The Hawks on the road: Will the blowouts ever cease?
Stop me if you've seen these bright smiling Hawk faces before. (AP photo)
Orlando – The first reporters into the locker room after Game 1 were treated to a strange tableau: The Hawks were comforting themselves by reliving past blowouts. “We lost to Miami by 26 [in Game 6] last year,” Mo Evans could be heard telling teammates, and if any team can cite blowout precedent, it’s this.
Evans’ point was that the Hawks beat Miami in Game 7, and that if such a two-day turnaround was possible then, why not now? Why not answer a 43-point loss, the worst in Atlanta playoff history, with a who’d-have-believed-it victory in Game 2 here Thursday?
“This is still going to be a long series,” Mike Woodson said after practice Wednesday, and somehow it didn’t sound like utter wishful thinking.
The Hawks can get pounded; this we know. They’re 2-11 on the road over the past three postseasons, and in only one of the losses (Game 4 in Milwaukee) have they come within 19 points. But they’ve also won two best-of-seven series — won two Game 7’s, let’s recall — and last week they survived an elimination game at the Bradley Center. No matter how it sometimes appears, they are not a terrible team.
The question, then: Why do they so often play like a terrible team? Why haven’t they once made a significant playoff comeback away from Philips Arena?
“We get down and kind of bury our heads,” Woodson said. “At home we don’t do that. At home we come back and win. I still want to say we’re a team learning how to win, but surely it can’t be that lopsided.”
Shaquille O’Neal famously dubbed Stan Van Gundy, now the Magic’s coach, the Master of Panic. The Hawks, alas, are the true masters of panic. In a sport built on runs, they never answer an opponent’s surge. (At least not on the road.) They stop defending to specifications. They stop passing the pass. They go jump-shot crazy, and few substantial comebacks are ever fueled by jump shots.
Much of this has to do with Joe Johnson. When in doubt, the Hawks go Iso-Joe. Sometimes it works, but those times tend to come at home. When it doesn’t work — when Johnson dribbles to excess and then shoots and misses — it looks awful and the other Hawks get antsy. So they start shooting, too. And wind up getting obliterated.
“We have assembled a team here of talented players who can do a lot of things,” Woodson said, but too often it comes to one man dribbling and the others standing. That method has taken the Hawks from oblivion to Round 2 of the playoffs, so we can’t say it has failed. But it fails on the road in the playoffs, and the postseason is now the measure of this team.
Woodson: “If we can just be competitive for four quarters and then go home and handle our business, anything can happen. But it can’t be lopsided.”
Alas, it usually is. Nobody seriously believes the Magic are 43 points better than the Hawks — the best team in the NBA isn’t 43 points better than the worst — but Game 1 was a reversal of such immensity that it all but washed away the good feeling from the Milwaukee series.
Woodson plans to tweak things for Game 2. He’ll revert to his usual substitution pattern, as opposed to making 12th man Jason Collins his first sub, and will activate Randolph Morris to have another big man to use against Dwight Howard. He’ll have Joe Johnson guard Vince Carter and — good luck with this — let Mike Bibby try Jameer Nelson. But tweaks alone won’t override a 43-point spread; Woodson’s players simply must be tougher.
We can’t really say the Hawks have no heart. Were that the case, they’d have been eliminated by Milwaukee. What they lack, even in this third playoff go-round, is the mental toughness to keep playing smart basketball when the opponent is flying and its crowd is roaring. The best they can offer is to note that, what the heck, they’ve been blown out before. And that’s weak.
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109 comments Add your comment
DrewCat
May 5th, 2010
5:19 pm
@ ISO JOE 4:41
I most certainly am providing a solution to the problem from Game 1: FIRE THE COACH, duh! How else can you explain that spell the Hawks fell into during the 2nd quarter. The Hawks played good basketball for 12 minutes. Now when a team has such an incredible and stupefying lapse in focus over the final 36 minutes of the game, what other solution is needed?
Hawks are not mentally tough because they have no clear direction from their coach. And as far as being a fair weather fan, I take offense to that! Just becasue I want more from a team that I expect NOT to get beaten silly by 43 means I’m not a true fan? You can sit here and accept this mediocre display of basketball if you want, but I want more.
I’d much rather see the 13 win team from 2004-2005 play becasue at least with them, the joy from one win could last for weeks! Woody has been in charge for so long, and just becasue he makes slow, steady improvements in the regular season DOES NOT mean he is the best fit for the team. I can’t believe some of the garbage you get on this blog and say.
Accusing real Hawks fans of not being loyal, when you are the one that’s disloyal, allowing your team to go to the dogs under Woody! I’m sure he’s a good man and all, but he can’t coach here! AND THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT! BOAW!
geno
May 5th, 2010
5:20 pm
I’m embarassed to say i’m a HAWKS fan. After I saw them quit, I was disgusted with them. The Bobcats can hold their heads high, after last night. The HAWKS have no excuses for that performance. Professionals, what a laugh, where’s your pride. They looked as though they expected to lose, and just gave up. Get hold of yourselves HAWKS, and stand up, and act like MEN!!!
geno
May 5th, 2010
5:22 pm
Enter your comments here
robdawg08
May 5th, 2010
5:32 pm
The Hawks were beat before the series even started. When you don’t have a presence of a center in the middle to rebound and stop your opponents center (Howard) then you can’t compete. My question is why the Hawks have never had a good center ? Moses Malone was good but very old.
The only hope they have is getting D.Howard into foul trouble and hope the Magic perimeter shooters have a bad night. Hawks need to drive to the basket often and early.
I’m looking forward to football season since the Hawks have met their demise and the Braves are a mess. Maybe the Dawgs and Falcons will be worth watching.
OrlandoFan
May 5th, 2010
5:32 pm
The Hawks can simply not afford to have the attitude that they just need to ‘take care of business at home’ and somehow steal a game in Orlando. It is not going to work that way. Orlando is a great road team (they have been for 2 years) and wins in Atlanta, by Atlanta, in this series are far from guaranteed. Milwaukee beating you on your home court was an upset. Atlanta winning against the Magic in Atlanta will be an upset.
Going for the record
May 5th, 2010
5:33 pm
“the best team in the NBA isn’t 43 points better than the worst” not sure thats true
If you spotted the Nets 43 points in Cleveland the Lebrons would win half of those
bg3003
May 5th, 2010
5:34 pm
hawks i believe could be one of the best teams in the nba. no one on this blog can deny that they dont have flashes of greatness at times. sometimes they jus get hot for an entire game and blow out great teams (lakers) last night i saw the hawks contending with the magic in the first quarter and i “thought we could actually win!” then josh gets taken out and then all of a sudden 15-0 run… 15 straight points is just unacceptable. losing by 40+ is unacceptable by ANY team at any time much less a potentially great team in the hawks.
welikebaseball2
May 5th, 2010
5:40 pm
Okay, so what does it take for Woodson & his players to at least pretend to be angry that they were blown out? I don’t care if it’s game 1 in a best of 20 series. At what point do they actually act like a 43-point blowout is acceptable? The closest they came to it was Woodson saying “it can’t be lopsided.” Is that all the fire you’ve got to show after an embarrassing blowout?
welikebaseball2
May 5th, 2010
5:42 pm
oops, meant to say…”At what point do they actually act like a 43-point blowout is unacceptable?”
wild will
May 5th, 2010
5:50 pm
I have never been a Mike Woodson fan, every since the first year he came to Atlanta, I mean in all the years that he has been the headcoach, give me one time when he ran a play out the timeout that worked, it’s always Iso-Joe, instead of pushing the ball up court, he lets Joe walk the ball up court and with the clock running down, he puts up a shot, if we are lucky sometimes it work, I thinks Woody is a nice guy, but can anyone really tell me what offense or defense, other than switching he runs, doing the games he makes no adjustments. I am a loyal Hawks fan, but to get beat by forty says something about the coach. He doesn’t run any plays for Marvin Williams, the number two pick in the draft, I think that he has only two plays high pick and roll and Iso-Joe, It is sad, I was surprised we got by the Bucks.
striped shirt
May 5th, 2010
5:51 pm
Comebacks start with defense, not jump shots. The Hawks need to have that tattooed on their hands.
Dahlia
May 5th, 2010
6:00 pm
The answer to Mark’s question is – in a word – no.
Sadly.
Dahlia
May 5th, 2010
6:04 pm
Try to keep in mind that these patnetic excuses for professional athletes are paid more money in one year than most of the fans make in a lifetime.
If that doesn’t make you mad…
Dahlia
May 5th, 2010
6:05 pm
Sorry, there’s no such word as “patnetic.”. I meant “pathetic.”
Dr Henry/Augusta
May 5th, 2010
6:33 pm
Wild will you are correct sir – to get beat by 40 says something about the coaching – The Hawks have good athletes but do not play together as a team….last night was an embarrassment of immense proportions – when you lose that badly even if you come back and keep the 2nd game close you tend to think of it as some kind of moral victory….That kind of thinking will never get you past the 2nd round
Fily
May 5th, 2010
6:55 pm
I agree w/ Doug that JJ is overrated. We always hear talk about how hes under appreciated throughout the league. He was an all star game starter and looks nothing like an all star in the playoffs. I liked the approach of Collins on Dwight. We need to keep him shooting hooks or getting fouled. Teague would be great on defense but isnt ready for playoff basketball due to his lack of PT during his regular season. Jamal needs to shoot lights up tomorrow, Joe normally follows suit. Horford and Smoove will come to play, hopefully the good Marvin will show up.
Barton
May 5th, 2010
7:16 pm
Mark,
You answered my comment in little under three hours. Remarkable. You deserve a raise and a fine bottle of spirits. On that note, you didn’t place enough blame on Woodson. Why no heavy blame on the clueless wonder? You got half of it right with I-Hope-He-Goes-Joe who seems really tough and good in blowouts, but Woodson’s strategies stink and our player development is mediocre at best. I want to hear about the lack of developing talent compared to other rookies drafted the same year as our players. It can’t just be that we messed up in the draft, I fully believe that we are not developing our players right. I think the only reason Horford is so good is because he develops himself. Josh has improved a great deal these past couple of years, but still lacks the rhythm jumper or even a standing jumper for that matter. If you can crank out another article about that within the next two days you will have made me year.
Barton
May 5th, 2010
7:23 pm
Oh, and I’m sorry I left this out of my last post. WHY CAN JOE JOHNSON NOT DUNK A BASKETBALL?! I am incredibly upset by this point if you can tell from the caps, but he is 6′7″ -8″ right? I hate this finesse stuff from him around the rim. Kobe is more of a finesse player compared to Lebron, but Kobe THROWS IT DOWN when he gets to the rim. Just goes to shoe you the kind of player we have as a leader – soft.. so soft.
Cali girl
May 5th, 2010
7:29 pm
WHAT A WAY TO KEEP THE MEDIA WRITING NOTHING BUT NEGATIVE SH*T ABOUT US THEY ALREADY DON’T RESPECT US SO OUR HOMETOWN TEAM YEAH THOSE DAMN UNPREDICTABLE HAWKS DECIDED TO GO OUT FOR GAME 1 AND NOT PLAY 48 MINS BUT 12 WHEN U NEED 48 TO WIN OR AT LEAST AVOID A DAMN BLOWOUT!!
I THINK THE HAWKS TEND TO GET AWAY FROM WHAT WORKS EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A BIG MATCH UP PROBLEM!! HOWEVER U CAN NOT THINK ABOUT THAT
THE HAWKS SIMPLY FEAR THE MAGIC!! AND IT SUCKS CAUSE WE CANT COMPETE IN THIS SERIES UNLESS WE JUST FORGET ABOUT DWIGHT AND PLAY WE DONT GET A CALL CONTINUE TO PLAY HE BLOCKS YOUR SHOT CONTINUE TO PLAY HE CNT BLOCK EVERY SHOT AND WILL EVENTUALLY GET A FOUL CALLED ON HIM SO CONTINUE TO GO IN THE PAINT AND DONT SETTLE FOR JUMPSHOTS CAUSE U THROW UP ANYTHING GET FRUSTRATED THAT EQUALS MORE MAGIC REBOUNDS THAT IS WHY THE HAWKS CANT STAY IN THE GAME!!
THIS IS WHAT THE BOBCATS DID AND I KNOW WE ARE NOT THE BOBCATS BUT THEY EVENTUALLY CAME BACK FROM HALFTIME AND STARTED GOING INTO THE PAINT AND DID NOT GIVE UP THEY WENT IN THE PAINT CAUSE THEY KNEW DWIGHT WOULD START FOULING THEM HE IS NOT GOING 2 BLOCK EVERY SHOT NOR IS THE MAGIC GOING TO GET ALL OF THEIR 3s TO GO IN SO WE GOT TO CONTINUE TO PLAY FOR 48MINS IF WE DID PLAY ALL 48MINS AND NOT HAD A BLOWOUT TRUST ME PEOPLE WOULD AT LEAST BELIEVE IN US
NOW EVERYBODY IS SAYING THERE’S A SWEEP AND I THINK THE MAGIC DONT TAKE US SERIOUSLY THEY SAY THEY ARE NOT GOING TO THINK ABOUT THIS GAME REALLY WHEN THIS GAME IS THEIR BLUEPRINT TO BEATING US C’MON NOW THEY CONSIDER US A JOKE AND I BELIEVE IN THE HAWKS BUT WE NEED A BIG MAN, PLAYERS WHO ARE WILLING TO PLAY DIRTY BUT NOT TO HURT ANYBODY BUT SEND A MSG PLAYERS REALLY COCKY PLAYERS AND SOMEBODY WHO SAYS GIVE ME THE BALL I CAN HELP US WE CAN GET BACK IN LIKE LEBRON THAT IS WHAT SEPERATES ELITE TEAMS FROM GOOD TEAMS
HAWKS CAN BE ELITE THEY ARE THERE BUT WE NEED SOME ROAD WINS HAWKS!!!
THEY GOT LESS THAN 24 HRS TO FIGURE IT OUT SO NO EXCUSES JUST GO OUT AND PLAY FOR 48MINS AND NOT 12 DONT GIVE UP CAUSE A TEAM GOES ON A RUN U SCORE TOO!!
Hawks suck
May 5th, 2010
7:36 pm
Who expected them to do anything when they barely got past Milwaukee?
BravesAreDone
May 5th, 2010
7:53 pm
I hope we say goodbye to Joe Johnson after this season.
Marcus aka decatur g
May 5th, 2010
8:01 pm
MB,
I know you are focused on the here-and-now, but given our deficiencies, if you were Sund/Woody, who would you have your eyes on as a FA (if JJ resigns or not) and who would be our 1st round pick?
ISO JOE
May 5th, 2010
8:20 pm
@DREWCAT
First of all you guys are always up here saying fire this coach and that coach and not give the guy a chance. If they come out and play the same way tomorrow night then i have not grounds to stand on. It was only one game as i said earlier. There have been teams to get blown out in game one and come back to win the series. It is more than the head coach. if you fire Woody who you going to bring in here to replace him. If they dont make the playoffs next year with that new coach you want are you going to be on here saying fire the new coach as well.
I am not here to stnad up for him because they were horrible, but i say give them a chance. Woody can not make ISO Ball Hogging Joe be that superstar on the court not at the bank. Superstars do not allow the team to lose like that. So it is more to it than that.
Wild Deer
May 5th, 2010
8:23 pm
Bobby Cocks: WHERE YOU AT???!!!
very hawk
May 5th, 2010
8:38 pm
At least the hawks made the playoffs. Woody should get a big raise for getting this young hawk team into the second round. He deserves big money.
Cali girl
May 5th, 2010
8:56 pm
last year we got Lebron this year we got Dwight, gosh!! like are we ever going 2 make the eastern finals? those unnecessary losses this yr could have been wins cause we would have def. been in the eastern finals if we had the #2 seed but everything happens for a reason
I know everybody right now as fans are upset w/ the Hawks game 1 performance. However, they have less than 24 hrs now to make corrections and turn their game 1 loss into some kind of win or hope to give them life in this series and we def. need a win on the road 2 win this series or else–go home early!
It sucks because the loss was embarrassing but they have to move on from it and focus on tomorrow. The Magic I can guarantee you think we are the worst team in the playoffs–I know they don’t take us seriously at all. They may sound like it, but you know they see us the laughing stock.
Hopefully, if we lose tomorrow at least not double digits not 20, 12 or 10 at least close so we can have some hope as fans…
SD Dawg
May 5th, 2010
9:03 pm
No way Joe Johnson should get a max contract. He is a good player, but not elite. Let the Knicks have him for max. They’ll find out the hard way. That is unless they lure Lebron to NYC along with him. Can you even have two max contracts on one team? I think Joe would absolutely thrive in a situation where he played second fiddle to a real superstar.
As for the Hawks, just like Joe, good but not great. Won’t get any better next year.
JosephdaKoolest
May 5th, 2010
9:03 pm
Ok hawks fans I know I know how you feel no excuse for the lack of execution on offense and defense However Basketball is a team sport and it requires everyone be together in harmony for this thing to work so you cannot blame one person for a lack of team player yes Joe Johnson is our leader on the floor and Bibby is fine at the point gaurd position if they werent we would not have won 53 games if thats was the case there would not be a seperation between the playoff teams and the none playoff teams now Mike Woodson is Fine there is a dramatic improvement from when he came and now maybe we need to bring in a assistant coach who specializes in offense because our offense is stagnant at times but so is Cleveland’s so is Bostons’s LA’s and the Magic’s everyone just relax J smoothe and the rest of the team will bounce back in game 2 weather it is a 43 point lost or a 1 point lost it stilss only counts as one game and for all of you that is suggesting to fire woody and trade Joe who do you want to coach and who do you get to replace Joe I see alot of you pointing out problems we have but there arent many solutions anyway go hawks Joe we need you Jamal we need you LET’S GO GAME 2 LET’S GET A WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
J-MAN
May 5th, 2010
9:11 pm
Joe Johnson is a #2 Plain and Simple and we NEED a #1……. DWAYNE WADE
#Just a thought
May 5th, 2010
9:15 pm
#question why is josh smith voted on the NBA all-defensive second team but kobe is on the all-defensive first team just a random thought
Get D-WADE
May 5th, 2010
9:29 pm
The only hope for the hawks is to bring in 1 or 2 superstars. D-Wade or Lebron is a must—they hawk owners will have to pony up some big time cash to get either. It will probably take $20-$25 mil per year plus tons of benefits and incentives for wade and $35 mil for Lebron, but they are worth it. Without a superstar, more of the same mediocrity next year.
HawkFan
May 5th, 2010
9:40 pm
LET’S GO HAWKS!!!!
HawkFan
May 5th, 2010
9:48 pm
JJ is a great player, you guys are being a bit harsh….however, this is clearly his last chance to take a stab at being an elite player. All players have bad games and shooting slumps, but elite players come out of it in enough time and force their will on the team to win.
This was one game, and there are plently of em left, this team did not win 53 games by chance. JJ will be playing for some serious cash, he knows his performance in this series is key to him getting PAID. I can’t help but think he will show up tomorrow, there is just too much money on the line for him.
MitchC
May 5th, 2010
9:48 pm
Mark, it s not a question of heart for the Hawks. I think it’s more mental than anything else. Whether its that they let the crowd get to them, or the unfamilarity of playing in an opponent’s building, the Hawks just seem to turn from Jekyll into Hyde on the road.
I dont think tomorrow night’s game will be decided by 43 points, but I also think Orlando will win it. With as bad as the Hawks are on the road,I just don’t see them answwring a pummeling like that with a win.
I might have been unfair when I said I think the series will end as Magic in five. With as well as the Hawks usually play at home, its concievable that each team will win all of it’s home games, and the series will go seven games. That having been said, a lesser Bucks team won a game in Atlanta last week, so you never can tell what will happen.
Hopefully the Hawks will make a series out of it, and will make it at least competetive for themselves, and the fans.
Jody
May 5th, 2010
9:50 pm
This series is going to reveal why the Hawks need more size inside and why they need one more go to scorer. By the way, to think that Al Horford couldn’t make the All-Star team as a power forward when he already has done so playing out of position is RIDICULOUS and selling Al’s talent WAY short.
Jody
May 5th, 2010
9:57 pm
This series will reveal why the Hawks need more size up front and why they need another go to scorer. By the way, to say that Al Horford could not be an All-Star at the 4 when he already has done so playing out of position at the 5 is RIDICULOUS and selling Al’s talent WAY short.
Harry The Hawk
May 5th, 2010
10:44 pm
The playoffs tend to amplify the intangibles each team possesses….or lacks.
As we’ve seen in the Hawks case, they have plenty of raw athletic talent but the team (and coaches) consistently fall short on the fine points: Strategy. Check. Adjustments. Check. Professionalism. Check.
Harsh reality, but these things come to the surface when the light of the playoffs get brighter.They dodged a serious bullet with the Bucks because of the exact same things…now, they’ll pay the ultimate price with Orlando where, as we witnessed, there is no room for error.
No excuse for a blowout of these proportions in the playoffs. Stick a fork in the Bird….they’re done!
drmondo
May 5th, 2010
10:51 pm
Game 1 was just an embarrasment. I think Woody might be the equivalent of Marty Schottenheimer: Able to build a team into a contender, but not able to make them into a champion. With that in mind, if the Hawks aren’t willing and able to get a top-notch coach with a proven track record, replacing Woody with another potential Mora Jr or Petrino would be a disaster.
I would love to see the ownership group sell the hockey team to someone who cared about hockey. Then they could focus on spending the $$ needed to make sure the Hawks had the resources to be a championship team. If they’re actually talking about selling their 1st round pick for cash it doesn’t bode well for the Hawks or the Thrashers.
Mystikal
May 5th, 2010
11:00 pm
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!! HIRE BYRON SCOTT!!!
connor
May 5th, 2010
11:39 pm
what needs to be done now…take the video of Tuesday’s massacre to the next congressional hearing and have the government vote to change the NBA playoffs back to win 2 out of 3. Put fans out of their misery.
An Adult
May 5th, 2010
11:49 pm
Mike and The Dream.. (and the rest of you). Grow up with this First thing and get a life!!!! BTW, how was the prom this year?
Reid Adair
May 5th, 2010
11:55 pm
Mike Woodson seriously said this was still a team “learning to win”? Come on, Mike. Most of these guys have been here a year or two. How long does it take?
Old Hawk Fan
May 5th, 2010
11:56 pm
Who in here thinks JJ is a Top Notch player similar to Kobe…………Lebron………….Wade. Let me hear your view on this question. If the game is on the line…………………which of these three players do you want to be taken the last shot?
Mystikal
May 6th, 2010
12:13 am
ATTENTION RICK SUND:
1) FIRE WOODY(DONT’ RESIGN HIM, WHATEVER)
2) HIRE BYRON SCOTT/AVERY JOHNSON(Pref Scott)
3) BE @ CHRIS BOSH’S FRONT DOOR SECONDS AFTER FREE AGENCY OPENS
AND OFFER HIM MAX DEAL. (Bring Dominique Wilkens and random ATL musician
to help seal the deal!)
Just do that for me and we can work on the rest (trade Bibby) later.
Mike
May 6th, 2010
1:31 am
Its amazing how everyone blames the coach. It’s the players that had no heart in game 1. There is only some much a coach can do, its not like he can play. The Hawks played no defense at all, even in the first Q.
In my opinion Atlanta overachieved this season. They probably would not be in the playoffs if they were in the West. The Thunder were the 8th seed in the west and they have more talent than the Hawks.
chem
May 6th, 2010
2:40 am
Woodson: “If we can just be competitive for four quarters and then go home and handle our business, anything can happen. But it can’t be lopsided.”
— It’s frustrating to see the handle-our-business-at-home phrase again and again from Woodson. The hawks are obviously laying down on the road because the coach doesn’t think it’s necessary to put in the effort to win, even in the playoffs. How can you concede a playoff game just because it’s on a different court? This group of players needs a motivator and game planner for the playoffs, i.e. not the ever expressionless, dumbfounded Mike Woodson.
jc_dawgs
May 6th, 2010
3:20 am
This is no mystery! It’s staring you right in the face as to why this happens.
This team gives up when the going gets tough….it is as simple as that!
There is now way on God’s green earth that this Hawks team is 43 points worse than Orlando or any NBA team for that matter. No way No how. This Atlanta team is very talented and as athletic an any.
I appreciate the 53-29 record…I appreciate the great basketball that I have been allowed to witness at times this year…mainly at Phillips I must say because on the road…..its like they take the hostility of the crowd to a personal level. Its not that the opponents home fans dislike you guys….they simply like there own team…just like us Hawks fans do.
The Hawks just don’t handle adversity that well.
Luckily….I dont see this team giving up on the series but if they get behind by double digits or so in a single game….watch out….because they will mail it in. The theory that has been used about just pretending that its 0 to 0 half way through a blowout game will not work with these guys.
Face it…the personalities and mental makeup that is our Hawks is the very reason they give up when the going gets tough. And I dont see it changing. Also….they tend to give up when they jump to a big lead. It’s laziness and its a lack of mental toughness.
But they are good…sometimes great…and they can hang with any team when they are committed to 100% effort. We just need that effort regardless of what the scoreboard shows you AND REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
.
decentJ
May 6th, 2010
4:54 am
THE ANSWER TO WIN TONIGHT–JOSH NEEDS TO LET GO OF THE ‘FRIENDSHIP’ WITH DWIGHT FOR THE SERIES….TOO MUCH LOVE AND RESPECT IN HIS MIND FOR HIS CHILDHOOD FRIEND…..WITHOUT DISLIKE HE WON’T ATTACK, ATTACK….GO AFTER HIM AND EVERYONE WILL FOLLOW JOSH!!!
STRETCH
May 6th, 2010
5:45 am
Mystikal,
Im with you on everything you said. But, a couple of things;
They should pick up another legit big, ANYBODY is better than what they have now!
But they desperatly need better PG play! They must make a trade this off-season.
Anybody else got any suggestions or ideas what the lineup would look like next season?
Big Daddy
May 6th, 2010
6:21 am
What I noticed in the first quarter was that Josh was on everyone, including Joe. He was directing traffic on the floor and attacking the rim. That was the period where we were competitive. It was only after he went out with the 2nd foul that things started to fall apart. I could hear him barking at everyone on the floor on defense on my TV, yet I have not heard anyone in these posts indicate they heard this also. When he finally came back, he tried to take the team on his shoulders. I don’t like him taking those outside shots either, but when he takes them he is wide open and if he makes them the guy defending him, Lewis, is going to have to come out and guard him. That will leave others for open shots or to drive and dish on DH, which is what they are doing to us.
No matter what, to lose like that is a reflection on everyone, not all on the coach or all on the players. A loss of 15, 19 or even 22 points would be embarrassing. To lose by over 40 points is inexcusable. One or all of the owners or Rick Sund should have closed the locker room to the media and gone in and let the team have it and I mean everyone. If you saw Mike Brown’s interview after Cleveland’s loss you could see one angry coach over his team’s performance. I understand there are times to teach rather than yell, but when you are getting paid as much as those guys and play the way they did or as a coach manage the game the way our coaches did, then stronger measures are in order.
I believe is we get swept in this series they are going to make major changes in this team and they should. Josh Smith has the heart of a warrior and Al is right behind him. Those are the only two who seem to play with the intensity needed during these games. And will someone please look for the Jamaal Crawford we saw during the regular season because the person that is out there is stinking up the place.