Atlanta Hawks practice report: Horford, Smith interim captains
Vivlamore reporting from Hawks practice.
A couple quick notes to pass on from today’s workout.
* Coach Larry Drew said he has yet to decide team captains and will take 7-10 days to think about it. In the meantime Al Horford and Josh Smith, both on the captains committee last season, will serve in the positions.
* Drew again declined to reveal his starting lineup for Friday’s season-opener against the Rockets. “I’m going to sleep on it tonight,” Drew said with a coy smile. “I will tell you tomorrow that I’ll be sleeping on it tonight.”
* Center Johan Petro (back) did not practice for the third straight day. He worked with the team’s training staff on the side. “He is getting better,” Drew said.
* Forward Mike Scott returned to practice after missing Tuesday’s workout with flu-like symptoms.
* Drew sat down with each player to discuss their role with the team this season. “I really wanted to wait until we got our roster down before I did that,” he said. “We had a good dialog.”
* As part of the offensive practice Wednesday, the team continued to work with an 18-second shot clock to encourage pace in running through options for each set.
* The Hawks will not practice Thursday. Drew is giving the team some rest after four straight practice days ahead of the season opener.
- Chris Vivlamore
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133 comments Add your comment
cp
October 31st, 2012
9:32 pm
Yea Marvin really looks good out there. If he was still in Atlanta LD would have taken him out as soon as he scored his sixth point… Harden is really balling tonight too. I have no idea who on this roster will be defending him. Whoever it is I wont be shocked to see them get abused.
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
9:32 pm
30 for Harden…
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
9:32 pm
Harden makes it look so easy. He’s a smooth player…
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
9:32 pm
LOL @ Northcyde
You’re probably right on Marvin’s shot attempts.
And his grandma appreciates you speakin’ up for him. Now let’s see what he does during the rest of the game.
Will they continue to feed him or will he start to defer?
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
9:33 pm
Game 1….that’s all I gotta say.
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
9:36 pm
Harden with 31 points on 22 shots . . but he’s losing by 9 because that team is so sorry. Patrick Patterson isn’t playing tonight, so that takes away a scorer.
31 pts – 5 rebs – 7 assists . . . in 3 quarters for Harden
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
9:37 pm
LOL . . please . . no more Marvin’s grandma . . haha.
I do have Marvin on my fantasy team though. Got him in Round 12. Looking like a good value right now.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
But hey…the guy I’m really looking for is that super stud uber all-star ALL NBA center Al Jefferson. He’s gonna go for 30 and 15. Y’all just watch.
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
9:41 pm
Having seen Houston, there’s no way the Hawks should lose to them. Horford and Smith should feast off of that frontline.
Harden with another 3 . . . he’s going to get up 30 shots tonight and score 40 points.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
9:42 pm
Northcyde,
I hear you. Something tells me Utah is going to treat him really well. They need scorers…not many of those on that roster.
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
9:43 pm
Andre Drummond is a physical specimen…..
terrell
October 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
Its one game Nothcyde. lol. Sorta reminds me of when Joe came to Atlanta. Good on some nights, avg on MOST night, made into a 1st option, but shouldnt be a 1st option, Might get you in the Playoffs as an 8th seed, 2nd round in a few years perhaps. Fans saying he’s overpaid. Harden saying he doesnt care what the fans think, etc………………………… lol.
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
9:51 pm
Harden may mess around and get a triple double tonight…lol
terrell
October 31st, 2012
9:53 pm
30 shots for 40 points? Is that a good thing? If Josh did that you’d be dogging him. lol
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
9:55 pm
terrell,
I think you really need to watch this game to see Harden impact on it…. He has 11assist with 4mins left in the game as well…
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
9:59 pm
True…40 points on 30 shots is not the picture of efficiency. It’s good for sportscenter highlights however.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:01 pm
How nice for him. Dude can play, we all knew that.
Detroit has no one that can defend him, either.
Let’s see who does what several games into the season. Game 1….but the Hawks haven’t played yet….wheeeeeee….
terrell
October 31st, 2012
10:01 pm
I know Harden can play. But its game #1. Yall need to relax. haha
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
10:10 pm
terrell
October 31st, 2012
9:50 pm
Its one game Nothcyde. lol. Sorta reminds me of when Joe came to Atlanta. Good on some nights, avg on MOST night, made into a 1st option, but shouldnt be a 1st option, Might get you in the Playoffs as an 8th seed, 2nd round in a few years perhaps. Fans saying he’s overpaid. Harden saying he doesnt care what the fans think, etc………………………… lol.
************************
37 points . . 12 assists . . 6 rebounds . . 4 steals for Harden.
I don’t care who you are, that’s damn impressive. That’s a Lebron type stat line.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:11 pm
Al Jefferson is straight beastin’. 4 points and 5 rebounds in just 14 minutes! He even looked like he might block a shot!
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
10:12 pm
Pistons announcer just said they seen enough of Harden for one year….lol
Melvin
October 31st, 2012
10:13 pm
Northcyde,
You forgot his 1 blockshot…lol
paian
October 31st, 2012
10:15 pm
northcyde u have to look at who hes playing against plus the guy nearly played the whole game, but yea he put up good stats
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
10:16 pm
Harden for MVP!
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
10:17 pm
The sad thing is that the Rockets did something that most teams are deathly afraid to do . . . trade away young talent and draft picks, and take a chance on a guy who could be a star.
I bet if the Hawks offered up Josh Smith + John Jenkins + 2 first round picks for Harden and fillers, people around here would have a fit.
But check this . . Josh Smith will NEVER have a game like Harden had tonight. Ever.
But a Harden – Horford – Teague trio would be dangerous.
Oh well. We got “cap space”. Cap Space will save us next summer, and take us to the promised land.
paian
October 31st, 2012
10:17 pm
the raptors only gave terrance ross 6 mins on the floor wth
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
10:18 pm
Just kidding…..
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
10:19 pm
ian
October 31st, 2012
10:15 pm
northcyde u have to look at who hes playing against plus the guy nearly played the whole game, but yea he put up good stats
******************
That would be the other excuse. “look at who he is playing against”.
OK . . we’ll see what superstar player puts up 37 – 12 – 6 on the Pistons the rest of the year.
Harden can flat out ball. He’s a high scoring 2 guard, who can handle the ball and pass like a PG.
paian
October 31st, 2012
10:22 pm
northcyde whos the other scorer on the rockets?
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:24 pm
“This dude might hang 40 on the Pistons in his debut. And people were doubting if he could be “the man”?
Please.”
It’s one game, against a terrible team. Joe has had several games like the one Harden just had. Harden is a very good player and is worth his contract, but let’s not get carried away. He has a long way to go to prove that he can be a #1 option on a contending team. I still don’t see the Rockets making the playoffs this season, no matter what kind of numbers Harden puts up, and I definitely don’t see them becoming a championship contender unless they add another “foundational player” as Daryl Morey says.
This is going to work out pretty nicely for me in fantasy basketball as a Jeremy Lin owner, though. Harden is going to add at least a couple of assists and a few points to his FG% this season.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:25 pm
“Josh Smith will NEVER have a game like Harden had tonight. Ever.”
They play different positions and have totally different games, but I beg to differ.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:26 pm
And in case you think that game is one isolated incident of Josh putting up astonishing stat lines, you can go up and down his game log from last season and see at least 7 or 8 other games similar to that one.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
Northcyde vs. Najeh .
Now THIS I am willing to watch….
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:29 pm
Wouldn’t have been hard to take one game from Joe’s first couple of seasons as a Hawk and project him to be a cornerstone on a title contender, but it wouldn’t have been accurate either.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:30 pm
As an aside, I have noticed Roger Goodell is quite money oriented. Maybe that runs in his genes and culture as well. Maybe this is a trait passed down through the generations from sports commissioner to sports commissioner.
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
AllStar Josh carried the Hawks for several Months..hmmmmm
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
10:31 pm
A Stat Stuffer he was…..
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:32 pm
For the record, if he is still averaging 37 a game at the end of November, I will be more than happy to change my mind. Harden may very well be a guy capable of being “the man”. I’m really just trying to say that one game doesn’t prove that one way or another.
paian
October 31st, 2012
10:33 pm
dang i just realized the jazz has a tall lineup heyward at sg and marvin at sf those guys are both 6′9
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:37 pm
“I bet if the Hawks offered up Josh Smith + John Jenkins + 2 first round picks for Harden and fillers, people around here would have a fit.”
Considering Houston got Harden by offering a trade whose centerpiece was Kevin Martin, yes, it would be pretty disappointing if the Hawks offered Josh in a Harden trade. Josh >>>>>>> Kevin Martin
lewis
October 31st, 2012
10:43 pm
RE: Cap Space
You don’t get rich by saving money.
Cheers,
Lewis
Najeh Davenpoop
October 31st, 2012
10:46 pm
Marvelous has 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 23 minutes for the Jazz. Shooting a nice percentage, though.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:48 pm
Ha….I guess they finally just took the ball away from Marvin Williams again. Scored 2 points since that awesome first quarter.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:49 pm
Whoops there he goes, they gave him the ball back.
Big Ray
October 31st, 2012
10:50 pm
There it is ladies and gents. Marv is gonna average 20 ppg for the Jazz this year. You heard it here first.
paian
October 31st, 2012
10:56 pm
lol
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
11:05 pm
I’m at work, so no time to go into a mini-battle with Najeh tonight. We’ll see what Harden does against us. Because Lord knows we have no one who can guard that dude. So it’s going to have to be up to Smith and Horford to really protect the paint when he drives the basketball.
The Hawks should not lose to the Rockets though. Our frontline is much better than theirs.
As for Harden, he’s been showing signs of doing what he did tonight for a while now. And he’s flat out taken over games for the Thunder, when Durant or Westbrook didn’t have it going.
At worst, Harden is JJ. At best, he may be a healthy Tracy McGrady.
And if he’s T-Mac 2.0, the only thing he needs are quality players, and maybe one more star caliber player around him.
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
11:07 pm
Coach Mike Brown losing to LaMarcus and crew..
Tic, Toc, Tic, Toc..
Lakers have lost 9 in a row..And look extremely unorganized…There appears to be a disconnect…
northcyde
October 31st, 2012
11:09 pm
As for Marvin, he’s just calmly knocking down open shots. Wish he had done more of that here on a consistent basis. The Jazz are a very, very balanced team. They’re so balanced, the slam dunk champ Jeremy Evans can’t even get on the floor and crack the 10 man rotation.
Slimjr
October 31st, 2012
11:10 pm
T-Mac 1.0 was awesome by himself in Houston.. How did those playoff runs go again? hehehehe