Atlanta Hawks: Video: Season ends at Boston
Boston–My video report following the Hawks’ season-ending 83-80 defeat to the Celtics.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
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296 comments Add your comment
KevinM
May 11th, 2012
12:41 pm
Okay, so our team has the 2nd most playoff games played in the NBA, and they…
-lose the HC advantage imediately
-take 5 years to continue to lose in the 1st round of the playoffs after their ‘peak’ last year. That was their peak,not this year. This is a digression year.
Injuries aside, the coaching at the end of the shot clock and at the end of games is just below average. While I don’t expect us to win more than 50% of close games, we should have a better mental approach.
That is the coach’s job and he is no more of an improvement than Woody.
We make Doc look like a genius.
Ray
May 11th, 2012
12:42 pm
At Crazy how can you be a real fan truth be told as much as I’m saying all this next year I’ll still be here why cause Atlanta Hawks is the home state team so basically I try my best to support them.
But how can you be a real fan when a player says he don’t care what the fans think?
How can you be a real fan after people keep telling you year after year we like our core?
How can you be a real fan when your coach is basically one off the scrap heap?
How can you be one when your coach is coaching a playoff team and gets paid like he’s coaching the Sac-town Kings?
How can you be a real fan if your team keeps getting bounced from the playoffs after 2nd round and now this time the first round?
I’d be a real fan or at least a better fan if we had a culture where the players cared about bringing home the hardware instead of some money.
northcyde
May 11th, 2012
12:45 pm
FTPB
O’brien
May 11th, 2012
7:39 am
Northcyde,
If you’re Deron Williams, and you have a chance to go back home (he’s from Dallas), and play for one of the best owners (Mark Cuban) in the game (imo), a very good coach in Rick Carlisle, and play with Dirk…or come to ATL and play for the ASG and LD…
Deron Williams is not walking through that door.
***************************
I know it’s wishful thinking. But this organization has to try to bring in a new “face of the franchise” in the form of a person who many think is a top 15 ( borderline top 10 player ).
I said when Chris Paul was being shopped around for any and everybody, that it was a mistake for the Hawks to not seriously go after that dude. I would’ve traded 2 of the “core” to bring him here. The same with Dwight Howard.
Those guys not wanting to come here wasn’t an issue with me. Those guys also having the ability to opt out after one year wasn’t an issue either.
The fact is that if the Hawks offered Orlando or New Orleans the right pieces, those two guys HAD to come here for at least this year, because those teams would’ve made the deal. You put those guys on this team, minus whatever pieces we may have given up, and see if a legit superstar presence on this squad could help us get it done during the playoffs.
But they didn’t even try. Remember Sund . . . .
“We like our core”.
As for Deron . . just go court that dude. Probably have to bring in a name coach first to try to convince him that we’re serous about winning, but go court him nonetheless.
Maybe wishful thinking, but they at least have to try.
Ray
May 11th, 2012
12:46 pm
One thing the hawks owners could do to at least restore most people faith in this team rid themselves of Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams.
Joe is only so good because there are no SG’s in the East yeah you got D-wade, Allen(Old), and Fields up in NY, but how many more very good SG’s?
Most of the good one’s are located out west Eric Gorden(Rising SG), Kevin Martin, Manu, Kobe, JT, James Harden, and a few others.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
12:51 pm
Ivan was pissed off & ready to kill someone,we would have paid for his defense,what a favor he would have done for this team. The Stinger said that Larry jerk dis a great job coaching this team inspite of all the injuries. They asked the fans who was the most valuable hawk this year.I don’t know who voted but it was JJ 44%,JS 25%, JT 16% & Zazza 9%. Did they really take a poll.
CrαZy
May 11th, 2012
12:54 pm
Ray I get what your saying… I just keep hoping that the team gets new ownership at some point… I know what we are…. this is as good as it’s going to get with Joe as the leader and the ATL spirit as owners.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
12:54 pm
Y
CrαZy
May 11th, 2012
12:54 pm
Apparently the kids are out of skool in Boston today!!
Ray
May 11th, 2012
12:55 pm
I hope by JJ they mean someone else besides Joe Johnson because that poll is way off all you got to do is print out two stat sheets comparing JJ and JS to already know JJ isn’t even as valuable as Jeff Teague was lol I might be going too far.
Then again most fans see Points and nothing else and you can have points all day and night, but if you’re not doing anything else besides scoring points which is basically what Joe Johnson did to me you’re expendable in the worse way.
Ray
May 11th, 2012
12:56 pm
@ Crazy
You and me both buddy I was highly upset when the pizza guy was suppose to buy as that it fell through because of the NBA themselves.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
12:57 pm
Yea Nortcyde if we gave them JJ & paid his contract they might have gone for it,probably would have pwanted more.
KevinM
May 11th, 2012
1:03 pm
TMac sounds appreciative of the fans….
“@Real_T_Mac: Thanks to all Atlanta Hawks fans, and all my fans everywhere, for your support this year. It ended too early, but I’ll see you guys soon.”
I take his return over LD any day.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
1:06 pm
I can’t believe that JJ is loved by anyone here besides nortcyde.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
1:07 pm
The only way TMac or Ivan comes back is if LD is gone.
KevinM
May 11th, 2012
1:09 pm
680 the fan predicting that Sund leaves for Portland.
Other predictions:
Marvin is gone, via amnesty.
Josh may be the next one out the door.
How lucky would we get to have this happen?
corporate tv ball sux
May 11th, 2012
1:10 pm
this team needs a fire lit under its ass in the form of a new coach and new gm. people who want to and know how to win the whole thing. kirk should have been starting at pg. the turnovers and lack of ball control tell the tale. ivan should have been a factor in every game. not collins or damp.
disappointed it is over this year, and was tough with all the injuries, but once again have appreciated the consistant effort on both ends of the floor by josh smith all year and all series long.
Ray
May 11th, 2012
1:11 pm
How are we lucky if Josh goes through that door out with him goes Defense, Rebounds, and Blocks plus big chunk of points.
Horford does have those, but having two people that can do the same thing is better than one.
Ray
May 11th, 2012
1:13 pm
Say it with me people Teague, Josh, Horford, and Zaza are our future there are many upgrades over Zaza, but until we get someone like Roy Hibbert or Dwight here Zaza is the future.
O'brien
May 11th, 2012
1:16 pm
AJ,
One thing to screw up a play in February on a road trip, quite another to botch a play when down by 1 in an elimination game..
If you screw up in February, and March, then that becomes who you are, and it becomes easier to screw up in an elimination game. One reason the Celtics are so good, is because they are just as likely to execute the final play correctly in February, as they are in June.
As for a new GM (if Rick decides to leave), no established GM would come here (imo). We would have to get an assistant GM from one of the top notch franchises (like the Spurs, or OKC).
But I’m not even sure how much that would help, because they would still need ownership’s approval to make a deal/break up the core.
O'brien
May 11th, 2012
1:18 pm
And for those who want to use injury as an excuse (Joe, LD etc)…all you had to do was win game 2. No Ray Allen, and no Rondo. And we were playing at home.
Celtics could have made excuses for losing that game, but they didnt have to. They won.
From mark bradley;
This series was lost in Game 2. In NBA history, teams taking a 2-0 lead have won the series more than 94 percent of the time — odds even the schizo Hawks would have been hard-pressed to defy..
Astro Joe
May 11th, 2012
1:20 pm
303, fair point, $40M is a big hunking chunk of crap to swallow.
Melvin, I would trade dang near anyone for the right package. Joe, Josh, Al, Teague, anyone. I’d offer Josh an extension but I’m not offering him a max contract. He won’t get 18+ FGAs in normal circumstances and that was one of the reasons he scored as much this past season. Any higher salary for Josh won’t take affect until after Zaza is off the books and again, I don’t see paying Josh $4M/year more than he currently makes. If he is not willing to sign an extension that starts around $15M/year, then you look for trade partners. My suggestion to offer him an extension doesn’t mean that he can’t or shouldn’t be moved. It is a simple way to NOT have a distraction in the coming season and the best way to know which long-term assets may be around if you choose to keep them. If he is so upset by past issues (or present fan support) that he won’t sign a contract extension next summer and our GM trades Al in a few months, then we may be left with Hilton Armstrong or Josh Powell playing PF for us in 2013-14… and that would truly be a maddening situation. Offer him an extension and get that possibility off the table.
And if I’m Orlando, NO WAY do I let D12 wear a Magic uniform in October/November. Dude gets traded this summer.
Frustrated
May 11th, 2012
1:21 pm
I enjoy watching the Hawks – but last night was typical of why this team drives us all crazy.
– Josh hoisting a fade away jumper in the final minute when we are down by 1
– Joe, our perennial all star, disappearing in the final quarter to finish the quarter with 0 points
– Reverting back to the old days of one guy dribbling away the entire shot clock before attempting a desperation shot
Overall, congrats to the Hawks for a decent regular season even though Al was out for most of the year, but this team is just not good enough to make a deep run in the playoffs.
O'brien
May 11th, 2012
1:21 pm
More from Mark Bradley’s article;
The Core Four — Smith, Horford, Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams — has been in place since 2007, and what we’ve seen the past two seasons suggests that the days of diminishing returns are at hand.
The Hawks’ winning percentage in their final two seasons under Mike Woodson was .610. Their winning percentage in two seasons under Larry Drew, the Woodson assistant promoted to tap untapped resources, is .568. Johnson hasn’t been the same player under Drew, and the Hawks haven’t found a workable mesh to replace the Iso-Joes.
On the key possession of Game 6, the Hawks found themselves with nobody but Smith inside the 3-point arc with seven seconds on the shot clock. The play had been designed for Johnson, but he wasn’t open and nobody else knew what to do. “We didn’t execute the play,” Drew said Friday. “Guys did not go to the right spots.”
Smith hoisted a 20-footer that had no chance. Watch the tape and you’ll see Horford raise his arms after the Celtics rebounded as if to say: “What was that?” It remains a question asked far too often of these Hawks..
“I was upset,” Horford said, speaking Friday morning. “I thought it was a really tough shot.”
He wasn’t blaming Smith — “We’ve seen Josh make tough shots” — so much as he was the breakdown. But that, alas, is what the Hawks have come to do: They draw within sight of a summit, and then they break down.
Too much scar tissue has formed among the Core Four. Drew isn’t a terrible coach, but he hasn’t been able to break this team of its bad habits: When in doubt, look to Joe; when Joe’s not open, hoist a jumper. (And Johnson isn’t even the Hawks’ best player anymore. Smith is.)
I wish I could tell you I see better days ahead, but I see a coach who hasn’t been able to do all he proposed to do. I see a Core Four already already past its collective prime. I see addled ownership and a caretaker general manager, and I see no reason to believe this management won’t be content to keep banking on a team that has already written a lengthy legacy of disappointment, this latest installment being the most galling.
“We thought it was a great opportunity for us,” Smith said Friday, and it was. The Hawks could have been preparing Friday for Game 1 against the eighth-seeded Sixers. Instead they stuffed some sneakers and basketballs in plastic bags and went home for the summer..
KevinM
May 11th, 2012
1:22 pm
OB, say it with me…
Mike Gearon and his co-partners have no clue how to get the most out of the talent we have here in Atlanta. They want to keep their fingerprints on this team, sit courtside and try to take credit for being a 4/5 seed every year.
Only in Atlanta can you be a 4/5 seed and thank the organization for a terrific season. What would the title on the highlight video from the season review:
“We’re not Detroit or San Antonio, but we’re trying”?
Well, it’s their money, isn’t it?
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
1:23 pm
Than Larry for the debacle.
Rusty
May 11th, 2012
1:24 pm
Thanks LD
oldboy
May 11th, 2012
1:25 pm
Two years after the LD experiment and we are stuck at the same level of mediocrity, and there is no reason to believe things will get better with him as a coach. They have to be willing to spend the money and bring a stellar coach. We may not attract stellar free agents, but we can attract a stellar coach with the talent in the team, but only if they owners are willing to pay. That is the one thing that will get the team in the right direction. Then we become attractive to stellar free agents. Then we contend.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:25 pm
Larry is soft and so is this Hawk Team..
Got to trade Josh before he walks for a 1st rd pick and more .His jumper is broke..
Josh is gonna get his max contract elsewhere..Maybe…
This assistant wanna be Head Coach cant cut it.. Must be gone along with the GM…
JM
May 11th, 2012
1:28 pm
Execute a LD play? I can count the number of successful late game plays on one hand. Did LD even have a plan B. If the C’s do this, we will then do that. Doubt it. Thats why so many “plays” look so bad, no in game adjustments. The play when Josh shot the J looked lost from the jump. And the play with JJ going to the rim looked even worse. A news release saying LD has been let go will make the loss a little easire to handle, but this is a series the Hawks should have won.
High-sider
May 11th, 2012
1:28 pm
Over the past few days, I have read a number of posts regarding team foul discrepancy, free throw disparity and poor officiating coming at the expense of the Hawks. Given the history of the Celtics vs. Hawks [playoff] matchups that disparity should be expected. I’m not saying that the foul discrepancy/disparity is not unjust [or unjustified or unwarranted] but in order for the Hawks to beat the Celtics in the playoffs, the Hawks needed to have been winning by 12-14 points with less than 30 seconds left in the game. That way, the referees will have little to no impact on the outcome of the game. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the Hawks need to thoroughly outplay the Celtics and not leave wins or losses “up to chance.” Basically, the Hawks need to seal up victories against the Celtics with three to four minutes left before the game actually ends/expires.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:29 pm
Josh should have drove the ball to the rim and shot the floater or pull up jumper with 7 sec on the shot clock!
Oh thats right, he’s not Rudy Gay! Billy sorry azz Knight passed on Rudy for Shell Head..
Worst GM in Hawks history!
Astro Joe
May 11th, 2012
1:29 pm
OB, you may recall that Chris Grant turned down the ASG when he was an up and coming assistant GM.
Time & situation. It was very disappointing to read that Al didn’t consider missing that 2nd free throw. I don’t know if these guys have the ability to learn those nuances, if the coaching staff should be teaching that stuff or if LD should have whistled some secret code (put up a brick) to Al. But the whole last few seconds calls into question the motives and competence of all involved (from the play that resulted in Josh taking that perimeter shot with around 9 seconds left to Al standing at the free throw line down by 2 with 1 more free throw to shhot). How do you trade for guys who “know better” or are able to execute a play drawn up 30 seconds earlier?
drmaryb.(*_*).
May 11th, 2012
1:32 pm
Can I get David McDavid’s phone number? I would like to call him.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:32 pm
Larry failed big time!
This Boston team was ripe for the taking…Doc knew they stole this one…
Larry still waking around clueless..Get rid of the Bum!
GoingGreen
May 11th, 2012
1:39 pm
“There is no reason why the Hawks should have lost this series to the Celtics”
The Celtics are a better team with more heart. The Hawks always lose to the Celtics. This is case of a delusional fan base. Even with older guys and more injuries, the Celtics got it done. Gearon and the rest of you can just stifle.
The better team won. The Hawks are not a winning organization. Whining is not how you build a winner.
Once again, the Hawks made excellent sparring partners. Up next, an actual basketball team.
Astro Joe
May 11th, 2012
1:42 pm
I wonder how many folk who are calling for LD’s head now were drinking the Kool-Aid two summers ago?
Funny, I think dude has been fine (he maintained the status quo at less salary… that translates into great value). Maybe a handful of head coaches actually impact the talent they have and most of those guys are either under contract or wouldn’t work for this ownership group.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
Doug Collins in 6! UP next a real Coach for sure!
northcyde
May 11th, 2012
1:44 pm
FTPB
Section 303
May 11th, 2012
8:22 am
Everyone seems to rip Rick Sund on here, but I’m not sure what else he was expected to do. The main focus was to build depth and he did that. The bench was a bust in the postseason, but I’m not even sure the Hawks make the playoffs this year without the bench support.
If Sund leaves, do you invest a ton of jack in a new GM? There are some interesting name, like Pritchard, the ex-Portland GM. But, I’m always leary of outsiders coming into this organization. Seems like the Hawks have so little credibility, that it takes outsiders sometime to realize that the team is not THAT bad.
*****************
To me, that’s exactly what we need. An outsider. Someone who isn’t afraid to get under the skin and challenge our star players. Someone who actually knows something about basketball.
Honestly, if Rick Sund was a legit GM, he would’ve convinced ownership to make a major play for either Chris Paul or Dwight Howard when they were available. When you look at the 2010 – 11 season, that season was basically a disaster from a growth standpoint.
- Getting blown out all over the place by good and bad teams.
- Finished the 2nd half of the season with a 10 – 17 record
- Waning leadership and direction from the coach and star players
But we finally beat an Orlando team who was just as unstable as we were, and take the Bulls to 6 games . . and everything is all good around here again to the point of . . . “we like our core”.
No.
So this season, we beat all of the bad teams, but have like a .400 winning percentage vs teams over .500. Even without Horford, we had enough here to beat certain good teams, but still didn’t get it done.
I forget who said it ( O’Brien of Astro Joe ), but they were correct when they said that playing a team like Boston should determine what direction the team was headed in.
Beat a veteran team like Boston, and it may prove that these guys ( including the coach ) finally have the mental toughness to get it done against a proven playoff team.
Lose to a veteran team like that, despite having the home court advantage, and it may show that we have finally reached our ceiling, and changes need to be made.
And Sund and Gearon DID say that this group would be judged on what they did this year. So here’s what they did.
- won 40 of 66 games without Al Horford for most of the season
- got the #4 seed in the East
- went 31 – 17 vs the East . . ( 9 – 14 vs East playoff teams )
- went 13 – 17 vs the West . . ( 4 – 5 vs West playoff teams )
- lose to Boston in 6 games, despite having home court
When it’s all said and done, that is what this team is going to be remembered for. So what do we do? Use the injury excuse as to why we didn’t win this series, even though we had a golden opportunity to take a commanding 2 – 0 lead with Rondo out? Do we act like that Zaza is so significant to this team’s success, that we say “if we had Zaza, we win this series?”
Is that where we are as a fan base?
There are significant things wrong with this team ( in no particular order )
- a non-risk taking ownership group that not only doesn’t know how to market a team, but can’t hire the right basketball minds to get us the right pieces to get us to the next level. And they don’t have the sense to realize that “maybe it’s time for a change”.
- Josh Smith’s inability to “get it”, which significantly overshadows all of his great all-around talents at times.
- Joe Johnson’s inability to consistently ( that’s the key word ) step up his game to elite level during the playoffs
- Al Horford, and his sometimes inefficient post game, which is a glaring need on this team.
- Jeff Teague’s lack of pure point guard and leadership skills, to make others around him better.
- Marvin’s all around inconsistency, which sees him flat out disappearing at times.
- Drew’s inexperience to not only handle tough game situations, but his inability to put his players in the right positions and in the right roles, to win big games.
It’s a good team . . just hella flawed. And still a little too SOFT for playoff basketball.
So are Gearon and Sund going to live up to their word, and make changes, since this “core” bowed out in the 1st round?
Or will they find a way to make more excuses to keep the team together for one more year, then have no choice but to make a decision with both Josh and Zaza’s contracts being up? Teague will also be a restricted free agent next summer as well.
What do we do?
cp
May 11th, 2012
1:45 pm
I dont think the ASG will use the amnesty on Marvin. I think the Hawks will try and move him. I doubt they get good value for him but I think he will be traded. If Sund moves on the new GM will be our current assistant GM. I think his name is Pendergraph (spelling) or something like that. I know he really liked Kenneth Faried in the draft last year. He seems to know talent but
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:47 pm
ISO has lost 3 steps..Go left and drive on a one leg defender and get your ish block on the back board?
Yep he’s lost several steps…Wish we could trade him..But who would take this dude?
cp
May 11th, 2012
1:48 pm
I hit submit before I was done. I was saying I think he knows talent but I dont know how good he is with the cap and with trades. I think there will be a team willing to take on Joe’s contract but the Hawks will have to take a bad contract back. It is not impossible to move Joe. The Hawks can get good vaulue for a guy like Josh but they have to be willing to make a bold move. Im like Astro, offer him a deal and if he refuses to sign it then find a trade partner.
J
May 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
chris, i’m talking to you buddy and not the rest of your sorry a$$ fans. and what’s up with ice fishing and golfing? nobody wants to do what you were doing when the Celtics sucked and fans wore trash bags over their heads at your games.
who the hell ice fishes around here anyways? you are one serious loser.
JM
May 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
LD sold himself as someone who would fix the O, since Woody was mainly concerned with defense. We were told about this great motion offense two years ago but what the hell happened to that. Nothing. The team still stands around and watches JJ dribble down the clock or JT try to decided whether or not to pass it Josh on the block. Beyond that, it is telling when Doc Rivers says he switch Rondo to Marvin last night and would adjust if the hawks tried to take advantage of the mismatch. I don’t recall LD going to Marvin once during that stretch. LD did fine because the team basically coaches itself. Sorry, the Hawks can and should do better at HC.
Jay Dubu
May 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
The Hawks played good defense last nigh for most of the game. Their offense still needs work. They have to have someon that sets up near the low post. On most of their possions, everyon hangs out just inside the 3 point line or further.
Josh is the ideal candidate to set up closer to the basket, but since he never does that, it has to be the offense and the way they run it. No one wants to play close to the hoop.
And would someone please tell Joe Johnson it’s ok to dunk the ball!!! I have never seen him dunk, it’s always a lay up. It’s ok to be laid back, but show a little fire on the court sometime.
The rest of the team will feed off of it.
LD did a good job, but this offense still needs work.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
14-24= failed F-
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:52 pm
24-14= LD did a good job and this team is a title contender…
14-24= LD failed and has no shot to win anything
2058
Section 303
May 11th, 2012
1:57 pm
northcyde, you might be right. Maybe an outsider is needed as GM. But, Sund was an outsider, too. So, who knows?
Also, I agree. This series was a “put up or shut up” series. Entering this postseason, the Hawks had a lot on the line. They were either going to prove themselves as legit, or show that they are nothing more than the same ol’ Hawks. Here we are, out in the first round.
I saw someone above write that 680 the Fan predicted Sund to leave and Josh Smith to be gone. I don’t think that will be the case. Sund may leave, but I think the main group of players will be the same. The ASG will use the injuries from this season as an excuse to do nothing major. We will have the core group for another season. I have no doubt about that at all.
Just have to hope guys signed to the bench will be productive and the draft pick can contribute. Would be nice to sign a big time GM, but that won’t happen. It will either be Sund, or someone on the cheap. The GM version of Larry Drew, cheap and easy.
Slimjr
May 11th, 2012
1:58 pm
This Hawk team is avg at best..
They would not even make the playoffs in the Western Conference…
They could not beat any of the eight Western Conference Playoff teams in a best of 7.I’d put money on it!
They are fools gold playing in a weak conference…..
Mike
May 11th, 2012
2:03 pm
People may call me crazy, but if you built this team around Teague, Hinrich, Al, and Marvin, they’d win A LOT. Why? Because these are the only players who actually give a crap whether the Hawks win or lose. These are the players who hustle back and defend with energy and emotion. One of the main reasons the Hawks didn’t win last night was the return of Avery Bradley. What a pesky player, I’d love ot have a guy like him on the Hawks. But seriously, keep these 4, free up the $35m from JJ and JS, and invest it in a couple of star players who care.
turbo
May 11th, 2012
2:05 pm
Hawks didn’t give a damn going into this. They don’t give a damn afterwards. No heart. No passion. Just Joe Johnson waiting for his season to end so he can go on vacation. Spend all that money he’s getting. This franchise is an utter failure.