Hawks’ constant Sybil act reaffirms changes are needed
There were too many times in the game when this reflected the Hawks' interest level.
Welcome back to the tin-foil hat brigade. Hawks players don’t just show up for games — they wait for signals from their home planet (where unicorns and perfect Billy Knight-drafted point guards frolic in the fields).
Shouldn’t they be past this by now?
“I thought we were,” Jamal Crawford said. “But I thought we were past it before Game 5 [in Orlando], also.”
He speculated it was part of the “growth process.” It would be a wonderful theory, except for that there are 3,000-year-old giant sequoia trees in California with shorter growth processes than the Hawks.
At some point, you come to the realization that certain teams don’t grow, they just forever mutate into a new, unexpected and possibly really ugly life form.
The Hawks resume their playoff series against Chicago on Sunday night. They could win by 10 or lose by 30. There’s something wrong with that. Just when you allowed yourself to think that the first-round series win over Orlando — despite a 25-point loss in Game 5 — was a sign of some long-awaited maturity, they came out Friday night against the Bulls looking like catatonic wildebeests.
A coach should not have to feel the need to call timeout only 49 seconds into any game, let alone a playoff game … at home.
Crawford again: “That’s never good.” (On this theory, we agree.)
Whenever this playoff run ends for the Hawks, and it could be soon, change is needed.
Joe Johnson is asked to lead. He comes up big in Game 1 against Chicago with 34 points. Then he fades to 16 in Game 2 and 10 in Game 3. Afterward, he complains about the offensive game plan. Says he is “buried in the corner” on pick-and-rolls. Says this: “Honestly, I’ve just got to force the issue. … Coach wants me to give up the ball at times, but I can’t give it up every time.”
On Saturday, when the media was allowed into the locker room, Johnson already was long gone. It officially extended his streak of disappearances.
There are things about this team that can’t be fixed without trades. We’re past the point of film study and psychotherapy. Josh Smith is asked, implored, begged, to stick to his strengths and not fire up jump shots. He cooperates for all of a quarter.
Question: Does Smith even realize he is 0-for-17 from beyond 15 feet in this series, and 5-for-33 in the playoffs? Conversely, he is shooting 60 percent from nine feet and closer (38-of-63). The lesson there should be easy to locate.
Most seem to believe the Hawks lost Game 3 99-82 because Derrick Rose scored 44 points. Suddenly, everybody forgot the Hawks beat Orlando in a playoff game when Dwight Howard scored 46.
The Hawks are asked to do a few simple things: defend, rebound and give some semblance of an effort. They went 0-for-3 in the last game. Chicago aced all three. There’s the game.
Coach Larry Drew was asked Saturday if he ever has been a part of such schizophrenic team as a player or coach. He smiled.
“I will admit — I do have an interesting group,” he said.
Everybody laughed. It was as if Sybil had just been described as having an interesting personality.
“What happened [Friday] night, it did catch me off guard,” Drew continued. “I really thought we would start that game too energized. I was expecting a lot of early turnovers. I thought we would be too hyped and have too much energy. I thought I would have to find a way to tone my guys down.”
There are only so many times a coach should have to threaten to use a cattle prod. Concepts such as competitive instincts, professional pride and even the motivation generally associated with earning a seven- or eight-digit salary should take over.
But too often with the Hawks, that’s not the case. Something is missing in their DNA. And they are way past their growth spurt.
By Jeff Schultz
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175 comments Add your comment
SALVADOR
May 8th, 2011
12:01 pm
AS MAGIC JOHNSON SAID ABOUT THE LAKERS…..
The Hawks need a center who can defend and a small forward who can score.
I think Teague has proven in this series that he can be a point guard in this league,and along with Heinrich fill that position.
It is very obvious that Al Horford is not comfortable with the role he is asked to play for the Hawks and I consider him the only real valuable asset for trading that the Hawks have.In order to improve this very unbalanced roster he has to be traded and throw Marvin Williams in that deal.
THEN GET A REAL NBA COACH !!!!!
SALVADOR
May 8th, 2011
12:04 pm
WHAT MAGIC JOHNSON SAID ABOUT THE LAKERS WAS..
SALVADOR
May 8th, 2011
12:06 pm
THIS GROUP HAS BEEN TOGETHER FOR TOO LONG!!!!!!
B'Red
May 8th, 2011
12:23 pm
Trade Joe Johnson to portland. I think they have an overpaid center who was a lottery pick and has not played in 3 years. Maybe they want to unload that contract for Joe Johnson. Marvin Williams has no value and you cant trade him. He should have never been resigned. He cannot play anywhere esle in the NBA. Actually he should be the D league. He might be able to hold his own there.
rollo lawson
May 8th, 2011
12:29 pm
The Lakers are looking to make major changes if and when they lose against Dallas. Look for a Dwight Howard/Pau Gasol block buster trade this summer. If the Magic let him walk next summer, they get nothing. If the Lakers get Dwight, Bynum is gone as well. That’s where the Hawks come in. Bynum for Horford straight up.
Stuart
May 8th, 2011
12:46 pm
I say try to move Joe. I know it’s near impossible with his contract, but if D Williams ends up not wanting to stay in New Jersey, then see if the Russian billionaire will pay for Joe (which I’m sure he’d be open to it). The trade Joe plus Hinrich or Teague to NJ for D Williams. Then trade Josh Smith for a legit center. Then you have D Williams at point, Al at the 4, a legit center, Marvin at the 3, and if you can re-sign Jamal Crawford, he can be your 2. Though, it would be even better if a decent, bigger, better defender can be signed to play at the 2 so Jamal can still come in off the bench.
But yes, some changes will have to be made, maybe even a new coach. It’s not that LD has done bad necessarily, but given that LD is pretty soft-spoken, I don’t think he fires up the guys the way they need to be, especially regarding the fundamentals of the game (i.e. hustling, being aggressive, playing physical, ball movement, movement away from the ball, taking the ball to the basket as opposed to settling for long jumpers, with that, getting to the free throw line, and DEFENSE).
Stuart
May 8th, 2011
12:49 pm
Of course, with the trade, you’ll have to find a way to make salaries match up.
nique
May 8th, 2011
12:56 pm
If Zaza gets minutes this game, he will get into Noah’s head and throw him off. Guaranteed.
hh2
May 8th, 2011
12:57 pm
Nailed It
RAY
May 8th, 2011
2:27 pm
@Trapper John….Dwight had said all along he wanted to bring a championship here to Atlanta, but Atlanta has not one thing to bring him here, his contract is up next year, and ownership is still in turmoil, but why would he come here now, their the one who don’t seem to want him……
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
2:56 pm
So what changes do you suggest?
JeJe
May 8th, 2011
3:03 pm
Marvin, Horford and a pick for Artest and Bynum
I’ll take Bynum’s injury history in a heartbeat
Count me in
May 8th, 2011
3:39 pm
Maybe some of those coaches who keeps putting horford on the allstar team as a reserve may see some value in him bite the Horford bait.
Im on board with the Horford Marvin for Bynum Artest up grade. I d take Gasol as well. We can not tolerate the weakness of what Horford brings defensively whether hes at the 4 or 5. Either way hes a weak defender a an average scorer. Im not into the mediocrity thingy and would like to see the hawks knocking at the door of the top seed rather than the 1 and done further lottery pickers they are and will be. Lets win for a change.
Count me in
May 8th, 2011
3:44 pm
Looks like Manny Pac Man left his Steroids at home last night. That was a very soft unanimous win over a almost 40 year old Sugar Shane Mosley. Money May Weather would take his lunch money if he he doesnt take steroids.
Count me in
May 8th, 2011
3:51 pm
“If Zaza gets minutes this game, he will get into Noah’s head and throw him off. Guaranteed.”
There was a time when Horford could do that. He has always been better than Noah. At lest until this year. They are both power forwards.
Noah is the new Dennis Rodman and Al Horford is the new Jon Koncak.
Count me in
May 8th, 2011
3:58 pm
tonight we saw Pac Man with out steroids The reason the two havent been together is the sides could not agree on the method of drug testing prior to a proposed bout. Pac Man would submit to blood analysis. Tonight he fought with out steroids and it was clear hes not in Mayweather’s league.
Steck Money
May 8th, 2011
4:40 pm
Think about this…..The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of sweeping the weeping CHAMPION Lakers and they are owned by a Basketball enthusiest who will stop at nothing to win…….and he still has not won, but might this year, we are owned by a conglomerate that knows nothing about basketball and does not care to win, so how are we going to win? We are the worst run orginization in the NBA i would say pro sports but that is a pretty big assumption, would have to do more research. We Draft the worst and make the worst personel moves……Does anybody remember we Drafted Pau Gasol?!? and now look at Memphis, they got his Brother, How is Memphis a better Organization then the Hawks? our parts are better then the sum of our parts. when JJ or JC drive and get double teamed they kick it to WHO for the J?????? anybody…..help me please, how do we not have a pure jumpshooter?!? is Dale Ellis to old? Marvin and Josh have got to be the worst shooting forward tandem in all of basketball, someone needs to go! I was leaning toward Marvin his whole career , but now I know Josh has to go, he is a knucklehead, need to trade him while he has value, Marvin at least plays team ball and would play better with Smith out of the way, Also can move Al to his Natural 4, Al is struggling with all this Switching. The Hawks will win a Championship When…..Never…..wait,wait there is hope! if we get in a time machine,Hire Jerry west as our GM instead of Billy Knight, keep Pau gasol, draft Chris Paul and Luol Deng over J Chill and Brandon Roy or Rudy Gay over Sheldon and Hire Doc Rivers as our Coach, Then the Hawks could win a championship! I am a life long Hawks fan and it is tough…..
ATLER (Ramblin Wreck)
May 8th, 2011
5:05 pm
Nathan D
May 7th, 2011
4:14 pm
Great point at Josh Smith! This why we need to trade him for a center, Bynum or Bogut. Put Al at the 4 and put marvin on the bench or trade him and smith for bynum teegue and Sy both look good. next year have Teague at the one hinrich 2, joe 3, al 4, bynum 5, pachulia crawford and Sy on the bench.
Dude are you a retard???!!!!!! Bynum’s knees are done son!!!!!!! You’d be pulling a Billy Knight power forward draft pick move on that one my friend.
Whopper Dawg
May 8th, 2011
5:45 pm
Q: What do you do if you don’t want the ball back?
A: Pass it to Smith or Johnson
Josh Smith has to go, the Hawks would be better off if they just cut him.
I live outside of Memphis. EVERY player on the Griz fight like a dawg every second they are on the courrt. EVERY one of them. EVERY secondd. The Hawks need to watch the game film for last night’s Griz game, and then watch it again. They are the opposite of the Hawks.
more over
May 8th, 2011
6:01 pm
Al brings nothing to the table. Time for him to Go! Trade Al now, while he has name recognition. You will never win anything with Al in your front court. Offensively hes average. Defensively hes sad. Hes not talented enough to take the 4 away from Josh. He has a non team attitude with this I dont want to play center attitude. He forces every body out of position so trade his anus.
limelight
May 8th, 2011
6:18 pm
Put me in with the many guys who are saying its time for Al to go. Dude is a weak defender from either the 4 or the 5. And his attitude sucks. I love the multi-tool super talented Josh Smith. What a great defender and hes an impact at the 4. Hes a better 4 than Al. Thats a no brainer. Lets get a center for a Center. Since Al dont want to play center lets trade him for one and the problem is solve. Moving Al to the 4 still makes us weak defensively at the 4.
Did you ever notice how many times Al just stopped and watch players Dunk on him with out making a effort to defend? Then he begs to get out of the low post.
Dog fight.
May 8th, 2011
6:20 pm
yeah, Josh is a keeper at the 4. if one has to go its Al.
beets.
May 8th, 2011
6:25 pm
ditto on the its time to trade Al.
Byrd
May 8th, 2011
6:28 pm
Love the stupid headline on the front page of the ajc. Gas prices to drop. Gee really. Oil has gone from 113 to 97 in a week. And what have prices done at the pump? Stayed pat.
Just shows the manipulation by the sellers because they have no problem running it up 5 to 10 cents a day after it rises $5 a barrel but when it falls they take weeks to lower. Based on what prices were last month when oil was 97, gas should sell for about 3.25-3.35 here including the 3 cent ga tax increase. All I see is 3.90-4 around here with the occasional 3.85
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10:52 pm
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