Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 101, Suns 99
Phoenix–I’ll let Willie Green sum it up: “First half we allowed them to dictate the tempo of the game. They pretty much got anything they wanted. They just controlled the game. The second half we threw that zone at them, threw them off rhythm a little bit, got our hands up on their shots, got some fastbreak points. We got right back in the game.”
- The Suns shredded the Hawks through three quarters. The Hawks hung around because Willie Green, Jeff Teague and Josh Smith made 3s, Smith controlled the boards and they collected 11 steals.
- The Hawks started to pull away to win in the fourth quarter because the zone slowed Phoenix’s screen-roll game and the Suns couldn’t make enough shots or pry away misses from Smith. “I thought the turning point was we couldn’t seem to get anything going against their zone,” Alvin Gentry said.
- In the fourth quarter Smith scored 10 points and rebounded six of Phoenix’s eight misses. Green and Vladimir Radmanovic each made a timely 3. It also helped that Steve Nash (!) and Ronnie Price picked up some ill-timed technical fouls.
- It wasn’t always pretty for the Hawks. They had some bumbling plays, like Vlad Rad and Kirk Hinrich fumbling away a simple handoff exchange and Josh stepping out of the bounds while setting up for a 3. Josh couldn’t quite kick his jumper habit.
- But the Hawks won and now get two days without a game for the first time all season. “I thought it was a typo on my schedule,” Larry Drew said. “We need it in the worst way. I told the guys I don’t even want to see them tomorrow, just get away.”
- “I don’t want to see him either,” Josh said. “I want to see the bed, the pillow, the cover.”
- Smith deserves some sleep. He played the entire fourth quarter and alternated between scoring on Js and by attacking the basket. He was a beast on the boards, had two steals and was a menace patrolling the middle of the zone in the small lineup.
- “I just wanted to be aggressive,” Josh said. “I knew they were keying in on Joe [Johnson] and we needed some offense somewhere else. Me and Willie definitely picked up the slack. We played like we were supposed to be playing throughout the game.”
- Josh almost didn’t get his chance to carry the Hawks late. “I was going to pull Josh out early in fourth, but Joe said, ‘Leave him out there. He’s young.’ I’m glad he did because he just played a phenomenal game inside and out and defensively he was all over the place.”
- Joe: “When you’ve got a guy rolling like that. . . . He can handle it. He’s only 24, 25 (actually 26). He’s got some mileage left. Ride him until the wheels fall off. We’ve got two days off. He can rest tomorrow. I definitely wasn’t going to let coach take him out of the game, whether I had to sit down or not.”
- Josh’s final line in 45 minutes: 30 points on 23 shots, 17 rebounds, seven assists, four steals, three blocked shots, four turnovers.
- After Josh got off on a steady diet of post-ups during a stretch of the fourth quarter, Drew put the ball in Joe’s hands. It didn’t go well. His deliberate style slowed what had been a crisp offensive rhythm. That’s not a big problem when he’s creating and making good shots but he wasn’t doing that at winning time. “Credit guys like Willie and Vlad for coming off the bench and being ready,” Joe said.
- Most of Drew’s other moves worked out. The zone could have backfired if the Suns made shots and the Hawks couldn’t rebound but, really, it was the only hope of preventing Nash from carving them up.
- “We was having trouble guarding those guys man-to-man,” Green said. “Steve Nash is so good with the ball, if you don’t pick him up and get your hands in his vision he is hitting guys diving down at the basket for pinpoint shots. Second half we were keeping them under control, kept them on the perimeter and making them shoot over us.”
- I also can’t really fault Drew for closing with Green, Hinrich and Vlad Rad over Jeff Teague, Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia. And that’s not just with the benefit of hindsight.
- Teague was having a good offensive game but, when the Hawks did play man on a couple possessions, Hinrich was much better than Teague with crowding Nash and fighting over screens. Marvin was rebounding but Green was making shots (and six free throws). Zaza was having a strong game but the small lineup worked with Vlad Rad as a threat to make 3s.
- “In this kind of game you try to find the right combination of guys out there that can get you in some kind of rhythm,” Drew said. “Josh at five, Vlad at the four, it seemed to work out. We had the defense spread pretty good and we had shooters all over the place.”
- After a rough night checking Andrew Bynum, which happens, Zaza (two blocks, two steals) again more than held his own against an opponent with more accolades and a bigger paycheck. He’s never going to be nimble enough to defend a screen-roll attack this good. But he fills a valuable role on a team where driving to the basket and earning free throws and defense at the rim are scarce commodities.
- Tracy McGrady said it was his decision to sit: “Just resting”
- The Hawks still had to sweat it out at the end. After Channing Frye’s putback, Josh took the ball out from under the Suns’ basket. He sailed a long pass into the backcourt, which was a good idea because Green was breaking free. However, the pass was way too long and bounced away a few feet in front of Green.
- If Green didn’t at least touch it, it’s Phoenix ball under its basket with 2.1 seconds left. “Whatever it took, I was going to dive at it,” Green said. “I knew I just had to touch it.”
- Josh: “He’s athletic enough to run it down. He said he was definitely going to get a hand on it. I’m glad that he did. I’m really happy that he did.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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422 comments Add your comment
ntrigue
February 16th, 2012
9:34 am
Only 4 players have ever put up a stat line like Josh Smith did last night!
STRONGHAWK
February 16th, 2012
9:37 am
PAUL P. PLEASE!!!!!! HE”S ON THE WAY OUT THE DOOR. I WOULDN’T TRADE AL FOR NOTHING IN THE WORLD. THEY BETTER GET SOMETHING TO GO WITH HIM.
Mark
February 16th, 2012
9:38 am
Good win, but the team we beat is UNDER 500. I know Josh shoots those jumpers, but be need to put him as SF. Anything that will put Marvin on the bench. He just doesn’t have it. PLEASE LD!
Astro Joe
February 16th, 2012
9:39 am
northcyde, Joe only had 7 or 8 FGAs thru 3 quarters last night. In some ways, I’m okay with him being a decoy when the opposing team is keyed on him. Especially if other Hawks are scoring well (Teague in the 1st quarter and Josh in the 2nd half). I’d rather see that than a player who seems to believe that he must take his allotment of shots just because he is the team’s number 1 option (e.g. Melo). My concern was that when he did shoot, he didn’t get into the paint. But I personally like the overall team-first decision to allow other teammates (including Willie in the 4th) to get their groove on and not be an “alpha dog” when you’re shot isn’t falling. No need to shoot the hawks out of a win.
vava74
February 16th, 2012
9:39 am
Northcyde,
I am not getting carried away.
It’s make of break theory.
Basically, this wishy-washy state in which everyone is – INCLUDING JOSH HIMSELF – in relation to Josh having or not having the ability some believe he has must END.
We are not getting anywhere anyhow so what would the problem of taking a gamble?
NONE, I can guarantee you. If we gave Josh 25 games of chief cog status we would KNOW and probably HE would know as well where we really are.
Sometime we need to push things off a cliff to make thins happen.
The time for this move is NOW in my opinion.
He is young enough to EITHER MAKE IT or realise that he won.
Give him 25 games at 22 shots per, regardless of selection, type and location.
Tell everyone in the ball club that he is the ONLY captain.
The hometown boy deserves that shot.
Jammin Da Hoop
February 16th, 2012
9:47 am
First Hawks game I’ve watched in its entirety this year. Teague,J.Smith,W.Green,Hinrich easily the best all round players (offense & defense). Marvin,Zaza,JJ look lazy & lost out there. I’d start Willie Green over Marvin every night. Split the minutes between Teague & Hinrich (keep the one in there that’s hottest if one is cold). Run the offense thru J.Smith & Teague/Hinrich (first options). Still need a bonafide center that can score.
STRETCH
February 16th, 2012
9:49 am
Anybody else for Willie Green starting over Marvin? I know I AM!
Jammin Da Hoop
February 16th, 2012
9:50 am
Willie Green plays with energy. He hits 3’s and makes good passes. Marvin does none of this. Marvin is jittery with the ball and turns it over.
B'Red
February 16th, 2012
9:50 am
Fire Rick Sund and hire Dominique as GM, I’m sure he can do a better job in getting some talent in here.
Baller4Life
February 16th, 2012
9:51 am
Heck yeah ! Green over Marvin all day.
STRETCH
February 16th, 2012
9:51 am
JT
WGreen
JJ
JS
Zaza
KH
T-Mac
Marvin/Vlad
Ivan
Dampier
drmaryb.[*_*].
February 16th, 2012
9:55 am
Ballers and Busters!
Josh
Willie
Drew (the zone & listening to Joe)
________
Busters – Marvin
_________
Re: Josh, this man will literally shoot himself into becoming a bona fide shooter in this league. When cold he will shoot until he gets hot …. The true test of a shooter’s mentality.
What I have come to understand about this is, Josh has a ton of confidence in his game, shot and a ton of heart! He ain’t NEVER scared and, is the ONLY player on this team that will leave it ALL on the floor. Definitely Rodman-Esque. Josh really don’t give a damn what anyone thinks and will always push the envelope. Leave Josh alone!
Each year Josh is/has added components to his all around game. At this point he can do what ever he wants, because of that. I’m buying Josh – I’m selling Marvin.
Baller4Life
February 16th, 2012
9:56 am
I’d go with Teague,Hinrich,J.Smith,Green,Zaza (nobody else best of worst big men). JJ doesn’t play with enough energy and heart to be a starter.
doc
February 16th, 2012
10:01 am
vava the best of them like d wade or steve nash make turnovers. it may be the most overused stat on a players overall impact to a game.
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:04 am
drmaryb,
Read my post on page 2.
I don’t think you are right about Josh’s self confidence.
He has the desire but the criticism gets in his head and breaks his flow.
His air balls come invariably in shots in which he doubts himself.
My theory is that we need to name him chief cog and give him green light to shoot whatever he wants and to command the team.
It would be a make or break test. Josh will not get “there” with nudges in an attempt to mould his game.
MAYBE he will if pushed into a complete leadership role.
northcyde
February 16th, 2012
10:06 am
Vava, that’s Hawk suicide man. No way you would’ve come to that opinion before last night. If Josh has the advantage, we should ride him. If Teague has the advantage, we should ride him too. The way this fan base is, the first game in which Josh goes 5 – 18 with 6 turnovers, people would have a fit.
Basically what the Hawks need to start doing maybe, is ride the hot hand, regardless of who it is.
drmaryb.[*_*].
February 16th, 2012
10:09 am
I Read pages 2 forward from the bottom up after commenting on page 1. I see vava74 and I have come to the same conclusion re: Josh.
Copyright what vava said, like I’m SOLD on Teague, I’m definitely SOLD on Josh. This is Josh’s TEAM as of right now. Josh has marked his territory and is a bonafide leader on this team. Also, Josh remains respectful of Joe and his team mates … Again, leave Josh alone! Give Teague the damn ball!
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:09 am
Mold
Triangle Offense
February 16th, 2012
10:12 am
I wish Josh could play like this against the Lakers and Elites of the Basketball world!
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:13 am
northcyde,
Suicide? This franchise is a zombie.
There is no real life for suicide to happen.
It’s a GAMBLE which only has upside.
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:14 am
Joe and Al are all-stars by default. Josh tryin to earn one. Most heart on the team by far. Gets on my nerves with the jumpers, but still.
bigdave
February 16th, 2012
10:15 am
i agree w/ vava… it might be that time.
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
10:15 am
Dont get carried away.. the Suns are a sub .500 team….
Benching Iso and #24 took balls for Larry to do..Shocked he did that?
Got an idea: Make ISO a player coach! hahahahahah
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:16 am
Worried about my boy Teague Mary B. Dumbazz is starting to ride Kirk a little too much for my tastes.
bigdave
February 16th, 2012
10:17 am
but that is contingent upon LD designing offense that caters to his strengths. as it stands now, Josh is an outlet option, resulting in a jump shot.
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:18 am
Bring Joe off the bench? Wow! He’s as boring as rainy day, but ARE YOU CRAZY?
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:20 am
Marvin been starting for 7 years, and you think LD’s has the guts to bring JJ off the bench? Energy, or no energy, that’s not happening.
bigdave
February 16th, 2012
10:21 am
it just seems like Joe lost the desire to compete on the level needed against strong competition. Josh might f-up in the process, but he plays the game like he gives a damn.
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:22 am
Yoy start JJ, and bench him if he’s having one of those I DONT GIVE A F games. Now Marvin on the other hand. “Bless his heart”.
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:22 am
“You”
terrell
February 16th, 2012
10:24 am
Guarantee you Marvin would win a game of hot potato. He acts like he’s scared to have the ball in his hands most of the time. lol
northcyde
February 16th, 2012
10:26 am
This franchise isn’t a zombie. We’re simply not an elite team. And people hate that.
To win the title, you normally need 3 guys playing at all-star level at all times during the playoffs. We simply don’t have that here. Our only shot is to become a lights out defensive team. Josh is our defensive anchor, but he needs help. Wish we could’ve swung a deal for Iggy when the Sixers were thinking about trading him. Wish we would’ve made a play for Dalembert at last years trade deadline.
Astro Joe
February 16th, 2012
10:31 am
I think if you look at Josh’s stat line, you could decide that he is ready to be ridden as the team’s first scoring option. but if you watched the game, you would know that he was simply en fuego in a way that is not likely to happen again anytime soon. Again, designing a plan that requires the unusual to become the norm is fairly idiotic. I don’t think that Willie Green is able to sustain last night’s performance. I don;t think Josh is able to sustain 80% of last night’s performance. But that is why you need quality depth, because NO player can be on each and every game. If Josh and Willie fail to make it happen in the next game, hopefully someone like Jeff and TMac will get r done. Let’s not try and lable guys, let’s do like the old school Pistons used to do… keep feeding the hot man, Vinnie, Dumars, Isiah, Dantley/Aguirre Laimbeer, whomever. Find the hot hand and ride him until he cools off.
Just Joe
February 16th, 2012
10:32 am
Don’t bring JJ off the bench, trade him instead (for anything):
1) Orlando for H. Turkoglu & JJ Reddick.
2) Cleveland for A. Jamison & A. Parker.
3) Minnesota for M. Beasley, M. Webster & B. Miller.
4) New Jersey for M. Okur, A. Morrow & J. Farmar.
5) Toronto for J. Calderon & L. Barbosa.
6) Washington (with Marvin) for R. Lewis & N. Young.
tidog
February 16th, 2012
10:32 am
The zebra can’t change his stripes and Joe Johnson’s leadship style is what it is. His personality isn’t the vocal rah rah style leading. There’s nothing wrong with that either, I don’t recall Larry Bird being a vocal rah rah guy. But there was never a doubt in anyone’s mind that he was the leader of the team. The team relied on him and he’d respond with his game. Joe’s tendency not to respond with his game when the team relies on it’s leader is a problem. Management, coach and players may need to reevaluate “who is the go to man on their team?.
northcyde
February 16th, 2012
10:35 am
Totally agree with Astro.
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
10:37 am
When you hire Sund as a GM you can forget about a Championship run..This dude does not have it and never did…
32 years of what? Crickets…………………………… 2 trades in 4 years? Get outta of here……
STRETCH
February 16th, 2012
10:40 am
Just Joe,
Like number 6!
bigdave
February 16th, 2012
10:40 am
1st offensive option, i dont know. though Josh could be capable due to his play making ability, we dont know where he’d get his looks from when a basket was needed. i thought the premise was based on team captain.. leader.
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:40 am
northcyde/AJ,
Re-read my posts.
I only gave about 20% chance that the gamble would pay off.
The issue is:
Josh is the only guy in this team that has superstar POTENTIAL and he is UNHAPPY.
He is unhappy because he feels that he should be the leader. It’s time to see if he is delusional or if he is being held back.
What would we be gambling if it did not work out?
At max, the difference between the #4 or 5 seed and the #8 seed.
Nothing dramatic in my opinion, so it is worth the game.
The issue is:
Josh needs a chance to make or break.
If he broke he would still be valuable, either as a trading chip – with now everyone feeling less sorry if he left – OR eventually, he himself would realize that being chief cog is not what he is destined for.
IT IS TIME. GIVE HIM THAT CHANCE.
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:42 am
Josh’s game log:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3834/gamelog;_ylt=Auc1n0yKS.V5QiWS9v306rwCPaB4
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:43 am
JJ’s game log:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3520/gamelog;_ylt=Auc1n0yKS.V5QiWS9v306ryTPKB4
John
February 16th, 2012
10:44 am
I know he plays good defense, but does anyone else notice that when Hinrich comes in, the offense gets more stagnant? He also takes alot of long 2s which are usually bad shots. I know he is working his way back in, but he seems to disrupt whatever flow the Hawks may be in. I can’t complain too much though. The Hawks got a win that looked pretty hard to get.
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
10:44 am
Somebody got a link for that Derrick Williams(Blake Griffin like) left handed windmill poster dunk last night? He’s right handed…Huh?
This dude is going to be a Star @ the SF spot! Has the whole package! 6′8″ with a 36″ vert, with handles like a two guard and has an assortment of post moves!
A #2 lottery pick this year..It was a good pick for the Wolves…
vava74
February 16th, 2012
10:49 am
JJ:
476 FGA – 86 FTA
Josh:
428 FGA – 140 FTA
The problem – IMO – MAY BE that of these 428 FGA, Josh has taken many shots hesitating – doubting himself.
I don’t agree AT ALL with the theory that Josh just shoots away those jumpshots.
He shoots them with the wrong mind set – TRYING TO PROVE DOUBTERS WRONG – TRYING TO HARD TO BE THE MAN.
That is why I would give him at least 25 games of free reign.
It would be MAKE OR BREAK.
And with guys specifically instructed to crash the boards.
Josh has trouble scoring most of the time because guys simply back out into the paint and leave him open.
IF – major one I know – IF Josh became a decent/reliable jump shooter, he would be a lot more dangerous in the paint because there would not be some many guys inside.
His man would have to come out and T-Mac, JJ, Teague, Kirk would be able to mix and work the pick n roll and the pick n pop with him.
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
10:50 am
Good to be lucky…..
Those two huge 3’s by Josh during that 25-7 run were daggers! Unfortunately if you think that set shot from distance of his is gonna take this team to the promise land I’m sorry to inform you it aint happening in this time line…Ray Allen he’s not……
Moral of the story: don’t get used to it…
Ken Strickland
February 16th, 2012
10:58 am
What Drew did to Teague last night, afterTeague virtually kept us in the gm in the 1st half, pissess me off. He literally benched Teague for not stopping or controlling Nash one on one. When he replaced him with Hinrich, he gave him double team help and then switched to a zone DEF, which all but eliminated the pick and roll and made it a helluva lot easier for him to defend/contain Nash.
If Drew had made that move earlier when Teague was in the gm, we would have had the same, if not better, results defensively. Also, Teague would have provided us with additional scoring capability. It should be obvious by now than Hinrich has lost his ability to breakdown DEFs with penetration, and has yet to get his shooting stroke back.
Now that Hinrich has started getting his conditioning and stamina back, we’ve started to see Drew employ some of the same accomodating BS for him that he provided for Bibby last yr, at Teague’s expense. Hinrich is nowhere near the player he was, and he’s certainly no longer talented enough to start ahead of a still developing and very productive Teague.
If LDrew benches Teague, and hinders his development and/or damages his confidence, in favor of starting a noticeably declining Hinrich, who’s in the final yr of his contract, he should be fired.
Astro Joe
February 16th, 2012
11:08 am
vava, it would be a fascinating test study, I’ll grant you that. I’m just not a fan of using real life for test studies. Part of the evaluation would seemingly require LD/Sund to notify the opposing teams that “Josh is hereby our primary option, so please design schemes to stop him”. Because the difference between being a team’s #1 option vs. #2 is often how the opposing team approaches that player. For example, instead of instructing the weakside defender to double Joe when he catches the ball within 3 fee of the paint, you now need to tell that guy to go and double Josh. I keep coming back to the football analogy, if Marvin Harrison is doubled as the team’s big play threat, that should create ore opportunities for Reggie Wayne on the opposite side fo the field. But when Harrison retires, can Wayne maintain that same level of production?
I’d also add that with this compressed schedule, I’m not entirely sure that conclusions can be drawn this season with any team. Virtually no practice time, crazy travel schedules, more injuries than we’ve seen in recent history, some players stuck in China, etc. I would not want to make decisions that would affect the next 3 years based on this anomaly.
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
11:11 am
I would not put it past Larry to bench Teague in favor of Capt. Kirk!
Slimjr
February 16th, 2012
11:14 am
Willie has got to get more minutes too! He’s very productive out there! He’s got it man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!