Hawks’ talent means nothing without heart, intelligence
When Carlos Delfino is celebrating, you know things aren't going well for Joe Johnson and the Hawks. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
When a decidedly more talented team suddenly loses consecutive games to an opponent that has less size, less skill and it was assumed less hope for postseason survival, there really are only two possibilities:
– The better team is not playing as hard as it should.
– The better team is not playing as smart as it should.
Everything else is window dressing.
For most of their first two playoff games against Milwaukee, the Hawks had us wondering how high their ceiling was. For the next two games, they reminded us where the floor is. It’s one thing to lose game three. It’s another to trail, 31-13, 10 minutes into the game. It’s one thing not to sweep the undermanned and Munchkin-like Bucks in the first round. It’s another to keep suffering brain cramps, go weak at the knees every time they walk into an opponent’s arena and lose twice.
Despite 53 wins, the Hawks have not been universally embraced in Atlanta. This is why. If they want to be viewed as something special, this would be a good time to present a counter-argument to what so many are saying about them. They drift in and out of consciousness. They get outworked. They get outplayed. They get outcoached.
Brandon Jennings may be a rookie, but he can keep count. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Know what athletes hate hearing more than anything else? That they have no heart. Imagine how that accusation stings when it comes from another former athlete.
Chris Webber nailed it. He was in studio on TNT’s NBA wrap-up show Monday night. The panel was discussing the significance of the Hawks’ consecutive losses in Milwaukee. When somebody pointed out that their regular season record had improved every year, Webber chimed in.
“The size of your heart doesn’t show up on paper,” he said.
When the remark was relayed to Joe Johnson Tuesday, he didn’t dispute it. Fact is, he amplified on it.
“It’s true — it doesn’t show up on paper,” he said. “We haven’t played with that [heart]. We complain and whine too much and it gets you nowhere, instead of just going out and fighting through it. Whatever they do to us, do it back to them. Instead, we just complain to the refs. It’s not like they’re going to change the call. So you might as well just get back on D and keep playing.”
This isn’t the regular season. Fifty-three wins is so yesterday. The Hawks have evolved to the point that their season should be defined by playoffs, not a big win over the Celtics in January.
Look around the Eastern Conference. Orlando swept Charlotte. Cleveland and Boston won their respective series in five games.
The Hawks? They’re looking at this implausible string of words: must-win against the Bucks.
Lose game five at Philips Arena and they go back to Milwaukee facing possibly elimination Friday. Outside of Atlanta, they have been playoff road kill the last three years: 1-10. They can win. They should win. But what about the last two games gives you confidence?
Johnson again: “We don’t play with the same energy and the passion as we do at home. It kills us, man. I thought we had passed this step of immaturity on the road, but we haven’t.”
At 2-0, they thought they were the new Hawks. At 2-2, they realize they’re frighteningly close to the old Hawks.
“I’m surprised,” Johnson said. “I just think we got a little bit ahead of ourselves. We took care of business the first two games and we all thought we were going to go up there and do the same.”
Johnson said after game four, “It seems like we just don’t have the toughness.”
Josh Smith said Tuesday that if he were a fan watching the Hawks, he would think, “That we’re a team that’s still growing and we still have a lot to learn.”
They were supposed to be past this.
♦
Earlier posts
♦ Report: Mike Woodson could leave Hawks for Sixers
♦ Countdown: L.T.’s boozy draft, Ben’s brain, NHL ‘extraction’
♦
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128 comments Add your comment
fratello
April 27th, 2010
8:25 pm
The Hawks Stink
JASon
April 27th, 2010
8:30 pm
Do me a favor and look at the stats from game 4. We lost the game at the free throw line. I saw the game and the hawks fought hard against a bunch of chumps with wonderful acting skills. The refs game them this game. Joe Johnson is also a chump; “complaining” about what?! Has he ever seen a celtics game or a lakers game? This team was screwed, and you’re criticizing your own guys for complaining? Don’t let the door hit you, Joe, you suck. Learn to be a leader you chump
Lenny Wilkins
April 27th, 2010
8:33 pm
I’m willing to come back if the price is right.
Loc
April 27th, 2010
9:49 pm
Both Jeff’s, it’s not that Marvin doesn’t play like a number 2 pick that bothers me. We all know he will never live up to that. It’s the fact that he has not improved one bit since his rookie year and actually regressed this year.
He is not even worthy over the 2nd pick in the 2nd round playing like this. Yes it’s not his fault he was picked #2 by the moron Billy Knight, nor is it his fault that Sund made the idiotic move to sign him for 5 more seasons when nobody else offered anything close.
Still, he has been useless all season and so inconsistent it is disturbing. If I at least saw consistent heart and hustle, it’d be easier to handle, but he has been coasting all year and it’d be nice for the ATL media to call him out more consistently.
Weezin&Wuzin
April 27th, 2010
9:57 pm
Hawks need to use these next 2-3 games to really get their game together while Orlando rusts. Then bam, we steal one in Orl and on to the Conf Finals. boo yah!
LouFan
April 27th, 2010
10:23 pm
Heart? How can this team have heart? Lack of a captain, lack of a coach, and a PG who hates the NBA (Bibby). At the end of the day, we are fans and need to support them. Yet, we need to see the limitations and accept them. Nothing really… that we can do than hope the organization makes the right decisions. If not I will still enjoy watching this team…. And the wins will mean so much more. Even if we only get 30 next year.
IlliniDawg
April 27th, 2010
10:27 pm
I’m so sick of our pathetic excuses for basketball and hockey teams. I’d like both franchises shipped out of town. Maybe then we could get an MLS franchise. At least we would tap into a different fan base, and perhaps over time we could erase the painful memories of two very sorry, very embarrassing, very pathetic excuses for professional sports in our home town. And, maybe most importantly, we wouldn’t have to put up with all of the damn Yankees that come and cheer for their visiting team and make jokes about ours.
Jerome
April 27th, 2010
10:57 pm
Would you rather the Hawks lose to a inferior team the Bucks – or embarrass by the Magics? Think about it.
Not Drinking the Kool-Aid
April 27th, 2010
11:05 pm
I have been a Hawks fan since I moved here in 1999 and was a ‘Nique fan long before that. I really feel the real problem is Mike Bibby should not have been resigned in the summer. Everyone has to cover for his deficiencies on defense. Thus the switching defense that negates the solid team defense the Hawks play at times during the regular season. Anyone who knows basketball knows that basketball is a game of momentum, with no defensive stops teams lose confidence and thus you have Marvin who is stagnant on offense, you have Josh standing around looking like he is lost sometimes and getting in Joe’s way. The team is constantly trying to make up for Bibby’s defensive ineptitudes, he is slow and cannot defend. Woodson who has done a decent job with improving the team is to blame. Jeff Teague should have been developed this season for the playoffs. Bibby is an utter liability on the court, if not for his 3’s he should never touch the floor. The team works very hard on defense at times but Bibby’s man can score anyway. I think this disheartens the team and confuses them on offense at times. Joe likes to lead by playing hard letting his play speak to his team mates. I think Joe gets bogged down with his teammates standing around stagnant and defenses cheating to him. Look at other teams in the playoffs they have players who can take you off the dribble and score usually at the point guard spot. Teague has this ability, Woody never developed him this season thus all of the problems you see. Josh passing from the top of the key sometimes wildly and getting in Joe’s way, Marvin standing around and not being involved, overworking on defense stagnates the offense, not enough pick and roll, not enough post play, not enough steals that leads to not enough fast breaks – the life blood of these Hawks. This is Woodson’s fault, Teague should have been developed. I would hire Avery Johnson or Byron Scott both point guards and defensive coaches could easily take this team to the finals. The playoffs magnify whatever deficiences teams have, there are no bad coaches in the playoffs. Thanks Woody for the wins I hope you learned your lesson from your time with the Hawks. So long good luck on your next job!!!!!
@ReanuKeeves
April 27th, 2010
11:19 pm
Can you imagine what this team could do if it wasn’t hog-tied by Mike Woodson’s ineptitude?
I went to games 1 and 2 and have been to nearly every home playoff game since we started making the postseason again. But I won’t be attending another until they win a road playoff game. SHAMEFUL.
@ReanuKeeves
April 27th, 2010
11:26 pm
“Calling Marvin a bust is easy to say based on where he was drafted. If we snagged him in the 2nd or 3rd round we’d call him a nice piece.” – Joe D.
Saying Rosie O’Donnell is ugly is easy based on her level of attractiveness! If you compare her to Whoopie Goldberg and a rotting corpse, she’s a nice piece.
Who needs logic and reason, anyway?
Reid Adair
April 27th, 2010
11:31 pm
For as well as the Hawks played in the first two games against the Bucks, they’ve played about as poorly as possible in the last two. You summed it up perfectly, Jeff. It comes down to two simple things – heart and intelligence.
Orlando awaits the winner of this series, and there are at least two more games to be played. A lack of heart and intelligence against the Magic (assuming the Hawks advance) will result in a 4-0 sweep.
david
April 27th, 2010
11:37 pm
No defense, the most boring predictable offense and a coach that can’t adjust. The only time we win is when our team wins strictly off talent. Never motivated not even for the playoffs. WE WILL have a different coach next year. This team just doesn’t get it that if you play great defense it will kick in the offense. The O feeds off the D. That’s what great teams do. This team plays horrible D unless at home some of the time. Seems like the coach playing under Knight and coaching under Brown would get that. Watch them on D. Absolutely pitiful effort. And then on offense, so incredibly easy for a good coach to defend.
Youth
April 27th, 2010
11:42 pm
The team is still young—it will take a few years to play together and get an identity. Maybe atlanta can get dwayne next year and ramp it up.
Jeff D.
April 28th, 2010
12:14 am
LouFan, Bibby hates the NBA? What? I wasn’t aware of his desire to be part of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the D-League.
Mike
April 28th, 2010
12:19 am
Bucks Fan Here – love reading fans rip their team. With Bogut, Hawks would be down 3-1; without Bogut Hawks will lose in six. Bye Bye Atlanta.
Loc
April 28th, 2010
12:23 am
Also Jeff D, there is no such thing as a 3rd round in the NBA draft. That kind of shows the knowledge you possess.
Loc
April 28th, 2010
12:24 am
Marvin would still be pathetic, as an early second round pick. He provides next to nothing besides an inconsistent spot up jumper, and decent defense.
Kevin
April 28th, 2010
12:25 am
mike, u wont win in atlanta thats just the reality
LouFan
April 28th, 2010
12:26 am
@Jeff D.
Heh. After that travesty of the Lakers vs Sacramento bs in 2002. He has never been the same. All he cares is about money, I do not blame him.
Kevin
April 28th, 2010
12:27 am
To those that get on to us fans at bashing the hawks heart and effort and calling for heads just because the lakers struggled on the road. Well the lakers have won how many championships?? The lakers have to fight themselves to stay motivated. How many championships have the hawks won?? There should be no problem being motivated as an atlanta hawk player. It makes me sick to see… I was going to go watch the game tomorrow but I thought if they are not giving effort then why should I give effort to ride an hour and a half from columbus to watch them. They show me some effort and win this series and I will be at every home game in the orlando series.
LouFan
April 28th, 2010
12:32 am
@Kevin
You are wrong. A fan always supports their team. I will be there cheering there. Even though I have my discrepancies towards the leadership I will always be there. At least they are in the playoffs. Only 16 teams can say that.
Greg
April 28th, 2010
12:35 am
These Bucks fans crack me up. They are by far the worst team in the playoffs…that’s why Hawks fans are in such an uproar about losing two games to them. Yet they act like they have a good team….a good team in the D-league.
Jeff D.
April 28th, 2010
12:37 am
@ReanuKeeves, folks like to use the term “bust” for 1st round picks that don’t work out. A couple examples from football come to mind: Akili Smith and David Klingler. They didn’t pan out. After a few short stops for coffee, their professional careers came to an end. They didn’t have it, period. Marvin Williams on the other hand is not failing in this league. He is an NBA player and his contract was extended. If he wasn’t playing here he’d be playing somewhere else in the NBA. See the difference? Marvin is playing, the other two are not.
truthspitter
April 28th, 2010
12:48 am
Marvin is a bust without a doubt. Marvin Williams shows how stupid the Hawks management is the old saying goes, fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, shame on the stupid ass Hawks for re-signing this “BUST”
Dr. Warren
April 28th, 2010
12:52 am
The OK Thunder are what the Hawks should be. OK’s growth in 2 years has exceeded the Hawks’ growth in 6 years.
Jeff D.
April 28th, 2010
12:53 am
Loc, good catch. My mistake. Look at this draft. http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2344&Itemid=103 How many of these guys are not even in the league?
Big Ray
April 28th, 2010
1:04 am
The Hawks will be a different team at home, or they won’t.
The playoffs are a proving ground. Win this series in six games, or this cannot be counted as an improvement over last year. Getting to the second round presents a whole different situation. Whoever they play (assuming they beat the Bucks) will have homecourt advantage, which spells doom for the Hawks unless they learn to win on the road.
We can only hope that they continue to play UP to the higher competition. Winning a couple games in the second round is somewhat of an improvement over last year’s 2nd round debacle, but is it improvement overall?
At some point, you can stop blaming Joe Johnson’s teammates for everything, though that is part of the problem. There is a lack of leadership, clearly. There is a lack of offensive production from some starters on one end of the floor, and a lack of defensive production on the other end, and inconsistency overall.
Our point guard can’t defend his own position, so we switch all the time. That works until teams figure out how to beat it (assuming they have the necessary personnel with the necessary skill set) and then our man-to-man deficiencies are exposed.
On offense, we don’t have good team ball consistently. The team needs to have ball movement, along with personnel movement, as its base offense. Put the ball in the hands of our two high scoring guards and one post player when teams shut off the ball movement. Instead, we shut off the ball movement early, and resort to the ISOs, then wonder why the scoring droughts.
And I’m supposed to believe that coaching has nothing to do with this?
Look, either the coach isn’t getting the message out, or the players aren’t listening to it. What’s the GM gonna do, trade away those who aren’t listening, and acquire players who promise to listen?
Big Ray
April 28th, 2010
1:07 am
Proof that there really isn’t anything to do in Milwaukee….all the Bucks fans are blogging where? HERE. Too funny…
Ted Striker
April 28th, 2010
1:11 am
Forget Milwaukee making the Hawks look bad the last two games. What made them look bad was that the BUCKS MASCOT displayed more creativity and energy in one insane dunk than the entire Hawks team did during the games.
Snowman
April 28th, 2010
2:41 am
Jeff, you are a DOPE (and you know I know you are and you know I know you know you are)!!!!…You know blank well this team is limited and your boy Rick Sund has not done a blank thing to make the team better (I know, I know, I know…Jamal was a great acquisition…but now that it is the playoffs, what has he been lately?)!!!…SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHAT THE blank has the GM DONE?…ANYBODY???…What does he do all day, seriously, anybody?…The Hawks will win at home and win this series however if we lose the Orlando series then Woody will go to the 76ers because they don’t want to pay him here or give him the ‘love’ he deserves and I just don’t get it!!! They will bring in some clown and we will be back to being the Clippers of the South again. By the way, if you think Joe’s coming back if Wood does not, well I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you. Why would Joe come back when he sees there is NO COMMITTMENT to winning!!! Because if there was then the Blog world and even Schultz could tell me or more importantly tell Joe what they plan is to bolster the bench (with a straight face is not good currently)and help Al Horford in the middle (by the way, where has Al been in this series?). The #1 problem Atlanta has is no bench. I have a friend who ran into Stackhouse this summer (Stack lives in Atlanta) and Stack told him and he wanted to play for the Hawks and begged them to sign him and it could not have been for more than a ham sandwich and we didn’t. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF THAT IS A TRUE STORY OR NOT?…it sure sounds like it is true? “Show Joe and Woody the money” will be the theme of the off season!!!…Again Jeff you know all of this and refuse to acknowledge Sund’s role (by the way, why won’t you)?, why won’t you hold him accountable? The next 30-60-90 days are going to be crucial to this ball club and it’s future!!!…Go Hawks!!!
MitchC
April 28th, 2010
6:57 am
Jeff, the Hawks have been very Jekyll-Hyde in this series. They looked great in Atlanta, terrible on the road.
Maybe, being the still fairly young team that they are, they feed off the home crowd, and let the road just get to them.
My personal opinion is that the Hawks will take this series in seven games. They will probably win tonight, lose Game Six, and then win Game Seven.
I know this isn’t baseball, but, look at the Braves during the division title years. With the pitching staff they had, during the Maddux/Glavine Smoltz glory years, they should have won several world championships, not just one. How many times did they say sayanora in the NLCS. In the last four years of the division title run, they couldn’t even get out of the first round, in spite of winning more than 100 regular season games several times.
Pro sports games aren’t played on paper. Thats why you had things like the mediocre 1999 Knicks making the Finals, and the year the Rockets won the NBA title, 1995 I believe, when they won.. 45 or 47 games.
Hopefully, the superior Hawk team will show up tonight, and beat Milwaukee. I’m going with my prediction that the Hawks will pull this series out in seven games. Time will tell if I’m right
JSS
April 28th, 2010
6:58 am
I went to college in Michigan, Chris Webber CAN NEVER question anyone’s HEART! Who does he think he is, Juwann Howard? Oh yeah, maybe he does know what he talks about, he was an enigma that never lived up to his potential in hoops or life, kind of like IlliniDawg!
JSS
April 28th, 2010
7:07 am
@F-105
I’ve been saying it for YEARS! This franchise is the PRE-Moses Malone 76ers! When you depend on Daryl Dawkins and Claudell Jones like talent, and Lloyd “World B.” Free mentality; then you can count on being under-archivers of the first rank!
Dap01
April 28th, 2010
8:07 am
Some people might conclude that a more talented team losing to a less talented team was poorly coached. Could the Hawks be being outcoached?
That would be a shocking revelation.
No matter how much heart someone has, adjustments can be made by teams that would render your strategy useless.
Big Poppa
April 28th, 2010
8:10 am
It funny how quick everyone bashes the hawks. The lakers are defending champs and went to OKC and lost two straight to a team many deemed too young. A team that the lakers were supposed to sweep. Yet no one says Phil Jackson sucks or that he should be fired. Give Mike Woodson some credit the team has gotten better every year since he has been coach. If the Hawks lose tonight there will be cause for concern. The lakers bounced back last night and so can the hawks. Everyone just needs to stop hating on them. The Bucks have nothing to lose because no one expects them to do anything so they are playing freely. The hawks will make the needed adjustments and handle business.
JeJe
April 28th, 2010
8:31 am
“I have a friend who ran into Stackhouse this summer (Stack lives in Atlanta) and Stack told him and he wanted to play for the Hawks and begged them to sign him and it could not have been for more than a ham sandwich and we didn’t. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF THAT IS A TRUE STORY OR NOT?…it sure sounds like it is true? ”
FIRE WOODY
FIRE SUND
FIRE ASG
JeJe
April 28th, 2010
8:31 am
I have a friend who ran into Stackhouse this summer (Stack lives in Atlanta) and Stack told him and he wanted to play for the Hawks and begged them to sign him and it could not have been for more than a ham sandwich and we didn’t. SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME IF THAT IS A TRUE STORY OR NOT?…it sure sounds like it is true? .
FIRE WOODY
FIRE SUND
FIRE ASG
Barkin'Dog
April 28th, 2010
8:41 am
My take is that the Hawks won their home games 2 years ago and took the champion Boston Celtics to 7 games. Some folks said that would wear out the aging Celtics, but they went on to win it all. Do I think the Hawks can win it all? No. But, I expect them to show they are contenders, whether they win on the road consistently or not. Either way, I am a fan forever. Like politics, I have little say in who is elected, but I have to support my country regardless… just like my teams! Go Hawks – get the win tonight!
JSS
April 28th, 2010
8:44 am
@JeJe…
That story was covered last summer during the post draft camps when UFA’s and rookies were fighting for spots on the team. The Hawks tried to save money by retaining then Hawk Othello Hunter. The signing of big man Jason Collins was supposedly more of a need (see Dwight Howard).
Paddy
April 28th, 2010
8:50 am
Bottom line. the Hawks are just an ok team that very few care about. There is much of that same feeling around all of the NBA with a few exceptions.
I'm Gumby, dammit!!
April 28th, 2010
8:56 am
Methinks Jeff D. must be a Tarheel. That’s the only rational explanation!!
heartofdarkness
April 28th, 2010
9:13 am
Everyone slams the coach, but some teams refuse to be coached. While teams like the Jazz and the Spurs seem to play within a structure year after year, they are very good at acquiring players who fit roles within the structure. The Celtics assembled a three headed offense that was successful and the Lakers have run a number of players through their organization trying to get back to where they were with Kobe and Shaq. These teams all demand help defense that anticipates the opponent will beat the first layer of defenders on penetration.
If you go through a list of offensive styles to find one that the Hawks personnel would have an advantage playing against most opponents, the answer is not so clear. Parts are missing and many of the players do not complement one another well enough. Consequently, the team has difficulty playing to strength during the playoffs.
JSS
April 28th, 2010
9:14 am
@Ted Striker
One word” “SWEET!”
For those of you who missed it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3umtw179KA
whiteout
April 28th, 2010
9:18 am
IS TONIGHTS GAME A WASHOUT OR A WHITEOUT.
J J J Joe Johnson
April 28th, 2010
9:50 am
Forward Marvin Williams said there were occasions when teammates were beaten one-on-one when he was supposed to provide help on defense, but did not.
“I just catch myself standing there,” he said. “Other guys have been doing the same thing, too.”
Well he is honest…
Justin
April 28th, 2010
10:15 am
Sounds a lot like ga tech basketball
Darrin "The Vent King"
April 28th, 2010
10:17 am
The difference between the Hawks-Bucks and LAL-OKC series is two fold. One OKC Thunder have all their players very healthy and their BEST player happens to be the #1 scorer in the league and the Bucks are missing their BEST player. Two, Kobe and Co. have been there and won that ring so they are just suffering from what I call the “fat cat” syndrome that only champions can suffer from. They have to find something different to motivate them since they’ve made it to the top of that mountain that other teams like the Hawks have not. You can not compare the Bucks to the Thunder at all. Matter of fact if given the homecourt advantage I believe with the heart that OKC plays with vs the heart the Hawks seem to lack on the road, OKC would win a seven game series over both them. How do you explain this team inconsistent focus on the road for the past 5 years? I tell you how- MIKE WOODSON. He is our Doug Collins. Yes, he has gotten them this far (or they got HIM this far depending who you ask), but he CAN NOT take them to the next level period. Replace him and couple of stiffs on this roster stealing money and we’d be headed in the right direction, until then it’ll be the Highlight Factory at home, but America’s Not SO Funny Away from Home Videos on the road…
justahawkfan
April 28th, 2010
10:37 am
FIRE THE HAWK FAN ON THIS BLOG, IF INDEED THEY ARE REALLY HAWK FANS. DOES N’T FANS HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE FOR THIER TEAM. THE SERIES IS TIED, RIGHT?
Valdostan surrounded by nothingness
April 28th, 2010
10:37 am
Hey Jeff
According to Relocate America, top 100 places to live in 2010,
guess what? based on leadership, employmnet opportunities,
thriving community commitment, recreation options, overall
high quality of life, Valdosta (Winnersville) was only three
cities in the state of Georgia named.