Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 92, Trail Blazers 89
- The Hawks faced their toughest foe since Al Horford went down and won again. After the W they said a lot of things about guys stepping up to do more in his absence. Normally such cliches inspire eye-rolling from a cynical hack like myself but, I’ve got to say, that’s what’s happened so far.
- How else to explain a W in which the bench kept the Hawks in it until Joe Johnson got hot, and then the starters closed it out after the reserves faded and Jamal Crawford tried to do his thing where he shakes off all of his earlier misses with fourth-quarter shot-making? What else to think about a game in which Jannero Pargo and Tracy McGrady play big roles along with Joe, Jeff Teague and Josh Smith?
- The pieces seem to be fitting together.
- “It really feels like these guys are starting to get a feel for one another,” Larry Drew said. “In the first half felt like we had a good flow with the starters and reserves. A few times in the second half we fell out of rhythm but guys are starting to mesh together. Any combination I put on the floor we seem to have some kind of chemistry. We feel like the players we have brought in complement the players that have been here.”
- Look at some areas in which Horford produced and the Hawks have several players who, either consistently or at crucial times, have offered a bit more than usual since he went down: rebounding (Joe, Zaza Pachulia, Marvin Williams, Tracy McGrady), scoring (Smith, Johnson, Pargo, and Willie Green), assists (Johnson, McGrady).
- “We’ve got a lot of guys who can do different things,” Williams said. “I think everyone has stepped up to give a little more to fill that void. You can’t replace a guy like Al so everyone has to chip in.”
- “I think everybody is doubting us because Al went out,” Teague said. “I think it’s [made] us tighter. Guys want to win.”
- If you weren’t impressed by the Ws against Charlotte, Minnesota, and Toronto then you at least have to give the Hawks Ps for this one. It’s not like it was a given they would win all of those games after the shock of losing Horford. “I didn’t know how we would fare because he does so much for this ball club,” Smith said.
- Since blowing leads against Chicago and Miami, the Hawks have showed some finishing kick to close out New Jersey, Minnesota, Toronto and now the Blazers. None of those teams is as good as the Bulls and Heat but the Hawks have to get it done consistently against lesser competition if they hope to do it against the better opponents (which sounds kind of weird to say since they are missing their All-Star center).
- “We maintained our composure,” Drew said. “That’s one area we have to continue to grow in. Last year in a situation you could read our body language, and runs kind of let the wind out of our sails. As of late, we have been withstanding runs and that’s a great sign to me and tells me we are starting to grow in that area.”
- The winning plays included Smith blocking Gerald Wallace’s layup attempt and Johnson creeping up from behind on Wesley Matthews for a steal that led to an alley-oop dunk by Jeff Teague.
- “I don’t know if he thought I was not going to try to get back in the play,” Johnson said. “He didn’t have any awareness when I was coming from behind. I didn’t want to tap the ball forward to where he could get it so I tapped it to where I could get it. Jeff Teague, I saw him running down the wing and I know he can fly so I just threw it up there and he went up there and got it.”
- Johnson started 0 for 5 and then 8 of his next 14 shots. He had 10 of Atlanta’s 30 points in the second quarter and seven of 17 in the fourth. “That’s all it takes is to see a couple go in the basket,” he said. “We are doing a good job mocing the ball but I wanted to be a little more assertive in that second quarter.”
- Smith didn’t make jump shots tonight but he had 11 rebounds, three blocks and three assists against three turnovers. LaMarcus Aldridge, Smith’s friend from their prep days, tested his slimmer frame and Smith held up pretty well while taking swipes at the ball to throw off Aldridge’s rhythm. “I was just trying to absorb the contact and get some help as little as possible,” Smith said. “When he caught it deep I was wanting them to come down and scrap a little bit and show him different looks. It definitely wasn’t just me.”
- Williams had eight rebounds and 12 points on eight shots in 21 minutes. That’s similar to his production before he got hurt so maybe Drew needs to ride him when Ivan Johnson isn’t having much of an impact, like tonight.
- Teague was driving to pass or get fouled (13 points on five shots). He did a good job on the ball-handler in pick-and-rolls–the problem at times was Aldridge easily shaking free on the pop.
- Speaking of which, Drew’s decision to play Jason Collins against Kurt Thomas led to Thomas leaking out for those mid-range jump shots he favors and controlling the boards.
- Meanwhile Zaza (11 rebounds in 27 minutes) was solid. Finishing at the rim remains an adventure and he didn’t get to the line tonight but he covers so much more ground than Twin and is always challenging ball-handlers and shooters.
- Pargo came in and made his first four shots. He appeared to be a bit peeved about coming out after his second turnover in the first half.
- Jamal tried to steal one from his old team. “I knew that was coming,” Josh said. “He actually probably still wanted to be here. It would have been nice to see him in a Hawks uniform. Things happen in this business. I wish him the best. I’m glad we were able to slow him down a little bit.”
- “I tried not think about coming back to Atlanta and just tried to focus on getting a win,” Crawford said. “The Hawks are playing great even without Al in the lineup.”
- The Hawks made 21 of 27 free-throw attempts but, go figure, two of the six misses came in the final 7.6 seconds.
- Vladimir Radmanovic was a DNP-CD. “There were a couple times I wanted to get him in there but at that four spot I didn’t want to play him against certain guys,” Drew said. “He will be back into our rotation because I definitely need him.”
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152 comments Add your comment
O'Brien
January 19th, 2012
8:43 am
Good win for the Hawks. Guys stepped up, and they are playing good defensively even when the offense might come and go.
At Philly will be tough, especially with Philly coming off a loss to the Nuggets last night.
I like the effort though. And they appear to be getting stronger mentally.
O'Brien
January 19th, 2012
8:47 am
However…we need another big. If ZaZa gets in foul trouble or is having a bad game, and we have to play Twin major minutes, we are in trouble.
Jason Collins last 5 games;
12 mins, 0 points, 4 rebs
3 mins, 0 points, 0 rebs
14 mins, 2 points, 3 rebs
13 minutes, 0 points, 1 reb
13 minutes, 0 points, 1 reb
With Collins on the court, we are essentially playing 4 on 5 when on offense. We need another backup big. Don’t wait until the Hawks lose 2 or 3 in a row. And we do have a very tough schedule next month.
And for thinking we are better off without Al, please consider that the Heat are 4-0 this season without Wade. So does that mean Miami is better off without Wade?
O'Brien
January 19th, 2012
8:48 am
I know there are things Twin does that doesnt show up on the stat sheet, but we need more options at center depending on the matchups.
SoullRenaissance
January 19th, 2012
8:52 am
Smith.Leuer.Bogut
I’d trade Horford for just about any center right now.
YES INDEED – He is looking very expendable right now – dayum! Could we really have gotten a 1 year Dwight Rental for him?
Geemack
January 19th, 2012
8:52 am
Eastern Conference Finals or Bust……even without Al.
HoosierHawk
January 19th, 2012
8:57 am
Anyone remember when Memphis played so well in the playoffs last year without Rudy Gay? I like these Hawks.
Mac-Town #maconchevyrider
January 19th, 2012
9:04 am
oldmike, according to ESPN the attendance was 13,729
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
9:09 am
If the Hawks keep winning, this blog will go out of business.
J
January 19th, 2012
9:17 am
LMAO – somebody said bring back sheldon williams … i’m sorry but i think i just lost all respect for any post you have. HAHAHAHA!
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
9:20 am
Joe and Jamal had almost identical stat lines, but anyone who thinks Jamal is in the same discussion as Joe doesn’t watch the games closely and/or doesn’t know basketball. Joe was hands down the best player on the floor last night and made winning plays when his team needed them the most. I often opined that Joe was too unselfish to produce 24+ averages in a season. With Al down, he is showing that he can still big a big-time scorer when there is only one other 20-point type scorer on the roster. Oh yeah, and the pass back to TMac for the easy layup was beautiful and a clear sign that Joe is still willing to share the spotlight (that a the perfect lob to Jeff Teague).
I give him credit to Aldridge as I have never been a big fan and always considered him Chris Bosh-light. But he looks like he is much better than Bosh now and more inclined to physical play (while still having an effective face-up game). But he stayed in the post and made good decisions down there.
Didn’t LD play Vlad-Rad at SF when Marvin went down? Now all of a sudden he is an exclusive PF? Give me a break.
Now who was that who predicted this Hawks squad would be surprisingly good because of the balanced roster that includes players capable of playing on both ends of the floor?
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
9:40 am
@O’Brien
if only Ivan was about a foot taller…
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
9:42 am
people bash Joe Johnson and Josh Smith but right now the two are playing the best of there careers
Joe just seems to make big shots at big moments and Josh has become the team leader we have lacked for several years
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
9:43 am
@Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
“THEIR” carrers, sorry
hawks fan down under
January 19th, 2012
9:47 am
not much talk about Teague but I reckon he’s the biggest addition this year. the new bench is going great but Teague starting is the difference. I look forward to watching him get better and better.
Rufus1
January 19th, 2012
9:49 am
Is it possible we had too much TALENT…
Was the amount of TALENT on this team hindering the players growth. There was only one ball and everyone wants touches, but now they more touches and freedom.
This team is now built around 2 STARS and a bunch of good role players…..We haven’t missed a step and Josh and Joe are excelling.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
9:50 am
i;m sorry Kirk Hinrich, but even once your healthy we gotta stick with Teague, he’s solid defensivly and he runs the offense so smoothly and seems to really fit well with the rest of the team
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
9:51 am
““Also a good reason why projecting Zaza’s per minute stats and implying that he would be equally effective in a starting role doesn’t work.” – Najeh
That requires actually trying him out as a starter.”
“But to suggest we need to trade away a player who has been in the top 10 in postseason rebounding rate 2 of the last 3 years (and who is the only player on that list making less than $10m per season) strikes me as a bit absurd.”
They have tried him out as a starter. He started the entire 2005-06 season and posted a rebound percentage of 15%. He started half the 2006-07 season and posted a rebound percentage of 14.9%. For comparison’s sake, Chris Kaman has beaten those rebound percentage numbers in every year of his career except his rookie year. I am using rebound percentage as a comparison because rebounding is the one thing Zaza does somewhat consistently well.
Zaza is a decent backup and a marginal starter. Kaman is a great backup and an average starter. That may not seem like a huge upgrade, but it can be the difference between a playoff spot and a lottery ticket. Of course if they can keep Zaza and acquire an upgrade like Kaman, that’s great, but you usually have to give up something to get something. Kirk + Zaza for Kaman is a net positive.
Trojan
January 19th, 2012
9:53 am
I am not a Sheldon fan but he is better than Collins. Look at Collins numbers in the post above, he is less than nothing.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
9:56 am
@Najeh Davenpoop
I don’t like that trade.
first of all if your gonna trade centers, send off Collins not Zaza (at least Zaza brings some fire)
im not ready to trade Kirk Hinrich just yet although I think Teague needs to remain the starter. I still like him over Pargo as the backup PG.
I would like getting Kaman, but how about sending off Collins and Pargo instead
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:03 am
“The excuse that was made for Josh [somewhere in a previous blog], as to why he brings the ball is up because Mike Bibby was too slow to run with him/the team. With Bibby gone, Josh continues bringing the ball up. ”
This is true. In general, the excuses for his questionable decisions (too many jumpers, too much ball handling) are no longer nearly as valid since Bibby has been replaced with a living person at point guard.
Of course, if he continues playing like these last few weeks, I can live with a questionable decision or two.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:04 am
“I would like getting Kaman, but how about sending off Collins and Pargo instead”
Of course if you can trade lesser players for him, that’s great, but I doubt that New Orleans trades Kaman for Pargo and Collins.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
10:06 am
@Najeh Davenpoop
probably true, Kirk and Zaza are just two guys I don’t feel like ditching right now
Bigman needed
January 19th, 2012
10:06 am
Zaza is better than kaman right now. Yeah. i said it.
Kaman is still arguably an elite scoring center, but zaza is a better rebounder and defender, quicker.
We dont need kaman’s scoring, diminished as it is.
If it will tell you anything kaman doesnt even start for the hornets!
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 19th, 2012
10:07 am
“I would like getting Kaman, but how about sending off Collins and Pargo instead”
________________
Well, when you dont live in a parallel universe, salaries have to match.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
January 19th, 2012
10:08 am
@Bigman needed
amen on we don’t need Kaman’s scoring
we have 4 players near 20 points every night
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:12 am
“I think marvin would have a more aggressive attitude if he played with the 2nd unit because of his deferring mentality he plays timid when joe and josh are on the floor”
This may be true, especially if T-Mac is setting him up with shots. But if Marvin does what he did yesterday, he can stay in the starting lineup. Hit open shots, get to the free throw line, play good D, and crash the boards. Be the best damn role player you can be. That’s what the Hawks have needed out of him for several years now. Maybe he’s starting to figure it out.
Same with Zaza for that matter. Be the best damn role player you can be. Crash the boards, don’t turn it over, play good man to man defense (because we all know he can’t play help defense), and either finish when you get it near the basket or get to the free throw line. Both of them generally played well yesterday, except for that run Portland made in the second half.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:13 am
How can NBA.com not have last night’s box score up? Amazing, especially when you can get updates during the game.
Take a snapshot of the current conference standings! We are now seed #2.
Have we ever been on this pedestal this ‘late’ in the season?
JC1 sure showed up last night; you think he was uber-pumped to come back here? He had his moments too! Its a shame we had no salary for him, but life under the ASG is just that…you can’t expect them to go beyond their boundaries. But this team doesn’t appear to be missing him at all, and that might be based on this year’s bench not being solely dependent on his points. Trust is being gained by Pargo, Green, T-Mac, Ivan, and Zaza.
Should the ASG ever hang a banner, will it also include the term ‘tax-free’ to it?
Stretch, I hear ya man! It’s the norm when you are doing national coverage on the Hawks. All one-sided coverage. Our guys might as well not have their names on their jerseys…..Hawks highlight: “0 passes to 2, 2 looks at the clock, shoots for 3!”
You guys do know, the more we succeed, the more we keep our current regime in place? I have mixed emotions about that scenario. We might have the best GM in the NBA that we like to despise, yet things seem to be going according to plan so far. And LD has the guys buying into his schemes.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:16 am
Speaking of schemes, how does Hindrich coming back put a wrench into the rotation going forward? Does his complement this group we are throwing out there?
I know we need better, more dependable talent, because we won’t know if our guys will show up on a nightly basis. But as a unit, someone so far ends up producing. You just have to find that ‘hot-hand’.
As long as we’re winning, don’t count on Sund making any major inclusions to this roster. Right now, he’s probably thinking about who to pay for the entire year before that deadline comes up.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:17 am
Sorry, Hinrich…too easy to do that!
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:18 am
I am not talking up Kaman for his scoring. I am mentioning him because he rebounds at a similar or better rate than Zaza as a starter, blocks shots better, and is less clumsy and less likely to blow layup and dunk opportunities. Just as importantly, his contract is expiring, so he doesn’t add any long term salary obligation. If anyone can find another expiring center who may be available who would be an upgrade, by all means mention him.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 19th, 2012
10:23 am
Fight Night!
I thoroughly enjoyed that Hermoine link of the bathroom troll. I’m not a movie, music buff and am embarassed to say, I have never seen a Harry Potter movie. I may go out today and purchase the collection of movie DVD’s to rectify that.
Thanks Poop, I’m also terrified of monsters and sleeping in the dark … but, I believe I can handle the Harry Potter trolls. LOL … I know i fight dirty and talk a lot of ish on this blog, but at the end of the day … I’m still a girl. Ha Ha
____________
Anyways, the hawks are growing up into a tough mindedm scrappy bunch. Ken Strickland has been yelling from the top of Stone Mountain for years … I can hear him now. Don’t get it twisted, we still need to do something with Al’s roster spot. IDK what, but something for insurance and hard times ahead, they’re coming.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:24 am
D12 is my guy until he finds a new home. We still need elite in this city.
There’s only one way to get elite based on where we are today: beg, steal, or luxury tax land.
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
10:24 am
Kevin, in Woody’s last season, the Hawks were the #2 seed at the All-Star break in February. Remember, the eyebrow shaving incident? Pretty sure it was a goofy motivation ploy… “if we’re leading the SE division at the All-Star break, I will shave my eyebows”.
rollow lawson
January 19th, 2012
10:24 am
GO SIGN RASHEED WALLACE!!!!!
doc
January 19th, 2012
10:25 am
funny aj you bring up the pass back to teague. my thought when i saw it happen in front of me was a year ago we had a point guard who couldnt make unchallenged lay ups much less alley oops. teague and the versatility he brings is huge for this team especially now with horford out. glad they were forced to let him play. isnt that also what so many said, not to bench him and jerk him around like they did? find out if the kid can play by playing him. that cant be learned on the bench or in pretend games at practice. hmmm who said differently?
teague is what might be keeping this team afloat in comparison to last year. this team also does well for short stretches when one of its guns go down. we will see. away games start soon.
ivan is more of what we were hoping to get in sheldon fresh out of duke. he was out quicked last night by smith a few times, so he got to lean a little more about the nba.
my wish, is we had signed thomas instead of twin a few years back to a legit contract. however, i dont think thomas fit the vet minimum rule for entertainment value.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:26 am
I think now we could truly envision what D12 would look like in this lineup…..I think the lower bowl would be filled nightly!
Seriously though, does D12 lose annual salary if he doesn’t sign an extension prior to him becoming a RFA? I would think it would have to be a S&T for him to get a better max going forward?
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:28 am
AJ, thanks for that unforgettable moment in Hawks history…I totally let that one slip my mind….the visual? Well, we all know no one noticed because he was wearing his championship ring.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:30 am
Some people have mentioned Shelden Williams… I don’t think he’s an upgrade over Zaza, but he can probably provide more as a backup than Collins. 2nd round pick for Shelden is not a bad idea.
One other player, who may or may not be available but has been putting up good numbers in limited minutes, is Gustavo Ayon of the Hornets. I haven’t seen him play at all, but his numbers have been good. I doubt that he’s available for a 2nd rounder, but it’s worth a shot.
Other possibilities: Jordan Hill of the Rockets (has a team option next year), Ronny Turiaf of the Wizards (is on a one-year deal), Jason Maxiell of the Pistons (has a player option for next year), or Jamaal Magloire of the Raptors (one-year deal). Anybody up for a Kirk for Turiaf + Jordan Crawford trade?
Najeh Davenpoop
January 19th, 2012
10:31 am
“I thoroughly enjoyed that Hermoine link of the bathroom troll. I’m not a movie, music buff and am embarassed to say, I have never seen a Harry Potter movie. I may go out today and purchase the collection of movie DVD’s to rectify that.”
Haha… I strongly advise against it, because those movies are terrible, but that’s the first thing I thought of when “fighting trolls” came to mind.
doc
January 19th, 2012
10:32 am
aj, if they win at philly tonight i might shave my eyebrows. just like the pacers, i think philly is ahead of us; just like both were last year at the end of the season.
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
10:33 am
Hawks clearly need a big body added and need Hinrich healthy. If another one of our top 6-7 players goes down for 1-2 weeks, we’re toast. IMO, the only trade that will turn this team into a true contender is one that will bring back a player better than one of our 3 captains, and that means trading away one of our 3 captains. With Horford hurt, that is highly unlikely to happen this season. Any other trade would likely allow us to “lose better” but won’t likely offer much else. Find a serviceable big body soon and look to see if something else is available closer to the trade deadline.
Kamen is a double treat. A good big man (rare) with an expiring double-digit contract. Under the NBA’s control, the Hornets will demand a premium in return for an asset like that.
KevinM
January 19th, 2012
10:34 am
What would the Wiz take on to ’steal’ JaVale McGee? Averaging 11.5/10 right now and the Wiz aren’t going forward…..would we have to take on Rashard Lewis as well? Hmmmmm………
Would Sund then be looked upon favorably?
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
10:41 am
doc, how would the Lakers have done it, an alley-oop to Fisher? Doubtful. More than one way to score two points.
Bigman needed
January 19th, 2012
10:46 am
Lewis has got 2 yrs at 21 per remaining sowe would have to package marvin (wiz could use him), send hinrich back, zaza and vrad to get lewis and mcgee. Lewis expires next year freeing up a ton of space, but mcgee would be arestricted free agent. Intriguing deal. Mcgee is an elite defensive center and getting better, but i cant see washington giving up on him.
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
10:57 am
McGee is an elite shotblocker which is different than saying he is an elite defender. He is physically gifted. That is about the extent of the accolades anyone can offer him after 3-4 years in the league.
And how many teams are wiling to trade their only center to a division rival?
Move on people.
doc
January 19th, 2012
10:58 am
aj, easy, they would have given it to the best player since mj or have gasol touch it in or bynum slam it down. i dont see anything close to that on our squad, do you? so we need more versatility. there were too many one trick ponies on this team, crawford, bibby and collins for starters, built on the small scale, not balanced, with no bench. i dont think fisher would thrive here either without all the pieces he played with in la nor have a ring, so what is your point? after all the whole of the summer prior to last season we both screamed on the blog, get hinrich once they had walls.
Rufus1
January 19th, 2012
10:58 am
Dr.Mary/ Doc,
Can they give Al HGH or Steroids to speed the healing process?
Maybe he can find Alex Gonzales/ David Ortiz/ Manny Ramirez Dominican trainer to help with that…. Or maybe Kobe/T-mac German “Doctor” can provide him some “special” treatment.
We are paying him 12mil a year, he needs to do what he can to return.
MattP
January 19th, 2012
11:05 am
What I am interested in is, if they are a tighter group with out Horford will they trade him now or would no one want him now?
O'Brien
January 19th, 2012
11:17 am
Kirk going down has helped the development of Teague (LD was forced to start him, play him consistent minutes, and live with some of his mistakes). But it has limited the team’s trade options.
I think a healthy expiring Hinrich would have been a nice trade chip. However, it could benefit us in the long run if he comes back healthy. In the playoffs, I don’t know what to expect from Willie Green and Pargo, but I think Kirk can hold his own, so he gives us another weapon.
Astro Joe
January 19th, 2012
11:22 am
doc, I agree that we had way too many one dimensional players int he past. That is why I was so optimistic about this year’s squad. I’m still not of the opinion that you can be both an elite team AND a non-tax paying team. I have not in the past nor currently have any faith in the Thunder (if anyone wants to offer them up).
Going back to my cheeseburger analogy… some folk still bent out of shape about when the cheese was added (Teague) or when the rotten tomato was removed (Bibby), but somehow, someway, this has been an above average burger despite the numerous alledged errors. I don’t know what the 2-3 weeks of the playoffs would hold… I personally value the several months of the regular season more than the 10-14 games in the playoffs. Its just entertainment, it ain’t real life.