Playoff win shows Hawks haven’t quit on Larry Drew
With Saturday's victory over Orlando, Larry Drew led the Hawks to their first road playoff win over a higher seed in 14 years. (AP photo)
ORLANDO – This can get lost in the euphoria of Joe Johnson coming up big in a playoff game, Kirk Hinrich looking almost young again on defense and Jason Collins getting head-butted from a frustrated Dwight Howard.
But it’s worth noting: The Hawks followed Larry Drew.
They followed his game plan. They followed his season-long cries for a consistent effort and passion, his pleas for mental and physical toughness. They won their playoff series opener against Orlando on Saturday night, and in doing so put to rest any suggestions that players had tuned out or quit on their first-year coach. Wins like this simply don’t happen if guys aren’t paying attention.
It doesn’t explain the absurdity of some Hawks performances during the season, including five home losses by 21 or more points. But it gives credence to the theory that the problems have been less about Drew’s ability as a head coach than it is about his players’ occasional reluctance to accept his ideas.
“He has had a plan throughout,” Jamal Crawford said of Drew on Sunday. “Maybe at times some people, or even us, didn’t understand it. But there’s a method to his madness.”
Al Horford, the most universally respected player in the Hawks’ locker room, said, “Nobody has ever quit on Larry. It was more about frustration. I felt like some guys got discouraged because their own games weren’t going the way they wanted it to. That happens during a season.”
It is only one game in this series. But consider the significance: The Hawks were 2-12 in road playoff games in the last three years. Fact is, they hadn’t won a road playoff game against a higher playoff seed in 14 years (at Chicago in the second round in 1996-97).
Drew understood why there were doubters when the Hawks hired him. He was the assistant to the guy who got fired (Mike Woodson). The perception was he got the job because he came cheap. Rumors had circulated lately that he could be in trouble. His contract: only two years and a team option at a relatively modest salary of just over $1 million.
Hard to know if the rumors had any foundation because what in the Hawks’ organization isn’t up in the air? Ownership? Check. Management? Check. Roster? Check.
Pinning the team’s radical mood swings solely on the first-year head coach seemed a tad unfair, especially given he was trying to force a new offense on a group of players that, let’s just say, doesn’t always come off as having that “all for one and one for all” mentality.
Drew said Sunday that he expected “some ups and downs. I was going to have to deal with it and try to find the balance.” The new coach appears to have adopted the philosophy of Mr. Miyagi.
“What this team did last year in the regular season [winning 53 games] was phenomenal,” Drew said. “Could we duplicate it? I didn’t know. To be perfectly honest, my biggest concern was implementing a new system. Would they buy into it? You go through certain situations, different personalities. A clash here, a clash there. Doubt sometimes seeps in. Finger-pointing seeps in. The last thing I was going to allow this team to do was fragment.”
That didn’t happen. Horford said that if players had quit on Drew this season, “It would be the same as quitting on your own teammates. That didn’t happen this year.”
Did it happen last year under Woodson?
“In all honesty, I think it did,” he said.
He pointed to the team’s play in the postseason, particularly in the four-game sweep by Orlando, which also dominated the Hawks during the regular season.
“Part of it could have been Woodson and that some guys had been with him for a long time, but part of it also was we were playing Orlando.
“This year has been a strange season, but the feeling in the locker room seems OK. It’s just a matter of getting acclimated to what he’s trying to do.”
Drew says often, “I believe in this team.” On some days, that puts him in exclusive company.
But at least now, he has a significant playoff win on his resume to back up the words.
By Jeff Schultz
Last few Hawks blogs
– Hawks surprise us again — this time by stunning Magic
– Like magic, Jameer Nelson suddenly not talking about Hawks
– This would be good time for Hawks to knock somebody down
♦
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78 comments Add your comment
Spartacus
April 17th, 2011
3:58 pm
first time firster!
Spartacus
April 17th, 2011
4:02 pm
I haven’t read anyone else point this out on the other blogs, but I was really impressed with Drew’s comments to the players on the bench last night. When you get in the playoffs, you’ve already proven that you have the talent to be there, now it’s about passion, focus and intensity. Those are the things that Drew zeroed in on in the huddle during one of the breaks (they showed a replay of it during the miked up portion of the broadcast). That is the essence of a coach leading his team and teaching them how to win. It’s about focus and intensity, the plays will be there if they stay with it mentally, and they did a good job of that last night, especially holding the Magic off at the end. Great win Hawks, I was thoroughly impressed, and by the way, the motion offense worked really well last night. I think that might be the best executed game I’ve ever seen the Hawks play!
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
4:07 pm
Ah . . . so you are Spartacus.
(Terrific comments.)
kbp
April 17th, 2011
4:22 pm
Jeff, I thought surely the post season was about sipping another 4 game embalming smoothie for the Hawks and Drew. Glad I am wrong. Go Hawks!
Booo!
April 17th, 2011
4:24 pm
Love what i’m seeing out of the Hawks. Joe and Jamal Showed up and so did Al and Josh. We just gotta stay consistant.
————————————–
“In all honesty, I think it did,” he said.
“This year has been a strange season, but the feeling in the locker room seems OK. It’s just a matter of getting acclimated to what he’s trying to do.”
————————
LD Doesn’t have all the answers, but thank goodness he knows what he’s doing against the magic.
Go Hawks!
Free The Teague!
J.J.M.
April 17th, 2011
4:26 pm
quick question would we be better if twin started every game?
Booo!
April 17th, 2011
4:35 pm
BINGO!!
“If you ask me — and I acknowledge that no one actually did — Howard especially hates losing to the Hawks because they don’t have his full respect. Howard doesn’t enjoy losing to teams such as Boston and Los Angeles, but at least those teams are filled with NBA champions and future Hall of Famers. When it comes down to it, he can live with losing to winners. But the Hawks? Their best player is Joe freakin’ Johnson, their second-best player was the second-best player on Howard’s AAU team (Smith) and their third-best player is a jump-shooting, soft-spoken big man who Howard routinely pulverizes (Horford). That’s not a collection of players Howard is OK losing to.”
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/2011/04/dwight-howard-hates-losing-especially-to-the-hawks-video.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sports%2Fmagic%2Fbasketblog+%28Magic+BasketBlog%29
More Bullitenboard Material for the Hawks!
Jason Collins should start permanetly!
UGABugKiller
April 17th, 2011
5:13 pm
Boo, if you think Horfy is the Hawks third best player, you aren’t paying attention.
Horfy is the Hawks BEST player, with a combination of skill and leadership.
Joe Johnson is a mope. Josh Smith is as selfish a basketball player as I’ve ever seen. If I owned the Hawks, I’d fine his a$$ for every jump shot he takes.
In fact, the worst thing Larry Drew has done this year was give those two leadership vacuums co-captain status with Horford, the only true leader this team has.
As far as Howard “dominating” Horford, Howard dominates A LOT of players, least of all a guy who’d be a premier power forward stuck playing center, a position he’s about 3-inches too short and 20 lbs too light for.
gcs
April 17th, 2011
5:19 pm
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before:
Team A is universally scorned. Everyone and their brother predicts Team B to beat Team A. Team A gets all fired up and wins the first game of the series on the road. All of a sudden, doubters start saying nice things about Team A. Team B wins the series.
.
Sutton's Fro
April 17th, 2011
5:21 pm
When the Hawks led through most of the 1st quarter, then let the Magic go on a run to close out the period with the lead, I thought — “Here we go!! Woody’s Hawks are back!!” Same mental lapses that not only were to blame for the brutal sweep the Magic put on the Hawks last season, but also dragged out the first round series with the Bucks beyond what it should have.
But lo and behold, the Hawks picked themselves up through the 2nd and 3rd quarters, and played hard enough in the 4th to keep the Magic at bay and take the win. I will believe in LD’s version of the Hawks until/unless the “Woody’s” take the floor again. Hopefully, that will last til (at least) the Conference Finals, but I’m not holding my breath….
Sutton's Fro
April 17th, 2011
5:26 pm
By the way, having recently moved to the Tampa Bay area, I can tell you that the local media and sports talk are focusing on two things:
1) All of the personal fouls the Hawks threw at Dwight Howard (ESPN’s highlight package last night helped with that…)
2) The fact that Howard and Nelson were the only Magic players who scored in double figures. But of course, they’re blaming Stan Van and the other Magic players, instead of giving the Hawks’ D any credit.
No one down here thinks this series will go past 5 games…
"Chef" Tim Dix
April 17th, 2011
5:30 pm
Al’s honesty is why he probably sleeps well at night as well as the reason he is universally admired.
"Chef" Tim Dix
April 17th, 2011
5:33 pm
Strange as it sounds, the Chef says Hawks sweep if refs continue to allow in the in the post season what has happened to this point.
Booo!
April 17th, 2011
5:38 pm
UGABugKiller,
No No No, you misunderstand. Jeff thought that D12 had an alterior motive behiend his “I can’t stand loosing to Atlanta” quotes. I was just confirming that by posting a quote from one of the Orlando Sentinel beat writers.
Boss is a Beast, no doubt.
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
5:55 pm
KPB — I think somebody once said, “That’s why they play the games.”
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
5:57 pm
JJM — “quick question would we be better if twin started every game?” … A worthy question, especially since Marvin Williams has been playing well off the bench.
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
5:58 pm
Boooo! — I’m sure it will get around (if it hasn’t already).
Najeh Davenpoop
April 17th, 2011
6:04 pm
“But it gives credence to the theory that the problems have been less about Drew’s ability as a head coach than it is about his players’ occasional reluctance to accept his ideas.”
Yes, but part of being a good head coach is getting players to fall in line with what you are trying to do.
Woody was a bad coach when it came to strategy, but he consistently got his players to accept his ideas. LD is a much better coach in my opinion when it comes to strategy, but he has not shown that he is capable of getting his players to fall in line. Hopefully this is a turning point in LD’s future as a head coach.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 17th, 2011
6:07 pm
Interesting comments from Al though. I think this is the first time anyone on the team has openly admitted to quitting on Woody last year.
LakeDawg
April 17th, 2011
6:08 pm
Totally shocked by last night. I admit, I never saw it coming. Hawks played with passion and played together for the full 48 minutes. The only digression from that was about 5-6 plays where J. Smith got a defensive rebound, took the ball up the court himself, refusing to pass to a guard, and then threw up some ridiculous shot with someone in his face and plenty of time on the shot clock. Luckily, he only did that a few times. J. Smith is the key to this series. IF he plays team ball and gets on a roll, the Hawks can win this series. He can also single-handidly undo the Hawks if he gets selfish, because he’s not involved enough and gets frustrated. It’s always been obvious he’s more interested in getting all-star numbers rhan winning.
honest_abe
April 17th, 2011
6:21 pm
the jump shots will cool off so the hawks need to defend better and find a way to score inside.. or else..
Doc
April 17th, 2011
6:31 pm
I’ll never say (fingers are crossed) another bad thing about Hawks or Joe Johnson. They manned up last night and did themselves proud.
And Marvin Williams (Holy Cow!) did a slam dunk with a defender in his way when the game was still in question. Did I say, Holy Cow?
Beast from the East
April 17th, 2011
6:32 pm
I picked Hawks to lose in 5. I felt they had quit at the end of the regular season. I was very impressed with them last night and hope they continue to play with the same intensity.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
6:57 pm
Again, the Clueless (BugKiller) speaks on an issue that he had no clue of what another blogger was intending to make… Horford is not the most talented of the players on the Hawks roster. He settles for jumpers in the face of lesser defensive foes too much to be considered that. However, he is the most consistent day in and day out talent on the current roster. He works hard for the most part, he generally brings a passion and professionalism to his role in that same manner. There’s no doubt in that… Still, he scares no one in the post, absolutely no one. But for a time that lacks in its DNA a desire (passion) to be motivated to greatness. Horford is essential from the standpoint of giving what can no better be described to as “heart.” For all of his clear shortcomings, the only other person who had that was Mike Bibby.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
6:58 pm
“Time” = “team”
moorman
April 17th, 2011
7:00 pm
need convincing that the hawks were just COASTING in the regular season and just waiting on the playoffs: JOSH SMITH. you cant tell me that he all a sudden decided to listen to larry drew. during the regular season, hawks players were SELFISH, but they had the talent, the ability and the coaching to do this all along, they was just waiting. Smith STAYED on the perimeter, now all a sudden, he is beasting in the paint. you CANT turn on things in the playoffs that you didnt already have……..
JSS
April 17th, 2011
7:12 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
“It would be the same as quitting on your own teammates.”
Said it last last year, it is not about the coach. It has always been about these players being accountable to each other. They finally admitted to the world what everyone else could see. They greater part of any enterprise is a willingness to be led, then comes how you execute that leadership.
I have lauded their performance last night. I watch in interest to see how they approach the rest of the journey. This is the point in time. It separates teams like the 1989 Pistons (who were then considered underachievers) from teams like 1979 San Antonio Spurs or the 1988 Hawks who could never exercise their inner demons of self-doubt or never fulfilled goals.
heartofdarkness
April 17th, 2011
7:24 pm
The game also showed a head butt is not a foul. When Wilt Chamberlain was the primary offensive option for the Philadelphia Warriors, they did not win the Championship. When he concentrated on defense and rebounding, the 76ers won. Dwight Howard is not efficient enough as a scorer with people in front of him to carry the offensive load single handedly. If the Hawks bigs can stay healthy, not a guaranteed proposition given the relative indifference of the refs to what is happening on the court, Orlando is going to have to give the big guy a lot of help.
Spartacus
April 17th, 2011
7:30 pm
Three other reasons for the win last night—Hinrich’s defense on Jameer, Johnson not settling for three pointers and taking it to the paint, and Josh Smith playing within smart basketball by playing to his strengths on the inside. Hinrich’s defense set the tone for the whole game and allowed everyone else to stay on their man. This would not have happened with Bibby on the roster.
ATLHAWKS487
April 17th, 2011
7:35 pm
@JSS:
Horford is by far the best player on the Hawks roster. Yeah, he doesn’t score 30 or 40 a night, but he is usually good for 16 and 10. That is pretty valuable in my books. He is the heart, like you said, and without a heart, your team can’t function.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
8:05 pm
@ATLHAWKS487…
That is why I point out his (Horford) attributes. But “best player” does not equal the “most talented.” George Gervin was the most talented player on the Spurs (proud Eastern Michigan star); but the best player on that team was Larry Kenon. Adrian Dantley was not the “most talented” player in Detroit. But he carried them equally as much as Isiah in terms of getting them there… Dumars rose to the occasion and subsequently is remembered for that…
As much we hate it here, this team rises and falls on the equation of three parts plus a wild card variable. An engaged Johnson + a focused Smith + output from Crawford times (x: Horford, Hinrich, or the rare Casper sighting, I mean Williams) = Hawks success. I like Al’s charisma and persona in comparison to the void less ones. But this team can win (not saying it is not hard or not undesirable when it happens) when Al goes for 4 and not a have a free throw attempt, and be -15. It happened a lot, but let one of those other 4 players do that, what did we get?
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
8:06 pm
Najeh — Agree with your comments but Horford said what many suspected: Players were tuning out Woody in the playoffs. As for LD, I’m not saying he’s good or bad coach, but just think he deserved a bit of slack considering change in offensive sloppy (and not having best personalities to deal with).
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
8:07 pm
Najeh — And yes. One of many reasons to love Al: his honesty. By the way, if one of a few other guys in that room (whom I won’t name) had said the same thing, I wouldn’t have given it much thought. Old saying: Consider the source.
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
8:09 pm
JSS — Dead on comments on Horford. The success that he has had is remarkable, considering he’s playing out of position (usually).
Dawgfan0711
April 17th, 2011
8:12 pm
Jeff, I think it shows that these guys play when they want to. When motivated they can play with anyone. You never know what team is going to show up.
Reid Adair
April 17th, 2011
8:22 pm
I’m still OK with Larry Drew. The win over Orlando did nothing to change my less-than-stellar opinion of ownership and management.
Mike Bibby
April 17th, 2011
8:30 pm
Looks like you guys will play us heat in the 2nd round, if Joe plays his best he is unstoppable. Kirk sucks.
TheAntiMe
April 17th, 2011
8:34 pm
Totally shocked by last night. I admit, I never saw it coming. Hawks played with passion and played together for the full 48 minutes. The only digression from that was about 5-6 plays where J. Smith got a defensive rebound, took the ball up the court himself, refusing to pass to a guard, and then threw up some ridiculous shot with someone in his face and plenty of time on the shot clock. Luckily, he only did that a few times. J. Smith is the key to this series. IF he plays team ball and gets on a roll, the Hawks can win this series. He can also single-handidly undo the Hawks if he gets selfish, because he’s not involved enough and gets frustrated. It’s always been obvious he’s more interested in getting all-star numbers rhan winning.
————- ——————–
Actually, I disagree that Josh Smith is not a team player. He’s always encouraging his teammates and is one of the first to congratulate another Hawk who makes a good play. I believe that Smoove’s biggest problem is that – like many other good players in every sport – he, at times, tries to do too much. Plus, as has been documented by media sources such as “ESPN – The Magazine”, his outside shooting for most of the season is substantially higher than it ever has been, which has, IMO, led him to put up some ill-advised outside shots. I too, believe that most of Josh’s shots should come from inside the paint but nobody groans when Joe Johnson bricked shot-after-outside shot this season.
Make no mistake about it, as great as Al Horford is – and I hope that Al remains a Hawk for the duration – Josh Smith is the heart and soul of this Hawks team. If you were to read the perceptions of the Atlanta Hawks from media sources outside of Atlanta you would see that this is how Josh is perceived around the league. That doesn’t necessarily make him the best player on the Hawks but he is far from the selfish player that people sometimes want to paint him as.
TheAntiMe
April 17th, 2011
8:37 pm
Hey, where’s my comment? I didn’t say anything mean.
TheAntiMe
April 17th, 2011
8:51 pm
OK, retry with a bit more brevity:
Actually, I disagree that Josh Smith is not a team player. He’s always encouraging his teammates and is one of the first to congratulate another Hawk who makes a good play. I believe that Smoove’s biggest problem is that – like many other good players in every sport – he, at times, tries to do too much. Plus, as has been documented by media sources such as “ESPN – The Magazine”, his outside shooting for most of the season is substantially higher than it ever has been, which has, IMO, led him to put up some ill-advised outside shots. I too, believe that most of Josh’s shots should come from inside the paint but nobody groans when Joe Johnson bricked shot-after-outside shot this season.
Make no mistake about it, as great as Al Horford is – and I hope that Al remains a Hawk for the duration – Josh Smith is the heart and soul of this Hawks team. If you were to read the perceptions of the Atlanta Hawks from media sources outside of Atlanta you would see that this is how Josh is perceived around the league. That doesn’t necessarily make him the best player on the Hawks but he is far from the selfish player that people sometimes want to paint him as.
Mike Bibby
April 17th, 2011
8:55 pm
Where was Hinrichs Defense Jameer had 26 somethin points.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
9:00 pm
I saw Marvin Barnes, Isiah Rider, and Lloyd “World B.” Free play professional basketball. There is no way in heck that Josh Smith is the “most selfish player!”
ATLHAWKS487
April 17th, 2011
9:24 pm
@JSS
I never said anything about Horford being the most talented. I completely agree with your “most talented” doesn’t mean “best player”. I’d say Josh or Joe is the most talented… but thats another debate. But Horford is by far the most consistent day in and day out. Whenever he is on the court he is giving 110%. Also, he is not playing in his true position. He is a PF and is forced to play C because of lineup issues on the team. He is forced to play a position that he is undersized to play properly. Even with these circumstances, he ranks 6th in the league in scoring and rebounding for C. Think of how much better he could be if he played a position that he suited to play. If the Hawks decide to trade for a legit C this summer and slide Horford to the PF, I believe they would have a legit chance to make the Eastern Conference Finals.
skeptical
April 17th, 2011
9:32 pm
Hmmm….7 games generate more revenue than 4, the NBA is in poor financial health, the Hornets beat the Lakers and the Hawks beat the Magic. Methinks the fix is in.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
9:42 pm
There are no trade for legit centers really left now… You are only going to get real quasi talented players now for a year or two. Andrew Bynum and Nene don’t fall off trees that often.
I like Hoford, but I understand what he will be in this league. He won’t be Karl Malone, neither will Josh. But they make a good combination if used correctly. A legit center will help both so they could mismatch them more on the floor and take pressure off of Zaza who destined to be role playing specialist in the 2nd unit…
“The best player” is more directed at the person who opened this can of worms.
Let's Play Football
April 17th, 2011
9:53 pm
Is it true, the Magic fans are crying about the fouls on Howard? Most of Howard’s game is to lower his shoulder and drive the defender under the rim. In real basketball this is an offensive foul. In the NBA, it is a three point play.
ATLHAWKS487
April 17th, 2011
9:54 pm
Of course there aren’t any easy or cheap trades out there. If there were, anyone could be a part of this league. Be creative, take chances, shake things up a little bit. The management just can’t be afraid to spend a little bit of money. You have to spend money to make money. We might have to make a package around Josh Smith and maybe someone else, but we need another legit big down low who can bang with the best.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
10:11 pm
Being creative got us in this mess: see Isiah Rider and Sharif Abdul-Rahim. The Hawks need to be player personnel competent for the next 3 years. That is when Joe starts taking those big pay bumps. This years first rd pick is gone and most likely Crawford is gone too. We’ll need another scorer and the the exception acquired for Childress expires shortly… They have hard choices.
You trade Smith and you open a can of worms because you’ll need a shotblocker as much as a banger!
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
10:17 pm
JSS — “Rest of journey,” starting Tuesday, will be interesting.
Jeff Schultz
April 17th, 2011
10:18 pm
The Anti-Me — just got back from dinner. I’ll check filter for comments.
Spartacus
April 17th, 2011
10:18 pm
if you don’t think Hinrich’s defense was great last night, then you didn’t watch the game. He took Jameer completely out of the game in the first half. It was in the second half when Jamal was mainly playing him that Jameer got going and that continued into the fourth quarter (note Jameer had 20 points in the third quarter, mainly with Jamaal covering him). When Hinrich came back in, Jameer had found his rhythm and was playing the pick and roll really well, but Hinrich still slowed him down.
KevinM
April 17th, 2011
10:25 pm
Not seeing the game, with Howard getting 46 and Nelson getting 26, you’d think the Magic routed then Hawks. But one thing I wil say about LD this year; he has corrected a problem the Hawks had with the Magic in the past. Now it’s about being consistent and that is one thing this team isn’t.
So this may be a wild series, with the Hawks basically showing he weaknesses of the Magic to the rest of the league.
NagoyaHawk
April 17th, 2011
10:26 pm
I want to believe that Larry Drew is a genius. I want to believe that the Hawks were sleepers now awake for the playoffs. I want to believe that the 3-1 season series advantage the Hawks held was a sign of a weakened version of the 2010 Magic who thumped us, I want to believe. I want to believe that we’ll win this thing & move to the 2nd round. I want to believe the Hawks are finally contenders, not pretenders. I want to believe. But it’s just been one game. Oh, how we can fall. These are the Hawks, remember? Please prove me, everybody wrong guys.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
10:35 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
That is what makes the NBA and Cup playoffs are the two best tournaments in American professional sports when teams “actually” show up…
JSS
April 17th, 2011
10:59 pm
@ Jeff Schultz…
On a non basketball note, Who is doing the Seder this year?
Basketball Jones
April 17th, 2011
11:17 pm
cosign JSS, Just show up Hawks. Win or lose, just play hard and show you care. My Hockey team is gritty and hard working. Personnel wise they are a year away, but they find themselves alive in this year’s playoffs. Just show up and play hard. The Hawks have the team they are going to be for some time. They need to make the most of this opportunity.
Just show up and play hard.
TheAntiMe
April 17th, 2011
11:18 pm
Thanks, Jeff. Very cool of you, (as usual) but I think that I prolly was a bit too verbose. lol – What a shocker, huh? I got it out the second time with a few less sentences. I definitely appreciate your help though.
JSS
April 17th, 2011
11:31 pm
@ Basketball Jones…
That is what made last Spring so disappointing. They quit on them self… I know a lot of fans took it personally. I didn’t because it is human nature. I’m not excusing what they did or what some said. That is a problem that the organization should have seriously addressed within hours of Joe’s resigning… The festering sore of his comment still needs to be healed. That is what has impressed so much about this weekend’s games. A lot of NBA teams have grown up. No one in the lower seeds took the “inferior product” route. There will be no free passes this year!
Terrell
April 18th, 2011
7:36 am
Mike Bibby,
Jameer scored 20 of those points during a stretch when Kirk was out of the game.
Jack In Wyoming
April 18th, 2011
9:00 am
Dwight scored 46 points so the defense on him was not very good. The Hawks won because Hinrich,JJ,and JSmith were answering the Magic’s scores and then some. You can’t expect those 3 to play well every game. They haven’t all year until two days ago… You know one or two will disappear and score 5 points on 2 of 20 shooting…
Jack In Wyoming
April 18th, 2011
9:02 am
Why is Collins getting props for giving up 46 points to D-Ho ? Usually guys get benched for allowing 46 points…
Kelvin
April 18th, 2011
9:14 am
I have been hard on the Hawks all year and I must say I am shocked that they won on the road in Orlando. I predicted they would be eliminated in the first round, but we’ll see if they can follow up their game one performance with a solid performance in game two.
AJ
April 18th, 2011
9:17 am
Joe and Kirk need to keep playing DEF the way they have, and their offense will continue. And Josh needs to listens to EVERYTHING Al and coach Drew tell him, and play completely unselfish basketball. From a personal perspective the Hawks are superior, they just need to keep playing as a team. Good win Hawks…
Double Zero Eight
April 18th, 2011
9:21 am
What a pleasant surprise. I am glad I was wrong.
Marvin is due to have his “once in a whilte” good
game.
The Hawks stand a chance of advancing if they
can keep up the intensity and remain focused.
Double Zero Eight
April 18th, 2011
9:21 am
Spelled “while” incorrectly on my previous post.
tremaine
April 18th, 2011
10:28 am
Chill out folks. I guess if the hawks win this series everybody will be happy? I thought they fired Woodson so they can get better?
Hawks owners are still money hungry clowns.
Rick Sund is still a terrible GM.
Larry Drew is still a canidate for worst coach in the NBA.
Joe Johnson is still overpaid.
jay
April 18th, 2011
10:38 am
LOL at Josh being the most selfish player ever. Maybe some of you should check his assist numbers, at the power forward position, no less. Also you should see how many blocks he gets on offensive players that he isn’t guarding. Meaning he picks up the slack for other players on his team. Taking dumb jump shots doesn’t make you selfish, unless that’s all you do. Add to that, there have been several times LD has benched him and he has cheered his team until the end of the game with enthusiasm instead of moping or showing negativity.
Brian Asselstine
April 18th, 2011
10:47 am
Honey Badger don’t care…
Kane337
April 18th, 2011
11:47 am
Go Hawks!!!!
Orlando Magic will still beat Atlanta Hawks, Bruce Bowen says – Orlando Sentinel (blog) | Basketball Video Zone
April 18th, 2011
12:00 pm
[...] Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) [...]
Buddy Grizzard
April 18th, 2011
12:00 pm
As I said before the game, if the players show up and play to their potential and play with heart and toughness, they have the talent to beat Orlando. KH showed up. JJ showed up. Jamal played non-existent defense, letting practically-crippled Arenas blow by him, but produced enough offense that he was only minus one.
Larry Drew’s “system” produced the same open long jumpers it has all season. The Hawks just happened to make a good percentage of this game. Judge LD by how he responds and what adjustments he makes when those shots are not falling. We will see if LD’s system is more than “free guys for 23-footers and hope they go in.”
No crying
April 18th, 2011
12:21 pm
Buddy I agree, The shots were falling for the Hawks Saturday night. The real question is why. The team attacking and being aggressive and out hustling the magic. The hawks controlled the court. When we settle for jumpers without attacking we don’t control the court and let the other team run their game plan. As long as the jumpers fall we seem invincible. The character of the team will emerge when the jumpers stop falling and the team has to grind it out.
Ted M
April 18th, 2011
12:27 pm
I watched the Braves game instead of game 1. I’ll have to tune in for Tuesday’s game.
Van Gundy: Hawks’ Hinrich deal better than Carmelo trade | Jeff Schultz
April 18th, 2011
1:31 pm
[...] – Playoff win shows Hawks haven’t quit on Larry Drew [...]
wolfman
April 18th, 2011
1:43 pm
You mean like his son did on UNC!
Hawks' Collins ready for game 2 (round 2?) against Howard | Jeff Schultz
April 18th, 2011
4:27 pm
[...] total in two of the four losses to Orlando. It was one of coach Mike Woodson’s decisions that then assistant Larry Drew disagreed with. Drew said when he got the job, “I was adamant about Jason coming [...]
BBIB
April 19th, 2011
2:03 pm
LD might be the greatest coach in franchise history when it’s all said and done
The haters better get a clue. He had perfect gameplan vs Magic
decriz
April 21st, 2011
2:29 pm
rick adelman is the perfect guy for the hawks. no doubt. a guy who successfully used a chuck hayes at center, among other things. also an offense genius. we have got to get him.