his career and mitigate the loss of former sixth man Jamal Crawford by erupting for 13 points in the fourth quarter. And Atlanta’s much-improved defense combined its athleticism with discipline to control the pace, limiting Miami to just 10 fast-break points, less than half of the Heat’s NBA-best average. Next up are the host Bulls on Tuesday and a rematch with Miami on Thursday.

Hawks Hand the Heat First Loss of the Season: All You Need To Know - Soaring Down South

January 3rd, 2012
4:30 pm

[...] Tracy McGrady on how he felt last night: It’s been a long time since I’ve had that feeling. My legs feel fresh. Everything just feels good. It feels right. That’s a good sign. I haven’t felt this good in a long time, probably since the beginning of my knee injury. [...]

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
4:33 pm

FreshFromATL

January 3rd, 2012
4:24 pm
Hawks ranked 5th in SI’s Power Rankings”

Does that mean we are still 2nd round worthy? Why does this feel like we are Utah of the 90s?

And yes, the more LD does right with this team, the less that Sund even looks at changes to be made. It doesn’t leave me feeling any better than prior to these first 5 games….yet.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
4:35 pm

Hawks are better with a good 3 and PG breaking down the defense. Now if we can just trade this Horford guy or ask him to go to the Olajuwon school of post play. This dude has no moves and misses more layups. Everybody was talking this trade Josh. Josh is more versatile than Horford. Marvin has moved down my hit list. I’m on Horford now. Marvin is actually hitting open jumpers and getting to the glass on the offensive end. This Horford guy just wants to spot up and fake and shoot that jumper. He has no game on the block. Also, dude, you’re not a 4 if you can’t be versatile. Stoudamire, KG, Alridge, Dirk, Gasol, Love, Scola, Bosh…etc, these are 4’s that have back to the basket and spot up games. So Horford’s only choice is to play 5 because no 5 will come out and contest that little set shot. He’s not quick enough to go by a 4. He needs to improve his handles and his post game or get the hell on.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:36 pm

AJ – Please look at the opposing PG’s stats – He was playing solid D and playing equal or nearly equal to Stephen Curry, Ty Lawson, and destroying Andre Miller. Every PG is going to have 5-7 games stretches with those numbers. Rose, Wall, all of them. The tear drop doesn’t fall everytime.

That’s my point, your criticizing regularly our most consistent player. Oh well, i know, i know, it’s only the Houston game 1st half. Nope – What don’t you like about him? Just come clean man. Ain’t no shame. Some folks just don’t like other folks for some reason

Nevermind

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
4:40 pm

Hawks are better with a good 3 and PG breaking down the defense. Now if we can just trade this Horford guy or ask him to go to the Olajuwon school of post play. This dude has no moves and misses more layups. Everybody was talking this trade Josh. Josh is more versatile than Horford. Marvin has moved down my hit list. I’m on Horford now. Marvin is actually hitting open jumpers and getting to the glass on the offensive end. This Horford guy just wants to spot up and fake and shoot that jumper. He has no game on the block. Also, dude, you’re not a 4 if you can’t be versatile. Stoudamire, KG, Alridge, Dirk, Gasol, Love, Scola, Bosh…etc, these are 4’s that have back to the basket and spot up games. So Horford’s only choice is to play 5 because no 5 will come out and contest that little set shot. He’s not quick enough to go by a 4

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
4:49 pm

Steve, other than the Houston game, when did I critcize him this season? Please, find it. And what did I criticize in the Houston game? That he took ZERO shots in the 1st half. Is that okay with you? Why is it a problem that I don’t want our PG taking ZERO shots in a half? I’d rather see Josh Smith take 10 3-pointers in a half rather than watch him not shoot at all. I don’t get why thatis a problem for you, that I want my PG shooting at least a single shot in a half of basketball. DAYUM. He took the direction of “get your teammates involved” to an extreme that deserved criticism. if Player X is told to “take you game inside the paint” and then refuses to hoist a game winning half-court shot with a second left, then that would likewise be taking instruction to a stupid extreme that hurts the team. And I would criticize such a boneheaded and immature interpretation of feedback.

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
4:53 pm

Steve, you refuted my previous statement by offering up that west coast trip. If you identify a stretch of games where a player shoots poorly and claim that they are “balling”, then you should expect someone to disagree with you. Like you said, even a HOFer has a bad stretch, but does a fan label that bad stretch as “balling”? Trust me, I was criticizing your statement then, not Teague.

BigTimeTECHFan

January 3rd, 2012
4:56 pm

Sick of ESPN, don’t watch sportcenter or any other shows other then actual games

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
4:57 pm

AJ – Ok, so you say you haven’t criticized Teague this season other than that 1 half of 1 game. I’ve got waaaaay better things to do with my life than search thru dozens of pages of blogs to find a couple of other snippets – so we’ll leave it.

For the record, about my philosophy – I wanna win. I don’t care if Teague does 1 backwards shot per game, if it helps us win. I’ll criticize the players/Coaches I feel are keeping us from winning. I try to play no favorites.

Same with trades. If the trade helps us win, trade JJ. Trade Josh, Trade Teague. I just wanna win. ATL needs a championship. Just thought I would add that. I like the team, the Hawks, better than the individual parts.

pikkiwoki

January 3rd, 2012
4:58 pm

T-Mac’s defense is mixed. His on ball defense is pretty decent. But his off the ball defense is pretty terrible, often getting burned on backdoor cuts as he loses sight of his man. His activity level and hustle is pathetic most of the time. He rarely boxes out, often stands around and watches when the ball is in the air, and will allow big offensive rebounds by the other team that could be game changing. All of this was true even in his prime, but no one noticed it since he was such a supreme talent on offense. Now it’s even more noticeable since it seems like he’s trying to avoid contact to protect his surgically repaired knee.

On offense, I see too much standing around. He doesn’t know how to move without the ball, since he really never had to in the past, as he’s always had the ball in his hands, rightfully so. Not to say he is a ballhog, because he is not. He has excellent court vision and is a great passer, great at reading defenses, especially when running pick and roll. But he needs the ball in his hands to do those things.

All that said I’m cheering hard for him. He’s still my favorite player. In his prime he was more offensively talented than Kobe. When healthy he is a joy to watch, like watching a master artist at work.

I’m a Hawks fan, at least for this year.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
4:59 pm

I’m saying it now. Teague is the best PG so far through 6 games that we have had since Mookie Blaylock. Name the last few PGs, Bibby? Bimbo Coles? A C Law? Anthony Johnson? Jason Terry (maybe, but he’s more of a 2)?

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:03 pm

Josh for Derrick Williams…We saw last night what a #3 can do to impact a game and lift his team,sorta like what Paul Pierce does on a nightly basis for Boston..

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
5:03 pm

“Why is it a problem that I don’t want our PG taking ZERO shots in a half?”

Good question. So why is it a problem for you, when I said Marvin was invisible in the first half, after attempting 1 shot, getting no boards, and playing no defense? Hmmmm.

“if Player X is told to “take you game inside the paint” and then refuses to hoist a game winning half-court shot with a second left, then that would likewise be taking instruction to a stupid extreme that hurts the team. And I would criticize such a boneheaded and immature interpretation of feedback.”

Talk about sentence structure. LOL

Been a Tmac Fan

January 3rd, 2012
5:04 pm

@ Vava74
Your just another Hater on Tmac list. If he forced more shot like “Kobe” does, he’ll adv. 20+ a game if he wanted to.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
5:07 pm

Slim jr,

“Josh for Derrick Williams…We saw last night what a #3 can do to impact a game and lift his team,sorta like what Paul Pierce does on a nightly basis for Boston..”

So who is going to patrol the paint, or will you be ok with people just coming through the lane dunking and laying up at will against us?

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:07 pm

JT will be an Allstar this year or next..

That windmill dunk from a 6′1″ dude was spectacular..BTW he took off 4 ft beyond the dotted circle to make sure LEQueen would not deny him on the trail as he so often does on espn top ten plays!

What a F’ing Warrior? Josh go sit down somewhere and say nothing to this guy.. He runs circles around you!

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
5:08 pm

pikkiwoki,

Having said all those things about TMac. He is better than option 2, even with his weaknesses.

yoursporthouse dot com,

I agree. Reminds me a little of Mookie defensively. Quick hands. Hopefully his jumper ends up being a lot better.

Najeh Davenpoop

January 3rd, 2012
5:09 pm

“You must not have read any of my posts this summer. Been preaching “Marvin return to pre-JC1 form” the whole offseason.”

“Pre-JC1″ form, on a per minute basis, was almost exactly the same as the last two seasons. He got to the line a little less with Jamal around, but that’s about it. His averages so far this year are significantly higher across the board than they have ever been. If he keeps this up it will be a career year for him, by far.

Najeh Davenpoop

January 3rd, 2012
5:11 pm

“The fact that Smith is taking 6 jumpers a game, while the best midrange shooter in the league last year ( Al Horford ) has only taken EIGHT jumpers TOTAL from that same range all year, is unacceptable.”

Agree, but with that said, Al’s mid range jumper has been pretty unimpressive so far this year, too. I hope he can find a way to get it going again.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
5:11 pm

honest dont forget point par excellance pape sy we drafted.

gdad, um we talked about cmr. man he took those guys right out of the game. hated the call to short side, then falling on the ball for a chip shot 43 yarder. talk about loading the pressure up on the kid. he must have felt murray was dome for he season. it was a bowl game cmr not the championship, maybe you wont do it again under the right circumstances ever. chip shot yes not beyond 40.

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
5:12 pm

Been,

You completely miss the point.

I am expressing a concern: the sample is too small to feel that confident about T-Mac’s ability to contribute.

I also said I wish I am wrong.

Grandmaster JeJe

January 3rd, 2012
5:14 pm

Grandad,

all is well. busy season begins soon

Welcome back

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:14 pm

“So who is going to patrol the paint, or will you be ok with people just coming through the lane dunking and laying up at will against us?”

Al, ZaZa, and Collins will have to hold it down until we pull off the blockbuster trade in franchise history!

Derrick, D12, and fill in the Blank…We’re going to a finals for the very 1st time!! Yeah!!!!!

vava74

January 3rd, 2012
5:16 pm

AJ in full “strawman deployment” mode…

Sautee

January 3rd, 2012
5:17 pm

Ken Strickland,

Re: “Is there anyone out there who thinks CP3 or DWill would be the elite PGs they are today if we had drafted them instead of Marvin?”

Yes, me.

I certainly think that CP3 and DWill are transcendent talents, and that Woody would have recognized it quickly. He certainly recognized that Horford was the best center on the team, rookie, or no.

Ken, you of all people know that I’m no Woody fan, but in this case, in my opinion, he would have seen just what he had, once they dominated in practice (as they surely would have done). So I DO believe that they would have been elite here. And that’s a shame.

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:20 pm

If Stevie Wonder was the HC, CP3 and DWill would still be elite! Yes Sir..

There must be a reason why Woodie aint a head coach and Billy Knight has not been rehired? HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM….

Sautee

January 3rd, 2012
5:21 pm

doc,

As far as CMR, he DID go for it in the first quarter, and failed. Had he kicked a field goal there, then maybe there’s no OT. He can’t win either way, but he deserves a mention for going for 4th and goal.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
5:27 pm

when this become a dawgs blog. niiiice!

cmr did go for the 4th down after taking a time out. did he not go through the possibility of a 4th and 1 deep in spartan territory early in the game? and if so why take a time out to think about it and then run it straight up the middle. lack of preparation.

no excuse for the play calling in OT. struggling kicker and all you do is run once up the gut? ugh. god awful. i’m a richt supporter but he’s getting on my last nerves.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
5:27 pm

Slimjr,

I like your enthusiasm, but I don’t think D12 will come here with this incompetent ownership group. Horford, Zaza, and Collins are not shot blockers. Nobody is scared to drive the ball with them in the paint. The only flaw that everybody talks about with Josh is him shooting outside. I don’t like the jumpshots either, but it has improved. I just want him to shoot maybe 3 to 4 a game to keep the defense honest. Shoot them when it’s absolutely necessary (shot clock running out). It’s like Andruw Jones slightly, his defense outweighs the few jumpshots he takes and “MISSES”.

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:27 pm

Giants 45 Fal-cons 17

Giants O-line will destroy the Falcons D-line, game, set, and match…..

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:29 pm

Josh is a momentum killer.. With his lack of fundamentals and always trying to be the HERO or the ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:31 pm

Why cant the Dawgs be the best? Why cant the Falcons beat the best?

Maybe Larry Drew aint the worst HC in Georgia after all? LMAO!!!!

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
5:32 pm

Dawgs beat^^^

Start out fast

January 3rd, 2012
5:34 pm

start out fast and lose in 1st or 2nd round….ho hum….you know that’s what will happen.

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
5:35 pm

if josh hasn’t learned by now, i have little reason to think he ever will. everyone points to his marvelous d. i say please. a highlight block every night does not a great defender make. good defender and god awful in every other aspect of the game makes for a never ending headache. so stop shooting, stop standing around, stop sulking, stop yelling at teammates after you throw up a brick with 15 left on the shot clock, stop throwing retarded passes, stop being josh! whew i feel better.

Just play a few min. and be done with it....

January 3rd, 2012
5:37 pm

Do the first 45 minutes in a basketball game really matter?

doc

January 3rd, 2012
5:40 pm

sautee, didnt see the ga game in full only bits but it was hen it was toughest he put the kid out there already struggling. dont mention the bees where i saw maybe the last moments aw well. left you a new years greeting and my thoughts on that one back a few blogs. i will say this, braine got it right, that tech is a seven game avg school with the occasional good year. you know i have been closely watching the scores of tech now for over 55 yrs and they forget that was all dodd got after sapp broke the streak in 56. it is what it is. cpj now 14-12 last two years with his own recruits, 20-7 with someone elses. see a trend here, even my brothers have let doubt come into their minds.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
5:41 pm

honest_abe,

Ok you don’t know basketball. Do you know what that highlight block does to the other team? When you drive the lane and you know he’s in the game, it changes how you approach the basket. It changes how you go to the rim. You’re always looking around knowing he’s somewhere lurking. When a shot-blocker is out of the game, it changes how you drive the ball. I admit he turns the ball over and makes some bad decisions, but so does Joe, Teague, Horford. Everyone makes bad decisions. God awful at every other aspect of the game? So he’s not a good rebounder? Not a good finisher on the break?

Sucker born.....

January 3rd, 2012
5:43 pm

How much money does it cost to attend a game in a decent seat? Crazy, isn’t it.
I’ll spend mine elsewhere instead of supporting the jocks jacka$$ lifestyle.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
5:45 pm

you play, the same can be said for football as well. if the rest of the game is decent or not, the last five minutes are all that is relevant. if it has been a bad game you just dont watch the part that wont be meaningful. if it was decent, then it is much better at the end plus a few highlights.

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
5:47 pm

No UGA football, there is a blog for that. In that case, how bout those South Carolina Gameco.ks!

honest_abe

January 3rd, 2012
5:51 pm

yoursporthouse: my basic point in that rant was that he should be better at this point in his career. but he seems insistent on doing things his own way which make just about everything else he does painful to watch.

is he a good finisher? absolutely but he insists on bringing the ball up the court on fast breaks.

is he a good rebounder? at times. when he wants to be.

we can argue the merits of josh till we’re blue in the face. but he’s still an immature guy who refuses to play to his strengths and continues to think he’s something he’s not, which is a shooter, passer or dribbler.

just rebound, play d, play with energy, move on offense, hard cuts, solid picks, crash the offensive boards, finish on the break and he’d be an all star. he used to be my favorite player.

hawkfan

January 3rd, 2012
5:58 pm

MC you must be working hard with all these hawks games coming up, even as a fan myself all these games are almost hard to keep up with, its almost like baseball schedule

yoursporthouse dot com

January 3rd, 2012
5:59 pm

His Dad was an awesome jumpshooter, so I think pride has taken over cause he thinks he should be able to shoot like his pops. His pops had range from the locker room. He should play more to his game but I don’t want people sitting here thinking because of 2 bad passes and 2 airballs, the Hawks lose everytime. He wins a lot of games for the Hawks as well. I’m telling you watch the game when he’s in and when he’s out. Watch how opponents drive the ball when he’s in and then watch how it changes once he is out. I agree with the negative points, but with the pieces we have, it can be tolerated a couple times a game.

SteveW

January 3rd, 2012
5:59 pm

So AJ let me get this straight – you like Jeff Teague overall as a player?

jhan

January 3rd, 2012
6:03 pm

I’ve seen enough of the JSmoove show by now to realize he will never be anything more than he is right now. He can’t shoot so he will be basically useless once his athletic ability wanes. I would be open to moving him fairly soon. I love the Josh – Pau idea.

doc

January 3rd, 2012
6:21 pm

what is the tv feed this game?

jhan are you in same seats, moved or gave up?

cybo

January 3rd, 2012
6:38 pm

Grand dad sorry about the loss of your family member.

Welcome back to the blog

Been a Tmac Fan

January 3rd, 2012
6:42 pm

Josh Smith is the X-FACTOR. Tmac is the Leader. Joe Johnson is the Silent Killer.

FreshFromATL

January 3rd, 2012
6:42 pm

Doc,

It’s the same as every game, LOL & SMH.

jhan

January 3rd, 2012
6:52 pm

doc – I’ve given them up. You still have the same two?

Grandmaster JeJe

January 3rd, 2012
6:56 pm

What is the best feed ppl use for games?

I’m talking about fast feed, good quality….wiziwig? Looks like channelsurfing sucks now

northcyde

January 3rd, 2012
6:59 pm

@ yoursporthouse dot com

No it can’t be tolerated. And it WOULDN’T be tolerated from a veteran coach. Doc Rivers sure in the hell wouldn’t tolerate it. Avery Johnson wouldn’t tolerate it.

And you’re right. Josh does win games . . . DEFENSIVELY.

That has always been Smith’s worth to this team . . his defense. On offense, he’s won games by following up missed shots. He’s hit maybe 3 or 4 jumpshots in his career in the final 2 minutes, that has preserved the game. But no one in their right mind is drawing up a play at the end of the game, freeing up Josh for a game winning jumper.

Fans don’t mind him trying to score. We just want him to score GOING TO THE RIM. Why won’t he attack the rim? Why is he trying to prove everybody wrong, by shooting all of these jumpers? If you know him personally, ask him that.

I’ve cited that he is 6 – 29 FG on shots 16 feet and beyond. Well if I were to expand that to ALL SHOTS that are not right at the rim, he’s shooting 7 – 35 FG

Seven for Thirty-Five

And you want to let him take shots that aren’t at the rim “every once in a while”?

He’s 12 – 17 FG when he does take shots at the rim, not including the field goal attempts that don’t count because he gets fouled on the play. That is the strength of his offensive game. Why won’t he play to his strengths?

Jeff Teague has a suspect jumpshot at times, yet, he drives the ball to the rim as much as he can. Why can’t Josh do the same?

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
7:12 pm

Steve, I like what Teague has been doing since the Chicago series, with the exception of his boneheaded first half in Houston. He said that he worked harder on his game than previously during the off-season and he has backed it up with improved play (specifically his outside shot and finishes in the paint). I’m not convinced that he will be an elite PG but that wouldn’t be realistic to expect from the 5th (or 6th) PG chosen in his draft class. The way he helps this team is with his aggressiveness, which includes attacking the rim and playing tenacious defense. Hopefully, he will continue to use all of his strengths to help the team win.

Rod, there is clear and objective evidence that Teague didn’t take any shots in the first half against Houston. Saying that a player was “invisible” sounds subjective to me. Anything subjective is subject to be challenged. Deal with it.

Vava, I’m pretty sure that you introduced the word “pamper” to the discussion, don’t blame me for using the word you offered up to define how Teague needed to be handled previously. Over in this country, there is a prominent product with that same name and it is used for specific people who lack maturity. Again, your word choice, not mine.

Carrlos Lyles

January 3rd, 2012
7:17 pm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hSa3kL5Ig4&feature=channel_video_title

^^^ why im perfect for the hawks.. a pass first slashing Pg that can shoot..

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
7:22 pm

Josh=Magic Johnson in another Time line…….

Rod from College Park

January 3rd, 2012
7:26 pm

Astro Joe,

“Rod, there is clear and objective evidence that Teague didn’t take any shots in the first half against Houston. Saying that a player was “invisible” sounds subjective to me. Anything subjective is subject to be challenged. Deal with it.”

Ok, clown. Comprehension.

Melvin

January 3rd, 2012
7:26 pm

Carrlos,

You look pretty smooth handling the ball but you only passed the ball 3 times within the first 5mins of your video. You look more of a score first PG. Also, you may want to keep the move but deleted the scenes where you missed the shot.

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
7:27 pm

Teague does remind me of Kevin Johnson! A beast at 6′2″ with his dribble penetration, his windmill dunks 7 feet from the basket! His shooting which has vastly improved.

Then that tenacious defense like Mookie used to pull out of bag of ticks!!!! Awesome Baby!!!!!!!!

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
7:27 pm

tricks^^^

Slimjr

January 3rd, 2012
7:37 pm

Free Monday Morning QB!!!!

Only in Georgia would they put you out on probation…lol

northcyde

January 3rd, 2012
7:46 pm

Josh is Larry Nance . . without Nance’s midrange jumper

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdBDOyzh8T8

Astro Joe

January 3rd, 2012
7:49 pm

Good to see that Solo Jones found employment… joining Lob City.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
7:54 pm

Solo to the Clips tells you how thin they are in the post after moving Kaman.

Tonight, the Bulls will pressure Teague because they know what makes us go. I hope its not a recurrance of last year’s Round 2.

Do we have an improved approach towards DRose? Their bench needs to be neutralized as well.

KevinM

January 3rd, 2012
7:58 pm

T-Mac says we have a great core, and that was one of the reasons he chose to come here….

http://hoopshype.com/interviews/tomasson/tracy-mcgrady-i-didnt-want-to-go-to-a-team-to-chase-a-championship

An excellent article on our newest savior.

Oklahoma City, Miami each lose for first time this season | NBA – The Seattle Times | Singapore – iWooho.com

January 4th, 2012
9:03 pm

Oklahoma City, Miami each lose for first time this season | NBA – The Seattle Times | Philippines – iWooho.com

January 4th, 2012
9:34 pm

Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 100, Heat 92 - A printing blog for people who are interested in graphic design and commercial printing - PrintingWeek.net - The Printing Blog

January 5th, 2012
11:12 pm

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Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 100, Heat 92

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Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 100, Heat 92

266 comments Add your comment

We’ve Moved!

About Atlanta Hawks

Search this blog

Recent Posts

Archives

More from the AJC

Local sports videos

Blogroll

Twitter and Facebook

All AJC blogs »

Tell us what you think about the site

Subscribe »

Customer Care »

AJC Services

Sections

Other Editions

Guides

Affiliates

Advertising

AJC Sites