Atlanta Hawks: Rematch with Pistons awaits
Vivlamore reporting.
Short-handed or not, Lou Williams is staying in the Hawks’ starting lineup.
Coach Larry Drew, out of necessity, used Williams as the starting shooting guard on Dec. 22 against the Bulls. The Hawks are 5-1 since the move.
At the time, Drew said he would have used Devin Harris in the starting spot. However, the guard was out with a sore left foot – an issue that will cost him a ninth straight game Friday at the Pistons. The change has also meant the DeShawn Stevenson, often a starter at small forward with Kyle Korver at shooting guard, has remained a reserve.
Drew knows a good thing and he’s sticking with it.
“A couple of games I’ve thought about going back to a bigger lineup but sometimes, as I’ve said in the past, you’ve got to roll the dice a little bit – whether you adjust to the opposition or you force the opposition to adjust to you,” Drew said. “Clearly, our last few games if there is an adjustment to be made it’s going to be on their end. I’m going to stay with what’s been working for us. He’s been good in our lineup and I’m going to keep it that way.”
It was on Dec. 26, after the Hawks enjoyed a Christmas break, a 22-point lead against the Pistons was blow at Philips Arena. The Hawks survived in double overtime despite the play of Will Bynum, from Georgia Tech. The victory was part of the five wins in six games with Williams in the starting lineup.
Williams, listed at 6-foot-1, will again draw the defensive assignment of the Pistons’ 6-8 Kyle Singler. Singler was held scoreless in 14 minutes before making way for Bynum and his 31 points off the bench in the Pistons’ comeback.
Williams has averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds as a starter after going 173 career games with stepping on the floor with the first unit.
“It’s been a lot easier,” point guard Jeff Teague said. “He can score the basketball. At that 2-guard position you need a scorer. He takes a lot of pressure off all of us with his ability to score points.”
The Hawks will also be without guard Anthony Morrow (right hip strain) and center Johan Petro (stomach illness) against the Pistons. Neither player, along with Harris, traveled to Detroit Thursday. Morrow will miss his fourth straight game with his injury.
Center Al Horford (right hip contusion) did not practice Thursday but said he fully expects to play against the Pistons.
The Pistons have won three straight since the loss to the Hawks, including a victory over the Heat.
The Hawks spent Thursday’s practice reviewing schemes and assignments that were at issue in the Pistons’ big comeback.
“Their matchups are always tough for us because they are big and they are physical,” Drew said. “… It seems like they are playing with a new sense of pride. They are a team that can hurt you in a number of ways, with their size, with their speed, particularly their guards. (6-5 guard Rodney) Stuckey has always been a tough matchup for us because he has size and he’s strong and we don’t have a clear matchup against him. We try to combat that in different ways just to keep his numbers down.”
The Hawks return home Saturday to host the Celtics. On the season, the Hawks are an NBA-best 7-1 in the second game of back-to-backs.
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Williams to remain in starting lineup
* Behind the scenes photo gallery
* Drew named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month
* Drew looking for more minutes for Jenkins
* Drew concerned Hawks settling for 3-pointers in transition
* Harris, Morrow not on trip to Houston
* Williams wants to remain starter
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216 comments Add your comment
Slim
January 4th, 2013
5:42 pm
I hear ya SteveW, josh is a triple double waiting to happen, and to the contrary he’s a true leader on this team. He and Al chemistry is off the charts, we just need our perimeter guys to play better defense.
newkid
January 4th, 2013
5:50 pm
O’Brien, thanks for the research. AJ, the term ‘brittle’ certainly does seem appropriate for Harris. Gotta imagine that GM’s will be pretty reluctant to give him anything beyond a one-year deal during this free agent summer. Those in need of a PG this spring to keep playoff hopes alive ought to likewise be skeptical about trading for him. Oh well, at least he’s an expiring.
vava74
January 4th, 2013
5:54 pm
Again, great posts everyone. I am seeing things or C-Viv, beyond keeping a steady flow of info has also managed to clean the blog??
Special co-sign to Rod’s latests posts. I was a non believer in this roster but if we reach the trade dealine in the top #4 (with Miami ahead in the division we can only be #4 right?) then we should definitively try something that could fill in needs and make adjustments even if we had to accept (some) salary.
Honesty
January 4th, 2013
6:00 pm
AJ,
I’ve thought about that too but I have come to some different conclusions.
1) Teague/Lou/Devin are WAY better penetrators/ball-players than Jameer Nelson/whoever else backs him up
2) Shooters! Morrow/Jenkins/Korver We can really complement Dwight. We would now have a go-to post game along with our stellar perimeter scoring this season.
3) History, we’ve seen a big lineup like that be successful before.
What to Javaris Crittenton, Mike Mercer, Josh Smith, Randolph Morris, and Dwight Howard have in common? It was starting lineup for the AAU team that won the national title in 2003 against a team lead by Al Horford and Drew Neitzel out of Michigan.
Now that may not mean much to you but to me it says something. Teague > Drew Neitzel, Louis Williams > Mike Mercer (they were teammates at South Gwinnett HS), Josh Smith can Still play the SF spot (and play to his strengths) and he’s better than he was back then. Al Horford > Randolph Morris (As If 2 All-Star selections and Morris’ stint with the Hawks wasn’t enough proof of this), and Dwight is obviously a better Dwight.
4) Ivan and Zaza (AKA Smash and Bash) are the perfect front-court Mercenaries off the bench
I think it would be special. I also believe that a lot of the players on our roster right now that will be free agents will make a little sacrifice financially if it meant potentially playing for a title if Dwight signed with us. I feel like our Back-court is fine and more than adequate to get us a title if Dwight is on Board. Nobody thought Chalmers’ and Rondo were Worthy of their position on their respective teams until they proved it by winning title’s with their respective teams.
vava74
January 4th, 2013
6:03 pm
Anyone claiming that Howard (healthy) would not make us instant ECF attendants is crazy.
Either Horford or Smith would be sufficient pair to him, although Horford would probably mesh better and be more complimentary.
However, I even think that if we kept Josh and added Howard, sacrificing Horford, Josh would probably play SF and we would go after a cheap stretch 4.
vava74
January 4th, 2013
6:05 pm
Anyhow, Howard will never come here and even less probable if Josh was not here.
W.R. Terrell
January 4th, 2013
6:06 pm
Could it be that Al is playing a lil gimpy and not complaining about it. Last time the HAWKS played the Pistons the “Smoove” played one helluva game the first half and his point total was outstanding at 30. The second half he had 1 point a lot of crazy shots which allowed the Pistons to get back into the game. Lets hope tonight is not a repeat of that. As far as trading Josh if DF can get a decent player and 1st round pick then Josh is gone and DF is not going to pay him big dollars for his silliness. The monies could be used in a more efficient and beneficial manner. Josh has bigtime athleticism and low B Ball IQ and contrary to a lot of folks belief there is not a lot of teams willing to part with good players for Josh. That’s just a fact.
Slim
January 4th, 2013
6:06 pm
Who would want omeka okufur, Jesus Christ, ZaZa plays harder than that clown anyway. I wouldn’t make any trades unless it was just a no-brainer, we are third in the east with a month before the all-star break. The hawks really have a good team, deal with the reality. Some of you guys are like prince’s mom, you’re never satisfied.
W.R. Terrell
January 4th, 2013
6:09 pm
Al had the chance to come here, with Joe and Marvin’s contracts gone the HAWKS could have signed him. I don’t think Howard wants to play in Atlanta as long as Josh is here.
W.R. Terrell
January 4th, 2013
6:14 pm
I meant Howard, not Al but Howard had his chance to come to the HAWKS
Honesty
January 4th, 2013
6:15 pm
“Anyhow, Howard will never come here and even less probable if Josh was not here.”
True, but we still have to give it a shot this off-season. We can’t close the door on ourselves. that’s just not good management. DF’s comments about have flexibility and cap-pace going into the summer lead me to believe he may feel the same way.
Honesty
January 4th, 2013
6:20 pm
“Either Horford or Smith would be sufficient pair to him, although Horford would probably mesh better and be more complimentary.”
I mean, we’re a sufficient team right now as is. But if you want to win a title, sufficient isn’t good enough. Josh/Horford/Howard gets you well beyond sufficient.
Ken Strickland
January 4th, 2013
6:42 pm
GRANDAD-Many of the individuals posting on these blogs are player fans, not Hawk fans. Their loyality and admiration are to the player not the team. That’s why they constantly suggest trades for this player or that player, even though it might be improbable for their trade suggestions to take place.
Some what to see us go all out and sign DHorford, and then trade Horford rather than Josh. They desperately what to realize their fantasy of seeing Josh and Howard play together.
It doesn’t matter to them one bit that Horford, with his extremely effective midrange jumper, would compliment Howard much better than Josh and his inefficient misfiring rainbow jumper.
With DHoward and Josh playing together, we’d end up with a situation very simular to what the Lakers are going through with Howard and Gasol. With Howard clogging the middle, it would make Josh almost totally reliant on his long range jumper, because he certainly doesn’t have anything even remotely close to a midrange OFF gm he can fall back on.
With Horford, Korver and their deadly jumpers flanking DHoward, along with JTeague and JJenkins at guard, no DEF could afford to pack the lane to stop Dwight or keep Teague from penetrating. With that starting lineup and bench, consisting of LWilliams, IJohnson, ZPachulia, MScott, AMorrow, ATolliver and DStevenson, this would definitely be a championship caliber team.
Ken Strickland
January 4th, 2013
6:53 pm
Even without DHorward, Ferry could still build a championship caliber team with Josh, Horford, Teague, Ivan, Zaza, Lou, Jenkins, Scott and Korver. We only need to add a productive SF(draft pick or FA), a rebounding backup DEF C(FA or trade), like Camby or Dalembert, and a productive PG(draft pick or FA).
Chris Vivlamore
January 4th, 2013
6:54 pm
Fair warning: New game thread blog to be posted shortly.
Honesty
January 4th, 2013
6:54 pm
Lebron and Wade Don’t fit each other well either, but they won a title together. The are essentially the same player. Both are slashers who are sub-par to average jump shooters. They both need the ball in their hands to be effective.
The stat line for that team as far as Point distribution on any give night is horrible:
Wade :30 LeBron: 30 :Bosh 18 Miller: 5 Allen:3 Everybody else: 0 It happens a lot for them.
I feel like because Our potential “Big three” mainly plays inside rather than on the perimeter, the point distributions will be more balanced. Can’t win without the guards playing a role.