Another home blowout tells us the Hawks have quit on Drew
Kirk Hinrich arrives and the Hawks start stinking it up at home. Cause and effect? (AJC photo by Hyosub Shin)
This is why you don’t promote the nice-guy assistant. Because the players who’ve known him only as the nice-guy assistant will quit on him. And if you think the Hawks are still playing hard for Larry Drew, how are we to explain the misdoings of the past three weeks?
The Hawks have lost six home games in 18 days. (By way of comparison, they lost seven home games all last season.) Only one of these six losses has been by fewer than 13 points. Average margin of the six losses — 17.2 points.
On Friday they trailed Miami by 29 points after three quarters. On Saturday Al Horford convened a players-only meeting, which apparently enabled the Hawks to subdue the awful Detroit Pistons by eight points the next day. But the shelf life on players-only meetings, at least for these Hawks, is only 48 hours. On Tuesday they trailed Chicago by 29 points after two quarters. (They would trail by 47 before it ended.)
Even if we stipulate that all six home losses have come against good opposition, that excuses nothing. The Hawks are, or at least were, supposed to be pretty good themselves. They won 53 games last season, and they’ve won 40 this time. But they’re not nearly the team they were a year ago, and the reason is clear:
The Hawks might not have loved Mike Woodson, but they played hard for him most nights. When they stopped playing hard against Orlando in Round 2 of the 2010 playoffs, it was time for Woodson to go. But it took the Hawks six seasons to tune out their previous coach; they stopped listening to his successor after 60-some games.
They’ve won 40 games because they still have talent; they’ve lost 15 home games because they don’t care enough to apply that talent when application requires effort. Stop shooting their beloved jump shots? Start guarding somebody? Why bother?
Say it again: Fifteen home losses for a team that boasts two All-Stars, a third player of All-Star caliber and the league’s reigning sixth man of the year. Fifteen home losses, nine of them by double figures. The NBA’s worst team shouldn’t be getting hammered like this at home on such a regular basis, let alone one that has been to the playoffs three years running and will get there again this spring. (The irony of Tuesday’s loss was that the Hawks could have clinched a postseason berth; instead they looked like a team in the running to be first in line for the draft lottery.)
Apart from the subtraction of Mike Bibby and the addition of Kirk Hinrich — that trade hasn’t exactly had a catalytic effect, has it?– these Hawks are essentially the same as they’ve been. What’s different is the coach. Like him or not, Mike Woodson was difficult to overlook. His former team has found Woody’s nice-guy assistant all too easy to ignore.
By Mark Bradley
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347 comments Add your comment
Cheer for the other team
March 23rd, 2011
8:00 am
I used to get so mad when Atlanta fans would cheer for the other teams stars, but now I understand a little bit. After the recent performances at home where we have been getting blowed out, who else are we going to root for, It comes down to playing hard, having some heart, and some hussle, oh yeah, and pride. I can t watch them anymore, its horrible. A few years ago I was at those home playoff games against Boston, best Atlanta Basketball since Nique left, and the building was rocking, it should be like that every night, this team and management have killed the vibe. This is a sports town that cannot stand too many more dismal performances like we saw last night. Horrible……………………………………
Marlon
March 23rd, 2011
8:01 am
Hawks are embarrrasing! Where is the pride? That is the third blowout of 30 or more at home. There should be a policy in place that protects home team fans that if your team gets blowed out by 30 or more points you get a complete refund on your tickets. Larry Drew may not be a top notch coach but he can’t coach lack of effort and pride. I went to the Knicks game a few weeks ago. Josh Smith and Al Horford shooting long range jump shots. Heinrich turned the ball over 4 times in the fourth quarter. Joe Johnson wasn’t there. You can’t coach players who give no effort and make as much money as they do. We are paying players championship money and there are no rings on the team. The Hawks have not even been to the Eastern Conference finals. Its pathetic!
Tech Sucks
March 23rd, 2011
8:02 am
Besides Horford which was a no brainer pick, our pathetic front office has doomed this team for years.
Jim
March 23rd, 2011
8:02 am
Folks don’t waste your time, energy or money thinking any Atlanta team will win the game that counts, they won’t, never have and never will. Do what I do, make money off these clowns by buying and reselling tickets to the opposing teams fans. While you all were shaking your heads last night, I was laughing all the way to the bank after selling my tickets to a Bulls fan.
Dre ATL
March 23rd, 2011
8:02 am
I live in Atlanta but I am a Chicago Bulls fan. Derrick Rose should get the MVP. The Atlanta Hawks suks and they need a new team. When you pay less look what you get weak players. CHICAGO BULLS #11111111111
tremaine cooper
March 23rd, 2011
8:03 am
Jeff Teague- would be better in the starting lineup than coming off the bench. We don’t need him to score. We need him to play defense, get to the basket, and run the fastbreak. Tired of seeing Jason Collins fumble good passes by Jeff.
Kirk Hinrich- would be better coming off the bench. Kirk can play defense and score but he does not get to the basket like Teague can.
Marvin Williams- has played a lot better coming off the bench this season.
Zaza should be the first big coming off the bench.
Sam
March 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
I just have to say, I am a die-hard fan, and it hurts me to watch this team. Good lord, this is why I could never coach basketball – if my players lost like this, my head might literally explode while I am yelling at their sorry asses.
Jeezy
March 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
I haver to say i agree with part of this article … Hawks stunk it up and against the better teams, they have really shown up. Our last decent win was against Portland, and shame to say, at least we didn’t have a lot of Portland fans in the building. I’ve never seen our home court run over by so amny fans of the visiting team. If i was these guys, i’d lay it up each and every night too if i had to deal with 75% of the fans in attendance cheering for the other team. I call out the Hawks for these bad performances but i also call out these fans getting into the building. The city of Atlanta should not allow these fans to take over our games. It’s awful and pathetic!!!
Ex-fan
March 23rd, 2011
8:08 am
I grew up here and loved the Hawks as a kid. I don’t even follow the NBA anymore. Who really cares about a bunch of overpaid athletes who don’t even play hard? Give me the NCAA and college bball any day. If the Hawks were to leave Atlanta, most Atlantans wouldn’t care less. Sad but true.
Badgerina
March 23rd, 2011
8:10 am
This article is a great metaphor on life.
Double Zero Eight
March 23rd, 2011
8:11 am
They played like the Atlanta Buzzards and stunk
the place up!
Jim
March 23rd, 2011
8:15 am
Hawks, Falcons, Braves, Thrashers, all in same boat they just takes turns showing their true colors.
They will never win, none of them. The Braves have the one championship from a strike year, but does that really matter? But the Hawks and Falcons makes money for me, so I ain’t mad at em.
Timothy
March 23rd, 2011
8:15 am
Who in their right mind is spending their hard-earned dollars to go to Philips to watch this garbage called Professional Basketball. What a waste ot time and money!
Buck
March 23rd, 2011
8:16 am
There is no coach fix for this team. There may be an owner fix, but even if they change owners tomorrow, it will take at least two more years for this team to be “decent” again.
Does anyone know whether Mr. Blank is actually in the running to buy this team?
Fratello was acting like he knew something that no one else did about a sale.
b17211
March 23rd, 2011
8:17 am
Ownership is as much to blame as the players.While key rivals in the conference got better, the Hawks did nothing. They overpaid Joe Johnson who is not a elite NBA player, and they got no help for Al Horford inside. Marvin Williams is a huge disappoinment and they didn’t get a good head coach because of tight pockets. The fans quit on them during last season’s playoff blowout to Orlando and ownership hasn’t done anything to bring them back.
Badgerina
March 23rd, 2011
8:17 am
Hire Harry Angstrom to coach the team. The guy has stones!
Paul H
March 23rd, 2011
8:19 am
From now on, whenever the Hawks post one of these blowout home losses, all fans who showed up should refunded their tickets.
If the team wants fan support, they have to support the fans and the city. It’s a two way street. This team is SAD.
just wondering
March 23rd, 2011
8:28 am
Larry Brown wants to coach again. Anything would be an improvement over Drew (and it’s not all his fault but now that the players don’t believe in his ’system’ , then he has to go, as you can’t fire the whole team– although it’s a thought).
Joshua Barlowe
March 23rd, 2011
8:30 am
Two albatrosses on this team: Joe Johnson the all-star who isn’t: Mr. Not Clutch. And Marvin Williams, the 2nd overall draft pick who plays like a CBA rookie. That’s a lot of money to be tied up in two guys who look like they’d rather be taking a nap during most games.
Fix it!
March 23rd, 2011
8:31 am
I love my hawks & always will. It’s hard to blame this on Drew guys. Notice when we play good teams (over .500) Joe is playing the 3 spot @ times, while having to guard PGs. He’s 6′8, not a very good formula for chasing cat quick 6′3 PGs during the game. You wonder why he struggles on offense, there you have it. Al is our beast but the elite teams has @ least 2-3 of him that’s 6′10 or better.. Poor Josh settles for jumpshot after jumpshot against the elite teams & that becomes so painful to watch. Of course he plays out of position too, so what is else new.. Although while he’s out of position, he could be a matchup nightmare for opponents. I said all of this to say this, Phil Jackson probably couldnt get this group out the 1st round bc they are missing a true center.. Not Drew or the players, I’m looking @ management & we have to make some major moves this summer. Go luck the rest of the way ATL Hawks & I’ll continue to cheer you guys on!!
YardDawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:34 am
Mark, I don’t understand the concept of “quitting on the coach.”
The PLAYERS are either quitters or they aren’t, in my opinion. It’s a sad state in professional sports when players making hundreds of thousands of dollars PER GAME won’t play hard.
The Man
March 23rd, 2011
8:35 am
Pretty easy to see, but the Hawks were too scared to be bold-subsequently put them in a position to be very mediocre for the next half dozen years. Problems are Joe Johnson doesn’t care. He is at best a good teams third option. Marvin Williams should be your third guy off the bench. You will never win at an elite level with Josh Smith. THe only player the Hawks can trade is Smith as no other GM will take Johnson’s money and Marvin is vastly overpaid for what he gives. THen again, Johnson to New York will work. He’d be their fourth best player and Dolan doesn’t mind taking on offensive players who refuse to play real defense.
Whopper Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:35 am
Man, this is hard to figure out, but I am going to try
Decent but not complimentary talent. Terrible management and terrible coach. This is the guy the players wanted, remember? The worse thing is, this collection peaked two years ago, and no one in management knew. And they still don’t.
tc
March 23rd, 2011
8:36 am
Mark: The Hawks do need need to find anyway to get rid of JJ. Why?, because he is a cancer . The fans are disgusted and will continue to be as long as he is here. Me personally, I would rather keep JS. He seems caochable for a different coach. JJ is JJ. Paid like Lebrun, but is not a leader and when he is down which is usually, he is a drag on the team and the other players follow that lead. While JS has his issues they are different from JJ in my opinion. Mark, I know you probably won’t agree with this because you were a huge supporter saying “Hawks have no choice” They did have a choice and made the wrong one. Now we need to recognize it and trade him best we can.
STRETCH
March 23rd, 2011
8:38 am
MAN IF I WERE COACHING THIS TEAM LAST NIGHT, I WOULD HAVE LEFT THE STARTERS IN TO SUFFER THAT BEAT DOWN! THEY AT LEAST DESERVED THAT!
Devoted Reader
March 23rd, 2011
8:39 am
…And the tradition of this city’s pro teams continues, and the ASG is in it again. Looking forward to cheer for WNBA, Atlanta Dream!!! Hope Falcons do better too!
G'Vegas Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:39 am
LD should be fired today. Quit delaying it. Even when he is fired the hawks have this thug-selfish-immature-self absorbed money pit by the name of Joe Johnson that we’ll be paying for the next 5 years nobody in the nba would touch that guy with a 50 ft pole. Put Steve Smith In charge of these clowns.
preston
March 23rd, 2011
8:40 am
I never thought that LD would tank this soon with this team. This team started off hot……..just like they did under Woodson, but the wheels have fallen off with this bunch way too fast. When the hawks traded Bibby and JC2, I was not impressed at all, b/c Kurt H. doesn’t have much impact in games……..his defense was certainly an upgrade, but Bibby was clutch, and at the very least we should have brought him off of the bench, and started Teague. I hated giving up JC2 b/c we didnt give him a chance to show us anything, and now that he is getting a chance, he is showing that he could have been used a lot more to help this team out…..sure the Wizards are crappy, but that has nothing to do with what JC2 is doing…..the guy is just doing what comes naturally to him……and that is to score…..and let us not forget that the guy is just a rookie, so the ceiling is high for him. And what can we say about Joe Johnson?. This guy has turned out to be one of the most overrated players in the NBA. Yes, JJ can score, and he has had a few games for the hawks…….but great players have a few bad games, and many good games………..and JJ just hasn’t delivered for this team……..and even more so in the playoffs. Johnson has become Robin without Batman…………..Scottie Pippen without Micheal Jordon…………….Dennis Johnson without Larry Bird…………..Byron Scott without Magic Johnson. I was a big hawks fan, but I am done with this team for this yr……the constant starting of M.Williams, the immaturity of J.Smith, the constant wasting away of talent is getting really old, and something needs to change.
tc
March 23rd, 2011
8:41 am
YardDawg, I am sure you are one of those die hard CMR supporters that continue to blame all his players as well. Well coaches do motivate players and are paid to do it. Why should any coach be fired? How di we know it is not all the players fault every time. Coaches are paid to manage, motivate, and get players to want to work hard. I am sure all the players have worked hard for other coaches in previous years. What is the difference now?
atlnative
March 23rd, 2011
8:43 am
The Atlanta Hawks are a bunch of p______.
G'Vegas Dawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:44 am
TC- do you see a scenario where anybody in their right mind would take JJ off of our hands? He’s got a max contract and plays like he should be getting the veteran’s minimum. I don’t see a way to get rid of him unless the hawks pick up 90% of his salary.
bigeasy830
March 23rd, 2011
8:44 am
The problem with this team is ownership, they are too cheap to hire a decent GM and coach. Until the team is sold they will underacheive. You all must realize the Coach Woodson was not the problem with this team. He got all he could have out of this group. This team just doesn’t have heart, they quit on Coach Woodson in the play-offs and now they have quit in the regular season. No one can win with this group of players. For Coach Woodson to improve them to 53 wins last season shows his ability to coach.
Priest Lauderdale was underrated
March 23rd, 2011
8:45 am
And this is why it should have been Smoove, naot Woodson that left the building. Woody, for all of his faults, did a good job, taking the team from 13 wins and improving every year to the 50 plus win team of last year. Considering the B Knight left him with a team of mostly 6′8″ 220 pound swingmen and no point guard or center, as well as not one, but TWO blown lottery picks, Woody did a great job.
TarHeel74
March 23rd, 2011
8:45 am
Marvin Williams: bad karma. Delete him at any cost.
STRETCH
March 23rd, 2011
8:46 am
Time to blow it up.
Fark Badley
March 23rd, 2011
8:47 am
Mark thinks the Hawkd should hire the greatest coach ever….Paul Johnson. He can coach football, basketball or rugby and be the best, according to Mark.
Concerned fan
March 23rd, 2011
8:47 am
Our power forwards are “throwing” up jump shots while their gaurds are driving to the hole (while we stand by and watch)! We play one-on-five ball and our opponents play as a team. This kind of says it all.
Hawks should look into disqualifying themselves from the playoffs and allowing the number 9 team in the East to replace them. Also, the organization should not allow any “show” introductions of the Hawks starting line up at home games for the rest of the season – they really don’t deserve it.
Priest Lauderdale was underrated
March 23rd, 2011
8:47 am
What’s Hubie doing these days?
Nunna!!
March 23rd, 2011
8:49 am
(John and Yoko Ono singing):
“All we are saying,is give Teague a chance”
GTT
March 23rd, 2011
8:50 am
Don’t feel bad professor, JSS hates everybody and everybody hates him.
STRETCH
March 23rd, 2011
8:50 am
If last night wasn enough evidence to blow it up, then what is??? Chirs Webber said last night that “this was the team they brought in from the off-season and they didnt try to get any bigs”
They got out rebounded and dominated in the paint. They got beat down and quit like they always do. Rick Sund’s “Core” has reached its peak and are descending at a furious pace!
Hirsutedawg
March 23rd, 2011
8:56 am
Can’t we just jump in the ol’ time machine, go back and let Joe “Gutless” Johnson walk and build this team around Josh & Al? Might of had to take your lumps for a season or two, but this crap coming out of the “Lowlight Factory” is unwatchable. ASG should apologize to Al.
heartofdarkness
March 23rd, 2011
8:59 am
The NBA, where amazing happens while the inmates run the asylum. Time to lose Nurse Ratched and bring in McMurphy and the Chief.
city of losers
March 23rd, 2011
9:00 am
This worthless ownership “group” should sell the hawks and thrashers and both of these terrible franchises leave the city and quit wasting tax dollars. Total morons running both teams. Atlanta—the true loserville! I can’t wait to move back north to jersey—the sports down here is a joke!
Ace
March 23rd, 2011
9:04 am
When players quit on the coach, why blame the coach?
The problems with this team is the players, until they move a few of them, nothing will change.
Lee
March 23rd, 2011
9:05 am
The Hawks proved they don’t care about winning when they drafted Marvin Williams. They could have taken Deron or CP3 (when everyone knew they needed a PG) and drafted a guy who didn’t even start for his college team instead.
As a fan, why should I care about this team when the front office obviously doesn’t?
allan in texas
March 23rd, 2011
9:07 am
THE ATLANTA HAWKS WINNING!!!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
allan in texas
March 23rd, 2011
9:08 am
Keep Al Horford! The rest of the team can kick rocks!
Peter
March 23rd, 2011
9:09 am
Mark for years I have told you they need a bigger front line…….a legit center, you said they were big enough.
I also think the Spirit is a poorly run organization, and signing JJ was a huge mistake…….he must be a cancer, because he is not a leader.
Signing Marvin was a huge mistake, and please is Teague a legit NBA player at all ?
Why were both of these guys taken in the first round ? And this year we gave up on a legit talent sent to Washington…….so honestly until this franchise gets SOLD……Atlanta will have more of the same.
Jelly Sandwich Meat
March 23rd, 2011
9:09 am
Everyone knows basketball sucks.