Atlanta Hawks: Four game road trip starts against Clippers
Vivlamore reporting from Los Angeles.
Los Angeles – Josh Smith is ready to put a tough loss – and a tough offensive game – behind him as the Hawks start a four-game West coast trip against the Clippers Sunday.
There were positives in the Hawks’ 95-89 home loss to the Heat Friday. They played right with the defending champions for 47 minutes. It’s just that an NBA game lasts 48 minutes. A couple of missed scoring chances in the final seconds cost the Hawks what would have been another signature win early in the season.
The team flew to California Saturday with film to study in preparation for a game against another tough Western Conference opponent in the Clippers (4-2), the first of four games in six days. Games at the Trail Blazers (2-3), Warriors (3-3) and Kings (2-4) follow on the team’s first extended trip.
“We had some plays that we could have made that weren’t made,” center Al Horford said after the loss to the Heat. “It’s tough. We have to learn from this. … I think we were encouraged as a team to see the potential we have. We played well. We just need to play consistent throughout.”
The Hawks (2-2) already have a road win at the defending Western Conference champion Thunder and a 14-point comeback win against the Pacers. They nearly erased a 16-point deficit against the Rockets in their season opener and had a late lead before losing to the Heat. The two victories have come by a combined 12 points. The two losses came by a combined 13 points.
Against the Heat, Smith finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. However, he was 6-for-19 from the field and 1-for-5 from the free-throw line.
“I have to be better offensively for this ball club,” Smith said after a game he spent much time guarding LeBron James. “As a leader I have to be more efficient. I have to be better at the free-throw line. I apologized to all my teammates because that was just a poor effort offensively by me. I mean it is a tough task to give energy on both ends of the court but I have to be more efficient. And I will be more efficient.”
Several other Hawks struggled offensively against the Heat. Devin Harris (four points), DeShawn Stevenson (three), Zaza Pachulia (two) and Lou Williams (two) all finished well below their averages. The four combined to shoot 3 of 19 from the field.
Smith said he was encouraged that the Hawks could have defeated the Heat despite those offensive struggles.
“We’ve been fighting (together),” Smith said. “We’ve been sharing the basketball. Numerous guys who normally have good games offensively didn’t have good games and we were still in the ball game. That’s a positive that we can take. We have to look at the film and figure out better ways to give ourselves a chance at winning.”
The Clippers boast all-stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. However, it’s a former Hawks player that is leading the team in scoring early in the season. Jamal Crawford is averaging 21.8 points per game, well ahead of Paul (17.5) and Griffin (15.7). Crawford entered Saturday’s NBA schedule tied for seventh in the league in scoring. Still coming off the bench, Crawford won the NBA’s Sixth Man award playing for the Hawks in 2010.
The Clippers also have Willie Green, who played 53 games with the Hawks last season, starting a guard.
Hawks coach Larry Drew said he wants his team to concentrate on the opponent at hand during the road trip.
“Any time we go out on a road trip, particularly a long one, our philosophy is to take it one game at a time,” Drew said. “I will tell our guys that. We can’t look beyond any game.”
When the Hawks return from the west coast, they will play seven of their next eight games at home.
- Chris Vivlamore
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79 comments Add your comment
Just Joe
November 11th, 2012
8:51 am
I’d go with Teague, Korver (should be able to shoot over Willie G anytime he wants), Smith, Horford, and Pachulia tonight. Josh posting up Butler will be very similar to how we started the Indiana game. Clippers are a little worse rebounding team than we are. We need to make sure it stays that way by going big. Could definitely see some zone. Butler, Green, and Jamal are their only real shooting threats (obviously you can’t leave CP3 open either). I think we match up well if we’re ready to play physical up front.
Josh – Butler
Stevenson – Barnes
Al – Blake
Pachulia – Jordan
Tolliver – Odom
Ivan – Turiaf/Hollins
Rell
November 11th, 2012
8:51 am
josh isn’t going nowhere nor al or jeff. josh and jeff will re-sign in the offseason after ferry sign two or three good fa. ferry will make a trade but not josh or al. the player traded will be stevenson because he has 3 years remaining. and he will be traded for another player thats a fa at season end. so we will have 3 players on the roster: al, jenkins(if not traded with stevenson), and williams. they will not pick up the option on mike scott. and i could see zaza coming back.
Rell
November 11th, 2012
9:05 am
next year lineup;
pg:chris paul?- teague?
sg:jenkins?(i.n.t.w.s)-williams
sf:josh smith?-fa
pf:horford-fa
c:dwight howard?-zaza
Mike is Back
November 11th, 2012
9:23 am
GDad, I THOUGHT all your posts were spot on…way to go!
I like our chances as the Hawk embark on this west coast road trip…Teague has to be the future at the PG position.
We need to set the tone early by coming out fast…and making the Clips defend all five positions…KEEP THAT BALL MOVING…if we do that the entire roads trip…the Hawks will be a tough out.
GO HAWKS…BEAT THEM CLIPS…LET’S GO…LET’S GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rell
November 11th, 2012
9:30 am
i’ll also like to see the hawks go after Gerald Henderson, Daniel Gibson, Ty Lawson, Jonny Flynn, Carl Landry(if he opt. out), David West, Tony Allen, Samuel Dalembert(as a back-up), Daequan Cook, Andrew Bynum(if dwight dont sign), Dorell Wright(good back-up sf), Amir Johnson, Al Jefferson, and Paul Millsap.
agree? @chris viv.
Rell
November 11th, 2012
9:32 am
the hawks have alot of money to spend. just saying.
57 STATES
November 11th, 2012
9:44 am
TRADE JOSH FOR HAWES AND FILLER. WE NEED A BIG MAN.
57 STATES
November 11th, 2012
9:45 am
SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRADE OSH.
MY BAD.
57 STATES
November 11th, 2012
9:47 am
CAUSE HE AIN’T GOT NO J.
Rell
November 11th, 2012
10:00 am
@57 states he has a decent midrange jumper for a player who really should be backing down and slashing. and he’s an all-around player scoring, great defense, passing, rebounding and i like his fire like talking back to the refs something the coach don’t do, getting in players face, and his willingness to let players on the team know when they mess up and first to admit when he mess up.
paian
November 11th, 2012
10:20 am
Rell some of those guys you mentioned have signed new contracts this year already with their current teams
lewis
November 11th, 2012
10:41 am
devin harris is a waste of teague’s time
devin harris gives you less than marvin
devin harris, kyle korver and deshawn stevenson together will stop no one
57 STATES
November 11th, 2012
10:42 am
WE NEED A BIG MAN. HAWES IS THE BEST WE CAN DO UNLESS YOU THINK HOWARD WENT TO LA SO HE COULD COME BACK TO ATL NEXT YEAR?
ntrigue
November 11th, 2012
11:02 am
Mike Brown sucks dont even mention his name on this blog him drew and woody are the three stooges!
Rell
November 11th, 2012
11:18 am
like who? @paian
doc
November 11th, 2012
11:29 am
put me in gdad’s camp, “no camp”. i like both and realize they are special. i am also realistic and pragmatic enough to see the obvious and state it for both that they have flaws, serious flaws. neither are great because that is very hard to find. even kobe has his warts.
duncan is probably the closest it comes to complete greatness in his time, played defense, offense and was coachable by one of the best by being the best. lbj approaches it until he gets enamored with himself and detaches for everything around him, which kobe nor duncan do. kobe takes himself too seriously ala mj but is a winner bar none.
like gdad, i too am pleased both are hawks and wonder what would be the perfect play to find the great one and keep them both. until then it will have to be a band brothers to get it done as we dont have the essential grand alpha. guys just keep on pecking away at the deficiencies rather than see the good. since both are flawed the arguments will have to continue ad nauseum until people find they are complimentary pieces and work hard together.
doc
November 11th, 2012
11:30 am
3-1 road trip good enough? love to steal one in clipper land but that is considered a loss in my mind. other three very winnable.
doc
November 11th, 2012
11:46 am
let us hope josh doesnt see this:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/golden-state-warriors-center-andris-biedrins-airballs-free-071442931–nba.html
biedrus is now at 22% from the stripe being a 55% shooter in the past. where is josh now %age wise?
GoHawks
November 11th, 2012
12:21 pm
AT HOME AND NOM DWADE AND WE LOSE!!!!!!!!! THAT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE! JOSH SMITH CAN’T SHOOT ON HIS OWN COURT AND TO ME THAT MAKES NO SENSE. NOW THE HAWKS HAVE A WINNING RECORD AND THEY ARE DOING GOOD THINGS BUT 1 AND DONE IN THE PLAYOFFS IS NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE
prison mike
November 11th, 2012
1:13 pm
The heat chants are just a back breaker. The city needs a bonafide superstar while Josh and Al become the supporting cast.
Jay Dubu
November 11th, 2012
1:19 pm
Does anyone wonder why Woody and Josh bumped heads so ofter, and Drew nd Josh seem to be on the same page?
Josh is still doing the same things that he tried / wanted to do when Woody was here.
Josh needs a coach that will hold him accoutable and help him to be a better player. He’s probably the most talented played on the Hawks roster, and into his 9th NBA season, he has yet to fulfill his potential.
He needs a coach, or to work some with someone during the offseason to fine tune his game. You here about players working with Hakeem, et al, durning the off season to improve their games. Who do any of the Hawks top players work with over the summer?
Oomp Camp
November 11th, 2012
1:26 pm
*jacking up jumpers [knowing he cant shot]
*bringing the ball up court without looking for one of the guards
*trying to do too much [tryign to be a superstar on BOTH ends, when he's only pretty good on D]
If any one thinks a guy who constantly makes bad decisions like those is going to lead the hawks anywhere, they need a mental evaluation.
Oomp Camp
November 11th, 2012
1:29 pm
just because Josh Smith is decent on defense, doesnt give him the right to do whatever he wants on offense and take idiotic shots. We have more scorers/shooters this year than in previous years, we dont need him to be a jump shooter. Josh Smith is trash.
keith
November 11th, 2012
1:50 pm
zeyfromtheay
November 10th, 2012
8:27 pm
Al Horford is FLAT OUT LAZY. He plays NO defense and guards can drive on him and he won’t go for the block as hard as he should and he jumps late. He obviously can play defense if he tried harder, and I’ve seen great defensive sequences from him, but he content with allowing barely contested jumpshots. He’s better than this man, smh -,-
Al is a 2-time NBA Allstar AT the Center position. Do you have any stats to support your position?
keith
November 11th, 2012
2:10 pm
GO FALCONS!!! 7-0 BEAT THEM AINTS!!!
Rusty
November 11th, 2012
2:39 pm
I really like Al but he needs to close out quicker on jump shooters like Bosh.
Slimjr
November 11th, 2012
3:22 pm
He is reserved and very conservative because of his self imposed offensive limitations created long ago. Against the elite time and again he has had no impact..He is consistent in respect..ECF material? Dare I say not….
Trap game for the Falcons.
Drew Breeze and the Saints have scored 3 TD’s in the last 4 possesions..Dismantling the Falcons D!
Uh OH: PLAYOFFS??????????????
Slimjr
November 11th, 2012
3:24 pm
insert[that] respect
Slimjr
November 11th, 2012
3:26 pm
That Clipper game should be very entertaining.Cant wait for it to start in 1hr, 5mins…