Game thread: Hawks shake it up with bigger lineup (updated)
Vivlamore reporting from Cleveland.
The Hawks will start a bigger lineup tonight versus the Cavaliers – in part because of matchups and in part to shake up a struggling team that has lost three straight and four of five games.
The Hawks will start Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Zaza Pachulia.
“We want to shake it up a little bit and see if it will jump start us,” coach Larry Drew said.
Drew said the biggest reason was the matchup at shooting guard. The Cavaliers are starting 6-foot-6, 222-pound C.J. Miles at the 2-guard and he is too big for one of the smaller Hawks guards like Lou Williams or Devin Harris.
(UPDATE: C.J. Miles (back strain) and Daniel Gibson (concussion) are out.)
* Harris has been medically cleared to play and you can expect to see him get limited minutes after he has missed the past 11 game with a sore left foot.
* Anthony Morrow will miss his seventh straight game. He missed five games with a right hip strain and now two games with a stiff back.
* DeShawn Stevenson is doubtful after he played 5:17 in Tuesday’s loss to the Timberwolves. Stevenson has not scored in 2013 in limited action as the team continues to be careful with his aging knees.
“He is good,” Drew said. “We said it from the very beginning that it’s going to be important that we try to keep him healthy. We don’t want to put too much wear and tear on his knees. We’ll see how he is doing the first night of a back-to-back and if we get medical clearance from the doctors that we can play him a little bit the first night and a little bit the second night we’ll do that. But we’ll wait until we get clearance from the doctors.”
* Ivan Johnson continues to be used sparingly this season. He has played a total of 28 minutes the past five games, including a DNP in the loss to the T’Wolves.
I asked Drew what it would take for Johnson to get more playing time, especially when at times this season the coach has said the Hawks have lacked a physical presence.
“I’m always looking at matchups,” Drew said. “I’m looking at the rhythm of the game. I’m looking at who I feel that can probably serve us best in a certain position. Certainly (Johnson) brings a physicality to the lineup and in this situation he just has to stay ready. He has to stay ready that if his number is called he’s ready to respond.”
* I asked Drew how the team responded to his comments following Tuesday’s loss that the team played “soft” in the first half against the T’Wolves.
“We had a breakfast meeting today and watch some clips from last night’s game,” Drew said. “Hopefully it will sink in. After they’ve seen the clips that I pulled, I think they were in agreement that we just came out way too soft, way too tentative, low energy. Everybody was in total agreement. There was a clear contrast between the first half and the second half. You can’t spot teams like that on the road. You have to exert too much energy to get back into it. We did not get off to a good start. That second half we played with more energy, more sense of urgency. Hopefully we’ll get off to a good start.”
* Josh Smith will be an on-set guest of NBA TV’s NBA Game Time Thursday night at 7 p.m. Smith will join host Vince Cellini and analysts Dennis Scott and Michael Redd.
* The Cavaliers lost the NBA’s leading rebounder Anderson Varejao for 6-8 weeks after the center underwent knee surgery Wednesday.
- Chris Vivlamore
LATEST NEWS
* Morrow out vs. T’Wolves with back stiffness
* Stevenson weighs in on back-to-backs situation
* Stevenson needs medical clearance to play back-t0-back
* Hawks wary of Pistons’ bench
* 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
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381 comments Add your comment
keith
January 9th, 2013
8:46 pm
Utah Washington Chicago Brooklyn Brooklyn San Antonio Minnesota
These are our NEXT 7 BASKETBALL GAMES…I can make an argument why we will “LOSE” all 7 games going forward….
20-20 at the All-Star break boys……
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:47 pm
Welp there goes that
Section 212
January 9th, 2013
8:47 pm
The Cavs last 5 points are Korver’s fault. missed rebound and baskdoor cut……..
ag
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Yeah, I am very upset with Horford… AGAIN!!!! 4 REBOUNDS IN UNACCEPTABLE!! That is showing no effort. He is even playing PF tonight. This is certainly the WORSE LOSS OF THE SEASON.!!! This is worse than the Celtic game.
J.J.M.
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Teague has no jumper. Defense sucks and is scared to drive the ball…don’t resign this guy he’s best as a backup point guard
Rod from College Park
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
“Excuse me I can’t celebrate blocks when the smallest guy on the opposing team doesn’t look like he is ascared of attacking the rim.”
Don’t celebrate them then, but the reason they are attacking the paint is because Josh ain’t in the paint, he’s on the wing remember?
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Melvin, who pays ‘Nique? That should answer your question.
Rev in Tampa
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Wow. I wish I had stayed in my prayer meeting…
Themes seem to be emerging. Hawks will play with great intensity for next six minutes to close the 10+ point lead to 1, but leave a shooter open on the perimeter. He will hit the shot, the Hawks will fire an ill-advised three, the Cavs will score, the Hawks will shoot an even more desperate three, and end up losing by 6-8 points.
Section 212
January 9th, 2013
8:48 pm
Keith – that is why I stated earlier the losing steak will reach 10.
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
Well, Korver gets 7 defensive boards, Josh gets 4, Zaza picks up 7.
Our “best” rebounder has 3.
W.R.Terrell
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
I wonder is this the last game for LD, the team is not responding to anything he tries. Hopefully we hear that he is fired by 4 p.m. tomorrow.
keith
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
Kyle Korver is our “MVP”…He get’s a pass for his average defense?
Slimjr
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
Al was the help defender who was suppose to rotate to Livingston’s penetration into the paint after he beat ZaZa off the stutter step baseline tricky dribble.
Livingston DUNKS while he watches….Shop him..
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
Our all star is doing nothing on the glass, no production from the bench. and this dude is blaming Teague? lmao
Dfan
January 9th, 2013
8:49 pm
Korver and the word DEFENSE should never be used together. Shaun L just completely shid on hm damn!!
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:50 pm
Teague has been playing fairly well…at least on offense.
On defense….well, Kyrie Irving is certainly the real deal. But damn Teague…can you at least make it hard for him?
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:50 pm
Maybe this is/was a “gift game” from GM Danny Ferry (for ol’ times sake).
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:51 pm
Damn…somebody HELP Josh with those free throws PLEASE.
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:51 pm
Im convinced Teague did not sign this dude t shirt or something
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
8:51 pm
So Josh is on the wing AND protecting the rim?
Josh is -12 in the game… blocks are really, really important (for the individual player).
Again, if the blocked shot ends the possession, they are GREAT. A block that ends up back in the hand of the opposing team means very little.
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:52 pm
50 bucks that “Osh” (Smith) shoots a 3-ball before this game up even after that airball free throw.
keith
January 9th, 2013
8:52 pm
The league has caught up with us and figured out Drew’s “Complicated” Basketball system…Dr. James Neismith is turning over in his grave….SHDH!
Slimjr
January 9th, 2013
8:52 pm
Larry has lost this team
Mookie Blaylock
January 9th, 2013
8:52 pm
straight up BUM josh smith is
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:53 pm
Life ain’t fair, Zaza.
But we do appreciate the effort.
At least you didn’t watch him go by while you adjusted the string on your “plug”….
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:53 pm
I told you. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLO!!!!!!!!!!!!
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:54 pm
REPOST
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:52 pm
50 bucks that “Osh” (Smith) shoots a 3-ball before this game up even after that airball free throw.
Slimjr
January 9th, 2013
8:54 pm
Bird/Josh is feeling it? Wow…
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:54 pm
Irving caught fire when Lou was defending him. Teague hasn’t been bad tonight defensively. Dude has had a solid game
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:54 pm
Teague drives…Josh sets up at the arc….guys….this is what happens.
Jeff drove, he passed it to the one open guy, who took the shot….shot clock wasn’t even winding down.
Stop blaming everybody else, Josh does this on purpose. Or you can say LD has him in that spot….What the F@CK ever….
It is what it is. Shoddy play.
Maybe we need another team meeting,
Slimjr
January 9th, 2013
8:54 pm
AL shot an 8 footer from 15…Wow
Mookie Blaylock
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
lmao…these bums Josh and Al embarrassing themselves
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
I’ll quit while I’m ahead.
Section 212
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
“Tigg” is the worse 1-on-1 point guard defender in the league. Has he ever stopped an opposing pg?
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
Josh has stopped Gee almost every time he has played him tight on the wing. Hopefully, he will continue to play him tight on the wing (and not dare him to shoot the 3).
Al looks gimpy out there.
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
1 second on the clock, Waiters froze Lou in his tracks and got an open layup.
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:55 pm
And once again Lou is beat defensively
paian
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
High sider thats like saying i bet tomorrow is going to be thursday lol
Big Ray
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
High Sider ,
I was just about to tell you I saw that post when Josh took the sniper shot with the snub-nosed revolver….
Rev in Tampa
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
Blocks mean everything because blocks are “energy” plays. That’s all LD wants from this team is energy.
Astro Joe
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
Josh took that shot because his teammates didn;t want to shoot.
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
I think the Hawks would even lose to the Wizards right now and the Wizards beat the Thunder a few days ago.
Slimjr
January 9th, 2013
8:56 pm
Danny and Larry need a meeting…
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
Lou has been getting destroyed tonight yet Teague is catching all the heat lmao. Gotta love this blog
W.R.Terrell
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
This game is shameful and all the players need to be ashamed!!!!!
High-sider
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
Big Ray,
I read you loud and clear. (LOL)
Buddy Grizzard
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
Derrick Williams playing like @ss against OKC
Najeh Davenpoop
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
None of the big men on this team seem to realize that more than one offensive player can occupy the paint at the same time. Just because one guy is posting up doesn’t mean everyone else has to spot up. Just because one guy is driving doesn’t mean everyone else has to clear out. It is OK — even good! — to hang around the basket and wait for the person driving or posting up to dish to you for the easy dunk or layup.
If the big men on this team — and the coaches for that matter — would realize this, it would work wonders for this team’s offense. No way they would have 78 points in this game right now if big men hung around the basket.
cp
January 9th, 2013
8:57 pm
Yea that wasn’t a clock running down 3 by Josh. It was plenty of time left and he shot it anyway
Melvin
January 9th, 2013
8:58 pm
DF make have to a move now in order to save his plans for this summer…