Atlanta Hawks

• So Al Horford sits out four months because of the first major injury of his career and then comes back and has what is, under the circumstances, probably his best postseason game. But the Hawks didn’t win until Horford prevented Rajon Rondo from driving to score after they nearly gave the game away with a terrible turnover.
• Yeah, that sounds about right for the Hawks.
• Larry Drew: “Al Horford was absolutely huge tonight. His ability to move around at times when we were forced to make switches on defense, and his foot speed enabled him to sta with the ball. Offensively, his gives us a presdence down there, and he made some big shots for us tonight.”
• After sending out Jason Collins, Erick Dampier, Ivan Johnson and Rusty Al Horford for four games, the Hawks suddenly now another bona fide big man to play alongside Josh Smith. The difference was somewhat noticeable
• Watching Horford run the floor for dunks in Game 4, I realized it had been so long since I’d seen him out there I …

Continue reading Celtics at Atlanta Hawks Game 5: Hawks 87, Celtics 86 »

• Hawks starters: Jeff Teague, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Zaza Pachulia (foot) is out. All Celtics players are available.
• Larry Drew on why he’s using this lineup: “One, just to give it a different look and see if it will kind of jump start us a little bit. It gives us an opportunity to move Joe back to some two. It makes us bigger so we can do a few more things defensively in making some adjustments in Game 5. And I just think its’ time. After you play four games in the playoffs, obviously it’s a game of adjustment, and you try to do things to benefit your team. It’s time to give us a different look and see if it will jump start us with Al back in the starting lineup, Marvin in the staring lineup, bringing Kirk [Hinrich] off the bench.”
• Drew on Horford’s condition: “Physically he feels fine. I wouldn’t say he’s in tip-top shape but he’s in playing shape. He didn’t experience any discomfort with the pec the other day [Game 4]. There was a play …

Continue reading Celtics at Atlanta Hawks Game 5: Game thread »

JUNE 11, 2010

MC

The Hawks also want to move away from an isolation-heavy offensive approach that was influenced by guard Joe Johnson’s playing style. Johnson is eligible to become a free agent next month, and the Hawks still want to re-sign him.

A person with knowledge of Johnson’s plans said he’s still open to returning. But the person said the new coach would have to sell Johnson on relying more on his teammates in the offense and ensure him that locker-room chemistry would improve.

JUNE 16, 2010

Larry Drew

Q. Have you talked to Joe about your philosophy on getting the ball out of his hands and moving it around and, if so, what was his reaction?

A. I did not. It was too early in the process. I was mainly just trying to get my foot in the door, to be a candidate. I expressed to him I was going to push forward and try to get this position, which he said: ‘You should. You are ready for it.’

Q. Do you think he will OK with the idea of not having the ball as much?

A. I …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson: A quote timeline »

Vivlamore reporting from Philips Arena, the day after the Hawks’ Game 4 loss to the Celtics.

A day later, Joe Johnson was at loss for words about the Hawks’ embarrassing Game 4 loss to the Celtics that has the team on the brink of playoff elimination.

His one-word answer to a question on his number of shot attempts spoke volumes.

Johnson took just eight shots in Sunday’s 101-79 loss to the Celtics, who are up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 5 Tuesday at Philips Arena.

“I don’t think they are doing anything different defensively on me,” Johnson said. “I think it’s just, basically, getting an opportunity to touch the ball. That’s it.”

When asked if he was not happy with his touches, Johnson answered with a simple, but emphatic, “No.”

Here is what some others had to say about Johnson’s lack of shots in Sunday’s game:

Larry Drew: “We run a lot of things through him. He’s got to be more aggressive in working to get his shots and we have …

Continue reading Johnson unhappy with limited number of shots »

I joined The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan to review the Hawks’ 101-79 defeat to the Celtics in Game 4.

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Video: Hawks collapse at Boston »

Boston–I could sense the anguish among tweeps over this one. Just when they thought they could at least expect the Hawks to compete, they do this. So much for management’s boasts about being in the same league as the Celtics and the Lakers.

• Now comes the mockery from Charles Barkley and every other critic who said the Hawks would eventually go belly up. The Hawks never really surrendered like this all season. So why did it happen now, when they were healthier and the stakes were so high?
• “I really can’t [explain it],” Al Horford said. “I’m trying to sit there and look at it but the only thing that I can tell is that from the beginning of the game, from the jump ball, they established themselves and were way more aggressive. I think we were on our heels from that point on. You can’t do that in the playoffs.”
• “It felt like we was going to do something good, what, the first five or six minutes of the first quarter,” Josh Smith said. “They just went on a run and scored, what, …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks at Celtics Game 4: Celtics 101, Hawks 79 »

Boston–Josh Smith is testing his left knee pregame but said he will play tonight after no setbacks during this morning’s shootaround. He plans to wear a brace during the game. “When the adrenalin kicks in I probably won’t feel it,” he said. “I’ve just got to go out there and not even think about it. Play hard, play the way I’m capable of playing and not worry about re-injuring it.”

• Josh said if the Hawks were up 2-1 instead of down “I would probably be more cautious with the decision. But this is a must-win game for us tonight.”
• Larry Drew on Smith’s movement at shootaround: “Once he loosened up he looked pretty good.”
• Tracy McGrady (ankle) said he’s fine: “I feel great. I’m not worried about it.”
• Al Horford (pectoral) warmed up before the game and decided he feels good enough to be put on the active list. The Hawks say he’s a game-time decision.
• Drew said he would monitor Josh and T-Mac’s minutes: “I will certainly try to keep an eye on their minutes and we will use them …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks at Celtics Game 4: Game thread »

BOSTON–Rajon Rondo had a triple-double in Game 3 but his 0.57 points per possession were worst on the team, according to Synergy Sports Technology. So Jeff Teague isn’t wrong when he says of Rondo: “He’s going to penetrate. He’s a good player. Some plays you have to live with. Just like guys on our team are going to make plays and they have to live with it. There’s a reason he’s one of the best point guards in the league.”

Here’s a closer look at Rondo’s plays in Game 3. Per my Synergy review, a chart of the 32 possessions Rondo used (FGA, FTA and turnovers, not including his two FTA when he was intentionally fouled in the final moments):

1st quarter

• Rondo got to the basket when Kirk Hinrich helped on Paul Pierce, who was two steps ahead of Joe coming off a screen. But Rondo missed after Hinrich recovered and challenged his shot.
• Rondo faked using a screen to his left, prompting Hinrich to step under it. Rondo stepped back to his right to shoot but missed as Hinrich managed …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Reining in Rondo »

I reviewed the Hawks’ 90-84 loss to the Celtics in Game 3 with Dan Shaughnessy of The Boston Globe.

Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Video: Hobbled Hawks fall to Celtics in Game 3 »

Boston–The Hawks, against all odds and in spite of Larry Drew’s weird substitution patterns, had a chance to beat the Celtics and regain control of this series. This was because they were intense on defense and the boards, got production from unlikely sources and Joe Johnson made big shots. It also helped that the Celtics sputtered on their possessions late in regulation.

• The Hawks lost in overtime and one way to look at is they nearly won without their top three bigs. Heck, for at least one night you can’t even knock them for not having enough quality bigs (who does, really?) after Erick Dampier had his best game of the season.
• “We feel like we have as good a chance to win this series as they do,” Joe Johnson said. “Unfortunately we have three key bigs that are not able to play. That is a minor setback. We still had a great chance to come out and win this game. We still had a chance in the fourth quarter.”
• Another way to look at it, though, is that three games have come …

Continue reading Atlanta Hawks: Celtics 90, Hawks 84 (OT) »