Atlanta Hawks: Here come the Heat
Vivlamore reporting. Here is my story advancing the Heat game that will appear in the Friday edition of the AJC.
The Hawks are about to get fire tested.
For here come the Heat.
The defending NBA champions will give these new-look Hawks an indication of just where they stand early this season. With back-to-back dramatic victories, a short-handed road win over the Thunder and a comeback home victory over the Pacers, the Hawks have shown some resiliency. That resolve will be challenged against the Heat and their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and a strong supporting cast.
“Certainly, Miami is as good as it gets,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said. “We’ll have to play a really solid game on both ends of the floor. I’m excited and anxious to see how our guys respond to the challenge.”
The Hawks (2-1) want to use the lessons learned from their first three games, including the season-opening loss to the Rockets where despite being outrebounded by a large margin they had a chance to win late.
“That would be a great identity for us to develop,” center Al Horford said the team’s resiliency. “We don’t want to have the reputation that we fold as a team. We are going to keep fighting. We are going to keep playing hard.”
The Heat (4-1), winners of three straight, enter with the Big Three all in the top 14 in the NBA is scoring average. James is fifth at 22.4 points, Wade is 12th at 20.4 and Bosh is 14th at 19.4. James is also tied for ninth in the league with 9.8 rebounds per game.
And the Heat have those rings.
Horford leads the Hawks with 17.7 points per game, tied for 29th in the NBA. However, the Hawks tout a team game, both offensively and defensively. They will need it against the Heat.
Drew said the Hawks match the Heat in their style of play. Both teams are going to look to push the ball in an up-tempo game. The Heat have speed and quickness and are excellent in the open court, especially with James and Wade, Drew said. So, how do you stop them?
Drew said the key will be limiting the Heat and their momentum plays. The Hawks can’t afford to let the Heat reel off points in bunches. The Pacers went on an 18-0 run against the Hawks Wednesday that left them bickering about the officiating and taking ill-advised shots. Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia were hit with technical fouls before the Hawks won the game with an 18-0 run of their own.
“We can’t respond to a run in a negative way,” Drew said. “We have to know how to mash runs and make sure that we maintain our focus. This game is a game of runs. They are a team that is very explosive. They have guys who can go off on any given night. We just have to make sure we go out and focus on what we have to do. Defensively we want to be solid. We want to play our style of ball, getting up and down and getting into an open-court game. We have to be smart with it. We have to be in an attack mode.”
The technical fouls came in the middle of the Pacers’ run that pushed their lead to 12 points. The Hawks managed to regain their focus and start their winning run. That won’t be so easy against the Heat.
Smith said he took responsibility for the call against him and addressed the team about it during a timeout.
“I let the officials get in my head a little bit,” Smith said. “It was a carryover affect. I let the team know that was on me. That was my bad. Everybody just closed our mouths and let our games speak for ourselves.”
Drew said he has yet to decide on a starting lineup against the Heat, who have won three straight against the Hawks. He he is still deciding whether to go with a smaller, quicker unit as he did against the Thunder or a bigger group as he did to match up against the Pacers.
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
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* Smith to play against Pacers
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* Tolliver to start for Smith vs. OKC
* Smith not on trip to OKC with sprained ankle
* Smith on verge of statistical milestone
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124 comments Add your comment
Grandmaster JeJe (GM)
November 8th, 2012
5:03 pm
FIRE WOODY
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
5:13 pm
*[ F. T. P. B. ]*
R f C P
Rod I appreciate you at least acknowledging KKorv
is better than Marv.
Had you not done that, I would have given up.
Having coached, I`m accustomed to understanding
the game within the game.
Understanding the game is not just Black & White.
Basketball is filled with nuance, `tis more than blocks & steals.
95% of basketball is played w/o the ball.
80% of basketball is played away from the basketball.
Therefore, basketball is played within the Gray.
I contest that KKorv is known league-wide as a ” bad ” defender.
Admittedly he will never make the all-defense team.
Yet there is a quite a difference between being good/great—&—bad.
Of which KKorv is neither Great nor Bad.
Although, playing within the 80% [gray] area he is:
solid, smart, always in the right place, *hustles, accountable,
appears to be capt of the def when in the game, and …
he may very well be the best *boxer-outer on the team.
* 1. hustles – JoeJohnson – supposedly good to great defender;
never played hard on defense, never, made hustle plays,
took plays off, never boxed out, always out of pos.
yet – known league wide as a good to great defender.
* 2. boxer-outer – allows others to grab rebounds;;;
by holding his man off the boards !
____________________________________________
Rod;
I know you will come back with a good counter argument.
I respect your opinion.
However … I have rested my case.
Sam
November 8th, 2012
5:14 pm
We are gonna lose!
Sam
November 8th, 2012
5:17 pm
…but I would love it if we won!!
DS
November 8th, 2012
5:17 pm
Big lineup with Stephenson in place of Korver, so he can check Wade and put Smoove on Lebron. We can win this!
Just Joe
November 8th, 2012
5:17 pm
If the 3’s fall, you always got a chance. Hawks haven’t been hitting that shot so far (except for Stevenson).
Brian
November 8th, 2012
5:23 pm
If anyone doubts that Kyle Korver attracts attention, just go back and watch the inbounds play where Lou gets a dunk. Count how may players are on Korver…2, maybe even 3 guys jump to keep the ball out of his hands….result DUNK!
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
5:23 pm
-sarcasm alert-
I think LD oughta start Toliver [guard LBJ],
and start DHarris [guard DWade],
in order to “mash those runs” early on.
27 and counting.
____________________________________________
Instead of always matching and countering everyone else;
why not establish an identity,
then make others counter-attack us ?
Sam
November 8th, 2012
5:23 pm
I think we need to mix the lineup some against the Heat.
Teague vs. Chalmers
Stevenson vs. Wade
Korver vs. Battier
Smith vs. James
Horford vs. Bosh
cwm
November 8th, 2012
5:24 pm
chris v.. could you write an article and tell us how the former hawks are doing …..
grimey
November 8th, 2012
5:29 pm
Hey c viv can u ask ld if he considering putting our rookies in the d league
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
November 8th, 2012
5:31 pm
F the Heat but I might go to the game and try and pull me a groupie. They come out in packs when Lebron comes to town.
MsDee
November 8th, 2012
5:49 pm
Brandon Leak @Hometeam_BLeak
Hawks guard Jeff Teague says there’s a better chemistry with this year’s team
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
November 8th, 2012
5:51 pm
FIRE LD
vava74
November 8th, 2012
5:58 pm
Come to Clyde’s world, where basketball is a mere pretext for short ranting spurts, t-shirt catch phrases and getting busy…
HoosierHawk
November 8th, 2012
6:08 pm
I agree that Korver is smart and usually in the right place but got drained on for that game tying 3 near the end of last nights game.
Astro Joe
November 8th, 2012
6:12 pm
Imagine going to the game to hook up with Lebron and leaving with Clyde.
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
6:37 pm
HoosierHawk
The Hawks were in a zone on Stepnenson`s shot.
Indiana ran Stphnsn on a loop/flair cut,
Ind set a double screen using a pin + a flair [screens] -v- the zone.
Stphnsn actually came out too high;
KKorv was sagging [zoning] at the FT line/elbow area,
he recognized stephnsn coming out, but,
*note – [no one expected Stephnsn to take the shot]
did not close out strong,
Stephnsn caught and shot with quick release.
however, KKorv was there to contest.
My points:
1. shot was made against a zone.
2. KKorv could have closed out stronger
3. he was in pos
4. Stephnsn hit the shot
____________________________________________
-nuance-
The game within the game = 80%
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
6:40 pm
“F the Heat but I might go to the game and try and pull me a groupie. They come out in packs when Lebron comes to town.”
Meet me at the bar in the club section Clyde.
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
6:40 pm
HH
I`ll discriminate the loop flair cut if need be.
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
6:43 pm
“Although, playing within the 80% [gray] area he is:
solid, smart, always in the right place, *hustles, accountable,
appears to be capt of the def when in the game, and …
he may very well be the best *boxer-outer on the team.”
The guy with the so called lowest basketball IQ on the team is the defensive caption of the team, and has been for the last couple of years. Everyone on the team will tell you that. Believe what you want Grandad.
O'Brien
November 8th, 2012
6:53 pm
Hawks need to bring their mental A game tomorrow, because we know the Heat will get the superstar calls.
Josh and the Hawks cannot get frustrated. They have to play through it. But this is the kind of game (imo) where LD needs to have his players back, and let the refs hear about it.
ag
November 8th, 2012
7:00 pm
Win or lose, when we watch the highlights on ESPN, they will be filled full of Heat highlights! Even if they lose, ESPN will try to dissect why they lost – and not focusing on the Hawks win.
doc
November 8th, 2012
7:08 pm
if korver was as bad on defense as some say then he wouldnt have played a minute for thibs in chicago. bottom line, the guy works at it, though he may not be as gifted at it. some we have had here as gunners only played and gave effort on one side of the ball. laughingly, in the face of the disdain for korver, that individual is still held in such high esteem without acknowledging his own limitation on display so many times at the phil. on the other hand that is all they see in korver who is definitely better than the god they still worship. blinders work in horses and work here on the blog as well it appears. maybe it is just the color of the horse.
High-sider
November 8th, 2012
7:19 pm
This is how you “clown” a defender who keeps playing “physical” even though the game [or contest] is already “academic.” Click on the link below. Hey, Mitt Romney and Karl Rove, I hope you [two] are reading this [post].
http://www.nba.com/video/games/clippers/2012/11/08/0021200064-jamal-crawford-dribbles-clippers.nba
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
7:25 pm
Still think LD and Woodson are best friends doc? LOL
Najeh Davenpoop
November 8th, 2012
7:26 pm
“Ok, with Miami basically cremating the Brooklyn Nets by 30 pts, do yall think we will do better than or worst than the Nets??”
The Hawks will lose but not by 30. They will keep it close for a while and then the Heat will put them away with a huge run in the late 3rd or 4th quarter. I am really just interested to see how they defend Wade and LeBron. There is nobody on this team who is even remotely well suited to guarding either one of them.
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
7:27 pm
High-sider,
What’s up my brother. These Jamal Crawford haters are still in full effect. They hate to admit that they were wrong.
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2012
7:28 pm
I wonder who LDrew will start at SF and SG against LeBron and DWade? Will he go with last nights starting lineup, or go strictly OFF and start Tolliver and/or Korver at SF and SG? If he uses intelligence rather than personal preferences, he’d definitely start last nights front line of Josh SF, Zaza C, and Horford PF.
We all know he’s going to start Korver, since he started him our 1st 2 gms even though he was an OFF and DEF liability.
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
7:28 pm
“There is nobody on this team who is even remotely well suited to guarding either one of them.”
Yes there is. We have Kyle Korver. He tries harder than most guys in the NBA to let some tell it. LOL
Najeh Davenpoop
November 8th, 2012
7:30 pm
“Imagine going to the game to hook up with Lebron and leaving with Clyde.”
That was cold.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 8th, 2012
7:34 pm
“if korver was as bad on defense as some say then he wouldnt have played a minute for thibs in chicago.”
Well, Thibs just signed Nate Robinson and continues to start Carlos Boozer, so it’s not like he hasn’t schemed his way around other bad defenders. I think he has enough confidence in his schemes to be able to hide players like that, the way the Hawks hid (or tried to hide) Bibby and Jamal.
Korver has been better on D in the first three games than he has been most of his career, but he has definitely been quite horrible nearly every time I have seen him play prior to this season.
Brian
November 8th, 2012
7:35 pm
I’m not so sure that Kyle gets beat on defense any more than any other player in the league….I’ve watched Kyle for a long time and the thing that I have seen is that when he does get beat, he’s actually disappointed in himself (slaps his hands in anger). Compare that to more athletic defenders when they get beat…they are just off to the other end of the floor. It seems as though this may actually draw attention to his defense and the perception is that he’s getting beat a lot.
doc
November 8th, 2012
7:38 pm
rod, never said they were best friends, never. you have misconstrued that one as well. so be ti if that is the type eprson you are.
i see that woody is still hurting from not getting the big pay bucks here when a guy could do it for a quarter of what he did it for. he should just be glad for where he is and see it that it worked well for him and he got his pay day. it didnt matter who it was, they werent going to pay him 4 mil a year ever again nor give him a raise for a job well done that he thought he was going to get and whined about for the last half of the season.
rod, i hate it for woody but management found a cheaper and complete replacement for him sitting right next to him and sent him packing. business is cruel. that is the bottom line. if it wasnt LD it would have been somebody for a lot less on the dollar than woody wanted. if you think the asg was going to pay woody what he wanted? then you are a whole lot not as smart as i think you are and give you credit for.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 8th, 2012
7:38 pm
If the Hawks go big against the Heat, they are going to have serious problems. The Heat go small full-time now. I don’t think Zaza can guard Chris Bosh, and Al will have a hard time guarding LeBron for a whole game (although he may be able to hold his own for a possession here and there). Their best bet is probably to go with the Teague-Harris-Stevenson-Josh-Al lineup they used in the first game and rotate Stevenson and Josh on LeBron while trying to hide Harris on Battier as much as possible. I’m sure they will also continue to throw in a lot of zone (I think they used zone to beat the Heat early last season).
Anyway, the real key to beating the Heat isn’t half court matchups, but rather cutting down on turnovers and denying them fast break opportunities. They are great in the half court but they are unstoppable in transition.
Speaking of Karl Rove, I don’t care much about politics but he was sounding an awful lot like Marvin’s grandma at about 11 PM a couple of nights ago.
BIG DOG
November 8th, 2012
8:14 pm
Najeh Davenpoop – Why you worry about other team, Like Ken say let teams adjust to you instead of the way around.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
8:15 pm
Rod;
I suppose I used the wrong terminology when I said defensive capt.
Please excuse my oversight.
Reponse:
1. KKorv has not been here previous to this yr
2. Yes – KKorv has been calling defensive signals;
[obviously] ” only ” when he is on the floor.
3. You were the one who drug Josh`s low B-ball IQ into this equation.
I do not recall a compare & contrast of the two.
4. I believe what I know.
____________________________________________
Rod;
why are you so invested in minutiae;
proving KKorver to be a “bad” defender,
when he is certainly a valuable Hawks player.
Are You not a Hawks fan.
My argument was not to prove him a great defender !
____________________________________________
Najeh;
to be as knowledgeable as you are;
sometimes your intentionally wrong just to be ornery.
____________________________________________
Ken S;
I`m not real sure what Korver has done to upset your applecart ?
BIG DOG
November 8th, 2012
8:17 pm
Hawks with big lineup should be big time Fav. for Hawks on the boards.
I have the Hawks winning this game easy with big lineup.
BIG DOG IN THE HOUSE
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
8:23 pm
Najeh
5 man basketball
All Miami`s players can and will play everywhere on the floor.
***** You are completely right !
Zone is the Way to Go ! *****
Regardless of whomever Zaza is guarding;
they will pull him outside.
They will Post LBJ all night !
High-sider
November 8th, 2012
8:38 pm
@Rod from College Park
Rod from College Park
November 8th, 2012
7:27 pm
High-sider,
What’s up my brother. These Jamal Crawford haters are still in full effect. They hate to admit that they were wrong.
——————————————————————————————————-
You’re right. These [Jamal Crawford] haters are like the Republicans on Election Night 2012; they refuse to “concede” [the point]! LOL
i_am_soulstar
November 8th, 2012
8:43 pm
Astro Joe
November 8th, 2012
6:12 pm
Imagine going to the game to hook up with Lebron and leaving with Clyde.
*************************************************************************************
LMAO!!
i_am_soulstar
November 8th, 2012
8:46 pm
Hawks win if Josh doesn’t take more than 2 jumpers and Lou is feeling it.
i_am_soulstar
November 8th, 2012
8:50 pm
Copied this from Hawks ESPN page. Glad to know my doubts that the Hawks would come back to win were reasonable, considering that this kind of comeback only happens once a season.
****************************************************************************************************
Hawks Beat Pacers With Special Kind Of Comeback
From Elias: The Hawks defeated the Pacers for the 10th straight time at Phillips Arena on Wednesday night, the longest home winning streak that the Hawks have had against any opponent since they won 14 home games in a row against the Nuggets from 1990 to 2003. But it was how they did it that was so noteworthy. Indiana held a 14-point lead, 83-69, with six and one half minutes remaining but Kyle Korver scored eight points as Atlanta out-scored Indiana, 20-3, the rest of the way. How often do you see an NBA team win a game in which it’s at least 14 points down with six and one-half minutes to play? You’re in the right place to get those answers: it happens roughly once in each NBA season; in fact, Wednesday’s game marked the seventh time it has been done in the NBA over the last seven seasons.
i_am_soulstar
November 8th, 2012
8:59 pm
Josh on Lebron, Stevenson on Wade, Horford on Bosh (although Bosh usually get the better of this match up, we don’t really have a better alternative.)
keith
November 8th, 2012
9:13 pm
Hopefully we will zone the Heat, otherwise, Bosh and Lebron will take us off the dribble all night long! I smell a blow-out looming?
hawksordie
November 8th, 2012
9:14 pm
ag that is exactly correct f espn nbatv they alwayssss disect why the other team lose rather than show hawks highlights ..it realllllyyyy is stupid and prejudiced how national media replays over and over and overrrrrrrr blahhhhh the same heat celtics and etc highlights but if falcons or hawks win its well the thunder lost because or indiana is playing their 5th game in 8 nights …really …hmmm maybe atlanta won?? and those millionaire trained professional players should actually be able to play EVERY NIGHT I DID AND STILL DO ..SO IM SICK OF HOW THEY EXCUSE LOSSES TO ATLANTA HAWKS HANDS
keith
November 8th, 2012
9:16 pm
Missed opportunity. Mehemet Okur retires from the NBA today. We could have used his offense and size off the bench.
keith
November 8th, 2012
9:20 pm
I do not want “4 MORE YEARS OF JOSH SMITH JACKING UP 3 POINT SHOTS.” Trade Josh Smith by the trading deadline. Please trade him.
hawksordie
November 8th, 2012
9:23 pm
and u wait til hawks gel and get in rhythm it will shock plenty because they are good i was watching from 114 row f last night and kyle korver is active as active can be he moves alotttr …on defense he is better than i thought after hearing u guys talk bad…he actually forced a couple t.o. by being positioned correctly and he RARELY IS OUT OF PLACE ..now..what i did see is other hawks players fed him the ball out of rhythm so their timing on passing to him was real late and as a pure shooter once he gets free he should receive that ball period point blank i mean the guy holds the nba single season record for 3p fg %…so if im doubtin anyyyy shooter it wont be HIM
ag
November 8th, 2012
9:29 pm
Keith, how can you use him if he “retires?” You need the ESPN Insider to read why he retired. I still think we should sign Curry or Benson to back up ZaZa so we can start ZaZa at center.
ag
November 8th, 2012
9:32 pm
I have looked over and over and I just don’t like the match ups tomorrow. Maybe starting Jenkins and Stephenson will help…Jenkins on Battier, Stephenson on Wade. I did mention, Stephenson looks like he is a little to slow in his career to check guards. I guess either Tolliver or Josh gets LBJ. I actually would like to see Ivan on LBJ. He can be our Oakley – just foul the crap out of LBJ.
ag
November 8th, 2012
9:41 pm
Okay, I know Jenkins will get a DNP unless the game is a blowout. LD will with Tolliver (if he fouls out, so what). I think Ivan is the best choice. If you put Ivan on LBJ, then Josh is on Battier, Stephenson on Wade. Just got to pick your poison. I would pound the ball inside with Josh and Ivan on offense. I think even starting Morrow tomorrow will be even better at SG! Gives us more size and range to stretch the defense. Very excited about tomorrow.
hawksordie
November 8th, 2012
9:44 pm
go hawks!!!!!!! turn up
hawksordie
November 8th, 2012
9:46 pm
al josh ivan ..morrow or korver and teague that should be the starters then THEY CAN PICK THEIR POISON I WOULDNT CARE IF BRON GIT 50 LONG AS WE SHUT EVERYONE ELSE DOWN WE WIN
ag
November 8th, 2012
9:53 pm
So, two are in agreement. Don’t really like Korver or Wade, that is why I said Morrow.
C – Horford
PF – Smith
SF – Ivan
SG- Morrow
PG – Teague
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
November 8th, 2012
10:01 pm
Astro Joe
November 8th, 2012
6:12 pm
Imagine going to the game to hook up with Lebron and leaving with Clyde.
————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Sometimes the groupies gotta settle for the next best thing. After the game take them to the Piano Bar off Old National and its a good night.
Ok basketball. Morrow needs to see more minutes. Those open looks Korver was getting last night Morrow would have hit. Bring Korver off the bench.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 8th, 2012
10:06 pm
“Why you worry about other team, Like Ken say let teams adjust to you instead of the way around.”
Easy to say “let teams adjust to you” when you have superior talent. In this game, the Hawks don’t.
sameba
November 8th, 2012
10:14 pm
I also think it might be better if Korver comes off the bench. If someone is accustomed to come off the bench, it would be difficult for him to adjust mentally to be a starter. Like Lou was saying recently – he prefers coming off the bench. At least it would not hurt to try – might LD consider this?
lewis
November 8th, 2012
10:43 pm
Grandad
November 8th, 2012
5:23 pm
-sarcasm alert-
I think LD oughta start Toliver [guard LBJ],
and start DHarris [guard DWade],
in order to “mash those runs” early on.
27 and counting.
____________________________________________
Instead of always matching and countering everyone else;
why not establish an identity,
then make others counter-attack us ?
Ken Strickland
November 8th, 2012
10:59 pm
The Hawks can beat the Heat if they can put together a full 3-4quarters like last nights 4th quarter. We also need to utilize their speed and quickness to play more zone, since Bosh is their only starter that’s capable of consistently hurting a team from the outside.
lewis
November 8th, 2012
11:32 pm
damn watching deng makes me wish we had an sf
lewis
November 8th, 2012
11:39 pm
take that back watching durant makes me wish we had an sf
Grandad
November 9th, 2012
12:06 am
Big Ray
Thanks.
I`m not always right but I always know what I`m talking about ?
That`s kinda like I always know where I`m going;
even if I don`t know it `til I get there.
TOTO
November 9th, 2012
12:29 am
TO Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde SHUT THE F***k UP! FIRE YOUR LAZY A**. IF YOU CANT SAY SOMETHING GOOD, SHUT UP!., LET’S FIRE YOUR STUPID A**.. NOW —–GO HAWKS!
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
12:37 am
JC1 is playing solid ball on TNT. He fits in nicely with the Clippers.
High-sider must be pleased… hehehehehe
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
12:39 am
3 game sample. Long way to go.. But so far so good Big Al…
Hawks by 5 Friday night!
High-sider
November 9th, 2012
1:07 am
@Slimjr
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
12:37 am
JC1 is playing solid ball on TNT. He fits in nicely with the Clippers.
High-sider must be pleased… hehehehehe
——————————————————————————————————-
I just hope he [JC1] can keep it up in the second half. [LOL]
EmirS.
November 9th, 2012
2:43 am
The Heat beat you on the drive, the dish, outside, half court, and full court.
Their weakest area is back to the basket. If we are to beat the Heat, either Horford or Josh need to work inside. I’d assume somewhere of 20 points, 10 rebounds. 5 assists, and 3 blocks with 2 or less turnovers for one of them. If Josh and Horford can work the inside, then this would be the perfect opportunity to insert John Jenkins to be the perimeter threat alongside Korver OR Louis WIlliams.
We need to draw double teams on the inside. We can not and will not win this game if we try man to man on the perimeter. We can beat them on the inside. And we can beat them outside if we draw double teams inside.
As for defense, we have got to play zone on them.
I think this game might show an area where we miss JJ. The ability to score man to man. If they lock us up on the inside, then it’s game.
ag
November 9th, 2012
7:38 am
Again, a lot of matchup problems. I do agree, we must focus working the inside then kicking it outside. If we try to get in a jump shooting contest, we will lose big.
Sam
November 9th, 2012
9:32 am
Whatever happened to Greg Oden? He would be a good option with a lot of potential for growth (if he can stay healthy). If he can’t stay healthy, he’s a backup, use him when he is available. It’s not like we’d be counting on him to dominate every game.
Just Joe
November 9th, 2012
9:38 am
Teague (Chalmers), Stevenson (Wade), Korver (Battier), Smith (James), and Horford (Bosh).
Harris (Cole), LouWill (Allen), Tolliver (Lewis), Johnson (Haslem), and Pachulia (Anthony).
Good news – we match up with Miami better than a lot of teams. Bad news – they match up with us better than a lot of teams. Two similarly constructed teams, but Miami has the skill advantage in too many matchups.
Miami by 12, with a slight “not so fast” depending on which team can get the 3-ball rolling.
doc
November 9th, 2012
10:32 am
you got to love it! folks chase bigs with names like:
okur, now retired;
curry, failed another test with the spurs who DF knows intimately and can get the low down on besides the fact after ten years he has failed all tests from chitown to nyc to miami to san antoine;
benson, very undersized and unskilled and not road tested on any nba court in any season and
oden, an alcoholic now “recovering” from that and bilateral major knee op of micro-fracture, one being the second to one of them.
these are the names they are calling out as back ups to zaza, so he can start? is it psychosis, dementia, delusion or simply being out of touch? then they say LD is stupid?
if miami gets its wingers going and we cant close the spaces, it could be ugly. if we grind, play smart and aggressive with energy on defense it might be close.
Buddy Grizzard
November 9th, 2012
10:38 am
Ivan Johnson leads Hawks in +/- for the season. RELEASE THE KRAKEN!
http://www.nba.com/statistics/plusminus/plusminus_sort.jsp?pcomb=1&season=22012&split=9&team=Hawks
Westurd
November 9th, 2012
10:43 am
Let IVAN take a bite out of Miami
prison mike
November 9th, 2012
10:53 am
We are of the few teams that match up with the Cheat. DS has to start he can guard battier, lebron, wade, and ray. Lou should have a field day on offense.
Ivan should figure heavily in this game.
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
11:41 am
The Hawks have a great shot at Miami, [IF] the Refs let them play. The Hawks will control the boards, which gives them a legit shot..
Zone up all day…..Defend the pick and roll, slip screens, and back cuts..
Rebounding Rebounding Rebounding
Larry, let Ivan play major minutes tonight!
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2012
12:07 pm
GRANDAD-I don’t have anything against Korver. My complaint if over LDrew’s obsessing over him at the expense of the team. Drew’s insistence on starting and giving more MPG to Tolliver and Korver, neither of whom are good rebounders, rather than better rebounders like Ivan and Scott, puts a lot of undue pressure on Josh, Horford and Zaza.
We can’t contunue riding their backs and expect them to carry the team rebounding load the entire season without some additional help at SF and PF. The way Drew is using his players, we’re going to see more rebounding gms like the Houston gm as the season progresses. We might also see more injuries to Josh and Horford if something isn’t changed.
We not only depend on Josh and Horford for the bulk of our OFF and DEF rebounding, but also our interior DEF and OFF scoring. That’s an awful lot of responsibility to place on these 2 players, and playing Korver and Tolliver ahead of Ivan will only make things harder for them rather than easier.
We really need a player that can be used at C and PF more than we need a stretch 4. I love having Korver as a Hawk, just not as a starter at any position. I like him coming off the bench along with LWilliams, Ivan, DHarris, and Zaza. Starting Morrow gives us the same type and caliber of shooting that Korver provides, excet he provides more speed, quickness, athleticism, and a little better DEF.
We are 3 deep with 3pt shooters at PGs with Teague, Harris, and Williams, and 4 deep with 3pt shooters at SG with Morrow, Korver, Stevenson and Jenkins. Korver, Tolliver, Stevenson and Morrow can also play SF while Williams and Harris can also play SG. That’s a helluva lot of 3pt shooters and versatility to for a HC to go overboard with playing a stretch 4.
What’s being done isn’t the fault of any of our players, so I’m not being critical them. Neither Korver nor Tolliver is responsible for keeping Ivan off the court, especially when he’s needed most. It all falls in LDrew’s lap, and that’s where I’m directing my disappointment. If it comes off as me being critical of Korver, then I apologize for not making myself clearer.
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2012
12:08 pm
SLIMJR-Co-sign 11:41am.
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2012
12:26 pm
DAVENPOOP-You made a point earlier that made a lot of sense. I said we should start the same frontline we started against the Thunder, and you wisely pointed out that it would create a mismatch in their favor with Zaza trying to guard Bosh. I know Drew would never do it, but starting a frontline of IJohnson at SF, JSmith at C, and Horford at PF against the Heat would provide us with an overall matchup advantage.
Ivan has the size, strength and foot speed to effectively defend Lebron, and he would certainly keep Lebron busy on the DEF end. Josh can certainly matchup with Bosh at C, and Horford would be a load for anyone they put at PF. When they come with their shooters(MMiller, NCole and RLewis)we can match them with our shooters(LWilliams, KKorver, DHarris, ATolliver, AMorrow).
My starting lineup against Miami would be
SF-IJohnson
C-JSmith
PF-AHorford
PG-JTeague
SG-DStevenson
I’d use Josh, Horford and Ivan to consistently attack their frontline and interior DEF.
soullrenaissance
November 9th, 2012
12:31 pm
Tolliver has got the to get the boot to the end of the bench somehow. His numbers don’t justify him getting a lion’s share of minutes. For all the talk of LD’s indecisiveness, he is stern and decisive when it comes to get Tolliver playing time.
keith
November 9th, 2012
12:47 pm
Great line-up vs. Heat.
ag
November 8th, 2012
9:53 pm
So, two are in agreement. Don’t really like Korver or Wade, that is why I said Morrow.
C – Horford
PF – Smith
SF – Ivan
SG- Morrow
PG – Teague
I MUS WRITE
November 9th, 2012
12:52 pm
KS -I was thinking about the same line up I think a frontline of Ivan Josh and Al will give teams trouble. Zaza Lou Korver Harris off the bench.
Clyde looking for left over groupies huh? I jus got my club level tickets -there will be plenty of thirsty chics happy hunting bro.
Astro Joe- surely u jest a woman would be crazy to choose bron bron over a world wide legend like CLYDE. Pretty got nothing on this dude.
Ms Dee -im not surprised about the improve chemistry Joe was a fuggn ball hogg -cant create his offense without dribbling the shot clock away. Teague looks alot more comfy now that he doesnt hv to defer to Joe. I read where Teague Smoove and Joe would all have seperate tables at clubs whe they went -Joe just put up a wall and didnt really interact with the other tem mates. O well he gone so maybe these guys feel better about playing together.
I MUS WRITE
November 9th, 2012
12:53 pm
Prett Tony
I MUS WRITE
November 9th, 2012
12:53 pm
Pretty
Rod from College Park
November 9th, 2012
1:05 pm
CP3 and Jamal Crawford = Best backcourt in the NBA.
darrell starks
November 9th, 2012
1:09 pm
LD have finally woke up.
STARTER Stevenson in front of Korver is my biggest ?
Korver is starting to get rolling i think he should be starting tonight for outside shooting, but i also agree with his decision starting Stevenson on Dwade for defense.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Astro Joe
November 9th, 2012
1:11 pm
Ricky Fontaine. Pretty Ricky is what they call him.
Clyde, sounds like your game plan is better than what LD often uses. Good luck tonight. And check for the Adam’s apple.
Grandad, great post around midnight. I ain’t never been lost, I just spontaneously opted for a more leisurely route to my destination.
I expect the Hawks to hang tight with the Heat for a good 3.5 quarters. Will likely lose the game by around 8 points.
darrell starks
November 9th, 2012
1:15 pm
Stay big with this starting front court of Josh, Horford, Zaza, this team will finish in top 3 seed in the east.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
darrell starks
November 9th, 2012
1:21 pm
STARTER TEAGUE, KORVER, JOSH, HORFORD, ZAZA
BENCH DEVIN, LOU, STEVENSON OR MORROW, IVAN, ? I LIKE THE IDEA OF BRINGING BENSON BACK.OR SIGNING KENYON MARTIN.
GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!
O'Brien
November 9th, 2012
1:48 pm
Ken S,
Ivan has the size, strength and foot speed to effectively defend Lebron,.
I am a big fan of Ivan, but you’re giving him way too much credit imo. Plus the minute Ivan breathes on LeBron, the refs will call a foul.
I look for the Heat to have 25+ FTA tonight.
Jason S
November 9th, 2012
1:50 pm
Ivan at SF? Why?
I like Ivan on Bosh or Ivan on any of the Heat’s backup big men. Ivan has no business playing the 3. If the Hawks can help it, Ivan should not be on LeBron.
With that said, Ivan should log a decent amount of minutes. He should be effective tonight. ( … just not at SF or in a situation where he has to guard LeBron).
Just Joe
November 9th, 2012
1:53 pm
With the Heat shooting 45% from 3 (which they are through 5 games), there’s no way to beat them. If they have an off shooting night, then we’ve got a shot.
Right now, Bosh (14%) and Wade (33%) are the only two shooting under 36%. 8 different guys shooting over 36% for the Heat.
Knicks beat the Heat by inducing 21 turnovers and grabbing 13 offensive rebounds.
Jason S
November 9th, 2012
1:54 pm
And if the Hawks go with the big lineup (i.e., starting Zaza, Al, and Josh), think about what the matchups would look like … Al on LeBron? Al on Battier? Al on Bosh (which would force Zaza to Lebron? Battier?)?
Josh and DeShawn Stevenson are the only two that have any business guarding LeBron for any extended length of time …
Shoot them into the ocean!
November 9th, 2012
1:59 pm
Starters:
Teague
Harris
Morrow
Smoove
Horford
Bench:
Lou
Jenkins
Korver
Ivan
Zaza
Shoot them into the ocean!
November 9th, 2012
2:05 pm
Miami plays intense defense. You can’t have teague out there as the only ballhandler against Miami’s starters. As you saw in game one, if LD gets D.Harris play his game, he will give Miami headaches in transition.
Shoot them into the ocean!
November 9th, 2012
2:06 pm
Ivan punked Bosh on natioal TV last season. LD would be wise to let him do it again.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 9th, 2012
2:16 pm
Mike Brown has been fired by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 9th, 2012
2:17 pm
T.I. will be doing color commentary for tonight’s Hawks-Heat game.
Buddy G
November 9th, 2012
2:20 pm
Should Mike Brown not make it through the season it’s safe to assume Danny Ferry will hire him 2 coach Hawks (Drew lame duck) next season.
https://twitter.com/PeterVecsey1/status/265140448551653376
Buddy G
November 9th, 2012
2:24 pm
Danny Ferry resigned as Cleveland GM after ownership fired Brown over his objection. Ferry felt Cleveland fired Brown to placate LeBron and try to get him to stay (by giving him his choice of head coach). Ferry walked away from that job on principle. LD better coach his ass off, starting tonight, because there’s a coach out there that Ferry has a strong working relationship with and he’s available.
MsDee
November 9th, 2012
2:34 pm
What is color commentary, Najeh?
ag
November 9th, 2012
2:36 pm
Ken, see my 9:53 posr.. dittto..
Doc, who do you suggest bringing in or would you like to keep Petro?
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2012
2:51 pm
OBRIEN-Last yr there were many who said Ivan was too short to be effective at C, but he did a very good job of backing up Zaza. I wouldn’t be too quick to pass judgement on what Ivan can and cannot do. Also, we can’t make judgements or lineup decisions based on what the refs might of might not do. Can you say the refs won’t do the same thing if someone other than Ivan guards Lebron?
No player is going to stop Lebron from shooting from the outside, and there aren’t many that can keep him from driving the lane. However, he’s elevated his postup OFF, and that’s where Ivan can have an impact. Also, Ivan is quick strong and physical enough to make Lebron work hard on DEF. And we might get the refs to call a foul or 2 on him for trying to match Ivan’s physicality on DEF
Ivan can also make Lebron work harder to get rebounds. The only other player on our team that can give us what Ivan has the potential to give us against Lebron is JSmith, and we should want him on Bosh and JAnthony.
It looks like MBrown has been fired a 2nd time as a result of a disgruntled player. First it was Lebron, this time it was Kobe. If you saw Kobe’s attitude and reaction after the gm they played against Utah, where he walked off the court and towards the dressing room before the gm ended, you’d know something like this was going to happen.
terrell
November 9th, 2012
2:54 pm
Kobe finally fired Mike Brown. LMAO. Cant believe they hired him in the first place.
MsDee
November 9th, 2012
2:55 pm
Why cant TI be what Jayz is to the Nets..Not so much as investing money towards the Hawks but create some better, unique jerseys. Also, come up with a really DOPE entrance song/rap that could get, not only the players HYPED but us Hawks Fans as well!! We so very NEED a DJ to play upbeat song thru out time outs and what nots..TI, could be THAT guy!!
High-sider
November 9th, 2012
3:01 pm
I got a message from the NBA app on my android just a few minutes that said Mike Brown got fired.
ag
November 9th, 2012
3:02 pm
I remember that game, Ivan played Bosh very well.
Ken Strickland
November 9th, 2012
3:05 pm
AG-That is exactly the lineup I’m advocating we start against Miami. Like SLIMJR said, we need to zone the devil out of their starting lineup. But when they go to their shooters, which include MMiller, NCole, and RLewis, we should man up on them since none of these players can really hurt us off the dribble.
Section 303
November 9th, 2012
3:12 pm
I like watching LeBron play in person. Tonight will be fun. However, the douche-o-meter, in the stands, is off the charts when the Heat come to town. Not looking forward to hanging with the 18-32 year old d-bag from Acworth (or some other local town) wearing a Heat jersey, sideways Heat hat, and acting like he is Heat superfan.
Section 303
November 9th, 2012
3:14 pm
MsDee, TI would have a hard time living up to being Jay-Z. Unlike Jay-Z, TI is put in a jail cell every 6 months or so. Not exactly the guy I would want to be the face of the Hawks.
MsDee
November 9th, 2012
3:19 pm
Mike Brown NOW…Avery Johnson NEXT!! Jayz and crew put TOO much into their new basketball “toy”, The Brookyln Nets, to end up looking like the Lakers..Avery, ya might want to start looking over your shoulders!!
GoHawks
November 9th, 2012
3:21 pm
Hawks are going to win tonight. GOOOOOOOOO HAWKSSSSSSSSSSS
MsDee
November 9th, 2012
3:22 pm
Ouch, section303..again, NOT trying to compare TI to JayZ cause that would be UNCOMPARABLE! Just would like him to come up with some nice Jerseys and a Hype entrance song for the Hawks..thats NOT asking for much.
GoHawks
November 9th, 2012
3:26 pm
OUTKAST made the Hawks song years ago but they not adopt it, Y’all Scared would be the perfect song for the Hawks.
terrell
November 9th, 2012
3:28 pm
DF Might as well keep Uncle Larry on the cheap if he has his eyes on Mike Brown. I hope he’s looking elsewhere.
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
3:30 pm
TI, will shock some of you. He is a multi-talented individual…..
Mike Brown hire [1-12] including preseason was a disaster..[Woody>WoodyLite>WoddyLite Jr]
The Lakers GM should have promoted Phil Jackson’s right hand man, [Brian Shaw] to lead his Franchise..
They’d be 5-0 right about now…
NORRIS CHUCK
November 9th, 2012
3:32 pm
Shams Charania: After a strong workout, the #Hawks have yet to indicate Kyrylo Fesenko if they’ll sign him, but the big man tells me ATL remain an option. Twitter @ShamsCharania
terrell
November 9th, 2012
3:36 pm
I hope yall know that Jay-Z owns less than 1% of the Nets. Russian guy owns 80%. The other 20% is owned by Jay-Z and about 20 others. They show him and Beyonce so much people start believing he’s the HNIC. lol
terrell
November 9th, 2012
3:39 pm
Still cant believe they traded for JJ. lol. When I watch the Nets play, he looks avg as hell. Thanks DF
Slimjr
November 9th, 2012
3:43 pm
“Clyde, sounds like your game plan is better than what LD often uses. Good luck tonight. And check for the Adam’s apple.” AJ
Hey Astro, Clyde may be in for a shocker after he leaves the [Piano Bar]..
I hear they can shave those [apples] down now.. Uh Oh…… LMAO!!!!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
November 9th, 2012
3:43 pm
“What is color commentary, Najeh?”
Same thing Nique usually does. T.I. and Duane Ferrell will be handling those duties tonight while Bob does play by play, according to a Hawks press release.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 9th, 2012
3:46 pm
“However, the douche-o-meter, in the stands, is off the charts when the Heat come to town. Not looking forward to hanging with the 18-32 year old d-bag from Acworth (or some other local town) wearing a Heat jersey, sideways Heat hat, and acting like he is Heat superfan.”
LMAO this post was fantastic.
Najeh Davenpoop
November 9th, 2012
3:48 pm
T.I. probably doesn’t have the kind of cash on hand to buy an ownership stake in the Hawks, even one as minuscule as what Jay-Z has with the Nets, but I like the idea of recruiting him (and other ATL pop culture figures) to market the Hawks better. Jay-Z gives the Nets credibility with players and fans despite the fact that they have been a garbage franchise for most of their existence. T.I. (as well as The-Dream, Young Jeezy, Jermaine Dupri to name a few others I have seen courtside) could do that for the Hawks, especially in time for the 2013 free agent summer.
Atlanta Hawks game thread: Big lineup vs. Clippers + More Atlanta Hawks News | US News Page - trending news stories at your fingertipsUS News Page – trending news stories at your fingertips
November 12th, 2012
1:52 am
[...] Atlanta Hawks: Here come the Heat The defending NBA winners will give these new-look Hawks an indication of just where they stand early this season. With back-to-back dramatic victories, a short-handed road win over the Thunder and a comeback home victory over the Pacers, the Hawks … Read more on Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]