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Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Bibby says he’s playing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
SACRAMENTO - Despite being listed as “questionable” for tonight’s game against his former team, Hawks point guard Mike Bibby said he will play tonight when the Hawks and Kings tip it up at Arco Arena.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson wasn’t as confident before the Hawks’ morning shootaround. But Bibby put any worries to rest afterwards.
“I’ll be ready to go,” he said as a swarm of local media surrounded him on his first trip back here since being traded to the Hawks Saturday.
Bibby hurt his right heel in third quarter against the Lakers and did not return to the game. He was on the floor during shootaround, but going half speed and wearing warm ups and a t-shirt instead of his practice gear.
Woodson said that if Bibby wasn’t able to play that rookie Acie Law IV would get the starting nod (a moot point now).
Law was actually one of the few bright spots for the Hawks Tuesday, scoring a career-high 16 points in 32 minutes of relief action.
In fact, the Hawks’ bench helped make things somewhat respectable with their second half effort against the Lakers. Josh Childress piled up 16 points and Zaza Pachulia 12 and 12 rebounds. Jeremy Richardson added eight, including making both of his 3-point shot attempts.
I know it may be tough for people to grasp this concept, but the Hawks have to lean on these cats now more than ever. They not only have to play a huge role, they have to play increased and consistent minutes to develop any sort of chemistry as a unit.
Without them playing at their helter-skelter best, it’s going to be a monumental task trying dig back into the playoff mix for the remainder of this season.
And doing that requires Woodson putting trust and some serious faith in his reserves to do the jobs they’re being paid for.
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WIPE OUT!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LOS ANGELES - Close your eyes and pretend you’re somewhere else for the next two hours and than you’ll know how the Hawks felt Tuesday night.
The complete and total wipe out that was their 122-93 loss to the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers (fine, it wasn’t Showtime but it felt like it at times) at STAPLES Center ruined Mike Bibby’s Hawks debut.
It did make for a perfect night of celeb watching at the one arena that houses more of them than any other. But even the stars felt sorry for the Hawks, who got caught with a few left hooks early and went the canvas shortly thereafter.
The only reason no one stopped this thing before it got out of hand is because it was out of hand from the start.
Bibby even bruised his right heel in the third quarter, making all the fuss about his arrival as the Hawks’ true point guard, seem like nothing but hype.
Granted, it’s not fair to judge Bibby after just 24 hours with his new team. And honest to goodness, you couldn’t have asked for a more pressure packed situation to go into - being traded over All-Star Weekend and then having to battle the Lakers in their first home game after an extended road trip.
Bibby’s listed as day-to-day, but it’ll take an act of congress to keep him off the floor at Arco Arena for the Hawks-Sacramento Kings game (also known as Tradegate).
“It’s tough,” Bibby said after the game, his right foot drowning in a bucket of ice. “We’ve been together for about 24 hours. It’s my second day with the guys. It’ll come. The good thing is we get to get it back [Wednesday].”
Had I been barking orders at the Hawks, they’d have had to get it back Tuesday night. You can’t let anyone push you around the way the Lakers did and not expect everyone else that’s going to see you on this five-game road trip to try and do you the same way.
The Kings want a piece of you. So do the Warriors, Jazz and Spurs. Everybody is going to attack the Hawks the same way, with pressure, physical play and relentlessly.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson said his team didn’t compete in the first half. Ya think? I don’t ever remember a team being down 41 points in the first half of game that didn’t involve the Washington Generals.
It was as stunning as anything I’ve ever seen.
That’s why it’s hard for me to pin too much of this on Bibby.
“In fairness to Mike,” Woodson said, “it’s going to take him some time. And unfortunately, we don’t have time. The clock is ticking on us staying in the [Eastern Conference playoff] hunt.”
The one worry I had about the move to get Bibby, and there was only concern I had, is if came too late. The Hawks needed a change a month ago, three weeks ago, a West Coast road trip ago.
It didn’t happen. And the Hawks might be kicking themselves for not acting sooner come mid-April.
In the meantime, the Hawks have to pop their chemistry in a microwave safe dish and cook it on high for 10 minutes. And don’t even bother letting it cool. They have to learn each other on the fly or surrender their playoff dreams to the scrap heap that is the Hawks’ recent past.
That said, one game with the new crew might be too soon to make lasting judgments (and I’d have said the same thing had the Hawks won Tuesday).
And this is most certainly a new crew. “Not just because of Mike,” Josh Smith said. “We’ve got guys who have been here who haven’t played and are in new roles now, so everybody has to make an adjustment when you are a new team. And when your name is called you have to respond.”
Again, one game is too soon to tell.
“One game is not enough,” Josh Childress said. “As this trip goes on, we’ll see how good this team can be. But we need more than one practice and one game to get it all together.”
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