Atlanta Hawks: Season’s over
Boston–The Hawks’ streak of second-round playoff appearances ended at three. After a 40-26 regular season, the Hawks lost in six games to the Celtics in the first round. There will be time to dissect things later but, for now, here’s what the participants had to say. . . .
- Larry Drew on the season: “Given everything that we went through in the season with all the injuries and not having Al and so many guys missing games, I am very proud of our guys. We could have folded the tent. We responded very well, very professionally. Given 40 wins I’m very happy about that, given all we’ve been through. Tonight was disappointing [because] we didn’t advance. I thought we played a very gutsy series other than the one game. Overall I’m very proud of this bunch for what they accomplished.”
- Al Horford on if there are any ‘what-ifs’ for the season: “There is. I’m proud of the guys the way they reacted and came out every night and competed. That’s tough having so many injuries and different guys having to fill in. I feel like each guy has had their moment this year. I just kind of came in at the end trying to help us out. Unfortunately for us the run ended.”
- Josh Smith: “We overcame adversity throughout the season. Obviously it’s disappointing that we couldn’t do something special this season. The road was paved as good as it’s ever going to get for us but we didn’t take advantage of it. That’s the frustrating part. But we can’t hang our heads. We have to look at all the positives this team did this season. Losing Al pretty much the whole season and people counting us out, and for us to be able to do what we did, it’s something special. It’s not all negative. We have got to look at the positives and take this into the offseason and work more harder to be able to better ourselves as a unit.”
- Joe Johnson: “I thought we did what we could with what we had. It was tough. We are just now getting our full squad back together, what is it here, Game 4 of the playoffs? We still had a chance to win and advance. All we wanted to do was give ourselves a chance to win in Boston and we did that. Unfortunately, we came up short.”
- Doc Rivers: “You’ve got to give Atlanta a lot of credit. You really do. Especially tonight. I mean, Atlanta is criticized so much about who they are and all that stuff. And they had 10 times tonight where they could’ve went away and said, ‘You know what? We gave it great effort.’ And they just kept putting the pressure on us. And I though that was what this series was more about: I thought they kept putting the pressure on us and we had to answer. Game 2 still was the biggest game. Not having [Rajon] Rondo and winning that game was huge for us. And then down the stretch we won games with execution at times.”
- Drew on Atlanta’s penultimate possession that ended with Josh’s missed jumper: That wasn’t [the play]. We were in our wrong spots. We did not execute what we had drawn up in the huddle. We can’t have that type of mental breakdown at the end of a game. You just can’t have it. That play is not designed to be at the elbow shooting a jump shot. We did not execute it.”
- Josh on the fourth-quarter offense: “We were getting the shots we wanted. We got some looks. A couple of in-and-out. We tried to drive the paint and get to the free-throw line but we wasn’t getting the calls. If I had to do it all over again, I’d do the same thing in the fourth quarter. We was getting the shots. This team helps so much on the strong side, they kind of make you live with the weak-side perimeter jump shots. Especially when they know what satisfies them the most is it’s not the star players doing it.”
- Horford on the foul by Marquis Daniels as Atlanta was attempting to inbound the ball: “I know that I was trying to get through and he was grabbing me and I couldn’t really move. I don’t know if the ball was inbounded or not. I was just trying to cut through. Obviously the ref saw [the play] and didn’t call it.”
- Horford on not intentionally missing the second free-throw attempt down a point and no timeouts: “I didn’t really think about it. That’s something I probably should have given some thought. The first one felt good. I was surprised I missed it. Looking back I should have missed the second one, not realizing we didn’t have any timeouts. I did [realize it] before but there was a lot of stuff going on through the game.”
- Josh on what “one or two” things could have made a difference for the Hawks: “Maybe we could have shot a little bit more free throws. It was 24-10. We was being aggressive; we just wasn’t getting the calls. I don’t know what we had to do. We played our hearts out tonight. We fell short. A couple controversial calls. Things like that happen when you are on the road. You have to try your hardest to try not to make it a close game. When you play in an environment like the Garden in Boston, they have some of the best fans in the whole entire league. Like I said before, I was a little jealous because the fans here are so supportive of their team. You go out, look in the stands there is nothing but Celtics jerseys. I don’t see a trace of red in there. Understanding that the fans are that passionate, it adds an extra advantage for them. A bad shot can be as good a turnover when you are playing against a team like Boston, especially with the fanbase they have.”
- Drew on what went wrong when Hawks blew eight-point lead in second quarter: “Bad shots. We had some bad shots. We had some turnovers and those made it into transition baskets. I told the guys at halftime, looking back at how we defended their sets we did a good job but turned it over and took some bad shots. In this building a bad shot is just as good as a turnover and if you don’t have proper floor balance, they can run you right out the gym. That’s what led to that spurt. We didn’t get into our offense very crisp. They pressured us, they took us out of our sweet spots and it just kind of made it tough for us and we didn’t respond to that.”
- Joe: “We just got a little stagnant. We turned the ball over a few times, they scored. That’s not where we lost the game. In the fourth quarter, we had a three-point lead with a minute and something on the clock. That’s what hurts the most.”
- Drew on Kevin Garnett: “‘KG,’ he was an All-Star tonight. He made some big shots tonight. He put them into a great position early. He was really fighting for the low block. We were trying to disrupt his rhythm as much as we could. We tried to double team him at times we didn’t get down there fast enough. He made some big shots for them.”
- Josh on Garnett: “He asserted himself early in the game. We were supposed to trap him a little bit but the traps were a little passive, not aggressive. He took advantage of it. He got himself started early and made some shots down the stretch for them. He’s definitely their emotional leader. He still has a lot in the tank.”
- Garnett on Hawks co-owner Michael Gearon Jr.’s comments: “First off, I want to say ‘Thank you’ to their owner for giving me some extra gas tonight. My only advice to him is next time he opens his mouth, actually know what he’s talking about, Xs and Os versus checkbooks and bottom lines. . . . We’re not dirty. We’re firm, we’re aggressive. We’re not dirty. You have to understand the word ‘dirty’ in this game is very defined. Going under guys, trying to hurt guys, ill intent–is not they way we play basketball. . . . We play with a lot of passion, play with force. It’s the playoffs but I’m not trying to hurt anybody, nor has my teammates. I just found that comment to be a little rude and a little out of hand and I wanted to address it. Just because you got a bunch of money don’t mean you can open your mouth.”
- Josh on feeling like the Hawks didn’t get to show what they could do with a full squad: “Al came back. I got injured in Game 2. I think that was a winnable game. Things happen, man. The margin there is so small in the playoffs. Anything can beat you at any given moment. We had opportunities where we could have won games and we couldn’t get it done. We can definitely learn from that basketball team in that other locker room. The way they play collectively on the defensive end together, they really make you think, really make you work for every point. I think we definitely can take their philosophies and apply it to this basketball team because we are long and athletic. Their philosophies can help us be one of the top defensive teams in the entire league next year.”
- Horford on returning for the playoffs: “I don’t regret any of that. I feel like I went out and played and gave everything I had.”
- Horford on playing 46 minutes: “I was dragging, to be honest, most of the game. Then in the fourth [quarter] I had to dig down deep and I was like, ‘Let’s make one more big run at this. Let’s try to win this game.’ That’s kind of what fueled me throughout that fourth quarter. I was fatigued but I knew my team needed me.”
- Joe on “what-ifs”: “Yeah, it hurts. The last three years we advanced and made it to the second round. After last year, we looked at if like we was ready to make that jump. Give them credit. They are a great veteran team that has been around the block, knows what it takes. They came into our house and stole one. That’s all they needed.”
- Drew on “what-ifs”: “Man, I’ve been saying that from Day One. If we would have had a full squad, if we would have had Zaza [Pachulia], all the games that Kirk [Hinrich] missed, all the games [Jason Collins] missed, the games Marvin [Williams] missed. I’m proud of these guys for responding the way they did given all the injuries. Everyone counted us out. The other day I saw when we lost Al, they projected us to win 25 games. I think that says a lot about [the players] and about my coaching staff with all the adversity we faced this season and yet we were able to overcome.”
- Josh on moving forward: “Go into the offseason and try to get better every season. Working out, keep having the same work ethic I’ve been having my whole career. Use this as fuel. That’s a great basketball team over there. They’ve done some special things. When they acquired the Big Three, since then they’ve been doing some special things in the postseason. We can definitely learn a lot from that ballclub. It definitely hurts not being able to get out of the first round. . . . I felt like we had the best opportunity to be able make it to the Eastern Conference final, this year more so than other years. That’s always disappointing but we’ve got to take this into the offseason, be able to work hard and try to get better next season.”
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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206 comments Add your comment
christopher mehegan
May 11th, 2012
1:40 am
chokelanta is full of chokers tonight hahahahah hey guys let me know how ur offseason full of ice fishing and golfing turn out for ya go celtics green & white forever hahahahahahah chokers turtled out of the 1st round
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
1:42 am
REFS FAVORED BOSTON THE WHOLE SERIES. SMH.
Hawks4Life
May 11th, 2012
1:43 am
Knicks and Bulls where right there lined up to sign joe. Without joe is was going to be iso al and josh mann please…the reason there open is because the def is focus on joe
northcyde
May 11th, 2012
1:43 am
I got the trade.
You talk to the Russian billionaire and Jigga, and tell them . .
“You need overall talent, we need a legit star and a leader. So how about a trade
Deron Williams for Jeff Teague + any Hawk you want
- Joe Johnson
- Al Horford
- Josh Smith
Teague is a good scoring PG. Joe Johnson is a 6 time All-Star. Josh Smith is a very good athletic PF. Al Horford is one of the best PF/Cs in the game.
And I know Deron has a player option. But we can also do a sign and trade to bring him here. Convince Deron that he can live it up in ATL, and still have some good pieces to work with if he comes here
JJ + Teague will probably bring in Deron and maybe a filler like Jordan Farmar.
Teague + Smith or Horford would simply get you Deron.
1st trade: Ship Teague + JJ to Brooklyn for Deron
Hawks lineup:
Deron
( free agent SG )
Marvin ( unless amnestied )
Smith
Horford
Brooklyn lineup:
Teague
Johnson
Gerald Green
Gerald Wallace
Brook Lopez
2nd trade: Teague + Smith for Deron
Hawks lineup:
Deron
Johnson
Marvin ( unless amnestied )
Horford
Zaza
Brooklyn lineup:
Teague
Gerald Green
Gerald Wallace
Smith
Lopez
3rd trade: Teague + Horford for Deron
Hawks lineup:
Deron
Johnson
Marvin ( unless amnestied )
Smith
Zaza
Brooklyn lineup:
Teague
Gerald Green
Gerald Wallace
Horford
Lopez
This is not an indictment on Teague. It’s just that Teague should be a piece used to bring in a legit All-Star ( borderline superstar ) like Deron Williams. And a team may covet Teague as a young asset. I’d possibly even leave it up to Deron as to which 2 of “the core” he wants to play with.
My thing is . . let a proven star PG like Deron make the on the court decisions for this team. Maybe he can make guys like Johnson, Smith, or Horford better players.
And if Deron isn’t coming back to Brooklyn, Jigga will need SOMETHING to sell to that fan base. A Teague + “a core member” would be a start.
And make no mistake . . Deron IS the marquee guy now. Not JJ or Smith or Horford . . it’s DERON.
Market the team around him for the next 4+ years.
Joe not for 3
May 11th, 2012
1:46 am
Iso al? are you kidding me? Al posts up, or shoots an 18 footer off a pass.
There would have been no iso al.
Hawks4life, you forget that if ATL had the money not spent on JJ, they could made moves for other players.
Super Randy
May 11th, 2012
1:46 am
If you believe that then you’re just as foolish as the guys that gave him $120M to get 17 pts a nite. However, you can believe what you want to believe, but just because you seem to believe the sky is orange doesn’t make it so lol.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
1:48 am
JJ is a offense killer LD is a team killer. Nortcyde is a idiot.
Hawks4Life
May 11th, 2012
1:51 am
If doc coached this team we would be a elite team. Joe and marvin arent utlized right period
christopher mehegan
May 11th, 2012
1:52 am
CHOKELANTA BLOWS LARRY DREW’S SAUSAGE HAHAHAHAH ENJOY THE OFFSEASON CHOKERS
Joe not for 3
May 11th, 2012
1:53 am
You just defended Marvin Williams. Your opinion has been rendered useless.
doc
May 11th, 2012
1:53 am
thank you hawks for life
Mike D
May 11th, 2012
1:54 am
High sider get off Jamal he is not that good where is Portland? Oh yea, they did not even make the playoffs an jamal does not even start for them Wes Matthews play before him Jamal would have nothing in dis series
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
1:55 am
THE REFS ARE THE REASON WE ARE NOT ADVANCING.
Hawks4Life
May 11th, 2012
1:56 am
I guess you like ld having marvin living at the 3pt line. I know doc good get more out marvin and everbody else.
Super Randy
May 11th, 2012
2:02 am
Hawks
Talking to you Is like arguing with someone that thinks the earth is flat.
al
May 11th, 2012
2:08 am
I wish some of the other players would show some emotion.
High-sider
May 11th, 2012
2:09 am
“…Joe Johnson IS what is wrong with this team. You can’t pay a guy like THAT, that kind of money and not cause serious chemistry issues with the team.
Joe get paid to be the man but he is anything but that in every aspect of what he should be. Jamal Crawford resented it, other players resent it, you can tell Josh resents it, and Al called him on his b.s.
Joe is the sleeping Elephant in the Room…” – Super Randy
That’s just it. It all starts at the “top” with [the] bad personnel and contract decisions made by Rick “Dumb” [Sund] and the ASG. Executive Management is the blame for this debacle. Joe Johnson is not the blame/culprit. ATL Hawks’ brass should have never offered Joe Johnson a max contract. When management grossly overpays a player [or an employee] and that player’s [employee's] salary is publicized, that public knowledge of the salary is going to cause resentment, envy, jealousy, backbiting, backstabbing, anger, rage, fury, murmuring, etc. but all of those negative emotions are usually misdirected at the wrong individual[s]. The anger about Joe Johnson’s contract should be directed at Dumb and Dumber [Rick Sund and the ASG]. Dumb and Dumber are responsible for disrupting team chemistry and cohesion by grossly overpaying one player. That type of sh-t happens everyday in the [regular] workplace – employees getting undeserved raises and promotions.
If your employer overpays you, should [or would] you give that money back [to your employer]? And as much as black people [black men in particular] have been underpaid, underemployed and unemployed [in America], why should Joe Johnson give [some of] that [contract] money back [to the Atlanta Hawks franchise]? Don’t get mad at Joe [Johnson]; get mad at Dumb and Dumber.
soullrenaissance
May 11th, 2012
2:09 am
the hard-headed never learn.
…If I had to do it all over again, I’d do the same thing in the fourth quarter. We was getting the shots. This team helps so much on the strong side, they kind of make you live with the weak-side perimeter jump shots. Especially when they know what satisfies them the most is it’s not the star players doing it.”
smoove
Joe not for 3
May 11th, 2012
2:14 am
This blog is borked, can’t post anything.
Joe not for 3
May 11th, 2012
2:16 am
High-sider – you love the [brackets.]
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
2:19 am
CELTICS SHOT 14 MORE FREE THROWS TONIGHT.
hawkfan
May 11th, 2012
2:24 am
hahahhahaha what a joke 3 out of 5 of shaqakin a fool was from the hawks, what a great ending to the season
High-sider
May 11th, 2012
2:25 am
Joe not for 3
May 11th, 2012
2:16 am
High-sider – you love the [brackets.]
—————————-
Yes, I do [love (the) brackets]. [LOL]
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
2:27 am
I HATE SHAQ. HE COULDNT BE ANY MORE BIASED TOWARDS THE CELTICS TONIGHT.
Super Randy
May 11th, 2012
2:33 am
High,
I agree that it is not Joes fault that the ownership group were fools. However, that doesn’t make him less of a problem. Every single reason I was was always against that max contract offer has turned out to be right in point.
Joe is not the type of person, or player, you give that contract to. There are only a handful of guys you give those contracts to, and Joe, as “good” of a player that he is, was never good enough player, had enough top side, nor the type of guy you put in that position.
It has left us in a bad situation from a leadership, chemistry, and financial point of view.
jjm
May 11th, 2012
2:34 am
Lol how they leave joe off the gone fishin. They should have put him on there with that sane overpaid shirt on
5150 UOAD
May 11th, 2012
2:36 am
How can any smart person follow or cheer for the NBA much-less the Hawks?
vava74
May 11th, 2012
2:40 am
Coaching deficit, Refereeing and Injuries stole the series for BOS.
If LD is back next year I will not dole out $$ on league pass. It’s pointless without a shakeup on the bench.
I honestly don’t think that the problem is the roster, but how the roster is used and how there is so little structure on what is done by the Hawks.
They have improved their x and o’s from Woody’s time but once things get complicated and tough, over the season against top teams and now in the playoffs, they simply can’t execute, in particular down stretch and that boils down to what they have on the bench.
The Hawks may not be the best “car on the race” but the pilot is clearly just average and that does not cut it.
Super Randy
May 11th, 2012
2:42 am
And one more thing. If people don’t understand that horford has more of an advantage playing the 5 instead of the 4 then I don’t know what they are looking at. Horford is not the mismatch at the 4 that he is at the 5.
I just don’t get why people seem to wax so poetic about horford playing the 4. I just don’t get it.
Hawksgoingbackward
May 11th, 2012
2:45 am
I live in Atlanta (moved here 10 years ago) was a die hard fan, defended them to everyone who doubted them. Til they I saw their true colors as a heartless bunch of fast guys who make way to much money (Joe Johnson). This team is never gonna be any good with cheap owners. The only thing the owners have more than money is excuses. We are gonna here an off season full of excuses. Joe Johnson is what is wrong with this team, hopefully Josh S. gets traded to a team with some heart and ownership who is willing to pay to take advantage of the small windows you get to do something special.
High-sider
May 11th, 2012
2:47 am
Mike D
May 11th, 2012
1:54 am
High sider get off Jamal he is not that good where is Portland? Oh yea, they did not even make the playoffs an jamal does not even start for them Wes Matthews play before him Jamal would have nothing in dis series
———————————————————————————-
Just because Jamal Crawford was the Blazers’ sixth man doesn’t [necessarily] mean that Jamal [Crawford] was the sixth best player for the Blazers or the second best 2- [shooting] guard for the Blazers. Jamal was the second best scorer [13.9~14.0ppg] for the Blazers behind [All-Star] LaMarcus Aldridge. Jamal’s scoring average right there should tell you something. How well did the Hawks score in their playoff run this postseason? Last year with Jamal [Crawford], the Hawks ended their postseason playoff run with a win-loss record of 6-6. This year without Jamal [Crawford], the Hawks ended their postseason playoff run with a win-loss record of 2-4. Which is the better [playoff] record? You add it up; you do the math. And after you’ve finished, book it.
Super Randy
May 11th, 2012
2:50 am
Vava,
I agree. Our roster really is not an issue by itself. However, if you were to truly take advantage of your current roster that would mean de-emphasizing joe and using him I was that just don’t justify the money he is being paid and I think that is truly what’s going in here.
But all things being equal, our roster, with the right coaching philosophy is good enough to get it done. Don’t get me wrong, I think joe is a very good player. He has just been annointed the wrong role.
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
2:54 am
at some point, the refs take away your reason to watch the game. i love the nba, but the refereeing tonight finally took its toll on me. tim donaghy was real folks. that is all.
Grandad
May 11th, 2012
3:01 am
I will give a season synopsis a bit later.
Tonite I must get a few things off my chest.
Rusty you are a name caller.
I defied you to give some concrete X`s and o`s to substantiate
your claims about LD and you have not done so.
Now you call nc a name with nothing on your docket but
saying folks are stupid or an idiot.
Is there anything you can add to the discussion ?
Please dissect LD`s coaching for us and elucidate your reasoning.
Rusty;
you got nuthin` !
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
3:03 am
the hawks owner said some stuff about the refs and clearly david stern made the call down to make sure we didnt win that game tonight. the nba is rigged. i am done.
Bravesfan79
May 11th, 2012
3:20 am
You mean NO ONE told Horford to miss the 2nd free throw?? Oyea, and nice to see the worst jump shooter on the floor taking a 2 just inside the 3 pt line with the season on the line, josh smith has to be one of the dumbest athletes ive ever came across. And nice comments josh, cant you appreciate the fact your a millionare from playing a game, and appreciate the fans that you do have!?
Grandad
May 11th, 2012
3:21 am
Tonite I must get a few things off my chest.
Now for some Hawks play-off wrap-up:
LD did a darn fine job;
both reg season and the play-offs.
Does he always make me happy ……?…… No !
But tonite during the game he made adjustments;
especially doubling PP.
That was a wise move.
But on this board – we – know it alls – yes – I included myself.
We carp and nit pick over every little detail with the benefit of hindsight.
-and-
Without the benefit of all that LD knows;
everything from internal issues to scouting reports for the opponent.
Sure he`s lobbying for his job;
but he`s correct, he coached this yr shorthanded.
*[all yr + the play-offs]
LD is nor would he be my 1st choice *’`but`’* he has earned another yr.
____________________________________________
Our Hawks played a gutsy series.
I really do not care for the attitude that DogNole takes;
in that 43 yrs ago had nothing to do with these kids who played tonight.
Sure we didn`t close out the game but there were mitigating factors.
The officiating made me nauseas.
Someone said earlier on the blog;
[my apologies for not remembering the penman]
the NBA is the most crooked of the Pro sports. [paraphrased]
* -exception wrestling- **(which is billed as an exhibition)
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
3:22 am
TO JOSH SMITH,
JUST BECAUSE THE ARENA ISNT ALWAYS FULL DOESNT MEAN THERE ARENT TONS OF FANS LIKE ME ROOTING ON THE TEAM IN FRONT OF MY TV. NOT EVERYBODY HAS MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO WASTE LIKE YOU ON GOING TO THE GAMES.
Bravesfan79
May 11th, 2012
3:23 am
Teams that the refs help out in the playoffs: Chicago, NY, Boston, LA, Miami. Anyone else… gluck getting calls in crunch time! Seen it happen time and time again in the playoffs to the Jazz (against Chicago), the Kings (against Lakers)… some things never change.
Its hard being a true fan knowing the league can pretty much control crunch time if they choose to.
Bravesfan79
May 11th, 2012
3:33 am
To Josh Smith: I wasnt able to go to any games this year, im poor, and the seats are 2 expensive for my taste to fit yalls bloated salaries… *unlike Braves games. BUT… i watched almost every game on tv this season, and rooted hard like a true fan should. Dosent most of your salary come from tv contracts anyways?? Without fans like me watching on tv, a big chunk of your revenue dosent come in! How about taking responsibility for that IDIOT shot you put up at the end! Sad because im a josh smith fan and keep expecting him to play with some intelligence.
Thats why i liked the old Jazz teams from the 90’s, they played with smarts and passion!
And if the refs didnt love the bulls so much they would of gotten a championship.
ryan
May 11th, 2012
3:44 am
It wasn’t the refs, Larry Drew or the TNT announcers that won this game. It was the celtics, yes they are old but they are still very good particularly at the halfcourt defensive style that wins in the playoffs. Just to review their recent performances
2008- world champions
2009-lost round two (Orlando) without Garnett
2010- lost NBA finals (game 7) without Perkins
2011- lost round two (Miami) without Rondo
Boston went 24-10 in the second half of this season and are reasonably healthy
They get performances like Pierce (game 2) and Garnett ( Game 6) because those guys are superstars, albeit aging. Atlanta does not have a superstar and they do not have Doc Rivers or Rondo who can change a game on his own.
The Hawks are a solid team, much like the late 80’s Milwaukee Bucks or Cleveland Cavs those teams fell short because guys like Mark Price and Paul Pressey were good but they weren’t Bird or MJ
surfmaui
May 11th, 2012
3:46 am
Don’t break up this team. Here’s what we discovered. Despite the fact that they make some stupid plays and the offense can become stagnant, and despite the fact that Teague didn’t show up today we learned that we really can play with anyone. Series could easily have gone the other way and there was a particularly gutty performance in game three without Smith, Horford, and Pachulia.
But more important we discovered in general that Teague is getting better and can play, He was second in NBA’s most improved player I think. More important we discovered that Pachlia is a very productive center. This would enable moving Horford to his more natural power forward position , with Smith playing small forward and Johnson at SG. This creates an athletic team and with Pachulia some enforcer toughness as well as mismatches all over the place, at SF, PW and SG.
The guy who has to go is Marvin Williams and possibly Drew. Resign McGrady if he has anything at all left because he also creates big time matchup problems and is a great passer except when he expects Dampier to try to catch it. Frankly Iwas encouraged by the playoff performance
Grandad
May 11th, 2012
3:47 am
Tonite I must get a few things off my chest.
Part III
Joe Johnson:
____________________________________________
note – for *’`northcyde`’*
Please my friend, I do not wish to debate.
We have differing opinions on this.
I`m gonna state mine, while acknowledging you and I disagree.
With all due respect >G-dad<
____________________________________________
Joe Johnson:
Joe must go, somewhere, somehow !
It`s not that Joe is a bad player.
It`s really not about the contract, altogether.
The fact is He/Joe just don`t fit.
Joe does not fit anymore than Bibby did.
It`s chemistry:
Joe had some sort of chemistry with Bibby.
But not with Josh and Al.
For all the Al bashers;
I hope you saw it after the long layoff,
Josh and Al have chemistry ,,, they enjoy playing together.
You can see it when their on the ct together.
I think Teague enjoys it too.
Zaza makes it even better, allowing Josh and Al to play …
'`Forward`'
do not try to put a # on Josh or Al just let them play together
call one a [3] the other a [4] and let them run.
It don`t mattrer. They have divergent talents.
No Zaza is not a SS but he is a workman;
find another just like him and have two Zaza`a tag-teaming at the [5].
*Omer Asik comes to mind / another topic for another day.
Back to Joe;
he will never change.
We should stop right now trying to fit a square peg [Joe]
into a round hole [the the diverse speedy runners and jumpers]
that make up our new *stars = Josh/Al/Teaguer … [Nash, perhaps]
If we cannot trade him [Joe] the use the Amnesty clause. Please.
____________________________________________
Sorry nc:
I had the poor fortune of -having- to listen to Steve Holman [radio]1st half.
Nothing wrong with SH; I would rather have had access to a TV.
(Grandaughter`s recital) … priorities.
Holman quote:
'`We can`t win with Joe playing this bad`'
hawksfan2012
May 11th, 2012
3:47 am
@ryan boston underachieved with all that talent in my opinion. they will lose to miami in the ECF this year and that will mean 1 title in 5 years for the big 3. underachieving if you ask me. also, the refs did screw the hawks tonight. what game were u watching?
northcyde
May 11th, 2012
4:45 am
vava74
May 11th, 2012
2:40 am
Coaching deficit, Refereeing and Injuries stole the series for BOS.
If LD is back next year I will not dole out $$ on league pass. It’s pointless without a shakeup on the bench.
I honestly don’t think that the problem is the roster, but how the roster is used and how there is so little structure on what is done by the Hawks.
They have improved their x and o’s from Woody’s time but once things get complicated and tough, over the season against top teams and now in the playoffs, they simply can’t execute, in particular down stretch and that boils down to what they have on the bench.
The Hawks may not be the best “car on the race” but the pilot is clearly just average and that does not cut it.
*******************
The FT and rebounding disparity alone ( not just in the Boston series, but all year ), shows that this team, while talented, isn’t properly constructed to make a deep playoff run.
This team needs a great ( not good ) but great decision maker at the PG, and a talented bruiser on the front line that can score down low and preferably defend.
These are 2 elements that we lack on this team, despite our talent. It’s simply not the right mix of players. What we have here is like a real good AAU All-Star team full of athletes. But they’d lose everytime to an organized team.
Coaching is important, but that coach also needs the right mix of players.
It’s the reason why Golden State finally had to decide between Ellis and Curry. Get rid of one, to bring in what you REALLY need.
It’s the reason why the Clippers basically gave up all of their young talent, to get one superstar PG.
Hopefully Gearon ( since he’s the face of the owners ) and hopefully the new GM, isn’t so loyally blind, that they won’t see how a trade involving one or two of our “core” might make us a better team.
When Denver traded Iverson to Detroit for Billups, that Denver team instantly got better. When Golden State traded Mitch Richmond for Chris Webber, that Kings team instantly got better.
If fans and ownership are SERIOUS about winning around here, blind loyalty has to go out the window, and you have to do what may be best for the team.
northcyde
May 11th, 2012
4:49 am
And some of you fans need to stop being so sensitive about Josh’s comments. His comments are the absolute TRUTH. There were literally 5,000 Boston fans in that building on Tuesday. And most of then were in the lower bowl.
So what is Josh supposed to think, when he sees the crowd looking like Christmas decorations, with all of the red with green sprinkled everywhere. The crowd IS an issue in Atlanta. Name whatever reason WHY it is . . but it IS an issue.
If you go to the games and cheer for the Hawks, Josh obviously wasn’t talking about you. But what else SHOULD he think, when he sees all of those Boston fans on his home court?
robdawg
May 11th, 2012
4:56 am
We lost tonight because:
Lack of Coaching – No coach in his right mind or left mind calls an isolation play for Joe with the season on the line. You take the ball to the hoop and draw a foul. He should go for that alone. We need a coach that can control the idiots. Which brings me to our 2nd move of the off season. Josh has to go and he is tradeable. We should ship him anywhere. Somewhere, anywhere, it does not matter as long his moronic, idiotic, you name it is not jacking up fadeaways for our team next year. This is a no brainer. If we do not get rid of him, this moron will be doing the same crap next year. He is almost 30 and still behaves like he is 17. It’s time to cut our losses. The season is on the line and he is still shooting 20 ft fadeaways rather than going to the hoop and extending our season. Call it lazy, undisciplined, whatever. The fab 5 at Kentucky were smart enuff after one season with JC’s coaching to know this. Josh still is too stupid to figure this out. If we do not unload this idiot, we will be scratching our heads a year from now wondering how could this happen again. What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing and expecting different results. He needs to go now. That brings us to the third off season move. Someone will take Joe. Maybe if we either package him with idiot boy above or take on some bad contracts. Joe also took one more ill advised jumper with our season on the line when he should be driving to the hoop trying to draw a foul. Makes you wonder if there is anything going on inside his head. I believe all Hawk’s fans have seen enuff of these two dimbwits. I would rather us play intelligent (read Steve nash, pick and rolls) and lose than be tortured anymore by just plain bad, sloppy, not even good high school basketball. This game is not that complex. You pass the ball around till you find the open man. We might lose again next year, but that does not mean we have to lose with these same two MORONS. Apoligizes to Larry Drew, but he is not the answer. We need a coach that’s in charge. When your season is on the line and all you can come up with is an isolation play for Joe to shoot a 20 footer. Next time down, Josh shoots a 20 foot fadeaway. This is our season on the line. Larry needs to just go quietly. The time for these changes is NOW. Anyone that disagrees really does not know much about basketball and should be subjected to more of this crap. Just take it somewhere else. This is way beyond enuff.
Edward
May 11th, 2012
5:22 am
The team failed because management nickle and dimes the fans every year. Not paying Crawford was dumb. And I believe we only had to give him 7 million for this season. Maybe less, but you do not let a multifaceted offensive player go when he is such a important part of your team. Our bench capability was all smoke and mirrors. We never build on what we have the year before. This years version of the Celtics would have lost in 5 games if Crawford was still on the team. And I am saying that with our injury problems this year. Here is a question, When did the Celtics have a answer for Crawford when he was in a Hawks uniform? They didn’t and this years roster did not have a answer either. I am keying on Crawford because he was a special piece that enhanced the team and the players around him. Plus, he was a playoff performer. If you did not know, you should know that the regular season and the playoffs are two totally different animals. Just ask the Chicago Bulls. This current team with all its injuries including Crawford would have beat Boston, ran through Philly, and challenged Miami to go to the finals. The franchise needs to progress not regress. Losing to the Bulls the year before showed that we needed more shooters and that Josh Smith needs to stay in the post. We did get more shooters and Josh Smith actually stayed in the post a lot more this season. But what was the purpose of losing Crawford? The only purpose I see is to regress as a team. That transaction said everything about what the Hawks were trying to accomplish this year. My friends thought we would be okay without Crawford this year because of some of the other bench additions. I told them, “wait till the playoffs.” Now, they understand. Do you?
ryan
May 11th, 2012
6:00 am
@hawksfan2012
I was watching the game with the three hall of famers, Rondo, Doc and Danny Ainge, seventeen world title banners versus 120 million dollar Joe, a dysfunctional ownership group and an arena with a banner heralding energy effiency ( Thanks Rutherford Seydel)
Josh will look good in Green next year and get the accountabilty he needs from pros
Also was watching in 88 and 2008 with similiar outcomes and advantages- hmmm lets see would you rather have Cliff Levingston or Kevin McHale, Randy Wittman or Ainge.
ATL never had a chance ( in any of those series)
that dude
May 11th, 2012
6:03 am
Celtics deserved that win, please people, stop crying. It sucks, but it is what it is. Maybe next year.