Hawks

By confused

January 15, 2009 5:23 AM | Link to this

Right now, I’ll accept any win. Hopefully this would be the start of something great. Sekou, does the hawk have an identity yet? If not, what do you think it should be? I’m not sure what to expect from them every night.

By ray

January 15, 2009 6:30 AM | Link to this

I think I’ll title this ” While I SHOULD have been sleeping.”

Anyway, glad we got the win against a broken and hapless Clipper team. A loss would’ve been worse than the beating we took in Orlando. Seriously.

However, we are going to have to come up with a better effort from start to finish against the Warriors. They may not be a good team, but those fools can shoot. And they will run you off the court.

By Sautee

January 15, 2009 8:49 AM | Link to this

*Macaroni Tony *

About this from he previous blog:

Joe just want to win and that’s what we did tonight so why is everyone complaining. So what Joe played 40 minutes, Wilt played like that every game for years.

But Tony, Joe himself said this a couple of weeks ago:

“There’s just no way the starters can play 40-plus minutes a game every night.”

Of course with the exception of the Magic blowout, he’s played +39 at least in every game since. +40 for most.

Woody’s coaching like a desperate man.

By Chea

January 15, 2009 8:58 AM | Link to this

I’m going to title this “While I Should Be Sleeping”.

We Atlantans needs to permanently retire the nickname “Hotlanta”, cuz this Artic blast nonsense is no joke.

Maybe the Warriors can run Acie off the bench? Wishful thinking.

By Ehlo

January 15, 2009 9:02 AM | Link to this

Good win for the Hawkers…

Furthermore, it was much needed. Lost in the shuffle may be the first-half play of Acie Law, who was excellent. Just my 2 cents.

-Ehlo http://billyknighttookmylunchmoney.blogspot.com

By Daniel

January 15, 2009 9:16 AM | Link to this

last night was the first game I have missed all season. We need to back this win up with another road victory. I hope Sund gets a good look at Biedrins. I would love to see that guy in a Hawks uniform.

By JerryWest

January 15, 2009 9:21 AM | Link to this

Why is Josh allowed to stand outside the 3 pt line,ever? He can’t rebound from there. His jumpshots are like turnovers. Disrupts the team rhythm. Woody should just ban him from going outside the line.

By LL Cool Scott

January 15, 2009 9:37 AM | Link to this

Really, Sekou???? A “not” joke?

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 9:53 AM | Link to this

It was a pretty win but I will take it… RAY, lets see what the Josh Bashers have to say after his performance last nite. They will problem over look his key steal and dunk to put the game out of reach. Just to talk about his 2 errand passes…. Ya gotta love it…

By HOME GROWN aka E.J.

January 15, 2009 9:55 AM | Link to this

Jerry West

“He can’t rebound from there” That was a good one.

A good win for the home team last night. Some have wondered if players, coaches, executives read this blog and I think that someone is reading. Flip last night had another good game from the bench, did Woodrow stick with him for more than a few minuets? AC played some too. Josh played well again last night, but played WITHIN the TEAM shceme and played down low. Sometimes when a team is down, they need a game like this to restore some faith in the chemistry/vision that the coach has. I think that if we can continue to communicate and work together we will be alright. What a difference a win makes.

By Eric

January 15, 2009 9:58 AM | Link to this

THE HAWKS ARE GOING TO ALWAYS BE INCONSISTANT AS LONG AS MIKE WOODSON IS ROAMING THE SIDELINES!!! NO ONE ON THIS PLANET CAN TELL ME THAT THE ORLANDO MAGIC IS MORE TALENTED THAN MY ATLANTA HAWKS, THEY HAVE ONE ALLSTAR IN HOWARD AND A BUNCH OF AVERAGE PLAYERS STANDING AROUND THE THREE POINT LINE. GOOD COACHES MOTIVATE THIER PLAYERS NIGHT IN AND OUT LIKE JERRY SLOAN, GREG POPOVICH, AND PHIL JACKSON. WOODSON ALSO DOESN’T TRUST HIS BENCH, JOE JOHNSON HAS BEEN SECOND IN THE LEAGUE IN MINUTES THE LAST THREE YEARS. THIS IS WHY WE SEE THE HAWKS WIN 6 IN A ROW, THEN LOSE 4 OR 5 IN A ROW. YOU HAVE TWO GOOD YOUNG PLAYERS IN SOLOMAN JONES AND ACIE LAW I’M BEGGING YOU MIKE WOODSON PLAY THEM!!!

By E. G.

January 15, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this

BELOW IS THE KEY TO WHY THE HAWKS WILL REMAIN INCONSISTEN AGAINST GOOD TEAMS.

Joe Johnson said, “Even though we didn’t have a good start, we had to go out and take advantage,” Joe Johnson said after breaking out a recent shooting slump to score 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting. “We have to start talking and getting back to the fundamentals that we focused on in the beginning of the year.”

AND CONCERNING JOE JOHNSON’S MINUTES! Like I said before: Wilt Chamberlin never had to move around as much as Joe since Wilt was a Center and Joe Johnson is a point guard/shooting guard.

By jt in dallas

January 15, 2009 10:02 AM | Link to this

A good win against a not so good team. I don’t know that I would get too buzzed about beating a team that everyone else has beaten at will. Anyway, we’ve still got the same dumb@$$ coaching this team, so I don’t expect them to go any further than a first round series. My frustration is that this is actually a great team, led by a sorry coach has the team playing down to mere mediocrity. With all the tools at his disposal (if he would only use them), 50 wins would be a given. Woody depresses me with his bench rotation. Still can’t understand bringing a natural 2 or 3 in as the first sub at point guard. Acie Law should be the first player off the bench. Actually, if Woody would uninhibit him, Acie should be starting and running (I said “RUNNING”) this team (as in this team should be RUNNING). As another blogger stated yesterday, Woody has a group of thoroughbreds plowing the fields (I know I messed up the quote, but it gets the point across). I’ve stated more than once that I think Woody will be a great assistant coach for somebody (maybe even the Hawks), but he will forever be a sorry head coach, unless he starts to trust and develop his own players. Right now he only trusts players that have been developed in other systems over players he should be developing. Isn’t that a job of the head coach? Anyways, go Hawks and PLEASE FIRE WOODY.

By JM

January 15, 2009 10:04 AM | Link to this

I went to sleep in the 3rd but came away with a couple of observations. First, Smoove did a much better job with driving to the basket, as well as shouting the j from inside the arc. Also, when Acie was in the game in the 2nd quarter he got to the rim at will. But then Woody put Bibby back in. Woodson please give Acie more PT so he can develop, play him with Bibby at the 2 for a stretch if you have to. Go Hawks!

By E. G.

January 15, 2009 10:06 AM | Link to this

I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT JOSH SMITH AFTER HIS PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT:

HE PLAYED AGAINST THE CLIPPERS!! A small, below-500 team.

WHEN HE STARTS PLAYING LIKE THIS AGAINST THE ORLANDOS AND CELTICS AND CAVALIERS AND SPURS AND THE BETTER BIGGER TEAMS, THEN I WILL BE IMPRESSED, AND THEN I WILL KNOW THAT HE CAN DRIVE AGAINST BETTER TEAMS AND “FINISH” AROUND THE BASKET, A TASK HE HAS YET TO PROVE AGAINST BIGGER AND BETTER TEAMS.

By the way, no one is bashing Josh; we just want J. Smoove to stop playing like an idiot “MOST” of the time.

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 10:16 AM | Link to this

that should have read “it wasn’t a pretty win but I will take it”…

By HOME GROWN aka E.J.

January 15, 2009 10:19 AM | Link to this

Eric

Good point about the ups and downs of a team. Woodrow needs to give JJ some time to rest. Maybe a game or two before the Allstar game. That will add to the rest he might get during that time. I guess it depends on who we play. What’s the point if we push all the way for the playoffs and then sputter once we get there. I know a goal is to make the playoffs, but isn’t THE goal to win a title? Ask Phil if the playoffs or the fourth seed is good enough.

By rms

January 15, 2009 10:24 AM | Link to this

dont get so wound up over that win. We really didnt blow them out like the score says. They kept hanging around through out the game because we let them. The defense wasnt really all that. Solo got posterized big time and our interior defense still allowed guys to drive to the basket. Acie Law seems to be the only guy that can beat his man off the dribble. He only needs to learn how to finish. Josh looks so much better when he is in the paint rather than shooting jumpshots. Marvin- well I dont know what to say about that dude. Go turn in your check or something. I am dissapointed in that guy. As far as Woody is concerned, I cant express my disdain for him enough-just like many bloggers on here have already said.

By doc

January 15, 2009 10:28 AM | Link to this

a win is a win, now get one in san fran and come home with a semblance of the confidence that we need to go from here.

marketing josh smith as j smoove with each bucket still aggravates the heck out of me when he has to become j smash to become of the stature he can be and we all want form him. to continue to put that in his head is counterproductive. he has potential to be huge and really has to become the man on this team. to market him as j smoove suggests a player he isnt and shouldnt be. he is a power forward for gosh sakes. the guy has to start form the inside every night and when established take his occasional 3 which for the most part he has kept at 2 per game. he also seemed to have lost confidence in his first move to the basket, one can understand it as he banged several off his left foot in recent games initiating the move. he is still a project and still needs to keep working to get there.

agree with najeh on jj and marvin from last post. marvin frustrates me; jj is what he is. i have long wanted jj to work more to getting to the basket and establish some contact. the problem is he doesnt have the hops or lift to make it for long in there. he doesnt finish at the basket well as so many of our supposedly athletic guys cant. we do have the occasional thunderous slams just not the finishes off the dribble or at the rim one would expect of an athletic team. it was the sort of the game chills brought and we miss. this inability does limit jj’s status . he is stuck with his floater and unless he is shooting greater than 50% from that close range he doesnt help us to not get closer for a surer thing and or the fouls shots. i also dont think he is the ball handler he needs to be to go into traffic and be as clean as some of the greats of the game. as good as jj is i dont think he can be that superstar guy and carry us through a season; he cant get to the basket for the easier bucket or for the foul shots that are easy money for the dwayne’s of the world. josh could be if he continues to raise his game with consistent effort. still think his injury is limiting his total effectiveness. if he plays like this next year of course the expectations or hopes change.

By HOME GROWN aka E.J.

January 15, 2009 10:28 AM | Link to this

Great points by JT and JM. Ac can help the team to run more. I think that if we played with a faster tempo we would cure a lot of what is wrong with the offence. Everyone hates the isoJo, but if we were running from the rebound, we would outrun most teams and finish before the defense could bog us down. That also eliminates Josh’s 3-point fetish. It will not work every time down, but it will help. Playing Bibby and AC at the same time will give JJ some rest and AC some time at the point.

By Najeh Davenpoop

January 15, 2009 10:30 AM | Link to this

The “Wilt was a big man so 40 minutes is easier” argument makes no sense. First of all, big men have to absorb a lot more physical contact on every play than any guard. It takes at least as much energy to bang in the post as it does to run around on the perimeter. Secondly, Wilt was ahead of his time as far as physical ability, which meant that he faced smaller, weaker defenders on a regular basis. If there’s any advantage he had in playing 40+ minutes per game, it’s that.

There’s still no logical argument that can be made in favor of playing Joe 40 minutes a game. Even if he can or should be able to handle it, that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to use him, especially when you have a talented young guard on the bench who doesn’t get enough playing time. Joe should have been on the bench for at least five of those minutes he played in the 3rd and early 4th quarters yesterday.

It’s funny to me how Josh Smith has become the Michael Vick of this team — an immensely, uniquely talented player whose development is held back by his overmatched coach and who gets unfairly criticized by a significant chunk of the fan base even though his positives far outweigh his negatives. There’s no way anyone can objectively watch Josh Smith’s game last night without coming away with an overall positive impression. Sure, the 50-foot bounce pass was a bad idea and he blew a couple of bunnies near the hoop, but considering that he was matched up against a former Defensive Player of the Year most of the night, he did a pretty good job. He handled the ball pretty well and made some nice moves to finish around the hoop, knocked down most of his open jumpshots, and most importantly, he got to the free throw line 8 times. It’s no coincidence that the Hawks are 17-9 with him and 6-6 without him this season. The Hawks need him in order to win. Straight up.

By Macaroni Tony

January 15, 2009 10:38 AM | Link to this

I agree with you Melvin: Lebron, Koby, JJ and may other good players turn over the ball but its what they do on the next play that makes you forget about them. I think that JS will be ok… Go Hawks

By JM

January 15, 2009 10:47 AM | Link to this

To Woodson: The next time the team is in a rut and can’t hit the side of a barn, your timeout speech should be one word - RUN. We all know the team is better going up and down, it gets everyone on the team going. We also know that unlike the beginning of last year when the team (and Woodson) emphasized a run and gun offense, this years team is a half-court offense. But when things are going bad, go to what you know works. Stop all the iso’s and threes and play defense and get out and run.

By Mike is back

January 15, 2009 10:50 AM | Link to this

Sekou, between finishing my Graduate studies and going to my pumpkin basketball games, I don’t get a chance to post much.  But, I stayed up late last night and mercifully watch the whole game. GOOD TO SEE THE HAWKS GET A WIN!!!  

The title for this blog is a very appropriate description for the game last night, sleepy…is it me or do the Hawks look like they just came from a funeral at the start of the game.  They just look lifeless. Man, the starters look like they have played 50 games all ready. I know what it is, it that offensive scheme, is killing them, it just DOA.  

When you come out flat against a lowly team that’s lost 11 straight game, it got to be more than the players.  There is such poor execution on offense. No imagination, No slashers, no solid back screens and when we do pick and roll it’s always to the same two spots.  If you are a defender you can just wait at those two spot, and 9 times out 10, either Joe or Bibby is going to show up to get the ball.  

The Stinger Mike Glenn has been walking a tight rope trying to point that fact out for a while now, I guess Woody just don’t get it.  I know it’s a dead horse around here, but IT IS WHAT IT IS.  

If you can get a word to Nique, “Tell’em He Killing Usssssssssssss!!” heh heh

 GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Hawkette

January 15, 2009 11:01 AM | Link to this

Watch the Hawks vs the Bulls next Tuesday (January 20th) on NBA TV for Fan Night! Now that’s a positive. Here’s hoping they don’t funk that game up while the nation finally gets to watch.

GO HAWKS!

By terrell barron

January 15, 2009 11:02 AM | Link to this

I watched the WHOLE GAME. It looked like a D-League exhibition for a while there. A win is a win, but it was the Clippers. Also, Detroit laid an egg last night, so we’re back in the 4th spot. How, I dont know? But we are.

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 11:05 AM | Link to this

Geat post Doc, I like the JSmash ego better than JSmoove and he was definetly JSmash last nite. Also, I think the play of ZaZa has been going unnoticed. He has played really well in Horford absences. He even block a shot last nite while battling for rebounds in the paint. Way to go big fella. Well I said 2 blogs ago, that I think the Hawks could win 2 out of 3 on this west trip. Now lets finish this trip with a win in Oaktown to get this ship back in the right direction.

By Eric

January 15, 2009 11:07 AM | Link to this

Just reading some of the comments, and couldn’t help but to respond to the comments made by DOC. Joe Johnson can’t dribble, he only has a floater in the lane, he can’t jump, he doesn’t get to the free throw line, and he isn’t that superstar that can carry the Hawks. Someone tell me this is a JOKE!!! Unfortunately this is the way a lot of so called Atlanta fans feel about all of our ALL-STAR players, people from all around the country respect our players more than we do. Joe Johnson is the most underappreciated ALL-STAR in the league, only because he plays in Atlanta.

By terrell barron

January 15, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this

What happened to the Marvin Williams of earlier in the season? Did he even play last night? He needs to be more aggressive. As soon as he gets the ball, he’s already looking for someone to pass it to. And finish at the rim for a change. Stop looking for the foul, and finish the freakin play. Not trying to dog out Marvin, I just want to see more of what I saw earlier in the season, when Josh went out.

By yetta

January 15, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this

Josh Smoove played his best because he was put in the right position to play his game. The coach should always use him where he plays best. If Joe and Mike don’t want Josh to shot a jump shot, they shouldn’t past him the ball when he is out there.

By jhan

January 15, 2009 11:17 AM | Link to this

doc, I was going to post a “JSmash” siting last night. Keep playing that way young man!

I’ve hear the TV & Radio guys questioning the wisdom of our head coach all the time. If everyone sees what needs to change why can’t Woody?

I also agree with getting Nique off the television. The guy is just brutal on the ears. Love his work on the court, not on the sidelines.

I’ve also been critical of JS many times on this blog. Am I critical because I hate Josh? No, the reason is because we need him to be focused & efficient EVERY night. This team is not good enough to win without him playing that way.

GO Josh, GO Hawks!!

By terrell barron

January 15, 2009 11:23 AM | Link to this

Why does Woody play Flip at the point, when Acie is in the game????? Things that make you go hmmmmmmm??????????

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 11:35 AM | Link to this

Can we trade ‘Nique for Mike Glenn? I think ‘Nique was decent in that studio role last year (I wish they would get rid of Jerome J., he is VERY annoying) and Stinger is very good as a game analyst. One wonders if Stinger doesn’t like to travel and prefers the convenience of doing the studio work from Atlanta. Anyway, we need for Sund to influence whomever makes the broadcast team decision. Make the trade.. ‘Nique for Stinger.

By doc

January 15, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this

eric ,unless you have come here every day for the last four years maybe it is premature to respond to my comment at all as it is then taken out of context to the whole. understand you consternation with my viewpoints but you are missing my point. there are many things that joe does and have enumerated them ad nauseum as i defended and was at times a lone voice for the trade that brought him here. it was also an echo of my esteemed colleague najeh. it is facts dude, he doesnt play above the rim because he either chooses not to or he cant either way it hurts us. so his numbers suffer and are very much evident in his lack of shots at the foul line. that too is a fact. for the number of minutes played shooting the percentage he has recently to maintain his avg we get less for the minutes played than any other player you want to call a superstar or all satr for that matter. he is huge for this team but like the coach he alone cant put the team on his back and take it to the next level. someone else will have to emerge to do that and that may be a power struggle as he enjoys the role of being the man.

By J

January 15, 2009 11:41 AM | Link to this

This is the kind of scoring I like to see from J. Smoove: FG: 10-15 3PT: 0-0

Stop throwing up 3s and get to the rim!

By cp

January 15, 2009 11:42 AM | Link to this

I like Marvin and you can tell he has improved, however the kid just does not have the “it” factor.. He is not aggressive enough, just way too unselfish..Thornton showed last night how Marvin should be playing. Thornton got his grown man on and put Marvin in a timeout last night.. That kid is going to be hard to deal with in a few years although last night he was pretty much that. I still don’t see why Woodson plays Flip at the pg. The game slows down and the ball movement is almost non existent.. Even when he plays well Law gets inconsistent minutes. Ive come to the conclusion that Law must have tried to get with Woodsons wife or something. I just don’t see any other reason why the kid can only get 6 minutes here and there even if he plays well.

By Sautee

January 15, 2009 11:48 AM | Link to this

This is rich:

By E. G.

January 15, 2009 10:06 AM | Link to this

I’LL TELL YOU WHAT I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT JOSH SMITH AFTER HIS PERFORMANCE LAST NIGHT:

HE PLAYED AGAINST THE CLIPPERS!! A small, below-500 team.

WHEN HE STARTS PLAYING LIKE THIS AGAINST THE ORLANDOS AND CELTICS AND CAVALIERS AND SPURS AND THE BETTER BIGGER TEAMS, THEN I WILL BE IMPRESSED, AND THEN I WILL KNOW THAT HE CAN DRIVE AGAINST BETTER TEAMS AND “FINISH” AROUND THE BASKET, A TASK HE HAS YET TO PROVE AGAINST BIGGER AND BETTER TEAMS.

By the way, no one is bashing Josh; we just want J. Smoove to stop playing like an idiot “MOST” of the time.

LOL!!!!

Geez, E.G. Are you telling me this is NOT bashing?

So this is “sugarcoating” how you REALLY feel?

By the way, I’m not bashing your post, I just want you to stop posting like an idiot “MOST” of the time. ;-)

By CORY

January 15, 2009 11:51 AM | Link to this

The hawks need to go out and make a trade for Brad miller asap. We already have the repor with the Kings and it would make us astounding. The familiarity with Bibby and moves Horford to PF and J smooth to sf. This gives us a rebounder and scorer that can take pressure off Joe and we get to put marvin on the bench. The reason Marvin played better earlier was becasue J smooth wasn’t there, he works better when he has the room and options in the offense. Put that bench of acie, flip, mo, marvin, and zaza its a rap. And please give Bibby a 3 yr. extension now who will we get and if he goes to free agency you think the lakers won’t jump for him.

By Cedric

January 15, 2009 12:01 PM | Link to this

Joe Johnson is our All Star and if his coach and teammates gave better effort to rebounding and playing more inspired bball we would be better than the Magic and other squads around the league. It was a blessing to get off to the great start to the season because as you see we hit a bump n the road, but I think with the Horford injury it forces Woody to play Solo and possibly RandMo also. Zaza is doing what he does and that is bang and rebound as best he can, now only if Woody would play Acie and Mo Evans more we would be able to rest JJ more often. And at last, if our team can come out and ball early vs GS Warriors Friday that would be great. GO HAWKS

By HOME GROWN aka E.J.

January 15, 2009 12:04 PM | Link to this

See what losing does? It breaks down a team, and it’s fans. More wins = more love. Yes sir!!!!

By terrell barron

January 15, 2009 12:10 PM | Link to this

From the Sacremento Bee: The New year brought nothing for kings guard Quincy Darby and forward Sheldon Williams. Same dead-end situations. Same probability of hitting the NBA unemployment line come summertime as free agents. Same hope they either see unexpected playing time or are traded by the Feb.19 deadline. Wow! And to think, we picked this clown 5th overall. Better be thankful for Candance. lol!! How are you going to start having kids, knowing your’re about to be unemployed? lol!! Maybe that was the plan all along? He’s going to be a stay at home dad.

By Eric

January 15, 2009 12:13 PM | Link to this

DOC, you ever heard of a guy name Skip Bayless because you are starting to sound just like him. It doesn’t matter if the Hawks had Lebron or Kobe you and some of these other so called fans would still find some kind of fault in their game. Just like Skip Bayless who thinks Lebron is just an average player who can’t shoot and can’t make game winning baskets.

By darrell starks

January 15, 2009 12:33 PM | Link to this

Great game josh you played above THE RIM you should understand by NOW IN YOUR 5TH SEASON THAT IF YOU PLAY YOUR GAME AND DRIVE TO THE HOLE AND DONT SETTLE FOR JUMP SHOTS THAT YOU will be A BEAST IN THE NBA . GO HAWKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By DecDawg

January 15, 2009 12:54 PM | Link to this

Doc…good assessment of JJ’s game with regards to playing below the rim. The ability of superstars getting to the foul line is key in preventing opposing teams from going on runs and saddling other key players with fouls so the other coach has to make adjustments to their lineups. We currently do not have anyone getting other players in foul trouble so we rarely have the opposing coach on their heels from a matchup perspective late in the game.

By doc

January 15, 2009 12:55 PM | Link to this

comparing labron with jj? are you kidding or comparing me to skip which i would be happy to trade places with. eric you have taken it to a personal attack on me. now why dont you dispute my individual points and we can all laugh. just come back with some intelligent remarks about jj as a superstar. incidentally, this topic was discussed just back a few weeks ago before jj went into his prolonged slump. so you are a little late to the table. now just elucidate and sound smart eric and maybe some of the other folks will either join the conversation or not. your points a just as valid as mine. i will attempt to not make it personal and call you names when i either agree with you or disagree with you. some people can only disagree with putdowns and no content so be it we can usually see through that as well. thus far you have said nothing about jj only me. where is your game dude?

respectfully

By kirkinga

January 15, 2009 1:03 PM | Link to this

The Hawks won and put an end to an ugly losing streak.

People seem to have forgotten that they did so while missing a key player. Had it been Josh Smith missing people would have made mention of it, but for some reason Horford’s absence does merit the same attention.

The Hawks don’t have to apologize for beating the Clippers.

I don’t recall teams apologizing for beating the Hawks these past 9 seasons when they had losing records and injuries, so I don’t put any qualifiers on a win. The Hawks beat another professional basketball team, period.

The Hawks lost 3 games to better teams, it happens. They lost a game against a team they should’ve beat based on record, but one that almost all the bloggers here said was a better team than the Hawks and had a model offseason we were told.

Even with the 4-game losing streak, and now the loss of a second key player for an extended period, the Hawks find themselves playing above .500 ball and still with a great chance to make the playoffs.

There are more losses to come. More losing streaks as well. Happens to every team,just ask the Celtics.

It’s a long season in the NBA, expecting the Hawks to never lose a game, much less multiple games in a row is unrealistic. Yet some have treated every loss(and win) as a reason to complain.NBA teams and their fans have to be resilient. Only a few rare teams avoid prolonged losing streaks;the Hawks are no such team.

23-15 is the record. Something no one apparently finds relevant, but you are what you record says you are.

Go Hawks!!

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 1:21 PM | Link to this

Have any of the Josh Smith Fan Club members posted this yet?

http://insider.espn.go.com/fantasy/mag/story?id=3832480

By Eric

January 15, 2009 1:27 PM | Link to this

DOC I never compared Lebron to Joe, what I said was if the Hawks had Lebron or Kobe on their team you and some of these so called fans would still find fault in THEIR GAME!!! Question, if Joe is so garbage and not a superstar, why do you care???

By doc

January 15, 2009 1:38 PM | Link to this

kirk, yup agree whole heartedly. some winning streaks coming, too again, i hope. beat a very bad team and it wasnt easy only they didnt fold. good for them.

they have two out now, i thought it was one?

i guess mention of horford being out may have been glossed over in the team they played and ended their own four game losing streak is on a 12 game one itself and is missing three key cogs,. guess folks didnt think that was relevant. may be on friday against the warriors if we are looking for excuses. the other issue is and folks have been saying and talking up is injuries and fatigue would set in. werent there a few scoffed at for even mentioning that it would be a problem if more players werent allowed to player not brought along to be nba ready? so what else could we expect, right?

i am personally pleased they are where they are as i felt under the best of circumstances they would be at 25 and 14 at the end of this stretch. they can come close and push through the adversity into a grind of a next six weeks with few at home and most on the road. if ready march can resemble december and would be perfect timing for the playoffs.

By Mr. G

January 15, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this

I would like to know is why do we need to trade for Brad Miller? He has not been relevant in about 5 years. Just because Brad has size doesn’t mean we have the type of ownership, money, and time to trade for an injury-proned center. Who are we going to give up so we have him? Once we get him, it’s going to take time to get adjusted to playing with him. As you already know, we don’t play in a hlf-court set even though Bibby is shooting lights out from 3. We get someone new in with the caliber of Brad, we will be even more lost than what we already are.

Every team in the NBA will hit a wall. They have to be ply 82 games in 6 months thus giving a game 2-3 times a week. The human body takes beating. Joe Johnson isn’t necessarily the problem. The team is so used to him being the catalyst. We have a number 2 in Bibby but it just looks as if he is an injury away from the end of his season. We don’t really have a consistent number 3 because we don’t know which version of Marvin Williams/Josh Smith is going to show up. Flip Murray is solid off the bench WHEN played as a scorer. Acie Law will never gain confidence with 4 minutes on the floor. He can be a scorer when needed as we saw in college but he really needs to learn how to run a team. Doc, maybe you can answer this question…..what are we going to do about our point guard situation if we don’t resign Bibby? Bibby did bring stability this year but what if he asks for too much than what the Spirit/Belkin/Liberty Mutual/Wachovia/TEd Turner(I don’t know who owns the Braves/Hawks/Thrashers anymore)is willing to spend?

By rms

January 15, 2009 1:46 PM | Link to this

cp I agree with your earlier post (11:42am) post about AC inconsistent minutes. I said the same thing a few weeks ago except I thought if it wasnt his wife it was his daughters. Then I realize that wasnt true since his daughters were “jailbait”. Anyway I agree with most of the assesments on this blog about not having an established, clear identity for this team and why the coach sticks with the same routine. Clearly, the team plays with no energy, they prefer to shot jumpshots rather than move the ball around and get high percentage shots inside, and there is no post up game at all! We wont get far without that. I dont know, I guess until we beat some upper caliber teams then no one will take us seriously. Heck, I dont even take them seriously so I know some of the other teams behind closed door dont either

By doc

January 15, 2009 2:26 PM | Link to this

btw, kirk in th end i think fank got the best guy available in lowe. get to keep escobar and infield intact. anyone to go after to fill the gap in left and hole in the batting order when we lost the big first baseman?

By Mike is back

January 15, 2009 2:29 PM | Link to this

Doc, I know you of all people have been a staunch supporter of Joe in the past, so I understand the context in which you’re making your point. The bottom line is like Sekou stated, Joe is tired and need a break. Against the lowly Clippers Joe logged 40 min.  No way can Woody get off the hook this time, because Acie gave him energy off the bench.  Plus Acie stroke looked good last night, Woody could have easily rested Joe. He still coaches like a guy worried about his job, and Joe is the lion share of his security blanket…Joe is just tired broooooooooooooo. 

What’s even more disturbing is the minutes Bibby is logging, given his injury riddled past.  He is in the twilight of his career.  If Bibby goes down, then we’re really in trouble. It may be Joe now,  but all of the starters look a step slow, and that’s understandable playing in Woody’s system. Woody offensive sets forces the guys to expend so much energy, regardless of the level of competition, the Hawks always look their on life support trying to close a games out.

Astro Joe, I would pull the trigger on that trade in a heartbeat. I’d settle for leaving the Stinger in the studio, and bring Steve Smith back.  What happen with Steve Smith, I never got the story on that?

By Big Ump

January 15, 2009 2:36 PM | Link to this

Kirkinga

Great article.

By Mr. G

January 15, 2009 2:37 PM | Link to this

Steve Smith works for NBAtv….Too bad….he would have made an excellent head coach for the Hawks…

By rms

January 15, 2009 2:47 PM | Link to this

And one more thing I was thinking….Being a football fan and watching the Falcons win was a great. However, one thing noone wanted to talk about or address was their flaws and weak secondary. No one likes to be negative as long as we are winning. The problem with that is you ignore a problem that will eventually rear its ugly head around the corner and smack you in the face just like it did the Falcons when they lost to the Cardinals. The werent really playing any different than they were in the latter half of the season, they just had a play or two (specifically fumbles) that bounced in their favor. So when you win those things tend to be overlooked because we only want to focus on the positvie. Case in point the Hawks, when we were winning no one wanted to sound negetive about bench play and everybody shooting jumpshots. But now that we are losing, then those things tend to be exposed. Its not like they are brand new. They have always been there its just that now the shots are falling and teams got enough tape on us to figure us out same thing with the Falcons. Once you are new to scene, you look good, then you hang around long enough doing the same thing you become predictable, thus beatable. That is problem with the Hawks. Unless they address some of the weaknesses within their control such as offensive/defensive sets and schemes, identifying players roles especially if you are a bench player, and play to their strenghts (which include running and attacking the rim) we will never be as good as we are capable of and become a mediocre team!! whew, I know its long but I think I made my point

By doc

January 15, 2009 3:00 PM | Link to this

astro, couldnt get to the article as i am not an insider. relevant points?

By G

January 15, 2009 3:00 PM | Link to this

I can’t take it anymore…just fire Woody! He must use his bench!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you imagine Phil Jackson or even Doc Rivers not developing their respective bench(es). My fear is that Sund will side with Woody’s weak a* arguement and eventually trade a key piece to satisfy coach. Please get rid of him.

By Mike is back

January 15, 2009 3:01 PM | Link to this

Thanks for the info Mr.G. I figured it was some type of promotion, I thought it would be Michigan State. I’m happy for him. It would be the under statement of the year, to say we miss him.

By The Truth

January 15, 2009 3:09 PM | Link to this

What’s that comment: where is your game dude?

I see you are coming out of the closet like a cape crusader on the keyboard today. Hah hah hah!

Your assessment of JJ game is on point though. I actually have notice a change in his game as of late. To me, JJ epitomizes a pure jump shooter at the SG position. He is best known for raining jump shots from anywhere on the court. However, as he has been struggling (and even before), his game has changed (at least for the moment) to more dribbling penetration inside the paint to draw contact. It is apparent that this is not his forte. He goes from looking superstar like (when he is on his game) to looking pedestrian like (very average). From a style prospective, JJ is more of a jump shooter and not a slasher like D Wade. It is ok for him to work on expanding his game but he has taken a point per game hit (to the down side) in the process. As I watched him during crunch time lately, he looks indecisive when dribbling in traffic while compared to D Wade who looks more deliberate. He has not mastered how to finish in traffic and he gets frustrated when he does not get the call from the ref.

By The Truth

January 15, 2009 3:18 PM | Link to this

doc My previous comment was address to you

By Moweignman

January 15, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this

What is this Woody guy doing.Last night he had Law with 8.3 minutes, Evans with 7.2 minutes.Solo 7mins when ZAZA does a no show for 23mins? Wow, somebody played alot of minutes with no production. When Joe does not produce, sit him down,when Mike B does not produce,sit him down. The Hawks Have able bodies. Come on Woody, let the TEAM PLAY.

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this

Sorry doc, I didn’t realize that it was for “insiders”. It’s too long to post here so the highlights are that it is an article about the art of shot blocking and Smith is potrayed as the current subject matter expert. It includes references to Bill Russell and Kareem. Iguodala is quoted several times about how good Smith is at blocking shots. And it opens with a re-count of Smith blocking Dirk’s layup attempt from behind, with Dirk subsequently asking the cameraman “what happened?” No mention of Chandler, Camby, Dalembert or any other contemporaries.

Mike is Back is correct, Steve Smith has graduated to the new NBATV Studio. For those who don’t get (or watch) NBATV, here’s the story. The NBA “outsourced” the NBATV operations to Turner Broadcasting during the off-season, so now the studio operation has a very similar look and feel to what we see on TNT with Ernie, Sir Charles and Kenny Smith. There are 3 sets of NBATV studio hosts doing their 7-day a week Gameday show, Ahmad Rashard works with Chris Webber and Gary Payton and they seem to be the “A-Team”. Steve Smith and Cheryl Miller work with Rick Kamla as the B-Team. And bringing up the rear is Andre Aldridge with Eric Snow (funny how the NBA allows him to be on the Cleveland roster AND be one of their studio hosts on a regular basis). Smith seemed to get the most love at the beginning of the season but Payton and C-Webb now own top billing. (Sam Mitchell and Bernard King have also sat in with Steve Smith but I think Cheryl Miller is now his partner). Still, I don’t see Steve Smith going from the comfort of commenting on all games while not having to travel any further than downtown, to returning to the Hawks broadcasts and having to deal with 41 road trips.

Grant Long, another above average game analyst, is now doing the games for the Thunder. I recall that he worked some Hawks games in the past and was better than ‘Nique. Maybe we can have Billy Knight come back as a game analyst. LOL!

By doc

January 15, 2009 3:42 PM | Link to this

truth, a lot of truth in what you say since it carries frurher what i was saying. not knocking jj just pointing out he doesnt wear the cape yet.

the remark about ‘game” wasnt for jj who has game in his own safe zone. it was for the guy named eric that comes on and only criticizes me and doesnt point by point make his own discourse to refute what i said. what that means is as much as he doesnt want to admit it, then if he cant disagree with it, then logic means he agrees with me. got the logic in that truth? what ever he says that is about the positives that jj brings which are many, i would probably agree with. just right now it is what it is when i go to games and watch or when he is on the tv. watch roy go to the hole, amazing control and at a slower speed than one would expect and he can control it through traffic to the other side if necessary. sorry, just dont see that skill set in jj. probably only acie has it on this team and he is inconsistent but with the time he gets on court why would it be better. at jj’s size i would expect him to control that area.

yes, indecisive is a word to describe jj and josh for that matter in this run. where does that start, could it be with the coaching staff?

mike steve smith has a studio job, regular work on national network scale. doubt he will be back. budget as it is, i imagine nique will stay where he is. i imagine what he says in the board room doesnt elevate more than what we hear night in and night out. just my guess. his value to the team is in pr not in player evaluation especially if he was pushing so hard for marvin, no? good man? seems so.

By ignition

January 15, 2009 3:45 PM | Link to this

Nique can do no WRONG.. So STHU.. Now Josh should tape that game and let it sink in his head that that is how he should play every night..

Why oh Why can’t Acie get minutes …????

Please God Bless Us With Avery Johnson as Coach…

Go HAWKS !!!!

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 3:47 PM | Link to this

To add to your point Truth. I think JJ gets him self into trouble too often when he dribbles b/c he’s going east to west(side to side) inside of north to south (straight toward the rim). If you watch Kobe, D.Wade, Lebron and (even) Manui G they all put their head down and go straight to the basket. Then there’s the issue with JJ trying to avoid contact. Will his body he should be putting defender in the basket for And 1’s (in which he does on occasion)…

By 4alltheajcblogexperts

January 15, 2009 3:57 PM | Link to this

“All of u Josh haters are smarter than these players what do they know” Sixers swingman Andre Iguodala, who caught much of that series on the tube, remains mesmerized by Smith’s impact. “He was everywhere,” Iguodala recalls. “Rajon Rondo would try to get into the lane to create for his teammates and Josh would just clean up. He completely shut them down. It was amazing to watch.”

Another admirer, Rockets forward Shane Battier, can explain why a swat is more than just entertaining. “The shotblocker is the great equalizer,” says Battier, who plays next to Yao and was a force of denial in his own right at Duke. “Having a guy like Josh on your team allows you to be way more aggressive on D because you’ve got someone back there to erase your mistake

By The Truth

January 15, 2009 4:16 PM | Link to this

Melvin Good point. Maybe we should think of JJ a slasher in training. He certainly should keep his day job as a jump shooter.

By I .MUS WRITE

January 15, 2009 4:21 PM | Link to this

One game doesnt make a season: Josh played well last night, his numbers were nice, but LA. played without 3 starters -No Zbo,Kaman,or Baron…….

He’s supposed to do that playing against that type of competition. My question is can he play this way consistently or is it more of the same-1 great game followed by 3 or 4 that leave u scratching your head. CONSISTENCY

Ignition- im az puzzeled as u my man-cant understand y Ac gets 8 minutes in a game where he was playing well.

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 4:25 PM | Link to this

4alltheajcblogexperts, we will ignore the fact that in the 8 games AFTER Smith returned from the ankle injury, that he averaged 2.25 blocks per game. And that in his last 14 games, he has blocked 11 total shots (one more block than the much-maligned Marvin over the exact same 14 games) for a whopping average of .79. What’s fascinating is that his scoring has increased over those 14 games while his blocks have gone down. Strange that if he reinjured himself, that it would only affect him on one side of the court, isn’t it?

I’ll take the defensive Smith over the 20+ points a game Smith all week long.

By doc

January 15, 2009 4:38 PM | Link to this

astro joe, maybe it is like the great defensive back in football. you dont throw it his way because you have so much respect for him. maybe teams chart a different course to the basket. another way to look at it is maybe josh is defending his own position better staying home and not being tantalized to range too far away when it is truly out of his territory. team as a whole has not performed well and that concerns me more than any single stat or player, josh playing poorly on d or jj and mo not dealing on offense. still very happy smash is on our side instead of the sixers. i dont know if the basg would have matched a max type of a contract which is what he might have been looking at. thank you again mr brand.

By Big Ump

January 15, 2009 4:42 PM | Link to this

The truth

Also your asseesment of jj game is right on the mark. That’s one on the best piece on jj I seen so far.

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 5:00 PM | Link to this

I guess Mo Evans must have said something to Woody that he didn’t like b/c he did not see the court in the 2nd half last nite. He fill the spot between Acie and Solo on the bench. I can’t recall Childress getting a DNP-CD for a half. Better yet, for a game….

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 5:03 PM | Link to this

doc, I agree. I’m glad he’s with us at the salary that was negotiated (by Memphis). I’ve not offered any “trade Smith” discussions here this season. Most of our players are slumping, for probably a lot of different reasons. The good news is that despite the most recent troubles, we’re still in the #4 slot. And the other thing to note is the one-third of our losses are to 3 smoking hot teams… Celtics, Magic & Cavs.

The East is tough (as I expected) this season with the West having a bunch of teams playing under .300 ball. So their playoff-bound teams will have inflated records while the Eastern teams will look less puffed-up due to beat-downs administered by the 3 beasts of the East. I’ve been disappointed with their collective play of late but we’re still in darn good position as we close on the mid-way mark.

By JerryWest

January 15, 2009 5:52 PM | Link to this

Melvin,

Mo had a bandage in his right hand and his shots are not falling because of it. He is a major liability on offense with his injured hand.

Some people who just saw the stats didn’t realize how great Zaza played in the last two games.

By doc

January 15, 2009 6:04 PM | Link to this

eric, by my account you are way behind in the poll, now where did you run off to? are you making your grand and eloquent response or have just run and hidden?

beautiful points aj and thanks for the recap. as a club this team is not perfect so they have to be perfect. they havent blown out anyone except the surprise game against the raptors early in the season and really werent able to last night either though the final score is deceiving. what isnt is the scrubs werent subbed until inside of the last minute. again last night even without horford it should have been over in the first quarter if this team penetrated and went for the jugular instead of coming out cold and letting the clippers influence how we played. no, it isnt because it was the second night of back to back on the road. we tried that against the magic and they flat cooled us here on their back to back. maybe that was why we gained on them at the end that game along with a lack of focus in the fourth with a 20 point lead. they didnt make that mistake twice.

the goal of 50 and a first round victory. it is not mine. it is the coach and this team. i will cheer, prod and probe them on to get there.

By doc

January 15, 2009 6:11 PM | Link to this

thanks for the info on mo and i’ll take zaza, too. he is maturing as a player. no more flops and really stands up to their bigs without the fouls that plague most guys at his age. he is still very young.

By The Truth

January 15, 2009 6:39 PM | Link to this

UMP Thanks Man

By Lacsho

January 15, 2009 7:27 PM | Link to this

MaN it feels good to be back home. If you want to feel the real cold, go to Philly (where its brick cold). This weekend I’m going to Disney World, to watch my son play in the soccer world championships…

Hawk Talk

Doc whatz good my friend. I like the name J-Smash, but he needs to play like a Smasher, and leave that finesse alone.

I followed the blog while I was away, but it’s hard to comment when you can’t watch the game. Box scores really don’t give the gist.

I see Woody stills sucks, and like so many say he coaching with desperation. A lot of us noticed this after the first winning streak. How in the hell do you keep making the same damn mistake year after year.

A message to Mr. Sund please fire woody now and rescue this team. Like so many have said on this blog, we actually have a great team, but Woody refuses to utilize the whole team. So I’m going to call him Mr. Desperation.

Million Dollar Question Somebody tell me why this team is not running?

People always want to know why Smooth (hopefully one day Smash) is out there beyond the three point line. Answer: That’s the place he can get the ball. People act like they don’t see this team jacking up tons of jump shots. Drive the ball to the whole at the beginning of the game, and then they will get out to a faster start. It’s just that damn simple…

Peace Hawks Fam !!!!!!

By The Truth

January 15, 2009 8:22 PM | Link to this

Lacsho Your comment about Josh shooting 3’s reminded me of a comment Mike Fratello (past Hawks coach) said about a similar player he once coach like Josh. He quoted his player saying: “But coach, I had to shoot that ball from behind the arc, I was wide open”. Coach Fratello replied by saying: “But that is precisely why you were open, because your defender knew you couldn’t shoot from behind the arc so he left you wide open”. This is Josh shooting story. He will always be wide open until he convinces the opponents he can make jump shots with regularity. Until then, he will be baited to shot it.

By 4alltheajcblogexperts

January 15, 2009 8:44 PM | Link to this

“Strange that if he reinjured himself, that it would only affect him on one side of the court, isn’t it?” Astro Joe, u seem to be a little touchy. I said nothing about Smith being reinjured so what exactly is your point. My point was Smith’s NBA peers seem to have a lot more respect for him than the so-called experts on this blog. Obviously from your response I guess that includes you. Jerry West- Mo has a bandage on his hands and shots aren’t falling because of it. Funny Smith is a bum but Mo has a bandage on his hand so it is ok. In Dec. & Jan. (22games) Mo Evans has shot 50% or over four times. He has been 40% or less for the other 18. Yet it is ok because he a bandage on his hands. U guys are hypocrites.

By doc

January 15, 2009 9:11 PM | Link to this

4all….., i am glad we have another expert among us. drop the projection and change the name because you have proven you are more like us than different. just because you might have a different opinion doesnt make you more or less the expert but an expert no less than the rest. maybe something along the lines of 4i2amanajcblogexpertliketherest or 4i2 for short.

By rms

January 15, 2009 9:35 PM | Link to this

NEWS FLASH NEWS FLASH Hawks vs Bulls on national T.V. (TNT) on Jan 20. Keep voting guys to get more national T.V. exposure

By Lacsho

January 15, 2009 9:41 PM | Link to this

MaN it feels good to be back home. If you want to feel the real cold, go to Philly (where its brick cold). This weekend I’m going to Disney World, to watch my son play in the soccer world championships…

Hawk Talk

Doc whatz good my friend. I like the name J-Smash, but he needs to play like a Smasher, and leave that finesse alone.

I followed the blog while I was away, but it’s hard to comment when you can’t watch the game. Box scores really don’t give the gist.

I see Woody stills sucks, and like so many say he coaching with desperation. A lot of us noticed this after the first winning streak. How in the hell do you keep making the same damn mistake year after year.

A message to Mr. Sund please fire woody now and rescue this team. Like so many have said on this blog, we actually have a great team, but Woody refuses to utilize the whole team. So I’m going to call him Mr. Desperation.

Million Dollar Question Somebody tell me why this team is not running?

People always want to know why Smooth (hopefully one day Smash) is out there beyond the three point line. Answer: That’s the place he can get the ball. People act like they don’t see this team jacking up tons of jump shots. Drive the ball to the whole at the beginning of the game, and then they will get out to a faster start. It’s just that damn simple…

Peace Hawks Fam !!!!!!

By Lacsho

January 15, 2009 9:43 PM | Link to this

Please excuse the double posting…..

My Bad Fellas

By 4alltheajcblogexperts

January 15, 2009 9:51 PM | Link to this

Doc- Touche. Great point. This will be my last post. There is one large difference. Opinions and facts are not the same thing. Maybe some of these guys don’t see what they look like because they are blinded by their tunnel vision. I am a fan who reads this blog and wonders how people can be so selective with facts. 90% of the people on here are objective fans with their own opinions. 10% are pompous experts who usually don’t know what they are talking about. I will include myself in that 10%. Funny, u guys can disrespect people all day but can’t stand when someone questions you(everyone). God Bless.

By Melvin

January 15, 2009 9:52 PM | Link to this

Eastern Conference Insider: Southeast X-factors hit mark By Joh Schuhmann, NBA.com Posted Jan 15 2009 11:49AM

As part of NBA.com’s 2008-09 Season Preview, a “Man on the Spot” was designated for each team. This player was an X-factor, or someone who needed to be at their best for their team to succeed.

In general, the Southeast Division men on the spot have met expectations. Here’s a closer look …

Atlanta Hawks — Marvin Williams 13.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 1.5 APG, 0.89 SPG, .467 FG% Closer look: Williams still isn’t Deron Williams or Chris Paul (the two guys drafted immediately after him) and he never will be, but his career arc is still on an upward slope. His scoring average is down this season, but his efficiency is up and he has already hit more threes (34) than in his first three seasons (25). He’s also hit some big shots down the stretch of games. Most important is where the Hawks are in the standings. And right now, that’s in position to host a playoff series.

By Lacsho

January 15, 2009 9:54 PM | Link to this

Truth

I’m not saying he’s right for jacking up three’s. But tell me when’s the last time you saw this team make a concentrated effort to get the ball in the low post. Never

The only thing they concentrate on is jacking up jump shots, and that’s one of the reasons why they will remain inconsistent. They will have great games when their hitting jump shots.

By doc

January 15, 2009 10:12 PM | Link to this

4all obviously you think there needs to be balance, stick around and give it otherwise you are quitter. do you also see the posities that are written or only the negative. on you answer that question without being a hypocrite and honestly then come back. look what you see so quickly in others is what you miss blindly in yourself, the ole one points out and three point back routine. look if you have something to say or someone to defend make your points. eric sounded the same way but didnt have the presence to come back. like the passion you got. interesting we have similar comments towards smith. this is about discourse and discussion/ debate, nothing personal doesnt make a difference in anyone’s lives about a subject we are all passionate about.

melvin, marvin is on such an upward slope it is unbelievable in that his 3 point percentage was 10 to 15 per cent last year. he needs to get to take his shot more often, someone needs to get him the ball and he needs to be less bashful about taking the shot. at least josh is ready to place the dagger, marvin hesitates. that is a head issue. get him a sports psychologist please then get him the ball. remember john smoltz became a real stud when he saw one and lived up to his potential in spades.

By Astro Joe

January 15, 2009 10:27 PM | Link to this

4alltheajcblogexperts, certainly Smith’s peers respect his shot-blocking skills. He is likely going to be the best shot-blocking forward in NBA history (or at least since they started keeping the stats). I just thought the timing of the article was interesting, since we have seen a decline in his blocked shots over the past 3-4 weeks.

But your chosen handle and entry suggests that because his peers love his shot-blocking skills, that he is without criticism. Battier nor Iggy made reference to his other skills, they focused on his strength. It would be akin to a peer lauding Jason Kapono’s long distance shooting or Gerald Green’s dunking abilities. I would think fans of those player’s respective teams would want each of them to be a little more complete while still appreciating their individual area of expertise. Are they without criticism? Of course not. And those of us who want Smith to be the consistent force that he often flashes are not wrong to express a lack of satisfaction with his 2 step forward, one step backwards performance in his 5th NBA season. I feel no need to apologize for wanting him to reach his potential and not being satisfied when he puts up 4-5 boards in 30 minutes of work.

By ILL-logical

January 15, 2009 10:52 PM | Link to this

The greatest challenge to the ultimate success of this Hawks team is the continued playing of key players out of their natural position because they have a coach who would rather bend players to his system rather than adapt a system that builds upon their strengths.A team full of 1st rounders/lottery picks.

Case in point : Josh Smith. He was drafted as a 3;every NBA puplication speaks to his potential as a 3;and last but not least,is his size.He has to compete against players 3-5 inches taller-30-60 lbs heavier and much stronger.Why?

Because the current incumbant says so. Marvin /Mo don’t handle the ball alot or for that matter better,so it is not his ballhandling or shooting-up until this year the 3 didn’t take many 3 point shots.

Then there is Al.Same story;he was drafted as a 4; the NBA gurus said/say he has all-star potential at 4,yet he doesn’t play there and is constantly being physically challenged at the 5(and this is the second injury this season). Again the question is why?

Third, you have a young big who has something that no other young big has: an offensive game.RandMo can score;what would it take for a coach,a good coach to go to him and say son we nneed you and I am going to hire Antonio Davis to work with you because you can learn to play defense and we don’t need you to become the second coming of Bill Russell with Josh and Al on either side of you.

Or, Solo. He can and should be Al’s back up at the 4 with 10-15 minutes a game. Or, Acie who can run and gun.

So a picture emerges: the current incumbant is going to become Moses;the biblical one because while he lead the Hawks out of the wilderness, he will never see the Promised Land. And it will be his fault because he wouldn’t take the talent he had and build a system around it.

By ray

January 15, 2009 11:11 PM | Link to this

My boy Lacsho back in the hooooouuuuuse!

By doc

January 15, 2009 11:18 PM | Link to this

lacsho, good to hear form you dude. we got to get together at some point again. enjoy that time down there doing the soccer thing. that is big time dude. my two into soccer had teams that broached that platform then the parents shied away. no matter what enjoy. it will be an education in itself just to see some of these kids in their element and the skill set they have. go for it dude.

By big o

January 15, 2009 11:25 PM | Link to this

YO ILL YOU ARE DEEP DUDE. I AGREE WITH YOU ON MOST OF YOUR POINTS. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE NOT RECOVERED FROM BILLY(DRAFT SIMILAR SKILLED PLAYERS)KNIGHT. AL IS A 4 BUT SO IS J-SMOOTH. WE NEED A TRUE CENTER. AL SHOULD BE COMMING OFF THE BENCH TO PROVIDE ENERGY.IT IS NOT WHO STARTS BUT WHO FINISHES. UNTIL WE DEVELOP A PLAYER WHO CAN POST UP AND DEMAND A DOUBLE TEAM WE WILL NOT FLOURISH. COACHING SEMS TO BE SOME WHAT OF A PROBLEM. I WOULD POST UP JOE ALOT MORE KOBE IS VERY GOOD IN THE POST.

By big o

January 15, 2009 11:30 PM | Link to this

PART II ILL WITH ME BEING A THEOLOGY MAJOR, THE MOSES REFERENCE WAS COOL. THE TEAM NEEDS TO SIGN BIBBY AND JOE TO EXTENTIONS NOW. THIS TEAM NEEDS TO STAY TOGETHER AND GROW. YOU DON’T HAVE ALL THIS WORST TO FIRST IN THE NBA BECAUSE IT TAKES TIME. IF WE KEEP THIS TEAM TOGETHER FOR 2 MORE YEARS WE CAN WIN A TITLE.

By RLP

January 15, 2009 11:45 PM | Link to this

I have always been a big fan of JS. When he is playing with confidence he is lights out. His strength is his defense and hustle. Last year in the playoffs and again this year until his injury he was great. But anyone who has seen his game should realize that something is wrong with his game right now. I don’t know what it is. Doc warned back in December about the problems with the ankle sprain. Criticize all you want. I prefer to watch and see if time will make a difference. Some have pointed out that his game changed because he realized he was not physically able to play as he had in the past. In the long run this forced change in his game may be a positive.

This year’s Hawks are better for several reason:

The continuation of the maturation process for the young players.

Having Mike Bibby with the team from day one of training camp.

Woody’s insistence on playing with a short bench. (I think that is a reason for the team’s improvement but only on a short term basis. I have heard and do not disagree with all of the criticisms of that policy.)

A stronger bench. (I would take Mo and Flip on the bench over Childers because he was only one. Our new bench provides differing strengths and weaknesses. And I wish Chills were with the team. But this year;s bench is better than last year. Also Za Za is stronger this year than last.)

But at this point in the season we still do not know exactly how strong this team is. I hope they continue to fight for and eventually win the fourth spot in the division. I hope they win fifty games and a playoff series. Failing that I hope they finish higher in the standings than last year. But whatever happens I think this year has provided more promise than any of the past four. But that hope is still fragile because of the possibility of injury. Also there is hope (which rings eternally) that the team can be bettered before the end of the trade deadline. Of course a trade could also be disastrous and bring down all of the potential most of us see in this team.

But for right now I am enjoying watching the team play. I really enjoy those times when the team shows a real flash of potential that was not there for most of the past four years.

By doc

January 16, 2009 12:13 AM | Link to this

amen, rlp, amen.

By BA

January 16, 2009 12:29 AM | Link to this

Big O raises a good (if heavily capitalized) point- who wouldn’t like to see the starting backcourt extended? somebody said (much earlier in the thread) that Bibby is in the “twilight of his career”. That, as Nixon once said, is pure poppycock. The guy is 31- who says he doesn’t play 4 or 5 more years? This isn’t the NFL, after all.

Loved the bit where doc told some cat something about “coming here for four years…”, classic. Also doc, the stuff about Johnson was good reading- in a painfully true way. Bottom line, he is what he is- even at the young age of 26 (or 27) Johnson came here fully polished, and Woodson gives him a long leash.

Ill logical, great post. Very, well, logical. But while the two ARE undersized, they’re rarely overmatched. Horford has held his own against everybody (short of the Supermans and Diesels of the world) this season. With Smith, is height the issue when the kid can jump out of the gym? Second in the league in blocks? The advantage is that Smith and Horford are generally faster than opposing 4’s and 5’s, and they both are above average passers.

Speaking of Smith, a frequent subject of debate around here. For what it’s worth my OPINION (see doc) is that Smith is the second best player on this team. He’s the “number three” scoring option, and the premiere defender. He doesn’t turn the ball over apprecciably more than Johnson. Smith is an aggresive player, like Poop said- the good outweighs the bad.

By Mike is back

January 16, 2009 12:40 AM | Link to this

The Truth, great point about Smoove, sorry Doc, Josh my home boy, so I gotta go with Smoove, he will live up to that moniker one day. Riddle this, why is Josh coming out to the perimeter to get the ball,  could be that’s the only way for guys in the post to get a shot, or is it strategy…I’m going with the ladder…Josh your not open …their strategy is to give you room…cuz you have a propensity for taking ill-advised shots.  Don’t take the bait dawgggggggggg!!!!!  

Lacsho, you crack me up man.  Yeah, Woody’s is still doing his thing. Like others have mention, We are still 4th in the east, which is a great accomplishment, given the misery this franchise  has endured over the years. You got to give Woody credit for that…So how it still feel like we are battling for the 8th spot.  GO FIGURE  

Astro Joe and Doc, thanks for the shout back on Smitty…I’m watch Derrick Rose play on TNT tonight. He’s a shorter version of what we have in Acie. Makes you go Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!  

Samuel, I got more DNPs on this blog then Acie and Solo put together, so it’s okay if you ignore this comment.   But, I gotta admit though bro, the game against Phoenix and the Clippers didn’t help Woody’s cause for COY.  In the Phoenix games, you have a point guard in Steve Nash who is the worst defender in the league against penetrating guards…yet not one time did Woody match Acie up against Nash.  Then you have the Clippers… a lowly team on a 10 games skid, with 3 key players missing, and  the team comes out flat, struggles through three quarters…Joe logs 40 min just to get a win. WTF!!!!  

It brings up that preverbal question, can Woody take us to the promise land, or to the second round in the playoff. With that offense, the answer is got to be an emphatic no right now brooooooooo.  What’s more alarming… is if this is Larry Drew offense, then no sense wasting time with him either.  Who ever is responsible for this offense needs to be fired, cuz it’s sucking the life out of the team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By bigdave

January 16, 2009 1:00 AM | Link to this

Cavs lose to Bulls tonight and lose Delonte West to a broken wrist… this will be interesting, i was wondering how they would respond to injury.. we have had stretches of bad games so has Boston, i wonder if the Cavs are next, and hopefully those surprisingly elite Magic…

By doc

January 16, 2009 1:03 AM | Link to this

speaking of samuel i think he has been dnp for a while now.

ba, good to have you around agreeing with me or not. shame eric didnt come back, 4 all at least did that and the guy has some intelligence, you can tell. guess he isnt a lawyer as he doesnt seem to like disagreements.

MIKE, you are just an enabler dude, calling josh smoooo (cant do it), when we need him to smash is giving a drunk the keys to your liquor cabinet and turning your back to go get him a meal.

By BosnianBaller

January 16, 2009 1:48 AM | Link to this

Get Camby

By pinoy hawk

January 16, 2009 2:58 AM | Link to this

I agree that the hawks need a legit center. is nene available via trade? he had a great game tonight against the suns 17 pts and 14 rebs. imagine nene and Al at frontcourt…

By Samuel

January 16, 2009 9:07 AM | Link to this

Doc,

Yea, i’ve been riding the pine lately. Partly due to the fact that my school team is in full swing and partly due to the fact that my Hawks have been stinking up the joint. Kinda hard to post at 12am after returning from a two hour trip in subzero temperatures in a frozen banana.

Actually, when the Hawks lose, my other team wins. We’re on a streak right now and got two this weekend. Must mean i’m spending too much time on this blog. It’s gonna stay that way for a while i’m afraid. I’m sure yall have been lettn me have it but you know i’ll be back.

Glad to see LA and Oakland. There’s talk of my boy Monta Ellis showing up tonight. Hope not. We really need this one. He should put it off one more game.

My COY has also lost some ground to the VanGundys and Pops of the world but we’ll bounce back. Just a little phase we’re going through. We’ll get it right.

Woody=COY

By doc

January 16, 2009 9:33 AM | Link to this

samuel good to see you rise to the surface. christmas break is officially over, right?

samuel too much respect and you know we dont bat on a guy when he cant defend himself or isnt around.

i think the guy that doesnt get the cred he deserves for COY is out in denver. boy has he juggled, prodded and coaxed to keep that team in the lead in his division of all things with significant injuries. gave away camby , too. that guy can think out of a box and on the go. just think it is very hard for our guy woody to do it, like him, obviously a steady guy and hand, just dont see the magic some nights or when it happens that he was involved in making it happen. maybe an unfair assessment just too many times they get around him and come out flat.

By The Truth

January 16, 2009 9:40 AM | Link to this

Samuel Based on Woody’s popularity around here as of late, maybe this is a better equation:

WOODY

By Mike is back

January 16, 2009 9:40 AM | Link to this

Doc, you’re funny mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!

By Dave

January 16, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this

can anyone actually understand the trash doc rights? dude claims he’s older, but writes like a 5 year old

By Melvin

January 16, 2009 10:17 AM | Link to this

You gotta admire Samuel. That guy stick by his guns. Just like Woody stick by his starters for 40+ mins a nite..

By Astro Joe

January 16, 2009 10:40 AM | Link to this

Did I miss an update on ASG court case? Last I heard, it is scheduled to begin next month. I wonder if a specific date has been set. If either side is nervous, now would be the time to make a strong out-of-court settlement offer. For me, the important thing to know is if there is any chance that the decision will be final BEFORE the trading deadline. I doubt it but I’d like to know.

By Melvin

January 16, 2009 11:14 AM | Link to this

Interesting that Phx chose to play Shaq against the Hawks and allow him to rest against the Nuggets (who’s in their division).

By doc

January 16, 2009 12:03 PM | Link to this

DAVE, uh rights or writes. freudian slip to suggest i am right all the time? surely you jest, i dont even suggest that. go figure, intelligence strikes again. so many experts, every one of us. i guess if given the choice, id rather be right like a 5 yr old than think like one. kids have an innate tenderness and intelligence about them at that age, just cant reason.

By doc

January 16, 2009 12:10 PM | Link to this

melvin, maybe porter didnt think he could out think the denver coach who was going to go with his best shot at beating shaq, yup run and thought maybe woody would let shaq set the pace. what do you think melvin?

hope too many out there didnt think that was ugly. it was just a supposition or a question for a response to a question. no facts at all pure speculation, not pretending it to be otherwise just a five year old’s response with innate wisdom. anyone else want to serve up next?

:-)) HEH HEH

By E. G.

January 16, 2009 12:46 PM | Link to this

Hey SAUTEE

Thanks for the criticism which is definitely not bashing me, for “to bash” means “to strike heavily; to beat; to crush”.

Now if I told Josh Smith that he was an idiot instead of saying he played “like” an idiot, then I would be bashing him. If Josh Smith can take criticism, he doesn’t need to being playing basketball. I am almost convinced that Woody is too soft with him, and that is why JS doesn’t listen to instructions. If I am wrong, then JS is either ignoring Woody or he realizes that he just doesn’t have the talent or discipline to play consistent, smart basketball against the “GOOOOOOOOD” teams.

I don’t know; maybe I should blame his lack of discipline on his upbringing. Maybe you can tell me, Mr. Sautee, the problem. However, please don’t use the excuse that he is still young, for I have not seen too many young players who have come to the NBA out of High School make the bad decisions that Josh Smith has been making for FIVE YEARS!

**HE’S NOT GETTING BETTER UP TO THIS POINT, BUT GETTING WORSE WITH HIS DECISIONS.”

By bigdave

January 16, 2009 12:50 PM | Link to this

can anyone explain the ASG trail and what outcomes yield what results in regards to free agency, trades, etc…

By Melvin

January 16, 2009 2:24 PM | Link to this

Doc, not sure but I see what you are saying. I know Phx stated before the season that Shaq was not going to play ever regular season game even if healthy. So they would pick and choose which game he was going to play. I could see Porter thinking that Shaq/Amare has more of an advantage against the Hawks (JS/ZaZa) than NeNe/Kmart for Denver. But this would only highlight your point/comment that Porter being able to out coached/scheme than the more experience coach Woody….

Also, I’m not sure where the game against the Nuggets was played last nite but maybe the Hawks playing them on their homecourt played a factor as well.

BWAF/PAIN

By doc

January 16, 2009 2:58 PM | Link to this

melvin, no simple answer. i was only emphasizing karl would run and woody wouldnt. since i think the denver game was there and if you want to save shaq for the long haul and use him at his most effective self you do just what they did. you play shaq at home against and bet that team that would not push the ball to force porter to change his game plan. it would then allow shaq to rest at home after a win while the team flew to denver a team sure to run as attested by their 119 points scored in their win over the more talented suns, since melo is out and camby in l a. shaq only loses out on frequent flyer miles and he, by now, doesnt need them anyway.

By Astro Joe

January 16, 2009 3:16 PM | Link to this

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