Atlanta Hawks: Hawks 139, Jazz 133 (4 OT)
- Because my blog people (bless your hearts) like to accentuate the negative, and I’m willing to humor you because I’m cranky, I’ll start with what I’m sure are two of your burning questions after this stirring W.
- Larry Drew on riding his starters in the four overtime periods: “I know they were tired. I know they were out of gas, because I was out of gas. But the guys said they wanted to stay in and stick it out. They wanted to play it out, and I rode them.”
- For all you persistent and vocal Tracy McGrady fans who want an update on his status every five minutes . . . I’m not holding out on you. Drew on T-Mac’s DNP-CD: “I’m keeping an eye on Tracy, he’s been having some problems with his knee. I hope to spot him some minutes in the next few games.”
- But Drew added that McGrady not playing tonight was “more of a matchup thing” because of Utah’s speed on the wings. So T-Mac has a knee problem, he may play a few minutes in the upcoming games, but maybe not if the matchup isn’t right. Got it? Good.
- If you have more burning questions, they will just have to wait because my deadline and a freakin’ 3 hour, 17-minute game meant there wasn’t a lot of time to ask questions. Deal with it.
- Just kidding. Sorta.
- Now, with that out of the way . . . this was quite a victory for the Hawks. Maybe you are tired of hearing about their resiliency and determination and all the things you think they should have, anyway, but try to at least enjoy the fact that they seem to be developing these traits now.
- Drew: “That was something. It’s all happened to us this year thus far. We’ve gone through injury, we’ve gone through emergencies with families. We’ve gone throudh scheduling, zig-zagging across all the states, 11-, 12-day trips. And now we go through a back-to-back-to-back and we have—what was it? Four overtimes?”
- Yes, four.
- “This team, it just doesn’t have any quit in it,” Drew said.
- It may not have taken all that time for Atlanta to win if not for yet another rough start to the third quarter. Atlanta’s offense stalled as the Jazz blitzed Joe Johnson and, with Josh Smith on the bench in foul trouble, no one else could score.
- “We came out sluggish in the third,” Drew said. “Give Utah credit. They took it to us. We were stuck in mud. I don’t know if it was because of the back-to-back-to-back. Our zone helped us out, disrupted their rhythm and got us going.”
- Drew waited a while to get Josh back in the game after he sat with four fouls but I’m thinking it paid off because Josh had some legs left for the fourth quarter. Over the final nine minutes of regulation he had seven points on seven shots, five rebounds, one block,, one steal, one assists and one turnover. The guy was tired but he competed.
- Joe had some sloppy turnovers but he also made so many big shots when the Hawks needed them. None was bigger than that step-back 3 he made to force the third overtime. My seat is directly behind where Joe took that shot and, from my angle, it looked like Jefferson blocked Joe’s view so he couldn’t see the rim when he let it go.
- “We were going to make Joe the option of most everything we did,” Drew said. “We ran a pick-and-roll with [Jeff] Teague that got us a couple things but we came back to Joe. I know Joe was tired. I asked him if he wanted a blow, he said no, so I was going to ride him.”
- Kirk Hinrich has been playing much better of late. He said he tweaked the same hamstring that kept him out of the Chicago series last year but that it’s not serious. “Kirk, he actually was complaining about his leg a little bit,” Drew said. “I didn’t really see where it was slowing him down. But he had hit a point where he was running out of gas.”
- Willie Green replaced Hinrich. He had the freshest legs late in the game and it showed.
- Teague was looking for contact when he went to the rim and was 10 of 11 from the line. That’s how you score 18 points when you shoot just 4 of 14 from the field. He’s learning and getting better.
- Ivan Johnson had another strong effort. He hit the boards as usual and was under control on offense. Ivan is learning and getting better, too.
- Zaza Pachulia had trouble handling Al Jefferson’s effective offensive game. No shame in that, and Zaza held his own with 15 points on 11 shots, 20 rebounds and three (!) blocked shots. Drew: “He was a warrior to play against Jefferson, he’s a really good big man, to go out and battle him he way he did. He’s been doing everything we’ve asked him to do. His performance tonight was typical of what he’s been doing.”
- The Jazz dropped to 1-16 in road games in which they trailed after three quarters. “We showed a lot of character and fight,” Tyrone Corbin said. “That’s what we need on the road in the second half to win.”
- The Hawks are now 5-2 this season in overtime games.
- “In the fourth overtime, the starters we were sitting on the bench and we were talking about, ‘Let’s finish the deal,’” Zaza said. “We weren’t sure we were going to win but we wanted to do right thing from the get go. That’s what we did. We executed out offense, Willie’s 3 was huge and we made free throws. Willie’s energy off the bench was huge and helped us because I think starters were kind of tired.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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191 comments Add your comment
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 25th, 2012
11:13 pm
FIRE. LD
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2012
11:14 pm
4 OTs, MC. You’re selling them short.
Great win.
MsDee
March 25th, 2012
11:14 pm
MC, how could u miss putting (4TO)??
MsDee
March 25th, 2012
11:15 pm
Sorry…4OT
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 25th, 2012
11:16 pm
“This team, it just doesn’t have any quit in it,” Drew said.
LOL. We have quit in at least 5 HOME games in the last 12 months
High-sider
March 25th, 2012
11:17 pm
Hawks have the 5th seed – for now.
MsDee
March 25th, 2012
11:19 pm
Looks like u were just as tired as the players, MC…great win, HAWKS…Jazz should be ashamed of themselves allowing us to win not 1, not 2, not 3, but in 4 OTs quarters after playing the last end of a back 2 back 2 back with very limited players, INCLUDING THE GUYS THAT DREW DECIDED NOT TO PLAY..
Grandad
March 25th, 2012
11:27 pm
I just finished watching the game;
[two women in the house, wife / daughter]
It`s best to wait & watch after they go to bed.
Best game of the season for viewing pleasure.
My recording shut off & I missed the last min of 3rd OT + 4th OT.
‘`shucks`’
This team is beginning to show more heart & character
than any in the post Fratello era.
This win tonight was…………………………………different?
Zaza -is- a Warrior.
justahawkfan
March 25th, 2012
11:28 pm
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 25th, 2012
11:16 pm
“This team, it just doesn’t have any quit in it,” Drew said.
LOL. We have quit in at least 5 HOME games in the last 12 months
Youv’ve had a long night of whining and complaining. Why don’t you take your arse to bed, give yourself and everyone esle a break.
Grandad
March 25th, 2012
11:29 pm
Maybe it`s time, some of us, [myself included]
start to give LD a bit of credit.
Ken Strickland has some valid points.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 25th, 2012
11:30 pm
Youv’ve had a long night of whining and complaining. Why don’t you take your arse to bed, give yourself and everyone esle a break.
*****
just stating the facts.
Grandad
March 25th, 2012
11:33 pm
Who knew this team was resilient ?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 25th, 2012
11:37 pm
Lol @ people who still claim we should amnesty Joe
Leo
March 25th, 2012
11:39 pm
This was a great win for the Hawks wasn’t it Grandmaster JeJe (GM). Or shall I say Antagonistic JeJe. The Hawks are in 5th in the East now compared to alot of other teams who people claim were going to be better than than them this season.
Go Hawks
Ken Strickland
March 25th, 2012
11:40 pm
From the previous blog.
NAJEH-Who said I was talking to an adult?
DAWGNOLE-The only descriptive word I used to describe who I was taking about was FOOL, and you immediately responded. CONGRADULATION! At least you know who and what you are, if nothing else.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2012
11:43 pm
JeJe, better be careful or you’ll choke away that playoff spot…
trampoline dunk guy during time out
March 25th, 2012
11:45 pm
Ummmmmm, anyone else at the game tonight see the trampoline “dunk” guy fly face first into the rim and stay on the ground for about 30 seconds before he was helped off by 2 guys? Then they ushered out some fat guy in the same costume to replace him, as if nobody noticed. Wonder how that guys is? The kids behind us were crying…it was pretty disturbing. Hope he’s alright, any updates appreciated.
Big Lou
March 25th, 2012
11:47 pm
It’s sad that ESPN will not even talk about the game. If you are a basketball fan, you would have loved this game–period.
HawkEye
March 25th, 2012
11:51 pm
“But Drew added that McGrady not playing tonight was “more of a matchup thing” because of Utah’s speed on the wings.”
LOL. Called it.
FTPB
HawkEye, “I’m sure LD’s answer to why he did not play TMac would’ve been he was a bad match-up. Lol.”
Great win Hawks. This is a tough game for either team to lose, but I’m glad Hawks came out on top. 1.5 gms behind Orlando.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
12:01 am
Damn, it was only a matter before SkyHawk and the Sky Squad got hurt. That’s too bad.
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
12:05 am
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
I think we should amnesty Joe;
probably;
year after next. [give or take]
trampoline dunk guy during time out
March 26th, 2012
12:08 am
yeah Najeh, it looked pretty bad….you could tell he was bout to take his hawk head off to check his own face, but they ushered him off quickly. Only drawback to the game tonight
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
12:11 am
MC lost count after 3 ot’s! LMBO!
i_am_soulstar
March 26th, 2012
12:17 am
i lost count after 2. Stayed w them til the end though.
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
12:21 am
Well Gearon Jr, this was pure entertainment you had hope for!
Devin Harris missed two game winners and Millsap missed the other one for Utah..They must be kicking themselves! This is one tough schedule. Up next 4 games in 5 nights after just playing 3 in a row plus partaking in only the 9th quadruple overtime game in NBA history! Sheesh..
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
12:32 am
“Because my blog people (bless your hearts) like to accentuate the negative, and I’m willing to accommodate that because I’m cranky..”
I cant blame you for being cranky…Following a team that has no intent on pursuing a Championship because they have bit off way more than they can handle would make most people feel that way..Bless your Heart MC!
golly
March 26th, 2012
12:33 am
Fire this, Fire that. Gimme a break people. Can’t you just enjoy the W for once without complaining and appreciate our team for what it accomplished? It’s an awesome game and i got to see it live too. Go Hawks!
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
12:35 am
The Hawks gave up 23 offensive rebounds! That is brutal.. Got to clean that up.. The Elites will crush you giving up the many in a night…
Looks like head to head Durant dominated Lebron tonight. He bested him in every important category!
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:40 am
Fire MC…….This blog is getting sloppy as hell. Get a writer who gives a damn like Sekou 2 seasons.
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:40 am
Ago……see the sloppiness is catching on
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:44 am
Hawks are doing the best with what they have been given. They should have kept one of those 2 young bigs at the beginning of the season (Magnum Rolle or Keith Benson) to help with the boards. Too many banged up old dudes on this squad.
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
12:52 am
Mr Benson plays for the GSW now. Shoot…..
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:54 am
Yea they should have kept him instead of signing Dampier
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:58 am
Oh Well I’m out like this blog
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
2:14 am
Slimjr
With all due respect:
‘` I cant blame you for being cranky…
Following a team
that has no intent on pursuing a Championship
because they have bit off way more than they can handle
would make most people feel that way..
Bless your Heart MC! `’
Gearon et al; + Sund have no intent on pursuing a championship,
but the players are starting to look as if they give a dang.
So;
if you don`t mind; I think I shall reward their tenacity with my backing.
As for MC;
don`t you reckon,
all that blather about being cranky was tongue in cheek ?
Nonetheless;
what do I know, I`m just a humble Hawks fan.
Evnin` Mr Jr
Hawks Fan Down Under
March 26th, 2012
2:28 am
Match up reasons…as in LD doesnt want to see T-Mac match up against anybody!
Great win, Utah had plenty of chances to win but couldn’t.
Zaza should remain our starting C even when Al returns….he’s earnt it.
LD should not remain our coach….he hasn’t earnt it!
Tyrone Hardy
March 26th, 2012
2:48 am
I see many fans saying fire LD…who out there would be a better choice right now? Considering all of the injuries we have experienced, having the same record as the Lakers is very impressive.
dawkins
March 26th, 2012
3:52 am
What drew meant to say tmac hurt my feelings after the Bulls game and thats the bottom line.
E43
March 26th, 2012
4:17 am
People need to stop cry-babying Tmac. This guy has been talking about how great he has been feeling since he was in New York and more of the same happened in Detroit. Reality is that Tracy will be 3rd string if Al Horford can return because I dont see them benching Zaza/ Marvin along with Willie Green have been consistent when given 4 minutes of playing time, I dont see Tmac ever getting consistent minutes with the Hawks unless he can be more productive in short stints. The sun wont rise in the west and set in the east just so Tmac can get playing time everyday.
soullrenaissance
March 26th, 2012
4:20 am
dawkins,
I agree. LD let’s be real; TMac being buried on the bench is product of a power struggle. I give LD minimal credit for these wins against middling and up and coming teams. I would give LD props for out-coaching well coached teams such as Spurs, Celtics, Bulls on a sustained basis – putting a good coach in check mate in crunch time. He basically rides his favorites until their knees buckle, a la Hinrich or let highly capable players who have legitimate grievances ride the pine, a la McGrady.
Hawkeye,
you called it. It was all about match ups.
Nonetheless, it was a great, thrilling, and valiant victory by a Hawks team that seems to be coming-of-age.
soullrenaissance
March 26th, 2012
4:25 am
E43 – Collins should not get more PT than the guy, period. I am not a TMac d-rider but he is far from a scrub, he should not be getting the Jordan Crawford treatment on the team.
Now if he is a cancer in locker room, Sund should not have signed him to play for us.
It is a fact that Atlanta teams don’t take to kindly to outspoken players, ie: David Justice was cut loose AFTER he won our only world series.
Dawg
March 26th, 2012
5:57 am
I overhead Gerrin at the game last night asking how much cash could he sale the no. 1 draft pick for this upcoming draft.
He says that the Hawks can be better if they can just get a little more cash.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:03 am
Najeh Davenpoop
March 25th, 2012
11:43 pm
JeJe, better be careful or you’ll choke away that playoff spot…
LinkReport this comment
Not worried.
Marcus
March 26th, 2012
6:53 am
say what you want, in the previous iterations of these playoff-era Hawks, games like last nite or the last 3 nites, we would have folded like linen napkins at a cotillion. This year, with some mild exceptions, the fight in this team is evident almost every time on the floor.
man, I would luv to see Quincy Acy or Fab Melo as draftees, esp. at our projected draft position, but I think we will need a backup PG to replace Hinrich, maybe SF if Sund is weary of th eM. Williams era and they become casualties of $$$ or disappointing performance. We also can’t expect the assorted vets to continue to come back for low ball prices.
dawkins
March 26th, 2012
7:14 am
Tmac is hardly a scrub. remember the heat game or the Pacers and the Bucks game he was pretty much creating and scoring.
tyger
March 26th, 2012
7:42 am
LD Coach of the Year?
He’s coached a walking infirmary to 4th in the East…
Not normally giddy after beating mediocre teams, but…
The Jazz is a good, .500+ western playoff team that beat us…
And after back-back games, this is huge…
Hawks normally take games like this off, win two, lose three…
Every reason in world to lay down, OT, injuries, fouls, tired, etc.
They refused to quit…that’s tremendous progress…a testament…
To everyone involved – right attitudes, doing things right way…
Hopefully, Stackhouse, Green, Vladi, McGrady can pick it up in Mil…
The core has earned a rest, especially JJ – 55min.??? – crazy…
Don’t know if I’d even dress him – maybe a token appearance, but
With Chicago, NYK, Philly on deck, I’d let the fresh legs handle Mil…
James
March 26th, 2012
7:52 am
Big win. Joe Johnson has quietly been saving the Hawks from losing night after night. It’s interesting, right when you expect Joe to start slipping he ends up going on a hot streak. Lately, he’s just been flat-out dominant scoring the ball. He’s looking like a top 3 SG again during the Hawks recent stretch that included 6 wins in the last 7 games. Aside from the win against Utah today, a lot of those wins were against bad teams, but still, Joe’s been Impressive.
Moving along…it should be fun to see how the Hawks do this week playing 4 games in 5 nights against some competitive opponents. It’s not a huge surprise that the Hawks had a great week last week when you consider that they faced some teams that are still just trying to figure things out. This week, however, pits the Hawks against some much more interesting competition. Here’s my prediction: I say we win in Milwaukee, win 1 game against either Chicago or NY while losing the other, and then lose to Philly on the road. That would mean a .500 week, which is not bad. After that, the schedule starts to look friendly for a few games.
James
March 26th, 2012
7:55 am
By the way, I really think that guys like Stackhouse are having a positive impact on the locker room. I thought that back when the Hawks signed Stack, his greatest value would be what he provided off the court as a veteran presence behind the scenes. I have no evidence of whether he is a part of the reason or not, but the Hawks sure do seem to have much better habits this season than in seasons past. Maybe it’s a combination of new personnel and guys actually listening.
george
March 26th, 2012
8:01 am
Can i ask something?
Why the sixers are in the 4th place with 3 wins less and with 2 more loses?
George Athens Greece,
James
March 26th, 2012
8:06 am
“Can i ask something?
Why the sixers are in the 4th place with 3 wins less and with 2 more loses?”
Division winners are guaranteed a top 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the 1st round, and the Sixers are currently winning the Atlantic Division.
MO
March 26th, 2012
8:07 am
Great heart and character for an 8th place team…oh, wait we’re 5th.
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 26th, 2012
8:19 am
Support System!
Stackhouse has been huge behind the scenes from what I’m hearing. I would love to see a kiss cam on him in the locker room before games but, I guess MC doesn’t have any team access except after closed practices (not that they have time practice really).
These guys are playing on team principles moreso than practice time together. Drew has said they do carpeted walk thrus at all the hotels, that’s probably all they really get. That’s where the veteran leadership is keying the game plans for the different teams they play. That and, I presume a lot of film sessions.
I heard last night that Ramon Sessions is balling his eyes out in LA last night. He has fit in nicely there.
I’m so proud of this Hawks team and, a lot of credit should go to zaza for his toughness in the paint and, Ivan as well. Just hard tough play inside. Josh too, scoring inside on post ups as well – just spectacular to see how far Josh has come.
Joe is terrific and so is coach Drew. Teague has his shine back as well. Ny Hawks have really come together. Jason Collins has been awful, a fouling machine with no production. Instead of riding the bench, Eric should be sitting on a spin-cycle in the tunnel during every game. That’s what Rodman did after every single game late in his HOF career. Eric has to get himself in shape proactively and, not just show up for every team meal.
george
March 26th, 2012
8:21 am
thank you James, it looks to me that it’s not a fair rule,
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
8:41 am
“It is a fact that Atlanta teams don’t take to kindly to outspoken players, ie: David Justice was cut loose AFTER he won our only world series.”
Guess what happened after he was released…The Braves lost their mojo and been trying to get it back ever since…..Hmmmmm
Hawks WIN!
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
8:47 am
11-4 with Captain Kirk being inserted into the starting line up! Man has his critics been quiet……He’s certainly won me over for sure…Go Captain!
About time Marvin showed up against a good ball club and played decent! He contested quite a few shots and even blocked a couple…Good job Marvin…
Good job coach! Leave Teaque alone..He improving with playing time for sure..
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
8:50 am
Teague^^^^
Kerry
March 26th, 2012
9:22 am
Great Game Hawks, Hawks played well to the end, Joe Johnson stepped it up and played like a superstar, just like he did the last 3 games, I feel Joe and Josh are really playing well! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
phamoo8 (LD coach of the year)
March 26th, 2012
9:24 am
I read this blog every day but i never comment because the basketball knowledge from some of you guys baffles me. You want to fire LD but look what he has done. He has givin this team freedom to become a legit threat to a Championship. Why do i say that, let me explain in short. Joe is the best scorer on the team but when you are not a great athlete (Joe isnt athletic just great skill) you can score when there are 5 eyes looking at you on defense. LD has allowed his best all around player to fail and not be chastised and for it so that there is a legit second scorer which takes eyes of of Joe. Previous coach stunted the growth of both Josh Smith and Jeff Teagues and we are seeing the benefits of a coach that takes up for his “favorite” players (which alot of you guys complain about … if you think T Mac can take the hawks to a championship you must be living in 2002)
Look at the team as it is currently built and think how these guys roles have changed because LD “favorite” players seem to be the most talented players….. ummm if i was a coach my favorite players would be the most talented players as well. Not an over the hill ex super star that has bad knees
tyger
March 26th, 2012
9:35 am
Logic says Hawks go 2-2 this week…
Heart says Hawks make a stand at home…3-1
1. Confidence high right now…guys healthier…
2. Owe both Chicago, NYK and Philly…
3. Need to send a message…
4. Need to defend the house…stand your ground!!!
5. Transplant fans will be rowdy…bandwagoners load up…
Gotta feelin’ Green, Tmac, Stack, Vladi, Collins, Dampier…
One or two save the week for us!
phamoo8 (LD coach of the year)
March 26th, 2012
9:38 am
o yea and he has also evolved that offense to highlight each “favorite” players skills. It started as a motion/ Princeton offense to a mix between the triangle, motion, pick and role, isolation, and iso post ups. He runs a good offense that fits his team and the new defensive theory are great as well. again y do u want to fire this guy???
Ken Strickland
March 26th, 2012
9:40 am
SLIMJR-I’m not so certain David Justice was sent packing just because he was out spoken. His personal life had started to create a lot of negative publicity. His arrest in Fla during training camp alledgedly for purchasing drugs, and having the police called on him during the playoffs in LA for stalking Halle Berry, not that I blame him for that move, umh..
doc
March 26th, 2012
9:41 am
love pops and the spurs:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/tim-duncan-missed-sunday-night-spurs-game-because-081218158.html;_ylt=Ai5O6LI56hT17B1dQDYSNcq8vLYF
check the box score
did anyone else notice the very small smile of respect on LD’s face as the game wore on? it was there in the first ot as we were coming back. got to love it.
tmac is fringe folks and not to be counted on for anything more than the occasional play like vlad or maybe twin. speaking of which, i would like to see more of dampier though as he does bring some rebounding and he knows how to foul just as well. just dont see the love affair that twin gets from his coaches. the guy has trouble bending over, geez.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
9:44 am
If anyone watchwes the game again, check out Marvin’s defense on Millsap, pretty much anytime Marvin was guarding him. He was fantastic. Al Jefferson played one of the best half-court games I’ve seen in a while, dude has a great “old school” game. Considering the “heart and soul” of the team was on the bench for most of the OTs, that was a huge effort and win last night. Now this is a stretch worthy of excitement, what, 6-1 or something like that in their last 7 games? Winning ugly beats losing pretty each and every time.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
9:47 am
if we go 2-2 to end March I will be happy (that would be 12-7 in March)
we have an opportunity to be a 3 or 4 and we’re still not healthy yet (Al, T-Mac, Vlad, Pargo)
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
9:49 am
@Astro Joe
in the immortal words of Mark Richt: “I think winning is pretty stylish”
vava74
March 26th, 2012
9:52 am
phamoo8,
LD has made atrocious mistakes which only the lack of options due to injury allowed him to correct by mere chance.
He buried Pargo at the end of the bench when he was being extremely productive, giving too many minutes to Hinrich only days after his FIRST practice after shoulder injury.
He is now doing the same with Collins, rather than trying to get Dampier’s mojo going (when he has had a few productive minutes when he gets on the floor), or giving Ivan more minutes.
He only moved JJ to the SF slot – WHERE HE BELONGS – because Marvin was injured, not because he thought it was the right move.
He is only giving Zaza the minutes he deserves because Horford is down (last year, Zaza was at the end of the bench with Powell getting undeserved minutes) when it was clear and noticeable – for instance in the playoffs – that Zaza’s production rises dramatically with more minutes.
Last year Teague was buried deep in the bench and getting DNP-CD even after he had good performances with Bibby and Jamal playing PG and if it wasn’t for Hinrich’s injuries Teague would STILL be buried in the bench.
There is ZERO merit falling on LD. ZERO.
The Hawks’ record is what it is because:
Without Jamal, we no longer have a black hole on offense and a freeway on defense for 30 minutes a game, both killing the second team’s ability to contribute and ruining the first team’s 4th quarters.
With Teague, we have a PG who stays in front of his man consistently (not perfect but a world of difference in relation to what we had before), keeping guys off the lane and allowing everyone to stick with their man rather than scramble all the time.
With Zaza starting and playing 30 minutes, we have a rugged warrior down low giving us TOUGHNESS, with Ivan keeping the intensity levels and the level of D and rebounding off the bench.
Josh has been BALLIN’ and until JJ’s ressurgence in March, Josh CARRIED the Hawks on his back on BOTH ENDS of the floor ONLY because of injuries, NOT BECAUSE LD identified Josh as the LEADER.
Last night LD was (AGAIN) thoroughly out coached, taking 9 MINUTES in the third quarter to adjust to Corbin’s half time adjustments.
It took him NINE SOLID MINUTES and losing the whole 15 points lead for him to go into ZONE D.
We are winning IN SPITE of LD. Just like we did last year and that is WHY WE LOSE WHEN WE FACE BETTER OPPOSITION.
THAT IS WHY JJ DISAPPEARS WHEN WE FACE PLAYOFF TEAMS: LD does not coach JJ into playing differently when defenses focus on him and last night we saw that again with too much ISO and very little coaching in the OTs.
Only a blind man could not see:
- That Corbin drew plays that got clean shots for the win/tie for several players.
- That LD did not drew a single play to get a clean look to win/tie the game and that the shots only came out of free wheeling ISOs.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
9:54 am
doc, Collins is wretchedly bad right now. Maybe he will look good again against D12 (if we play them in playoffs), but he is utterly useless against anyone else. I agree, give Dampier a little PT and see if he is even slightly better than Twin. Hard to believe that he wouldn’t be able to provide better production.
Zaza should be getting CRAZY love from the fan base. I loved how he managed to stay out of foul trouble last night. He never got so frustrated with Jefferson’s offensive assault that he put himself in foul trouble. IMO, that showed a lot of maturity and team-first focus.
doc
March 26th, 2012
9:58 am
still laughing to end likethat would even out the disastrous looking february. we are now at the point we were as we headed inot february at 10 games over .500. to me that is huge while holding our own at 100% clip against the “ought to win no matter” and the “equal to” at home. now if we can sneak in a win against a “shouldnt beat” team then that is gravy and worth getting pumped up about. not sure where to put the knicks quite yet, “equal to” or “shouldnt beat”.
Admiral Snackbar
March 26th, 2012
10:00 am
LD for coach of the week.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
10:02 am
@vava74
I think saying we’re winning “IN SPITE” of Drew is a little bit of a stretch.
is he a top 10 coach in the league: no, but there are only 10 of those
under Drew we have been FAR more successful than under Woodson, under Woodson we did not play nearly as good defense as we do now (#5 in points allowed) and we relied on Joe and Jamaal to save our hides with Iso plays for 40-50% of our possesions
let’s not try to say Drew is the weak link of this team
doc
March 26th, 2012
10:03 am
aj, glad to see someone else sees it, wish LD would. dreadful. maybe vava cant even bring the spirit to defend him at this point. eh, vava?
i think he is so stuck on the without jamal stuff he has lost his other vision.
do you remember when i suggested a trade for al j right after the loss to the magic. the very next day. he would be perfect with al and he might be signed for a bit longer than josh who will be gone unless something really strange happens. love it when j smash comes to play. substance over style of j smmm. still cant say it, osh then.
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
10:04 am
Good win last night for the team. Despite their tired legs, and Josh being in foul trouble, they pulled it out. JJ has been playing much better since coming back from injury.
From Jeff Schultz;
Johnson has averaged 24.5 points on 50-percent shooting. Compare that to his scoring averages (16.3, 19.8, 14.5) and field goal percentages (43.6, 43.6, 39.3) in December, January and February, respectively..
And great game by Zaza. With the lack of quality centers available, I think another team might be willing to give Zaza a raise to be their starting center when his contract is up. And Zaza’s contract is up the same time as Josh’s, so ASG will have their hands full trying to pay these guys.
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
10:04 am
Grandad,
Maybe it`s time, some of us, [myself included]
start to give LD a bit of credit..
I won’t. Not until I see him make some good coaching decisions going up against a good team and/or a good coach. After all, LD has more HC experience than Utah’s coach, and the Hawks are clearly the better team. Also, a lot of LD’s decisions were forced upon him (as vava pointed out).
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
10:04 am
@Astro Joe
people claim to despise Joe (or at least refuse to give him credit because of his contract) and people claim to LOVE Zaza yet whose jersey do see thousands of in Phillips?
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
10:05 am
How bad was twin?
9 minutes, 0 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 fouls. Ouch.
AJ,
We beat Orlando twice this season without Collins, so I’m not even sure how much he is needed against them.
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
10:07 am
@O’Brien
well he OWNS Dwight and the Magic
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
10:08 am
@O’Brien
does OWNING Dwight and Orlando count
Still Laughing at Mike Bianchi
March 26th, 2012
10:09 am
don’t ya love when it says “it appears you’ve already said that” and you re-post only to discover you’re post actually went through lol
brigadierjerry
March 26th, 2012
10:12 am
vava74, i would agree with those comments. ld biggest flaw is in game adjustments. actually that was one of the flaws on dantoni. coached too much by feel. hawks advantage this year is better depth
also does anyone else think ivan will be getting decent money next year and will be priced out from the hawks?
brigadierjerry
March 26th, 2012
10:22 am
also i have always liked al jefferson as a player when he was on boston. if i am hawks may want to look at him his contract isnt too long and he would be good long term and is a post up player
doc
March 26th, 2012
10:22 am
im beginning to think collins boxes out his teammates as well in going for loose balls or rebounds. that was the nice way to say it, in other words, he is getting in the way. heh heh
therut
March 26th, 2012
10:27 am
I promised everyone who reads this blog that when Al Horford went out we would not miss a beat, . that Zaza would step up. What a hard worker!
Jody
March 26th, 2012
10:31 am
Quote of the year from a head coach (LD):
“I asked him if he wanted a blow, he said no, so I was going to ride him.”
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
10:34 am
If I’ve learned anything about the Hawks–having followed them closely since their arrival in ATL 45 years ago–it’s that they will raise your hopes sky high, and then bring them down hard and fast. Never fails.
My hopes once again are way up there now, following this impressive stretch and gutsy 4OT win, but I’m nervously eyeing the week ahead, which appears ominous, with little rest between games and a definite upgrade in competition.
“Maybe this will be the year.” I’ve said that many, many times before–and I’ve been let down (slammed, actually) every single time. It’s always a bitter disappointment, though not as crushing as it used to be because I’ve come to expect it.
Just cautioning those Hawks fans on here who may not be fully aware of this team’s history. Pull hard for them, just like I do, but temper your enthusiasm with a liberal dose of reality. It will ease your pain should they fail us yet again–I promise.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
10:42 am
doc, yes, I recall that you suggested we go get Al Jefferson. Dude reminded me a little of Moses last night. Obviously, he doesn’t always play that way (or he’d be a multiple time All-Star) but it was a pleasure to watch an old school low post player own the paint. Imagine how much better he would be if he had a consistent perimeter force playing with him?
I’ll give LD credit. He’s mostly pushed the right buttons. For every “it only happened when someone got hurt”, he could have also tried other options during that situation. Instead of Kirk, he could have plugged in TMac or Willie or Stack (as an example).
One of the best signs of true fandom is when your team succeeds in ways that are different than you prefer. When your team wins without the mega contribution of your favorite player(s) or when the coach you dispise somehow gets it done. I learned that lesson with Woody (doc remembers, I straight loathed the guy). If you want to see your team win, then does it really have to be done in the way that makes you look like the smartest blogger around? Or is it sufficient just to watch your team exceed expectations (regardless of how it happens)?
doc
March 26th, 2012
10:43 am
dawgnole, i am not delusional enough to think this is the year by a long shot. come playoffs these guys will have to win every game by 10 to avoid the refs and stern’s effort to get his teams in. these guys are not that talented but they are putting forth the effort and that i can get behind.
the other stuff, hoisting a cup, is up to the basg to change how they approach things to get a real winning culture, promote it heavily and hope there is a fan base to support the true desire to win a championship. i am not sure of either group stepping up to the plate. ive been a hawk fan before they made it to atlanta and watched them in the old alexander and there is nothing more would i love than for them to go all the way. right now that idea is not on my plate but i will pay extra to make sure i see them this week as a season ticket holder.
Walt Frazier
March 26th, 2012
10:44 am
March 26th, 2012
10:34 am
DawgNole:
If I’ve learned anything about the Hawks–having followed them closely since their arrival in ATL 45 years ago–it’s that they will raise your hopes sky high, and then bring them down hard and fast. Never fails.
————————————————————————————————————————————–Good post. I basically said the same thing-in my own words, about the two types of Hawks fans-but do not know for the life of me-why the AJC blog gods-would choose to not post mine. There was no profanity; only the truth-unless, that is banned too.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
10:47 am
“Division winners are guaranteed a top 4 seed and homecourt advantage in the 1st round, and the Sixers are currently winning the Atlantic Division.”
This is incorrect. Seeding and home court advantage are determined independently. The top 4 seeds are the three division winners plus the team with the best record that did not win its division. These four teams are then seeded according to best record, with various tie-break scenarios. Thus, the 76ers currently have a top 4 seed, by virtue of leading the Atlantic Division. Orlando is seeded third, although they are not a division leader. They gain the higher of the top 4 seeds over PHI by virtue of having a better record.
In all playoff series, regardless of seeding, the team with the better record gains home court advantage (again with various tie-break scenarios). Thus, if the playoffs started today, Atlanta would play the 76ers in the first round and would have home court advantage by virtue of having a better record than the 76ers. The only thing being a division leader does is guarantee you a top-4 seed, not home court advantage.
doc
March 26th, 2012
10:49 am
aj amen to that, the ego sometimes cant stand it. win the way i want it!
it is nice to see jj at the position he is best suited for even if it is a temp job at sf. too many cultivated bloggers know that is going to be the true path. i can only hope they build around that going forward and creativity is important for this franchise in the next two years to continue to bring entertainment in.
as far as al j, i dont think he is quite what sloan wanted and it showed in his game.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
10:51 am
Dawgnole, in this most recent run of postseason appearances. I never believed the Hawks were one of the 2 best teams in the conference. So I never felt truly disappointed about 2nd round losses. Some were worse than others, but IMO, losing is the same rather it is in 6 close games or in 4 blowout games. Either way, your team is sitting at home. This current team isn’t likely going to shatter the 2nd round glass ceiling. It would take a perfect series and some luck. But watching a team with heart and guts is quite enjoyable and something Hawks fans haven’t seen since the Celtics series a few years back (KG v Zaza).
doc
March 26th, 2012
10:53 am
buddy i guess some of those sloppy wins will still count towards the home court that folks were complaining about last week?
nice description of how it works. thanks.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
10:54 am
I really think Joe Johnson’s success is because of the move to SF. The three guard starting lineup has been money for the Hawks so far this year. Funny how it took an injury to make these changes happen.
LD needs to be careful with Kirk. Last think we need is for the great white hope to get injured again when he starts heating up.
I can’t believe ESPN first take is talking about the Love vs Larry Bird comparison instead of the first 4OT game since the 90’s. Lame.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
10:56 am
thing* stupid iPhone.
STRETCH
March 26th, 2012
11:15 am
ESPN is at it once again!
The Hawks and Jazz probably played the game of the year last night and ESPN, ESPN 2 (with Skip Bayless and the “2 Live Stewed Beefs”) and Mike N Mike in the Morning are all talking about:
1. Tiger Woods
2. Kentucky vs Louisville
and…..
3. Teebow!
doc
March 26th, 2012
11:28 am
heh heh big lou and his iphone, dont you love it?
big lou we have had the three guard line up for years starting with bibby, flip and jj then to bibby, jamal and jj. problem is the was mo evans to start when marvin went down the first time. only injuries without a true replacement which tmac wasnt clearly have forced the hand here. how long they can avoid going back in the other direction is the concern.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
11:45 am
“Lol @ people who still claim we should amnesty Joe”
We should Amnesty Joe if we fail to re-sign Josh or get adequate compentation in return for him. This team with no Josh in 2013-14 is a lottery team. Might as well tank it at that point and go for high lottery picks. We should also Amnesty Joe after next season if it means landing Dwight.
“It’s sad that ESPN will not even talk about the game.” – Big Lou
I’m perfectly content for the Hawks to fly under the radar. The Hawks are the 7th team in the league to achieve 30 wins (the vaunted Western Conference only has three of those 7 teams). The Hawks have defeated the Bulls, Heat and Thunder and should have beat the former two multiple times. Joe is playing out of his mind. Anything can happen in the playoffs.
“I see many fans saying fire LD…who out there would be a better choice right now?” – Tyrone
All of you LD for CoY posters, please see Vava74’s post at 9:52. LD is and remains one of the worst coaches in the NBA. I don’t know who would be the ideal replacement. I would entrust such a decision to a competent front office executive such as Dennis Lindsey. Dwayne Casey obviously would have been a better choise. After Hawks ownership overruled Sund’s choice (Casey), he went on to be the lead assistant and defensive architect for the NBA champion Mavs last year.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
11:48 am
“By the way, I really think that guys like Stackhouse are having a positive impact on the locker room.” – James
I was a major hater when I found out Stack had been kept on the roster after training camp, and again when his contract was guaranteed through the end of the season (at that point he had contributed next to nothing on the court… he has since had some credible appearances).
But I have changed my mind about Stack. If you look at what has happened to the Clippers since Chauncey was lost for the season, you see a team that lost its locker room leader. I believe Stack is that glue guy in the locker room that helps the coaching staff keep everybody’s attitude right and acts as a go-between for the coaching staff and the players. If you see how the Clippers have fallen apart without Chauncey, and contrast that with how the Hawks have succeeded in spite of all the adversity, there has to be an explanation for that.
I think it’s very possible that the Hawks front office has let T-Mac’s agent know that one more complaint about playing time will result in his being released by the team (in which case, he would not be eligible for the playoffs with another team). Such a move would very possibly end T-Mac’s carreer because he would be seen as a locker room cancer for the last two teams he has played on. The dude just doesn’t have enough left in the tank to be causing problems… he’s not worth the distraction. But how could the Hawks even take the risk of having a guy like that in the locker room? Retaining Stack for the whole season starts to make a lot of sense.
“IMO, that showed a lot of maturity and team-first focus.” – AJ
Well said.
“Does anyone else think ivan will be getting decent money next year and will be priced out from the hawks?” brigadierjerry
In my conspiracy-addled brain, I have been thinking for a while that the Hawks organization was trying to bury Ivan on the bench to hide him in order to reduce the amount of competition they will have when they try to sign him to an affordable extension. Unfortunately for the Hawks, due to all the injuries, there was no way to hide him. Brian Windhorst predicted that we are heading into an offseason of historic cap space and player movement. The Hawks will be able to extend a qualifying offer to keep Ivan for next season, but I think the chances are very high that another team signs him to an offer sheet the Hawks won’t be able to match.
“nice description of how it works.” – doc
Props to Najeh for helping me get it figured out.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
11:56 am
Another way to look at how the playoff seeding works:
Division winners get a top-4 seed which means, theoretically, they might face a weaker opponent in the first rough. If the playoffs started today and teams were seeded strictly by record, the 76ers would be be seeded 6th and face the 3rd seed Magic in the first round. Due to the fact that division winners are guaranteed a top-4 seed, if the playoffs started today the 76ers would be seeded 4th and have a more favorable matchup against the 5th-seeded Hawks, even though the Hawks would have home court advantage by virtue of having a better record.
So the advantage for division leaders is that they potentially face a weaker opponent in the first round. Home court is still determined by record, and the lower seed can have home court advantage over the higher seed.
STRETCH
March 26th, 2012
12:00 pm
Buddy Grizzard,
Yep…two games w Chicago(they blew a 18 point lead in the fourth),
and the let the Lebron/Wade-less Heat beat them at home.
Combine that with the a couple of heartbreakers, one at Denver and the other at Detroit.
Throw in a lackluster effort at home against Golden State and thats 5 games. The Hawks could be 35-15 and at the 3 spot in the division.
So if they had won those games who knows were they would be on peoples radar. But overall, i like the team, just wish they could have added another big man. Dont know how far they go, but they have overcome lots of adversity this season. Gonna be interesting to see where management goes next season.
Guido
March 26th, 2012
12:03 pm
We’re over scrutinizing this team. Every team has bad losses Lakers loss to the Wizards. Miami has dropped plenty of weird. What matters is how we finish the season(ECF or finals is all that matters)?
tyger
March 26th, 2012
12:24 pm
Fortunately or unfortunately…
Depending on which side of the table you’re on…
85% of the money goes to the starters…
Therefore, there arent any big raises to be had…
see Jamal Crawford, Willie Green…
so Ivan, probably wont have alot of options…
Sund knows this…that’s why he tells them go get a deal…
then we’ll talk…
Unless Hawks move core pieces…there’s no money left…
That’s why Jsmoove wants to leave…can’t blame him…
They cant MAX pay him…and I wouldnt take any shorts either…
Maybe after last nights performance, they extend JJ till he’s 40…
He could roll up the court in his wheelchair and shoot jumpers!
doc
March 26th, 2012
12:30 pm
buddy cudos for giving cred but it took two times of my reading it to get it. yes najeh was first to connect the dots.
really good points today. stack should have been here three years ago but like you would have preferred an able body. never went with the tmac move saying, huh? probably only one of two major mistake rick made in shaping the roster; the other is of course twin signing that took away cap and competence. left me going why?
ivan is going to get some feed for that new baby and we are going to have to watch a contender go over the mark and grab him. he has played well form the start and was the lucky pearl that got uncovered this summer of discontent. really want him back. good for him.
doc
March 26th, 2012
12:34 pm
also buddy, i will not try to repeat you on how it works only to say it does well if we finish ahead of philly and they still lead the division. with that match up it might be the difference. i dont like the way we “match up” with them at all. though i think pacers might be more dangerous i would prefer them instead. i know it wont happen unless major fall out, just saying.
Dawg
March 26th, 2012
12:39 pm
I often long for ESPN updates of a golfer who has not won or even contended for years and for an update about a backup qb who completes 40% of his passes (if you don’t count interceptions).
Atl_bravo
March 26th, 2012
12:40 pm
Hawks fans just need to relax and enjoy the team for now.
Without Joe we will be competing with bobcats and Nets of the world.
Lets start whining when they start loosing and not making playoffs. Till then just enjoy
1 4 GT
March 26th, 2012
12:57 pm
I hate the dumb popup at the bottom of the page. I assume it is on all the blogs. I have decided to just ignore it since the advertisers base their decisions on it’s $ value to them, indicating how many readers the blog has. I’ll bet you that clicking on the down button also registers as a “HIT”, so if WE will ignore it, it will lose it’s appeal to the advertisers using this offensive way of pestering folks and maybe they will let it expire. The popup advertisements are just as obnoxious as telemarketers calling at all hours. Shuck ‘em all!!!!
ATL21
March 26th, 2012
1:01 pm
I totallly don’t understand the people on this blog. I know we are entitle to our POV. But when the Hawks LOSE you complain and when they WIN you complain! I must admit things could be better, but also WORSE speak to the Bobcats, Hornets fans!!!!
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
March 26th, 2012
1:26 pm
FRESH OFF THE PLANE FROM RIO
FIRE SUND
darrell starks
March 26th, 2012
1:31 pm
Hawks played great with all heart.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
March 26th, 2012
1:33 pm
Teague must be more aggressive and attack, even when there nothing there.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
1:38 pm
““It is a fact that Atlanta teams don’t take to kindly to outspoken players, ie: David Justice was cut loose AFTER he won our only world series.”
Guess what happened after he was released…The Braves lost their mojo and been trying to get it back ever since…..Hmmmmm”
Speaking of which, KEEP SMOOVE
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
1:45 pm
“LD has allowed his best all around player to fail and not be chastised and for it so that there is a legit second scorer which takes eyes of of Joe. Previous coach stunted the growth of both Josh Smith and Jeff Teagues and we are seeing the benefits of a coach that takes up for his “favorite” players”
I agree that LD deserves credit for this season to a point. No matter how has achieved the results, the fact that he has kept this team afloat despite losing his most efficient player for the majority of the season and missing several other pieces along the way is a significant accomplishment.
I have a problem giving him too much credit, though, because he has largely lucked into a lot of the supposedly good moves he has made. Like I and someone else pointed out on the previous blog, the timing of several of these injuries has been fortuitous, because it has forced LD to make moves that he should have made in the first place.
Kirk gets injured against Orlando –> Teague starts against Chicago and becomes the starter
Al gets injured –> Zaza reestablishes himself in the rotation (and is having a career season)
Joe gets injured –> Josh establishes himself as the #1 option and a go-to option in the post
Marvin gets injured –> Kirk takes his starting spot and Marvin starts coming off the bench where he is more effective
Teague should have been starting from December 2010 at the latest. Zaza, as inconsistent as he was the last three years, should never have lost his rotation spot to Josh Powell of all people. Josh should have been a go-to option for a few years now, since he’s the most willing passer on the team and moves the ball much better than Joe when the offense is run through him. And this isn’t the first time Marvin has shown that he’s a) better off the bench and b) better at the 4, which is the position he plays most frequently as a bench player.
I’d be a lot more willing to credit LD if he had made these moves without provocation. But with all that said he does deserve some credit.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
1:48 pm
“If anyone watchwes the game again, check out Marvin’s defense on Millsap, pretty much anytime Marvin was guarding him.”
Co-sign. Marvin’s D was a huge reason for that win.
“Now this is a stretch worthy of excitement, what, 6-1 or something like that in their last 7 games? Winning ugly beats losing pretty each and every time.”
True, but the point was that losing pretty is often an indicator that wins are soon to come. That 5-5 stretch may not have been special in the record books, but the strength of schedule and point differential indicated that good things were around the corner. Sure enough, here the Hawks are at .600 with 16 games left, and a decent shot at the #3 seed with a relatively weak schedule remaining.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
1:52 pm
“JJ has been playing much better since coming back from injury.”
I’m sure health plays a part in it, but could it also be that he’s finally in the complementary role where he belongs? He has done relatively little shot-creating since he returned, with Josh becoming the focal point of the offense. Seems like he finds himself in positions where he can just focus on scoring much more often recently.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
2:00 pm
“LD is and remains one of the worst coaches in the NBA.”
The results say otherwise, though. This isn’t a championship-caliber roster. There are no superstars here. One of the worst coaches in the league wouldn’t have this team, with its injuries and all, at .600 50 games into the season.
LD to me is an average coach. The NBA really only has about 3-5 coaches that are really good. Everyone else is either mediocre or bad. LD is not bad.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
2:09 pm
“i dont like the way we “match up” with them at all.” – doc
I’m scared spitless to play the 76ers in the first round, even with they way they have fallen off and struggled. I hope we get IND in the first round (Hawks will DESTROY them) and CHI in the second round.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
2:11 pm
“LD is not bad.”
Disagree… I still say the Hawks win on talent, in spite of LD.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
2:31 pm
“I hope we get IND in the first round …” Buddy
Hopefully they don’t injure Al Horford again.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
2:34 pm
jannero pargo @jpargo1 Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
Just left the Doc office for my post surgery check up and I will be back on the court in no time
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
2:36 pm
If you are “Sy what I did there?” in the fantasy basketball league, please update your team.
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 26th, 2012
2:45 pm
Buttressing Facts!
Excellent rebuttal from Najeh there. I always look forward to that from Mr. Davenpoop.
Succinct, brevity laden, unemotional intro-spect and, nothing short of just brilliant. Thanks for that contribution.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
2:48 pm
I think Joe has benefited from not having to chase around SGs for most of the game, having another facilitator in the game and being healthier than in the past (i.e. elbow from previous years, thumb from previous years and current knee tendinitis). And as I said last week, I think the design should continue next season. There are several of these “combo guard” types around, I just think the Hawks should choose one that doesn’t need to score to be effective. Like doc said, the Hawks have played extensive minutes with 3 guards for the past 3+ seasons, one of the reasons I think it is working better now is because we’re not dependent on a streaky shooter/scorer to be effective along with Joe and the PG. That’s why I wouldn’t stick someone like Willie Green or even Jason Terry (one of my all-time favorite Hawks) in that role. I’d rather see Jarrett Jack, Billups or someone else who isn’t bringing a scorer’s mentality to that role.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
2:49 pm
“Succinct, brevity laden, unemotional intro-spect and, nothing short of just brilliant. Thanks for that contribution.” drmaryb
That’s hot.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
2:50 pm
Joe is Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
2:54 pm
ATL21
March 26th, 2012
1:01 pm
I totallly don’t understand the people on this blog. I know we are entitle to our POV. But when the Hawks LOSE you complain and when they WIN you complain! I must admit things could be better, but also WORSE speak to the Bobcats, Hornets fans!!!!
________________________
I totally don’t understand people who question fans who complain about the Hawks–or about any ATL pro team, for that matter. The Bobcats and Hornets hardly offer a legitimate comparison; they haven’t existed in their cities anywhere near as long as the Hawks have in ATL. Keep in mind that we’re talking about ZERO championships in nearly a half-century of competition here, so don’t be so quick to point fingers at those who embrace these fleeting spurts of success with an abundance of caution and skepticism.
Rod from College Park
March 26th, 2012
2:55 pm
vava74
“Without Jamal, we no longer have a black hole on offense and a freeway on defense for 30 minutes a game, both killing the second team’s ability to contribute and ruining the first team’s 4th quarters.”
LOL. Vava, you humor is on another level. The playoffs will be very interesting this year. This blog is very entertaining. Guys that are regualars have seen it all before. LD is doing a great job, Joe is playing well now….. This all relates to the fact that the Hawks have been playing Cleveland, NJ, Utah…. LD gets credit this year for holding this team together through injuries, but great coaching has nothing to do with it. Zaza should have been starting at center. Especially with Al wanting to be a PF, and Josh ok with playing SF. Marvin should have stopped starting 3 years ago. Teague should have been starting since last year. Pargo should be getting more time. These are all things that a blind man can see. Once the schedule picks up, and we start playing contenders, Joe will revert back to Joe, Josh will be forced to try to take more jumpers because Joe ain’t doing nothing. LD will refuse to make adjustments, and everyone will go back to bashing the Hawks. We have seen this all before. Lets just all hope we get Orlando in the first round, or Indiana. Those two teams are our only hope to advance to round 2. Marvin has been looking much better off the bench, which we all knew, and he plays more aggresively. He was used off the bench in college for a reason, its just ashamed that it took two our two professional head coaches over 5 years to see that. LD gets credit from me for that. I was really starting to believe that Marvin had some dirt on one of the owners.
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
3:02 pm
1 4 GT
March 26th, 2012
12:57 pm
I hate the dumb popup at the bottom of the page. I assume it is on all the blogs. I have decided to just ignore it since the advertisers base their decisions on it’s $ value to them, indicating how many readers the blog has. I’ll bet you that clicking on the down button also registers as a “HIT”, so if WE will ignore it, it will lose it’s appeal to the advertisers using this offensive way of pestering folks and maybe they will let it expire. The popup advertisements are just as obnoxious as telemarketers calling at all hours. Shuck ‘em all!!!!
_____________________
Man, I hate all that marketing crap too, 1 4 GT. I make an effort NOT to buy the products of the greedy, intrusive, annoying sponsors (which is about all of them). Unfortunately, you can’t “record” a blog like you can a TV program, so it’s harder to avoid slimebucket advertisers online. It’s a way of life now, obviously. I can’t do much about it, but I don’t have to like it.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
3:04 pm
John Hollinger is a GRADE A azzhole. Instead of congratulating a great effort from both teams, he makes an article on how it shouldn’t have been that long/bad strategy. Jesus. ESPN is a joke.
Yeah, the coaches could have done things to make the game end sooner, but give some credit…
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
3:06 pm
Thanks drmaryb. We could all use more brevity, me included.
soullrenaissance
March 26th, 2012
3:09 pm
Ken Strickland – championship teams don’t get rid of players for outside mistakes. They accept the flawed player for who he is and they move on to win more championships. I, in my adolescence, that David Justice dissed the Braves Fans for being fickle – the ajc roasted him and the fans booed him vehemently during game 7 – that’s until he hit the game winning home run!
You don’t let that kinda clutch go, for a rental (Kenny Lofton.) But they held onto Chip My Bones Jones (not hating I like Chipper but lets be honest) through all the scandal. They held on to Bobby Cox through his marital drama. So maybe there are racial undertones involved.
I will soften my stance on LD, for he has held the decimated Hawks together nicely when most thought we would fold. If we get to the ECF then extend the guy but if we fall short, bring in Fratello, Van Gundy or Lenny Wilkens (lol)
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
3:10 pm
KS, points taken.. lol
I love me some Halle Berry!! 45 going on 25!
Worldwide, them babes down in Brazil are incredible? Huh? LOL!! (latineuro dot com)
I need to get down there to Bahia!!!!!!!!!!!
vava74 and Rod from College Patk have put up some very good observations referencing Larry’s coaching..
He does have a ways to go to becoming one of the elite coaches in this league..
Maybe in 4-5 years he could be right there?
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
3:12 pm
Najeh: “Sure enough, here the Hawks are at .600 with 16 games left, and a decent shot at the #3 seed with a relatively weak schedule remaining.”
______________________
Tread lightly there with that “relatively weak schedule,” Naj. The way the Hawks have struggled with the dregs of the league so far, I look for the team’s upcoming opponents to be anything but relatively weak.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
3:15 pm
1 4 GT, Adblock Plus is your friend.
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
3:17 pm
soullrenaissance
March 26th, 2012
3:09 pm
“Ken Strickland – championship teams don’t get rid of players for outside mistakes. They accept the flawed player for who he is and they move on to win more championships. I, in my adolescence, that David Justice dissed the Braves Fans for being fickle – the ajc roasted him and the fans booed him vehemently during game 7 – that’s until he hit the game winning home run!
You don’t let that kinda clutch go, for a rental (Kenny Lofton.) But they held onto Chip My Bones Jones (not hating I like Chipper but lets be honest) through all the scandal. They held on to Bobby Cox through his marital drama. So maybe there are racial undertones involved.”
Chipper fathered a child outside of wed lock with a hooters girl 12 years his jr with his 1st wife…Yea he was not squeakie clean either with his image…
The Braves organization and Bobby Cox obviously had their players of color on a very short leash..See the 90’s…….
Bobby finally had the kind of players he like throughout the 1st decade of this new century and where did it get him?…They last won a playoff series in 2001! Yup…..
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 26th, 2012
3:21 pm
Thanks Biggie Lou.
Thanks for your response Mr. Davenpoop, yeah I’m guilty too. Some days I just read the novels on beat up material to ad nauseum = a migraine from Ground Hog Day.
So yeah, I scroll hard for your stuff and fresh comments. LOL
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
3:25 pm
LD is slightly above avg::
Due to his offensive schemes, if nothing else.
As a head coach LD has shown growth.
I agree with najeh, in that he has fallen into some good decisions.
At least he fell into the correct ‘`good decision`’.
He could have fallen into a worser (sic) decision.
LD is not a finished product by any means.
However, his handling of T-Mac is fairly classy;
think about it, he benched his ass w/o
throwing McGrady under the bus [in the media].
I may be the only one who enjoys watching his innovative offense.
-or-
Maybe after years of wdsn it only looks innovative.
-plus-
He`s evolved Josh closer to the rim of late.
-but-
with Josh`s stubborness, it may just be taking this long.
Probably has taken this long:
for all the players to adapt to ‘`his`’ offense
after yrs of Wdsn.
It may just be that he has shown great patience ?
Once again;
the jury is still out, but he is doing an admiral job.
____________________________________________
IUPUI alert
Blast
March 26th, 2012
3:44 pm
What a game last night, what an effort by both teams, and what a wonderful win for the Hawks. Wow. Thought the game would never end! And props to the starters for telling Drew they wanted to stay in the game.
For those mad about ESPN not talking about Hawks thriller 4OT’s, I say welcome to our world. ESPN has a history of consistently ignoring the Hawks any way they can, so I say, screw ESPN, hardly watch em anyway.
Again, what a win/game.
Go Hawks!
Sautee
March 26th, 2012
3:45 pm
“The way the Hawks have struggled with the dregs of the league so far, I look for the team’s upcoming opponents to be anything but relatively weak.”
Really? Hawks record against -.500% teams: 21-4
Struggled? Sometimes perception is NOT reality.
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
3:51 pm
Slimjr
Mr Jr. sir,
The braves have rid themselves of white players who:
*’`did not conform to the -Braves way-`’*
*Jason Marquis
*JD Drew
*Robert Fick
*Tim Spooneybarger
____________________________________________
Sautee
March 26th, 2012
3:52 pm
For those who say LD is such a TURRIBLE coach, did you happen to notice how the game last night turned when LD replaced Hinrich with Willie Green. MC noticed. Surely LD must have been tempted to leave Hinrich in, but he saw that Kirk was gassed.
It was exactly the right move, and Willie gave some energy desperately needed, and hit a key 3, but no one says jack about that.
LD is better than many here will admit. And the record, despite all the missed games by key players, proves that.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
3:52 pm
Sautee, the Hawks have won ugly against some bad teams lately. And for some around here, not winning in a beautiful fashion is quite upsetting and suggests that the sky will imminently fall. At this stage of the season, when players are tired and hurt and playoff seeding is become more and ore important… any “W” is a gorgeous thing, even if it requires a 4th quarter comeback against the Wizards or an OT victory at home against the Cavs. Better than losing a pretty game on the road by a single point.
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 26th, 2012
3:52 pm
Before Boston put that big three together, the paper bag heads were running Rivers out of Bean Town on the first thing smoking. He was their rookie coach too.
Funny what HOF talent can do for a “He Hate Me” coach:
Championship
Accolades
Nutt Hugging
drmaryb.[*_*].
March 26th, 2012
3:56 pm
That last post was titled: Bean Counters!
Dept. Of Unintended Irony
March 26th, 2012
4:01 pm
“Once again;
the jury is still out, but he is doing an admiral job.”
Who knew LD was in the Navy? Why that’s admirable.
Tokyo Tom
March 26th, 2012
4:03 pm
Hawks are playing tough- some times in spite of LD, some times because of LD. He may not be a top 5 coach but he’s showing he might be a top 10 as the season continues onwards.
Off Topic: for those who say the Braves got rid of certain players “of color” please remember; The Braves also got rid of (or chased off) Bob Horner, Jeff Burroughs, Joe Torre (twice!), Phil Niekro, Dale Murphy, Jeff Francouer, & Tom Glavine. They also brought perennial malcontents like Gary Sheffield, Curtis Lofton, and Bobby Bonilla into the organization. No doubt about though- shoulda kept David Justice (#1 player of the 90’s) around a lot longer!
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
4:10 pm
Coach was force to make a change: Captain Kirk told Larry that he was starting to have problems with one of his legs..Larry could not see it when Kirk was on the floor but he finally gave in and benched Kirk for the rest of the game by putting in Green, who hit that huge 3 in overtime to contribute to the win…
A good coach listens to input from his veterans and makes the appropriate adjustments
Rusty
March 26th, 2012
4:13 pm
I am going to hate to see LD back next tear, he really lacks common sense & really goes out of his way to screw people he don’t like probably because they don’t kiss his ass,really an idiot.
Melvin
March 26th, 2012
4:17 pm
drmaryb,
Boston was not Rivers first coaching job. He coached in Orlando prior to the Boston job. I think he even won COY in Orlando.
doc
March 26th, 2012
4:21 pm
yeah sautee those were teams from the west that if in the east would be in top eight and over .500 ismy guess. we have held court pretty well against the dregs of the nba.
Rusty
March 26th, 2012
4:26 pm
Don’t like to appear hateful but LD has hurt this team more than help them.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
4:28 pm
Round the clock tebow coverage on espn… Breaking news… He’s now a backup!
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
4:29 pm
The New York Knicks play the Bucks at 7:30pm tonight!
Woody going for 7-1!
Hire Woody!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rufus1
March 26th, 2012
4:29 pm
LD coaching for the WAR not the BATTLE….
Kirk- When the playoffs come Kirk will be more valuable than Green/Pargo…His skills are equal to both players and he is a better defender, so he had to get him into game shape….Even with those players playing better at the time.
T-MAC- He is here for 4th qt playoff games and LD is trying to keep him healthy for those moments.
Collins- I got nothing..
Offense- The playoffs are a “GRIND” and he has turned this team into a tough minded, half-court playoff OFFENSE.
Defense- Top 5 in points allowed and Efficiency…Enough said!!!
Bench- 8,9 or 10th players don’t deserves consistent playing time. They are there for match-ups, injuries or a change of pace.
The playoffs are a WAR, and the team I watched is ready FOR THE WAR.
Astro Joe
March 26th, 2012
4:49 pm
Rufus, funny line about Collins. I do hope that LD gives Dampier a few consecutive games of PT. Hakws need to know if Collins (heaven forbid) or Dampier will be the best option behind Zaza. Ivan can play against smaller line-ups, but when we need to give Zaza a rest against Spencer Hawes, Hibbert or D12… either Twin or Dampier need to be ready. It would be hard to believe that Dampier can’t be better than Twin.
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
4:52 pm
Sautee,
Surely LD must have been tempted to leave Hinrich in, but he saw that Kirk was gassed..
From MC’s blog;
He said he tweaked the same hamstring that kept him out of the Chicago series last year but that it’s not serious. “Kirk, he actually was complaining about his leg a little bit,” Drew said..
If the guy is complaining about his leg, and it looks like he is running out of gas, it does not take a good coach to realize that he should sub for him.
I give LD “some” credit. But I agree with Najeh and vava. Too many of his moves were by circumstance, not by choice.
When we play a good team, LD has his chances to make strategic moves. And we havent seen that. And to that point, I think there is some merit to what Rod is saying.
In the playoffs, good teams will double JJ, and entice Josh into taking alot of jumpers. When that happens, it will be interesting to see how Hawks respond.
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
4:53 pm
Rufus,
T-MAC- He is here for 4th qt playoff games and LD is trying to keep him healthy for those moments..
LD is also big on matchups (when it comes to TMac). So what happens if the team we play is not a good matchup for TMac (in the playoffs). Will LD play him?
O'Brien
March 26th, 2012
4:54 pm
Hawks up to 7th in Marc Stein’s power rankings;
When you go four OTs in the last game of a back-to-back-to-back set and pull out a win against the league’s hottest team, that’ll generally get you some notice from Team of the Week selectors. Also notable: Joe Johnson is only averaging 23.3 ppg and shooting 51 percent on 3s in 11 games since returning from injury..
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
4:56 pm
“In the playoffs, good teams will double JJ, and entice Josh into taking alot of jumpers. When that happens, it will be interesting to see how Hawks respond.”
This scenario will make or break Larry…
Its coming Larry.Hope you got a plan worked out?
Rod from College Park
March 26th, 2012
5:14 pm
“In the playoffs, good teams will double JJ, and entice Josh into taking alot of jumpers. When that happens, it will be interesting to see how Hawks respond.”
When this happens in the playoffs, unless Josh starts knocking down those jumpshots at a high rate, we will be depending on the Willie Greens, Vlads, and Pargo’s of the world to win playoff games for us. This is where all these Jamal Crawford haters (or similar players to him like JR Smith, Lou Williams…) earn their money. Hope all the Willie Green is better than Jamal fans are still posting at that time.
Rufus1
March 26th, 2012
5:25 pm
AJ,
I HOPE he is trying to get Collins in game shape, but I agree Damp is better.
OB,
If T-Mac’s knee is healthy, I think he will play him….Also he can PF in the playoffs.
I think LD is a solid coach(not bad, not good), who knows his job is about playoffs success…every decision he make is about the playoffs.
PS. I think the injuries to Kirk and Al have made LD a better coach and will change the fortunes of this franchise in the near future.
Ray
March 26th, 2012
5:47 pm
Okay I got to see part of last night’s game. While it all sounds good I still have one gripe.
Joe Johnson himself I still think people make him out to be more than he really is he is still a better SG than most other players, but the thing is how many SG’s are actually relevant besides Kobe and D-wade like that?
I still stand by something I’ve said a while back Joe benefits too much from Iso plays never from plays involving everyone. Plus he also doesn’t win the big games for us always the mediocre to sorry games. I will give him the Jazz game cause Jazz are actually pretty good, but Josh has done much more than any Hawk on this team this year.
Still I just saw Joe being named Conference player of the week my question is where is Josh Smith player of the month or anything really?
doc
March 26th, 2012
5:51 pm
i hope that dampier is a secret sauce that ld is keepng under wraps to spring at the last moment. twin is probably agreat guy that needs to stay put in a seat behind the bench.
tokyo tom gets my voice of reason vote for the day. nuff said and ill leave it at that.
still dont know why marvin has not had more play time at four except he has nothing for nads thus far. he was drafted supposedly to be the new and improved version of al harrington he has been miscast and type cast wrong all along. i think this was a woody thing gone wrong and perpetuated into a contract.
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
5:54 pm
for … SlimJr
Kudos to Mr Jr for his refreshing new take on Capn`n Kirk.
_____________________________________________
O`B … & … others:
LD;
has made many good coaching moves, decisions, stategies;
only we tend to parse out the ones we deem ‘`stupid`’ ;;
which is only in the eye of the beholder anyway.
LD;
* runs many good plays after TO`s; (something Wdsn never did)
* changes defenses at opportune times
* has pre-game strategies; (once again, never apparent under Wdsn)
* The Orlando / d.howard strategy
* and there are many, many things coaches do which are
unbeknownst to the public:
** the T-Mac situation, which maybe? gained Ld respect
within the lockerroom
** ind plyr relationships
** coaching staff chemistry
** and honestly, other than T-Mac, the rest of the team
appears to listen and follow his lead.
** patience
______________________________________________
No; he is not COY, but neither is he as moronic as Rusty suggests.
______________________________________________
Rusty
You are unfair to the point of being mean spirited and simple minded.
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
6:01 pm
Marvin has got to work on his Core big time..Millsap gave him a chicken wing on a pivot move in the post as Marvin tried to deny him on the initial move and Marvin went flying 5 feet sideways out of the play…Millsap only weighs about 230 if that much..? Marvin weights close to 250…..
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
6:02 pm
“Did you happen to notice how the game last night turned when LD replaced Hinrich with Willie Green.”
Sautee you are trying to give LD credit for leaving Kirk in until he re-injured his hamstring? You and I have a very different idea of what good coaching is. Good eye slimjr.
vava74
March 26th, 2012
6:07 pm
Slimjr
March 26th, 2012
4:10 pm
A really good coach does not need to listen to his players to realise that he add some scoring punch to the line up up Josh out and Marvin not being remotely considered as a proven offensive force good enough to replace Smoove’s offensive output.
doc
March 26th, 2012
6:08 pm
yeah, but grandad he would never want to “appear” like a hater. well act differently; sometimes it is about how one acts not appearances.
Najeh Davenpoop
March 26th, 2012
6:12 pm
“In the playoffs, good teams will double JJ, and entice Josh into taking alot of jumpers. ”
Hopefully they preempt this by running the offense through Josh, so that Josh is the one getting double teamed and passing to open teammates.
Buddy Grizzard
March 26th, 2012
6:12 pm
I see O’Brien caught it as well… No free passes today!
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
6:17 pm
“leaving Kirk in until he re-injured his hamstring?”
Re-injured and hurting is two different things. He could just be exhausted. Either way, he needs more rest against MIL and CHI. If it was re-injured, he’d be out the rest of the season.
Rod from College Park
March 26th, 2012
6:18 pm
“Marvin has got to work on his Core big time..Millsap gave him a chicken wing on a pivot move in the post as Marvin tried to deny him on the initial move and Marvin went flying 5 feet sideways out of the play…Millsap only weighs about 230 if that much..? Marvin weights close to 250…..”
Anyone who really watches the Hawks and knows basketball knows along with his many other flaws, Marvin is extremely weak. He gets moved around in the post like he’s not there. He does play good position defense, and uses his length well defensively at times, but he would get destroyed on a regular basis defending most 4’s. He matched uo well with Milsap, but as you stated, Marvin is bigger than Milsap. The Amare’s, Bosh’s, Aldrige’s, Love’s, Randoph’s, and Griffen’s of the world would eat his lunch. He is not physically strong enough to play the 4 regularly like Josh is. He can guard some stretch 4’s, and 4’s around Milsaps size, but he really has to get in the weight room if we will be depending on him to guard 4’s.
Big Lou
March 26th, 2012
6:21 pm
“Still I just saw Joe being named Conference player of the week my question is where is Josh Smith player of the month or anything really?” Ray
Not to take anything from Josh, but the reason why JJ got so much attention is the game winning shots/his play in the fourth quarter. That’s when most people are watching.
Rod from College Park
March 26th, 2012
6:28 pm
“Hopefully they preempt this by running the offense through Josh, so that Josh is the one getting double teamed and passing to open teammates.”
Hate to say this, but if I’m coaching against the Hawks in the playoffs, I am going to make Josh Smith beat me. Nique says it all the time. I don’t know why teams continue to leave Joe Johnson open, or play under screens with him. These adjustments will be made in the playoffs. You won’t see those double’s on Josh as much as you see during the regular season because when they look at tape, they will see that it is most of the Hawks offense. I would force Josh to shoot his low percentage double Joe, and live with the results. If Teague becomes that aggressive Teague that he was in the playoffs last year, he can help a lot, but those fringe guys mentioned will really have to step their games up.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:30 pm
Rod,
I wonder if when Marvin gets to full health, let’s say Hinrich sucks one game….Will LD abandon everything and start Duck again?
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:31 pm
“If you are “Sy what I did there?” in the fantasy basketball league, please update your team.”
Lol.
Disgusted
March 26th, 2012
6:33 pm
Nothing aganst the athletes but I’d rather have what is in Winnipeg.
Does Joe still not care if the fans do not show up. I have to give credit for Josh Smith for him becoming the player he has become.
Still not spending a dime of my money as long as this ownership is around. Phillips arena is dead to me.
How about throwing a Thrashers jersey on the court HA HA.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:33 pm
drmaryb
“Some days I just read the novels on beat up material to ad nauseum = a migraine from Ground Hog Day.”
What you trying to say?
I could care less what people think about my opinions and ideas. I am one of the few people on here who actually wants to win a championship, who understands the flaws of this team, and who keeps it real every single time I post.
#MeAgainstTheWorld
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:38 pm
“Following a team that has no intent on pursuing a Championship because they have bit off way more than they can handle”
-SlimJr
Pretty much summarizes every single post I have made on this blog
DawgNole
“but temper your enthusiasm with a liberal dose of reality. It will ease your pain should they fail us yet again–I promise.”
“It’s only a blog.” That’s the classic excuse of those who can’t write/spell/communicate effectively on here. Will the world come to an end if you display your grammatical ineptitude and related excuses on a blog? Absolutely not. Will your mistake-filled posts reveal that you’re too ignorant and/or lazy to “get it right”? Absolutely”
My new favorite poster on here is DawgNole. Kills it every time!
The Truth
March 26th, 2012
6:45 pm
LOL, IDK what’s been more amusing, watching these Hawks win in thrilling fashion OR reading some of these bloggers re-positioning views. I think the latter.
Nonetheless, valid points have already been made about the Hawks new founded MOJO. If you are a true Hawk fan, you have to be pleased with their effort as of late. I am particularly pleased with the grit and the “never die” attitude they’ve shown in the heat of adversity. This display makes a mockery out of Charles Barkley comments about these Hawks being “Soft” which brought a raft of comments from me (and others) in rebut.
Having said that though; last week victories against lottery-bound teams were actually expected; The Utah victory was a joy since they usually struggle against the western teams. Yes, Utah is a struggling road team but a win is a win in the NBA; having broken their “hot” 6-game winning streak is an accomplishment, so Kudos to the Hawks.
But in order to make “playoff fans” believe, these Hawks must beat Philly and Boston at least one game to feel good about any likely playoff scenario match-up they might face. The injury excuse can only go so far, since all teams encounter that problem in this condensed schedule.
We Shall See
Melvin
March 26th, 2012
6:50 pm
Frank Isola: Amar’e, who injured his back last April & couldn’t play for 3 months, is having an MRI today for similar injury, Daily News has learned. Twitter
Let’s see what the Knicks and Woody made of now….
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
6:55 pm
doc
check & mate
vava74
March 26th, 2012
6:56 pm
Rid,
Tell me something. Apart from the first round where we faced a team we beat in the regular season without Jamal last year AND again this year making it now – as you well said a couple of days ago a potentially good match up for us – where did Jamal’s offensive prowess and that will be sore rely missed, help us against the Bulls?
You said that we will lose in the first round because we will miss Jamal BUT at the same time said that the best possible opponent for us would the very same team which you use as the measuring stick of Jamal’s playoff worth?
I say that Jamal’s playoff worth was what he showed against CHI.
Streaky guy who had one good game another decent/good in six whilst being thoroughly beaten by every guy he faced from Rose to CJ to Brewer to Bogans to Korver.
Jamal was no more the focus of the defense than were Al, Josh and JJ. That’s what CHI does to win games. THEY PLAY D.
And that is what we are now playing even when we have sub-par talent on the floor.
That is how we beat CHI, MIA and OKC this season. With D not by Trying to out score those teams.
CHI and MIA rely heavily on D and none of these two ball clubs give substantial minutes to completely one dimensional players.
Yes, guys like Jamal, JR Smith, Louis Williams can be effective and important but you cannot rely on them. Reliance on D is paramount for playoff success then you need brilliant coaching to use offense only players in the right usage levels.
By the way – Jamal seems headed yet again to an early holiday and playoffs on TV and got NO interest from major players at the deadline even with POR shopping him hard.
By the way, if we fall on the first round it will not prove anything about Jamal. If that happens the reason will probably be Josh eventual regression / re-emergence of his immaturity.
Just Joe
March 26th, 2012
6:57 pm
This team doesn’t stand a chance in the playoffs because of poor rebounding. We hang our hat on a top 5 defense, but guess what, 7 of the top 8 defensive teams in the league are Eastern conference playoff teams. We are an average playoff team at best. Our only shot is if Al Horford shows up ready to play, not ready to suit up, but ready to play. Without that depth up front, it will get ugly. We’ll get an example this week against Chicago and Philly.
vava74
March 26th, 2012
7:02 pm
Sorry for typos and repetitions. iPhone makes it a bit difficult.
Grandad
March 26th, 2012
7:03 pm
The Truth
-I admit-
I`m confounded by the Hawks.
The Hawks and their emotional leader [Josh]
has more personalities than *’`DitchWeed`’* … AKA … *[t s]
*[t s] … my friend & cohort
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
7:05 pm
Sautee
March 26th, 2012
3:45 pm
“The way the Hawks have struggled with the dregs of the league so far, I look for the team’s upcoming opponents to be anything but relatively weak.”
Really? Hawks record against -.500% teams: 21-4
Struggled? Sometimes perception is NOT reality.
_____________________
Read my post, Sautee. I said “struggled with”–not “lost to.” And struggled with the dregs they have indeed–win or lose.
Ken Strickland
March 26th, 2012
7:07 pm
Even though I give LD credit for keeping the Hawks focused and playing hard, I still see too much of the WOODY INFLUENCE from him. Dampier is just as tall, big, and strong as JCollins, and he appears to be more athletic and a better rebounder and help defender. Yet, LD continues to call on Twin and ignore Dampier even when Twin is ineffective, which is most of the time.
You can also see him push KHinrich over Teague whenever he has a chance, even when he’s ineffective. When/if Horford returns, he’ll likely come off the bench. That will give us a pretty solid and really productive top 5 off our bench with Horford, Marvin, Ivan, Green. I hope TD isn’t stupid enough to keep Collins over Dampier. I wonder which 3 additional bench players he’ll keep for the playoffs?
E43
March 26th, 2012
7:08 pm
soullrenaissance- I would understand if Pargo was the one in McGradys shoes because Pargo can receive anything between 30seconds and 30mins and you wont hear him complain about having too few minutes or too many minutes.T-Mac gets the minutes he deserves. LD didnt invent resting him on a back to back nor did he invent limiting his minutes to keep him fresh. T-Mac put himself in a hole with all his preferences since he left Houston. He cliche’s the media then says a totally different thing to the coaches. He needs more playing time to be effective but will be gassed in 20+minutes. Cant have it both ways. There’s a reason why teams didn’t bust down doors to sign McGrady.. More of the same would happen even if he played for the Lakers. If anything… He would be buried on the bench in LA until injuries pulled him out.
DawgNole
March 26th, 2012
7:16 pm
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
March 26th, 2012
6:38 pm
DawgNole
“but temper your enthusiasm with a liberal dose of reality. It will ease your pain should they fail us yet again–I promise.”
“It’s only a blog.” That’s the classic excuse of those who can’t write/spell/communicate effectively on here. Will the world come to an end if you display your grammatical ineptitude and related excuses on a blog? Absolutely not. Will your mistake-filled posts reveal that you’re too ignorant and/or lazy to “get it right”? Absolutely.”
My new favorite poster on here is DawgNole. Kills it every time!
___________________________
Thanks for the props, GM. As you posted previously, we’re among the few on here that believe success–after 45 years, at least–should be defined by championships. Sadly, the Hawks have no titles to show for their time in ATL. Doesn’t mean we don’t pull hard for the players and want very badly for them to win–I know I do–but perhaps it does mean that we don’t let our hopes get too high following modest winning streaks and inspirational, OT victories.
The Truth
March 26th, 2012
7:19 pm
“The Hawks and their emotional leader [Josh]
has more personalities than *’`DitchWeed`’* … AKA … *[t s]
*[t s] … my friend & cohort”
LOL, Grandad, your honesty has always been your strength.
Michael Cunningham
March 26th, 2012
7:20 pm
new blog posted. shutting down this thread.