5 warning signs as these Hawks seek to move upward
Here's Jeff Teague. Haven't seen much of him lately. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
A stipulation: The Hawks are having a sunny season and have a chance to play deeper into the playoffs than they have in 40 years. “We’ve closed the gap on the top three [teams in the East],” Mike Woodson said last week, and they’ve gained so much ground they’ve become the fourth in a Big Four. That said …
When you step up in class, even the tiniest flaw can become major. And here, as they go forward, are five warning signs for these Hawks:
1. The bench is basically two guys plus Mo. Remember when we thought the Hawks actually had a second unit? That lasted about 10 days. Jason Collins has worked 17 minutes this season. Joe Smith averages 9.2 minutes per game, Jeff Teague 9.7. (Not-so-fun fact: The rookie Teague, whom Mike Woodson claims to like, averages nearly six fewer minutes than did Acie Law, whom Woodson didn’t much like, in his rookie season.) Mo Evans worked 23 minutes a game last season; he’s down to 15.3 this.
The bench is essentially Jamal Crawford, who has been great, and Zaza Pachulia. We saw the peril in that when both were out against Miami last week. The other subs managed a total of eight points.
2. Turns out continuity has its limits. It seemed a major victory when Rick Sund managed to retain Pachulia, Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby over the offseason. Alas, not one of them has taken his new contract and run with it. Pachulia averaged 6.2 points and 5.7 rebounds last season; he’s averaging 4.4 and 3.4 now. Bibby’s scoring average has dropped six whole points and his shooting percentage has plunged from 43.5 to 40.6. Williams is having his worst season since he was a rookie, which was back in 2005-2006.
3. Those re-upped contracts and the impending Joe Johnson negotiations tied Sund’s hands. The Hawks have all but conceded they’re not interested in making a deal — the deadline is Thursday — but the colder truth is that they can’t. Williams and Bibby fit the definition of expendable, but nobody wants them because their performance has dipped and they’re saddled with long-term contracts to boot. And the Hawks couldn’t take on a big salary were they so inclined; it will take $17 million a year to keep Johnson. (He declined their offer of $15 million last fall.)
4. Speaking of Joe … he’s shooting it more, passing it less. He’s averaging 18.4 shots per game, up from 18 last season, against 4.6 assists, down from 5.8. Given that the Hawks have other capable scorers — Al Horford made the All-Star team, and Crawford and Josh Smith coulda/shoulda — this isn’t a promising development. Johnson and Crawford don’t work as well together as Johnson and Bibby did, and Bibby is on the floor less than Crawford.
Still, Woodson seems determined to stick with Iso-Joe as an endgame strategy. Against the Thunder on MLK Day, Johnson took eight of the Hawks’ 23 fourth-quarter shots; he missed five and the Hawks lost. Against the Celtics on Jan. 29, he took nine of the Hawks’ 19 fourth-quarter shots; he made seven and the Hawks won. It’s fine when it works, but shouldn’t a team with more options have … more options?
5. The Hawks have owned one of the other Big Four, but only one. Good news: The Hawks are 4-0 against Boston. Bad news: They’re 0-5 against Cleveland and Orlando, with the average margin of defeat being 15.4 points. Worse news: They’re more apt to play the Cavs or the Magic in Round 2 than they are the Celtics.
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147 comments Add your comment
Eric
February 15th, 2010
1:19 pm
A lot of the bad bench play goes back to Mike Woodson playing his starters too many minutes. If Teague were on another team he would be in the hunt for rookie of the year. Joe Smith will be very valuable come playoffs, that’s what they got him for. Bibby shouldn’t have been signed back over Flip Murray, but all the fans wanted him back you got your wish. All things said, the Hawks are still one of the top teams in the NBA. Go Hawks!!!
Whopper Dawg
February 15th, 2010
1:20 pm
I think they still need a quality point guard, disappointed the Teague is not being allowed an opportunity to grow. Still need a quality center, Horford is fantastic, but is a four in reality. Forward spot and off guard is in great shape. Fix those two things and there ya go. Hard to fix in practice however.
t_smash
February 15th, 2010
1:21 pm
Anytime you’re “owned” by another team & make no visible changes in the coaching approach at re-match, it’s time a little “shake-up” in the coaches corner. Woodson should go …
For Real
February 15th, 2010
1:26 pm
3 team trade Hawks, Hornets and Rockets
Hawks get: CP3 and Posey (from Hornets)
Hornets get: McGray (from Rockets), ZaZa and Morris (from Hawks)
Rockets get: Marvin William and Mike Bibby (from Hawks) and Okafor (from Hornets)
Hawks starting five:
CP3
JJ
Posey
JSmith
Horford
t_smash
February 15th, 2010
1:29 pm
Has it occurred to anyone that despite the hype of the city (ATL), this is not a desired team to play for. Big bucks would get anyone here but I can’t imagine any player spitting out that politically correct response … “Well, Atlanta is a great place to play, and there is a great opportunity for my skills to assist in getting the team to that next level”.
BULLS***!
Mark Bradley
February 15th, 2010
1:31 pm
Joe Johnson’s minutes are down by about two a game, Eric. That’s the Jamal Crawford Effect.
Mark Bradley
February 15th, 2010
1:33 pm
Bibby is averaging 4.3 assists, Halberstram. That’s a career low.
Jones
February 15th, 2010
1:45 pm
It’s ironice that someone with the handle “For Real” would suggest that New Orleans would give up Chris Paul for ZaZa Pachulia, Randolph Morris, and Tracy McGrady’s contract. With respect, let’s be realistic.
Everybody needs some perspective here. Don’t you remember all those losing years? The Hawks are on pace to win over 50 games. I don’t think they can beat Orlando or Cleveland right now, but 90% of the teams in the NBA can’t. The Hawks are still headed in the right direction.
Jones
February 15th, 2010
1:46 pm
Sorry, I mistyped: I meant “ironic”, obviously.
That guy
February 15th, 2010
1:49 pm
Jones: I completely agree that this team is heading in the right direction. However, under the current construction, this team has reached its pinnacle.
ajw
February 15th, 2010
1:51 pm
I’ve seen good things from Teague on defense, but the offense can’t score when he is in there. Hence the lack of playing time.
RW
February 15th, 2010
1:58 pm
82nd!!!
#1 GT fan
February 15th, 2010
2:09 pm
Keep JJ.
Get read of Marvin and Bibby. Get young players to take there place.
GO HAWKS!!!!
BPJ
February 15th, 2010
2:17 pm
Any chance Atlanta native Dwight Howard wants to play here?
Mark Bradley
February 15th, 2010
2:19 pm
Marvin Williams is 23, #1 GT fan. Age isn’t the issue with him, I fear.
RodneyRichards
February 15th, 2010
2:23 pm
I know the two perfect trades to give the Hawks the “Larry O’Brien” trophy. (NBA Championship). #1-Trade Zsa Zsa Pachulia straight up for Chris Paul and #2-Trade Marvin Williams for Tracy McGrady. With McGrady and Paul added with our infusion of talent, an NBA title is almost guaranteed!!!
GrantP Dawg
February 15th, 2010
2:24 pm
These Hawks are a lot like the competitive Hawks of the Steve Smith/Mookie Blaylock days. They are good, but not great. They have no superstar like Lebron or Kobie to lift them. And their not the unbelievable TEAM the like of Detroit earlier in the decade. They are stuck in the middle. I personally don’t think they should max JJ. But I am afraid that is going to be the only option.
Mark Bradley
February 15th, 2010
2:26 pm
I don’t think the Hawks have an option with Joe, GrantP. He’s not Kobe Bryant, but he’s as close as the Hawks are apt to get. (Dwyane Wade’s not coming here, I’m fairly certain.)
GrantP Dawg
February 15th, 2010
2:31 pm
Mark- Which is funny, because all these athletes love to live in Atlanta, but don’t seem to want to play here. Is it the ownership issue or a coaching issue, or the lame fans issue? Combination of all probably. Does the rule still exist that allows a team to max out their own players. The Larry Bird rule I think. I bring it up because the only superstar I see coming here is Dwight Howard and only because he is from here.
dhawk
February 15th, 2010
2:53 pm
Hey Mark, did you ever consider that Joe’s assist are down, because Bibby can no longer hit a wide-open jumper? Someone has to make the shot from your pass to get credit for an assist. Which was part of your #2 concern. Earlier in the season, Joe was averaging over 5 assist/game and Bibby was on fire hitting those wide open looks he gets while playing with Joe.
tbhawksfan
February 15th, 2010
2:53 pm
Woodson shoulda already been gone. Hawks have talent, but barring a JJ trade, this will probably be the team for the next couple of seasons.
Justin
February 15th, 2010
2:54 pm
Mark,
I thnk you nailed it. These Hawks are fun to watch and could beat a lot of teams in a best of 7. Unfortunately, the Hawks are likely to play the Cavs in the 2nd round, and the Cavs look a lot better than they did in December and the Hawks look a little worse. The best shot the Hawks have is if they can pass the Magic in the division and draw the Celtics in the 2nd round. That’s the only scenario that sees them getting to the ECF, which seems the farthest that they can go in a best case scenario. Again, since the Magic have more depth I think they’ll win the division which means Cavs in round two. It has been a really good season but there’s no apparent solution in sight to get them to be legit contenders to win the East, let alone the Championship.
O'Brien
February 15th, 2010
3:05 pm
Mark,
Looking into my crystal ball, I think JJ will resign with the Hawks for $17 mil per year, 5 years guaranteed, 6th year option. And thats not a bad price.
My only concern is whether or not the Spirit will have the money to resign JJ, give Horford his extension, and offer Crawford enough money to keep him as our sixth man.
And you can’t really blame Bibby for his assists being down. Blame it on the coach and his ISOs, because JJ and Crawford dominate the ball.
AJ,
Before the season started, I thought we would be deep this year. Mo Evans and Teague looked good in the preseason, and I figured Joe Smith would be great off the bench. Evans hasn’t done much, neither has Teague, and Joe Smith’s jumper is MIA. And if they havent figured it out by now, it will be hard to get it going later in the season.
I’m still holding out hope that somehow someway, they will find a way to step it up, especially in the playoffs. Nobody thought they would take the Celtics to 7 games in the playoffs a couple seasons ago, and they did (despite being swept in the regular season).
Chris
February 15th, 2010
3:09 pm
Marvin’s numbers being down could be attributed to him being off the court more now that Jamal is in town and Josh’s steadily improving game. I also believe that ZaZa’s numbers at least scoring wise are also down due to Jamal’s influence. I agree we have no bench outside of two, which shows a major flaw in the team which could hurt us in the 2nd round of the playoffs. With a franchise who clearly has a problem with the direction of ownership, it is going to be difficult to increase the quality of depth due to lack of funds. 0-5 against the Cavs and Magic, guarantees that we will be swept again in round 2 and will again be considered outside the conference’s elite.
All I'm Saying Is...
February 15th, 2010
3:43 pm
So what you are saying is that Rick Sund tied his own hands and that’s why the Hawks can’t make a trade deadline deal? Seems like you praised Sund for re-upping those players during the off-season and now are excusing him for having done so in a way that prevents him from making the team better which you appear to be suggesting that the Hawks need to do. Your perspective is a bit twisted in this view.
Woodson is in the last year of his deal. What sense does it make for a coach in the last year of his deal to try and develop his bench? Woody is trying to win games so he has a better negotiating position for a job with the Hawks or elsewhere no matter what happens in the playoffs. That’s the price you pay when you let someone play out their contract be that person a coach or a player.
Joe is in the last year of his deal. What sense does it make for a player in the last year of his deal to take fewer shots and raise his assist total? JJ is trying to win games so he has a better negotiating position for a job with the Hawks or elsewhere no matter what happens in the playoffs. That’s the price you pay when you let someone play out their contract be that person a coach or a player.
I’ve said all along that the Hawks are the fourth best team in the East but do not possess (or do not play) the front line personnel to compete with the elite teams during the bump-and-grind, half-court game matters of the playoffs.
We either need to play Jason Collins and Al Horford together along with Josh, JJ, and Bibby (moving Marvin to the bench) and go big or go uptempo and run the floor with a three guard lineup (JJ, Bibby, and West) along with Al and Josh and Crawford first off the bench (and Marvin next—if he commits to running the floor).
LET’S GO HAWKS!
abtoal
February 15th, 2010
3:44 pm
A true center is all they need. That will put them over the top personally. They can’t stay with howard, shaq, ilgauskas, garnett. They have to get a center
KyleRichards
February 15th, 2010
3:56 pm
The Hawks should trade Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby for Amare Stoudemire. Then come back and trade Za Za Pachulia for Chris Paul. With the addition of Paul and Stoudemire the Hawks likely WONT be stopped at any time during the playoffs!
Conyers Hawk
February 15th, 2010
3:57 pm
Mark: You are right. There are a lot of areas where the Hawks need improvement by some players and changes in their game plans. I see them going no further than the 2nd round of the playoffs unless they manage to somehow win the division and get Boston instead of Cleveland in the second round. Don`t see that happening unless they learn how to beat the Magic.
All I'm Saying Is...
February 15th, 2010
4:16 pm
abtotal: I and many of us agree with you but don’t try telling Bradley that as he is convinced (because Rick Sund told him) that Al Horford is a true center. Hawks must play Collins and Al together to compensate because they can’t compete with LA (Bynum & Gasol), Denver (Nene and Kenyon Martin), Dallas (Dampier, Haywood), or any of the teams in the East that you mentioned.
KyleRichards: Are you talking about WONT be stopped at any time during the playoffs…next season because Chris Paul is injured.
KevinA
February 15th, 2010
4:56 pm
Ken Strickland has it right about Woody having no imagination and is not willing to experiment. Al matches up with many centers but with some he does not. Why not start ZaZa and bring in Rando/Collins against the big centers and save Al for the last three qt’s.
Against good teams either Al or Josh should be on the floor at all times.
Why not start Teague and burn him till hurts the team then give Bibby a shot. If either play well, gives reason for some burn for 3rd qt. If Bibby or Teague are playing well enough you could even sub JJ with Jamal to keep him from so much burn.
I don’t think our bench is as bad as they seem. They just need more opportunity to play with starters.
The idea is to have JJ/Al/Marvin/Josh and Jamal fresh for the last ten minutes. Something Woody is not good at.
Najeh Davenpoop
February 15th, 2010
5:15 pm
Good observations in this article.
Tony
February 15th, 2010
5:15 pm
I have made the same comment for some time now…the Hawks have a super talented team. A team that after the starting five are no worse than any of the playoff contenders, seriously. The suggestion that they do not have a bench and Woodson is not coaching well enough is for, hmm, “First Take”. The problem as I have stated before is the number 5 spot. We get tossed around like a cat with a canary (Hawk) in its mouth when playing Orlando and Cleveland. We’re not even really in those ball games. Make use of this trade deadline and grab a center. I have suggested a look at Diop in Charlotte to fill that 5 spot. With a trade for someone like Diop, the Hawks would not have to spend any money (if Marvin is in the equation, for example). Plus, they will have a real experienced presence in the middle. Let’s go Mr. Sund, work some magic. Let’s Go Hawks!
BirdDawg
February 15th, 2010
8:28 pm
3 of the 5 flaws can all be attributed to their head coach. Rick Sund, if you care about this team and it’s fans, fire Mike Woodson, Hire Byron Scott and watch the magic of a championship run. The Hawks have the talent, now let’s get a coach that knows how to use it.
Tony
February 15th, 2010
9:11 pm
Let’s not knock Coach Woodson right yet. He has improved this team’s record in each season that he has been here. The problem is that while trying to build a team of support players, management wasted an opportunity to find a good, effective center. Woodson’s job has been none short of admirable. It is easy to blame the coach, but Atlanta has one of the best records in the NBA. Hmmm. Coaching is not the issue.
Jeff
February 15th, 2010
9:23 pm
Mark — good piece… not the most pleasant thing to read as a Hawks fan, but I think you’re right on target with some of this team’s weaknesses.
BirdDawg, you make an EXCELLENT point. Scott or Avery Johnson could do WONDERS with this roster… I think they could instill a little more fire and defensive commitment in them, and I think they could take us deep into the playoffs.
That being said… my fear as an Atlanta fan is that this team may have hit its ceiling. Unless we can compete with the Orlandos, Clevelands, Lakers and Spurs of the NBA, we may be stuck like our mid-1980s Hawks teams were: capable of going 50-32 every year, getting a 2 or 3 or 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, but losing in the conference semis or finals every year becuase we run into a team we just CAN’T beat.
I hope that Sund, Woodson and Co. can find an answer… but with our contract situations, we may not have any options other than telling our players to “Play harder, bust your butts on defense and play over your heads when we get to the postseason.”
All that being said, it’s MUCH more fun to watch Hawks basketball in Feb. and March when it actually MEANS something… in past years, going 23-59 every year, we were out of it by Christmas. Go Hawks!!!
Tony
February 15th, 2010
9:36 pm
Sometimes it is not good to listen to ESPN…Byron Scott and Avery Johnson are not coaching right now…Woodson is. Again, it is easy to blame the coach, but management bears some responsibility. There are a couple of things that you sports fans fail to realize: 1 and 2) you cannot win a championship without a true point, and a true center…period. And we have a piece missing. That is all…Horford, as talented as he is, is not a center! Grab a good physical center, and the Hawks are at least in the East finals. Go Hawks!
Tony
February 15th, 2010
9:46 pm
Mark, if you can whisper to one of the front office guys…we need a center!
Hawker
February 15th, 2010
9:50 pm
The hawks will get upset in the first round of the playoffs–bank on it. They have no heart or intelligence in the big games.
hawkfan
February 15th, 2010
9:54 pm
OK I think I’ve heard this twice now on this blog … “trade Za Za straight-up for Chris Paul”???? hahahaha
Who in the world would trade a mediocre back-up center for a young, All-NBA PG? Camon people, you cannot be serious. Let’s keep these trade scenarios remotely realistic at least.
As for Mark B,
You’ve seemed to flip-flop on Wody. Few months ago, you were raving about Woodson and his ability to hold the team together and how he deserved to coach the Hawks long-term etc etc. Few weeks ago, you even said that he was “well regarded” around the league.
Today, you raise five critical issues, all of which are very VALID, but fail to mention that they largely stem from Woodson’s ineptitude. Lets recap:
1. Mismanagement of bench minutes
2. Lack of player development, in this case, Marvin Williams, but also Jeff Teague.
4. Poor shot selection and decision making by your star player
5. Lack of in-game adjustments and overall strategy adjustments
So maybe you are not a Woodson fan after all … “kudos” to you Mark.
hawkfan
February 15th, 2010
10:02 pm
Oh .. and here is the easiest way for the Hawks to win an NBA Title:
Bring Dwight Howard to the Hawks AT ALL COSTS. He will dominate the paint and the league in general for many years to come, much like Shaq did in his prime. IMHO, all the Hawks players are expendable compared to Dwight. The fact that he is an Atlanta native should give the city some hope of acquiring him, however remote that may be.
Snowman
February 16th, 2010
12:23 am
Jones thank you, thank you, thank you!!! “For Real” I like your attempt at that trade however I don’t think so (smile)…
Now JUST stop it people…just stop it!!! Good observations Mark! You folks who ALWAYS want to kick or fire Woodson please stop it!!! Come on (Avery Johnson and Byron Scott laughable!!!), we get as much out of this team as we possibly can, period (how are the guys who Woodson did not play doing after they left, Stoudamire, AC Law, Sheldon Williams, Solomon Jones, even Childress, they could not play when they were here and they can’t play elsewhere…they are bums!!!!…Woodson would play them if they could play!!!!!!!…HELLO!!!!). We just don’t have enough talent seriously!!! Coach Woodson is one of the few coaches in this league that could have gotten the success out of this bunch as he has.
Mark just mentioned all three players signed this summer and all are playing a bit worst this year vs. last, is that the coaches fault? Every other team ahead of us (except Orlando) in the East is talking about adding a piece or two for the stretch run, are we? Is that coaches fault? I live in DC and you are going to tell me our Hawks could not have used Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, as Ocho Cinco would say “Child PLEASE!!!” (smile).
Dallas did not give up much to get those two either. I would like to see our chances against the East with Caron and Brendan. We need to make a move and not a huge one at that. We need a BIG desperately and a solid three off the bench like a Posey from a couple of years ago or T. Prince. I would even take a Jamenson for Marvin and Mo. We need just a little bit more on this team or 3rd/4th is about the BEST we can ask for.
Like Jones (an earlier blogger) said “I don’t think they can beat Orlando or Cleveland right now, but 90% of the teams in the NBA can’t. The Hawks are still headed in the right direction”.
Finally, if their is finger pointing, and I don’t know why he gets a pass all the time from the bloggers and Woody gets killed, is The GM!!! Get Woody some more help, P-L-E-A-S-E!!! Here a couple of names that were mentioned earlier in this exchange that would be good fits for our Hawks (Camby, Ben Wallace, Haywood, Jamenson even a T. Prince) just some quick thoughts and good article Mark although the 5 issues I think are a talent issue and thus a GM problem vs. a coaches one.
Booooo!!!! To Birddawg, T Smash, Ken Strickland (what else is new), Grave Digger, Jamaliver and others!!! Yeahhh to Tony (bravo!!!), SaintSparky, JeJe, and Jones and others!!! Love the Hawks and coach Woodson has done a great job over the 6 years he has been here (remember we use to be the Clippers..smile)!!!!
Terrell
February 16th, 2010
12:41 am
Jamaaliver,
Hate to burst your bubble but Rick Carlisle was the coach after Larry Brown
MitchC
February 16th, 2010
6:22 am
This Hawks run will turn out to be just like the ones in the mid to late 80s and mid 90s, Mark. Remember how the Hawks of the 80s, with all their talent, Nique, Doc, Willis, etc, would win 50 plus games every regular season, and fold against the likes of the Pistons and Celtics in the playoffs? Those teams won titles. The Hawks never did during that period. Alas, the 80s Hawks were just a good team, who couldnt win the big games.
It appears the same is true during this Hawk run. 0-5 against the Cavs and Orlando is a major eye opener. One of those teams, (My guess the Cavs, because Lebron will be motivated before leaving Cleveland) are the teams to beat if the Hawks had designs on playing the Lakers for a title.
The Hawks will probably finish with a win total in the mid to high 50s, win round one, and lose round two. Then, the question becomes, where does this team go next, when they fail to take the “next step” this year?
All I'm Saying Is...
February 16th, 2010
9:04 am
hawkfan: I hear you and of course we’d love to have Dwight but he would have to
a) Sour on Orlando (despite getting to the NBA Finals),
b) Not sign an extension (and he’d get a max deal from Orlando if he did),
c) Play out his current deal, and
d) Choose to sign a one year contract with us so he could then get a max deal from the Hawks.
Now I’m not saying this is impossible (Shaq left Orlando for LA after taking them to the NBA Finals), especially when the annoying panic-attack prone Stan Van Gundy as your coach, but highly unlikely primarily because Orlando has one of the best General Managers in the business who would move heaven and earth and easily fire Van Gundy to keep Dwight happy.
The Hawks of the 80s had a window of opportunity to win a title in the 1986-1989 period as Boston aged and before Detroit and Chicago matured but our superstar was Dominique and he played hard but never elevated his team like Jordan and Isaiah did. Things are tougher now for the Hawks especially if Dwight and LeBron stay with their current teams. However flukes can happen and teams like the Houston Rockets made it to the NBA Finals back in the Lakers glory years with Magic, et. al.
LET’S GO HAWKS!
All I'm Saying Is...
February 16th, 2010
9:06 am
Terrell: Rick Carlisle was the coach BEFORE Larry Brown. The current Wizards coach and former T-Wolves coach Flip Saunders was the coach after Larry Brown.
Tony
February 16th, 2010
9:51 am
Thanks Snowman…but it appears that Mark is just being a journalist and inspiring the masses with his commentary…kudos to Mark again! Good topic as you can see. But much of the conversation would end if those who have really watched the Hawks would see that they have a very good team. What most fail to realize again is that the Hawks do not have a good big man, plain and simple. That is the difference maker in games played against the Cavs and Magic, and other lesser teams to be frank. Whoever said that the Hawks dont have a bench…how do you think that they have the 3rd best record in the East…(repeat that)…With the addition of a starting big man, the Hawks get inside presence that stops those who have repeated driven to the basket predominately unchallenged. This also frees up Joe, Josh, Horford, Crawf, etc. We are a true big man away from the title, trust me! Go Hawks!
ICECOLD
February 16th, 2010
10:34 am
lets look at the facts
1. for years people been saying that the hawks need a big man, its not that easy. the hawks been trying to get a big man since they drafted sheldon williams. big men and point guards, but the fact is that all the elite big men out there are already set on where they are and we do not have anybody that another team might want to get a big man thats good enough to guard shaq or howard. thats what jason collins was for and he is still out of shape.. he sucks… hawks should drop him and add sillers ( the big man that was at the begining of traing camp ) at least they can try to develope him as a big man
2. coach mike woodson is a decent coach. his team is one of the best in the league and had two players as all-stars. the cavs only had one. magic only had one. and josh smith should have been one too.
3. joe johnson only isolates when he knows he has too. he knows what he is doing. he has been a all-star four times and his team has been winning so he knows what it takes to win. he was sick that last game. he had the flu and there was no crawford.
4. bibby minutes are down so he doesnt get into the rythm of the game like he use too. so yeah he is missing more shots then usual. but he is still mike bibby. the point guard who led the hawks to the playoffs the last two years. hawks went through (acie law, speedie claxton, anthony johnson. tyrone lue, and jason terry) jus to find the point guard that was good enough to do that. so he deserve a contract and he deserves to stay a starter. ( he should play five or six more minutes though).
4. marvin williams doesnt have to be as big as a scoring threat as people keep saying. you have 4 scorers that could have been a all-star this year thats doing all the scoring. he goes in and play good deffense on teams best players most of the time. and if he get 10 or 12 points, thats also good. but he doesnt have too.
5. hawks have plenty of money to sign joe johnson next year. thats not a problem.. he wants a ring just like every other player in the league.. he is just making sure the hawks really want rings too.
those are the facts… ( also, the hawks should trade mo evens, zaza, and marvin for amare.. move josh smith to small forward, move horford to power foward. that front court can guard dwight and we wont slack for scoring becuase jamal can come in and do his thing and we still will have two good big men in at all times. and sign sillers)
jc_dawgs
February 16th, 2010
11:16 am
Too much pessimism. This is a very good team. Woodson’s team has gotten better each and every year and they are closing the gap with NBA’s elite teams. They need to keep this team together.
If you can’t keep Joe…for God sakes make sure you replace him with an elite player or at least 2 great offensive weapons. If you want to have any chance of winning a championship…it will go right down the drain if we lose Johnson and fail to get an equivalent offensive replacement.
Sautee
February 16th, 2010
12:12 pm
“What most fail to realize again is that the Hawks do not have a good big man, plain and simple.”
Which “most” do you mean Tony? Certainly not the Head Coaches of the NBA.
THEY voted Horford as the second best center in the East. Who are these “most” that you mention that somehow know better than these Head Coaches?
Or do those ill-informed head Coaches just have NO IDEA what they did?
rusty
February 16th, 2010
12:58 pm
the hawks dont have all they need to go all the way,but i would like to see what this team
could do with a good coach. our offense is a joke,dribble & shoot jump shots. joe shuts down all tempo & is very selfish,folds under pressure & takes too many bad shots. the team
has no ball movement & every body takes poor shots,it seemsthat they feel that they will not get the ball back. woody has no real control,does not have any idea of substitution. i wood even like to see dominque coach rather than woody.