Atlanta Hawks: Sixers 90, Hawks 76
Philadelphia–Maybe after he watches the video and sleeps on it, Larry Drew will regret the choice of words. But he was unambiguous about his feelings in the immediate aftermath of his team’s second-half collapse.
- Asked what happened in the third quarter, Drew said: “It got tough for us in the third quarter and we quit. That’s what happened.”
- Harsh words coming for any NBA coach, especially one with a veteran team. There were more.
- “I am hoping it’s out of character,” Drew said. “I saw a pattern with it last year and I thought we had turned the corner with it this year. Not the fact that we lost the game, but the fact that it got tough for us and we did not respond. You could see it in our faces and see it in our body language.”
- “Teams are going to make runs,” Drew said. “It’s how you respond to runs. You either man up or you fold the tent. Tonight we certainly folded the tent in that third quarter. What’s disappointing is we talked about when a team makes a run, you play through it. You don’t hang your heads and feel sorry for yourself, you don’t start crying to officials. You have to respond by toughening up defensively, executing your stuff even harder. I’ve seen us do it before. Tonight we didn’t do it.”
- “There are going to be more situations like this,” Drew said. “We have got to learn how to respond. More importantly, when it gets tough for us, we can’t hang our heads. I told the guys we had won four in a row and five of our last six. There was no reason to come out and put our heads down when things get tough.”
- I don’t know if I would go so far as to say the Hawks quit. To me, things came apart for some familiar reasons: stagnating offense, poor shot selection, carelessness with the ball and their struggles to score affecting their defensive sharpness.
- We’ve seen all of that lately from the Hawks; it’s just that the Sixers are good enough to seize on all those lapses and turn them into a running, dunking, ball-hawking, shot-making extravaganza.
- The Hawks were stagnant on offense and sleepy on defense. They stood around at both ends, watching Philadelphia take open jump shots and taking turns launching rushed jump shots of their own. The Sixers were off and running.
- “They picked up the intensity and we couldn’t make a shot,” Jeff Teague said. “That combination is always going to be bad. They got some easy transition baskets.”
- Josh Smith was chapped by Drew invoking the “q” word: “Everybody is entitled to their opinion. If he felt that way, that’s his opinion. I just felt we got a little careless with the basketball. In times of adversity, everybody has to stick together. Everybody. Players and everybody, and keep everything positive. The slightest thing can deter a situation or an individual.”
- Teague also rejected the characterization: “I don’t think nobody out there is trying to quit. They just made good plays. We don’t have no quitters on this team.”
- Joe Johnson looked lethargic for most of the night (though surely long-limb menace Andre Iguodala had something to do with that). Deadlines prevented me from sticking around to get Joe’s perspective.
- He tried to go Iso-Joe a few times with poor results. Then again, it was Iso-Everybody in the second half. Josh, Teague, Jannero Pargo, and Tracy McGrady also took turns trying to get it rolling on their own instead of sharing the ball like they did in the first half.
- This was Josh’s worst game in a while. He was missing jumpers and had just six rebounds on a night the Hawks got pounded 51-32 on the boards. Josh did have a good game passing the ball. All four of his assists led to layups.
- Teague was very good in the first half (five steals, nine points on six shots, four assists), not so good in the second. He could have been more aggressive when things came unraveled in the third quarter. Only once in the second half did he get into the lane to draw a foul.
- It was the same pattern for T-Mac, who just didn’t have the same spark in the second half after he abused Evan Turner in the first half. The Hawks should run that pick-and-roll with him and Zaza Pachulia all the time. It almost always results in a score or free throws for Zaza or a short shot attempt by T-Mac.
- Zaza was around the ball often when it came off the glass but frequently was beat to the spot.
- Marvin Williams missed open Js and never stopped settling for them. He’s usually reliable with getting to the line when the offense stagnates but not tonight.
- For long stretches Willie Green was the only thing working the Hawks on offense. Most nights the Hawks sort of figure out a way to get something out of the Green/Pargo combination.
- I suppose Drew has to play Jason Collins on a semi-regular basis as long as there are only two centers on the roster but 19 minutes is beyond pushing it. During that time, Collins had two rebounds, ended up in a few bad switches and was painfully ineffective on close-outs.
- Thaddeus Young ended up with 20 points and I don’t even really remember him doing anything special.
- The Sixers are good, especially when they can get the tempo to their liking. They missed a lot of open 3s in the third quarter or things could have been even uglier for the Hawks.
- “That was an incredible second half for our guys,” Doug Collins said. “The activity level defensively was off the charts. Everything we did tonight was triggered off our defense.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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194 comments Add your comment
returnof4eva
January 21st, 2012
12:05 am
Side note, Zaza is one of the best back-up centers in the league.
Bigman needed
January 21st, 2012
12:09 am
Grandmaster JeJe:
Ivan 2 pts in 4 min. So he would have had 19 in 38. Take that, Northcyde
No excuse for Ivan not playing more minutes. None! Collins was so winded he wasnt even trying to rebound. Total lapse in coaching!
returnof4eva
January 21st, 2012
12:10 am
Jason Collins worse starting center in the league
Buddy Grizzard
January 21st, 2012
12:12 am
LOL Drew mad about getting out-coached by Collins.
returnof4eva
January 21st, 2012
12:12 am
Our center position is trapped in an infinite paradox.
Buddy Grizzard
January 21st, 2012
12:14 am
“Side note, Zaza is one of the best back-up centers in the league.” – returnof4eva
There are only 5 players in the NBA who have ranked in the top 10 in post-season rebounding rate in 2 of the last three years. They are:
Marcus Camby
Dwight Howard
Joakim Noah
Carlos Boozer
Zaza Pachulia
http://www.hoopinionblog.com/2012/01/bad-wheel-on-bandwagon-look-at-larry.html
HawkEye
January 21st, 2012
12:24 am
LOL @ the NBA comercials emphasizing a “BIG” season.
Wonder if the Hawk’s management should consider this a subliminal message of what we need now.
BIG (echoes).
returnof4eva
January 21st, 2012
12:26 am
If you are trying to say Zaza is clutch, i honestly don’t know whether to agree or not. I just have don’t know.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 21st, 2012
12:27 am
Pretty Ricky!
These Hawks remind me of an old boyfriend from college:
He pretty … He long … He got his … But, I’m still waiting to get mine … But, he fkd me like a girl … And, now he snoring? He QUIT!!!!!!!!
I called 911 and said,
” I just shot my boyfriend execution style. I need a body bag, a large pepperoni pizza, a flight plan to Mexico, a pilot and Air Force One – I’m not fittna’ go to jail for nobody!”
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 21st, 2012
12:40 am
R Kelly!
“Ain’t nuttin’ wrong wit a lil’ bump and grind – baby” but, sometimes a girl want a lil’ penetration!
___________
Here’s my point: FTPB I posted @ the 7 minute mark that, we were down by 9/10 points. I opined every shot attempt should be a drive to the basket, make it or get to the line, stop the clock and go to the 30 second offense.
Time was of the essence and we just slow walked it up and rained brick after brick – ISO mode. What happened to ball sharing and NBA caring?
Man! I personally HATE losing – bad.
Big Daddy
January 21st, 2012
12:52 am
What happened to Joe. He has been tearing it up the last couple of games and Jeff did more than he did tonight. Josh just kept jacking up those jump shots and Marvin never attacked the basket. This is a recipe for disaster and that is what we got tonight. We looked flat and unprepared in the second half. Got to play for the full 48!
ClassicHawks
January 21st, 2012
1:01 am
The 76ers plan was to double Joe and get the ball out his hands. Mission Accomplished. I agree with LD, we quit, or stopped from executing our game plan. We scored 10 points in the third and really 7 Points if it wasn’t for W. Green Shot. C’mon yall, LD knows how pu$$y this team is. We will be okay if they respond to what he is saying. He is the leader and need to call that 2nd half performance out. Its unacceptable, if your trying to compete deep in the playoffs. Habits are made in the regular season. They stopped moving the ball, settled for the jump shot. The first half we were moving the ball and shooting the open shot. BIG DIFFERENCE. LD is a hell of a coach, he did make a mistake tonight not putting in IVAN but hey, we had already given up in that third quarter and the man Just put in the media that they had to play better in the third. CMON ya’ll, LD is a hell of a coach.
ClassicHawks
January 21st, 2012
1:04 am
Joe is not Kobe or DWade, Or Lebron for that matter. When the double team comes, and they focus on him, he cant still get buckets. Thats why he is a number two and not a number one. With that being said, we have Josh, Teague, McGrady to help out with that. Al Horford being out will keep us from getting to the finals. But if we can get C. Kaman, all bets are back on!
ClassicHawks
January 21st, 2012
1:05 am
Our Roster is fine. LD is right. We got to stop being Pu$$y’s. BOTTOMLINE>
MattP
January 21st, 2012
1:21 am
ClassicHawks,
Yes they do have to stop being pu$$ys and LD should be the first one to stop. LD is too scared to play people like Ivan that brings alot of energy because he thinks he knows how to match up.
Also, we would not have made it to the finals with Horford because LD will get out coached. 7 game series is alot harder to win then one game. Smart coaches adapt to the other teams.
Hmmmm
January 21st, 2012
1:25 am
AHEM….. LIKE I SAID: KEVIN LOVE > BLAKE GRIFFIN.
CAN’T WAIT FOR BARKLEY AND SHAQ ON TNT NEXT WEEK LOL
U got to chill
January 21st, 2012
1:27 am
Twolves stun lob city!
ClassicHawks
January 21st, 2012
1:30 am
Disagree MattP. LD is a hell of a coach. He made a bad decision not playing Ivan tonight, but like I said the starters quit in the third, game was all but over for these pu$$y’s.
ClassicHawks
January 21st, 2012
1:31 am
For the record, I still think we have a special ball club, but they have to learn to respond when they get hit in the mouth, BOTTOMLINE.
prison mike
January 21st, 2012
1:34 am
It’s time to cut ties with Duck. Minny could use him while he would be their 3rd option immediately. Ducks 10 and 6 looks great at 23 minutes and his per 36 will have some GMs curious.
I’ll take Nikola Pekovic and Wes Johnson. It works fabulously on all trade checkers.
Rusty
January 21st, 2012
1:37 am
LD this team would be a hell of a lot better if you weren’t the coach.
Hmmmm
January 21st, 2012
1:40 am
IMAGINE WHAT ADELMAN COULD DO FOR THIS TEAM. ALL THE TIMES WE SEE THEM LOOKING STAGNANT ON OFFENSE AND JUST STANDING AROUND. RICK WOULD HAVE THEM PLAYING BEAUTIFUL BBALL LIKE MINNESOTA DOES. DREW IS TOO BUSY BLAMING EVERYONE BUT HIMSELF.
Rusty
January 21st, 2012
1:43 am
JT be careful what you say or you will surely be back in dumbos doghouse. Im not sure if you really ever left it as he always jerks you out of the lineup when you are doing great .he never let’s the offense to run through you,he rather see Joe take over with his iso ball or Josh to jack up his jumpsuits. He has no control over any thing other than horrible substitutions. This man doesn’t have a clue,we are winning games inspire of him.
Rusty
January 21st, 2012
1:49 am
A lot of people here think we can get a lot of value from KH. He is always hurt & is on the downside of his career.
Way over rated on this blog.
Rusty
January 21st, 2012
1:56 am
Any one in the basketball business would never start Marvin. Zazza is a clown,has no hands& is a nightmare always ready to happen,Collins should retire. I guess ld doesn’t like rookie Johnson even if he is the man on the team & he also has skills, welcome to the doghouse.
hawkfan
January 21st, 2012
1:57 am
i just love how when we lose a game espn is so ready to jump on our game and show highlights of it, smh we lose and the third leading story on sportscenter, win and we are in the middle of the program
Buddy Grizzard
January 21st, 2012
2:18 am
hawkfan it was a battle of division leaders… the Hawks only got themselves in that position with a 4-game win streak so this was news. These Hawks are still exceeding expectations and have no reason to hang their heads after one bad game against, statistically, the best team in the NBA, ON THE ROAD, against a bunch of players with ATL connections who will ALWAYS get up to play the Hawks. No reason to throw your whole squad under the bus for one loss against a good team.
SteveW
January 21st, 2012
2:32 am
7-0 265 (listed, but not that tall) Chris Daniels gets voted one of the 10 best NBA prospects in D League by scouts, and then heads to S Korea – Bye – Could have been good for the Hawks, I don’t know.
Jeff Teague may be the new Jannero Pargo when Kirk comes back, you never know with Coach LD.
Bottom line tonite – When your two Captains, your two best players, shoot 8-23, with 1 foul shot between them, and combine for 18 pts and 10 rebounds – your usually not going to beat the team that is ranked 1st in the NBA on the ESPN Rankings, especially when your playing them on the road.
Lot’s of subplots from tonite, but that’s the bottomline.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 21st, 2012
2:37 am
Big Ivan will never quit. He should have been in the game in the third.
tyger
January 21st, 2012
2:41 am
I like LD honesty…
- Wish the Falcoons would be as honest….
- Hawks have to grow up, LD is right…
- The Pacers/Sixers are the true test of the Hawks…
- They failed miserably both times…
- This is the same sorry play they’ve exhibited in the past…
- Instead of win one, lost two, they won two lost one…
- 4 home wins against weak teams was a placebo…
- The real medicine came tonight…
tyger
January 21st, 2012
2:53 am
Hawks hit wall…
-Remember the date, 1/20/12 ….
-The Hawks hit the proverbial wall tonight…
-They played with legs of stone…
- Second half they couldnt keep up…
- Dead legs led to short shots…
- Dead legs led to low energy…
- No home crowd tonight…
-They’ve accumulated alot of mileage in 3 wks…
-Younger teams much more dangerous now…
-Young good PGs can beat us, Rubio, Collison, Holliday…
- More complete players, that see the court, run their teams…
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 21st, 2012
2:58 am
FIRE LD
Micheal C.
January 21st, 2012
2:59 am
To continue,
I really don’t want Drew to take back those words at all but he need also know that he could did a lot better with rotations and TO but I think that this team needs to understand that this team window is almost up and ECF is the goal but you do not give up like this if you want to continue this march and if they don’t like it then they can ask for a trade and move on with their lives. Hawks needs to grow up and play like they can complete for a NBA title.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 21st, 2012
2:59 am
Always find a way to work a Teague diss into every post, don’t you? What did he do, steal your girlfriend?
Collison and Holliday don’t run their teams any better than Teague does. Helps to have teammates who are always in attack mode. Rubio, I’ll concede, has much better court vision than most point guards in the league regardless of age.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 21st, 2012
2:59 am
Hawks were fine without Marvin
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 21st, 2012
3:03 am
FIRE SUND
Reality Check
January 21st, 2012
3:10 am
Out-rebounded by damn near 20 tonight. But the idiots on here would never admit they could have used Horford, a guy who can get you 10 boards and put a body on Brand. LOL
tyger
January 21st, 2012
3:11 am
Men in the Mirror….
LD – how many winnable games have u lost?
Smoove – after avg. 25ppg for week, 10pts?…really?
JJ – how bout some leadership?
Marvin – sit or play, remember, Shelden, Acie, Salim, Solomon?
This team has about 10 days/5 games to figure itself out, Feb. is coming!
Micheal C.
January 21st, 2012
3:11 am
I think we all in a agreement that Marvin Williams, Collins, ZaZa (maybe) needs to be trade or released or anything. Marvin shouldn’t be punk’d by Jodie Meeks and missing shot/getting block. He needs to get trade or released and i got money he is in the starting lineup tomorrow. He is just stealing money from ASG and us.
Grandad
January 21st, 2012
3:37 am
Yeah they quit:
If Josh does not like it; please tade him for a Big.
Before I start with Josh; I must make a few points.
* LD should have been brutally honest with his team.
The days of “soft soaping” it with this core are over.
LD is correct; we have all seen it before;
and rest assured we will see it again.
My message to Josh:
“I’m tired of watching you play” … “go away”
*next – LD deserves some castigation as well:
Playing Jason Collins at all. Not playing Ivan but 4 min.
Keeping Josh in the game while he shot us out of the game.
Weird, unusual and inconsistent player rotations.
[why is Jason Collins on the team ?]
That’s enough for one night on LD / this one’s not on him.
*What in blue blazes does J.Pargo think his role is …
when he enters the game ?
When he comes in that is when the offense starts to unravel,
due to the fact – he’s gonna take 3 of the next 5 shots.
*[and miss 7 of 'em] I’ve told yawl before – I’m no good at arithmatic.
* Marvin – I’ve tried; I promise I’ve tried. Really, I have.
I have made every effort to give him as many chances
as humanly possible to redeem himself.
But time after time after time ……………………………..
the young man makes me want to cry.
Please for everything that is decent and honorable in this world;
trade this fellow and do not subject me to watching him embarrass
himself on a basketball court ever again.
* Now back to Josh. (I used to like Josh)
Not so much anymore.
Josh is a dumb basketball player….. Period !
Where does everyone get off saying he has this High B-ball IQ;
I do not know ? I vehemently disagree !
Josh is a nice enough man.
But I cannot stand to watch him play the game. I’m sorry.
He also quit and to dispute his coach showed an arrogance
that proved what alot of people have and had been saying.
A good player takes what Ld said and uses it for motivation.
To get better.
He reacted much like my children used to act when scolded.
This is the 1st time I can remember
that LD has shown some nuggets in regard to his team,
without worrying about whether or not what he said
would hurt their feelings.
Enough said / I’m done for the evening.
_____________________________________________
notes:
3 players Josh, Joe, & Marv were 10 for 32 from the field
**[when that happens your defense must win the game for you]
outrebounded 51 to 32 on a night when their center did not play.
**[we must acquire a legit Big Man / Center / 7 ftr.]
____________________________________________
One additional note;
other than posting Joe’s bad shooting night;
I had nothing bad to say about Joe.
LD held Joe out too long in the 2nd Qtr
& Joe should have shot more in order to get untracked.
V-Rad should have played more also.
LT
January 21st, 2012
3:41 am
I agree with LD…. The team quit! Ive seen this pattern TOO many times. They had no energy. Plus coach messed up the rhythm when the reserves were doing well and he took them.lit!
Buddy Grizzard
January 21st, 2012
3:56 am
Yeah release Zaza… one of the best values in the NBA… guess you’re going for a lottery pick.
Buddy Grizzard
January 21st, 2012
3:58 am
“Thaddeus Young ended up with 20 points and I don’t even really remember him doing anything special.” – MC
LOL what game were you watching? Thad put on a clinic in the post… somebody should give that tape to Josh!
tyger
January 21st, 2012
4:16 am
No problem with Jason Collins…
LD has to get Jason ready, that means he has to play…
We can’t burn ZaZa up this early…
Collins brings intangibles that don’t show in the stat line…
To run, he has to play more and hasnt really played in 3 yrs…
But DHoward is coming and we’ve got to get hime ready…
Despite the cloud hanging over Orlando, they are playing well..
That’s a credit to the organzation, coaches, players…
They are mentally tough…Hawks are not…
How long b4 they realize they have to attack the rim to win???
Long missed jumpers are there downfall and persona…
Grandad
January 21st, 2012
4:16 am
*trade not *[ tade ]
As Josh might say:
“Grandad’s a dumb basketball blogger”
and Josh might very well be an astute explicator.
tyger
January 21st, 2012
4:30 am
Hawks missed Horford tonight…
Despite all the giddiness over win streak…
Hawks miss Horford…
Elden Brand looked like an All-star tonight…
JJ/Smoove drifting further, further out…
Always a bad sign of things to come…
Anybody seen Marvin, he’s M.I.A???
Explain Ivan/Vlad’s 3min. again?
Just Joe
January 21st, 2012
7:54 am
Marvin needs to play well tonight. Cleveland still needs a SF.
Hawks Fan Down Under
January 21st, 2012
7:54 am
Soft as butter tonight. LD is right this team gave up…gave up chasing, gave up fighting around picks, gave up running plays…everything! Just garbage.
But LD needs to make changes, he cant just sit there and make examples of players who don’t fight. He’s got to yank them and put in dudes who never quit like Ivan. So its on both players and coach. Why did Josh play so many minutes in the third? he was one of the main culprits.
And any sort of delusions that we could get to the end of the season with Collins and Zaza as our C is surely gone now. If they dont make a trade then this team will do nothing in the playoffs.
This was just like the Indy game. I cant see this team ever turning the corner…..
Trojan
January 21st, 2012
8:00 am
Collins may play a role but it should be more limited. We have 1 backup center in Zaza and no starting center.
What is happening to Joe? Wow, he is sluggish. He can take no one right now. The game was lost because we have no center and JJ is not being an adequate leader.
W.R. Terrell
January 21st, 2012
8:06 am
There’s a good possibility that we will see Cleveland imitate Philly on defense. A good plan because it is known over the league that Josh premodonna Smith will be a launching pad if they can hold down Joe. The HAWKS momentum went south in the 3rd quarter and Josh was the catalyst that soured the team, they all said wtf. He may continue. Common sense should say if you’re not hitting from the outside then go to your strength and that’s inside but that guy is all for himself and the highlight reel. I knew we would lose when he kept launching shot after bad shot. He will never be an allstar and the proof is how he plays. We may have still lost the game even if he had not be a launching pad but it would have been a better effort. How long can any team put up effort when they are being demoralized on the floor with craziness.