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
Phucker Jenkins
February 20th, 2012
5:31 pm
Man it’s really tough to be a sports fan in Atlanta!!!!
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
5:31 pm
nasty move
Atl teams = CHOKE
February 20th, 2012
5:32 pm
The Hawks are a poor excuse for an NBA team.
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
5:32 pm
teague just play contain, rose cant shoot with a hand in his face
hawksfancents95
February 20th, 2012
5:32 pm
teague-cant stop a hurt d-rose, jeff is only athletic and i think he has reached his ceiling as a 14pts 5ast 3stl guy.
joe- needs to quit after his contract is up and take the expressionless face to the world of poker.
marvin-good first half play, hit jumpers off curls and had a couple AFV falls to go along. oh he’s not playing? not even in CHI? didnt notice,oops
josh- only hawks who cares and plays strong. sad to think he’s peoples scapegoat for the hawks poor play.
zaza-get a flagarant in the 2nd half and try to evoke something from our guys, some inspiration.
willie g- playing consistent but 12 pts isnt gona be enough for us to win, willie is our best bench player right now.
kirk- reduced to a defender and passer, cant seem to hit shots regularly.
tmac- finding out how professional the hawks organization is
ivan- no way vlad should be in the game before ivan and this shows how a glimmer of a 3pt shooter can effect a coach over energy,D, and toughness
pargo-hope we trade kirk so you can get those backup PG mins back
vlad-stay at the end of the bench
stack- keep collecting that check
damp- 9 days left..
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
5:32 pm
Josh doesn’t play with no heart either. If he did he would listen to people about his damn shot selection
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:33 pm
We have to be in the 90 percentile in 1 and outs on the offensive end.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:33 pm
” i think he has reached his ceiling as a 14pts 5ast 3stl guy.”
He has started 30 games in his entire career and you know what his ceiling is?
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
5:33 pm
there we go, is it really that hard to move the ball around in the paint? The Hawks make it seem like its the hardest thing in the world
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
5:34 pm
Joe driving it in!!
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
5:34 pm
I like this Joe a lot
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
5:35 pm
jj playin better
soullrenaissance
February 20th, 2012
5:35 pm
(8) Larry Drew.
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:35 pm
Joe vs. Noah is our only mismatch, haha.
Loserville USA
February 20th, 2012
5:35 pm
FRANCHISE-DEFINING ROAD TRIP.
Time to clean house, including a coach who allows the non-All Star Smith carte blanche shooting.
What a joke. Their time has passed.
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:35 pm
Laimbeer and Mahorn would never let Rose drive to the hoop like our guys do……
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
5:36 pm
LOL @ Pachulia, I’m done for today, good luck Hawks…
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
5:37 pm
thats a clear offensive foul
STRETCH
February 20th, 2012
5:37 pm
This team is a dumb team. Good smart disciplined teams beat teams like the “Ducks” in the second round of the playoffs everytime.
Drew was in the huddle telling them to “Hit the glass and look for good shots.” They came out and kept doing the same thing they always do.
LD is not the right guy for the “Ducks.”
Teague is lost out there.
Josh still thinks he can shoot.
No Sho Joe is at it again.
Zaza is the clumbsiest NBA player i have ever seen.
But most noticable of all is they dont share the ball or move it around enough and thats when everybody starts to jack up shots and when the shots stop falling, you can see their body language. They start shutting it down.
This “Core” has to be broken up!
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:38 pm
2 points and 3 boards for Zaza, along with the usual missed layups and point blank shots getting rejected.
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
5:38 pm
fire larry drew yesterday
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
5:38 pm
LD when guys have 4 fouls this early youre suppossed to sub them out. how is this man an nba coach
Lon Stotts
February 20th, 2012
5:39 pm
Exhibit A for why you MUST have a superstar to get any traction in this league. That was a charge and a half on Rose right there. Josh could stand to get a T on that one. Justified. Season 3.
Mark Jones & D-Burke are gonna be soliciting D-Rose after the game.
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
5:39 pm
WHY CAN’T ESPN EVER MENTION THAT WE DON’T HAVE AL HORFORD!?!?! THEY ALWAYS LIKE TO SHOWCASE HOW GOOD CHICAGO IS AND HOW BAD ATL IS. STUPID ESPN.
terrell
February 20th, 2012
5:39 pm
Keep gtetting blowed out guys. Maybe theyll make a move or fire ld. Crossing my fingers.
Rod from College Park
February 20th, 2012
5:39 pm
Starters getting out rebounded 32 to 11.
terrell
February 20th, 2012
5:40 pm
We were bad WITH HORFORD.
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
5:40 pm
Dude, we owned Chicago at home.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:41 pm
Once again Kirk is the first sub. Hawks continue to go small despite the rebounding disadvantage.
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:41 pm
LD clearly has no answer for what is going on out there today.
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
5:42 pm
he fu**in just subbed hinrich in for green. is this man blind
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
5:42 pm
we need al back. we really do thats all there is to it we need a brand new coach too
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:43 pm
Josh is getting smoked by Boozer today…he looks more like an all-star than Josh.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:43 pm
2 on 1 fast break led by Kirk ends in an airball hook by Zaza from 2 feet away. LMAO
Big Lou
February 20th, 2012
5:44 pm
Bulls have a real coach.
hawksfancents95
February 20th, 2012
5:44 pm
@ najeh davenpoop
yes i think he has hit his ceiling. he is a great athlete who can get by defenders yet he averages 4.7 assists a game? our starting PG averaging less than 5 assists a game? grevies vasquez for NOH averages more assists per game than jeff (5). seeing how jeff teague acts on the court i would say he is who is supposed to be. a athlete who can score in the paint but doesnt have a pass first mentality and is a mediocre shooter. he is a very good PG but i would take a lot of other PGs in the NBA over him.
Melvin
February 20th, 2012
5:44 pm
No TMac again in the 2nd half. What is LD doing?
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
5:44 pm
Tom Thibodeau….a real coach…up 20+….a couple plays he doesn’t like TIME the EFF OUT!!
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
5:45 pm
the only one i stills ee play is joe. josh ddon’t checked out yuou can tell already. maybe if we can get joe started first instead of josh we can win since he is the only that can consistently score with good shot selection. it maybe fro 13- 25 but atleast joe consistently get those numbers everyone else either has 19 one night then 8 the next night. We need more consistent scorers than just joe. josh isn’t one because his shot selection kills that.
Lon Stotts
February 20th, 2012
5:45 pm
If Chris Nolan decides to make one more Batman movie, Thibs would make a great Penguin.
Josh absolutely refuses to step out and challenge Boozer on his breadnbutter 14-foot jumper. Is he hanging with Ivan and not watching any hoops in his spare time?
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
5:45 pm
EVEN SPAM THIS BLOG OF
“FIRE LD!”
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
FIRE LD! FIRE LD!
Rod from College Park
February 20th, 2012
5:45 pm
LD after the game comments: I think their energy was better than ours, and the effort just was not there.
MattP
February 20th, 2012
5:46 pm
I think LD is going to do the same sub pattern as he did in the first. lol
Big Lou
February 20th, 2012
5:46 pm
ESPN is legit. The Hawks suck. Point blank. They are not going to gas up the team like Bob and Nique. ATL teams will never get respect until they win championships. Last time that happen was the Braves in the 95.
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
5:47 pm
alright I’ve seen enough…
NBA2K12 time
doc
February 20th, 2012
5:47 pm
i am not sick of lin but sick of the hysterics of advertising, marketing and new yorkers. if there was ever more a superficial group of people it is them on display once again. those are the ones behind the hype not lin wanting to be on the train. i like watching him play, before this it was the decision, but queen was raised to be arrogant, lin not.
lin in fact was a product of bias and prejudice to keep him out of it for so long. he was an all star high schooler in california that couldnt smell a major college scholarship, took good teams like uconn in 2010 with kemba walker and embarrassed them on the big stage at their place and still got overlooked draft day. what happened? then he comes in gets a chance, delivers and all folks want to talk about his turnovers as if kobe didnt throw up 10 yesterday. geez.
no, lin is not the problem, we are; i hope he continues somehow, unjaded, to continue to play like he has, as a reminder to us all. just wish luck would have dropped him here only ld would have squelched him by now. funny melo apparently went to d’antonio and told him to give the kid a chance. what happens when baron is ready?
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
5:48 pm
Go Kirk! Bring us back!
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
5:48 pm
NBA2K12 need to take Joe Johnson’s rating down to like a 79…..
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:48 pm
Zaza gets blocked by the rim.
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
5:48 pm
I LOLOLOLOL AT PACHULIA SOMETIMES