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
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
5:57 pm
Give it 4 games or so and Pargo’s minutes will dissapear. No one can prove to LD they are worthy enough to play… NO ONE
Rico
February 20th, 2012
5:57 pm
If you all remember, when we were winning in the beginning of the season.. we were playing Pargo.. and he has energy.. now that KH is back.. the idiot coach LD.. take he out the rotation… he needs to continue to use this kid and take time from both teague and KH.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
5:57 pm
The Hawks and Bulls are still pretty much shooting the same percentages they had at halftime. But Josh and Zaza played PF and C that entire quarter. No Josh at C, no Vlad at PF. Zaza didn’t even play particularly well, but that’s the difference when you actually play real big men at the power positions instead of trying to get away with a 6′11″ shooting guard at power forward.
#1Hawks Fan
February 20th, 2012
5:58 pm
Sad to say, but they offense is more fluid with ISO Joe on the pine.
atlantadeepdirtybench
February 20th, 2012
5:58 pm
Pargo>>>>>>>Hinrich. Trade Hinrich and Horford for a centre now!
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
5:58 pm
thios is why ivan not in there Boozer and noah are not soft. ivan can stop those soft 4’s and 5’s but if hey are actually good Ivan can’t do a damn thing to them thats why ivan isn’t out there.
High-sider
February 20th, 2012
5:58 pm
Pargo has 16pts. in 14:08.
crazy_88
February 20th, 2012
5:58 pm
Guys tend to play well in their home town..Pargo has family and friends at this game so he’s playing with a purpose….
Big Lou
February 20th, 2012
5:59 pm
Why is Kirk still in there?
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:00 pm
“Guys tend to play well in their home town..Pargo has family and friends at this game so he’s playing with a purpose….”
Of course, this doesn’t work for Marvin, who had 55 friends and family at the Portland game and got f-cked in the ass by Batum.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:00 pm
T-Mac!
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:00 pm
There we go T-Mac, START T-MAC and PARGO!!
doc
February 20th, 2012
6:00 pm
i have seen enough of vlad to never want to see him again on the floor. i would rather it be ivan and switch josh to 3.
Mac-Town (#maconchevyrider)
February 20th, 2012
6:00 pm
just the shot we needed
………………….
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:01 pm
awful shot by SMoove there, had 2 players open on the perimeter
KSchmidt
February 20th, 2012
6:01 pm
Pargo and Kirk open and Josh takes the long 2.
Wabe
February 20th, 2012
6:01 pm
Been sayin’ they need to ship freakin’ Kirk outta here…
He’s not a bad player by any means, it’s just we have needs elsewhere. Pargo was playin’ well enough prior to Kirk coming back from injury. Definitely well enough to spare Teague.
They need to be working on a way to get Kirk outta here and get something, anything really, in return.
This organization has absolutely no clue how to manage their assets.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:02 pm
Wow, Hawks actually got an offensive board.
Wabe
February 20th, 2012
6:02 pm
Does this team not watch freakin’ film or something?
Are they so blind that they can’t see how terrible their shot selection has been for freakin’ years now??????????
Yet they continue to play with the same tendancies. Same shot-selection. Same cluelessness.
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
6:03 pm
Good Drive Pargo, ATTACK!
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:03 pm
Hawks not taking advantage of the Bulls’ backups sucking.
Luke Cage
February 20th, 2012
6:03 pm
Wow, come back from work and Hawks are making this a game
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
6:03 pm
Our offense looks terrible…..so many chances
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
6:03 pm
tracy needs to facilitate on offense, pargo just cant hold it for 20 sec
TMACfan
February 20th, 2012
6:04 pm
TMAC is +13
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:04 pm
Yeah, don’t know why the ball is in Kirk and Pargo’s hands so much when T-Mac is on the floor. Post him up and let him find the open guy, or let him run pick and rolls.
High-sider
February 20th, 2012
6:04 pm
Hawks failed too many times to cut the lead to six [or five].
Melvin
February 20th, 2012
6:04 pm
LD dumba$$ waits until the Bulls hit a 3 to call timeout. Josh/ZaZa are clearing dragging out there. He should have call timeout on the last offensive possession…. Dummy
O'Brien
February 20th, 2012
6:04 pm
hawksfancents95,
our starting PG averaging less than 5 assists a game?.
Mike Bibby averaged 5.6 assists per game for his career. Rondo’s first year as a starter, he averaged 5.1 assists per game. Tony Parker’s first year as a starter, he averaged 4.3 assists per game (and 5.8 for his career).
You probably gave up on Rondo and Tony Parker too, then huh?
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
6:05 pm
Come on LD…sub for Zaza…he’ll have nothing left for the end.
And call something for T-Mac on offense.
tb hawk fan i think
February 20th, 2012
6:05 pm
boy if we could just score we might make a game out of this.
bigdave
February 20th, 2012
6:05 pm
no discipline.. coulda cut the league.
fan
February 20th, 2012
6:07 pm
get rid of josh smith he kill the whole team make me sick
O'Brien
February 20th, 2012
6:08 pm
Najeh,
Marvin usually plays well when he is close to home, so I think the last Blazers game was the exception. As much as I think Pargo deserves more PT, I wont use this performance to justify it, because he is extra motivated.
But Kirk 2-6, playing 20 minutes so far.
Teague, 2-3 in 18 minutes.
I guess LD decided to give Teague’s PT to Pargo? (I just got home, so I havent seen the game up to this point).
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:08 pm
why isn’t joe johnson in the game?
Melvin
February 20th, 2012
6:08 pm
Take Hinrich out and put Joe in
crazy_88
February 20th, 2012
6:08 pm
Take that drive to the basket Tracy don’t look to pass because they’re not looking for you !
aytunstopable
February 20th, 2012
6:08 pm
take t-mac ass out already put joe in
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:09 pm
Pargo does a nice job at the point, he feeds the paint unlike our other 2 guards…
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:09 pm
“I guess LD decided to give Teague’s PT to Pargo? (I just got home, so I havent seen the game up to this point).”
Joe and Teague didn’t do much during their playing time. Kirk hasn’t done much either, but Pargo has been on fire. Pargo has earned his minutes here.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
T-MACCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Wabe
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
biiiiiiiiiig shot
KevinM
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
T-Mac finally!
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
START PARGO AND T-MAC!!!!!!!
kingd92
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
tmac! man knows how to play in the 4th
northcyde
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
Smith putting Vava’s theory to the test. Not going well this half.
Runner-
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
Best decision LD made all night… TAKING JOE OUT!!!
yodaddybrother
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
T-Mac…..give him playing time coach
KSchmidt
February 20th, 2012
6:10 pm
Hawks should get on the break more often.
terrell
February 20th, 2012
6:11 pm
Find some damm min for Pargo and TMac. Clown.