Game thread: Lou Williams stays in starting lineup (updated)
Vivlamore reporting.
Lou Williams remains in the starting lineup for a second straight game as the Hawks take on the Pistons tonight. Williams got the start at shooting guard in Saturday’s win over the Bulls and coach Larry Drew elected to go with the hot hand.
“Being smaller, it has its advantages and disadvantages,” Drew said of a backcourt that features 6-foot-2 Jeff Teague and 6-1 Williams. “The way we feel we need to play we want to go a little smaller with the quickness. He had a really good game our last game. With he and Jeff in there it makes us a lot quicker, a lot faster and it puts us in a more up-tempo style. We had success with it our last game and we are going to go with it again.”
Drew was pushed in the direction to start Williams against the Bulls, his first in 173 games, with Devin Harris (sore left foot) unavailable and DeShawn Stevenson needing rest on the second of back-to-back games.
Drew said he spoke to Williams about his role with the Hawks after he was signed this summer as a free agent.
“We had the conversation and I think he was happy to hear that,” Drew said. “He’s been a guy who pretty much came off the bench his whole career and, at least I can tell, he understands his role but he embraces the fact he won’t be pigeon-holed as a guy just coming off the bench.”
Williams will be joined in the same starting lineup used against the Bulls with Teague, Kyle Kover, Josh Smith and Al Horford.
* Harris is doubtful for the game. He spent some time on the court prior to this morning’s shoot-around but left before it really got started.
This would be the fourth straight game Harris has missed due to the injury. He also missed two games earlier this season with turf toe and a stomach illness.
* Drew said before tonight’s game he will show his team clips of Saturday’s dominant 92-75 victory over the Bulls to reinforce what they did so well.
* Drew said the key to victory over the Bulls was the early play of point guard Teague. Although Williams started in the back-court and scored 14 first-half points, Teague set the tone.
“It all starts with Jeff Teague,” Drew said. “He got us going against Chicago. His defense was really good. He was active. He was pushing the basketball and he got everyone else going. That is something that we will continue to emphasis and point out with Jeff the importance of his aggressive play early in the game to get us going.”
* The victory over the Bulls was especially key as the Hawks wouldn’t play for three days after that game and had lost three of their previous four.
“I thought it was important to get a win, particularly because of the way we played against Philly,” Drew said. “You go into the Christmas break with a better taste in your mouth after a win than a loss, I’ll tell you that. I was really proud of the way our guys came out and how they sustained for all four quarters of high energy and high intensity.”
* Finally, I hope everyone had a happy and safe holiday. I will update this blog with any new lineup information following my pre-game interview with Drew.
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Hawks have lost two of past three
* Williams ready for return to Philadelphia
* Morrow out, Stevenson questionable vs. Wizards
* A look at the Hawks at the season’s quarter mark
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361 comments Add your comment
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
9:54 pm
Al has missed three consecutive free throws.
mgm
December 26th, 2012
9:54 pm
what a bunch of chokers. this team is joke.
stizz
December 26th, 2012
9:54 pm
Al Horford is a joke.
keith
December 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
POOR COACHING…..POOR DEFENSE…. AND,,,JUST PLAIN POOR LEADERSHIP,,,,,,
Najeh Davenpoop
December 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
That ball is off Zaza. Pistons are going to get this ball. Hawks defense needs to step up and make a play. They are letting the Pistons’ ball handlers do whatever they want coming off screens, after owning them in the first half. Defense has to get much more aggressive.
kwooden1
December 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
HAWKS are choking, which shouldn’t be surprising because they can’t get stops when they need to.
Mr. Sarcastic
December 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
J.J.M.
December 26th, 2012
9:44 pm
And why y’all keep screaming for teague? Point guard drives and passes it up to josh for 3?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Very true because when Lou was in at pg the offense was flowing beautifully. We were able to maintain and build that lead with Lou at pg. Lou was playing lockdown defense on Bynum so I have no idea how Bynum was able to score so easily with Lou defending him.
We get it bruh you dont like Teague. You want him and Al traded. You have reached tyger status when it comes to Teague.
keith
December 26th, 2012
9:55 pm
TRADE 2 TIME ALL-STAR AL HORFORD TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Hang LD (in effigy).
J.J.M.
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Come on josh don’t play hero
Sid
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Josh Smith…what a fool
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Jamal Crawford is currently shooting 89.9% from the FT line.
MattP
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
Smith is tired, that means airballs and gameover.
keith
December 26th, 2012
9:56 pm
BIG DUMMY WITH 2 AIR BALLS…….
Rod from College Park
December 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
I guess the fact that Morrow was hot has slipped LD’s mind. Korver is 1 of 10.
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
Where’s Morrow? Oh yeah, on the bench.
kevkat
December 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
I blame coaching when teams lose leads like that, L.D is only good at explaining how they should play..he needs to be an analyst, not a coach.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
This has been a truly awful last 14 minutes defensively by Al Horford.
Big shot by Lou.
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
9:57 pm
LouWill is clutch.
HawksFan
December 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
Louuuuuuuuu
keith
December 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
TEAGUE IS A HORRIBLE DEFENDER….JUST PLAIN HORRIBLE…
Rev in Tampa
December 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
For all you people who praise Korver for his defense, you just saw why several of us say he has slow feet when Prince blew by him like he was standing still
Jae Evolution
December 26th, 2012
9:58 pm
Might’ve been a two by Lou.
drmaryb.(""_*).
December 26th, 2012
9:59 pm
Double Overtime?
Go INSIDE fools!!!!!
J.J.M.
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
Guard blows by teague again
Melvin
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
The pick and roll is killing the Hawks….
keith
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
I WOULD MAKE ALL OF THESE SCRUBS DO LAPS AND SHOOT FREETHROWS NEXT PRACTICE!!!!
Sid
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
lose you clowns.
Najeh Davenpoop
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
That is at least the 6th possession in the 4th quarter and overtime where Al has stood in one place and watched someone glide in for a layup. Seriously, get his ass out of there. This is pathetic. Put Zaza or Ivan in.
Mr. Sarcastic
December 26th, 2012
10:00 pm
Great block attempt by Al on that Bynum layup
stizz
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
Lou Williams has one of the lowest basketball I.Qs ever. It never fails, makes one shot and he’ll sprint right back down the floor to jack up another bad shot.
J.J.M.
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
Al could have contested but bynum blowing by teague would have been another alley oop
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
Josh and Al are both 4-of-8 from the FT line. [smh]
bigdave
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
sheesh… maybe Al was just trying to make sure he had his man boxed out..
HawksFan
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
Everytime I see Bynum play he plays like this
Sautee
December 26th, 2012
10:01 pm
keith, is there ever a Hawks game when you don’t want to trade at least one Hawk?
Mr. Sarcastic
December 26th, 2012
10:02 pm
Great coaching by LD tonight. Had a big lead. put Lou at pg, offense is stagnant but leave him in there anyway. Coach of the Year there folks
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
10:02 pm
Get a stop, Hawks.
Rod from College Park
December 26th, 2012
10:02 pm
“That is at least the 6th possession in the 4th quarter and overtime where Al has stood in one place and watched someone glide in for a layup. Seriously, get his ass out of there. This is pathetic. Put Zaza or Ivan in.”
I told you it was normal. Remember Brandon Jennings in the playoffs.
keith
December 26th, 2012
10:03 pm
OUR GUYS STINK WHEN IT COUNTS THE MOST!!!!!
Melvin
December 26th, 2012
10:03 pm
I like the drive by Teague but he has to learn to use his left hand
Rev in Tampa
December 26th, 2012
10:03 pm
Trade Keith for Fear the Deer
Melvin
December 26th, 2012
10:05 pm
Charlie V got away with a foul but I still want to see Teague use his left hand on that drive. He would have got the foul call b/c Charlie V would had to come across his body to block the shot
Najeh Davenpoop
December 26th, 2012
10:05 pm
In the first half, they were playing well against those ball handlers because the big men were aggressively hedging every time they came off screens and making them pass the ball. Don’t know why they got away from that.
Rod from College Park
December 26th, 2012
10:06 pm
WTF Teague?
J.J.M.
December 26th, 2012
10:06 pm
Smh no comment
keith
December 26th, 2012
10:06 pm
STUPID SHOT BY JEFF TEAGUE….
HawksFan
December 26th, 2012
10:06 pm
Bad possession. no movement
High-sider
December 26th, 2012
10:06 pm
Teague could’ve dribbled the ball again because it was knocked out of his hands.
Slimjr
December 26th, 2012
10:07 pm
Exciting game!