Atlanta Hawks: Hawks-Celtics notes and quotes
- Zaza Pachulia (foot) is expected to miss Game 2. He’s now able to do some light walking on a treadmill but still is wearing a boot to keep pressure off the injury.
- Doc Rivers said he doesn’t expect Ray Allen to play in Game 2: “If he is not ready, he’s not ready. One thing I will never do, and maybe I’m wrong in it, I don’t ever put a guy out who is not ready. I just won’t put him on the floor. If Ray told me in thought he could play tomorrow and [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] told me he could not, Ray would not play. That’s just the way it is.”
- Larry Drew before the Rajon Rondo suspension came down from the league: “Certainly it changes things a little bit but, with or without him, they’ve shown they can win. They are a veteran ballclub. They’ve been in those situations where they’ve had players out. Certainly whether he is there or not we can’t let our guards down. Until we get the official word of whether he’s available or not, we are going to factor him in. Like I told our guys, this is the playoffs, and there are things that happen throughout the course of the playoffs that can change things. But you can’t at any time relax or let your guard down. You have to be a team on a mission.”
- Jeff Teague: “They are still a good team. They’ve won games without Rondo this year. [Avery] Bradley is a good player. Last game we played him here he had 28 points so we don’t take anyone lightly or take a step down.
- Bradley: “I just have to bring the ball up the floor a little bit more. But it’s gonna feel like a regular game to me. I’ve just got to continue to play at the intensity I play at, get our team into our offense, and play the way I’ve been playing.”
- Keyon Dooling on what Celtics lose without Rondo: “I think it’s obvious. He’s a double-double. He led the league in assists. Obviously for our shooting bigs, he gets them open looks. For our shooters from the wing spots, he gets them open looks. Not having him in there, we have to rely more on [Paul Pierce's] scoring and [Kevin Garnett's] post-ups. We’re just going to have to do some of the little things to make up for not having Rondo.”
- Dooling on if he could start: “I don’t know if that will be the case. Usually when [Rondo] doesn’t play, we slide Avery over to the point guard and bring in another guy into the two-guard position. This will be another opportunity to get a chance to play. I’ve played in the playoffs several times. I know how to play in the playoffs.”
- Doc Rivers on the play preceding Rondo’s ejection: “It’s funny, I actually told Brandon [Bass] when I watched it live–it’s amazing how your eyes get it wrong–I told Brandon i thought it was a foul, that [official] Marc [Davis] made the right call. When I watched it again, I apologized to [Bass]. It should have been a jump ball. Having said all that, we’ve gotta control our emotions, no doubt about that. We talked about that two days ago as a team. I rarely have those type of meetings, and i did. Now I’m wishing i hadn’t. Maybe if I had not talked about it, nothing would’ve happened. But, it is what it is. We’ll be ready for whichever way they go.”
- Drew said he will use the same starting lineup in Game 2. Does he expect Garnett to take Jason Collins off the dribble more often? “Possibly. We will have to cross that bridge when it comes. For the most part with ‘KG’ out on the perimeter, we will take our chances and try to force him into tough shots.”
- Fired up the Synergy Sports machine and did a rundown of the 11 possessions Garnett used against Collins:
Assist to Bradley on a cut after Bradley rubbed Kirk Hinrich off Garnett’s screen.
Missed a J on solid closeout by Collins.
Missed a fadeaway J on left baseline on strong challenge by Collins.
Missed a fadeaway J after Collins cut off drive to right.
Caught an alley-oop dunk when Collins was back-picked
Assist (while under pressure by Collins) to Dooling, who received cross-court pass and went by Willie Green.
Assist to Brandon Bass, who made fadeaway post J under pressure by Josh Smith.
Missed a turnaround J on left block on strong challenge by Collins.
Made a pick-and-pop J that Collins basically conceded to help on ball-handler.
Missed a pick-and-pop J on slow closeout by Collins.
Made a spot-up J after Collins got caught in a switch.
Made a turnaround J on strong challenge from Collins.
Made a spot-up J on weak closeout by Collins.
Made a layup as roll man over good challenge by Collins. - Synergy confirmed what my naked (on deadline) eye perceived in Game 1: Joe Johnson missed a lot of open Js. Six of his 12 misses were (subjectively) open jump shots. Another three were challenged but the kind of shots we’ve seen Joe make regularly. Joe missed four wide open spot-up 3-point attempts that were created by Josh, with two of those on the break, one off a Josh post-up and another on a Josh drive.
- Joe’s 0.5 points per possession were second-worse for the Hawks behind Marvin Williams‘ 0.4. Hinrich led the team with 1.33 points per possession, Jannero Pargo was next at 1.25 ppp and Jeff Teague was third at 1.15. Collins was fourth at one point per possession.
- Teague on getting Joe going: “He got the shots he wanted, they just didn’t go down. On his isolations they were crowding up on him and bumping him a lot. Sometimes we have just got to cut more and get more player movement. If we do that, he will get more openings to make his moves. For me, in the corners, they were helping out of the corners so I am going to cut [from] off the corners more and give him more room to operate.”
- Joe: “When I went back and looked at [video], even the times I had Paul ‘iso’d’ we were just kind of standing around and waiting. And then ‘KG’ came in one time and that’s when all the chaos happened. It’s part of the game. We will make adjustments, I will make adjustments and see what I can do to be more effective.”
- Drew on the stagnation when Joe has the ball: “We have a tendency to sort of start standing. At times we lack the movement we should have when he has the basketball. The other thing is we became too one-sided instead of running our stuff, trying to get the basketball to the other side and force the defense to shift and then try to attack. We look at offense and clearly see where we get in trouble when we spend too much time on one side. When we do that we become a standstill team with too much isolation, and we become a lot easier to defend.”
- Drew on if it’s on Joe to be quicker moving the ball: “It’s on everybody. It’s whatever we run, we have to make sure we get ball reversal and when we have to attack off the reversal.”
- Joe on the team’s defense: “That’s something you can bring every night. The way we were defensively, contesting shots, playing passing lanes, being relentless out there that’s the way we’ve got to play every game this series.”
- Drew on pulling Ivan Johnson out of the game after the two had a spirited exchange following Ivan’s foul in the fourth quarter: “I probably overreacted. I grabbed Ivan after the game walking through the tunnel and told him to give me a hug. I’m not afraid to admit when I’m wrong about something. I probably overreacted. I need that type energy and that type aggrression, I thought he made a really good foul. I was looking at the matchup, too. I really wanted to keep Jason matched up with ‘KG’ as much as I could.”
- Ivan on his interaction with the official: “The ref made a bad call, he admitted it, and I let it go.”
- Ivan on KG: “Garnett, he’s a dirty player. He gives me a lot of elbows. But I can handle that.”
- Ivan said he doesn’t retaliate because “[refs] are looking at me the whole game. I try not to because I’m usually the one that gets caught.”
- Joe on Ivan being a different kind of dude: “It’s a good difference. He brings a different dimension to the team that we haven’t had in a long time. He’s not scared of anything. He just goes out and plays the same way every night.”
- Jon on if he calls Ivan “Rook,”which is standard among NBA teams: “I call him Ivan.”
- Doc Rivers on Game 1: “I think [the Hawks] came out with the right attack mode and I think we came out thinking that our jerseys were going to win the game: ‘We are the Celtics.’ You have to play basketball. When you’ve had success it’s easy to lean back on your past success and forget than no one really cares,” he said. “It’s what you do tomorrow. It’s not what you did yesterday.”
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149 comments Add your comment
Angie
May 1st, 2012
1:09 pm
Hey, Guys and Gals…got a quick question from those of you who know the NBA rules. My brother tells me that because we allowed Josh Smith to sign an offer sheet with the Grizzlies that the Hawks will not be able to negotiate a contract with him, that in effect the Hawks will have to bid for his services, as would any other team, when his contract ends next year. True?
jlewis
May 1st, 2012
1:21 pm
LOL, man T-mac is a cancer, he has been one everywhere he has been, why do you think he is playing for the minimum for the Hawks?
BIG DOG
May 1st, 2012
1:23 pm
Angie – That False the reason why Hawks was able to resign Josh from Grizzlies is because restricted free agent, for example if the Grizzlie offer him a 10mill dollar contract the Hawks must match that as a restricted free agent in order to rettain.
Angie – Next year Josh is free agent, when your free agent you can sign with any team your like.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
MsDee
May 1st, 2012
1:58 pm
BIG DOG
May 1st, 2012
12:31 pm
MsDee – I love your voice.
ROUGH ROUGH
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
thx!!
DawgNole
May 1st, 2012
2:02 pm
Big Lou
May 1st, 2012
12:40 pm
“Doc Rivers on the play preceding Rondo’s ejection: “It’s funny, I actually told Brandon [Bass] when I watched it live–it’s amazing how your eyes get it wrong–I told Brandon i thought it was a foul, that [official] Marc [Davis] made the right call. When I watched it again, I apologized to [Bass]. It should have been a jump ball. Having said all that, we’ve gotta control our emotions, no doubt about that. We talked about that two days ago as a team. I rarely have those type of meetings, and i did. Now I’m wishing i hadn’t. Maybe if I had not talked about it, nothing would’ve happened. But, it is what it is. We’ll be ready for whichever way they go.””
Lol. Bass was on top of Josh before he rolled on the floor, and his hands weren’t even on the ball. Doc is an idiot.
_______________________
He’s also a liar for insisting that Rondo’s chest bump was anything other than INTENTIONAL.
DawgNole
May 1st, 2012
2:06 pm
BIG DOG
May 1st, 2012
12:51 pm
Have anyone notice how Hawks, Falcons, and Braves never get any National respect.
WHY IS THAT ?
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
______________________
ONE championship for the city (’95 Braves) in 154 seasons of competition.
kingd92
May 1st, 2012
2:09 pm
According to the Synergy Report of Collins guarding KG it doesn’t look like he did a very good job.
Garnett scored 12 points and had 3 assists in the 11 possessions that Collins guarded him. That’s a 1.10 points per possession. Factor in the assists that’s 18 points and that’s a 1.64 points per possession for a team. Collins did have his moments but overall his performance was not as good as we thought and I definitely believe that there is no way he should get more minutes than Ivan.
kingd92
May 1st, 2012
2:13 pm
jlewis- you sound clueless. Tmac may be the best play maker on this team. I’d much rather iso-Tmac than iso-JJ or iso-Josh.
Bravesfan79
May 1st, 2012
2:18 pm
Amare never should of left the Suns in the first place. Hows life without Nash treating ya there amare?
Bravesfan79
May 1st, 2012
2:22 pm
I think we can beat Boston without a big series from TMac, but to get past Chicago/ Miami coach is gonna have to give Tmac his minutes, and hope his scoring swagger comes back.
Bravesfan79
May 1st, 2012
2:25 pm
Where did BIG DOG go…? out in the yard to pee?
newkid
May 1st, 2012
2:26 pm
If given a choice, I’d prefer Rondo serve his suspension in game 3 in Boston rather than game 2 in Atlanta. Gotta like Hawks’ chances at Philips in game 2 even with Rondo in uniform (especially if Allen is out). The absence of Rondo in game 3 in Beantown would be of more series value to the Hawks. Wouldn’t it be interesting if, during the playoffs, the league offered the opposing team the option of deciding which future game(s) a suspended player is to sit out? Aren’t such decisions of enough strategic importance to warrant input from the opposing team?
doc
May 1st, 2012
2:36 pm
thank you king92! that is more of what i witnessed while there and was shot down for even insinuating jason wasnt huge. jason played his best game ever for the hawks i admit. he is still the worst center in the league and i want to see less of him rather than more.
eddie
May 1st, 2012
2:38 pm
The hawks are going to ease up and the celts will spit in the face of adversity and pull off the upset! i have more on this and all the games on my site so come read and enjoy! http://nbawagers.com/2012/05/the-fun-continues-for-nba-betting-fans-tuesday-evening/
jlewis
May 1st, 2012
2:45 pm
kingd, all I have on my side is his history. Be objective and look at it, no where he has been cares for the guy and he killed coaches and teams. Drew sees it, and tmac is a straight iso player, against old-a– vince carter, his cousin, he couldnt even get off a shot. The guy has faltered everywhere he has been in the playoffs, he’s no savior, i bet you 10 dollars to your one, drew or sund does not have him back next year.
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
3:11 pm
“tmac is a straight iso player”
That’s a bizarre statement. I have not followed T-Mac’s career until he joined the Hawks, but all I’ve witnessed this year is a court leader who moves the ball around the court and always finds the open player when he draws a double-team.
My definition of an “iso player” means that the ball movement stops with him.
jamal crawford fan
May 1st, 2012
3:13 pm
as someone whos was against signing tmac, i can say that i’ve been more then happy what i’ve seen. His last two weeks alone makes up for the whole season of marvins output all year. tmac is our best passer/playmaker.
jamal crawford fan
May 1st, 2012
3:15 pm
Also who said he was supposed to be a saviour?. He was signed as a cog in the machine type player and not to be the whole engine and he has done that when given the opportunity with great successes
bastion
May 1st, 2012
3:20 pm
jlewis is clearly an idiot. Thats all.
KevinM
May 1st, 2012
3:56 pm
I am appreciative of anything that T-Mac brings to our team. He brings trust from the other guys and he knows where to put the ball as well.
No, he doesn’t give us 10/5, but he doesn’t get enough minutes to get those numbers.
That bench of ours has been productive throughout the year and I don’t see it disappearing just because its the playoffs. They should have plenty of energy to help us.
Hold the HC and I am esctatic; It’ll also make Doc look like a fool too since he thinks his team will win no matter the situation.
kuhndog
May 1st, 2012
4:20 pm
Davenpoop, intelligent dude with a lot of round ball savvy I hope you read this one cause you see the game with in the game he is not the only one on this blog with the b ball mind but is one I read his posts.I love basketball but I dont wet my pants about it like i used to,I have lived in the Atl since 1972 and followed the Hawks since the early 80s and like few other times I think if the Hawks pick up some steam and get healthy we got a chance at the finals.I believe this town will go nuts if they make it to the finals.
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
4:35 pm
We need ZaZa back. And we need Marvin to somehow play with some aggression tonite. We are in for a tough game.
Teague in College could get up for some big games. His last season at Wake – 34 pts against #3 UNC in a win, and 28 pts in a loss to Duke at Cameron. I think last years playoffs showed he relishes the big stage really. He’s just not uber talented, but he’s solid and fast.
Teague as a starter in the playoffs – 6 games vs the Bulls and 1 vs the Celtics
About 15 pts, 3 rbs, 4 assts, over 50% shooting per game. Scored over 20pts 3 times in 7 games.
Averages 1 steal per game, and has had 8 turnovers in 7 games total. Has played 40+ minutes in 5 of 7 playoff games. He’s doing pretty good for a #19 pick. I look for a solid series from him.
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
4:42 pm
Steve Hummer on Teague – “The Hawks’ point guard went for a little more than 12 points and four assists per game this year”
Umm, 12.6 and 4.9 to be exact. That’s a little understating don’t you think Mr. Hummer? How about around 12 and a half ppg, and just under 5 assists per game – just for accuracy’s sake.
You maybe could’ve mentioned he finished Top 10 in Steals in the NBA also.
Again, I predicted 11 and 5 for Teague this season, just based on what I had seen of him. Solid. With Al down, he scored a little more than I thought he would, and Al probably cost him not averaging over 5 assists per game. And the dude works hard in the off season.
Predicting a good series for him, and 13 and 6 next season at age 24.
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
4:48 pm
“And we need Marvin to somehow play with some aggression tonite.”
With the Hawks in attack mode the other night against the Celtics he kind of got “lost” in the offense. He has played best in the halfcourt with lots of ball movement. (Rod from CP – I didn’t say Marvin played well, just “best” for him, which ain’t saying much).
Without Rondo the Hawks should absolutely ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK. Which leaves little room for Marvin’s halfcourt game tonight.
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
4:50 pm
Of course, now that I have said that about Marvin, he will score 24 points in 20 minutes of playing time.
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
4:51 pm
And what can you say about Josh? He’s finally reaching his potential. If he plays in the post, we can win the Title.
But only if JJ plays smart.
I expect war tonite – nothing easy. These are the Celtics.
And did I hear correctly on the radio today that the Knicks had not won a playoff game in 11 years? And a Championship since ‘73?
Ok, they’ve won a Championship and the Hawks haven’t, but it’s not like they’ve been setting the world on fire in dominance.
It would be accurate to say that in the last 12 years, we have been much more successful than the Knicks. We’ve won 18 playoff games in that span, to 0 for the Knicks.
And trust me – I’m rooting for the Knicks against the Heat
DawgNole
May 1st, 2012
4:52 pm
kuhndog
May 1st, 2012
4:20 pm
I have lived in the Atl since 1972 and followed the Hawks since the early 80s and like few other times I think if the Hawks pick up some steam and get healthy we got a chance at the finals.I believe this town will go nuts if they make it to the finals.
____________________
I believe this, too. I’ve always said that ATL fans will support a WINNER that shows PROGRESS. This year’s playoffs–although only 1 game old–offer the promise that so many Hawks teams of the past have offered. All we can do is hope that this latest group will make ATL history by surviving not only Round 1, but Round 2 and (dare we dream?) BEYOND.
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
SteveW,
I, too, think Teague can have a big game tongiht. The only thing that will slow him down is himself. Every dozen or so games he goes into his shell. He does not stay in front of his man on defense or penetrate on offense.
I don’t expect this of Teague, I just have this nagging feeling about tongiht’s game. I hope I’m wrong.
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
4:55 pm
I think if this team wins the Celtic series, this town will go nuts. I expect a good crowd at Phillips tonite.
Maybe the Hawks in 5? Need ZaZa back however. And if we could get Al back for 15 mpg in the 2nd round??
I still think Chicago takes their series in 6.
The Mavs have sure played OKC tough in OKC. Lost two games by 4 pts? I expected war in the Western Conference in all the series and I think that’s what we’ve got.
I still say Indy in 6, but I figured Orlando would play them tough.
Go Hawks!
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
4:59 pm
Rev – Right now, I think Teague is healthy and rested, so unless 1 of our 3 (JJ, Josh, LD) get’s in his head, he’ll play well.
My biggest concern is Bradley is really rested and healthy. And he has the physical tools to slow Teague way down. I think Teague vs. a Rondo with a hurt back is better than a Teague vs Bradley with Bradley playing with a ton of aggression.
And then Friday – Rondo will be ultra rested. It’s going to be a tough series for Jeff, but I think he’ll be solid, but not spectacular throughout.
SteveW
May 1st, 2012
5:00 pm
I don’t trust Doc about Allen at all. Guy may play 36-38 minutes per nite from here on out.
Boston Media saying Garnett is all kind of hurt, but he’s going to just play through it.
Grandad
May 1st, 2012
5:14 pm
I haven`t been following along all day
-but-
Rev quoted someone;
” T-mac purely an Iso plyr ” … * [paraphrase]
I`m with Rev on this one … actually most of the time:
T-Mac
* knows how to get open w/o the ball
* high B-ball IQ
* terrific passer with vision and know-when
-&-
* He`s our best low Post player !
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
5:17 pm
Help me out.
How do the brackets work out? Who will Hawks play if they advance? Is it a strict bracket or does it change based on w/l record?
For example, does the team with the best w/l record always play the team with the worst w/l in the semi-finals? Or is there an unchangeable bracket based on the regular season w/l?
I’m not sure if I’m making my question clear.
W. R. Terrell
May 1st, 2012
5:34 pm
This is an important game, one that could catapult the HAWKS into where they have not gone before. Joe says that he will play faster, that is beneficial to everyone on the floor, if Josh gives the ball to Jeff and let him run the offense that could be a moral victory in our running game. I hope they come out with energy and common sense and just do what they are capable of and a victory could be forth coming. Now is not the time for the premadonna routine, but time for smart basketball. Winning tonight could really put the HAWKS in a damn good position. A position that may not present itself again
Najeh Davenpoop
May 1st, 2012
5:38 pm
“How do the brackets work out? Who will Hawks play if they advance? Is it a strict bracket or does it change based on w/l record?”
It doesn’t change based on won-loss record. The Hawks will play the winner of the Bulls-Sixers series. The Pacers-Magic winner will play the Heat.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 1st, 2012
5:41 pm
“Davenpoop, intelligent dude with a lot of round ball savvy I hope you read this one cause you see the game with in the game he is not the only one on this blog with the b ball mind but is one I read his posts.”
Thanks dude. Totally agree that ATL will go crazy if this team makes it to the finals. Even making it to the ECF and not embarrassing themselves once they get there will make this city proud.
I wish they weren’t going up against the Braves head to head tonight, though.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 1st, 2012
5:45 pm
“Drew sees it, and tmac is a straight iso player, against old-a– vince carter, his cousin, he couldnt even get off a shot.”
I don’t know exactly what a “straight iso player” is, but LeBron isolates a lot, and that doesn’t stop him from getting good shots for his teammates. Just because a player likes iso doesn’t mean he has to stop all ball movement like Joe does.
It may be a fair statement to say T-Mac is comfortable in iso situations, since that is how he has played most of his career, but that doesn’t mean he is a ball hog or a ball stopper. He’s the best passer on this team.
The thing is, at this point in his career, since he has lost so much of his explosiveness, he can’t create for teammates nearly as effectively when he gets the ball on the perimeter as when he gets it 15 feet and in. Without the threat of being able to get to the hoop, his passing effectiveness diminishes, and he can get to the hoop much easier when he receives the ball closer to the basket.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 1st, 2012
5:47 pm
Three 3rd place votes for LD for COY. He was on more ballots than Stan Van Gundy and Mike Brown.
I would have given it to Thibodeau, but can’t argue with Popovich. Tyrone Corbin deserved more love than he got, though.
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 1st, 2012
5:53 pm
FIRE SUND
Rev in Tampa
May 1st, 2012
6:10 pm
“I wish they weren’t going up against the Braves head to head tonight, though.”
And, apparently, the President of the United States.
Sorry Mr. President. This is the playoffs.
KevinM
May 1st, 2012
6:11 pm
Doc got a 1st place vote for COY….wow, the 4th/5th seed doesn’t deserve to be COY. He has had a healthy roster for the most part for the bulk of the year minus O’Neal.
LD did a better job than Rivers did and I’m not LD’s biggest fan. But he got the Hawks to listen and they didn’t let Al impact their results.
Thibs did the job better than anyone and held off the annointed Miami 3 all year….not much love for Spoelstra either huh?
JSS
May 1st, 2012
6:12 pm
“I call him Ivan.”
That had me laughing since 9:30 last night!
KevinM
May 1st, 2012
6:13 pm
Per MC, still a ray of hope for Zaza:
“Source says #Hawks encouraged by recent x-ray for @zaza27 (foot). He could play as soon as GM 5″
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
May 1st, 2012
6:43 pm
LOL @ there being a HUGE Playoff game tonight and people are worried about the freaking Braves, whose season isn’t even a month old
O'brien
May 1st, 2012
6:51 pm
Najeh,
The Pacers-Magic winner will play the Heat..
The Pacers-Magic winner will play the winner of the Heat – Knicks series. Why are you giving up on Woody and the Knicks
Big Lou
May 1st, 2012
6:57 pm
I think the Knicks will win game three because Amare is out.
Anyways, almost at the game. Come support your team! I better not see that stadium half empty! Go Hawks!
bigdave
May 1st, 2012
7:02 pm
after kg blocked his shot, anyone else notice Ivan try to clip kg by stepping on his heel as they ran back in transition?
bigdave
May 1st, 2012
7:18 pm
5 secs later, kg gets deep post position leading to Ivans foul and exit..
Michael Cunningham
May 1st, 2012
7:20 pm
new blog posted. shutting down this thread.