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
the dream
May 5th, 2010
2:40 pm
First from seattle!
mike
May 5th, 2010
2:40 pm
first! and get avery johnson in here and someone needs to smack josh smith. thanks!
Greg
May 5th, 2010
2:49 pm
Woodson sounds like he is repeating what management has told him the team has to do in order for him to keep his job….at the very least, “be competitive on the road and win at home”. Strike 1 last night and surely the last two strikes will follow before this series is finished.
A team is a reflection of their coach – if the Hawks don’t have the “mental toughness” to respond to adversity, it’s because they don’t have a coach who can give them the confidence and ability to overcome that adversity. It’s partially a chemistry issue, but it’s mostly a coaching issue.
Rheumatism
May 5th, 2010
2:50 pm
So true Mark. Why do we play so different on the road? It’s the NBA! If you want to be an elite team you have to be able to win on and off the road on a consistent basis…
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nola hawks fan
May 5th, 2010
2:54 pm
thanks for writinbg what i was thinking last night mark… just never seen a team get so down on itself so fast. to me it comes down to leadership… and it is well documented the hawks dont have a guy on their team who will get in his teammates face and demand they play harder, smarter, etc..
Do you think Al could grow into that role (I do…maybe)?
Rock Preston
May 5th, 2010
2:54 pm
I think we all know what needs to happen with this team in the offseason. We all are tired of this same song and dance mess. These cats never own up to being bad and unprofessional. All starts with the coach since the current GM didnt hire him. Bye Woody and Joke Johnson.
Guys…it is so obvious…Sund is letting Woodson hang himself with his boneheaded “strategy” moves….if u even want to call them that. I’ll give Woody this….he is a good defensive mind having learned from Larry Brown. But he clearly…I mean CLEARLY limited in making adjustments offensively and defensively to be able to lead this team past the 1st round. He was brought in to instill discipline for a young team and he has done that, but it is time to pull the plug on him…Im sure Sund will see what he has with Woody and decide to go in another direction. Its painful to watch other young guards dominate the lane for other teams and not see Teague get a chance to contribute. Think about it…If you have a point guard to penetrate the lane to draw D. Howard..then you have other avenues for Joe and Jamal to work….plus you could get Howard into foul trouble. Frustrating watching this mess nite after nite.
htwo0rider
May 5th, 2010
2:54 pm
the hawks rolled over.
KnightInATL
May 5th, 2010
3:01 pm
The Magic came within 1 point of actually DOUBLING the Hawks points…a feat that I don’t think I have ever seen in the second half of an NBA game.
It was 87-44 at one point.
bigeasy830
May 5th, 2010
3:04 pm
Don’t give up on them yet Mark, It does not matter if the lose by 3 or 43 it still counts as only one game. I was wishing that they imposed the mercy rule last night though, that was just too ugly to watch. I even changed channels and watch Brandy and Ray J, I know but…
Sweet Home Alabama
May 5th, 2010
3:07 pm
I predict next game much tighter.Hawks should only lose by 25 or so.
They are a train wreck looking for a crash….
yep
May 5th, 2010
3:09 pm
Hawks win tonight by 5. Blowouts will cease.
dap01
May 5th, 2010
3:15 pm
Good article MB. The problems are becoming painfully obvious. Can’t wait to see Bibby try to guard (anyone) Nelson.
balismith
May 5th, 2010
3:27 pm
after last night are you still stickingwith Hawks in 7 over the magic
DJ Baller
May 5th, 2010
3:32 pm
So, would you pay Joe Johnson MAX salary to get the Hawks to the playoffs? All Star Players show up for the playoffs. Joe is too passive to be a leader of this team when he is needed. Josh is no where near being a leader with his MAX contract. No coaching to quickly adjust their offense or defense. Opposing guards own the lane with the Hawks with a free ticket to score.The Hawks have no chance to stop Orlando with Dwight Howard dominating in the middle. He was tossing them them around like rag dolls.
DBH
May 5th, 2010
3:33 pm
On the road or at home – it’s still just basketball! This is what I don’t understand about the Hawks. Why is it that they can’t (won’t) match the emotional intensity of their opponents on the road?! Professionals (i.e. “good/elite” teams) do that – consistently – but not the Hawks. Pitiful.
Delbert D.
May 5th, 2010
3:33 pm
Nope.
FromUpNorth
May 5th, 2010
3:35 pm
@dap01: Just as there is no “i” in team, there is no “D” in Bibby.
Mark Bradley
May 5th, 2010
3:35 pm
Kudos to the dream.
Doug
May 5th, 2010
3:36 pm
The Hawks are led by the most…contrary to some views…overrated player in the league in JJ. He is simply not good enough to try and play like he and apparently Woody think he can. This leads to dysfunction…horrid possessions…dead legged shots and ultimately predictable results. They are coached by someone seemingly incapable of adjusting. They can be woefully inferior teams (read Mil Bucks), but even against them they will look alternatingly horrible and promising. In the regular season they are capable of beating anyone because of their talent level and the realities of an 82 game grind. It pains me to say that they have absolutely no chance in the postseason against top competition…mainly because of a player they rely far too much on and a coach out of his element
MGM
May 5th, 2010
3:38 pm
The Hawks don’t have the talent to stack up against the Magic. Obviously center is a major hole. However, they aren’t as bad as last night. I saw a team quit. I also saw a team play very stupid ball. No leadership from Woody. No leadership from Joe. No leadership anywhere on this team. That is why they get killed on the road. No leadership and weak minds.
NC Braves Fan
May 5th, 2010
3:39 pm
Doug: but is the team the way it is because of Joe, or because of the offense they *ahem* run?
MGM
May 5th, 2010
3:41 pm
No leadership. Joe is not a leader. We’ve said it for 3 years. Woody is not a leader. We’ve said it for 5 years. The rest of the team is weak minded or too old to do anything about it.
THE SUNS ARE NOW MY SECOND FAVORITE TEAM 4 SHOWING LOVE AND RESPECT TO LATINOS!!!
May 5th, 2010
3:44 pm
I’m a fan of the hawks and i didn’t feel sorry for them last night.
they deserve it FOR GIVING UP.
I blame Joe Johnson for the embarrassing loss, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star?
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!
THE SUNS ARE NOW MY SECOND FAVORITE TEAM 4 SHOWING LOVE AND RESPECT TO LATINOS!!!
May 5th, 2010
3:46 pm
I’m a fan of the hawks and i didn’t feel sorry for them lastnight.
they deserve it FOR GIVING UP.
I blame Joe Johnson for this embarrassing loss, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star???
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!
Westurd
May 5th, 2010
3:51 pm
Can someone please point out that Joe always goes missing around playoff time?
One or two good games here and there, but this is the playoffs Joe………there is no tomorrow. Be a Star dang it!
Herschel Talker
May 5th, 2010
3:52 pm
MB:
No they won’t cease. The Hawks are garbage.
HT
Mel from SW Atlanta
May 5th, 2010
3:53 pm
You know what Ru, Ru?…ah aha ah…Hawks are sorry and so are the Falcons and Braves…Welcome to Loserville…matter of fact Perry get your lazy carpet bagger out of here. Leo? Braves sorry too.
THE SUNS ARE NOW MY SECOND FAVORITE TEAM 4 SHOWING LOVE AND RESPECT TO LATINOS!!!
May 5th, 2010
3:54 pm
I’m a fan of the hawks and i didn’t feel sorry for them lastnight.
they deserve it FOR GIVING UP.
I blame Joe Johnson for this embarrassing loss, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star?
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!
THE SUNS ARE NOW MY SECOND FAVORITE TEAM 4 SHOWING LOVE AND RESPECT TO LATINOS!!!
May 5th, 2010
3:54 pm
I’m a fan of the hawks and i didn’t feel sorry for them lastnight…….!
they deserve it FOR GIVING UP.
I blame Joe Johnson for this embarrassing loss, When will people realize he isn’t an all-star?
People keep saying He’s the most underrated player in the NBA but be Realistic he’s freaking OVERRATED!!!
I hope this is the Last season I see Joe Johnson wearing the ATL jersey.
Time to hand DOWN the team to a player that plays with heart,
Its time to give the team to JOSH SMITH!
Mel from SW Atlanta
May 5th, 2010
3:55 pm
TEST
Brad
May 5th, 2010
3:56 pm
Mark, kudos to you for all of the kudos you give out for firsts. You’re very consistent with that.
Beone
May 5th, 2010
3:58 pm
I can’t wait for the post post-season. After the Hawks are mangled, let’s see what Sund has got. If he is as inept as Woody, I’m no longer a fan.
jarvis
May 5th, 2010
4:04 pm
Bradley got shown up again.
Shultz is getting all of the hits.
DBH
May 5th, 2010
4:05 pm
Look at what the Celtics did in their game 2. Not only did they beat the Cavs, they BLEW THEM OUT in their own arena – and that’s a team a lot of people refer to as “old.” So, what’s the Hawks’ excuse?
Doug
May 5th, 2010
4:06 pm
NC Braves: Valid point in that the Hawks have the least imaginative offense in the league…especially down the stretch of games. I think the two are related..i.e.Joe “thinks” he is an upper echelon player and thus expects to dominate the ball like one. Woody thinks JJ is as well…and has no clue how to integrate JJ into an offensive scheme apart from the iso stupidity that inveitibly occurs…and worse yet he is not a good postseason player…all reasons along with his age for the Hawks to RUN from giving him a max contract…sign and trade is best option they have
Brad
May 5th, 2010
4:08 pm
Mark, kudos to you for all the kudos you give to firsts. You’re very consistent with that.
Also, kudos to you for all of the Hawks articles/blogs you’ve written recently. Very good coverage!
DrewCat
May 5th, 2010
4:11 pm
FIRE WOODY
N.B.
May 5th, 2010
4:12 pm
“PLAYOFFS?!?!?! PLAYOFFS!?!?!? DON’T TALK TO ME ABOUT PLAY–PLAYOFFS?!?!? THEY ARE EXACTLY WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE AND WE LET EM’ OFF THE HOOK!! PLAYOFFS?!?! PLAY–PLAYOFFS!?!?!
PLAYOFFS!?!?!”
PMC
May 5th, 2010
4:12 pm
The beatings will continue until morale improves
DrewCat
May 5th, 2010
4:15 pm
I’m so sick and tired of the media ignoring the elephant in the room, which happens to be Woody! You guys have the most insight as beat writers, yet you all act like writing about firing Woody is indecent or out of line. What’s the problem with speaking the truth. The journalistic perspective is not usually free from bias, so let’s exercise our TRUE opinion Mark. You and I both know Woody should be toast, now let’s hear it: FIRE WOODY, FIRE WOODY!
Who cares how the rest of the series shapes up? Yeah maybe our talent alone will win us a game or two in this series, but let’s face it: we have no shot at a long playoff run so long as Mike Woodson is our man.
FIRE WOODY!
PMC
May 5th, 2010
4:15 pm
The Hawks are good enough at times to be interesting, and bad enough at times that they aren’t worth even watching.
They are what they are and what they are is not a team that is remotely good enough to beat the best. They aren’t terrible, but they aren’t good either.
They don’t really seem to care much so why should we?
NC Braves Fan
May 5th, 2010
4:18 pm
Doug: personally I’m not sure what the answer is when it comes to Joe. It sure seems like the Hawks have the pieces to be a lot more competent offensively.
I can see your point about a sign and trade in Joe’s case — I go back and forth on whether they should keep him or not. Clearly Woody has taken the team as far as he can get it. Right or wrong, that much I’m convinced of.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Hawks handle the offseason.
NC Braves Fan
May 5th, 2010
4:23 pm
DrewCat @ 4:15pm … my take: I don’t think it’s really the time for the AJC to be talking about coaching changes. It would be bad form during a playoff series.
Plenty of time for dissecting what the team should do after the season is over.
yep
May 5th, 2010
4:26 pm
the hawks are gonna win by 5 tonight.
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ISO JOE
May 5th, 2010
4:41 pm
Here we go again. First it was Paul Hewitt at Tech now it is Woody. I mean if most of you guys on here stop being a fair weather fan and be a real fan all this complaining that is done would cease. You should come to the table with a solution to problems that we had in Game 1 not continued problems. The game only counted as one loss. If the Hawks win, which i think they will in game 2, the same people that bashed them will still come on here a say some left handed baseball bat stuff. Ok, we all can agree that if Joe leaves who we going to get to replace him. Not saying he is a superstar but there are not many options, Kobe, LeBron, D Wade, Melo, CP3, D Will is not walking through the home doors at the Highlight Factory no time soon. So, we are who we thought we were.
ATLANTA TEAMS SUCK
May 5th, 2010
4:48 pm
rock and others, you guys are correct. the nba is a true point guard and a headcoach. the hawks have neither. i love bibby to death, but he is a shooting guard. the hawks have THREE shooting guards on the floor at crucial times: crawford, johnson and bibby. this goes to woody not developing teague. there is no reason teague shouldnt be STARTING and letting bibby come off the bench. it CANT be worse and teague PLAYS DEFENSE.
mws17
May 5th, 2010
5:01 pm
The Hawks are a much better team than we saw yesterday, but realistically, they find themselves simply outgunned by the Magic. Personally, I’m just hoping they can keep the remainder of the series somewhat close and competitive.
PTI guys
May 5th, 2010
5:14 pm
Bob Weiss could coach these guys to win all their home games. Woody is an absolute joke of a motivator. The Hawks were in game 6 from the start. They have ZERO heart to come from behind. If they’re ever down by 10 or more, game over 99 times out of a hundred.
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.
RomeDawg
May 6th, 2010
7:14 am
Mark,
With all due respect, I believe your last paragraph is WRONG! They DO lack heart. They let a mediocre Bucks team missing their star center take them to game 7 and were blown out in Milwaukee. They won based on talent alone but not heart or coaching. Has there ever been a team make it to the 3rd round of the playoffs and be this bad on the road?
S Uga Fan
May 6th, 2010
8:16 am
So I am not the only that is noticing that MB is afraid to be critical of Woody!!! One can only wonder why?
cheese
May 6th, 2010
8:40 am
i dont understand why everyone is so high on avery johnson. if comes with alot of baggage, and if he is that great of a coach he would of been coaching a team years ago. he is a better commentator than coach.
pluckthehawks
May 6th, 2010
8:43 am
Thank you sir, may I have another….
Kelvin
May 6th, 2010
8:46 am
We should play much better tonight. I predict we will only lose by twenty (20)points.
PaulieOldSchool
May 6th, 2010
9:13 am
Without a legitimate big, and a legitimate coach, this team has reached the apex of its ride. If JJ doesn’t take over games, like he claims that he can, then he need not be re-signed, we don’t need him to get to 50 wins a year. I am very impressed with Josh Smith’s development this year, he has really grown in maturity and it shows. Teague needs a chance and Bibby’s lack of D is killing us. Without a TEAM effort, forget getting to the next round, either this year or any year. But a change must be made at coach. Please put Woodson out of our misery!
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Evan Cronwell
May 6th, 2010
12:19 pm
There is a 0.00% chance the Hawks will win tonight in Orlando. That is not right for a 3 versus 2 seed. If our Hawks played 10 games in Orlando they would go 0-10. Let’s hope we don’t get swept. I could see them possibly winning 1 of the 2 home games, but my hunch is we are getting swept. Best bet would be Magic in 5 though.
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