Atlanta Hawks at Bulls: Game Thread
Vivlamore reporting from Chicago.
Tracy McGrady met with Hawks coach Larry Drew and general manager Rick Sund about the forward’s publicly expressed displeasure over a lack of playing time.
Both sides say they are ready to move on.
“We talked,” McGrady said before Monday’s game against the Bulls. “Players get frustrated. I was frustrated. We talked and ironed things out. Now, we move on.”
Drew would not disclose the details of the meeting but said “we addressed the problem.”
After playing just 4:39 during a 97-77 loss to the Blazers Saturday, McGrady told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “I’m tired of this [bleep]. You can put that in the paper, I don’t give a [bleep].”
Drew has been mindful of McGrady’s minutes this season. The two-time NBA scoring champion has suffered through injuries, which includes a herniated disk in his back. He suffered back spasms on Jan. 11 and sat out three games.
“I’m sure everybody wants to play,” Drew said. “I want guys who want to play. I don’t want guys content to sit on the bench. But the way it was handled, you don’t handle it that way. We will keep looking at the situation of each game. I’m always looking at matchups. I’m always looking at it if it puts us at an advantage, if it puts us at a disadvantage. My job is to coach this team and I’m going to try to put us in the best position as possible. Sometimes it will jeopardize minutes when guys want to play but that is the way it is.”
Entering Monday’s game, McGrady has played in 26 of 32 games this season with average of 18 minutes. Last season with the Pistons McGrady averaged 23 minutes in 72 games.
“If you don’t feel I can help, come tell me that,” McGrady told the AJC. “He ain’t told me nothing. I just want to help these guys win, man, which I know I can. But, damn, four minutes?”
McGrady did not get a start Monday after Marvin Williams left the team Sunday due to the death of a relative. McGrady usually is the substitute for Williams.
* Drew did not know details of the personal situation or when Williams would return to the team. The Hawks end a five-game road trip against the Knicks on Wednesday.
Willie Green got the start in place of Williams.
“Willie has really been playing well for us,” Drew said. “I think the one thing we will miss about Willie is the punch he provides off the bench. In this situation I will juggle the guys coming off the bench but I just felt from a matchup standpoint he gives us a better chance.”
* The Hawks signed center Erick Dampier to a second 10-day contract Sunday with Jason Collins out up to another month with a torn ligament in his left elbow.
The 15-year veteran has appeared in four games for the Hawks after signing his first 10-day contract on Feb. 9. He has not scored but is averaging 2.5 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.3 blocks in 6.5 minutes.
* Drew said he expects no issues with Joe Johnson’s left knee. The All-Star wore a soft brace to protect his problematic the knee Saturday, saying he is suffering from tendinitis around the patellar tendon.
“We will keep an eye on it,” Drew said.
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812 comments Add your comment
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
hinrich is allergic to passing
tb hawk fan i think
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
just throw it up bulls it will go in
J.J.M.
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
you cant win games without a superstar
Melvin
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
Hinrich dribble too much…
terrell
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
What was that Kirk?
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:24 pm
damn without joe theres nobody out there that can get easy shots.
MattP
February 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
this game is done.
High-sider
February 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hinrich overdribbles and does nothing with the ball.
Hawksgoingbackward
February 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
Hawksgoingbackward
February 20th, 2012
5:21 pm
“If Joe got hurt this team would play so much better.”
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
stop messin around and just get mac the ball
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:25 pm
Bob and Nique wondering whether Joe may miss the All Star game with this knee injury. Maybe Josh gets to replace him if he does?
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
Thats the difference between good and bad teams, 100% pure effort by the Bulls all the time, Hawks just some of the time
bigdave
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
instead of calling for the ball all the time on the perimeter, josh should try cutting the basket..
Melvin
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
Should’ve played Joe/Willie down the stretch instead of Kirk….
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
“damn without joe theres nobody out there that can get easy shots.”
Probably would have been smart to have Willie Green out there instead of Kirk the last few minutes.
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
“you cant win games without a superstar”
Sure you can, look at Denver or San Antonio or Philly or Indiana or Memphis.
Team basketball beats superstars any day of the week.
Lon Stotts
February 20th, 2012
6:26 pm
That play was a microcosm of why Deng got the All-Star nod over Smoov. Josh is capable of making the same play and getting on the floor after that ball, but he just has these lapses that kill the team’s momentum and any credibility he builds in the public eye.
Bravesfan79
February 20th, 2012
6:27 pm
Why cant tmac shoot free throws? I still like him on the court for us, but COMMON MAN!
Chris Vivlamore
February 20th, 2012
6:27 pm
Joe Johnson won’t return with knee injury.
tb hawk fan i think
February 20th, 2012
6:27 pm
GAME OVER
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
6:27 pm
Good come back guys, I just don’t know why we can’t do this from the start?
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:28 pm
Bottom line just fire LD
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:28 pm
The lack of 2nd chance points, the Bulls surplus of them, and the missed free throws is what made this game. 2 of these 3 can easily be fixed by the acquisition of a big man. DO SOMETHING SUND!!!!
Big Lou
February 20th, 2012
6:29 pm
So, do you guys need any more proof that LD needs to be fired? Pargo should be coming off the bench. Tmac deserves more minutes. He still was boneheaded and left Kirk in the game, when Green could have been in there. Where’s Ivan? LD is a POS. Hawks win in spite of him.
Loserville USA
February 20th, 2012
6:29 pm
Just iso Smith next time the Hawks play.
You will see why this team is DOOMED.
Guy should be gone.
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:29 pm
The word is BEFUDDLED!!
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
6:29 pm
the bulls arent that good. that zone had them in check. if LD doesnt coach like an idiot and we get horford back and mac in the staring lineup we will beat them
High-sider
February 20th, 2012
6:30 pm
At least the Hawks made the game [loss] respectable.
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:30 pm
Amazing the Hawks are just 1 game out of the 3rd Seed.
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
6:30 pm
currently 6th in the East….if we keep losing we can get a high draft pick! And also have a valid reason to fire LD
Big Lou
February 20th, 2012
6:30 pm
That JJ injury is BS. I bet it’s an excuse for his half-assed play.
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:30 pm
Still gotta love the effort by these 2nd unit Hawks, especially Pargo and T-Mac. Please reward them with some playing time LD, Pargo did nothing for his minutes to disappear except for Hinrich coming back, and now has he proven you he’s worthy of more than 5 minutes a night?
Start Pargo against the Knicks and start T-Mac at SF and if Joe isn’t 100 percent start Willie at the 2… Trade Hinrich for a big man and we’ll be good to go…
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
6:31 pm
TMAC for COACH!!
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:31 pm
Trade Kirk for a big man.
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:31 pm
I agree, Bulls aren’t that good, just 100% all out effort on both ends by all their players on every play.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:32 pm
Hawks missed 11 free throws and lost by 11.
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:32 pm
LD needs to be fired. and damn if we had joe in there iot may have been closer atleast he hit his free throws and was getting into the lane. once he went out they key’d on josh and it was done after that. but thank you aprgo fro bringing them back.
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:32 pm
Peace, i’m going back to work, Hawks just ruined my dang evening.
Old Man Peabody
February 20th, 2012
6:33 pm
8th double digit lost of the season
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:33 pm
T-mac did nothing in the foruth other than 1 three. joe should ahve been in there but alast he was hurt.
Jase
February 20th, 2012
6:33 pm
We are in trouble.
High-sider
February 20th, 2012
6:34 pm
In two consecutive games, the Hawks fail to score 80+ points.
Mike
February 20th, 2012
6:35 pm
Trouble is a understatment
2 Spots before the 8th seed, yeah we need some trades or core needs to go
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
6:35 pm
We need a new Head Coach and Free Throw Shooting Coach.
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:37 pm
now if we could just these numbers from pargo and willie (before tonight) every night and not once in a blue moon. we got to many potential scorers and not enough ” we are going to score’ scorers. there is only two consistent scoring players Joe and Josh and josh drives me crazy. everybody except zaza, who does his job, is its a hope and a prayer that they have a good game. we need some more players that are guarenteed to have a solid game not a hope they have a solid game.
Rod from College Park
February 20th, 2012
6:37 pm
In two consecutive games, the Hawks fail to score 80+ points.
But we don’t need another scorer. LOL
Harpie
February 20th, 2012
6:38 pm
Screw Larry Drew! This team could be good, if they had a coach. He is the Worst Coach Ever!
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
6:38 pm
aytunstopable- just look at the box score man, tmac +10, jj -21. The man knows how to run a offense. He ran the league 6 years. While he may have only scored 6 points in the six he brings an unmatched iq, plus the 5 boards and 3 blocks and 3 assists while jj plays 5 more min but cant get a block and 3 less rebounds.
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:38 pm
the main thing though is we need a damn coach and pg that aren’t gonna give josh the ball outside of the post. we need to hold on to atleast the 5th or 6th seed so we can have al and a atleast a 1st round win.
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:39 pm
“aytunstopable- just look at the box score man, tmac +10, jj -21. The man knows how to run a offense. He ran the league 6 years. While he may have only scored 6 points in the six he brings an unmatched iq, plus the 5 boards and 3 blocks and 3 assists while jj plays 5 more min but cant get a block and 3 less rebounds.”
Exactly