Updated: Johnson on Hawks’ woes: ‘We are too self conscious about [who is] scoring’
Vivlamore reporting from New York City where the Hawks play the Knicks on Wednesday – their first-hand look at the Linsanity that has caused such a stir in this city.
See update on Joe Johnson injury below.
Twice in a span of eight days, the Hawks fell flat on a national television stage. They lost to the Heat 107-87 at home with ESPN in the house. Monday they fell to the Bulls 90-79 on a Presidents Day telecast by the network. Before both games, coach Larry Drew said, in effect, if his team couldn’t get motivated for such a contest there is something wrong.
Judging by the results, something is wrong.
Following Monday’s game, I spoke with Joe Johnson about why the team has a motivation problem and plays with a lack of energy at times. Here are his comments:
“When I look at our team, we are a very talented team, but I [don’t know] whether guys know their roles or not,” Johnson said. “We know the right thing to do. A lot of times we don’t come out and do it. I just think we should all have one agenda, one goal and that is winning the basketball game. Not who scores what, who does what. I think we are too self conscious about [who is] scoring and the little things that really don’t matter. For us to win the game we have to put all of that to the side and help one another on both ends of the floor. If we don’t do that, we are going to continue to struggle to win games. I think we have to put a lot into perspective about how good we want to be as a team or what direction we are headed in or what are our goals. Right now I’m not sure if everyone has that one common goal – and that is winning.
“We’ve had spurts where we’ve played great together. The ball movement has been great. We’ve had times when we haven’t been so great. Times we haven’t been so great, we have struggled as a team. I know it’s noticeable. I think we just have to start getting the ball into the right people’s hands who make plays, who score the basketball and make others better. That’s it.”
I also sought the veteran’s perspective from Jerry Stackhouse on the issues facing the Hawks, who have lost seven of their past 10 games.
“You are going to have those stretches during the course of the season when it seems like you are struggling a little bit, you don’t know when you are ever going to win again,” Stackhouse said. “You have them a couple times. We are going through one right now. It’s not like we are laying down until the [all-star] break, but I think the break will be good for us. We’ve played a lot of games. Guys are probably a little banged up, a little tired. With all that, the trust wanes a little bit. We’ll get it back. All it takes is a good spirited win.”
UPDATE: Johnson, did not travel with the team to New York today and is returning to Atlanta for an MRI on his left knee. He will not play in the next two games (at New York Wednesday, vs. Orlando Thursday). Johnson has been hampered by tendinitis in his left knee and it caused him to leave Monday’s game in the third quarter and not return.
The Hawks expect to get Marvin Williams back. The forward left the team Sunday due to a death in the family and missed Monday’s game.
I will update from tomorrow morning’s shoot-around.
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308 comments Add your comment
Buddy Grizzard
February 22nd, 2012
3:00 am
“I think there are too many crappy team in the East right now to keep the Hawks out of the playoffs.” – Big Ray
Have you looked at the schedule for the second half of the season? There’s not another stretch like this against teams above .500. After the All-Star break the schedule gets a lot more favorable, and if the Hawks can keep beating bad teams they will be in contention for a top-5 playoff seeding (which is required if they want to make the second round again… a 6-8 seed would mean playing Chicago, Miami or the 76ers in the first round, an almost certain ticket to a first round exit).
I hoped the Hawks could go about .500 for the month of February. The team came into this month 8 games above .500. A .500 record for this month would mean that Hawks came through the hardest part of their schedule and still maintained 8 games above .500. That didn’t happen but I believe the Hawks will climb in the standings from here.
Andrew Lipham
February 22nd, 2012
3:01 am
MARVIN WILLIAMS FOR STEPHEN JACKSON. MAKE IT HAPPEN!!!!!!!!!!!
Buddy Grizzard
February 22nd, 2012
3:08 am
“Your allegation that there is some kind of ongoing pattern of crediting Josh with fewer turnovers than he actually earns suggests that this results from more than just ineptitude or ignorance, but rather from some sort of conspiracy to suppress his number of turnovers.” – Najeh
I’m on a conspiracy roll tonight. You do know that there is a precedent for this, right Najeh? I’m not saying I agree with G-Dad on this but I doubt you will dispute that in the playoffs, refs call Dwight Howard for approximately one foul for every two fouls he commits. He’s the only player in the NBA who can commit 8 fouls without fouling out.
Andrew Lipham
February 22nd, 2012
3:10 am
KIRK HINRICH FOR METTA WORLD PEACE!!!!!!
OR TEAM GETS A LOT TOUGHER BRINGING IN JACKSON AND PEACE.
Andrew Lipham
February 22nd, 2012
3:12 am
HINRICH, ZAZA, 1ST FOR KAMAN
Hawks Fan Down Under
February 22nd, 2012
3:32 am
Agree with Buddy’s post about Stern. This guy is a total puppet master. After seeing how he shafted the Sonics nothing is beyond this guy. I hope JJ does pull out and put Stern in that position.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
February 22nd, 2012
4:00 am
“Woodson refused an interview request by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the game.” Chris Vivlamore
For old time sake
FIRE WOODY
Grandad
February 22nd, 2012
4:08 am
Najeh
1st of all you are operating under the concept
that I’m trying to nail Josh.
No !
Josh nails his own ass to the wall each game he plays
with his neanderthal approach to intelligent basketball.
You continually miss the point.
* or *
You intentionally fail to recognize my point.
In string theory of Physics there there can be two kinds
of strings [filaments of energy] attached to a two dimensional brane.
(1) closed strings … O … (2) open strings … ——
There are five basic interactions:
(1) ~ ~~
(2) O O\
(3) C O
(4) )(
(5) oO
Crude but I’m not so good with graphics.
String Theory Features
String theory is a work in progress,
so trying to pin down exactly what the science is,
or what its fundamental elements are, can be kind of tricky.
The key string theory features include:
*All objects in our universe are composed of vibrating filaments (strings)
and membranes (branes) of energy.
*String theory attempts to reconcile general relativity (gravity)
with quantum physics.
*A new connection exists
between two fundamentally different types of particles,
bosons and fermions.
*Several extra (usually unobservable) dimensions in the universe
must exist. [My key point]
There are also other possible string theory features,
depending on what theories prove to have merit in the future.
Possibilities include:
*A landscape of string theory solutions,
allowing for possible parallel universes.
*The holographic principle,
which states how information in a space
can relate to information on the surface of that space. **Bingo**
*The anthropic principle,
which states that scientists can use the fact that humanity exists
as an explanation for certain physical properties of our universe.
*Our universe could be “stuck” on a brane,
allowing for new interpretations of string theory.
*Other principles or features, waiting to be discovered.
Personally, I think there is at least 8 to 12 dimensions
to which we are unaware.
Also leading me to believe God exists in another Dimension !
He, His son, My Holy Spirit, Angels, etc. exist in those dimensions
along with coexisting amongst us.
________ ________ ________ ________ ________
Now;
using my principles of String Physics … Pat Attn.
I counted Josh’s turnovers in recent games.
They did not match the stat sheet.
I know what a turnover is and is not.
Let me simplfy:
Josh psses to Zaza.
Pass goes out of bounds.
Pass was 12 ft high.
Zaza = 7 ft tall but cannot jump to 12 ft high.
Stat keeper credits Zaza with TO.
My way of thinking; Josh should have been credited with the turnover.
I typed real slow.
Another thing I have noticed;
Sometimes stat keepers do not credit TOs for charges.
There are other discrepancies.
Not a conspiracy against Josh.
Maybe just maybe a hiccup in the rules.
But in My Universe I can count and I can see a turnover.
-and-
I am not ‘`Blind`’ when it come to Josh !
And No I am Not trying to fabricate anything to prove a point.
But I can sling manure with the best of ‘em.
note – Don’t try to out jack-ass a Jack-Ass !
Grandad
February 22nd, 2012
4:12 am
IceColdATLien
My apologies for getting back to you so late.
Thanks for the clarification
No, I’m not him; to whom you referred.
vava74
February 22nd, 2012
4:24 am
Josh’s turnovers are directly related to his anxiety on the floor:
He WANTS TO PROVE DOUBTERS WRONG (whilst doubting himself in the deepest confinements of his brain);
He WANTS TO WIN MORE THAN ANYONE in the Hawks organization.
He DOES NOT FEEL JJ can be the leader which the Hawks need (and I am sure that he disapproves Al’s stance on playing C).
IF Josh was granted the opportunity I am calling for (being the declared #1 guy for the next 25 games) 2 out of 3 possible outcomes (with variable probability of materialization) would be positive for the Hawks:
a) Josh could flourish:
Josh’s anxiety levels would drop with the fully declared main cog status and eventually he would fulfill his great potential and make better decisions whilst leading the Hawks;
b) Josh could fail, but…
Josh would realize that he can’t produce as the main cog and would realize that he is not deserving of a #1 leading status and would finally concentrate in being a human wrecking ball on both ends of the floor;
c) Josh could fail, but…
Even after having his shot and failing, Josh would continue to be Josh.
Right now, we are heading NOWHERE, so we do not stand to lose anything.
Buddy Grizzard
February 22nd, 2012
5:25 am
LD is Bob Weiss all over again. The Hawks fired Fratello and brought in Bob Weiss because Dominique didn’t want to play defense. They tried to placate their superstar and the results speak for themselves.
After Mike Woodson spectacularly failed as Hawks coach, the organization had the opportunity to hire Dwayne Casey (who would be credited as the defensive architect of Dallas’ championship). Casey would have brought a whole new regime to Atlanta. He would have been very demanding as he sought to prove that he was a good hire and earn the respect of the organization, players and fans.
Instead, the ASG hired from within the guy the players wanted. They attempted to placate the players, hoping that would lead to success on the court. Didn’t these owners pay attention to how far Dan Gilbert’s placating of LeBron James got him? And now the Hawks organization is in the same situation. The “closest thing to LeBron” is an unrestricted free agent in a season and a half. Did the coddling of the Cav’s organization make LeBron want to stay? No, it made him lose respect for the organization and seek out a situation where he could win a championship.
As soon as this season is over we’ll be in the same position Orlando fans have been in since last season… knowing that our team’s best player is headed somewhere else and we have nothing to look forward to but the NBA draft lottery.
Just Joe
February 22nd, 2012
5:27 am
Buddy….Dont be so sure about Philly having that 3rd spot locked up. They are struggling almost as bad as the Hawks. They are now in 4th, a game behind Orlando. 3 – 8 will be decided at the trade deadline.
Buddy Grizzard
February 22nd, 2012
5:43 am
The ASG should not have hired the coach the players wanted, they should have hired the coach that was most qualified to develop their $250m investment in player personnel. Was LD that person? No, he had zero qualifications… had never held an NBA head coaching position before. How has he done in developing the Hawks players? He left Teague rotting on the bench, talked about moving Josh Powell ahead of Zaza in the rotation last year, and this year he’s leaving Ivan on the bench when the Hawks usually out-rebound opponents when Ivan plays at least 20 minutes.
Buddy Grizzard
February 22nd, 2012
5:45 am
Just Joe good point… my view of the 76ers is clouded by how badly they beat the Hawks every time the teams play.
High-sider
February 22nd, 2012
6:46 am
@Big Ray
“But….we can likely rule out any such moves. It’s a strike-shortened season” – Big Ray
This [regular season] is an NBA “lockout-shortened” season. The NBA players were locked out by the owners at the start of this regular season; they [the players] did not go on strike.
BTW, Jamal Crawford, in his second start at the point guard position for the Blazers as a result of Raymond Felton’s recent demotion, scored 20 points, tallied eight assists and grabbed four rebounds while just committing one turnover in a Blazers’ 40-point rout over the Spurs. The Blazers defeated the Spurs 137-97 and, yes, for you naysayers, detractors, critics and cynics, the Spurs’ big three [Tony Parker, E[manu]el Ginobili and Tim Duncan] did not play in the aforementioned game. Jamal Crawford had an extremely efficient shooting performance by making six of his eight shots from the field which included [Crawford] making five of seven three point shots and all three of his free throw attempts. Jamal Crawford, while only having started two games this season, is currently averaging 14.2ppg and is second in scoring on a [Blazers] team that features six double figure [digit] scorers.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
February 22nd, 2012
6:51 am
Hollinger is a moron who obviously hates this team.
CAN SOMEONE AT AJC PLEASE CLEAR UP THIS TROLL
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
February 22nd, 2012
7:01 am
Lin is going to murder Teague on the p&r. *yawn*~
soullrenaissance
February 22nd, 2012
7:19 am
LD is behind the (8) so he had better coach like his job depended on it and let Teague do his. I feel like JJ was talking about Smith judging by his comments coupled with the play on the court. Marvin to a lesser extent.
O'Brien
February 22nd, 2012
7:44 am
Ra’mon,
By the way, Joe’s numbers for the month are 14 Points, 2.7 Reb, 3.9 Assists shooting 39% in 36 minutes per game. Josh may not be the best shooter. But some games its hard to tell if a Josh jumper is worse than a jumper by Joe..
I didn’t realize JJ’s numbers are that bad. I thought when you pay a guy $20 mil, it was expected that he would elevate his game (or his team) against tougher teams. But with JJ, that aint happening.
I assume his injury has slowed him down the last few games, but I dont think he was doing much better earlier in the season when we played good teams.
Jimmy Crack
February 22nd, 2012
7:50 am
The Atlanta Stooge Group should change the team name to the Atlanta Clear-Outs. That’s all they do on offense anyway. The name could also refer to the fan base at Philips Arena, where they leave in droves after watching embarrassing first half blowouts.
O'Brien
February 22nd, 2012
7:57 am
Najeh, Big Ray,
I think the most realistic team would have been CP3-JJ-Chills-Josh-Zaza. That backcourt would have been awesome. Of course there is always the big unknown as to whether or not CP3 would become CP3 playing for Woody.
As far as coaching, I feel bad for Josh. He did not go to college, and his only NBA coaches have been Woody and LD. He needs a strong coach to get through to him, and get him playing the right way.
Gearon and Sund like to use the Detroit “no superstars but still won a championship” model as what the Hawks are trying to emulate.
But 2 things they fail to acknowledge. 1) That is the exception, not the rule and 2) That team was coached by a HOF guy in Larry Brown, who got the players (including Rasheed) to “play the right way”.
Imagine if that Detroit team was being coached by Michael Curry? Results would have been terrible.
But ASG and Rick think LD is the guy who can help these players maximize their potential, despite being on Woody’s staff for 5 years, with very little impact attributed to him?
As for summer of sameness, I expect the same thing this offseason. With AL (and now JJ injured), it allows Rick and Gearon to use injuries as an excuse if the Hawks lose in the first round, and ultimately, Rick and LD will get one more year.
Ra'mon
February 22nd, 2012
8:10 am
O’brien in the same month, Josh is averaging 17 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 4.9 apg, 2.5 bpg, 1.9 spg, shooting 44% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc. Josh’s main negative isn’t the jump shot, but his free throw percentage. Because if Josh was shooting 78% from the line, he’d be averaging 20 ppg and he would be getting too much press from national media for the fans to complain so much about his jumpers. Also remember, majority of last season, Josh played with a bad knee, including in the playoffs. Yet his numbers weren’t as bad as Joe’s.
NUNNA!!
February 22nd, 2012
8:11 am
” We’ve played a lot of games. Guys are probably a little banged up, a little tired. With all that, the trust wanes a little bit. We’ll get it back. All it takes is a good spirited win.””
-Jerry Stackhouse
—————————————————————————————————-
He sounds like LD.If this is who LD has in the locker room,being the vet whom the players are supposed to be listening to then we are in trouble.
That does not sound like a guy who would get in your face like a MJ,Magic,Bird or even Metta World Peace.
Thats what we need..And we still don’t have..
NUNNA!!
February 22nd, 2012
8:19 am
O’brien,
I agree totally with your comment at 7:57am..
But let me add to that and lets be real with it.
The ASG brought in LD mainly because he was cheap and they didn’t want to pay out to bring in a high priced coach in here.
I always have a “Red Light” when i hear about an assistant who in turn becomes the team he was an assistant to, new head coach.
And when you add in the ever popular,”the players like him” that shows that most if not all of the time,they will bail out on him if they don’t agree with what he is preaching to them..
And thats what we have here..
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
9:40 am
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/22/sports/basketball/next-up-for-jeremy-lin-hawks-emerging-point-guard.html?_r=1&ref=sports
“It’s difficult running a team,” Teague said. “You got so many different personalities out there. But that comes with the job. I’ve always been a point guard. I’ve always tried to find ways to relate to everybody. It definitely is tough when you got veterans used to getting the ball a certain number of times, and you hear about when they don’t. But I’m getting better at that.”
hmmmm. who’s the only person that’s criticized JT for not distributing? was it mere coincidence that since that game when josh critized JT for not creating for his teammates that he has all but disappeared?
Indianapolis powerhouse Pike High School and Wake Forest, Teague has a base of hoop smarts that is augmented every day in practice by the Hawks assistant coach Nick Van Exel, who played 13 years in the league at point guard
aj: there’s your nick van exel shout out. heh
High-sider
February 22nd, 2012
9:44 am
“Crawford 5-5 for 18pts in the 1st half. Blazers up 23 over the Spurs at halftime.” – Melvin
“LOL Crawford doing work against the Austin Toros starting lineup with Parker, Ginobili and Duncan held out of the game by Pops.” – B-Grizz [Buddy Grizzard]
I watched the game last night and correct me, if I’m wrong, but I thought I saw the Blazers’ opponents’ jerseys to read San Antonio Spurs and not the Austin Toros or the Dallas Chap[arral]s.
Astro Joe
February 22nd, 2012
9:49 am
I’m sure Joe’s knee has nothing to do with his poor performance of late. He clearly is just disinterested in doing anything else other than count his money. Seriously, I just don’t get how you read that a guy is missing a game TODAY and not think to yourself “hmm, I wonder if he has been hurting for more than a single day?”
Abe, thanks. I think Teague’s quotes suggest what several of us have been saying for weeks but diehard fans of Josh prefer to ignore.
Y’all do know that there are around 20 other teams that can put together a nice little “would have; should have” list as well. And many of those teams still haven’t seen the 2nd round. Again, does anyone ever think “how is it that I think 98% of everything this team does is wrong, yet they tend to be a top 8 team by ther time the playoffs end?” Is it that maybe, your expectations are out-of-whack relative to reality? Of course not.
O'Brien
February 22nd, 2012
9:49 am
Abe,
Thanks for posting that article. Here is another part that jumped out at me.
Teague, who was selected 19th over all in the 2009 N.B.A. draft, may be in his third season, but he is essentially a rookie. He averaged about 10 minutes a game, starting three of them, in the 2009-10 season, Mike Woodson’s final year as Atlanta’s head coach. “My rookie year, Coach Woodson told me I wasn’t going to play, straight up,” Teague said. “That was just how he worked. So I respected that.” .
Larry Drew replaced Woodson last season, but Teague’s role did not change much until Mike Bibby was traded. Teague’s breakout came in the playoffs. It hardly reached the heights of Linsanity, but Teague had his own unlikely emergence, in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Chicago. .
I’m sure what Woody meant was he is not going to play because he does not look good in practice:smile:
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
10:14 am
jeff teague is the x factor. when he is agressive he makes the hawks one of the better teams in the east. when he goes into his shell they quickly morph into one of the worst teams in the entire league. some point to LD as the cause of teague’s timidness. they seem to quickly forget about his lackluster play in the summer leagues. he went back there as a 2nd year player and hardly dominated. LD might have a hand in Teague’s inconsistent play but it more or less rests on Teague himself. playing in the nba is no easy feat. trying to bring “it” every night is very difficult. it’s why the best are the best. their level of consistency is rare. teague needs to realize he is the team’s engine and as he goes so goes the team.
kwooden
February 22nd, 2012
10:15 am
Grandad, I need to check my writing, but the fact is Josh is “carrying” this team. And he will have to “carry” this team for the next few games. I think Josh can do it if he’s hitting jump-shots. He will be able to post-up against Orlando, but he’s going to have to shoot jumpers against NY.
I think the biggest issue with these guys over the last 3 years isn’t coaching or consistent energy, it’s skill level. These guys are talented and athletic, but Josh, Al and including Jeff now are not complete players. Al has problems against bigger centers more because he can’t attack them inside because of his lack of an up and under move or fade-way, than his actual size. Josh doesn’t dominate the best PFs in the game because he doesn’t have any strong right-hand moves, more than poor decision making. Jeff could dominate on most nights if he had a better pull-up jump-shot. Joe’s our only complete player and he shoots to many fade-ways. He should probably shoot about 20% jumpers and 80% drives and floaters. But on most nights I give Joe a pass because he gets double-teamed before he can start his drive.
doc
February 22nd, 2012
10:17 am
to buddy the man who keeps us relevant while we sleep, couldnt agree more to your 1:17, 1:23 and 1:29 posts. it is why i cant take some of this game real. still think wwf comes into play or like watching heavy weight fights in the 60’s and 70’s. there is too much going on behind the scenes to take it very seriously.
the 1:03 post makes me wonder if most of the draft is luck. what would we be if we had not gotten the lucky three ball for instance to be in a position to draft al. now we got to wonder if noah would have been better since he was considered strongly and would have fit our needs better that being a motor in the middle without fear and no concern for his body or points accrued.
well buddy as i read further you were on point this am all the way through. cudos. i am quiet to so many of you that say what is on my mind. i bow to the many here and revel on in the dysfunction. i think after the portland game i said let the dysfunction begin and it swirls. a win or two would help but dont see many for the rest of the month. we are stuck on three and i was hoping for 4 at worst which will leave us think at 3 to four games above .500.
buddy, i will disagree on something that just as many of our minions were coming into february suggesting 9 and 10 wins for the month. you are waaaay to optimistic about march. it isnt the teams but how it is set up. we have bak to backs, one back to back to back and a road trip of 6 in 9 days. it isnt set up like it was to start the season. right now we are playing for a six seed at best. i mentioned earlier we are very lucky that we are in a league with 5 to 6 terrible teams but even they might start to gel and cause some problems that werent there earlier in the season.
nice work guys while we were supine. ill go quiet again and continue to read assuming o’b will say something close to what i had on my mind anyway. cudos to all.
doc
February 22nd, 2012
10:22 am
if woody were the coach to all that hate linsanity and all that comes with watching it … it never would have come about. woody was about rook go clean out the popcorn in your car son. it was about not playing ball but paying your respect and joining a fraternity when he had choices which he didnt in his early years as a coach.
Oh! No
February 22nd, 2012
10:36 am
Larry and Woody WERE friends for thirty years. When you become a head coach you understand FIRST you are hired to get fired… That is understood. SECOND your first assistant is someone you trust and care for… so when that day comes when you are releashed or fired you hope the person that has been sitting so close to you will have the opportunity to become the head man. Being a head coach, on any level, eventually comes to an end for everyone regardless of how well/bad you have done, or champoinships you have won— but the real prize are friendships/loyality that last a life-time. Larry and Woody know what the split was all about!!!
cdog
February 22nd, 2012
10:43 am
THE HAWKS ARE A FOLLOW THE LEADER TEAM.THEY WILL LET JEREMY LIN HAVE HIS WAY TONIGHT JUST BECAUSE HE’S BEEN IN THE NEWS.THE HAWKS HAVE JUST ABOUT WAVED THEIR WHITE FLAG AND GIVEN UP. WON’T WATCH ANY OF THEIR GAMES.
O'Brien
February 22nd, 2012
10:56 am
I’m glad MC and C-Viv got those comments removed.
doc,
With Lin having so many turnovers early on, D’Antoni let him play through it (although he is still turning it over too much). I think Woody would have pulled him.
AJ,
On Portland blogs, they are probably playing “what if we drafted MJ instead of Sam Bowie” and “What if we drafted KD instead of Oden” games lol.
SLAM ONLINE | » Joe Johnson: Struggling Hawks ‘Self-Conscious’ About Who Scores
February 22nd, 2012
10:56 am
[...] team, which has lost 7 of its last 10 games, he sees a squad featuring some players who are a tad too concerned with their own stats. From the AJC: “When I look at our team, we are a very talented team, but I [don’t know] [...]
O'Brien
February 22nd, 2012
11:00 am
ajc tweet (not sure if its from C-Viv);
•Remember when Ivan Johnson was major part of #Hawks rotation? .
Despite the fact that Hawks have been getting outrebounded, we havent seen much of Ivan or Dampier. I wish somebody would ask LD what’s his reasoning.
Oh!No;
The irony is BK and Woody were very good friends for years, and BK hired Woody. But when things went sour and he wanted to fire Woody, ASG wouldnt let him. Similarly, Woody and LD were friends, but when LD got hired, he said he would give Woody suggestions, but Woody never used them.
Just more examples of the rift in the organization.
Baller4Life
February 22nd, 2012
11:15 am
Yeah but head to head the 76ers have owned the Hawks this year. Hawks simply cannot beat Miami,Philly,Boston,Orlando,Indiana,Chicago. So that leaves them 7th and out of the playoffs.
Oh! No
February 22nd, 2012
11:18 am
Has nothing to do with the job! O it has something to do with the people in your life you call true friends. There are a lot of missing parts to the story I am sure we will never know BUT! Expectations of friendship can be defined only by the person maybe Woody thought it was much more than it really was! Thnxs.. O for you response…
Baller4Life
February 22nd, 2012
11:19 am
I was listening to talk radio this morning 680 The Fan. Dude was saying “T-Mac & Marvin should play low minutes now & be fresh for playoffs.” #1 Hawks aren’t good enough to rest ANYBODY and coast to playoffs. #2 How do you expect a player that plays 4 minutes a game all year to all of a sudden play 30 minutes with success ? Leo Mazzonne had it right. Screw resting the players. The good players play all game every game and are honed for the playoffs.
Baller4Life
February 22nd, 2012
11:21 am
I remember when Horford went down JJ,J.Smith,Marvin,Rad,Pargo,T-Mac all stepped up their games. Forward to today and only J.Smith is playing good. Why did all the others quit giving effort ? Especially Joe Johnson. Pathetic.
Baller4Life
February 22nd, 2012
11:24 am
The only good players ther Hawks have IMO are Josh Smith & Al Horford. Joe Johnson is Jekyyl & Hyde too much. Stars don’t score 30 one game then 7 the next game.
honest_abe
February 22nd, 2012
11:26 am
How do you expect a player that plays 4 minutes a game all year to all of a sudden play 30 minutes with success ? – baller4life
that argument went out the lindow when lin appeared on the scene.
aytunstoppable
February 22nd, 2012
11:27 am
Well I figurerd something was wrong with joe before the LA game. his production doesn’t spike down that much without something be wrong with him. He’s been that way. We don’t usually know anything is wrong till he’s finally forced to sit.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
February 22nd, 2012
12:08 pm
Hawks might make it out of the second round if they play Orlando or Indiana but other than that its one and done. Just keeping it real.
Ra'mon
February 22nd, 2012
12:09 pm
But if Joe has been playing injured for so long, why has LD increased his minutes? Or why wasn’t LD benching JJ on the back side of back to back games on the road trip? If Joe’s performance is so drastically declined when injured, is it not better for the
Ra'mon
February 22nd, 2012
12:12 pm
But if Joe has been playing injured for so long, why has LD increased his minutes? Or why wasn’t LD benching JJ on the back side of back to back games on the road trip? If Joe’s performance is so drastically declined when injured, is it not better for the TEAM for him to not play? So should it have been Joe who’s been getting minutes reduced instead of McGrady or Teague?
doc
February 22nd, 2012
12:51 pm
honest to answer the question, it is happening in minny with the pekovic kid. played 4 minutes in the first 3 weeks and now is balling at about 20/10. kid was drafted in 08 and somehow does this? right place at right ime and taking advantage of the situation. marvin, listening bro, got your summer planned to work on your game or play pick up with college kids to elevate your game?
as far as linsanity, it is going to be interesting to see what happens next as the pieces come together. three strong personalities, that have been known more for me first than team first, coming into the mix. heard an interesting look into melo. he is a loose cannon, coming out of time outs to do not what the coach says but to wing it on his own and that what he is known for throughout the league. also he is not a worker and lin is. it took three coaches in san fran to work him out. on the other hand melo is not known to work out at all, so the culture is going to come into conflict. finally, melo seems to fall into that category that ai and tmac is in, non winners with all the talent in the world lighting it up for 30 a night avg for a year, that dont like practice time at all and were never known for it. i wonder if melo will get it or end up over the hill before his time because of lack of body preparation and practice effort to make the team and himself better.
doc
February 22nd, 2012
12:59 pm
o’b on the tweet, my lineup against the bulls with marvin out would have been to slide josh to three and put ivan at pf to combat their size. josh always gets beat on by boozer by at least once a game just lining himself up butt first to plow into josh. it was flat stupid to go small by putting in green and making jj a sf who does not like rebounding or contact sports. in fact i would see if that would work more often and use marvin off the bench so he could have more of a “star” role. ahem against lesser talent. remember when it was thought out loud that marvin was a queen in cavs uni neutralizer? lol!
doc
February 22nd, 2012
1:14 pm
baller, you might be adding the knicks to your list tonight and saying eighth and out in the first round. we have a lot of games left in straight match ups with the knicks which in baseball vernacular or worth two games each with a loss or a win. they can make up a lot of ground on us if they whip up on the hawks and they know it.