AJC > Sports > Hawks > Blog > Archives > 2006 > November > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGetting on the boards
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
I don’t know about you but there are plenty of Thanksgiving leftovers around here. Here’s a few extra mental scraps leftover from the road trip to Detroit that seemed like it never wanted to end (fog and a baggage handlers strike/mess in Minneapolis made getting out of Detroit on time Thanksgiving day darn near impossible for me and any of the other unlucky souls trying to get where we were going for Turkey Day).
My day after Thanksgiving version of the five things (well, today it’s just the five things):
— Shelden Williams makes it awful hard to pan him as the fifth pick when he posts numbers like he did against the Pistons (20 point on 7-for-12 shooting and 13 rebounds in 40 minutes). If nothing else the guy has been consistent. He’s battled inside and done his job. The scoring is a bonus. Now, if the Hawks could only get someone else to help him on the glass -– and I mean really go after rebounds and make it a priority on both ends of the floor -– they might be on to something.
— Let’s see, the Hawks shoot 43 percent from the floor, 54 percent from beyond the 3-point line and 83 percent from the free throw line and lose the rebounding battle by just five points and still lose? Hard to imagine huh? Well, the only numbers that mattered against the Pistons were the season-high 18 offensive rebounds the Hawks allowed their hosts and the 27 points they delivered off their 18 turnovers.
It’s one of the reasons it’s hard to study NBA box scores for clues to why a team won or lost. On most nights there isn’t that one stat that you can point to in other sports (turnovers or rushing yards in football for example) as the one pivotal stat that determines who wins or loses. (The Pistons, one of the league’s most experienced teams, had just eight turnovers, one from each starter and three from the bench).
— While sitting in Detroit Metro Airport (all freakin’ day Thursday) I had time to evaluate all sorts of things about these Hawks. I have to admit that I’ve become an advocate of increased roles for all the bench players. When the Hawks were streaking through that 4-1 stretch no one could make a case to me for tinkering with the rotation. But now, with opposing teams clearly figuring out what the Hawks are trying to do and making every effort to limit Joe Johnson’s effectiveness, it’s clear to me that alternative offensive options are needed (someone else gets paid to come up with those, not me). And that’s where the lack of another 6-5 to 6-7 playmaker that can handle the ball and create scoring opportunities not only for himself but others becomes an issue.
Marvin Williams is the only player on the Hawks roster other teams are worried about in that vein, and he’s still not ready to play. But the Hawks need their second unit to really become just that, a point-scoring, game-changing unit. They need to come into games and change the pace and tempo the way they did at times late last year with Tyronn Lue leading the way.
— Who knew losing Josh Childress would hurt this bad? I had a bad feeling when I saw him at practice last week and he said his foot was bothering him and he might be out a while. I understand that players of his ilk (role players who do an assortment of things really well and can do them without ever being a focal point of the offense) make the difference between winning and losing much more often than they are given credit for. But the Hawks need him back in the worst way.
— We talked a while back about the schedule and how well it set up if the Hawks could play .500 or better basketball early. Well, they’re 4-5 and have nine of their next 13 games on the road. That smells like trouble to me, especially if the Hawks don’t find a way to stop this losing skid and steal a game or two on the road before going west Dec. 3.
Comments
By Hawksfan33
November 24, 2006 04:22 PM | Link to this
I agree on all points, especially the one about J.Chill. Its times like this when fans can truly see how much Childress brings to the table. Thats at leaset 10pts and 5rbs we are easily missing. Hopefully now people will stop bashing Chill and appreciate what he brings. Also, I truly hope Shelden starts to shut up some of the many naysayers who bashed the pick.
By Astro Joe
November 24, 2006 04:57 PM | Link to this
Tonight is a VERY important game. This team MUST beat Toronto at home and doing so convincingly would be terrific.
By mavid
November 24, 2006 05:36 PM | Link to this
im a huge hawks fan going to college in canada and looooove it when the hawks play the raptors cuz its shown on TV…
we definately should have this one
a quick note on shelden that everyone should read:
Ok, yes, shelden will put up good stats somewhat regularly. He did so at Duke as well. But, the important (and troubling) point with shelden is to look at the stats of the guy he is GUARDING. You do that when he was at Duke, and you see some games where Sean May TORCHED him for 20-20 games (seriously, go look, its ridiculous). I remember watching a duke game against FSU where some guy (thorton i think) also torched shelden. It seems to be happening in the NBA too.
Yes, shelden may put up nice numbers, but look at the guy he is guarding… Maybe this is because he is better at team D than one-on-one per se, but it has always troubled me about him.
plus, dude is straight fugly. but thats besides the point
By The Flash
November 24, 2006 05:37 PM | Link to this
Astro: parity I think is prevailing. Teams are much more on the same level than ever before. I agree completely with Sekou about another creator. Ray was my man.
I have never been among those who have panned Shellie as a 5 pick. Don’t really know enough about that business to do that. I would have taken Roy with the pick, however. That said, Shellie will give you more and more of what he gave against the blue meanies of Detroit, and will provide a go-to guy if the other guys begin to see him as that, not to mention Woody. I see him and Z establishing a deadly high low game, with Z mostly playing the high. I like Z’s ability to beat anybody guarding him off the dribble. Once Shellie seals someone, he is gonna stay sealed, at least long enough for the catch and release.
Need to have such options that do not involve JJ as either the initiator or preferred finisher.
Me, I’d have Z taking as many catch and turn jumpers from the free throw line as I could. Catch, bring it up high with the hand that coincides with the non-pivot foot, the foot that is swinging; fake the two handed above the head pass, and shoot. When that is deadly on the spin off either foot, Z takes care of the rest. I’d also like him to have pull-up spots after one dribble, to shoot a little jumper, or step through, aka, McKale or the Chief. Especially if Z penetrates down the side of the lane that JJ sits outside of, we got us some options here. Just a thought.
A big win would be nice. The guys deserve it. They’ve been playing great!
By The Flash
November 24, 2006 06:30 PM | Link to this
Mavid, got to disagree here man. Shellie can guard people. Against NC, the ball was a blur; was coming inside from all angles, the floor was so spread, the game was so fast, and Shellie was basically on his own inside.
Otherwise, with rare exception, he dominated inside, particularly on stops when it counted. Don’t worry about Shellie’s D. And, the more he hurts people offensively, the better his ability to make stops or create bad opportunities when a guy thought he’d get a good one, will improve.
Being dangerous offensively makes a huge difference. Once Shellie is established as dangerous on that end, he will show better defensively. On the other hand, if he is guarding the likes of Sheed and then McDy, back to back, hey, without help, they’re gonna score the ball.
Question should be, can they outplay Shellie and Z. More and more, the answer will be “no,” and that will include down the stretch.
By curious
November 24, 2006 08:38 PM | Link to this
What other NBA coach doesn’t play their players with 2 fouls in the second quarter? None. Only Woody, this isn’t college. When you lose all your close games all the time. There is a reason it is called coaching.
By doc
November 24, 2006 10:05 PM | Link to this
hawks win at home. the formula that i see success for them was exceeded tonight with more than 25 points from jj and more than 15 from zaza. they will need those numbers exceeded by both of those players to win their games this year is my expectation and prediction.
mr. smith does the tough work tonight with solid numbers of boards and points and no significant long range bombs. maybe he will grow up to be j smash yet.
By Clyde
November 24, 2006 10:14 PM | Link to this
Good win tonight thanks to Josh Smith. Next to Joe he is my MVP so far. He had some great drives and he held his attempts down. Great overall game from Jsmooth.
2 things I’m concerned with. 1 is our perimeter defense. So far we let Lebron go for 34, Ray Allen for 33, M. Redd 30, D Wade 37, C Billups 24 and 10 assists, and tonight a near triple double for T.J Ford wit 27-8 rebounds and 11 assists. Lue, JJ and Salim are struggling.
2nd is our offense. I don’t think we are getting into transition enough. We are too athletic to be walking the ball up the court all the time. Let’s start running so we won’t have to run the JJ offense all the time.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By mykhalc
November 24, 2006 10:16 PM | Link to this
good win!! again, did not see it but seems like JJ’s only weakness is his FT shooting!!???
By mavid
November 24, 2006 11:17 PM | Link to this
ok, i take back some of what i said about shelden. while i still dont think he is a great one-on-one defender, after watchin the game tonight I was pleased with the intensity he brings to rebounding the ball
A few thoughts:
smoove’s block on bosh was NASTY
lue cannot continue to play this well (although i hope he does)
we need marvin and chill back. it just seems that we dont have that many weapons on the offensive end right now.
toronto IS a worst team than the hawks
SMOOVE actually drove to the basket somewhat well a couple times this game. that was encouraging!
we are better defensively, but what was up with tj ford torching us to the basket for layups?? someone step up and take a charge or block a shot!
By mykhalc
November 24, 2006 11:34 PM | Link to this
CLYDE, yo’ man JS seems like he at least knows that his shot selection needs to improve. somebody’s in his ear and he’s listenin’!!! very solid boxscore!!nice game on the boards too!! that what the team needs from him!!!
SPEEDY’s boxscore was better too!! minimal assists but at least his shot was fallin’ better. did you guys see a noticable improvement from him tonite????
By JohnD
November 24, 2006 11:57 PM | Link to this
Josh Smith proved his importance tonight with timely rebounds, mind-boggling blocks and efficient offense. He must produce if the Hawks are to win. Joe Johnson can do only so much.
Nice contributions from Zaza, Lue and Salim. Chils is missed and sorely needed.
I still do not believe there will be a 50 game winner in the East.
By Basketball Princess
November 25, 2006 01:42 AM | Link to this
Doc, ANDO, & the original crew
I got two stories in the current issue of DUB Magazine. #1 NFL Draft pick Mario Williams, and Ciara* *(I got the Cover)
Go get it and lemme knw wht u thnk
Miss yall but I’ve been on the grind. Freelancing is like being a street hustler. You start working on someone else’s cornor, until you take some people out and get your own.
By doc
November 25, 2006 08:25 AM | Link to this
bp babe, nothing but love lady. will check it out. was asking about you and the other lady that drops by ms. glutton for punishment. stay in touch and will definitely check out.
keep reflecting on the win last night as do others to see what clicked. mr. smith did what he has to do and he filled the role he has to manifest to make this team into a steady winner. he had a few t o’s but they were compensated for by assists and better shot selection. he is not the guy they need to shoot the three no matter what enabling roll tide clyde says about the guy. i’m beginning to wonder about that little love affair, how about you honest? heh, heh
though i would think that the hawks would have done better getting another free agent big to play the role that sheldon has and to have gotten roy, we all see that sheldon is a really good solid player that makes others around him better by his contributions. he is one of the few rookies to be starting and he makes very few rookie mistakes. it does shoot the theory that woody doesnt like rooks a bit doesnt it? sheldon has been a stud contributor and will teach josh and marvin a bit i dooo think. now where are those guys that threw him under the bus over his showing in the vegas rookie league stuff? jeesh, speak up guys and lay down your mighty typing fingers, your cred i gone.
i am pleased with this team’s effort and that has to be woody’s input. i still think this team is going to have a few more tough nights and losses especially when they leave town. if they are at 7 and 13 after the first twenty and get healthy in the process i think they will still be in the running for a playoff spot and .500 ball. their wins will be close as will their losses, so unfortunately a lot of games will be decided by the behavior of the refs ala the bucks game.
ultimately, because of the closeness of the games the final numbers will look either better or worse than they really are. if they begin to lose a few more close games and begin to look like they are out of it, i hope they have the resolve to quietly can a few. that would assure a shot at a good top three selection in the draft this year and do what the lakers did to salvage the pick like they did with their bynum pick two years ago.
looking aorund the league is interesting as well. have admitted many times i was wrong about c paul but the guy who is really on a tear and making mr. paul look like a has beeen form that draft is a guy i thought maybe a bit too thuck to play, deron williams. he is looking like an upgrade to stockton as he carries that team. he is the guy we may be wondering why we didnt get with the pick. before anyone jumps on that told you so stroy wagon where were you last year?
mr diaw had another huge game last night with 4 points, 4 assists and 5 boards in 35 minutes, another triple sinfle; wow, jj or diaw? m. williams had a big game but it probably came after the game was decided in mop-up time as the nets were down by about 20 going into the final quarter so lets not go overboard there.
flash, you hopefully are going to be wrong about amare and his knees though he could breakdown in a new york minute. i know this would be one where you want to be wrong just as want to be about jay williams and his recovery. amare had a huge game last night came three blocks short of a triple double last night. now who has amare on the fantasy league or is there a scramble to go get him this morning? if he is back i can begin to smile about my suns even though they didnt listen to me about diaw and throwing all that money at him to make the trade of my man jj look valid. heh heh.
By A Thinking Fan
November 25, 2006 09:01 AM | Link to this
Took the week off and got out of the ATL!
Good win and Go HAWKS!!!
See y’all next week…
By G-Money
November 25, 2006 01:57 PM | Link to this
Great and much needed win for the Hawks. JSmooth shows what will make him invaluable in this league. He will need some help because he won’t be able to do all the heavy lifting. ZaZa is going to have to step up a littl more on defense with regularity. Someone is going to have to play some perimeter D and stop the penetration. I’m with Clyde on this one. If the guys keep showing up to play, I think we might catch a couple teams napping when we are on the road. It’s going to be very tough though.
By G-Money
November 25, 2006 02:07 PM | Link to this
Who would believe that the Hawks have a better record than 14 other teams at this point in the season including Minnesota, Miami, Chicago, Washington, and Memphis? Not bad given our pre-seson expectations and we’re not at full strength. What’s in store for December? Can we expect any nice Christmas presents from Santa like a winning record next month? We have to admit that we have a solid team, not a spectacular team, but certainly a very solid one. It’s fun to watch Hawks basketball again. Let’s hope it stays that way.
By GuyFromUruguay
November 25, 2006 06:01 PM | Link to this
Ok, game vs Orlando tonight, #1 in the Southeast against #2 (surprise), Grant Hill’s not playing (although Childress and Marvin aren’t either).
About rebounds, is there any chance Batista will get some minutes? If there is something he can do, is grab rebounds (and give 5 fouls) - he was among the league leaders in offensive rebounds last season! . Of course if the team doesn’t trust him to score, he’s another offensive liability.
No doubt Childress hurting is bad for the franchise, I’m always amazed at the guy’s effort and he’s quite good.
Speedy doesn’t seem like he’s adapted yet, I really hope he can.
By mavid
November 25, 2006 06:53 PM | Link to this
Unfortunately for Esteban, he just doesnt have the skills to get minutes on this team. No offense to him, but he’s prolly the worst player on our team. The fact that he got the minutes he did last year shows how bad we were (and how we are better this year). Same goes for ivey.
We should beat the magic tonight. Can’t wait to see this team with marvin and chill back. and oh yeah, COME BACK TO ATL DWIGHT!
By mavid
November 25, 2006 08:03 PM | Link to this
oh man, we cant BUY a shot tonight… First Half = Struggling
By Richie Rich
November 25, 2006 08:09 PM | Link to this
Mavid u must be on some serious dro!
this is absolutely pathetic…lol
look at that lineup coach woody has on the floor..lol….Bozeman, Freije, Salim, Sheldon, and Batista!…lol
By Glutton for Punishment
November 25, 2006 10:00 PM | Link to this
OMG !!! You know your in trouble when the only 3 point jump shot was made by… You guessed it.. Sheldon Williams.
Is Speedy’s knee going to be touble all year long?? What is the exact diagnosis?? I don’t understand what the deal is with his knee. I have heard that it was a conditioning problem..It was his hand that was fractured? Right? You mean to tell me that he could not do some running to say in shape.!!!
By JJ#1fan
November 25, 2006 11:36 PM | Link to this
We suck! Orlando OWNED us tonight! JJ had a terrible game and Grant Hill wasn’t even playing for them! No ball movement, No true PG on the team (I hate you Speedy!),and there is still no inside pressence! Why do I bother pulling for this Billy Knight assembled squad anymore, guys?
By GuyFromUruguay
November 25, 2006 11:43 PM | Link to this
On one hand, I got my wish. On the other, that was some ugly loss.
mavid: I’m certain the Hawks can do better than Batista, I was just saying :)
I just hope he can go to a good team in Europe and get better there, or that the Hawks send him to the D-league.
By Clyde
November 26, 2006 04:50 AM | Link to this
Fire Billy and Woody t-shirts are still available. Get them now at a discounted price before spring hits.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By Wedgie Evans
November 26, 2006 01:00 PM | Link to this
I think it would be in the Hawks’ best interest to forget that Saturday’s game happened and move on. Nothing was going right that game, Zaza got owned by Dwight Howard, they triple-teamed Joe Johnson, and nobody else could hit a shot except Tyronn Lue. Chances are the team is not going to play that bad collectively very often this year. Hopefully when Childress comes back that energy will be there more regularly.
By weaver
November 26, 2006 01:33 PM | Link to this
It seems as though Joe Johnson will be constantly facing double and triple teams this season until someone else steps the f*%k up and takes some of the scoring load off of his shoulders. I thought it would be are “up & coming superstar” Josh Smith…What a joke! He is NOT that kind of player and is NOT a “superstar” by any stretch of the imagination! He is a decent complimentary player that can block shots at a high rate, but does not really play “shutdown” defence by any means. If we could package Smith and Speedy to Phily for Iverson I would do it in a NY minute! I really hope Marvin shows me something this season! The two PG’s drafted above him are starting to look pretty damn good!! FIRE BILLY AND WOODY!!!
By curious
November 26, 2006 04:17 PM | Link to this
Does anyone else notice Woody runs only two plays on offense? How can you be successful with that.What happened to the running offense? You can’t for three years straight play a halfcourt offense with the youngest team in the league. When the Hawks won earlier this year they ran. Zaza has turned into Al Harrington. Can someone lay a point guard on their back when they consistenly beat Speedy & Lue off the dribble. Josh Smith can’t be any good on offense when his job is to stand corner baseline every play. I think there is a good reason he always shoots threes. That is where Woody wants him on offense. Get to a game early and see what they have him working on. ALL JUMPSHOTS. You can’t drive if you are not put in a position to drive.
By Ryder
November 26, 2006 06:44 PM | Link to this
Finally, someone understands that Josh Smith is NOT the next superstar on this team. I’m sure if not for his ability to grace sportscenter with his highlight reel dunks, he’d be a 12th man coming off the bench. At best he is a complimentary player. I agree that games like this you have to quickly forget and move on.
When Marvin comes back it will get better believe it!
By michael m.
November 26, 2006 06:44 PM | Link to this
josh smith needs to move around under the bucket on offense finding space the way childress does. he could take shovel passes from joe when he gets by two guys and finds himself with another defender in his face. outside of joe, we are not a good enough shooting team to settle for jumpshots consistently.
and oh yeah, lue needs to work on his defense. it cuts into his offensive effectiveness when he lets opposing pg’s get by him and into the lane at will. its not like we have a big defensive presence inside to make up for his leaky d.
i thought frieje was a good shooter. i dont care how good he is at horse, the boy cannot even hit the rim 50 percent of the time, let alone make the shot.
and bozeman cannot shoot either. he is a complete liability on offense and im starting to wonder if he was really much of an upgrade over ivey. it doesnt look like it. he has no confidence whatsoever.
and can woodsen ask zaza to fight for defensive rebounds the way he does offensive ones. he doesnt box out and sometimes tries to run up court when the shot goes up without even making an attempt at the rebound. its pathetic.
unfortunately its hard to hold these guys accountable when there is no one else to bring in the game while sitting them on the pine.
at least salim showed some true energy out there. he plays out of control at times, but he’s making things happen at least. more than what can be said for the rest of our team last night.
By michael m.
November 26, 2006 06:46 PM | Link to this
also want to give props to solomon jones. that boy brought energy and has a lot of natural talent, especially on the defensive end. his being out of place at times defensively is normal for a rookie, but he’s got hops for days.
By Richie Rich
November 26, 2006 07:23 PM | Link to this
We brought in Sheldon to fix the interior defense, in his last 7 games he has 1 block! Zaza doesn’t know how to spell defense!….and our perimeter defense is horrible….all this from a defensive minded coach..huh, looks like Ed Donatell is running the defensive drills in practice down at Phillips!
By mavid
November 26, 2006 07:59 PM | Link to this
i do agree with today’s article about injuries being a big problem…
when it comes down to it, 4 of our best 8 players didnt play last night… and that is tough
we’re the most injured team in the league right now! (and yes, gasol’s injury is the single worst, but still)
marvin and chill will be back at some point and thatll help…
but sekou, some insight on speedy would be much appreciated! what is going on with this guy?? he can’t build chemistry with this team sitting on the bench!
By mavid
November 26, 2006 08:27 PM | Link to this
and oh yeah… please say that speedy isnt the hawks’ version of john abraham… (although that comparison prolly doesnt work cuz at least abraham is an elite player when healthy…)
By Kevin
November 26, 2006 08:35 PM | Link to this
Again the Atlanta Hawks boast the WORST STARTING POINT GUARD IN THE LEAGUE! If we don’t have to suffer through Speedy (I still can’t understand why his nickname is that!?) it’s Bozeman (Undrafted FA) who like michael m pointed out looks worse than Ivey was last season. Why can’t we get a real point guard in here? Is it that difficult to aquire? I think that Speedy contract might be a problem if he can’t stay healthy (A well documented problem throughout his service time in the league). 6.5 million sure does sound like one of those “bad contracts” to me. Does anyone know exactly how long his deal is?
By mavid
November 26, 2006 08:41 PM | Link to this
4 years i think (maybe 3 tho)
By Jay
November 27, 2006 02:11 AM | Link to this
This team will struggle to win 40 games because…
Two shoot-first pgs, when we need someone to drive and kick.
Outside of Sheldan, no one rebounds.
No size.
No consistent second scoring threat.
Guys, seriously…if you were playing against the hawks, what would you do? Its easy…double JJ, let J-Smooth shoot jumpers, post up players down low and when the hawks double to make up for lack of size, kick it out and shoot over their short pgs.
Look, Chill and Sheldan have done well for us, but they were both reaches. The entire league knows that. And Speedy was also a reach…I mean, a shoot-first bench pg? We already have one of those, his name is Lue. This team has been put together very poorly. Stop JJ and you stop the hawks. Considering how many high picks we have had, that shouldnt be the case. I wish Chris Paul was healthy, he would really give us a boost…oh wait, Knightmare passed on him. We’d have a legit pg that can create his own shot and distribute, and then no juggling minutes between smooth, sheldan, and marvin. Instead we have a mess. Thats why I dont blame Woody…with this lineup, I dont know how good Red would do.
By Clyde
November 27, 2006 12:00 PM | Link to this
Hey!!! Mike Shula is out now its time for Billy and Woody. Alabama won’t losing and the Hawks shouldn’t except it either.
When will Woody realize his offense scheme isn’t working. We need more cuts to the basket. More coming off screens to free our shooters up. More pushing the ball up the court. I thought Woody would have made some adjustments in the off season after last year.
Finally RIP to the Falcons. You think I’m hard on the Hawks but them folks Falcons blog are ten times worse. They off the chain.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By Clyde
November 27, 2006 12:02 PM | Link to this
Hey!!! Mike Shula is out now its time for Billy and Woody. Alabama won’t losing and the Hawks shouldn’t except it either.
When will Woody realize his offense scheme isn’t working. We need more cuts to the basket. More coming off screens to free our shooters up. More pushing the ball up the court. I thought Woody would have made some adjustments in the off season after last year.
Finally RIP to the Falcons. You think I’m hard on the Hawks but them folks Falcons blog are ten times worse. They off the chain.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By Clyde
November 27, 2006 12:03 PM | Link to this
Hey!!! Mike Shula is out now its time for Billy and Woody. Alabama won’t losing and the Hawks shouldn’t except it either.
When will Woody realize his offense scheme isn’t working. We need more cuts to the basket. More coming off screens to free our shooters up. More pushing the ball up the court. I thought Woody would have made some adjustments in the off season after last year.
Finally RIP to the Falcons. You think I’m hard on the Hawks but them folks Falcons blog are ten times worse. They off the chain.
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By honest_abe
November 27, 2006 12:14 PM | Link to this
so people that are hard on their teams = off the chain? what the .. someone ate a little too many cuckoo for cocoa puffs..
no need to say the hawks are guaranteed to make the playoffs after one win. it’s also not necessary to think the hawks are the worst team in the nba after one loss.
and i don’t know what’s more annoying than richie’s posts… it’s easy to find what’s wrong about something.. especially when things aren’t going well. you always jump in here to crack about something wrong with the hawks… i’ve yet to hear you say one good thing about this team.. are you a hawks fan? how does a hawks fan get so much joy in the teams failings?? and always minimize any positive step this team takes.. as for your comment about sheldon.. he doesn’t have to record 10 blocks a night to make a contribution on the defensive end. there’s this thing called rebounding.. and it’s actually a pretty critical part of defense and he’s been hmmm lets say more than adequate at rebounding. and what other big man do you see out there that the hawks could’ve taken that would have made a bigger impact on the defensive end? ok .. you can’t think of a single person.. i already knew the answer.. freakin bozo…
By Chris
November 27, 2006 12:20 PM | Link to this
Sheldon Williams is starting to remind me of Charles Oakley. Oakley used to be able to step out and hit that midrange jumper. Hopefully Sheldon will learn the art of the lower body shove to start getting some more boards. Oakley didn’t have many hops but he got in position with his big body and he had a good basketball IQ.
Sheldon and Marvin should make a good starting forward combination with Josh and Soloman coming off the bench we are more than settled at the 3 and 4. Now can we please get an NBA point guard. I predicted 34 w’s prior to the season and I am still thinking that looks like a pretty acurate number.
By Clyde
November 27, 2006 12:28 PM | Link to this
I don’t know what’s more annoying than reading long a@@ posts that try to justify the Hawks losing. Its plan and simple. The people we got from top to bottom are not doing their job well enough to win. POINT BLANK
FIRE BILLY AND WOODY
By curious
November 27, 2006 12:38 PM | Link to this
Who leads the Hawks in rebounding? Not Sheldon or Zaza. Running a pick & roll for Ty Lue and Joe coming off a down screen receiving the pass is a little predictable. Maybe other players like Sheldon, Salim or Josh could score if they touched the ball on offense.
By Astro Joe
November 27, 2006 12:51 PM | Link to this
I predicted 37 wins which translates into 5 wins in every 11 games, which is where we are today. Of course, we got there by riding some pretty nice highs and suffering through some tough lows. A few rants:
Speedy Claxton appears to be the Ed Hartwell of the Hawks. BK’s refusal to draft a young PG forced him in a corner. He had to take a gamble and so far, this one has been a complete and utter bust. Even when Speedy played well during the Toronto game, Woody decided to play Lue a lot of minutes. I wonder if Speedy will ever be the PG playing at the end of the game.
Speaking of disappointments, what exactly has Lorenzen brought to game-time play? Maybe he needs to be an assistant coach if his value is mostly through mentoring guys during practice.
Hopefully, all of the noise about trading Childress will end, as he is clearly a significant difference-maker for this team.
Woody needs to alter his rotations. Isn’t it time to find some consistent minutes for guys like Solomon, Shelden and even Freije? Shelden is pulling down about 11 boards in the 4 games where he has played more than 25 minutes. Freije shows great decision making on the offensive end. Solomon obviously needs seasoning, but showed that “high-energy” quality that can help a team defensively. Smith has taken a step back this season and these other 3 guys have earned some consistent time on the floor. Woody needs to make that happen.
Imagine a healthy and conditioned Marvin Williams on the other end of those drive and kick passes that are currently going to Smith. Opposing teams will have to play a different defense as Marvin will not likely throw up as many 3-ball bricks as Smith. He showed during his rookie year the ability to get to the free throw line, let’s hope his injury will not leave him shy from driving to the hole.
And why in the heck was JJ in the game toward the end against Orlando? I’m pretty sure that JJ, Smith and Lue were in there with about 4:00 minutes left in the game. Stupid move by Woody. Should have been Solomon, Shelden, Frieje, Salim and Bozeman. I almost placed a call into Clyde when I saw our franchise player and only healthy & expereinced PG in a blowout situation.
Can you believe that after 11 games, the Hawks and Falcons have the same record?
By The Flash
November 27, 2006 01:01 PM | Link to this
Doc, I think Amare will not be a consistent contributor. I also think that he slows the passing game down when he is in there; has lost forever the spontaneity that he once had. Reminds me of that kid who went straight to the pros after the olympics a lifetime ago, went to the ABA first. I’m blanking. But, once the guy’s knee went, the game sort of had to stop for him. He was still a manchild, and played, but never with the elan he once possessed.
Sure hope that Amare does not come up completely lame but it certainly is a real possibility. Still here announcers saying “he isn’t 100% yet.” Walton even, who obviously knows better. The guy will never be what he once promised to be.
Stop taking so much glee in Diaw’s numbers. He was putting up some real, real good numbers and looked very good one game I caught over the weekend. Amare hurts Diaws game when he is playing big minutes. As I said, Amare has to literally “look” before he leaps, or does anything for that matter. Diaw is all about fluidity. If Amare is taking extra time with the ball and is less looking for the catch on the go and continuing, takes away from Diaw’s game. Ditto for when Amare is realitively sedentary in the post. Diaw’s flash and catch game is severely curtailed.
In the end, I see them using Diaw much more when Amare is not on the floor. They might already be doing that. If I were Phoenix, I’d look to build up Amare’s numbers and dump him. Remember where you read it. However, I think few teams would be interested.
By Samuel
November 27, 2006 03:15 PM | Link to this
Dguan Wagner anyone? He was waived today by the Warriors. He was actually very impressive this year, he just happened to be playing behind the best guard combo in the league. He can create and score the basketball. What could it hurt!