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January 2009
Hawks dig ditch, get buried
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Milwaukee - Nights like these make it hard for people to watch the Hawks.
And thanks to a glitch in the TV schedule (it wasn’t on the local schedule), most people didn’t have to watch them get taken to pieces early by a Milwaukee Bucks team searching for its own identity Saturday night at Bradley Center.
Whatever has ailed the Bucks this season - center Andrew Bogut has been in and out of the lineup with injuries and captain and leading scorer Michael Redd is out for the year with a knee injury - they play with a fury that isn’t reflected by their 24-27 record.
They play with a win or lose fury that these Hawks wish they did. Study the box score all you want, this game was one by the team that played with the requisite energy and physical presence needed and not anything else.
There’s no doubt the Hawks could learn a little something from Bucks in that regard.
Because rarely do the Hawks play as hard without some sort of imminent threat, and yes, an 18-point second quarter deficit qualifies as an imminent threat to these Hawks (27-20).
That would be the same 18-point deficit they chewed into in the same second quarter of a game they would go on to lose 110-107.
“It’s kind of been somewhat our trend,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “And I hate to say that. But we think we can spot teams 18 and 20 points. It takes too much energy to try and get back in it. And once we got back in it, we didn’t make the plays down the stretch.”
In a league where you’re defined by your last performance, having a reputation as a team that plays only when pressed is not an admirable quality.
Whether they like it or not, that’s exactly the reputation the Hawks have developed over these past two years (no one gave them much thought at all before that, when they were in the foundation pouring stages of their rebuilding project).
The Hawks are a reactive team, not a proactive one.
“I just think that we react to teams instead of us forcing the issue and you saw early in the game they got up and pressured the ball and made it hard for us to catch and extended that lead,” Josh Smith said. “We had to counterpunch. And it shouldn’t always come to that. It took them putting the pressure on us to step back up and pressure them. And that should be the other way around. And if that’s the way we’re trying to play we need to change it up, because it’s not working.”
A night after pulverizing the New Jersey Nets at home, the Hawks spent the first 16 minutes against the Bucks sleepwalking like they have so many times at the start of games this year and last.
As detailed in a story earlier this week, the Hawks remain one of the league’s worst first quarter teams. And you earn that distinction the same way you earn plaudits for being one of the best first quarter teams in the league, with a nearly three-month body of work as evidence.
Consider this, the Hawks and Bucks both played Friday night. the Bucks played on the road, winning in Toronto.
But you couldn’t tell by the collective energy levels of both teams Saturday night. The Bucks routinely sliced into the teeth of the Hawks’ so-called defense, riddling them with layups and wide-open baskets, double their production in the paint from the get-go.
“It’s been a carbon copy the past few games,” Joe Johnson said. “It’s how we start the games. Fighting back is the hard part. And then you get back in the game and tend to relax a little bit and they go on another run. And we knew they were going to come out and play hard. So it wasn’t like they caught us off guard or anything.”
So many times the Hawks were caught flat-footed as the Bucks went up for shots and chased rebounds, making you wonder if it’s the Hawks’ mettle or conditioning that’s lacking more (or a robust combination of both).
Normally the Hawks can rely on a superhuman effort from Johnson to pull them through on nights like this, or at least to keep them in the hunt until the rest of them pick up the intensity.
But credit Bucks coach Scott Skiles with keeping good notes from his days with the Bulls. He would often defend Johnson with Kirk Hinrich, a feisty but undersized defender that gave Johnson fits because he could get up into his torso and force him to handle the ball more than necessary.
Skiles went back to that with both Charlie Bell and Ramon Sessions Saturday night, keeping Johnson extra busy on the offensive end and playing a physical brand of basketball that infuriates teams like the Hawks - teams that will opt for jump shots over the beating they could take driving to the basket and parading to the foul line.
And make no mistake, the Bucks beat the Hawks up on this night, brandishing elbows and every sort of hard foul, screen and blow imaginable. It’s almost as if they knew that if you put the wood to these Hawks early, they won’t fight back in time to hurt you.
“They fed off making shots early, got up in us defensively and that’s what was disturbing to me,” Woodson said. “We didn’t start returning the favor until the second quarter. But if the officials are going to let you get up into each other, then you have to do the same thing. And we didn’t. And I tip my had to the Bucks. The officials let them do that and we didn’t answer the bell to start the first quarter. The second quarter, after a few timeouts and me yelling a little bit, we were able to start playing like that and we got back in the game. But we just exhausted too much energy.”
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Numbers game
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - The first sight you see after stepping through the doors to the Hawks’ practice court this morning is Josh Smith at the free throw line with Mark Price advising (which as it turns out is the same way they finished practice).
Oh, the irony.
That’s what you’d expect the Hawks to do the morning after a dismal 17-for-32 showing at the free throw line derailed any chance they had at ending their latest losing streak, which stands at three games with the New Jersey Nets (the team that’s already handled the Hawks three times this year) up next Friday night at Philips Arena.
Smith needed the extra work as much as anyone. He has played better than anyone else on the roster the last three games, yet he’s stained that with his horrific work from the free throw line (5-for-18 in his last three games).
But to assume that the Hawks’ ONLY issue at this point is at the free throw line the Hawks rank would be as shortsighted as it is misguided (though it is a glaring one, since they rank 29th in the league in free throw shooting at .737, ahead of only Orlando at .723).
We’ve been over the laundry list the past few days (the excessive minutes Joe Johnson is playing, the strategic offensive and defensive shortcomings that have cropped up in each of these past three losses, the suddenly missing ball rotation and the refusal of anyone to help the guy next to him on the defensive end, etc.), and all of it helps make sense of this current three-game skid.
Yet there’s more.
In fact, I’ll point to one interesting statistical quirk that stunned me when I first heard about it and then read up on it a little more this morning on 82games.com (and if there’s better statistical analysis of the NBA anywhere, I haven’t seen it).
As of Jan. 26, the Hawks ranked first in the entire NBA in net points in the fourth quarter (+2.4) and fourth quarter winning percentage (63%), two sure signs of an accomplished team that has the pieces and parts to excel with the game on the line.
The teams behind them in fourth quarter net points are, in order, Cleveland, Portland, Orlando, New Orleans, Philadelphia, the Lakers, Utah, Charlotte and Phoenix.
The teams behind them in fourth quarter winning percentage - Dallas, New Orleans, Cleveland, Orlando, Portland, Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Jersey and Milwaukee.
On the flip side, the Hawks rank 20th in net points in the first quarter (-1) and 18th in first quarter winning percentage (44%), two more clear statistical indicators of the (mostly) elite in regards to teams that come out and establish themselves from the start and don’t waste time toying around and easing into anything.
The top 10 in first quarter net points - Cleveland, Boston, Orlando, Houston, the Lakers, San Antonio, Detroit, Philadelphia, Toronto and New Orleans.
The top 10 in first quarter winning percentage - Cleveland, Boston, Toronto, Houston, the Lakers, Orlando, Detroit, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Phoenix.
Cross-reference the teams that pop up on the top 10 on either of the lists in both categories and you basically have the teams playing the best basketball in the league right now.
As much as I fight against that notion that something like the game of basketball could be reduced to things like this, sometimes it is all about the numbers.
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Joe Johnson All-Star?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NEW YORK - I spent most of yesterday discussing Joe Johnson and his struggles this month.
Today’s topic remains the same, for the most part.
Only this time the Hawks’ captain and two-time All-Star is awaiting word on whether or not he’ll be selected for his third straight trip to the NBA’s midseason showcase - to be held Feb. 13-16 in Phoenix.
For all the talk about his January struggles, it’s worth noting that the Eastern Conference coaches would be crazy to leave him off of the honor squad.
In each of the past two seasons the Hawks’ losing record was the one knock against him.
Even with their 5-8 record this month, that argument is left toothless by the Hawks’ 26-18 mark heading into tonight’s game against the Knicks here at Madison Square Garden.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson doesn’t even think it’s a debate worth having.
“Joe Johnson’s an All-Star?,” he said incredulously. “Of course he is. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s done any and everything you’d ask of an All-Star. He’s been our horse. And anybody that doesn’t realize that has a real problem.”
The All-Star reserves aren’t going to be officially released until Thursday night’s TNT broadcast.
But you better believe that if I hear anything about it, there will be hot news here as soon as humanly possible.
Either way, it’s time for you to weigh in on Joe.
All-Star or not?
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Hawks in need of a boost
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MIAMI - For a team in need of catharsis this seems like an odd place to practice the morning after being bushwhacked on this same floor Monday night by the Miami Heat.
But the schedule dictated that the Hawks would practice here at AmericanAirlines Arena before departing for New York.
I don’t know if they’ll get the emotional purging they need by game time against the Knicks, but the physical boost they need joined the line for drills 40 minutes into practice.
Just the sight of Al Horford in line had to boost the spirits of Hawks, a beleaguered bunch after back-to-back losses.
Horford is still clearly a few days away from coming back. But the need for a solidifying force, on and off the floor, is evident.
Heat coach Erick Spoelstra talked about it before his team dismantled the Hawks Monday night.
“Horford is a strong element they’re missing,” Spoelstra said. “We noticed that the last time we played. He’s one of the very best team defenders in the league. He really is amazing.”
The Hawks could use a shot of “amazing” right about now.
* EXPLANATION TIME *
Flip Murray had what was easily the best explanation for the Hawks’ putrid first half offensive showing against the Heat, and he wasn’t the least bit testy when he said it.
“We missed [expletive] shots, man,” he told me after the game. “It’s as simple as that.”
For sure.
Someone had the audacity to complain about the Hawks not having any assists at halftime and all I could do was laugh.
Uh, they made just 8-of-26 shots from the floor and went SCORELESS for 13 minutes and 24 seconds people.
You’re not going to have any assists or anything else when you go SCORELESS for 13 minutes and 24 seconds (I just wanted to make sure no one missed that part).
* BIBBY’S BUMPS *
If Mike Bibby is going to break out of his current slump (3-for-19, six assists and six turnovers in his last two games) he couldn’t find a better place to do it than Madison Square Garden.
And since Bibby loves the big stage as much as anyone, his teammates are expecting nothing less.
“He’s earned a couple of off shooting nights,” Josh Smith said. “We’ve all struggled at times this year, so why should he be immune. But if there’s anybody on this team that you expect to break out of it in a big way it’s Mike Bibby.”
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Horford is in Miami
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
MIAMI - Despite previous reports to the contrary from Hawks coach Mike Woodson, Al Horford did indeed make the trip to Miami with the Hawks for tonight’s game against the Heat.
But don’t get your hopes up.
Horford is not expected to play against the Heat or against the Knicks Wednesday in New York.
Still nursing a sore right knee that has cost him the last eight games, the Hawks’ starting center was not expected to make this trip. But something clearly changed between Woodson’s pregame media blitz Sunday afternoon.
Woodson said he believed Horford would be able to move from some light running to a full practice by Thursday, when the Hawks return from the trip. Since Horford’s on the trip, there is a chance he could work out with the Hawks Tuesday here in Miami before the team departs for New York.
That would push his potential return up a day or two as well, if he’s able to make it through a practice without any complications.
In each of the past two days Horford has said that he’s feeling “much, much better” and that he was hopeful that he’d be able to get on the floor sooner rather than later.
Woodson told our Carroll Rogers that Horford, “wants to play in the worst way, but we’re not going to push it just to get him back out there when he’s not ready.”
When that is suddenly becomes a hot topic with the Hawks desperately in need of their defensive anchor and the 10.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks he provides.
The Hawks have back-to-back games against New Jersey and in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday, which would make for a tough turnaround for any player coming back from an injury like Horford’s.
If he doesn’t come back by this weekend, he’ll have three extra days to practice before the Hawks’ Feb. 4 game in Minnesota.
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Hawks rise like Sun(s)?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Someone made a comment that seemed innocent enough just minutes prior to tip off of Sunday afternoon’s Hawks-Suns game at Philips Arena.
It wasn’t until a few minutes ago, with the Hawks up 53-47 with just three minutes to play before halftime, that I actually processed what was said.
“Since when do the Hawks compare to the Suns? They’re not even in the same league.”
Forget the context in which that statement was made (I was sitting in one room and heard that being shouted across the next room and technically speaking, the Hawks at 26-16 rank ahead of the Suns at 23-18, no matter how you slice it).
It wouldn’t have seemed like such an obscene statement as recently as last year this time.
But these teams are every bit each other’s equal these days (the outcome of today’s game not giving either team a decided edge in that department).
Seriously, they are on even footing. And the even more stunning thing about the Hawks is that you can say that every night, regardless of what team they are playing.
After years of playing little brother to just about the entire league, save for the occasional expansion team or the LA Clippers, the Hawks have risen from the ashes of their previous incarnation and finally joined the ranks of the NBA’s true contenders (for playoff spots Einstein, not the title).
Hawks captain and All-Star Joe Johnson was around when the Suns morphed into a legitimate power a few years ago (when the Colangelo-D’Antoni-Nash revival rescued that franchise).
There was no secret potion, Johnson said. It was just a perfect storm of forces, events and happenstance that led the Suns from a 28-win season to the upper echelon of the Western Conference.
“I wish I could tell you we did something special or somebody whispered something in all our ears or flipped that secret switch,” Johnson said. “But in reality, it was just a matter of good timing. Me and Shawn [Marion] and Amare [Stoudemire] were already in place when Steve [Nash] came on board. Everything after that, well … we just started rolling from there.”
The Hawks’ road to redemption hasn’t been paved with All-Stars (other than Johnson), MVPs or hired help (Shaquille O’Neal since last season) with engraved invitations to the Hall of Fame.
There’s has been a much more organic renaissance, complete with all the pain and heartache associated with rebuilding an organization through the draft and the hit and miss politics associated with any front office staff (the misses outweighing the hits up to this point).
I’m not sure one way could be described as superior to the other. After all, the Bulls (organic) and Heat (GFH-guns for hire) are proof that both methods can fizzle just as fast as they lift off.
The Celtics are currently in GFH mode and I’m sure the fans and folks in Boston are loving every stinkin’ minute of their time on top (as long as my Wolverines are down and out I’m jealous of any team in any sport that’s rolling).
Either way, it’s hard to knock somebody for enjoying the rise, no matter how it happens.
But that statement that began this whole rant seems even more odd to me now. Because when it comes down to it, all but a couple of teams in both the Eastern and Western Conference are nothing if they aren’t in the same league.
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Superman and other stuff
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - So Dwight Howard really is Superman huh?
He snagged three million All-Star votes, the first player to reach that milestone, and will lead the Eastern Conference in next month’s All-Star Game in Phoenix.
When I picked up my paper this morning and saw the story on the front of the sports section, I have to admit I was a bit stunned to see that Howard had outpaced the entire All-Star field.
It was just a few years ago that last weekend that I was down here getting lost all over town trying to find the Adamsville Recreation Center one night, and Whitfield Academy the next, to see the then Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy star in action on back-to-back nights during his senior year of high school.
I was working in Indianapolis then and the buzz about Howard was raging around the league, so with the Pacers in town for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day game that year it turned out to be an ideal chance to see this phenom twice during a road trip.
Longtime Pacers GM Donnie Walsh (now of the Knicks) told me before I left that I was going to see the “No. 1 pick” in that summer’s draft. But I have to admit to being a bit skeptical before I left (the high school craze in the NBA was in full swing then and I’d heard similar things about Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry only to be disappointed later).
But after watching Howard toy with his competition on back-to-back nights, it was clear that Walsh was right. I watched him for about five minutes before I picked up my cell phone and called Walsh to agree.
Stunningly, not everyone was convinced that he, and not Emeka Okafor, was the clear-cut top player available that year.
I had several scouts argue me down at the Big East Tournament that spring in New York that Okafor was the no-brainer to player.
What I’m wondering is, for those of you who kept up with Howard during his high school career, did you have any idea Howard would be this good when you saw him?
FOR STARTERS
I won’t bother arguing the All-Star starters. Since the fans vote them on, there isn’t really much to debate (though Allen Iverson joining the starters this year is a pure travesty).
The real debate will start when the reserves are announced, because there will be a limited number of spots for worthy candidates.
But that’s a heated blogscussion for another day.
SMOOVE’S REVIVAL
And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming (Hawks, Hawks and more Hawks).
Our Falcons guru, the esteemed D. Orlando Ledbetter, pinch-hit for me yesterday while I finished up a two-day furlough and nailed it with a nice piece on Josh Smith and his much-improved rebounding from the last two games.
I found out that Smith has been doing some behind the scenes studying with Hawks assistant coach Jim Todd (a new addition to the staff this season that has drawn rave reviews from every player I’ve spoken to), looking at video cut ups of his minutes from every game.
Smith told me that pre-game Siskel (may he rest in peace) and Ebert sessions have been invaluable. And while it’s clear that Smith still strays from what is his most effective game (working inside early and often on both ends), these past two games show that when he locks in and focuses his energy on rebounding and scoring inside, he can outplay most (I SAID MOST) power forwards and centers he’ll face on a nightly basis.
Since Horford went down with his injury Smith has logged as much time at center as he has power forward. Against Toronto Monday he was on the floor with four guards for long stretches. Same thing Tuesday in Chicago, with Zaza Pachulia’s foul trouble always a determining factor.
He and Zaza have quietly put together a nice eight-quarter run here that, should it continue, helps soften the blow of Horford’s absence.
I was surrounded by advance scouts at courtside in Chicago Tuesday night, and each one of them commented to me on the increased activity of both guys.
“When they’re busy like that, this is an impossible team to figure out because they’ve got those two [Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson] on the wing making you pay for focusing too much attention inside,” an advance scout friend from a Western Conference team told me. “The only thing I don’t like is their body language when they get tired or when things go wrong. You can tell Smith and Pachulia don’t have the same chemistry that Smith and Horford have. But when things are going good, they’re a handful.”
The lack of chemistry is nothing out of the ordinary. And this time playing together without Horford can only help improve that for the future.
They’ll need to be on their game tonight against an improved Milwaukee club that poses some legitimate challenges inside.
THE DOLLAR STORE?
I dropped in on the Georgia State-VCU game Wednesday night to catch up with GSU coach Rod Barnes (known him for years and covered him years ago when he coached Ole Miss) and stumbled upon my new favorite past time.
This, of course, was after I walked into the gym and spotted Hawks GM Rick Sund sitting courtside scouting on one side of the floor and Horford (who is tight with VCU coach Anthony Grant from their Florida days) posted up in the stands on the other side of the floor.
We all had our reasons for being there (I didn’t ask him but Sund surely was there to scout impressive VCU guard Eric Maynor, who lit it up from all over in leading his team to the win).
But everything came to a halt for me at half time. I hustled the family off to the concession stand for some refreshments expecting, like usual, that I’d have to take out a loan to pay for snacks and stuff and was greeted with the best news I’d heard all year.
“Everything costs a dollar,” the young lady at the counter said.
I asked her to repeat it just so I could hear it again (Wifey is the queen of the everything’s a dollar parade but I love a good bargain, too, especially in this current economic downturn).
And now I find out they’re doing the same at Philips Arena for Hawks games, with a couple stipulations.
Hot docs, popcorn and fountain drinks are a dollar from the time the doors open until opening tip at all the general concession stands at Philips through Feb. 10.
That’s not a bad deal if you’re one of those Hawks fans that actually show up before opening tip.
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Bibby time
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Chicago - Mike Bibby presented the challenge to his teammates long after their early 13-point lead had vanished.
He waited until the game was on the line, late in the fourth quarter, and dared these undermanned Hawks, playing without two starters and poised to sweep Chicago for the first time ever, to win in spite of whatever shortcomings they packed for the trip north.
Bibby led, with his words and actions, and they followed, all the way to a 105-102 win before 20,389 at United Center Tuesday night.
“They were killing us on the boards all night but the guys kept fighting and I kept telling everybody let’s see what we’re made of and take this game,” Bibby said after shredding the Bulls for a season-high 31 points, including a 5-for-10 showing from beyond the 3-point line, six assists and five huge steals. “We were lucky our shots were going in, because they were killing us on the boards.”
Bibby was trashing the Bulls everywhere else, though, outplaying heralded Bulls rookie point guard Derrick Rose along the way.
Bibby had nine points on 4-for-5 shooting and two of those steals in the fourth quarter, when the Hawks had to break a 77-77 tie and did so by a mere three points, 28-25.
Bibby made his only 3-pointer of the quarter and had a crucial steal with 40 seconds to play that set up his game-clinching jumper with 18.9 seconds on the game clock.
“We used Bibby as our horse tonight,” Josh Smith said. “He’s one of those players that once he gets it going he’s kind of hard to stop. And you saw him in clutch situations, he was hitting big shot after big shot. And when Joe [Johnson] doesn’t have it, we feel good knowing we have Bibby there, too.”
Johnson struggled through a 5-for-18 shooting night and still finished with 16 points, eight assists and five rebounds. But he too relished the opportunity to feed Bibby with the game on the line.
After all, it was Johnson that sang Bibby’s praises the loudest during training camp, insisting that a healthy Bibby this season would make all the difference for a team that struggled to 37 wins last year.
Nine games over .500 (25-16) halfway through this season, Johnson’s words seem prophetic, as Bibby is playing at an All-Star level.
“He’s just been playing great all year,” Johnson said. “And for him to come out and have a big night tonight the way he did definitely got us over the hump.”
Not only did his sweet shooting do the trick, he was 12-for-21 from the floor overall. Bibby’s quick hands helped the Hawks turn five fast break opportunities for the Bulls into offensive possessions for the Hawks.
“It just looked like they wanted to get our and run with it,” Bibby said of his steals. “I just waited around and went back to the get the ball. I don’t think they saw me. They were trying to get our and run and get easy baskets and I tried to break it up.”
The Bulls couldn’t break Bibby’s rhythm, despite deploying a zone in the first half that helped them dig out of that early hole.
“The turnovers really hurt us tonight,” Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. “And Mike Bibby had his way with us. Pachulia’s points really bothered us. He got layups and got after us on the glass. Our zone was effective at times, though they got some 3-pointers out of it. We just were not able to control Bibby or Joe Johnson on their screen and rolls.”
With starters Marvin Williams and Al Horford out with injuries and reserve point guard Acie Law IV joining them on the inactive list, Hawks coach Mike Woodson needed everything Bibby could give him Tuesday night.
“Mike carried us,” Woodson said. “And we talked about this the other day. I huddled these guys together and told them that the guys that maybe haven’t played, I know their timing might be a little off, but this is an opportunity to play. And the guys that have been playing for us, they have to step up it up and play big-time for us. And I thought Mike did that.
“Zaza had a monster second half for us and Josh Smith was solid for the second straight game rebounding and scoring inside.”
And Bibby was the player Johnson insisted he would be at full strength.
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Obama-Nation (and other stuff)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CHICAGO - In my best effort to show extreme patriotism on this historic day, I decided to mimic the actions of our 44th President, in my own way.
When I arrived here in Barack Obama’s home city this morning I hopped the train (well, the CTA) for the ride to my downtown hotel.
It wasn’t the same as tracing Lincoln’s steps to Washington, but I used my imagination.
Folks in Washington are seeing the big man up close and personal, but the people here in Chicago have a relationship with the nation’s new boss that you have to see to believe.
Everywhere you go in this city there is an Obama presence (thus my new nickname for the Windy City: Obama-Nation).
It’s a sight to see, even on a wickedly cold but sunny day like this one.
It makes tonight’s Hawks-Bulls game at the United Center seem a bit … well, forget that. Obama loves basketball. So even on a day like today, when we all know he has a million different things going on, someone will be feeding him the scores from around the league.
ON THE BIG SCREEN: A bus mishap forced the Hawks to scrap their plans to watch the inauguration from a conference room at their downtown hotel. But someone at the United Center must have known how important the occasion was for Hawks coach Mike Woodson and his team.
The Hawks ended up watching the entire affair on the Jumbotron at the arena.
“It was unreal,” Hawks VP of PR Arthur Triche said. “It was like the next best thing to actually being in Washington.”
Woodson gave a short but moving speech before Monday’s game about the significance of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his day but also about the importance of what was to come earlier today.
“I feel it is important for not only our guys but everyone to reflect on the things that happen in life and be grateful for the things we have,” Woodson said.
REHAB FOR CHILDRESS: As you might have already seen on ajc.com, former Hawks swingman Josh Childress had sports hernia surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia and will be out for six to eight weeks, per his agent Jim Tanner.
I spoke with Childress at length last week for an interesting Q&A that will be online this week. He mentioned that he was coming back to the states to be examined. I had no idea then that it was something that required surgery. If he’s out that long, his situation with Olympiacos going forward gets very interesting if you’re the Hawks.
Very, very interesting.
It’s impossible to speculate about what might happen. But Childress can opt out of his deal with Olympiacos and the Hawks still own his NBA rights.
Like I said, this latest news could make things very, very interesting.
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All hands on deck!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - No Al Horford.
No Marvin Williams.
No problem?
That’s the way the Hawks were operating in the 48 hours since their return from last week’s three-game Western Conference road trip.
But we won’t know for sure until today (Toronto’s here at Philips Arena) and tomorrow (the Hawks leave after the game for Chicago).
An advance scout friend of mine I spoke with before the game told me that Horford was the one player the Hawks couldn’t afford to lose.
“He’s far too important to their interior game, particularly on defense, and despite them never really focusing on him on offense, he’s their only legitimate post threat on offense,” my scout friend said. “For their sake I hope he’s not going to be out too long, because if he is, they’re going to have some troubles.”
My friend apparently doesn’t believe in the collective power of Zaza Pachulia, Solomon Jones and Randolph Morris.
If those three reserves can handle the workload while Horford recovers from the bone bruise in his right knee, the Hawks should be able to stay afloat. If not … that trouble my scout friend talked about could be on the horizon.
But I’m giving Horford’s reinforcements today to convince me that they can handle things while he’s out (and for how long remains one of the major questions surrounding these Hawks right now).
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“FIGHTING AND SCRAPING”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Getting back home from a Western Conference road trip is usually the best medicine for a struggling team.
But the Hawks will find no solace here, or anywhere else for that matter.
Not with the losses and injuries mounting and an unforgiving schedule, at home and away, allowing little time for rest, recovery, introspection and revival.
The Hawks are fumbling away games against teams they should be handling at home and away - their “get away” game last Sunday was a humbling 109-94 loss to Philadelphia at Philips Arena and the finale of their three-game trip this week was a deflating 119-114 loss to a Golden State team that’s won just 14 times in 41 games.
“We’re not playing great,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson told reporters in Oakland after the game. “We’re fighting and scraping. We’re in games. [Friday night] it was just a shootout and we just didn’t make the plays we needed.”
The Hawks aren’t playing great right now. And it’s a complete about face from where they were just a few weeks ago when they finished December by winning nine of 10 games.
They’ve lost six of eight since then. And after opening the season with four straight impressive road wins, they’re just 4-12 away from Philips Arena since then.
So Monday afternoon’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day game against Toronto offers no more security for the Hawks than Tuesday’s game in Chicago.
WILLIAMS SCARE
Toss in the injury Marvin Williams suffered with 9:06 to play before halftime Friday, and the Hawks have every reason to be worried.
That leaves two starters (Al Horford has a bone bruise in his right knee and is out for at leas the next week) questionable for what is turning into a huge week for the Hawks.
Williams could very well be back in the mix as early as Monday. But there are no guarantees. He was taken to an area hospital for observation after his head bounced off the floor, courtesy of a hard foul by Ronny Turiaf on a shot attempt.
While shaken up, Williams did manage to shoot two foul shots on the play. And he did walk off the floor on his own.
“Marvin is a big part of what we are doing and right now he is still being evaluated for a head injury,” Woodson said before the Hawks departed for Atlanta, a trip Williams reportedly did not make, “so we just wish him well and a speedy recovery.”
SLIPPIN’ AWAY
Joe Johnson looked unstoppable early on against the Warriors, scoring 21 points in the first half, including 13 on 5-for-8 shooting in the second quarter.
But he finished the game with 25 points, going 1-for-9 from the floor in the game’s final 24 minutes.
The Hawks still managed to take a 106-102 lead with 3:27 to play, after a 3-pointer and driving layup from Flip Murray completed the Hawks’ comeback from an earlier 12-point deficit.
“We were up four with three minutes left and let it slip away,” Mike Bibby said after his 20-point, seven-assist showing. “Flip hit a big 3-pointer to put us over that hump. I thought we were going to keep going, but we gave up two layups after that. Like I said, I think we let this one slip away.”
What transpired over the next two minutes cost the Hawks the game. It went a little something like this:
Josh Smith foul with 3:13 to play.
Joe Johnson missed runner at 2:51.
Johnson missed jumper at 2:22.
Smith missed jumper at 1:48.
Smith offensive rebound at 1:45.
Smith turnover at 1:45.
By the time Johnson sank two free throws with 1:13 to play, the Warriors had already crawled back ahead 110-106 behind huge shots from Jamal Crawford.
Former Hawks captain Stephen Jackson nailed a jumper with 52 seconds left for a 112-108 Warriors lead. And after Bibby missed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds to play, Corey Maggette put the finishing touch on the game with two free throws for a 114-108 lead with 40 seconds left.
“I’ve got to do a better job of getting [Joe] the ball in areas where he can be more effective,” Woodson said. “We had our chances and just couldn’t get key stops. This is a great offensive team and they can really score the basketball. We just didn’t get the stops to win the game.”
The Hawks went from being down 12, then up four and then ran out of gas with the game on the line.
“I don’t know if fatigue set in,” Woodson said, “but we just didn’t make plays to win the game.”
Evans comes up big
Mo Evans picked up some major slack with Williams out, finishing with 21 points on 7-for-14 shooting in 38 minutes before fouling out late.
It was his heaviest workload, minutes-wise, since the season opener in Orlando, when he logged a season-high 42 minutes.
But that was no comfort after the Hawks finished the trip with a 1-2 mark, losing at Phoenix to begin the journey, winning in Los Angeles (Clippers) in the middle and then going down to the Warriors at the end.
“It’s very frustrating to end a trip like this,” Evans said. “It’s tough to beat any NBA team at home, but we had a chance when we went up 106-102. I really thought we were going to seal the deal, but we let them get their momentum back and they closed it out.”
As for his contributions, Evans made it clear that he was just doing his job.
“Minutes have been scarce,” he said. “The rotation has been a little short due to injuries, so all of my energy was dedicated to team play tonight.”
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Dedicated
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - When the Hawks finally make it back to Atlanta this weekend from their three-game Western Conference road swing, Zaza Pachulia will have a few more frequent flier miles in tow.
While his teammates hustled back to their Los Angeles hotel after Wednesday’s win over the Clippers, Pachulia headed for the airport and a red eye flight back to Atlanta.
Pachulia said he had to get back to begin the interviewing process for getting his Green Card (a process that should be completed in a few weeks).
That meant a five-hour flight back to Atlanta, hustling to make his appointment and then another flight Thursday evening back to California to meet the Hawks in San Francisco for tonight’s game against Golden State.
“It’s like flying back to Europe, it was so long,” Pachulia said by phone Friday morning from the Hawks’ team bus as they headed to shootaround practice. “I got back to Atlanta about 9:30 [Thursday morning], handled my business and then I was back on a plane at 7 [p.m.]. I got in here about 9:30 [Thursday night]. It’s like going from Atlanta to London. Man, it was a long day.”
Pachulia didn’t have to miss any work to get his business done. Hawks coach Mike Woodson gave the Hawks Thursday off. He took them out for a team lunch in Los Angeles before they boarded an afternoon flight for the quick hop to the Bay Area.
“Coach understands, obviously,” Pachulia said. “I told everyone months before, so they knew my situation and that this was something that I had to do. And as long as I didn’t have to miss a game or any practice I was fine.”
Sure, but with all that flying in such a short period of time, when did Pachulia have time to rest?
“On the plane,” he said and then laughed. “At least I tried to. But we’re used to it in this business. We fly so much that resting on the plane is just a part of our lives.”
Join Sekou Smith on Monday as he blogs live during the Hawks-Raptors game at Philips Arena at 2 p.m.
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While you were sleeping
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Don’t blame the Hawks for taking out their recent frustrations on the lowly Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night.
Every other team in the NBA has done the same this season.
The Hawks snapped their four-game losing streak Wednesday night at Staples Center with a 97-80 win and handed the Clippers their 12th straight loss.
As ugly as the win might have seemed, it had to be therapeutic for the Hawks. After a solid week of losing, they needed something good to happen.
And the Clippers showed up on the schedule just in time.
“The last couple of nights we haven’t the Atlanta Hawks,” Flip Murray said after a sizzling 17-point effort off the bench - he outscored the Clippers’ bench by seven. “We’ve been coming out flat. Tonight we wanted to get off to a good start and try to get a win from there.”
The good start didn’t happen (the Hawks shot 29 percent in the first quarter and led 15-12 after one). But the Hawks did lead this one from wire to wire. And they got solid efforts from the bench as well as a much-maligned starting unit that hadn’t carried its usual load since last Wednesday’s loss to Orlando.
“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.”
The win keeps the Hawks (23-15) a half game ahead of the Pistons, losers in Indiana Wednesday night, for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference playoff chase.
“It’s huge because it keeps us right where we want to be in the standings,” Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. “That’s critical. If we’re still talking about trying to win 50 games and hosting a first round series and playing on the Philips arena floor, we have to hold on to that fourth spot.”
Take that
Josh Smith shut me up for the second straight game with one of his best efforts of the season against the Clippers.
Instead of his usual array of jumpers from all over the floor, Smith decided to attack the Clippers in the lane and it paid off handsomely for the Hawks’ high-flying power forward.
Smith finished his night with a game-high 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, adding a team-high eight rebounds to go with it.
Even more important, Smith kept Hawks coach Mike Woodson off his back by playing the way Woodson’s been asking him to play since the season opener, when Smith’s dominant defensive play fueled the Hawks’ win over the Magic in Orlando.
“I don’t want to take his game away from him,” Woodson said of his preference that Smith work from the inside out as opposed to the outside in. “But I want him to play within our team in terms of being effective for us. He played strong going both ways for us and I think that showed in the final score. He was excellent. He just played a well-rounded game on both ends of the floor for us.”
Communication 101
Woodson and the players were all talking about their improved communication on the floor leading to some pretty obvious gains in their overall performance.
“I thought we communicated and only got burned a few times when we didn’t communicate. For the most part we were right on the money with our defense.”
The last time the Hawks held an opposing team 80 or less was before Christmas, an 85-78 win over Detroit on Nov. 21 at Philips Arena.
INSTANT CLASSIC … NOT!
The start of Wednesday’s game didn’t make anyone think they were in store for an instant classic. Neither team got off to a great start (the Hawks shot 1-for-7 and the Clippers 2-for-9). And those struggles continued throughout the first quarter, as the Hawks shot 29 percent to the Clippers’ 20. The Hawks took a lead at the end of the first at just 15-12.
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Gimme a break!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Perhaps I should have said, “Give him a break.”
Because that was the look I saw on Joe Johnson’s tired face last night in the Hawks’ 107-102 loss to Phoenix, their fourth straight for those of you counting.
You don’t need a pair of Blublockers to comprehend the notion that this guy needs a break. He shot 4-for-21 from the floor and struggled to make those four. And we’re talking about shots this guy usually makes in his sleep.
I’m not making this stuff up folks. JJ is averaging 14.5 points in his last six games, a whopping 7.5 points below his season average, while shooting just 32 percent (32-for-100) from the floor and just 24 percent (5-for-21)from beyond the 3-point line.
I realize it’s sacrilegious in NBA coaching circles to even suggest a team play without it’s best player, it’s captain and All-Star during crunch time of any game (can you imagine suggesting that the Lakers leave Kobe off the floor late or the Cavaliers keeping LeBron on the bench at the end of a game in favor of Delonte West or somebody?).
But I’m going to say what Joe Johnson won’t. “Gimme a break.” And I don’t mean an extended stretch of days when he doesn’t have to play or practice, but more like an extended stretch of a game where he doesn’t have to be the first, second and third option for the Hawks on offense.
The Hawks made their best run against the Suns with a motley crew of characters on the floor and Johnson resting, deservedly so, on the sidelines. And it’s okay some nights for the star player to watch his supporting cast take care of things, especially when that star player averages 41 minutes a night and carries a load as large as the one the Hawks have asked Johnson to carry the past few years.
Now I also realize that a player’s pride precludes him from admitting that he’s gassed and that he might need a break from the constant pressure of toting the heaviest load.
That’s fine. We’ve all got raging pride that colors our decisions sometimes. But that doesn’t mean someone else can’t step in and notice the obvious and do something to alleviate the problem.
I just kept thinking that Flip Murray played far too well last night to be on the sideline in the final three minutes. He made too many big shots to help the Hawks recover from that early 19-point deficit to have to sit with a towel wrapped around his neck.
And don’t get me wrong, the Hawks can point to plenty of other factors that led to their demise Tuesday night (missed free throws late, awful shot selection from several guys in the final two minutes and no one, and I mean NO ONE, bothered to shadow Leandro Barbosa, even after he’d drained what seemed like a dozen open shots). So I won’t pretend a jelly-legged Joe Johnson was the sole issue.
I just think that you can dig only so deep before you hit the bottom. And Johnson’s clearly spent right now.
Hawks coach Mike Woodson rightfully credited the Suns’ defensive effort after the game, telling reporters, “Their defense was solid. I thought they did a heck of a job on Joe wherever Joe was trying to make a play with the ball and they had one or two guys going at him and he struggled tonight to make shots. We still had our chances. I mean, it’s a fine line when you are trying to win games when you are struggling and you have to do everything right coming down the stretch. We just didn’t do it; we missed some free throws and we didn’t get some key stops when we needed them.”
All true. I can’t dispute any of that.
However, Suns coach Terry Porter pointed out another nuance of the game that highlights my point perfectly.
“I thought overall our guys made them take a lot of contested shots, especially early on in the first half,” he told reporters after the game. “In the second quarter they got to the basket a little more and we got beat off penetration. As the game went on, we did a much better job of taking the challenge.”
The Hawks chief penetrator and catalyst last night was Murray. Watch the second quarter again and you’ll see what I’m talking about.
Instead of riding that wave after halftime and particularly down the stretch, the Hawks eased up and turned things back over to the Suns by avoiding that challenge Porter was talking about.
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Go West!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Since Joe Johnson isn’t the world’s most talkative NBA player, I’ve taken to reading his body language and facial expressions for signs of his comfort level with all things Hawks.
Sometimes all I need to see is him frowning as he comes off the floor for a timeout to know that he’s furious about something. Other times it’s a slap of the hands after a missed shot or turnover to know that he’s angry with himself for missing an opportunity.
With these solemn, silent, only-child types like Johnson, a simple sagging of the shoulders says more than he could in a 20-minute conversation.
But an hour before the Hawks boarded their charter flight for Phoenix Monday, and their three-game Western Conference road trip, Johnson made clear his displeasure with the way his team has performed since the New Year began.
“… this isn’t just a spell we’re going through right now,” he said when I asked him if he thought the Hawks’ three-game slide was just a momentary lapse. “It’s about a lack of focus on our part. It’s just about playing with more energy, more heart and more determination. We’ve been going out there lately playing lackadaisical, like we can win games because we think we’re good. When you don’t respect teams and players in this league you can go out there and get your tail kicked like we have lately.”
Johnson’s subtle dig about the Hawks not respecting teams and players is a direct shot at some of his teammates (young and old, starters and reserves) that he feels ease up when they’re facing teams and players they assume they’re better than - Sunday’s game against Philly comes to mind, and I’ll let you choose your own adventure in terms of who he is referring to specifically.
But he makes a good point. And one that Al Horford has voiced in his own way in the past.
The bottom line is this; the Hawks aren’t capable of shifting into cruise control against anyone. That much should be abundantly clear after the past four years.
And they do it far too often for a team that dreams of big things in April.
Mismatch
The Hawks’ issues right now run deeper than just being emotionally prepared on a nightly basis.
An advance scout friend pointed out something interesting about the way they’re playing right now.
He highlighted some things he noticed during Sunday’s game as evidence that the Hawks aren’t taking advantage of mismatches on the offensive end of the floor that they exploited brilliantly earlier this season.
“There was one stretch where Andre Miller was guarding Josh Smith and Louis Williams was on Marvin Williams and the Hawks ignored both of those opportunities for their standard sets on the other side of the floor,” my scout friend said. “That’s not winning basketball in this league. You have to be able to recognize where those mismatches are and max them out. Joe and [Mike] Bibby have been piling up assists, but they left a lot of plays on the floor Sunday. Even worse, they let those Philly guards off the hook on the defensive end. They didn’t make them work the way you have to with two 6-9 guys on them.”
I’ve heard that critique of the Hawks several times this year, that they don’t utilize the entire floor the way they should offensively because they’re so used to their default setting of ‘Give it to Joe and watch him go.”
It’s a valid opinion. I can think of a lot of ways to breathe life into a struggling team. And one of those would be taking some of the pressure off of your No. 1 option by utilizing some of your other options, not all the time but just whenever the opportunity presents itself.
The Hawks have actually gone over this stuff in practice the past few days but they haven’t seen any improvement during games. It makes no sense.
Both Johnson and Bibby have to recognize the mismatches and exploit them. Because if the scouts notice it, you can be the cats on the floor (on both sides) notice it as well.
Where’s Josh?
You might have seen the small box underneath the story on the front of today’s sports section highlighting three things that could help the Hawks snap out of their funk (fine, if you don’t still peep the hard copy I’ll tell you about one of them now).
Josh Smith has averaged just 4.3 rebounds in the Hawks’ past five games, down from his paltry season average of 6.6. That needs to change dramatically with Al Horford out for this road trip.
But it also needs to change because Smith is too good a player and too good an athlete to rebound like a shooting guard.
He didn’t grab his first rebound Sunday until the 8:14 mark of the third quarter. How a 6-9 guy that can jump over the moon goes the entire first half and the first few minutes of the second without a grabbing a single rebound is beyond me (and plenty of other people that have noticed his decreased activity on the boards this season).
This dude is just not playing the way he normally does. Anyone can see that. He’s watching the action go by him on both ends of the floor.
He has to be involved and active on both ends for the Hawks to be at their best. There’s no getting around that.
Solo for Zaza?
Zaza Pachulia will get the start in place of Horford tonight against the Suns (and Shaquille O’Neal).
But don’t be surprised if Solomon Jones is deployed with the starting unit against the LA Clipper and possibly Golden State.
Pachulia’s been so good off the bench that moving him into the starting lineup, the way the Hawks did Sunday, seemed to mute his effectiveness.
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News you don’t want
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - The sight of Al Horford limping off the floor in Orlando Friday night didn’t give anyone cause for major concern.
He walked off the floor under his own power. Did the same on his way out of the locker room.
But now comes word that he’ll be out indefinitely with a bone bruise in his right knee. Talk about news you don’t want if you’re the Hawks or a Hawks fan.
Horford’s absence from the starting lineup and playing rotation will be felt far beyond his 10.8 points, a team-high 8.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.6 blocks.
The second-year center from Florida has been the one, and often times only, constant you could count on inside on both ends of the floor (Sunday’s discombobulated effort against Philadelphia being Exhibit A).
The prospect of going west this week (Phoenix, LA Clippers and Golden State) without him, even against three “beatable” Western Conference opponents, has to be a concern.
Playing an extended stretch without him can be done. The Hawks survived without Josh Smith (going 6-6 during his absence). So they can surely survive without Horford.
But you had a better handle on what Smith was dealing with. High ankle sprains cost you anywhere from six weeks to a couple of months.
A bone bruise, on the other hand, is a much more vague injury.
Until the Hawks get a firm handle on what they’re dealing with where Horford’s injury is concerned, things are looking shaky.
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One more chance …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ORLANDO - Not that you could tell from today’s Gator-filled sports front of the local paper, there’s a huge game going on here tonight.
The Hawks get one more chance to sideswipe the Southeast Division leading Orlando Magic. With the ugly memories from Wednesday’s lost opportunity still on their minds (thanks mostly to Mike Woodson’s relentless assault on his own team), the fireworks should start long before the fourth quarter.
If the Hawks’ don’t kick off the game with their intensity sky-high I’ll be afraid for their safety.
Woodson was still grinding his team this morning at shootaround, making sure to remind them that the precious bubble they thought they’d wrapped around the court at Philips Arena was popped Wednesday night, despite their furious late rally.
The spike in intensity is a given, and for whatever reason the Hawks always seem to crank up their energy at Amway Arena, so that shouldn’t be a surprise.
What I want to see is if the Hawks execute the things they’ve worked to clean up since Wednesday’s game.
Can they solve their own issues on the pick and roll and find a way to limit the Magic’s shooters from destroying them early again?
Timeout
I know this is off the subject a little bit, fine a lot, but this Governor of Illinois, Rod R. Blagojevich (the R apparently stands for “Retro”), is perhaps the best character with the worst hair I’ve seen on the tube since my main man Arthur Fonzarelli.
Is dude serious with this hair? They ought to impeach him for that alone. Good grief. My man does realize that it’s 2009 and not 1979 right?
Besides, he’s ruining my time watching the lovely Ms. Tamryn Hall, who takes over for Keri Hilson as my new muse for 2009.
Seriously, he’s making it hard to enjoy Tamryn by sticking that Joe Dirt ‘do in my face every few minutes.
Timeout over
If the Hawks have learned anything in the past 48 hours, it has to be that they present the greatest threat to the Magic when they’re getting up and down the floor and forcing Dwight Howard to chase the action, as opposed to allowing him to set up shop in the lane on both ends of the floor.
It appeared to me that the Magic came into Wednesday’s game with a specific plan of attack against the Hawks, one that was as calculated as it was perfectly executed for most of the night.
But when things got helter-skelter, the Magic didn’t seem to have the answers to slow the Hawks down.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is going to want to play this game at his team’s preferred pace. So it’ll be interesting to see if the Hawks try and change that tonight the way they did in their win here in the regular season opener.
With all the action to keep an eye on tonight, and there should be plenty, who wins the tempo battle might be the most critical factor for both sides.
ROSTER UPDATE: Acie Law IV rejoined the team at shootaround this morning and will be available for action tonight. Zaza Pachulia is not with the team and remains out with the flu.
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Practice? We’re talking about practice?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - While waiting for the 1,436th* practice I’ve attended to end Thursday, it hit me.
I’ve seen more practices - and I’m talking everything from high school in every sport, college football, basketball and baseball and scads of NBA workouts that could put you to sleep - than I have anything else in my 15 years in this business.
The scariest part is that I find practice enjoyable, as much or more than the games sometimes (don’t tell Allen Iverson). You’d think it would get old after all these years, but it hasn’t.
Practice is where you find out the reasons why something happens in the game. More specifically, Thursday’s Hawks practice is where you find out why they couldn’t slow down Orlando Wednesday night until it was too late.
(And for the record, the Hawks spent too much time misreading their assignments on the pick and roll against the Magic, getting caught up with trying to keep a body on Dwight Howard while allowing the rest of Howard’s teammates to continually stroke uncontested shots as they built an early 21-point lead.)
Thursday was the day to correct that mistake and plenty of others for Mike Woodson and his staff. And let’s just say it wasn’t a session the family could have attended, as there were far too many interesting words uttered by Woodson for anyone with sensitive ears to be allowed in.
I dug his approach and understood his main point; basically the Hawks made mistakes, most all of them correctable, he said. But if they weren’t committed to doing things the way they have along the road to this 22-12 record, he’d be happy to make sure and play guys that were committed to doing it that way.
He didn’t mince his words. Not once. And not for anybody, including his starters and captain and All-Star. It was rather refreshing to see, as I’m not always privy to the goings on at every practice for various reasons.
But I got the feeling that Woodson didn’t care who saw what I saw Thursday. He was as intense as I’ve seen him and made sure his team understood that the message the Magic wanted to send, similar to the one the Hawks sent with their season-opening win in Orlando, was delivered first class.
Now, the question is can the Hawks reply in a similar fashion Friday night at Amway Arena?
FOOTBALL, TOO: The Hawks will be represented in south Florida tonight. Al Horford left after practice for the BCS title game to cheer on his beloved Florida Gators in their championship battle against Oklahoma.
As far as good luck charms go, the Gators could do much worse than a 6-10, 245-pounder with two title rings on his fingers.
The Hawks’ locker room was divided by the pro-SEC crowd, led by Josh Smith (Georgia born and SEC bred), and the pro-Big 12 crowd, led by Mo Evans (a Texas alum and a staunch believer in the Sooners, ‘Horns and anyone else from that part of the country).
Since my college football ban has ended, ’09 is a new year and I think my boys will be back at some point this year, tonight’s title game is as good a time as any to start yappin’ about my favorite sport again.
PECKING ORDER: Back to hoops, of course.
I spent the past few days working on a story about the Hawks’ starting backcourt and where they might rank among the NBA’s elite (it’s rather high actually, and check ajc.com and the paper this weekend for the details).
During the course of that busy work I sat down with Hawks general manager Rick Sund and we talked briefly about Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby and he said something really interesting about the Hawks’ guard rotation that I wanted to share.
“I think the chemistry factor is really good,” he said. “We’ve got two guys in Joe and Bibby that can shoot the ball, two guys that can handle the ball and two guys that can recognize other people when they’re open. I really like our guard situation, all our guards bring something completely different to the table. Joe brings something completely different than Bibby. And Bibby brings something completely different than Flip Murray. Flip brings something completely different than the other guys. We’ve got a great pecking order and people accept it, including the coaching staff. They accept what the strengths and weaknesses are of the individual player, especially at the guard spot.”
It’s an interesting observation and one I can’t say I really thought a whole lot about before our conversation. But it does point out an interesting wrinkle in how Woodson has been playing his guards.
He has everything but a defensive stopper in the backcourt. He has a candidate that gets talked about around here almost as much or more as any of the starters (yeah, Acie Law IV) but the guy barely plays.
Law is the only guard they have capable of developing into an on-ball defensive stopper (Mario West has the desire but he’s not light enough on his feet to stay in front of smaller point guards).
The job is open and Law is looking for work.
It only makes sense.
- Give or take a couple hundred practices.
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With or without you, it’s GAME TIME!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE- It appears that neither Zaza Pachulia nor Acie Law IV will play for the Hawks tonight against the Orlando Magic when the teams square off at Philips Arena. Both were absent during this morning’s shootaround practice.
Sounds like a prime time opportunity for not only Solomon Jones but also Randolph Morris to use up some of their fouls on Dwight Howard. The guard rotation stays basically the same, with Flip Murray logging the minutes behind both Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby.
Marvin Williams went through shootaround without a hitch (or the sleeve he was expected to wear on his sore left shoulder), though he has ditched the Marv-Hawk hairdo he had been sporting since the start of the Hawks’ eight-game home stand from last month. New look for the New Year I guess.
Anyone care to toss any pre-game predictions this way? I’m guessing it’s going to be yet another Hawks’ home game with playoff intensity and the home team is pretty tough to beat (15-2 and counting) on this floor.
Either way and with or without you, it’s (almost) GAME TIME!!!!!!!!
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Scan the floor first
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - The first order of business on this or any other practice day is to hit the door to the practice court and scan the floor for bodies.
You’ve got to see who is in attendance and who is not and find out the deal on each player.
Usually everything has a reasonable explanation and today was no exception.
— Marvin Williams had an MRI on his left shoulder Monday night and the results didn’t show anything out of the ordinary. He’s not on the floor right now because he’s in the training room getting treatment. His status for Wednesday’s game against Orlando remains a “game time decision” based on how the shoulder responds to the treatment. The Hawks
— Zaza Pachulia was excused for an illness. It must have been something that hit him overnight, because he was in good spirits when I spoke with him after Monday’s practice. He’ll be needed against the Magic (he has as much success as anyone frustrating Dwight Howard with his physical play).
— Acie Law IV was also excused to tend an ailing family member, missing his second straight day of practice. After playing well in 16 minutes in the win over Houston Saturday, the Magic game presented an opportunity for Law to get more work in a big game. But I can’t imagine he’ll see the floor, if he’s back, without practicing the two days before the game.
So the Hawks probably won’t be at “full strength” when the game tips off tomorrow night. Big deal.
Save for Games 2 and 3 this season, the Hawks have always had someone missing, be it caused by injury or what have you.
Williams missed the first Orlando game while serving his one-game suspension for clothes lining Rajon Rondo in the playoff series. That opened the door for Mo Evans to help beat back his former team, a door that could be open again Wednesday night at Philips Arena when they kick off Round 2.
Either way, you have to be licking your chops for this matchup.
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Do over!
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
HAWKSVILLE - Forget everything I said after last night’s loss to Jersey.
Just forget it.
Because Mike Bibby proved tonight that a big shot at a big moment by a big time players renders all the minutiae obsolete.
He did to the Rockets what Vince Carter did to the Hawks the night before.
And the Hawks’ bench even made an appearance tonight, too, shocking as it seemed (stay tuned for more on that Sunday and Monday).
That’s also why I need a do over around here.
For all the bellyaching I might do about who made what play or who didn’t make a play, a clutch shot shuts it all down (granted, the Rockets had a foul to give and didn’t foul Joe Johnson on his drive that led to the kick to Bibby for the game-winner, but I’ll let the folks on the Rockets blog hash that out).
If Bibby misses and they go to overtime maybe we can dissect the details (for the record, the Hawks turned in the best shooting game against the Rockets this season by hitting 59 percent - 43-for-73 - of their shots, but we’re not going there).
Instead, the Hawks get to spend the next 24 hours feeling the same way the Nets did after Friday’s game.
I thought Hawks center Al Horford summed it up best when he said, “It’s only fair that we’re on the other end this time. I think it showed a lot from our team, after losing such a tough game last night, being able to bounce back here at home and get a win … Such a big shot [from Bibby]. I think we’re confident that any of our guys down the stretch can make shots. Tonight’s a fine example of Joe giving up the ball for Mike to shoot it.”
A fine example indeed Mr. Horford.
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The plays you don’t make …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
IZOD CENTER - Sometimes it’s the plays you don’t make the cost you the most.
The plays the other team makes don’t help either, witness Vince Carter’s 33-footer for the game in the Hawks’ 93-91 loss to the Nets here tonight.
But while the Hawks have enjoyed a monster season so far while playing far below their potential for much of their first 32 games, few games have provided a more blinding example of their inattention to detail.
Carter’s last shot should never have been.
And not because the Hawks have shouldn’t have squandered that 20-point lead or because they should have made their free throws down the stretch or because they should have kept the ball moving on the offensive end until they found the best shot (as the Nets did to perfection in the second half).
But because Carter never should have been allowed to scoop up an errant inbounds pass from Jarvis Hayes without the Hawks swarming him like the ice cream man on a sweltering summer day.
Josh Smith, who was guarding Carter at the end, opted to let Carter chase the ball and turn and set himself before launching that game winning shot. But with 5.3 seconds left and a bad pass, scrambling after that ball would have prevented Carter from making a clean grab and getting the chance to that final dagger.
“There’s five seconds, and the ball went past half-court,” Hayes said after the game. “The man that was guarding [Carter] didn’t follow him into the backcourt to get the loose ball and he just left him too much room.”
Neither Smith nor Marvin Williams, who was guarding the inbounds pass and actually turned to chase for a moment, before remembering Hayes was his responsibility and turning back to cover his assignment, broke off and made the play Hayes is talking about.
What’s even more perplexing is that Smith did exactly that on the previous possession to give the Hawks the lead. He left Carter to trap Devin Harris and he and Mo Evans wound up combining for the steal and the subsequent fast break Layup that provided the Hawks with the 91-90 lead that Carter squashed with his game winner.
“First and foremost, I was just looking to see if the guy was running down and if he’s running, I would try to get the ball before he does,” Carter said. “It was 1.8 seconds, the clock was running, so I just wanted to make sure I could get it and get my feet set. He didn’t run so I was able to turn and get my head around and get my feet set and make it happen.”
If someone makes a play on that ball, it never happens. Or at least it doesn’t happen as cleanly as it did this night.
Again, sometimes it’s the plays you don’t make, even the simple ones, that eng up costing you the most.
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