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Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 111, Bobcats 81

11:11 pm January 12, 2012, by Michael Cunningham

  • Sorry for no game thread post, blog people. I was a tad busy.
  • The Hawks for the most part didn’t try to play down the significance of losing Al Horford to injury (not that they really could). But they regrouped and went out and beat down the Bobcats, who had shown some pluck against superior opponents this season.
  • “We had a few lapses defensively but our energy level was high,” Larry Drew said. “That’s something we look for every game. When we play with that type of energy and get up the floor and fly around, we are a pretty good club. And tonight we were flying around.”
  • The most encouraging thing for the Hawks was that they dominated the boards against a pretty good rebounding team with size. Josh Smith (13 rebounds), Zaza Pachulia (10) and Ivan Johnson (seven in 21 minutes) did their thing but the Hawks got production from unlikely guys: Vladimir Radmanovic had eight rebounds, Joe Johnson had seven, and Jeff Teague had six.
  • Josh said that’s the kind of effort the Hawks need without Horford available to help him hold it down on the back line: “Defense, rebounding, help each other out, gang rebounding. Even the guards have to come in there and help out a little bit. Ivan has done a good job thus far with the toughness. I think everyone else needs to pick it up.”
  • Scoring was a group effort, too. The Hawks recorded 29 assists on 42 field goals as all five starters had at least three assists. “We took care of the basketball, we executed very well and we moved the ball,” Drew said. “I thought we played overall a really solid game.”
  • The Bobcats tried to push Josh around but he was beasting. He had four of Atlanta’s 20 offensive boards. Josh also made four of his nine shots from outside of the paint while going 14 for 22.
  • The Bobcats sent Tyrus Thomas at Joe with predictable results. Only a 2 for 8 night from the 3-point line prevented Joe from really going off. As it was, he got to the line for eight attempts (and made seven).
  • Ivan (12 points on 9 shots, six fouls) isn’t polished but he’s athletic, energetic and physical. That is going to come in handy as the Hawks try to win ugly.
  • Drew hadn’t decided on the starting center an hour before the game. He settled on Zaza but didn’t commit to it long term. I’m thinking that probably means Drew will use the “big” lineup when appropriate.
  • “We will just kind of look at our opponent and look at the matchup and see what works best for us,” Drew said. “I was a little concerned because [Byron] Mullens plays like more of a four. He’s a pick-and-pop guy and forced Zaza on the perimeter a lot more but I thought Zaza adapted really well.”
  • Ivan Johnson played center in spots but Drew said he’s “not necessarily” the backup center. Jason Collins didn’t see the court until garbage time.
  • If the Hawks really are still trying to make the playoffs, I don’t see how they can make do without another veteran center. They have two guards who don’t see regular minutes and are using an undersized rookie at center. There don’t appear to be any good trade possibilities for Atlanta, at least not until Kirk Hinrich is healthy and his expiring contract might somehow fetch an effective big.
  • Rick Sund: “The center position has some decent depth to it with Al and Zaza and Twin and we really wanted to add some toughness, and that’s why Ivan Johnson has been a nice plus for us. We’ll sit down and discuss everyything. No real decision tonight.”
  • Drew said Tracy McGrady is scheduled to see a back specialist tomorrow and could play Saturday against the T-Wolves. Marvin Williams (ankle) is day-to-day. “I don’t know when he will be back to play,” Drew said of Marvin. “He was in here earlier and said he’s feeling good so hopefully he will be back soon.”

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

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379 comments Add your comment

Inya Hass

January 13th, 2012
7:49 pm

If Sund had made a serious attempt Howard would be here now. That was just a front. The Magic said they wanted Al, how hard would it have been to say ” here ya go”?

Sund was just front-en

Now Idiot Sund has no choice but to go after a big who is a potential starter. Id rather he be proactive than reactive as this situation has left us. Cant cry over spilled milk.

Moving on the question is does Al go to the amnesty list, injured reserve or do we cut him?

What the best way to improve the situation. That is the question.

Inya Hass

January 13th, 2012
7:59 pm

Or is he trade able to a team thats willing to take a chance that he will recover 100% and return to 12pts and 8rbs form that made him the great super star that the press sees him as?

Hawk Billed

January 13th, 2012
8:17 pm

Marvin Williams is the Mike Hampton of NBA. My ankle,oblique,elbow,knee,ear,nose,back,finger,belly,eye hurts ! Be a man.

Inya Hass

January 13th, 2012
8:18 pm

“Does this point out that Joe and Josh do have chemistry issues with Al at times? Is this not almost like Joe saying, we finally get a chance to show what we can do without Al?”

Yes.

The word is Josh got in Al’s face with Joe and Marv standing behind Josh. Teague was standing behind Al.

As much as there has been divisiveness on this blog between the Josh camps and the Horford came, there is as much in the locker rooms.

Blast

January 13th, 2012
8:19 pm

Hawks win in a blowout, and blog is quiet.

Hawks lose, and blog runs 12 pages deep with haters.

Something wrong with that picture.

Way I see it, lots of haters who are not Hawks fans come on this blog just to disparage the team, trash players, coaches, ownership, fans, bloggers and anybody else they can sink their hatorade fangs onto, trying to get a rise out of bloggers so thay can feel important in their tiny, little, miserable existence they call life…..

They go so far to post under multiple personas, and even talk to each creation they come up with!!!! To me, that is madness in the extreme.

Me, I do not frequent a place I do not like. If I don’t like the Hawks, never will you find me on their blog. If I don’t like a team, restaurant, bar, club, girl, you will never find me hanging around those people or places. So why do these fake fans do it?

Because they are rooting for the Bulls, Heat, Magic, Celtics and such. They only come here to cause trouble using lots of monikers. But all they succeed to do is choke up the blog, and have folks like me just scrolling right through their trash.

Please get a life, fake Hawks fans, so you can get off our blog.

Blast

January 13th, 2012
8:27 pm

And did I mention the malicious rumors they try to spread about the players? Like Josh having beef with AL, when if anybody was to have beef with somebody, it should be AL on Josh for his boneheaded plays before this season? Now they are trying to use Joe’s comment as a sign that he and Josh had problems with AL?

Were you in the locker room to see this? Did you hear what Josh and Joe had to say about Al going down and how devastated they were?

Get that sh!t out of here! Another new/old fake name on the blog.

Will it ever stop?

I guess not, so long as there are trolls in this world.

Ra'mon

January 13th, 2012
8:29 pm

One thing people forget is the Hawks were only one or two games behind the 8th seed, the season before Al came. But Joe got hurt and missed the last 25 games. So they would’ve been a playoff team that season, BEFORE Al.

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
8:30 pm

Sorry TS, but I’m not Hmmmm.

I could never type in all caps. It’s too much like yelling, PLUS, if one wants to stress a certain word, it wouldn’t be as effective.

BTW, there’s no injured reserve list in the NBA. Given that Al will likely be back by the playoffs, I’m guessing that Sund does next to nothing.

Perhaps Al could be traded while he’s hurt, but if he’s as bad as you say, then why would we get a potential starting center back for him? Sometimes your own arguments undermine your other arguments.

As far as Al’s first year, maybe we would have made it to the playoffs, maybe not, but remember that we didn’t win our way in. The Pacers had to blow it for us to be in that year. Saved Woody’s ass, too.

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
8:39 pm

“The word is Josh got in Al’s face with Joe and Marv standing behind Josh. Teague was standing behind Al.”

“As much as there has been divisiveness on this blog between the Josh camps and the Horford came, there is as much in the locker rooms.”

This is NOT a fact. This only happened in TS’ mind to try to justify his attitude toward Horford.
I’m sure he WISHES it had happened, but can you possibly imagine that it actually happened and it stayed in the locker room with NO ONE talking about it? I mean, even the limo story in MIL came out, right?

Pure fantasy. Pure and simple.

Just Joe

January 13th, 2012
8:44 pm

I always gave Mike Bibby a lot of credit for making the playoffs in ‘07-’08. Seriously. We were a mess on offense before he showed up. His 15 & 6 made a big difference.

Free Pizza

January 13th, 2012
8:59 pm

“Does this point out that Joe and Josh do have chemistry issues with Al at times? Is this not almost like Joe saying, we finally get a chance to show what we can do without Al?”

Free Pizza

January 13th, 2012
9:01 pm

Just Joe Bibby legitimized the Hawks as a play off team. Zaza was the enforcer.

Vino

January 13th, 2012
9:10 pm

We could have absorbed this injury a Lil better if we had already went threw our lumps and bumps with Jeff last year where he would have been more polished this year rondo/rose

Inya Hass

January 13th, 2012
9:11 pm

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
8:30 pm

Sorry TS, but I’m Hmmmm.

I wasnt there neither was either of us. MC clearly stated that there is some locker room issues. yea, the word has been stated more than once by other than myself. Where you there? No. say you or nobody else can say for 100% that Josh kick Al’s butt

but

What we can say is Al is out and the player are unified and those locker room issues has faded away.

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
9:11 pm

Just Joe,

I agree. Most people talked about how our defense got worse (and by the ppg given up, it did), but neglected how Bibby cut down our turnovers by almost two a game. And at that time, we were in a LOT of close games, so 2 to’s a game meant two extra possessions. Plus, having his 3 pt. threat opened up shots for Joe.

It was late in his first full season here that he lost a step, and went downhill from there. But I was glad to have him for a while. I just wish his coaches had started using him as a bench player 2 years before we traded him. He could have been very valuable used that way.

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
9:15 pm

TS,

I don’t understand. You admit that you weren’t there, but you fabricate a scenario as if you were.

Why?

KevinM

January 13th, 2012
9:24 pm

DMB, don’t get too excited, but Ish Smith has been waived by Mark Jackson…..does he fit this bench enough to drop someone else?
I would like to see what he could do with a few minutes each night.

KevinM

January 13th, 2012
9:28 pm

Hawks getting voted in as all-stars is about as likely to happen as Sund bringing in a superstar……Horford is 6th for C (behind Joel Anthony!), Joe is 10th (behind Calderon and Irving…are you kidding me?) and Josh isn’t even Top 10.
The Hawks are not widely thought of a top talent by the fans.

Bigman needed

January 13th, 2012
9:34 pm

All of a sudden there’s a bunch of good, up and coming 7 footers out there: monroe, hibbert, bargnani, hawes not to mention lopez when he comes back, mcgee and that’s just the east.

Gotta to get a big in here

O'Brien

January 13th, 2012
9:35 pm

Bulls taking it to the Celtics. Up by 19 at halftime. I dont think anybody fears the Celtics like they used to.

Ra'mon

January 13th, 2012
9:38 pm

Yea, the worst deal the Celtics made was trading away Perkins. They should’ve kept Perkins and mortgaged Garnett for whatever they could get.

Inya Hass

January 13th, 2012
9:51 pm

Perkins is a player with an attitude.

Sautee, The rumor is …. such as it is.

The bottom line Al is on vacation and the hawks are playing. I hope we have a nice season. have a great night.

Sautee

January 13th, 2012
9:54 pm

‘night, TS

O'Brien

January 13th, 2012
10:01 pm

Wow. Celtics making a run. Down only 4 with 10 mins left in the 4th.

KevinM

January 13th, 2012
10:02 pm

Whatever you do, go at Korver as a defender and you can get almost anything you want….its so obvious.
And Rondo is not getting his due this game….refs are not supporting him.
C’s are 1 down with 10 to go…nice comeback…..

Ra'mon

January 13th, 2012
10:03 pm

Wow! From 20 point lead down to one point. After seeing this happen to the Hawks against the Bulls, I’m glad to see it happen to the Bulls.

Blast

January 13th, 2012
10:04 pm

Hope the Celts beat the Bulls tonight. Celts need the win, Bulls don’t. But then, you talking about the old age Celtics, man.

KevinM

January 13th, 2012
10:08 pm

Celtics might have peaked at this comeback…Rose getting the same treatment we saw….
And Korver sits down after being abused once again.

Rondo has to be in there for the Celts to have a shot….8.5 min to make up -5.

KevinM

January 13th, 2012
10:11 pm

You think the C’s would take Al for a Garnett rental? That would change the backline of this team and give us more leadership…it would also open up the cap lock we are in.

Apple

January 13th, 2012
10:21 pm

ESPN generation is killing sports. They feel like they have to TAKE SIDES of guys on their own team, and diminish the contributions of key players to make their favorite guy look better. Horford is out there putting up 16-10 every night in previous years and you idiots think that was easily replacable by some nobodybench players. LOL what a dumb fanbase. Same fans who were all mad for Josh Childress leaving, a guy who did next to NOTHING offensively, an ALL HUSTLE GUY just like Horford, yet you caste Al aside? The one who actually put up numbers? Dumb dumb fans.

Apple

January 13th, 2012
10:22 pm

Kevin Garnett? LMFAO

Big Braves Fan

January 13th, 2012
10:26 pm

Trade Joe and Teague for Rondo and Allen.

Horford comes back in April

Rondo
Allen
Radman
Smith
Horford

O'Brien

January 13th, 2012
10:27 pm

Well, somuch for the Celtics comeback. D-Rose is a beast. Lead back up to 11.

If Celts lose, they will be 4-6.

O'Brien

January 13th, 2012
10:31 pm

Some fans didnt like Dalembert, but I would have taken him (despite his motivational issues). His career average is 8pts, 8 rebs, and 2 blocks in 26 mpg.

With Houston this season, he is averaging 6 points, 6 rebs, and 1.5 blocks in 19 mpg. I think a 3 headed monster of Al, ZaZa and Dalembert would be pretty potent at the 5.

However, he is also making $7 mil, which is way out of our price range.

Just Joe

January 13th, 2012
10:34 pm

Those four wins for Celts are Det, NJ, and two against the Wiz.

Apple

January 13th, 2012
10:37 pm

Who didn’t see that coming? Old starters, no depth, condensed season, game over.

The Celtics are going to get POUNDED in the first round by somebody.

Bigman needed

January 13th, 2012
10:45 pm

Kevin love dominates hornets on road puting up 34 & 15.

Kaman 0-10, 2 &9

Okafor goes for 16& 14

Hornets are going nowhere so lets take one of these bigs off their hands! Do it Sund!

Ra'mon

January 13th, 2012
10:49 pm

You know, if you think about it, Jerry Stackhouse has the best job in the country! He gets paid just to sit down, clap his hands, and give high fives during time outs. Must be nice!

Apple

January 13th, 2012
10:55 pm

Hinrich and Zaza for Okafor and anything. BOOM.

JaeEvolution

January 13th, 2012
10:58 pm

Timofey Mozgov…

JaeEvolution

January 13th, 2012
11:02 pm

Mozgov with 6, 4 and 2 blocks in 8 minutes against the Heat this guy makes Zaza look 40 the way he runs the floor.

Bigman needed

January 13th, 2012
11:02 pm

Cleveland may make playoffs. Cleveland have a bigman who comes to play every night: varejao

JaeEvolution

January 13th, 2012
11:07 pm

Mozgov another block, please trade for him before his stock rises out of our willingness to pay, he is everything Zaza is and at the same time everything Zaza is not, I know it doesn’t make sense but go with it!

SteveW

January 13th, 2012
11:10 pm

I’m not so sure the Hawks don’t need to make a run at Robin Lopez for picks if possible. He’s been pushed out by Gortat and Channing Frye in the C rotation in Phoenix. He hasn’t played 20 minutes or more in the last 5 games – only 5 minutes last game. Hurt? I dunno

But the Hawks may be unable to make that move even if both parties wanted to. Need a trade exception I think.

But a couple of our 4 second picks we have over the next 2 years for Lopez wouldn’t be a terrible idea if possible. 1 of the 2nd picks is the Suns anyway, from the Childress signing.

Bigman needed

January 13th, 2012
11:13 pm

Denver is not parting with any of its core

Grandmaster JeJe

January 13th, 2012
11:17 pm

Granger said we don’t use a deep bench. Smh

Sund says we need to stick together in order to remain a playoff-caliber club. I guess that has always been his goal

JaeEvolution

January 13th, 2012
11:18 pm

Isn’t that we are told every year and have no hope to improve because we won’t trade one of our 3 guys, yet Josh Smith was being dangled last trade deadline and near draft time. Also talks of Joe and Josh for Dwight? No one is untouchable in the NBA, except guys you already know the name of.

Apple

January 13th, 2012
11:20 pm

Cavs? Playoffs? Who are they going to pass? Those eight seed are pretty much locked up unless Dwight goes down or something.

SteveW

January 13th, 2012
11:21 pm

Ryan Hollins could probably be had for a 2nd pick – he’s out of the rotation in Cleveland.

If we can do that with our cap space, and the lack of a trade exception. I’m thinking we may have an almost 2 mill. trade exception from the Jordan Crawford deal, but I could be wrong. Hollins cost almost 2.5 mill per.

SteveW

January 13th, 2012
11:25 pm

Some bigs that are probably available, ok, and that are near our price range are: Jason Thompson, Robin Lopez, and Ryan Hollins. All these guys stock are dropping with their current team. I like Jason Thompson, but he can’t shoot FT’s.

Ajinca’s in France. He may be worth a look also.

FA’s like Dampier – I just don’t know what he’s got left. He looked pretty done last season with Miami.

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