A wonder: The stubborn Hawks are finally figuring things out
This is a Josh Smith happy face. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
They’re two games from the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 1994, and even then they weren’t that close. (They trailed 3-1, won Game 5 here but returned to Indianapolis for Game 6. The end.) For a real antecedent, we flash back to the most famous playoff series in Atlanta Hawks annals, to Round 2 in 1988.
The Hawks trailed the Celtics 2-0 and appeared bound for the usual Boston beatdown, whereupon they won Games 3 and 4 here and, wonder of wonders, took Game 5 in the old Boston Garden. They had two chances to win once, and they lost each — the first, at the old Omni, was a whiff; the second, back in Boston, was a classic — by two points.
Twenty-three years later, the Hawks again have a real Round 2 shot. They’ve surprised the No. 1 seed twice already, first by stealing a march in Game 1, again by refusing to succumb in Sunday’s Game 4. Coming into the series minus Kirk Hinrich, winning one game seemed the most anyone could expect. Four games gone, it would be no great shock if the Hawks stole this.
Back to the late ’80s: The Hawks kept stumbling over the Celtics and the Pistons, both of whom were really good, in Round 2. But at least with those Hawks we knew what we were getting. They had a style, and they played hard every time out.
These Hawks, by way of contrast, spent a regular season dropping hints that a wall had been met. They won nine fewer games. They lost 17 times at Philips Arena. They were outscored on the season. When the Hawks say, “Nobody gave us a chance in the playoffs” … well, there’s a reason nobody did. This team was all over the map.
To look now is to see a team unlike the one we’d seen this season or any season this century. We see a team figuring things out on the fly, which is frankly incredible: These Hawks had become infamous for never figuring out anything. (Indeed, when Al Horford spoke those words — “We’re starting to figure it out” — after an April Fools’ Day victory over Boston, only fools were surprised to see the Hawks lose their next six games.)
Somehow, though, the can’t-do kids have reconfigured themselves. Handed a gift excuse with Hinrich’s absence, they’ve rendered it a strength. “It’s all about matchups,” Joe Johnson said Monday. “I wish Kirk was out there, but it’s almost a blessing in disguise. Jeff Teague is so quick he’s able to match Derrick Rose.”
Here Johnson paused. Then he said: “Funny how things kind of work out sometimes.”
Work out? For these Hawks? Since when?
Since now. Note the difference between Mike Woodson, the former coach, and Larry Drew, the former Woodson assistant now in charge. Woodson sought to guard Dwight Howard the same way four consecutive games in Round 2 last season, the result being four record blowouts. After the Hawks lost meekly in Game 3 here Friday, Drew redrew his starting lineup to include Jason Collins, who brings effort if nothing else, and it yielded the needed flying start.
Johnson: “Coach Woodson tried, and he’d make changes here and there. With LD it’s not just one adjustment — it’s four or five. We’ve just bought into it.”
Loading ...Yes, if grudgingly. Josh Smith needed four games in this series to play the way Josh Smith should, but his performance Sunday made us remember why it was we’d gotten excited about this guy in the first place. Even as we wonder why it took so long, we must credit him for getting it right at the right moment.
Johnson again: “We’re maturing as players and coaches.”
Maybe they are. They’ve thrown a scare into Chicago, which won 18 more games this season but sits one home wobble from elimination. We’ve all been frustrated by this team’s inconsistency and intransigence over time, but in the here and now they’re two games from Round 3, where the Atlanta Hawks have never been.
“You can’t get to the rainbow without going through rain,” said Jamal Crawford, who’s from Seattle. So he should know.
By Mark Bradley
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
140 comments Add your comment
mountain_jim
May 9th, 2011
2:46 pm
I can’t be too optimistic after seeing how Rose gets a foul called everytime he drives, but Josh and Teague get killed under the basket with no call. Over and over again.
cowboys67
May 9th, 2011
2:47 pm
There will be no inbetween tomorrow they will either win or get smoked by 30. It is all up to the 2 J’s Joe and Josh if they are aggressive without being reckless they win if not it will get ugly fast.
TheAntiMe
May 9th, 2011
2:49 pm
I’m not so sure that they are just now figuring it out, Mark. I have to believe that they must have had some clue that giving effort and helping your teammates out on defense, along with sharing the ball on offense shows much better results than doing the exact opposite. I mean, over the last couple of years, most of the games that they have won against quality opponents entailed doing these same things that they managed to get right last night.
Decatur Native
May 9th, 2011
2:50 pm
BjohnDawg
May 9th, 2011
2:34 pm
To the Hawks……Just win the whole damn thing!
To Josh Smith…..keep that backside in the paint, and you will be able to practice your Jump shot and three point range at the Next All star game.
SO TRUE I had to Re-post!!!
Lee Corso
May 9th, 2011
2:51 pm
MB
NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! Let’s see them play like that in back-to-back games first.
steve brown
May 9th, 2011
2:54 pm
Thanks Rodney!
Blue
May 9th, 2011
2:58 pm
From SI.com
“Honestly, yeah I did think that,” said Drew, an assistant under Woodson from 2004-2010. “But we have been able to maintain open lines of communication so that when I do correct him, we are OK. The thing about Josh is he is his worst critic. I get on him and he’ll jar back but I don’t mind that. That tells me his heart is pumping. For the most part, he respects me. When I get on him and I chastise him, he may not like it but at the end of the day he will come back and say ‘Coach, you were right.’ And I believe in him.”
He respects me “for the most part”. Smoove is uncoachable??? Nawwww, you don’t say!
Redneck Hawk
May 9th, 2011
2:59 pm
These birds are SO hard to watch. Get blown out one game then turn around and blow the team out in return. If they’re consistent they can win the whole thing. But everyone here knows that the Hawks’ Achilles Heel (or Achilles torso, more probably) is consistency. But I’m too stupid to not believe in them. Hope you guys can play your best, most consistent basketball every game for the rest of this postseason! Go Hawks!
FACTS
May 9th, 2011
3:04 pm
Can’t see why LD continues to even give Marvin Williams any minutes & yet was forced to play Teague due to an injury. This team & coaching staff just leaves Hawks fans shaking their head at times….about 90% of the time!!!!!!
Acie Law
May 9th, 2011
3:12 pm
How come the Hawks didn’t play me ? I was s’posed to be the Hawks point guard of the future – Actually, Teague is just doing all this by default – he got some minutes during the Bibby/Hinrich trade and after Hinrich got hurt otherwise he woulda languished on the bench like I did
Ry
May 9th, 2011
3:15 pm
Can’t see Josh Smith putting up those kinds of numbers again in this series. He is too dumb. How many games has he had like that throughout his career, only to revert back to his old ways again the very next game. His basketball IQ is very low and I don’t think he will ever get it.
FACTS
May 9th, 2011
3:15 pm
Josh has been in deep denial for the past 2 seasons, when he uses what God gave him correctly ( athletism & leaping ability ) this creates major matchup problems around the basket for any team the Hawks play against. This type of play gives the other players a boost & gets us out on the break more where Teague can use those young fresh legs to put pressure on any opponent. What is the purpose of running a slow break style of offensive basketball…when you have youth on your side???
Wait a Minute
May 9th, 2011
3:16 pm
Wait a minute, I thought you were “mad” at Josh Smith…like you asked, ‘what is he doing?’ in your last blog…remember? Over Reaction is your middle name. No wonder you can’t make management. Let the cooler heads prevail and have a grown up conversation. At least you are not like FAT HEAD Steak Stephan Shapiro and the rest of the radio hacks who want everyone fired.
Vick Supporter
May 9th, 2011
3:20 pm
I love the Hawks, but I just don’t feel confident that they are going to win most of the time. I watch every game, and I’m at home acting a fool screaming at the TV for some of the dumb plays we make…and then out of the blue…Josh Smith starts playing the way he supposed to play and we win. Why can’t we do this all the time? It’s frustrating as hell. As for the writers….one day you’re saying that we should blow up the team…the next minute you talk about how much they’ve grown. i guess that goes with the up and down nature of the team, but that get tiresome also.
As i said before, if we could get lucky and get 15 to 20pts from Marvin (which would be a miracle by the way, Kyle Korver of all people was shutting him down,lol) and the same effort we showed last night, we could win another in Chicago. Just a hope as far as Marvin…that dude sucks and Wilkins should be getting his minutes.
Go Hawks
enz
May 9th, 2011
3:22 pm
Steak Shapiro sucks…I mean I think…No one really listens to that station I don’t believe…
elroy
May 9th, 2011
3:24 pm
right on WAIT A MINUTE, Steak shapiro is a fat d-bag. Bradley is pretty bad but not as bad as steak.
Jason
May 9th, 2011
3:24 pm
We all know how this will end.
Blowout loss tomorrow. Nail biter game 6. If they win then it’s another blow out loss Game 7
Mark Bradley`s Booster
May 9th, 2011
3:26 pm
The Hawks played so inconsistent during March/April that I though
they would not win even 44 games. Now they play like a team that wants to win (well in most of these playoff games). Hard to figure but no
complaints from me. Hope they can keep the good games going and forget the blowouts.
FD
May 9th, 2011
3:27 pm
teague playing this well and marvin sucking like he always does just shows how clueless our mgmt and coaching is
Joe11
May 9th, 2011
3:30 pm
Trade Josh and Marvin for Bynum!!
Manny
May 9th, 2011
3:32 pm
Herein lies my biggest problem with the Atlanta Hawks:
They are more athletic than most of the teams that they will face, but they sometimes play like the Celtics. I mean, I want to bring some coffee to the bench before games, sometimes. Starting with Josh Smith. That guy shouldn’t get out of the box on offense. He is the highest jumper you can ever see. The guy is pure athleticism, but he wants to be a jump-shooter!
And Jeff Teague! Hi, Jeff! Welcome to the NBA! He always had it in him, but he’s so inconsistent. Cmon Jeff! Keep it up!
But my favorite Hawk (besides Jamal Crawford), is Zaza! I love it that the Hawks have an enforcer! I love it that people don’t like him and that he plays dirty! Oh, I love it all!!! I think that Zaza shines best during playoff games! And Zaza and Jamal are the reasons why I watch the Hawks.
b
May 9th, 2011
3:43 pm
FD is right.
Hawks have played Marvin forever and sat Teague.
The ONLY reason Marvin is playing over Damien is because he was the second pick of the draft.
Well, not the only reason, but it’s a factor. No way for LD to justify Marvin playing over Damien
this series. At least DW battles.
captguitarman
May 9th, 2011
3:46 pm
Dallas just strung four fantastic performances together – saving the best for last. The lesson is that you can’t do that every other game uneless the series started at home. If they can duplicate Sunday’s effort in Chicago, and win, that would be a huge step in the right direction for them and their confidence — and then why not speculate about where they might go beyond Chicago. Even if they put out that type of effort and lost by a few points, it would be a good sign, and still a chance for seven games to decide the winner. But, being a little jaded now, I couldn’t vote for a winner. I just don’t have full confidence that Sunday’s team will show up again, as much as much as I hope that it does. But, a win there would be fantastic, giving them a real chance to win it here in six games. Fingers crossed.
LakeDawg
May 9th, 2011
3:50 pm
The Hawks made a Smoove move last night.
bigeasy830
May 9th, 2011
3:51 pm
I was at that game last night. It was a great game. Teague is giving the Bulls all kinds of trouble. They have to set picks to free up Rose to make his own shot. But Rose can’t really create for others when doing this. When Teague has him one on one he is right in front of Rose. Rose needs help to shake Teague. Last night LD put Teague on Korver when he was in the game and Teague shut him down.
Jake
May 9th, 2011
3:51 pm
Hawks are going down hard the next 2 games. Cindarella is over with!
Rodney King
May 9th, 2011
3:54 pm
@Jake
Do you mean Cinderella? Maybe Spindarella? Maybe Alex Lindarella?
Rodney King
May 9th, 2011
3:54 pm
Dave Campanella?
conference finals?
May 9th, 2011
3:54 pm
Time to exorcise the demons of 1988!
Rodney King
May 9th, 2011
3:55 pm
Bella? Maybe Penn and Tella? Old Yella? Do you Smella what the Rock is cooking?
Kareem Abdul
May 9th, 2011
4:09 pm
The Bulls probably couldn’t play any worse than theyhave in three of the 4 games (none due to the Hawks) so keep dreaming Hawks reality ill really suck when the tease is over
tyger
May 9th, 2011
4:12 pm
tyger
May 2nd, 2011
3:19 pm
Hawks in 7, here’s why?
1. LD will devise a D to neutralize Rose. I suggest a zone blitz.
2. Hawks mentally/physically/spiritually tougher after Magic series.
3. Individual matchups are pretty even overall.
4. JJ’s playing better, his domination of Korver/Brewer is key.
5. Teague contributes after watching Rocky I, II, III, IV.
6. Damian ain’t scared to throw ‘dem bows.
7. Smoove/Deng is a good matchup, younger legs prevail in 7.
8. Horford has Noah’s number.
9. Big lineup will neutralize Noah, Thomas, Boozer.
10. Watson scares me.
Link Report this comment
Sir Charels
May 9th, 2011
4:12 pm
Did y’all catch me on TBS with the Josh Smith test dummy helmet??? LOL I meant to cross of the word test but forgot to -new craze Josh Smith dummy helmets!! get one now, JM dumber than a rock -what the hell does he keep trying to smell up on his upper lip?
joey1
May 9th, 2011
4:14 pm
hawks played with such energy and heart last night. if they play like that josh driving to the whole the hawks can be a elite team, but the need to be more consistent.. hawks like i said in 6 ..hawks against boston east con . finals what a rematch that will be….
Pelican Brief
May 9th, 2011
4:17 pm
Guys the HAWKS are a very talented bunch. A few years ago we were a 3 seed with thoughts of competing for the Eastern Conf Championship. The only major thing that changed from that group is the coach and we got rid of MB. Obviously, its turning out to be the right move. Its time for the players to grow up in the playoffs, and actually compete for the Eastern Conference. Hawks in SIX….
Pelican Brief
May 9th, 2011
4:20 pm
@Sir Charels …Man, thats turrible…
boots
May 9th, 2011
4:21 pm
This is a strange series and a strange place for the city of Atlanta to find itself. Apart from 1991 when the Braves began their own domination, the city has always had time to prepare itself for its teams to do well. We can see the Falcons building a playoff team, and the Braves have made it so routine, that we are not surprised when they make it to the post-season. But for the Hawks, this is new territory. It is like they flipped the switch, and the city has yet to notice the energy flowing through the team. I am thinking most sports fans are reading the scores and saying, “The Hawks? Really? When did the playoffs start, anyway?”
However, if the team can win in the windy city, a new breath of fresh air might just blow in to Phillips Arena, and this team can catch the city on fire like no one has since Sherman (or the Braves).
tyger
May 9th, 2011
4:27 pm
No time to get giddy…
Certainly, it feels good to hold serve, but the enigmatic Hawks haven’t completed the mission. They’ve held serve, that’s all. They have to fight their native instinct to win one, lose two.
Unfortunately, that’s their MO. They are not front-runners, they cannot put teams away. They take games off! History tells us that they WILL take Friday off.
That’s the challenge, that’s the victory, that’s the mission – to come out Friday, on the road, and make the Bulls spit the bit. That’s progress, to date, they have just gotten lucky seeding and not rolled over, yet.
I hope LD is just kidding about the BIG line-up, how more obvious can it be, that the winning formula is BIG, BIG, BIG.
I would even go bigger for spurts: Collins, Pachulia, Horford, Smoove, JJ – own the boards and the paint – and get your 1st trip to the Eastern Finals since 1989.
BulldogBen
May 9th, 2011
4:38 pm
“We’re maturing as players and coaches”. Are you kidding me?? Johnson is on his THIRD contract now. Smith and Johnson have yet to show they can have more than one, MAYBE two good games a series. Kobe already had 3 rings by the time he was Johnson’s age. Can we please shut up about maturing?
If history holds, we’re due for an EPIC beat down in Game 5.
Mutumbo
May 9th, 2011
4:45 pm
The Bulls really are B.S.
Najeh Davenpoop
May 9th, 2011
4:56 pm
“Drew redrew his starting lineup to include Jason Collins, who brings effort if nothing else, and it yielded the needed flying start.”
Collins brings a lot more than effort. He understands defensive positioning as well as any center in the league and is the most fundamentally sound player on the Hawks defensively. Don’t be fooled by his lack of athletic ability or ball skills. Collins is a perfect example of someone making it in the league solely on basketball IQ.
Boricua Hawk
May 9th, 2011
4:56 pm
Great article Mark! I was just talking to a friend about the difference LD is showing during the playoffs. Every night, they’ve come out doing things different vs. same ol’ stuff that didn’t work the game before. Great perspective on the old vs. new Hawks. I remember those fun days in the late 80’s. They made me a Hawks fan for life….even through the 11-game win season.
I’m excited about this series but unfortunately, I know how my Hawks go. Only as good as the last game. Killed Friday and bounce back big time last night. Here’s to keeping the momentum!!! Go Hawks!!!
papason
May 9th, 2011
5:19 pm
@ Najeh Davenpoop, totally agree with you about Collins.. We play better when we go with a big lineup plus Marvin is a waste of space anyway.. Doesn’t score, doesn’t rebound, only thing he does is collect a hefty paycheck
SWAT Native
May 9th, 2011
5:48 pm
As everyone else has noted, the Hawks are a funny team. One thing that I think has escaped most people’s attention in looking at the regular season is that they very nearly had a winning record on the road, which to me is the sign of a veteran, mature team. They would have had it had they not tanked the last six games after they realized they had nothing to gain in terms of their playoff standing.
In a way, it’s like the Celtics last year – I believe they even had a better record on the road than at home (which is bizarre). Everyone thought the C’s would not make it out of the first round, but they made it to the finals and really should have won had Perk not gotten hurt.
Road records are a good way of telling how tough a team is. That’s the one area where the Hawks did improve.
tom
May 9th, 2011
5:48 pm
some people are saying hawks in 7. hawks have to close this out in 6. getting 3 wins in chicago is a tall order. But maybe so is winning 3 games in a row (including last nights win).
DHunt
May 9th, 2011
5:54 pm
Just love it when know it all fans say Josh should stay in and around the paint on offense. Guess you forgot that Joe and Jamal, who are the primary focus of the offense whenever they are in the game, need the middle of the floor open to try to create. If Josh is standing around down there, where do you think his defender is? So when Joe or Jamal pounds the ball for 15 seconds and then get tied up and have to drop a pass to an open player, who has gotten to an open space? Why it’s Josh, with 4-6 seconds left on the shot clock, with a wide open 17 footer. And the home fans booed and screamed NO just as he went up for the shot. Thanks fans. People should remember that shot was falling with some regularity early in the season.
And the only thing that has ever been inconsistent about Jeff Teague is his playing time. This team needed better coaching than Woodson to get past Orlando, and LD has been slightly better. I just hope it doesn’t need even better coaching to get all the way to a championship. I was one of his biggest supporters coming in, mostly because I thought as a former PG he would develop Teague (and boy was I wrong about that), but I’m not sure if LD is up to the challenge of coaching this team to the Finals and ultimate victory.
Loving it while it lasts
May 9th, 2011
6:03 pm
Great game last night and everyone played well. Teague looks like the real deal, Josh finally went inside where he can be the man, although the outside shooting is still nerve racking. Why doesn’t the coach just get Josh inside and leave him there as a true power forward, play like Rodman getting mega rebounds, short jumpers, lay ups and slam dunks? Also, has anyone else noticed that Marvin gets his shot blocked inside more than anyone else in the NBA. He has obviously been figured out and he needs some help to alter how he goes to the basket to help him get his shot off. Coach, get the kid some help!
Ted M
May 9th, 2011
6:50 pm
I watched the Braves Sunday night, who are lookin pretty good, I would have watched the Hawks if they weren’t so pathetic in game 3.
It would still be a big surprise if they take this series as the Hawks have proved over and over… a lot of times they just don’t care.
bfred
May 9th, 2011
6:53 pm
My question is why the guy should ever, EVER settle for an outside shot. He is stronger and more athletic than just about any player in the league, the few exceptions being obvious monsters like Howard. Set up some penetration plays for him where he’s already moving toward the basket when he gets the ball. Who’s going to stop him? Noah? Give me a break. He’ll either score or get to the line every time. Once the double and triple teams come you have Horford at 8 feet and Joe and/or Jamal behind him. Marvin stands in the corner so he doesn’t mess things up.
ATLtodolavida
May 9th, 2011
7:02 pm
Hey Mark, what do you think about this article some guy wrote six weeks ago saying the Hawks have quit on Drew? http://blogs.ajc.com/mark-bradley-blog/2011/03/22/another-home-blowout-tells-us-the-hawks-have-quit-on-drew/