Fourteen games in, the Hawks have already stopped trying
Pretty much sums this one up, wouldn't you say? (AP photo)
Let’s see. Who else have they got on that bench? Bob Bender? He’s been a Hawks’ assistant since 2004 — hey, that pitch worked for Larry Drew — and Bender played under Bobby Knight. Why not give him a shot? Or maybe Lester Conner. At least he played D in his playing days. Or maybe Wally Blase, who’s technically the trainer, but at this point who really cares?
It took the Hawks six years to stop listening to Mike Woodson. It has taken one month for them to tune out his successor. To say the effort the Hawks gave against the Boston Celtics on Monday night was amateurish is to discredit the concept of amateurism and to distort the meaning of “effort.”
Said Larry Drew, the head coach: “Very embarrassing. Very, very embarrassing. Very embarrassing. If I had to sum it up in one word: Embarrassing.”
Drew’s team trailed by 26 points after one quarter. The Celtics, who played Sunday in a different country and who started four men who’d been in the NBA for at least a dozen years, scored 39 points in 12 minutes and made 18 of 25 shots. If you’ve ever wondered how a basketball game would look if one team was prohibited from guarding the other, here it was.
“Embarrassing,” said Josh Smith, invoking the word of the night. Then: “It was like they hit us with one knockout punch and we had the glass jaw in the fight.”
The Hawks are 8-6 after starting 6-0. They’ve lost five home games. (Since you asked, their first home loss of last season came on Thanksgiving night.) Of those eight victories, none have come against a team that holds a winning record. Once the Hawks started playing somebody capable of beating them, they pretty much stopped playing. On Monday they stopped trying.
The team that won 53 games and took the No. 3 seed in the NBA East last season managed 10 first-half rebounds and zero steals. That’s one rebound every two minutes and 24 seconds and no steals over 24 minutes. As any coach will tell you, rebounds and steals reflect effort. Or, in this case, the absence thereof.
Written in blue letters on a whiteboard adjacent to the Hawks’ practice court were these words: “Hustle will dominate.” It did. The older team ran the younger one off the younger team’s court. In spring 2008 the Hawks took Boston to seven games in Round 1 of the playoffs, and in 2009-2010 they swept the Celtics 4-0 in the regular season. On this night the older team scored its 77th point with 5:04 left in the third quarter; if Boston hadn’t scored again, it still would have won.
Oh, yes. Almost forgot. The Celtics were missing two starters, including the Hawk-killer Rajon Rondo.
Said Drew: “What I see with our team right now, I don’t feel good about.”
Then: “I’ve got to find out what’s going on with our players.”
Here’s what: The Hawks succeeded in getting the nice-guy assistant promoted to head coach, but there’s a reason players always lobby for the nice-guy assistant. Because they figure they won’t have to work as hard. And they aren’t. This marked the third time in a season not four full weeks old that the Hawks have lost at home to an opponent coming in off a game the previous day.
Woodson might have been a bit of a curmudgeon, but he tended to get guys’ attention. Drew was considered — at least by some in ownership — the kinder, gentler alternative with a better grasp of tactics, but it doesn’t matter what X’s and O’s you sketch if nobody pays attention.
Said Al Horford: “I feel like all the pieces are there. We’ve got good game plans. We’ve just got to play harder.”
And that’s frightening. The most professional player among Hawks already sees a team not trying hard enough. After 14 games under a new coach. Even if you believe the promotion of Drew was a wrong-headed move (and it was), he deserves better than this.
When Monday’s game began, a seat at center court was occupied by an increasingly infrequent patron. Ted Turner left at halftime. The team he used to own didn’t bother showing up.
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November 23rd, 2010
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MannyT
November 23rd, 2010
12:15 am
@Melvin–Jamal needs to ball. He plays well & his value goes up. He plays like the Home Depot free throw fan & he will leave town with a leaf blower & a ladder. Mike Vick seems to understand this in Philly and he’s got more pressure to perform.
Philips was an embarrassing place to be tonight. More Celtic fans than Hawks fans. It would have been nice if some Hawks players had shown up to play. Maybe they will do better on the road vs NJ.
Whopper Dawg
November 23rd, 2010
12:19 am
Funny really that people get paid a lot of money to make these bad decisions involving millions and millions of dollars. Let’s see, sign a minor star to major star money because we had to, keep all of the rest of the players, promote the assistant coach, and then shake and mix well. What do you get?
The same team as last year with no point guard and no true center that should have been beaten in the first round of the playoffs and were beaten so badly in the second round that it made NBA history.
I mean really, what do you think you have here???? They should give Horford a break and trade him to a professional basketball team.
Not Don Waddell
November 23rd, 2010
12:22 am
Should have traded Josh Smith when he was still worth something…and paying Joe what they did, sheer lunacy….trainwreck….time to trade the malcontents (Jamal Crawford and Josh Smith) as soon as possible and begin looking toward the future, and that albatross that Joe’s contract will be for the next 5 years…
Greg
November 23rd, 2010
12:49 am
Joe Johnson gets rewarded with a huge(and unwarrranted) contract and what does he do? He comes out and plays worse than he’s ever played. The guy is not a leader and he is not a wiinner. Don’t give me this lead by example crap. Be a PRO. Be a MAN. Step up and LEAD this team.
Not putting up numbers this season is just a part of Joe’s problem, but his numbers were pathetic tonight. 23 minutes, 2-10 from the field, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. Are you serious? Give some of the money back, Joe, or give it to charity. You certainly aren’t doing anything to earn it.
Ross
November 23rd, 2010
12:49 am
It’s damn sad but the NBA has joined NASCAR on my list of dead sports. It’s not really basketball as we knew it. I can’t understand how anyone can watch it for 10 minutes. It’s hard to believe that this is the same game they played in the 70s and 80s.
Legend of Len Barker
November 23rd, 2010
1:03 am
Is Charlie Criss available?
Blow the team up and start over.
I knew there wasn’t going to be any improvement from the get-go. Jeff Teague, drafted to the be the next point guard, barely plays. I bet Jordan Crawford sees about the same.
Josh Smith will never meet one half of his potential. Marvin Williams hasn’t met any of his. Bibby’s too old. Jamal Crawford doesn’t care. Everybody in the league knows are only real option is Joe Johnson.
Jason Collins is on payroll. Josh Powell has hung around forever and done nothing.
Wait. Keep Al Horford. Dump the rest of them.
Pull a Ted Turner if necessary and sign guys off the street. I know Ted’s real intent was to move to Charlotte with the crew after they stunk up the joint, but the kids off the streets actually wanted to earn their checks.
renegade#1
November 23rd, 2010
1:20 am
If they weren’t playing basketball they wouldn’t have a job; they are too lazy to work and to sorry to apply for welfare all they would be are tall and hungry.
Fourteen games in, the Hawks have stopped even trying | Mark Bradley | To Share
November 23rd, 2010
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crosby
November 23rd, 2010
1:47 am
Please everybody boo Joe Johnson every chance you get. That signing will has put the Hawks in a downward spiral that will last at least five seasons. I’ll start…booooooooo
tckr83
November 23rd, 2010
2:01 am
Man! I am so glad I drove from Augusta to see this game! On top of that it was my fiancee’s first NBA game, she’s not a basketball fan at all and couldn’t tell you the first thing about it besides the ball going through the hoop is a good thing…
She did however ask me a few times, “how much money do these guys get paid to do this again? This is pathetic, even i can see that.”
A ho-hum offseason starting with a “coaching search”, the worst contract ever in NBA history, adressing exactly zero problems with “roster additions” and saving money in the 2nd round of the draft that never was going to be spent on improving the team in the first place… gives you the product we saw tonight. If the Hawks had half the heart/determination/fight that the geriatric Celtics do… they’d be world champions with as young and athletic as they are.
The name Joe Johnson is getting more and more sour in the mouths of Hawksnation fans. What happened to the ASG’s earlier stance on the luxury tax? I thought they didn’t mind going over that, if it made the team better…
ASG needs to put a for sale sign up in front of Phillips tomorrow, for anyone who wants to run the franchise with a winning mentality and half a brain.
JTH
November 23rd, 2010
2:34 am
Before the season started I said the Hawks had already peaked. Unfortunately they’re proving me right. This is a team of cowards. No guts, no heart, and ownership isn’t interested in doing what it takes to build a winner.
saml'l
November 23rd, 2010
2:42 am
New coach in 10 games…….Count on it.
Brooklyn Hawks? Maybe.
Miles D
November 23rd, 2010
3:10 am
THIS IS MORE THAN PATHETIC!!! THIS IS A TRAGEDY!!! These guys should be ashamed to call themselves PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYERS!!! These “people,” cause they are not a “team” are just atheletic and don’t know how to play the game of basketball! To play u have to be able to do more than just run (or walk in their case), jump, and occassionally hit a shot to be a PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL PLAYER!!! They clearly don’t understand that basketball is played without the ball as much as it is with it! We should trade EVERYONE and build around Al Horford (Mo Evans, JC2, and Powell can stay too)! But Al is our man! He is our future! Everyone else should be out ASAP!!! Al is the only constant and REAL professional we have! If we would play our offense through him we would be competing, but too many guys with incredulous egoes and not enough heart to go with it!
Not Sund
November 23rd, 2010
3:24 am
To borrow a phrase from W.;
Fool me once shame on you.
Fool me, can’t get fooled again.
This bunch laid down on Woody and now they’ve laid down on LD. This roster will NOT finish out the season.
h. simpson
November 23rd, 2010
3:43 am
Doh!
Hot games! » Fourteen games in, the Hawks have stopped even trying | Mark Bradley
November 23rd, 2010
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jim
November 23rd, 2010
4:33 am
Relax people – its a long season. I did not hear all the negatives when we got off to a hot start. Its the NBA, not the NFL. Players don’t always play their best? I am shocked!!:) If the Hawks are playing the way they played this game on a consistant basis in January, then push the panic “fire” button. Until then, chill. Its a long season in the NBA.
Carpetbagger
November 23rd, 2010
4:34 am
Why should I pay hard earned money, and watch a bunch of tattooed-womanizing-non-educated millionaires, play a GAME (and call it work) and then not give a 100%? Don’t blame the coach, the players or the owners… blame the fans for being stupid enough to waste their time and money!
the don of realism
November 23rd, 2010
4:53 am
You can’t win ‘em all.
59bulldawg
November 23rd, 2010
4:55 am
Too much talent on the team to play like this. I’m beginning to question why I even care anymore.
Grow up
November 23rd, 2010
5:46 am
Josh Smith has a lot of nerve even commenting on the game – he is a petulant teenager masquerading as an NBA baller – during timeouts he abandoned the huddle and sat down on the end of the bench and sulked – he needs to cling to every word Drew says – he went straight from HS to the pros and his game is as immature as he is – talk about a COACH KILLER !!
Dr. Warren
November 23rd, 2010
5:48 am
MB–Nice to see a column NOT about GA or GA Tech or Auburn football. Despite what the page hits must indicate, most of us Atlantans and Atlantans living elsewhere did not go to those schools and depend on you and Jeff Schultz for local insights about the Hawks and Falcons…
NCBravesFan
November 23rd, 2010
6:19 am
Astro Joe nailed it at 10:53. The Orlando series was a mandate for a major change.
If the Hawks weren’t willing to spend money to upgrade their personnel and change the culture after the Orlando series, they had no business giving Joe a max contract.
ASP
November 23rd, 2010
6:26 am
Atlanta Spirit Group what do you expect they hire a general manager who failed with the bucks and sonics. They hire a coach with no head coaching experience. Sign a player who said who cares about the fans and sign him a max contract you got to be kidding. Atlanta Spirit Group needs to sell the team and get players who have passion for the game.
BlackMoses
November 23rd, 2010
6:27 am
Pitiful column Mark. The Hawks swept the celtics last year during the regular season. Now you are calling for the coach’s head this early in the season. If the Falcons get slaughtered by Green Bay this week are you jumping off the Mike Smith bandwagon.
Just stop it Mark. The coack killing/firing columns you’ve been writing are not a good look.
Ventura Boulevard
November 23rd, 2010
6:29 am
The only thing I can say about this franchise over the past thirty five years is that St. Louis was fortunate to get rid of it. They are an irrelevant team in what should be a premier NBA city. Thanks owners, coaches, and players…for nothing.
Paul Hewitt
November 23rd, 2010
6:40 am
I might be available after my never ending contract runs out at GT. My availability to the Hawks would depend on my getting another lifetime contact and a big raise.
Keep me in mind, I can coach anyone.
Will
November 23rd, 2010
6:42 am
There you go again Mark, writing to the moment rather than to the whole.
You spent the last 3-4 years writing about how bad Coach Woodson was and now, after just a few games, you have decided the new coach is not working out!!
You and I both know that Coach Woodson was an ill-mannered, hot tempered individual when dealing with the media. Because of your constant harping relating to him, many times his ill manners were directed at you. You obviously took this personally and allowed your personal feelings to dictate your feeling relating to his coaching ability.
Please, just calm down and let a little more of the season play out before jumping to such rapid conclusions. You may be right about the new coach – you probably are – but let’s wait and see.
The one thing I bet we both will agree on now is that Coach Woodson appears to be a better fit. How ironic!
tony
November 23rd, 2010
6:44 am
You people just don’t get it do you? Why would anyone want the ASG/GM to make decisions for this team? You people should know by now that the ASG don’t give a hoop about the people in Atlanta. Do I have to explain why? Why do you think they signed JJ to a max contract after he said he could careless if the fans showed up or not? You still don’t understand what’s going on? If you don’t God help you..
the real Old Gold
November 23rd, 2010
6:46 am
The town will never support the Hawks!
Atticus
November 23rd, 2010
6:58 am
As long as the ASG owns the Hawks and Thrashers, I will not spend one dime or one minute on either. I love hoops, I love hockey and I have lived in Atlanta my whole life. Sad but a complete failure of a competant leadership model (see Atlanta Falcons).
Sope Creek
November 23rd, 2010
7:13 am
You nailed it, Mark – and you know I don’t like to agree with you about Woody much. I was defending him last few years when you were ripping on him pretty hard about his win/loss record since he was hired.
Another indicator that the Hawks quit is the number of fouls each team had. The Hawks only had 13, and this against a bigger, deeper team. There’s no way the Hawks can play with Boston if they’re not challenging the Celtics enough to draw foul calls in reasonable volume. Zaza with 1 foul in 10 minutes? Really? If he was playing well and only drawing one foul that’d be one thing . . . but Zaza’s effort game results in, well, fouls.
And the Celtics only had 14 fouls . . . apparently the Hawks didn’t do anything to draw defensive mistakes from them.
Prior to the beginning of this season I predicted on one of the blogs here that this team would be at 40-42 for the year because they already were satisfied with what they’ve done over the last 3 years. It’ll take at least a year of wandering in the wilderness before they figure out that being really good at this game at this level is hard, but it’s also worth it to expend the effort required. Whether Larry Drew is the Moses who can lead them to the Promised Land is open for discussion . . .
as is whether Rick Sund is the guy to tinker with this roster if Drew doesn’t lead them there. For better of for worse, Joe Johnson is completely untradeable, healthy or not. And as long as he is the cornerstone of this team, there will be limits on how far this team can go . . . I doubt that the Hawks ever see the conference championship game again while Joe’s here. Remember when the Braves got good in 1991? Well, sure they added Pendleton, Bream and Belliard. But the Braves started getting better when they traded Dale Murphy the previous August . . . to many of the young guys were deferring to Murph and they no longer needed to do that with him no longer on the roster. Joe’s been the dominant player on the Hawks from when they needed him to dominate . . . but now that type of dominance is in the way. I think Larry Drew understands that, but I’m not sure that he’ll ever get Joe and the rest of the guys to give up looking to Joe when things get tough so long as Joe is around . . . . . . .
TROTTINGHOME
November 23rd, 2010
7:31 am
when does spring training begin again?
Basketball Historian
November 23rd, 2010
7:34 am
Went to my first Hawks game in a couple of years as my kid wanted to see the Celtics especially Rondo. After the disappointment of Rondo not playing, it was striking to see the difference in the 2 teams. The C’s were confident, poised, and seemed to know exactly what their plan was. All just balled without theatrics except for Robinson who thrives off of emotion.
The Hawks on the other hand, tried to run a motion offense that relies too much on jump shots. They have no inside game and no one who could match up with Shaq or KG. Once their jumpers stopped falling, they did not have a backup plan and seemed to accept that they were the lesser team.
GT
November 23rd, 2010
7:37 am
I wonder if Georgia Tech’s basketball team and the Hawks meet in some secret society around town that encourages sorriness. Neither team gets it. At least Drew calls em out on it. When you play in Boston and act like the Hawks you are liable to get hurt. My prediction is the Hawks will be ok, Georgia Tech will continue to be clueless. It is a matter of coaching after a while, and the first thing is to embarrass the team and the next is to start trading.
Is Sund still here ?
November 23rd, 2010
7:40 am
HAHA Everyone was so optimistic at the start of the season we are just as overrated as the Heat, but the will make the dance, we won’t. Joe Johnson is not any type of leader thats why he was not able to help lure any big names over the summer, he just took the cash. Now the writing is on the wall Drew, is no better than Woodson. Where do you start with the defense, offense, or effort.
Sund does not have a single clue on how to build a winner !!!!!!!!! Do your history on Sund folks he has always built the core of the team on Guards & Swingmen, the best trade he ever made was bringing Ben Wallace to Detroit, but he got the boot & Joe Dumars took over & the rest is history .
CJ
November 23rd, 2010
7:42 am
I did not take time to read everything available because it is repetitive, true but repetitive. I saw no one able to even move mount shaq in the middle. With no size, sorry Jason you’re no competition for Shaq, Dwight, or most other bigs in the league, we will not improve. However tonght was a different issue, not only were they outsized, they were out manned, out classed, out hustled, and pretty much showed up on their home court. You are now, with the contracts you have, in a position that makes it hard to trade people, especially ones that are not being productive. JJ, Marvin, even Bibby, but at least he is scoring when he gets the opportunity.
I saw JJ in so many iso’s that I thought it was 1 on 3, 4 or 5. PASS THE BALL. $120M does not mean control the ball too, not just the hawks future with your paychecks.
Daisy
November 23rd, 2010
7:55 am
All the Hawks goons care about is picking up their fat paychecks.
Scotto
November 23rd, 2010
7:56 am
So let’s see. Even in a 23 point blowout Jeff Teague still only gets 10 minutes of playing time and a measley 6 points. This guy doesn’t even get ‘mop up’ duty. Geez what a wasted draft pick!!
Veteran Fan
November 23rd, 2010
7:57 am
There is no excuse for a lack of effort if you are trully a professional! This starts with Joe and Josh as they are the highest paid players! This team needs leadership and they are not leaders but petulant bench players masquerading as “stars”! Sund should be on the phone to Denver with a three way deal with the Knicks to move both out of town and pick up two first round picks, free up some money, and pay Jamal his money! Sign the 7 footer ruled out at Kentucky or pay the Spanish team whatever they want to get the big guy we drafted in here. We need a center and go out and get the best one available wherever thay are! The Knicks get JJ and Carmelo and the Nuggets get Josh and we have 3 first round picks to trade or use! The team is energized and the fans get a real team to root for! Maybe even a four team trade for Varajao in Cleveland with a first round pick and Marvin for him! Starting line up Varajao, Horford, Crawford, Crawford, Teague. Fast and tough on the boards with quick defenders.
jokurone
November 23rd, 2010
7:59 am
Excerpt from the next Hawks’ next players-only meeting:
*** By the way, keep in mind that this is all in good humor and not meant to offend anyone. It’s just fictional speculation for some fun.***
Al Horford: Come on, guys, we can’t keep getting blown out like this. It’s an embarrassment. Where’s the effort? This isn’t how we did it back in Gainesville. We need to keep the ball moving. That’s when we’re at our best.
Joe Johnson: Listen, man. Don’t be worryin’ ’bout dat. Y’all just need to give me more room to operate out there. Git me da ball and clear out, man. Ain’t nobody else need to be taking shots out there.
Jamal: Joe, I think I need some shots too. I need to get my averages up to get a new contract. It’s tough to play out there, always thinking about what’s going to happen in my future. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that.
Joe: Na, man. You strugglin’ out there. Just get me da ball, man. I’m an All-star.
Teague: Guys, who should I pass the ball to tomorrow night? Do I pass to Joe or Jamal first? Do you think maybe I could take a shot tomorrow night?
Joe: Na, man. Ain’t nobody pay no attention to you out there, man. Just defer to me when I’m out there and make sure my gatorade is cold when I’m on the bench. Don’t be passing the ball to Josh out there either. He trippin, lately.
Josh Smith: I ain’t trippin, brotha. These refs are hatin’ on me, man. I was fouled on every play last night and didn’t even get one call. Why don’t y’all pass me the ball more when I’m open on the wing, man? Y’all know I be drainin’ threes out there to get us back in it.
Zaza: Hey, guys, how do you like my new scarf? Does anyone want to go shopping after the meeting? You need to dress better for the post-game interviews, guys.
Jeff: I voted for you as best dressed, Zaza.
Zaza: Thanks, Jeff. I’ll pass you the ball tomorrow.
Mo: Seriously, guys, what’s going on? What the hell were you all doing out there tonight?
Al: We’re playing selfish basketball and not executing on the offensive end. We’re not playing with intensity out there on defense either. Guys, this is getting embarrassing. We need to play with a sense of pride out there. We need to tighten up on defense and help each other out as a team. Hey, Mike? How about running some more pick and roll and pick and pop for me?
Mike: Yeah, Al. I’m down with that. Stop moving so fast out there though. Give me a few minutes to get down the court before setting that screen. You know I can’t keep up with you youngins out there.
Josh: Yeah, man. Y’all need to let me post up more too, man. Ain’t nobody can stop my pump fakes and up-and-unders on that low box. When you can’t find me in the post, just work the ball around the perimeter and find me on the wing for a three. Man, I’ve been wide open out there a lot lately. I’m gone make it rain, man.
Zaza: Smoove, can you help me work on my pump fake? Guys don’t ever seem to go for it when I try to pump fake.
Josh: That’s because you suck, bruh. By the way, did y’all see my highlights on Sportscenter the other night? That shi* was off the hook, man. I’m going be an All-Star this year. Y’all need to throw me some more lobs.
Al: Josh, stop throwing me those crazy lob passes from half court. You’re wasting our possessions. Don’t try and make something that isn’t there. Just follow the game plan and stick to the offense. We need to stop running so much isolation out there and making lazy, bailout passes.
Jordan Crawford: Guys, I think I can help too. Coach won’t give me any minutes though. I can’t wait to get out there and take a shot one of these days. The first chance I get, I’m going to chuck one up there.
Joe: Pipe down, rook’. Ain’t nobody paying no attention to you. Where’s my Gatorade, man?
Mo: Guys, I’m with Al on this one. We need to play more team defense and share the ball. Find the open man, and make those open looks. My knee is feeling a lot better now, I think I can really help out with the bench play too.
Jamal: Don’t worry about playing time, Mo. Just let your knee heal up. Coach doesn’t want your defense out there anyway. He’s going to give me all of your minutes so that I feel more comfortable and get into a rhythm shooting the ball. Besides, Marvin is really going to step it up this year. He knows where all of his shots are coming from.
Joe: Who? Man, who’s this Marvin y’all are talking about?
Zaza: I think that’s the guy who comes late to practice in that ugly Jacket and his PJs. He looks like a bum. I really need to give him a makeover.
Marvin: *snore* (in the corner)
Al: Come on guys. You perimeter players need to really start playing with more aggression out there. Jamal, you need to pick up your energy level on defense and recovery to the open man when he’s right next to you, even if it isn’t your man.
Jamal: What’s defense?
Al: And Mike, try to fight through those screens when teams are setting picks out there. I’m having to switch onto your man too much. I get tired of chasing little guards around the perimeter.
Mike: No prob, Al. But I need to take it easy. I want to play in the league for another ten years, so I need to pace myself. Besides, you’re a better perimeter defender than me anyway, and when my man blows by me Josh will be there to get another highlight block.
Josh: Yeah! You know how I do, bruh. Oh, and don’t be so selfish with the ball out there either, man. Don’t worry about setting up the offense out there, Mike. You know, I can play point too. I’m such a great passer. I can do everything. Just let me handle the ball more and I’ll run the offense.
Joe: Hey, man. Let’s not get carried away with all of this motion offense nonsense and sharing the ball. Everbody knows that ain’t none of that stuff works, man. That just gets us into playing all helter-skelter out there, man. Look, man, y’all don’t need to worry bout offense out there. Just get me da ball, man.
Al: But Joe, what if you get double or triple-teamed out there while you isolate?
Joe: Don’t worry, man, I’ll just pass da ball to you or Josh at the last second.
Mo: Coach wants us to trust the motion system, guys, not just isolate all the time. You guys need to stop ball-hogging out there and play the right way.
Josh: Yeah, man. Why’s Joe and Jamal taking 20 shots a game out there and I’m only getting’ 15, brotha? I need at least 20 jumpers each night too, and some dunks too. How’s a brotha supposed to make sportscenter without some lobs?
Joe: C’mon, man. Y’all need to stop listenin’ to coach out there. Y’all act like he know sumtin. He don’t know nothin’, man. That scrub barely played when he was in the league.
Zaza: Yeah, I don’t like coach either. He always wears those ugly suits. He doesn’t understand fashion at all and he takes me out of the game right away when I get my shot blocked by a point guard. I’m not going to let him eat at my restaurant anymore.
Al: Guys, I like how we’ve progressed as a team, but we just aren’t getting it done out there anymore. This team has some serious problems. You bench players need to step it up out there. We all need to step it up. It has to be a total team effort.
Joe: Chill, Al. We know what to do, man. I’ve been runnin’ this team for a long time, man. Listen’, man, I just had an off night and didn’t shoot enough last game. I’ll be better next time. Just give me about 10 more shots tomorrow and don’t be worryin’ bout what coach says. Just defer to me.
Jeff: Ok, that sounds good, Joe. I’ll be really aggressive passing you the ball tomorrow night.
Josh: Aight, man. This meetin’ is too long, when we goin’ to the club? Don’t worry about basketball man, we’ll just win the next one. Our next opponents are scrubs anyway.
Joe: Yeah, man. Y’all know how I roll. Let’s hit up the club scene now, man.
Marvin: Guys, can I come too? Oh, and we’re not going to an expensive club are we? You know I don’t like to overspend.
Joe: It’s all good, Duck. You can come wit us. Don’t even trip bout da bills either, man. I could buy these clubs with my pocket change, man. Yo, Jeff. You can come too, man. You can hold my coat.
Jeff: Sure, Joe. I won’t get it dirty. I promise.
Zaza: Guys, hang on a sec. I want to come too. I need to change my clothes first though. This shirt is ugly and doesn’t match my suede boots.
Mo: Al, our team is a joke. *sigh*
Timbo
November 23rd, 2010
7:59 am
and this is why the NBA is tanking. A large majority of America(especially white America) has turned the channel. I grew up a huge Hawks fan as a boy in Atlanta growing up, and have become indifferent to the Hawks and the NBA as a whole. The occasional high flying dunk just isn’t enough anymore. The NBA is in serious trouble.
Heat Girl
November 23rd, 2010
8:02 am
I am NOT a Hawk fan, however it bothers me that YOU PEOPLE who are probably lazy yourselves have the nerve to call these young men out of their names like a bunch of school age kids. You all have the right to list your displeasure but the name calling “lazy thugs” is not called for. I don’t know any of these players but as a former athlete I find it hard to believe that any athlete would be content with losing. That makes no sense. So PLEASE think about what you are saying before you post it. For those of you who have so many complaints about the Hawks STAY HOME and watch another team on television.
Snowman
November 23rd, 2010
8:05 am
I can’t stop laughing (give me a second)…I really can’t!!!…You ALL should be ashamed of yourself especially that knucklehead Schultz (does he still work for the sports section?) and I have been a little surprised at you as well Mark (I thought you had come around on Woody and then took shots at him early in the season).
Mark, you said it right in your column, Woody was 11-2 at this point last year!!! The Hawks swept the Celtics last season and who could ever forget the 7 game series we had with the Celtics under coach Woodson 2 years ago!!! Look the fans, the writers, and apparently the owners wanted a change and Larry is who was hired to replace Woody, thus be careful what you ask for Atlanta fans because you just might get it (by the way, Woody is still available and lives in Atlanta, it might not be too late to go to his house and ask him to save the season before it is too late however bring an attractive offer with you and an apology, hell he has feelings too…smile).
The real truth is Atlanta had taken what Woody had done for granted for the last 5 or 6 years. Given the ownership, the absolute below average general managing (and I mean the bottom 2 or 3 GM’s in the league…the new Elgin Baylor or Wes Unseld of GM’s) that has gone on throughout Woodys tenure and the complete debacle of player acquisition from the draft to free agent signing (and I know for a fact, if Shaq was offered a 1 year, 5 Million deal, he would be the starting center for the Hawks this year!!!) it’s amazing what Woody had done. Hell, it had not been done previous and he owns the NBA record for improving the team record for 5 consecutive seasons!!!
In closing, the Hawks were 53-29 and finished third in the East ahead of Boston and swept them 4 times last season. In the playoffs, the other 3 teams in the east (Boston, Orlando and Cleveland) just had better personnel, period!!! I think we beat the Celtics in the playoffs however we had to play Orlando and Red Auerbach could not have coached the Hawks over the Magic (smile)!!! Go get coach Woodson before it is too late and Philly, Charlotte, Detroit or the Wizards have grabbed him up!!!
I hate to say I told you so, however I told you so!!! (I know, know, I have no sense)…I know it’s early and I know Woody did not need vindication however…NUFF SAID!!!
Sage of Bluesland
November 23rd, 2010
8:10 am
Our esteemed and master-of-the-obvious writer (clownish Bradley) will find a way to blame Billy Knight, I’m sure….It seems even the clown Bradley stated in his blog last night that the Hawks are a “4th quarter team”–as if there was any hope at all?!
What a joke. I don’t know which is the bigger joke, the Hawks, the ASG, or Mark Bradley….See, it’s a tough call.
(At least our buffoonish writer isn’t gushing over Pete Babcock and how ‘nice’ a guy he is anymore…he’s doing it about Don Waddell now….I’ve never seen such incompetence for so long–both with the Hawks, Thrashers, and Mark Bradley….very tough choice there….)
Oh, and don’t be a coward, Mark–please ‘keep’ my comments this time? Coward. The payola has a vote, doesn’t it?
Joycee Banicheck
November 23rd, 2010
8:12 am
After witnessing the Hawks resign JJ for a sick amount of money after he layed down in the playoffs not to mention showing up the entire city with his post game garbage rant about “not caring” what Atlantans think I sit back and laugh at this. Although I know my dream of them losing every game won’t come to light, this is what you get Hawks. Not to mention the Hawks havent figured out they’ll never go anywhere with either JJ or JS as the #1 guy on the team. One with no heart and the other with the pipe dream that he owns Atlanta just because he went to high school down the road and won the dunk contest.
Hawks best bet would be to get rid of Smith ASAP, if you dispute it you’re an idiot.
And to you “Heat Girl”, ever make millions playing a sport? I’d imagine it’d be a good substitute for winning or showing heart for a lot of the guys in the NBA. I mean, why do you think the NBA is 3rd in this country in viewership behind football and baseball?
Tim
November 23rd, 2010
8:14 am
The Hawks suck. Period. Atlanta would be better off without them. I wouldn’t walk across the street to see them play for free. They suck. F the Hawks.
Bill Stanfill
November 23rd, 2010
8:16 am
I feared during last year’s play-offs that the Hawks had peaked in the regular season. These last couple of weeks seem to add further confirmation to that fear.
The performance the Hawks gave in last year’s play-offs wasn’t acceptable–but, in essence, it WAS accepted tacitly by the Hawks GM and owners. The only change was the head coaching position, and no one can say that they made a daring move by hiring Drew.
I got a sharp reaction from Mark Bradley last year because of my rather dismal assessment of the Hawks future but . . . .
What to do now? The Hawks need to be in the market for a bockbuster trade.
Double Zero Eight
November 23rd, 2010
8:21 am
Before the season started, I said that Larry Drew was a nice guy, but the team needed a veteran and proven NBA coach. I am afarid that I was correct in my analysis.