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
JeJe
April 28th, 2010
10:37 am
FIRE WOODY
Just Being Real
April 28th, 2010
10:42 am
ok here goes…Dear HAWKS, I can see the “were too young thing” being a excuse the first time round but that ain’t working on me this time, why hasn’t any low “big” on our team learn to post up people yet? Why do we keep the same line up ALL the time? Why when the team HAS to play on the road everybody wants to be a jump shooter? DRIVE THE F-ING BALL, MOVE WHEN THE BALL IS NOT IN YOUR HANDS, CRASH THE BOARDS, POINTS CAN NEVER BE CONSISTANT BUT HUSTLE SURE CAN, YA”LL play like this church team I was forced to watch, it was awful, like a team of LeBron’s vs. a team of Kwame Browns!!! That how bad it feels to be an Atlanta sports fan all my life!!!!
ELVISINTHEHOUSE.
April 28th, 2010
10:52 am
JUSTAHAWKFAN,just tired of the same old story year after year after year since this team(hawks)was birthed.lose year after year after year then think someone suppose to keep supporting them,we’re tired.Get some players and a coach in here that will change that same old song,then we will stop our complaining.
Sunshine time: Dancin' Falcon; Wren's move; D-Wade's exit? | Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
11:10 am
[...] ♦ Hawks’ talent means nothing without heart, intelligence [...]
Just Being Real
April 28th, 2010
11:15 am
ELVISINTHEHOUSE
Thats why I’m so mad right now I tired of always being the joke of sports, I been here all my life, about to turn thirty and have witnessed ONE, (1) , 3-2=1, Championship, out of four pro teams, The town of GREEN BAY has one pro team and many trophys, how the F*#K does that happen, I never get to climb a street light or high five strangers after a championship, and you can take ALL of Atlanta’s pro teams and include them in this title
“ATLANTA PRO TEAMS’ talent means nothing without heart, intelligence” sigh
JSS
April 28th, 2010
11:35 am
Let’s see one word: LOMBARDI!
Hmmmm… Hawks: Fratello, Loughery, Weiss, Stotts, Kruger, Fitzsimmons (when he had no clue), and countless interim others…
Atlanta has had three coaches worth a dime: Guerin, Brown and Wilkins…
Woody, maybe is worth a nickel…
Westie
April 28th, 2010
12:43 pm
someone please kick Brandon Jennings in his Rookie FACE!
Dancing clown!
Michael
April 28th, 2010
12:47 pm
They lack the heart and determination, they may win this series and that’s it. They may get swept the next like last year verses Cavs.
BirdDawg
April 28th, 2010
12:56 pm
2 things need to happen:
1) Woodson needs to get a clue or get fired. You can’t continue to let your team make the same mistakes over and over again and do nothing. Make adjustments when the game plan goes to $#!T. If it’s not working, try something else…you can’t get any freaking worse.
2) Joe needs to speak up. You’re the teams best player and leader by example which apparently isn’t enough. Venting to the media after the game has much less effect than exploding on your teammates during the game. Get fired up, you’re Joe Johnson, it’s ok.
JC
April 28th, 2010
1:02 pm
Woody is a player’s coach on a team desperate for an authoritative figure. When Josh Smith bitches to the refs and plays soft on the road, who is he accountable to? Certainly not Woody. Josh Smith has never had to answer to anyone, from all the ill-advised three pointers to all the errant “I hate City X” comments. Who has been his coach since he started in the league? Woody. Get someone who can teach him discipline and he could be a franchise player and perennial All-Star.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
Thanks Reid.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:26 pm
Mike — Would’ve been interesting to see the Bucks in this series w/Bogut.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:27 pm
Big Ray — I agree. I’d be STUNNED if they don’t play well tonight.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:30 pm
Snowman — I don’t normally respond to comments that begin, “Jeff, you re a dope,” because it sort of closes the door to sensible debate. But I don’t think you can put anything bad that has happened in this series on Rick Sund. Could team be better in the middle? Yes, absolutely. That’s not a revelation. A real center would allow Al to move to the 4. But this is Milwaukee, not Orlando. The center position is not the reason Hawks have lost the last two games.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:32 pm
MitchC — The “they’re young” excuse doesn’t work for me. Who’s young? Not Joe, Josh, Bibby, Marvin, Jamal. Al’s in his third year. I agree the Hawks will still win the series, though.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:33 pm
JSS – You knocking, D.Dawkins? “Chocolate Thunder!” I loved that guy.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:35 pm
I’m Gumby dammit — Just wanted to say that was one of the all time great SNL skits.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:36 pm
Valdosta surrounded by nothingness — You the mayor or just the president of the chamber of commerce? Valdosta does have a chamber of commerce, doesn’t it? …. Hey just kiddin’. Fact is, my daughter probably is going to school there next year.
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
3:37 pm
Westie — that’s not nice.
JSS
April 28th, 2010
6:31 pm
@Jeff Schultz…
Is your daughter going to be a teacher or a nurse?
Beam “Chocolate Thunder” back to “Lovetron!”
Jeff Schultz
April 28th, 2010
8:00 pm
JSS: As of the moment, her career goal is FBI agent. I’m not making that up.
IM Hawk
April 28th, 2010
9:34 pm
The hawks will wrap up this series in the next 2 games and take orlando to 6 games–bank on it. With woodson, the hawks will never win anything big. He’s an average coach with a team with better than average talent.
Eric C.
April 28th, 2010
11:10 pm
Hmmm…not sure the players stood up for their coach in this game, huh?
King of Pop
April 29th, 2010
8:37 am
To: Joe Johnson
From: Michael Jackson
Reference: Talking about “The size of your heart doesn’t show up on paper,”
“Man In The Mirror”
Sincerely,
Michael Jackson
heelsfan
April 29th, 2010
12:42 pm
Lol. I got to keep defending Marv. So he is a bust. He has probably played in the same amount of playoff games as the number 1 and number 3 pick in the draft. He wasnt brought here to be the savior. he was brought here as a complement. No he won’t wow you with his athletic ability or scoring prowess but he is a pretty solid defender. He is the fifth option and although his scoring and minutesd are down. He has improved in other areas such as rebounded and defense. If you knew the game you would understand that.
corrina252
April 29th, 2010
1:07 pm
FEAR THE DEER.
Snowman
April 29th, 2010
9:40 pm
Jeff, we FINALLY agree on something. So let me start out by saying you are right (ouch)!!! I should not have called you a “dope”. So for that I apologize. Now to your point, how can you NOT put any of this on Rick? The Bucks GM was exec of the year because he added pieces to the Buck team (Stackhouse and Salmons to name a couple), who are contributing. Look, we did not have a draft pick in 2008 and in 2009, Jeff Teague has not worked out. Except for Jamal (and he has been great in the regular season however he has never played in the playoffs and how about the layup he and Josh both had inside 4 minutes last night and missed them both), and please don’t say Joe Smith. We have not tried to improve this team (why should Joe stay if the organization is not committed to winning?) If we had added a couple of pieces (just for example and I have not figured out salary cap ramifications or anything like that) Camby, Brendan Heyward, Caron Butler, Ben Wallace or a Tayshaun Prince, even a Heinrich to name a few and I am sure you could come up with one or two others. How much better would this team be? Mo Evans, ZaZa, Josh Smith, Teague, Marvin (although he had a great game last night)…these are not “smart” players. I mean Charlie Bell and Royal Ivey (he started for us not to long ago….smile) don’t even get off the bench and Bell would play quality minutes for us. We need more, better and “smarter” players…period!!!
It is the GM’s JOB to get the coach a piece or two, c’mon!!!? For whatever reason you NEVER criticize him, why? I have listed below the fact that coach Woodson was picked 9th “best” coach of the year and Rick was not even mentioned in the GM balloting. He did NOT GET A VOTE…NOTE ONE!!!!
In closing the Hawks this season were 53-29, swept the Celtics 4-0, beat every team in the NBA including Lakers, Cavs, and Magic, were a 3 seed in the East, has improved their record (not team) every season for 5 consecutive seasons and had no contributions from any draft picks in two years and had one free agent that helped (Jamal). Oh, and if coach has had so many great “prospects” on the bench over the years, when they left Atlanta, have they ever been heard from again? (just name one, I could ONLY think of Boris Diaw and that’s a reach). As Chad Ocho Cinco would say, “Child Please”…Hawks and coach Woodson deserve an “A+” if you handed out grades. Now would Rick? I want you and the bloggers to hand out grades on coach and the GM. I would like to see what folks think after really thinking about it.
The Hawks will win in Milwaukee Friday and close out the series on Sunday…GO Hawks!!!!
NBA Executive of the Year Voting
4/24/2010, 2:29 p.m. EDT
The Associated Press
The Associated Press
John Hammond, Milwaukee 12
Sam Presti, Oklahoma City 9
Danny Ferry, Cleveland 2
Rod Higgins, Charlotte 1
Mark Cuban, Dallas 1
Chris Wallace, Memphis 1
Jeff Bower, New Orleans 1
Kevin Pritchard, Portland 1
Geoff Petrie, Sacramento 1
Kevin O’Connor, Utah 1
Coach, Team 1st 2nd 3rd Pts
Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City 71 39 8 480
Scott Skiles, Milwaukee 26 54 21 313
Nate McMillan, Portland 9 9 35 107
Jerry Sloan, Utah 10 9 21 98
Alvin Gentry, Phoenix 4 5 11 46
Larry Brown, Charlotte 1 2 12 23
George Karl, Denver 1 1 3 11
Rick Adelman, Houston – 2 1 7
Mike Woodson, Atlanta – 2 1 7
Lionel Hollins, Memphis – - 6 6
Stan Van Gundy, Orlando 1 – - 5
Mike Brown, Cleveland – - 2 2
Rick Carlisle, Dallas – - 1 1
Erik Spoelstra, Miami – - 1 1
limewire
April 30th, 2010
6:03 pm
lol amazing stuff man.