Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 97, Bucks 92
Milwaukee–The Hawks really didn’t solve their issues with holding second-half leads. They still had too many bad possessions, still gave up too many rebounds, and still had too many turnovers at key times.
- But they also had Joe Johnson, who took over after a rough opening half. In this league, sometimes when a lot of things aren’t going right a team just needs its best player to make plays. Joe did it tonight in spite of Stephen Jackson and Co.’s best efforts to slow him.
- “I just tried to alter my focus a little bit coming into tonight,” Joe said, “understanding that these five road games are very important and without Al [Horford] we all have to step up and do just a little more.”
- Joe said he got it going on a play call in the third quarter that got him into the lane. From there, he showed off his ball-handling skills and all-court game. “That’s why I gave him the ball every time down,” Jeff Teague said. “He was just making plays like an All-Star should. He’s almost unguardable. He can dribble, he can shoot midrange, he can get to the cup. Just get the ball in his hands and he goes.”
- “You’ve got to milk the cow until there is no milk left,” Josh Smith said. “They was beating on him all night and he showed so much resilience. He didn’t stop playing, played hard and kept adding physicality on his end. It’s just good to see when your leader is able to lead like that.”
- Joe (and Teague and Josh) played all 24 minutes after halftime. “The one thing I wanted to do in the second half was get him into a rhythm,” Larry Drew said. “I had my mind made up I was going to ride him in the second half.”
- Josh had another All-Star line: 19 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, three blocked shots, no turnovers. And, of course, that dagger 3 from the corner with four seconds on the shot clock.
- Josh said he didn’t know it was going to swing around to him: “I was ready for it, though. I just cherish moments when guys give me the opportunity and put the trust in me. I feel obligated not to let them down. ”
- Teague probably could have shot or made a play off the dribble but instead passed to Josh when Ersan Ilyasova came off of him. “I’ve got confidence in Smoove,” Teague said.
- That sequence was set up when Johnson drew a double team and passed to Teague on the weak side. “We broke down a little but but Joe puts pressure on you,” Scott Skiles said. “He’s a legitimate 6-8, he collapses the defense and he can see people. He made a nice pass out, Teague made a nice play and Josh knocked it down.”
- That play, Joe’s six free throws in the final 16.7 seconds and Marvin Williams’ deflection of Mike Dunleavy’s pass) salvaged what had been another lackluster offensive fourth quarter for the Hawks. “We had some bad stretches in the fourth quarter, but we kept fighting,” Drew said. “When they took the lead in the fourth quarter, it was a chance for us to see what we are made of. Our guys persevered and Josh came up with the three and Joe was absolutely phenomenal.”
- Atlanta defended Milwaukee well in the fourth quarter but gave up five offensive rebounds.
- The Hawks got a nice road W in a rough-and-tumble game. The Bucks tried to muck it up and Josh and Zaza Pachulia (14 rebounds, five personal fouls) were up to the task. It was pretty physical around the basket, similar to the game at Indy, and the Hawks responded better this time.
- Teague was excellent in the first half (11 points on five shots, four rebounds). He struggled after halftime: Brandon Jennings rubbed him off screens too easily and kept picking his pocket.
- Marvin never really got into the flow offensively, so he played 22 minutes to Tracy McGrady’s 26.
- T-Mac missed some clean looks but it’s kind of fun to watch him when he’s in playmaker mode (five assists, no turnovers). Sometimes it looks like he’s dribbling aimlessly into trouble but then suddenly he’s passing to a teammate for a good look. His athleticism has declined but he has plus court vision and instincts and also always seems to come up with a couple key rebounds.
- Vladimir Radmanovic reversed recent trends by making shots (2 of 3 3-pointers) and not adding much else in the box score in his eight minutes. Give Jannero Pargo credit for his ability to get his shot off when the offense is bogged down.
- Ivan Johnson got second-half burn but was quickly pulled when he took a quick J in the fourth quarter.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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279 comments Add your comment
Joe Mama
January 25th, 2012
12:30 am
Yeah Grandad, you aren’t the only one who brings up the fight. but you weren’t there and neither was I. So don’t try and paint Josh as the villain. Josh has always said he do or play where ever the team needed him to. He just wanted to win.
As for the “locker-room dissension, ” you have your version, but the version ive seen on the sites says that Josh, JJ and Marvin all confronted Al about always saying hes going to play this position or that position and not thinking about whats best for the team, then josh got in his face can called him out. Teague was behind Al but its not clear that he was going to help Al, or jump him from behind or if he was just in an awkward position. Nobody knows for sure so what ever you are saying or however you are trying to say Larry Drew is having problems with Josh , who started the fight just inst true. Although Michael Cunningham confirmed there was some drama going on in the locker room you weren’t there neither was I. So stop trying to make Josh out to be the issue. From All accounts Al appears to be the issue. Were you there?
Josh is just trying to play ball. Its Al who is unhappy about playing center and has said hed find it very interesting to be traded to Orlando.
Please stop hating on Josh and let the man play. Josh said earlier this season that he and Larry get along very well and Larry Drew tells Josh to handle his business on the court . So please, stop the hating. The chemistry of this team is much better since Al left. these guys get along are are trying to win. why dont you just root for the team and enjoy the games?
Please stop the hating.
Eric
January 25th, 2012
12:43 am
SteveW, help me out here, I m trying to follow the logic. Josh is one if the very best power forwards in the NBA. Hes a much better power forward than Al. So why would you move josh to the 3 and put Al at the 4?
What kind of offense would you have in your front court if you have Noah and Al ? I really dont think alot of people think these things through.
Help me see the logic of moving one of the very best power forwards in the game out of his position to make room for a guy who can not score as well, nor defend as well.
I appreciate your statement, but wheres the Logic?
Grandad
January 25th, 2012
1:02 am
Earlier in the evening I made mention of the following:
Compare & Contrast PER vs (+/-)
(individual players) v (player ranking within a group of five)
1st I wish to examine PER *(Hollinger) within itself:
Exp; which show the fallacy of such rankings based solely on stats.
*pg – Lou Williams > Rondo
*[2] – Sundiata Gaines > Ray Allen
*[F] – Melo > Bosh (some may agree)
*[F] – Al Harrington > K.Humphries, Granger, & Nene
*[4] – Bargnani > Pau Gasol
*[5] – Marcin Gortat > Andrew Bynum
** note I did not list plyr rating; you can look it up / or just trust me.
_____________________________________________
The next is a random list of plyrs with an excellent (+/-) rating;
*Granger; *Paul George; *Luis Scola; *Jameer Nelson; *Chris Bosh;
*Omer Asik; *Mark Gasol; Jrue Holiday; *Gerald Wallace;
*Jeff Teague & Vladimir Radmanovic
A somewhat more diverse group.
______________________________________________
Now for the comparisons and comments.
Hollinger’s list had such players as:
*CJ Watson; *Mo Williams; *Kyrie Irving; * Marshon Brooks;
*Jarrett Jack; *Nate Robinson; *Chris Anderson; *Jose Calderon;
*Tiago Splitter; Jon Leuer; *Ryan Anderson; & Tony Parker
ranked ahead of many on the (+/-) list,
as some should be.
_____________________________________________
Now, where has all this taken us ?
1st of all – the PER at the top is as it should be. [top 10 or 15]
But, the longer one scans Hollinger’s list; more & more hiccups
begin to occur.
Perhaps the Biggest was Marvin Williams > Luol deng,Nicolas Batum,
John Wall, Gerald Wallace, Joakim noah, & Matt Barnes ….. sigh
-what to make of all this-
(+/-) is a team stat & the better the team; the better your (+/-) score.
some of the PER rankings had some very good players ranked high:
Kyrie Irving for exp.
Would his stat line be lower on a better team ….. probably,
conversely wouldn’t his (+/-) rating be higher on a better team ? yes.
My point is;
you have to take each with a pinch of salt.
Josh Smith for example;
his PER takes his attitude and B-ball IQ out of the equation supposedly.
However Josh was only ranked 38th on the PER list.
Based on stats alone – I cannot imagine many players better than Josh.
Even Hollinger’s stats are flawed as they are overly weighted in some areas
and in my opinion cannot possibly reflect a great ‘`team’` defensive player.
One other item;
LBJ is on top of both PER and (+/-),
therefore he must be pretty good & most valuable.
____________________________________________
That’s enough for one evening.
Grandad
January 25th, 2012
1:15 am
Hatter / alias Joe Mama
What are you talkin’ about ?
I get pissed off at Josh for the dumb stuff he does on the floor.
I’ve never said he caused friction.
If I led someone to believe that;
then understand right now – somebody misunderstood !
‘`Play Hard – Play Smart – Play Together – Play to Win”
-George O’Leary-
Pick the one Josh has the most trouble with !
Be honest with yourself.
Grandad
January 25th, 2012
1:21 am
1:02 am
* Should have been *Deng and one space lower *Noah
** rather than deng & noah
tyger
January 25th, 2012
1:30 am
New Orleans Hornets parameters…
Eric Gordon’s extension in Commissioner Sterns hands?…
Do you send deals directly to Stern or his secretary, Demps?…
What are the parameters?
Young players, rookie wage scale only?
What about expiring contracts?
Here’s the deal that makes sense for everyone:
Hinrich $8.1M/ Marvin $7.5M = $15.6M + ($1.04M TE)
Okafor $12.6M/Gordon $3.8M = $16.4M
Why it works:
Hornets/Stern really want to lower salaries for new ownership…
Hinrich ($8M) expiring + Kaman ($14M) expiring = (- $22M) year end…
Marvin #2 pick under contract, good, young, gets his own team…
Hawks get pieces to contend for championship:
Okafor ($12.6M) gives us the young, true BIG inside…
Gordon ($3.8M) due extension, he can re-sign or walk…
BIGS = Okafor, Horford, Pachulia, Collins
Wings = Smith, McGrady, Vlad, Stackhouse
Guards = Teague, Johnson, Gordon, Green
New Orleans not interested in winning, just slashing payroll…
Hawks have window of opportunity to strike while iron hot…
Okafor doesnt impede Horford or cost us Pachulia, we would be deep…
Gordon young, smart, dynamic and versatile when healthy…
Hawks payroll offset by trade exception and release of non-guaranteed K…
Gordon will get extension, but Smoove leaving after this year anyway…
But who do you talk to? Kobe, Lebron, DHoward who approves the deal?
Najeh Davenpoop
January 25th, 2012
1:37 am
“My point is;
you have to take each with a pinch of salt.”
All these stats like plus/minus and PER try to accomplish the same goal — to show how good a player is individually, independent of team context. None of them actually accomplish this goal. No stat yet has been able to fully and accurately isolate a player’s individual ability from the team context.
In my opinion, the best way to use those stats is to cross-check where a player stands under each stat, use that to supplement what you see with your eyes, and hope your eyes ain’t playing tricks on you. The people who try to rely too heavily on stats (in any sport) usually end up making fools of themselves.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
January 25th, 2012
3:04 am
FIRE SUND
tyger
January 25th, 2012
4:10 am
Gordon may get $12M extension….
Apparently, Kobe, Lebron, DHoward approved Gordon’s extension…
Nevertheless, we still can get Okafor…w/ 3way with Indiana…
Marvin/Hinrich to NO
Granger to NO
Gordon to Indy
Okafor to Atl
cut a couple bench guys are we’re good to go…
Spurs will be good test, Hawks not a good road team…
Spurs well disciplined, battle tested but old…
Hawks mentally weak, we’ll get good feedback on needs…
Would like to see Hinrich, but probably should wait…
Get a good read on this core, don’t build in any excuses…
tyger
January 25th, 2012
4:11 am
Moreover, NO folks think Marvin/Hinrich + pick a great deal for them…
Grandad
January 25th, 2012
4:42 am
Najeh
I hope that was the point I made.
My original motive was to disprove Javale McGee’s effectiveness
solely by using stats, after some folks began using his potential
based on his physical prowess thus citing statistical improvement
to offset his mental deficiencies.
I’m with you that the eye test is what counts most.
Accordingly, when scouting a player, I go entirely with what I see.
Team stats (+/-) tell alot if you know the team.
example:
Teaguer leads the Hawks in (+/-)
Is he our best player ? … No.
At this point in time;
is he the player we can least afford to do without ? … probably so.
What team stats show the most though;
and what I used them for, was who worked well together.
(combinations)
It is also helpful to know – not who your best 5 players are ?
But, who your best five who play together are ?
That is who you want on the floor in the 4th Qtr.
The Hawks:
Teaguer, Joe, V-Rad, T-Mac, & Josh.
From your observation the other night;
that does not specifically frame the defensive end of the floor.
True.
But, overall the five I mentioned produce at a higher rate together.
So, as far as your statement ….. “the eye test”
determining who’s the better player, I agree.
Stats are meant to be an aid; never the answer !
Stats will never measure the head and the heart.
Now we’re back to JaVale McGee;
does he have the head & the heart of a champion ?
vava74
January 25th, 2012
5:19 am
Why bother wasting time discussing impossible trades?
McGee IF placed on the trading block will attract major players from everywhere around the league, regardless of his very noticeable and substantial deficiencies.
Shot blocking, coordinated and athletic seven footers cannot be obtained on trades involving Marvin, Hinrich’s expiring, …
The only guy who would be acceptable for WAS in a trade for McGee is Horford, with them probably dumping a bad contract / trouble maker on us to get it done (Blatche, for instance).
When we discussed Diaw and his man-bra coming to the Hawks to help us plug the hole, we were discussing a player who is low in CHA’s pecking order and a guy who they are willing to DUMP for little in return (marginal talent like Marvin or an expiring contract like Hinrich’s).
McGee may be TRADED, but he will NOT BE DUMPED.
vava74
January 25th, 2012
5:27 am
Also:
It’s not that I particularly like Diaw, in particular because he does not behave professionally – although again, as mentioned for McGee, that could change with the Hawks – BUT:
His skill set would fit on the Hawks offense really well:
Diaw is a fairly good shooter and could lodge minutes at the C spot taking the exact same elbow and baseline shots that Al does (being able also to knock the 3 ball).
He is an excellent passer, which coupled with knock down shooters like JJ and V-Rad and coupled with Josh and Teague’s slashing ability would allow us to break zones with Diaw manning the high post and passing to the shooter or the slasher.
He is – when motivated – a decent rebounder and decent man to man defender (not talking about first class, but decent).
I love Hinrich but looking at how we are right now, I think Diaw would make real sense for us.
Buddy Grizzard
January 25th, 2012
5:35 am
“Noah has had a tough season to this point. Don’t know why.” – SteveW
Sam Smith has acknowledged on his blog the speculation that Noah is sand-bagging it to avoid being part of a Dwight Howard trade that would land him and his long term contract on a perennial lottery team.
“And K Irving is better than I thought he would be.” – SteveW
Agree… Also surprised Williams isn’t doing more but the T-Wolves have depth at forward.
Dukester
January 25th, 2012
6:02 am
Well to get Jevale Mcgee your saying we have to take Rashard Lewis. Ok lets do this deal Marvin,Zaza and Hinrich and a 2nd pick or trade exception whatever we have to make the trade work. Rashard Contract ends next yr so we owe marvin and zaza 31 million it all comes out in the wash. I would do it.
crawford>tmac
January 25th, 2012
6:16 am
Tmacs averaging 7 points 4 boards 2 assists and you guys are acting he is steve nash.Crawford>>>>>>thack
hittman jamillion
January 25th, 2012
6:35 am
WHO THE HELL ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT WE NEED BRAD MILLER? YALL NEED TO COME UP WITH SCENARIOS THAT A MAKE THE TEAM BETTER NOT WORSE. CHICAGO A NEVER GIVE UP NOAH FOR MARVIN AND HINRICH,WTF. YOU GUYS WANT SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. AL FOR MCGEE IS GOOD FOR ME AND WE PROBABLY A GET ANOTHER PLAYER BACK OR A PICK WHICH WILL BE TOP FIVE CAUSE THEY ARE HORRIBLE. WITH MCGEE WE’LL HAVE OUR INSIDE DEFENDER .YOU GOTTA PAY TO PLAY PIMPIN,ALL THAT HALF ASS RENOVATING YALL DOING NOT GOING TO WORK,THE HOUSE STILL HAS HOLES IN IT BUT YOU WANNA PAINT OVER IT.
drmaryb.[*_*].
January 25th, 2012
7:09 am
Sund will not bust a move until the trade deadline in March, iF then. He will assess Kirk’s return, (returning from injury after injury after injury after injury) and, where Horford is in his rehabilitation progress.
By then, how much value will Kirk have left? Also, the bench will shake loose it’s own parts, as many of them have temporary, stop gap non-guaranteed contracts to allow a few pennies in wiggle room. Ivan has been a huge bright spot and has behaved himself, while still showing his wotrhy and useful wares. Forget about signing new a 12M player, with an eye to upcoming contracts extensions for Josh and Teague.
I feel Josh is the ONE player who loves playing at home and will not be so eager to bolt regardless of the owners foolishness with this not spending wisely to get what the team really need and the blacked out scoreboard.
Besides Josh’s Father is the one pulling those Javal McGee “joe mama” strings. He, (josh’s father) is SHE, Javal’s mother. (she winks to joe-mama’s gender)
Dukester
January 25th, 2012
8:02 am
@HITMAN JAMILLION I just looked at washington roster and they real dont have anybody besides Jevale Mcgee that could make that work for Al Horford. We would be way upside down on that trade. Im sure they are not giving up a 1st rd pick in a deal like that. But if the hawks can gather a inside presence and the bench joe and Josh keep it up they would be scary come playoffs.
Buddy Grizzard
January 25th, 2012
8:04 am
“Josh is the ONE player who loves playing at home and will not be so eager to bolt…” – drmaryb
I’m glad your glass is overflowing drmaryb. I’m not nearly so optimistic about the prospects of Josh staying. He’s going to be an All-Star this season and alot of people who have ignored his potential are suddenly going to sit up and take notice. He will be an unrestricted free agent looking for a max contract in the summer of 2013. The ASG will have to make a decision on whether to pay Josh $30m more than other teams are offering or start rebuilding. The Hawks have a 1.5 season window… starting… NOW.
vava74
January 25th, 2012
8:23 am
crawford>tmac
January 25th, 2012
6:16 am
Crawford is shooting .36 from the floor .30 from 3 point land.
Get real.
McGrady may be washed up but when he is on the floor, everyone around him is instantly better.
I was never ever a fan o McGrady – and I am still not sold on him since I think his poor conditioning is the main cause for his irregular contributions – but it’s a no contest between having Crawford or a solid group of veterans capable of offering multiple things towards winning games.
We have had virtually everyone in our bench making critical contributions to wins this season.
Crawford was indeed spectacular here and there but was also horrible in so many games that it was hard to watch.
vava74
January 25th, 2012
8:42 am
Josh will certainly look to bolt after this contract.
He has indicated this off-season that he would be OK with a trade and his commentaries through the grape vine that he is the focus of excessive criticism in comparison to other guys seem to corroborate this as a major possibility in his mind.
He will look to sign with Howard’s team (whoever that may be) but I am not too sure on how that will work for him.
Too brick layers with enormous athleticism but shaky skills* and poor FT shooting seems a rather unlikely combination on a true contender.
* both show flashes of technical improvement followed by highly inconsistent performances – I think both have trouble creating “muscle memory” and solidifying the parts of the game they practice (or they do not practice enough/correctly).
I can’t see both guys finishing games in crunch time, so my guess is that no one will be desperate enough to please Howard to accommodate that request.
That would leave Josh to sign simply for $$, in which case he may end up with the better offer from us.
However, if he gets an offer for more than the 13 million, that would create a major problem for us since we need to re-sign Teague (who will attract suitors if he keeps improving at this pace) and I don’t see the ASG using the amnesty with JJ to free up space to go forward with Teague, Al and Josh.
All the above is always betting that we manage to off-load Marvin for some cap relief – ie. Marvin’s money needs to go to Teague.
wordsmithtom
January 25th, 2012
8:43 am
Vava,
Teamwork wins where FLASH teases. TMac makes everybody else better whenever he’s on the floor. That’s TEAMWORK.
Dr.Mary,
Seal done run off the Poo Poo. Saw him on Ellen yesterday. Dude can still flat out sing. He sang an old school soul # by Rev. Al Green, “Let’s Stay Together”. Hit it out of the park.
daniel
January 25th, 2012
9:14 am
Lets see, unlike Crawford, tmac is chucking bthe ball everytime he touches. HECck EVEN today based on his current play tmac can probaly average 16 to 18 a game he reverted to being a shoot first guy. Remember his 14 point last quarter in miami when he went into scoring mode or the 11 against the heat in Atlanta. Jamal needs almost as many shots as the points per game he scores with a terrible %
Effeciency tmac
Rebounding Tmac
Passing Tmac
Shooting Tmac
Defense Tmac
Post play Tmac
Vet Leadershiop Tmac
Defender Tmac
Most importantly better bang for you’r buck, Tmac by a long way. McGrady if he wanted to start jacking up like JJ or Crawford is still a 17 to 18 a game type player. He is more of a team player.
Astro Joe
January 25th, 2012
9:24 am
David Aldridge is saying the kevin Love extension is NOT final. Honestly, if Westbrook got 5 years, Love needs to get 5 years.
Hawks better come to do some work on the boards tonight.
vava74
January 25th, 2012
9:59 am
Tonight’s game:
I see us being beaten by 12-18 pts with another slow 3rd quarter after a first half in which we never lead and always trail by around 6-9 pts.
SA has been solid at home.
Duncan seems to have recovered his mojo recently and we have no one who can guard him effectively.
Parker is also balling and I am a bit worried that Teague may have an off day once Parker gets by him a couple of times.
Jcard120
January 25th, 2012
10:05 am
Why are you guys talking about trades when we are number 1 in the division and playing with effort we have not seen in years past. Support your team and be glad they are playing hard night in and night out and winning close games. If I see another comment about a trade which would break up the teams chemistry I am gonna call Immigration on your @$$. Our bench has been playing great, Josh smith has played like an all star, and Joe has done a a great job of scoring in clutch situations and being a leader on the court. GO Hawks vs the SPURS
O'Brien
January 25th, 2012
10:22 am
Will the ASG continue to spend money to keep our “medium 3″ together? JJ, Josh and Al will make almost $45 mil alone. That’s a big chunk out of your salary cap, when at best, your ceiling is still the second round.
And when Teague’s contract comes up, he will be due for a big raise too. He is only making $1.6 mil right now, and I expect that number to jump to at least $5 mil.
O'Brien
January 25th, 2012
10:29 am
Joe Mama,
You said Perhaps that way he is so disappointed in Al’s selfish and unrealistic demands, which is the true source of the grumblings in the locker room..
Did you read that somewhere? In everything I’ve read, Josh has nothing but good things to say about Al. So what’s your source?
O'Brien
January 25th, 2012
10:33 am
Joe,
One thing I do agree with is we should NOT play Al at PF full time, and we should NOT play Josh at SF full time. That is not their best position (imo).
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
10:49 am
Eric – I was just throwing a scenario out there. We could even keep a Horford/Noah at C, and let Horford spell Josh a little there. The point is you get quality players if you have the opportunity, and I like our chances this year if we get 1 more serviceable Big.
Hitman – The Noah thing was in response to a question/observation KevinM was making. With Noah being down, and his contract going up, it looks like they may be laying the groundwork to keep Asik, who’s a RFA after this season, and dump Noah. We were just looking at possibilities, that’s all.
I’ve already gone on record to get Javale if possible at a decent price.
And if Brad Miller is healthy, I don’t see how he makes us worse – you like ZaZa and Collins as your C rotation? I like Ivan too, but he is a little undersized to play C sometimes.
DS
January 25th, 2012
10:51 am
Joe Mamma: I never heard anyone saying Al is lazy or injury prone. Most people would say he’s the hardest working player in the Hawks and very consistent. What makes you think he’s lazy and injury prone (other than his recent injury)?
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
10:51 am
Yea, can somebody please post the source for the Al vs. Marvin, Josh, and JJ locker room confrontation. I can’t find it by googling.
Fundamentals
January 25th, 2012
10:52 am
Josh is the leader of this team 90% of the time so he will get heat regardless. He needs to man up and deal with the responsibility being the top dog brings. I do think the fight for who’s the best 4 did heat up in the locker room. Al seems to be the one ASG caters to, which rightly so, irritated Josh. What’s best for the team, however, is Al at the 5, which he doesn’t prefer. Right now we need folks to continue to play their role. This season, as with the past seasons, we go as Josh goes.
Whether you like Josh or not, you’re stuck on the coaster till it pulls back into the station. Josh is growing, he’s maturing, he’s playing some excellent ball. Seems losing Al opened the door for him to shine. Don’t hate the fact that he stepped up. It’s nice to see Joe has done so as well.
Basketball is a TEAM sport. Demanding the 4 spot has no place on our TEAM.
Fundamentals
January 25th, 2012
10:56 am
I don’t see Javale making it past the trade deadline in Washington. Dude is talentaed, but a malcontent in their losing culture. Would he tighten up in a winning program? Time will tell, but he’s definitely talented. I’d love to see him in a solid role for a contender, just to see what he could do as a true role player. He’s proven he can’t be relied on to carry the burden of leading a quality team.
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
10:56 am
Jcard120 – Most of the trades I’ve seen are not about breaking up the core, unless your talking about Al for Javale. There may be some other ones out there, but I haven’t seen them. Unless you count Hinrich and Marvin as core, then there are some trade ideas involving them.
Hoopsworld reported we are shopping Hinrich for a Big.
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
10:58 am
Fundamentals – you said, “I do think the fight for who’s the best 4 did heat up in the locker room. ”
Any ideas when, or is this just speculation?
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
11:00 am
Josh Smith speaking of JJ in the above article – “It’s just good to see when your leader is able to lead like that.” ”
So JJ is the leader to Josh.
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
11:03 am
How does internal strife turn into JJ, Marvin, and Josh confronting Al, with Teague behind him, and Josh calling Al out? Is this a figment of somebody’s imagination? Somebody quote a source or something.
Rufus1
January 25th, 2012
11:08 am
I don’t want McGEE…. Definitely not for Al-Star.
McGee may be the 3rd or 4th best player on THE WORST TEAM IN THE NBA. The ONLY thing he does better than AL is TALL and BLOCK SHOTS.
He doesn’t REBOUND better, he isn’t a better SHOOTER, he isn’t DEFENDER, he isn’t as CONSISTENT and Al is SMARTER!!!
Age 24 Mcgee
25 Horford
Al is an Allstar….Mcgee is a !@#$%. …I WOULD NEVER TRADE AL FOR MCGEE.
This Team has about a 2yr window to win a title and AL is better for that run.
PS. I would rather have Benson. Give him 20min a game and in 2yrs he would be a better player than Mcgee(4th yr) offensively and an equal shot blocker.
Fundamentals
January 25th, 2012
11:09 am
Nobody has any real sources. It’s all speculation.
I can’t say I’d give Al up for Javale. I honestly can’t decide whether getting Javale as a big for Hinrich would help this team. Hinrich will give us a great boost to our backcourt. I’d say lose Sloan or Stack to make room. Pargo has proven his value to me. Ivan is a definite for this team. He brings 100% of what we lack. I loved watching him torment Gooden the other night.
There are options for signing a free agent big. All we need is D, rebounding and a shot blocking presence. We don’t need much to get us over the hump. I honestly believe Smoove can keep up his pace. He’s finally using his talent. Has he maximized? I’d say no, so there’s still room to improve. Dude is truly gifted, except when it comes to shot selection.
Astro Joe
January 25th, 2012
11:12 am
If you say something enough times on a blog, it becomes a fact. So if this alledged confrontation between Hawks gets repeated on enough different blogs, then it eventually becomes a TMZ-worthy rumor.
vava74
January 25th, 2012
11:20 am
SteveW,
Why do you bother?
The Troll has a point somewhere in the middle of all that crap – I think Al’s attitude towards playing C is wrong too – but he:
a) does not look at the means necessary for him to make a point, even if he has to completely distort reality; and
b) loves to get on everyone’s nerves by doing a) to the point in which b) – getting into people’s nerves – is an aim on its own greater than the original Hawks’ related thoughts he may have.
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
11:23 am
You know, this deal about Josh shining after Al went down is just not true. Josh was shining before Al went down. Josh’s 5 games before Al was hurt are:
15 pts and 14 rebounds at Chicago
17 points and 13 rebounds vs the Heat
23 points and 13 rebounds at Charlotte
25 points, 6 Blocks, and 5 assists, and 4 steals against Chicago
26 points on 10-14 shooting with 4 assists and 3 steals @ NJ
The dude was beastin’ before Al got hurt, so ya’ll quite saying Al got hurt, and now Josh can shine. Josh seemed to be shining just fine with Al playing.
Ken Strickland
January 25th, 2012
11:32 am
JOE MAMA-Either you believe everyone else is as dumb as a door knob, or you’re as dumb as a door knob, or it’s a combination of the 2. The HORFORD HATING BS you keep spewing is so deep you have to make up even more BS to keep the stench going. If you”re not putting words in players mouths, you’re completely misrepresenting facts, ignoring them completely, or trivializing them.
You obviously don’t have a very high basketball IQ, and you obviously crave attention, so you use the approach where you focus on one player and continuously bash him. You obviously don’t seem to care that you usually look like a complete fool in the process. Only a complete fool would think anyone would buy you ANAL MINDED EXCUSE for trivializing Hordord’s selection as the NBAs 3rd best center.
You implied that his selection shouldn’t be respected or taken seriously because of who selected him, like all of the other players were selected in a different way by a different group. Now, that major example of supreme stupidity is definitely on you. You’ve been asked at least 3 times, that I know of, to produce any proof of certain comments you claim were made by Horford and Josh. So far, we’re all still waiting for you to offer any proof, or anything other than your usually ANAL MINDED BS. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!
Fundamentals
January 25th, 2012
11:42 am
We’ll never get good trade value for Horford. He’s better kept till next year. If we want to win we need to pay some $$.
Fundamentals
January 25th, 2012
11:43 am
Meaning $$ for a FA.
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
11:46 am
What JJ says about Tracy McGrady – ““It’s always fun to be out there on the floor with him,” said the Hawks’ Joe Johnson. “He’s a guy I definitely idolized when he really had it going. To be out there with him, to see him able to make plays, it’s an honor and privilege.”
Now that’s classy
SteveW
January 25th, 2012
11:48 am
Vava74 – thanks for the reminder bro – occasionally I get carried away.
Rod from College Park
January 25th, 2012
11:48 am
vava74
“I was never ever a fan o McGrady – and I am still not sold on him since I think his poor conditioning is the main cause for his irregular contributions – but it’s a no contest between having Crawford or a solid group of veterans capable of offering multiple things towards winning games.”
I know, you said he was a loser. I told you that he was a good pickup. That being said, the TMac addition, being better than Jamal Crawford sould not be judged until the playoffs. If TMac is hurt, or can’t play consecutive games in the playoffs, then it was not a good move. Lets please not act like the Hawks made the decision to go this route. They could not afford Crawford, and ended up signing guys cheaper. I agree that having multiple players contributing is making the Hawks looks better now, but again, playoff basketball is totally different. The comparison was not between Jamal Crawford and a bunch of guys, it was between Jamal and TMac. In the playoffs for us to be successful, TMac will have to score. Mark my words. Him being a veteran, and a past scoring champion, I have confidence that he understands that, and will be able to adjust, IF HE IS HEALTHY. HEALTHY is the main thing. Jamal rarely missed a game while he was in Atlanta.
To all the Jamal haters (like Vava), who like to say things like he shoots too much, does not get people involved……. You really show your lack of knowledge of the game with those statements. Jamal’s role (job) at this point in his career is to be a hired gun. Teams pay him to be a scorer off the bench. His FG%…… is not important. He is the Vinny Johnson of todays game. His coach and his teammates look for him to come in the game and shoot. Just like Rodman was supposed to rebound, Zaza is supposed to bang, Bowen was supposed to defend, Dell Curry was supposed to shoot, Jamal is a scorer. Stop trying to hate on him for doing what his coaches and teammates ask him to do. Quotes from the Portland game Monday night, where he went for 26 by the way.
“PORTLAND, Ore. — Jamal Crawford knew what had been holding him back: too much thinking and not enough shooting. His coach and teammates agreed.”
“All these guys said, ‘Just play,’” said Crawford, who joined the Blazers last month as a free agent. “[They said] you’ve got to be the person you were before you came here. You can’t try to fit it in.”
Please notice in the quotes that HIS COACH AND TEAMMATES want him to be who he is. That is what they paid him to do. There is no need to hate on Jamal Crawford now because you think the team is better with a bunch of low level free agents. Remember Denver had this formula last year, and looked great in the regular season, and could not get out of the first round without Melo. the playoffs is when all will be told.