ATL-MIA Game Review: Scoring Malfunction

It amazes and confounds watching this club sometimes.

How is it that a team can work for countless hours in practice and shootarounds, and then 3-4 hours on gamenight preparing to win---and then do the things that lose ballgames for them every time at the most inopportune times?

Below is the ESPN shot chart for the fourth quarter in the Hawks 100-94 loss in Miami Saturday night:

That's a whole lot of standing around shooting from the outside for the Hawks, who again forgot that the most effective way of attacking a zone defense is dribble penetration and ball movement. Whoops. Guess that lesson will have to be re-run again--in the form of the second half defense of the Miami Heat.

The Hawks scored (38) whole points in the second half, and if you examine the other quarters of the shot chart, you'll see that the migration of shots to the outside over the course of four quarters resembles a weather front heading from inside to outside. That has never been a good weather pattern (4-7 in games where they shoot 22 or more threes) for the Hawks this season and the results bore it out again in Miami.

The stagnation of the offense eventually toppled the Hawks calling card on the season, turnover margin. The #1 team in Turnover Margin this season (averaging 2.39 fewer turnovers per game than their opponents) lost that battle 13-6 to the Heat, including a brutal (7) in the fourth quarter.

It was comical to hear Larry Drew talk after the first quarter about how much they want to play their offense inside-out. It may be the plan, but against the Heat it must have been written in disappearing ink. The Hawks scored a low (26) points in the paint, in large part due to the zone the Heat deployed in the third quarter. Teams normally don't stay in zones in the pros due to the excellent penetration skills teams have and subsequent ball movement that leaves teams getting good shots and leaving the zone as a quick defensive gimmick. The Heat were able to stay in zone for the majority of the final (18) minutes of the game as the Hawks effort to dribble around it or pass/shoot over it left the offense in park and the Heat with the game.

Moving On

Jamal Crawford hit yet another (4) point play which when you consider that was 11 percent of the Hawks offense in the second half should dampen the joy such a play usually brings.

We're not going to continue to harp on Joe Johnson, but his idea of dribble penetration is usually Part 23 of his (20) second Isolation Plan. It makes him much less effective against zones which is why Joe should not be triggering any offense against zone. He should be a zone killer spotting up after the dribble penetration has been engaged by a different Hawks player.

(Sidenote: When Joe Johnson backs down a player in the "post" while Josh Smith is on the floor, it makes Smith a shooter. Not a good plan.)

As if battling the zone wasn't hard enough mentally and physically on the team, they continued to wander down on offense and try to set things up the with (11) seconds left on the shot clock. Where's the urgency?

Joe Smith should be noted for his great play off the bench in the first half. But at the end of that shift, he got hit in the nose and pulled an Unsolved Mysteries for the rest of the game (Robert Stack voice: He was never seen nor heard from again).

We just don't understand how the staff/players continue to fall into the same traps. Maybe it's the way it is in the NBA, or with teams that just don't have what it takes to be deep players in the playoffs. But we see this team as talented enough to do just that---but the problem with seeing the same mistakes/trends with a team is that those errors/choices become grooved into habits--and habits are hard to break.

See, we didn't ever move on. Force of habit.

Highlights:

MIA-ATL Game Review: Stumblin' In

One of the nice things about the laid back atmosphere at the Official Headquarters of THHB is that, when faced with a game that so throughoughly grosses the game review team out, such as the Wednesday night home tilt versus Miami, we don't have to get into the nuances of such an epic fourth quarter fail.

No, Hawks Nation should be thrilled to have ESPN's Hoopinion, Yahoo/SBNation's Peachtree Hoops,  Fansided's Soaring Down South, and fellow indie bloggers Hawk str8talk and CoCo's: The Vent around to bring the noise on those nights when THHB get grumpy and doesn't want to bring themselves to work after such a game--preferring to ignore the stink and watch "Caddyshack" for the 101st time together.

That way we don't have to recap such things as an (84) possession slush fest that looked as if the Hawks were trying to shoot out of the (50) inch snowdrifts they avoided in the nation's capital over the weekend. If we did break it down, we would find that---

INTERRUPTION! THE HUMAN HIGHLIGHT BLOG HAS BECOME THE MILLIONTH WEBSITE TO REFERENCE THE BLIZZARDS IN WASHINGTON DC IN A WAY UNRELATED TO THE ACTUAL STORM. FOR THEIR EFFORTS, THEY WILL RECEIVE A FREE OVEN MITT. WE NOW RETURN YOU TO THE RECAP/NON-RECAP ALREADY IN PROGRESS

---are the reasons why the Hawks never could get momentum, dog paddled for three quarters, and then gave way in the fourth. Hope it was enlightning.


Location, Location, Location

Since we don't have to deal with the cold weather or the powder (no, not the Chris Washburn kind), we can freely give our other thoughts about the individuals associated with Wednesday's game---all without a jacket.

Joe Johnson may have collapsed (without the partnership of Jamal Crawford, out with a shoulder injury) under the previously common, but recently unique offensive focus the Hawks left him with, but THHB is not going to pin it on the (trumpets) FOUR TIME ALL STAR. No, we don't blame Iso-Joe, Joe-on-Five, or any of the other (fair) nicknames for the previously default Hawks offense. No, in this game it was his teammates inability to make, get, or take good shots that left the ball back in Joe's hands to try and save the day.

Al Horford, for what looked to be the third game in a row, was doing a dang-good Boris Diaw impersonation, at times not even looking to attack the hoop though he has had great success dealing with the Heat frontcourt in the past. And some times that he did, he looked like his first option was to pass, not shoot, much like the former Hawk first rounder now located in CLT. This is not the behavior that the team needs, especially on a night like Wednesday when the outside shots were not there. In a typical bad-game moment for the team, though, when Horford did finally shake the Diaw-blues and make a couple of strong buckets in the fourth, the team went away from getting him the ball. Alas.

The entire team struggled to get baskets at the rim, shooting a (45) percent clip, the team shooting (38) percent overall. Marvin Williams was 1-4 at the rim while attempting to recreate the 6-6 bonanza from the night before and help the effort, but finished 3-11. Not helping were the (10) turnovers shared between Joe Johnson and Al Horford (14 for the entire team). On a night when possessions were few, and the shots aren't falling, tossing (12) percent of them away between these two guys made it a difficult task to win. Between that and the shooting, it was just a bad night.

The Hawks were still treading water, hoping to get by on a C+ night, when Daequan Cook played the role of Jamal Crawford in a Heat uni and shot the Hawks down in the fourth quarter. Cook for the night went 7-12 with every shot happening from the outside. Maurice Evans let his guard down for a tick in the final quarter, and when Cook was done making Evans and the Hawks pay, the game was figuratively over.

If the Hawks are wondering how they can more consistently conquer their division mates (they are now 4-6 in the Southeast) they can look to the wisdom of ESPN's Hoopinion, who wrote this excellent passage (which of course needed to be explained to the brainiacs here at THHB).

---but it's clear that an average rebounding team (which is what the Hawks are overall) can maintain a healthy +5 or +6 point per 100 possessions differential. They certainly can as long as they turn the ball over less often than the other 29 teams, and, should they start turning the ball over more often, they could maintain said healthy differential by improving their rebounding, or shooting a higher percentage from the floor, or getting to the free throw line more often.

They turned it over more than the Heat, shot worse than the Heat, and rebounded worse than the Heat. So, using this formula (which ironically is exactly what Bret said there wasn't---ha!), the Hawks needed another (57) or so free throws to overcome the nastiness.

Another Amazing Gesture by a First Class Franchise

The aforementioned members of the Hawks Blogging Nation were invited to ask questions to Hawks GM Rick Sund before the AS break/Trade Deadline at some point before/during the game between the Heat and Hawks. We look forward to seeing what questions they asked as THHB had to decline due to our tax-friendly location for our HQ here in Florida.

The event is another example of how the Hawks have long been ahead of the curve when it has come to the internet generation of sports coverage, as long as you are there to do your work with a level of respect, courtesy, and some professionalism--well, that doesn't really explain our inclusion, does it?

Hmmm---nevermind.

Here are the highlights:

Too (Insert Reason Here) to Win in Miami

Four in a row.

Six of the last eight.

The 92-75 pasting of the Hawks Monday night at the hands of the Miami Heat isn't an aberration, it's now a trend.

Bird Watchers have noted that the losses have all had a certain jump shot happy smell to them, usually in the hands of The Backcourt in the fourth quarter. The Hawks doubled down on the strategy by moving the fourth quarter offense into the first quarter against the Heat, to the predictable result of a 30-14 first quarter deficit--and they never recovered from there.

But it wasn't just the fact that the Hawks are in a Lindsey Lohan type relationship with the jump shot (35 percent vs. the Heat) that hurt them against Miami. They didn't rebound, losing that particular battle 52-30. They didn't share the ball, garnering only (11) assists. They managed (2) steals, (3) blocks, and (7) offensive rebounds--all indicators of the effort level put forth by the Hawks in this game.

Poor effort usually is from fatigue, laziness, injury, or all of the above. It takes maturity, patience, and ball movement to get good shots and movement and effort to defend. The Hawks looked like they had a collective "South Beach Diet" from the night before and like they would rather have slept it off versus trying to do what was necessary to beat Miami.

Even Al Horford and Josh Smith were launching bombs, though the offense left them little choice--as every play called seemed to be a high pick so that a guard could catch the ball and shoot. Nobody other than Jamal Crawford, who was the only Hawk to get the picture that the jump shot approach was failing (again) with (12) of his team high (23) point coming from the free throw line, and Joe Johnson (11 points on 15 shots) scratched double digits in scoring.

The Heat, meanwhile, were basket attacking maniacs, outscoring the usual prolific lane scoring Hawks 40-32 in the paint, getting offensive rebounds (13), and getting many open looks from the outside with penetration and ball movement.

This is a dog day part of the season--the month before the All-Star break---but the Hawks are in danger of slipping into some old, familiar habits permanently if they don't snap out of their "but jump shots are easier" approach to the offensive end--and that will not bode well for overall growth for the season.

Some Things Are Better Left Unsaid--But Nobody Listens Anyway

It wasn't as if the Hawks added to their 2-6 record when launching (21) or more threes (they had 14 attempts), but they weren't getting into the lane either. The in-between nature of the shot selection is somehow symbolic, but we're just not clever enough to figure out what it symbolizes.

Joe Johnson is the king of taking a wide open shot and making it into a last second, impossible fallaway jumper. Big crown for that guy.

Jeff Teague made a mess on the couch one time too many apparently because even in a game that screamed for a playmaker who would get into the lane, the rookie only got to play in Jandolph time. Not a good sign for the young man or folks who might like to see their first round pick get the run he was seeing earlier in the season.

We're guessing Joe Smith wonders where the playoff team who signed him went off to. When he got injured the Hawks were a juggernaut charging through the league. Now, the Hawks look as lost as the New Orleans Saints, trying to figure out how to get the lovin' feeling back.

Shocking statistic of the night: Jamaal Magloire is only (31) years old. We were surprised because Magloire has played like a grandpa for the last few seasons and has become an end-of-the-bench entity so we assumed he was in his fifties. Seriously, the Heat announcers talked in amazement over his (10) rebounds--as if this was Satchel Paige of the basketball court. And then to find out he's only (31)--wow--we were stunned---seems like he was in the ABA.

Shameless Self-Promotion Dept., Third Floor

Hoopinion did Hawks fans (and the team if they wanted to look at it) a great service in breaking down the Hawks break downs in recent fourth quarters. THHB thinks that this game served as a prime exhibit of the team getting right to the closing argument. Case closed.

Many thanks to Peachtree Hoops for their kind words around our End of the Decade Special on the Hawks. For the record, they called it a "novel length post of awesomeness" and that's high praise indeed. We were beginning to think our intimidating presence/unassailable knowledge was scaring folks away from debating the order of the Top Hawks Happenings of the past decade. Now that reality has been restored---get over there and read and tell us where we were wrong (or right, you can do that, too)!

And big ups to Drew for getting in Ken Sugiura's Hawks coverage for the second time. Ken's doing good work there in the aftermath of Sekou Smith's departure to NBA.com---it's nice to have someone on the beat who is willing to write about what we are talking about---and giving the community a nod in the process.

Onward and---Well---Onward!

The old saying goes it is better to have advanced, then lost, than to not advance at all.

The Atlanta Hawks will put that to the test as they won Game Seven at home against the Miami Heat, 91-78, and move on to the top seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round.

Once again the Hawks came out motivated, energized, and exercised great energy against the visitors defensively. The HHB has stated that, within (5) minutes of the game, we can determine if the Hawks will be engaged and doing the things necessary to win, or if they are emotionally detached and don't stand a chance.

At that mark in Game Seven, despite trailing, the effort was obvious that it would be the full of life Hawks that the Heat would be contending with versus the dead-on-arrival brand that stunk up the joint three times in six games.

Al Horford started, Josh Smith was focused, and the Hawks got after the Heat on both ends.

A good indicator in this series statistically we believe has been the assist to turnover ratio of Joe Johnson, who had really struggled in finding his place in the offense when the Heat seemed bound and determined to keep him from providing anything at that end with a stream of double teaming action.

It seems the Heat didn't strategize on extending that double team out to (30) feet from the basket.

Johnson started slow (0-5), but--umm--got hot the rest of the way, nailing (10) of (14) over the last three quarters or so, including some bombs that can only be called Screw You shots from very long range. Johnson also contributed (4) assists to a lone turnover. This effort, combined with an underrated effort from Mike Bibby, gave The Backcourt (10) assists to a mere (2) turnovers, which helped overcome losing the rebounding battle (39-30).

Well, that and 11-23 shooting from three point range.

This steaming hot shooting mostly came from the boiling hands of Johnson (6-8), who clearly got un-frustrated by stretching his range out to where arenas typically paint logos.

As for the Heat, Dwyane Wade shot and shot (10-25, 2-9), but he couldn't blow the Hawks house down.

When Wade is not hot, there is not much else the rest of the team can do to overcome that. We believe that role players play better at home than on the road, and James Jones (1-5, 0-3) and Mario Chalmers (1-6, 0-2) combined for about (74) minutes to help prove that theory out.

While the first quarter, which featured excellent play from Wade and Udonis Haslem in combining for (16) of the Heat's (18) first quarter points, was back and forth, the Hawks rode Joe's hot second quarter to take a (13) point halftime lead and never looked back, winning their first series since dispatching the Pistons in Joe Dumars last game in 1999, their first seven game series in forever, and winning their first Game Seven since coming to Atlanta.


See You in Cleveland

Al Horford started, but was obviously limited, though he continually got credit for whatever mental, intangible, or spiritual difference the Hawks experienced Sunday afternoon. Horford clearly could not use his sore ankle to maximum performance, and couldn't get elevation on even the closest of shots.

Lost in the Joe Johnson Shoot-a-Thon was that Josh Smith put a very solid effort forward and delivered in this critical game. Smith somewhat resisted the temptation to stay outside and attacked to great success, unveiling a killer up and under and also, and more importantly, hitting (7-8) on his free throw attempts. Smith also participated in the Hawks offensive strategy (caution: cutting edge!) of making the extra pass, especially early on when Joe was cold and Smith was getting inside. If Horford had been healthier and could finish, Smith might have even done better than his (3) assists on the day.

RFM and Zaza Pachulia provided solid minutes off the bench, with Pachulia getting dirty on the floor (in a basketball way, we assure you) and RFM a couple of key three to keep the lead at a hefty margin. In fact, had Murray not had to slum with the scrubs for a good part of the fourth quarter (the lead had gotten up to 26), his +/- would have been way higher than his (+19) for the game.


Ode to a Seven Game First Round

When the NBA extended these first round series out to seven games a few years ago, we're sure they envisioned great matchups and high drama, especially in the theoretically close Fourth and Fifth seeds.

Hey, maybe next year.

This particular series was marked by inconsistency of effort from both sides in different games. Instead of eager anticipation because "anybody could win this game" closeness in talent, it was more of a guessing game between both fan bases to see which team would show up that game.

The Hawks had more talent that the Heat, but frittered away any chance of a shorter series due to their own malaise in competing every game. The Heat had the best player (Dwyane Wade if you hadn't see or heard) but wasted his efforts by providing little strategic initiative to get the other players more involved and efficient (took them how long to attack Mike Bibby?).

We'll miss the noble efforts of ABC/ESPN to completely forget the Hawks (John Anderson---hey, we're still here!!), and of course the TNT kissing booth for Wade, but chin up Hawks fans---

--NBA Coverage of LEBRON JAMES is on the way!

The HHB congratulates the Atlanta Hawks for their first round accomplishments---trophies and participation ribbons are available for pickup in the Comments Area.

What's Old is New Again

If there was some way to communicate us shaking our collective heads, we'd love to do it.

Oh sure, there can be the old (shaking head), but it couldn't begin to display the level of disappointment in the Hawks dismal 98-72 Game Six humiliation at the hands and home of the Miami Heat.

We offered that, if the Hawks played strong defense, efficient offense, and maintained their composure, they would have a chance to end their series with the Heat in (6) games and not risk an anything-can-happen Game Seven in Atlanta.

We now offer that the Hawks struck out on (3) pitches Friday Night.

As we have explained before, the proof of the Hawks intentions can often be found in the first (5) minutes of a game. If they are geared to challenge, they play aggressive defense, take care of the boards, and show energy offensively. If they are about to lay a rotten egg of a game, they are passive on all fronts and lose poise quickly.

As it so happens, the Hawks were the latter, settling for jump shots, getting beat to spots and shots defensively, and got caught up in the expectation of getting screwed by the officials. Yes, the film will show the Hawks cut a near (17) point lead down to (9), but the Hawks took the halftime break to regroup and afford the Heat a 16-2 run to cement the Hawks fate by using all of the same traits they have shown all year.

Yeah, Well They--What About When--But Don't Forget th--Nevermind

In Games Two and Three one could point to the Heat having statistically anomalous good shooting nights, but Game Six was less about fortune and more about aggression. The Heat were more patient and tenacious than the Hawks, who seemed to already be thinking about what dinnerware to get out for the hosting of Game Seven back home.

The Heat's collective tenacity showed in their pounding the Hawks on the glass, 47-36. The Heat simply moved their bodies more, pouncing on the rebounds, and got more deflections. The Hawks had to work hard to just complete a pass--while the Heat were rarely challenged to any spot on the floor. Dwyane Wade led by example (41 points, 5 rebounds), as did Joel Anthony (8 rebounds, 5 were very offensive), and then Michael Beasley came off the bench and kept the drum beating (22 points, 15 rebounds).

The Hawks played passive on both ends, settled consistently for jump shots, and out-turnovered the Heat. When the going got tough, the Birds looked like they wanted to get going---back to the ATL---They looked like they didn't want to be in Miami, and it was the Heat's energy and execution that made them look that way.


Way to Prove Them Right, Joe

We say that Joe Johnson, when right, is the heartbeat of the Hawks offense. Not so much in the many impressive ways that he can score but rather, when he is going right, there is a rhythm to how he can move the ball and that includes to his teammates. After enjoying a (9) assist, (3) turnover Game Five, The Backcourt went back to their negative ways, posting a 5:7 ratio in this loss.

That said---even though we play this song more than "YMCA" at a ballgame, Mike Woodson pulled Joe Johnson after getting his second foul early in the first quarter (2 minutes into the game). In what could be a deciding game, on the road, against an aggressive team, with your team already without (2) starters, you may want to roll the dice on your guard not fouling out despite picking up those early fouls. Johnson would end with a whopping (3) fouls for the game and he, nor the offense, would ever pick up the flow that existed in Game Five.


Friday Night Is Leftover Night

The Hawks wasted at least two things in this game; a (20) point first half from Mike Bibby and (4) minutes from an obviously injured Marvin Williams, whose only shot attempt badly missed.

Solomon Jones made the start for the Birds in place of the injured, but not naked, Al Horford and there was much rejoicing (yay). Jones, a known fouler, actually stayed out of foul trouble (only one in 21 minutes) and was fairly effective in his role (6 points, 5 rebounds). That Jones' rebounding total was more than double that of Zaza Pachulia (2 boards, no offensive rebounds) while playing fewer minutes than Zaza (29) says less about how well Jones played than it does in telling how the Hawks got completely outworked on the glass.

Mo Evans tried to be a leader in Game Five, but in this one he got caught up in the Hawks Flu--whose symptoms are complaining about the officiating and bad shooting. Get well, Mo---and you as well Josh Smith.

When Home Court Advantage Goes Wrong

So it will come to a Sunday Game Seven---the Heat have all sorts of momentum, but we have seen how little that has mattered in this series. But the problem with a single game is that now the Hawks are vulnerable to another abnormal game---fluke injuries, foul trouble, bad luck--these can all contribute to an adverse game for the Birds---and as we have seen adversity is not a situation the Hawks face with remarkable aplomb.

In a One Game Series the HHB usually goes with the best player to win---we saw who that was in Game Six. And it's not always about just points. Let's just say that there was more than scoring that separated each teams' lead characters on the court on Friday night.

The Hawks had their chance to end it--and now they are even---and anything can happen.

Atlanta has one more chance---The season--and all their work in it---is riding on it.

The HHB is worried for their job if the Hawks can't advance--Any ideas of anyone else that should feel the same can be suggested in the Comments Area.

Drama! Mystery! Intrigue!

What a day The Day After Game Five turned out to be, huh?

All across the media, we saw amazing conversation about what had been--prior to the evening's festivities---a bit of a dull series outside the regular watchers for both teams.

There was emotion, intense "disagreements", and a water cooler event that occurred near the end of the game that sent everybody who watched, and too many who didn't, into full opinion mode.

Don't know what it was? Hang on--I think it might have been posted somewhere:



This attempt at a roof-raising finish has drawn the ire of naysayers and the competition alike.

Coach Spoelstra called it "an attempt to embarrass" and the Heat players felt insulted. Others called it "classless" and "selfish".

The HHB thinks it was an attempt to serve the fans and Josh Smith, in which order is another debate.


Also, during the broadcast of the Game Five, Hawks announcer extraordinaire, Steve Holman, openly mocked what he must have thought was a prima donna display from Heat star Dwyane Wade.

Didn't hear about that either? Oh, let's check the tape:



Between the Smith non-dunk, the Holman manifesto, and the all out physical game that was featured in Game Five, suddenly a lot of drama has emerged for Game Six. Some of the things to watch is:

Just how much can the Heat milk from the "did us wrong" angle stemming from Game Five? Will this be an unable-to-overcome advantage for the Heat emotionally?

Will there be a measure of payback from the Heat that goes beyond the scoreboard (i.e. Josh Smith, meet the floor)?

If there is a wave of hostility from the Heat and their fans in Game Six in Miami, will the Hawks wilt as they did in the glare of Game Three down there?

Will Steve Holman be the first play by play man to ever get continuously booed throughout his broadcast?

These are the questions people----internally, we here at the HHB believe that ANY road game for the Hawks is a cause for concern. We will know within the first five minutes worth of possessions whether the Hawks are serious about digging their heels in and taking everything that Miami has and trying to close this series out in Game Six.

Going into this game, the Hawks better believe they are going to get the best the Heat and the people of Miami have to offer. If the Hawks dig in, play terrific defense and take care of the ball---all the emotion in the world won't help the Heat---unless they shoot over 50 percent again from 3 point range and take a ton of those shots.

It will be a test of their mettle and poise--an opportunity to show growth and that they can close a series. Going into the game thinking that, no matter what, there is a Game Seven in the ATL only allows the chance for another Game Two, where the Heat were making everything. If that would be the case in Game Seven, they will be done.

That the Hawks will have to do that without Al Horford and Marvin Williams makes it harder, but the Hawks played the whole second half without those two in Game Five and not only did they withstand a hot second half from Wade, but they scored very efficiently as well--taking advantage of their talent edge in every way.

Strong defense, efficient offense, and maintaining composure. If the Hawks can do this, it will be another lopsided victory for the Birds, their first seven game series victory in forever, and a chance to show that they have learned some lessons and are indeed a growing team.

Regression To Be Mean

It had to come to an end, right?

Before the game even began, we were treated to the TNT statistic of Dwyane Wade's unbelievable 3-pt shooting success in this series so far and was told that he was "simply being Wade". Well, great or not, he couldn't and the Heat couldn't possibly keep their torrid shooting numbers at the ridiculous levels they shot in Games Two and Three, right?

We mentioned in our last 'cap that the (83) games prior to Games Two and Three should surely be the true statistical indicator of the Heat's outside shooting acumen and that the Hawks should stay the course defensively and not panic--and the Heat should shoot their way back to their averages and that would give the Hawks the chance to take the home court back to the ATL.

The Hawks did just that in Game Four--and the result, save for a mind-boggling stretch that ended the first half, was a more typical shooting night for the Heat and an 81-71 road win for the Birds.

We were skeptical before the game, as things had gotten to the point of the Hawks having a players-only meeting (called by Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson as reported by TNT's Cheryl Miller) before Game Four---The playoffs are not the time and place to be sorting things out--you should be peaking as a team at this point if you want to advance. Even after the meeting, it had mixed reviews as Mo Evans didn't like the "calm" tone to the team's exclusive gathering.

Starting early though, it was clear that the ultra-aim that Wade had in the previous games had worn off. Call it fatigue, as Mike Fratello did, or whatever, but Wade launched a strangely pleasurable (4) airballs in the first half, allowing the Hawks to get out to a (21) point lead at one point.

But just as fast as you could say "lapse", the Hawks gave (17) of the points back in a bizarre three minute span at the end of the first half--a stretch that included an offensive foul eighty-plus feet from the basket on Bibby and not one, but two four point plays for James Jones.

The Hawks wobbled into halftime with that four point lead and came out for the second half determined to take back the momentum lost from their just-before-halftime gaffes.

It wasn't pretty---laws, no---it wasn't pretty, but in the end timely shooting, good defense, and Zaza Pachulia won the game for the Hawks.

Pachulia pulled down an incredible (18) rebounds, had (12) points on his usual half dozen or so offensive rebounds, and was basically the type of presence that we called out Al Horford to be before the game.

Horford sat for most of the game due to foul trouble and general lack of production when in the game. He might have been too geeked up for the game because he had as many fouls as points (4) and was once again rushing his shots inside, shooting the ball before the apex of his jump as he tends to do when overly excited. He has to step forward for the team to have long term success--this does not mean he should step up into the opposing team and draw quick fouls, however.

The offense was -eh- as The Backcourt shot OK (10-22, 3-4, 6-8), but was barely above 1:1 in assist/turnover ratio with (8) assists and (7) turnovers. At least it was on the good side in Game Four and that would be enough to allow the better defense and rebounding to take advantage of the Heat returning to a more normal shooting night.


Marvin Williams May Have Solved the Rubik's Cube in Two Minutes, But Let's See Him Solve Josh Smith

Smith was---the best word is obvious---in his efforts in Game Four. He overtly gave us everything we typically see from the young man--all in one game:

Dazzling athleticism as he goes to the hoop: Check

Game changing shot blocking on the defensive end: Check

Ability to clean the glass and keep possessions alive with his jumping abilities: Check

Early in the shot clock jump shots with three steps to the next defender who is practically begging Smith to shoot: Check

Taking unnecessary risks in the passing lane: Check

Scowling and stalking the officials after every single play, complaining over and over again: Check

Smith makes a difference for the Hawks every night--and sadly he has the power to lift up or drag the team down with him. Fortunately tonight, between his blocks, rebounding, and hustle--it was enough on the plus side to get the Hawks back to 2-2 in the series.

Caution---Items Shift When Rotating

Mike Woodson was already ready before the game to "go deeper" into his rotation, and the early foul trouble of Horford and Maurice Evans only hastened the appearances of Mario West and Solomon Jones. Can you guess in which part of the game they participated together?

Woodson was wise to once again shrink the rotation come the second half, even going so far as to playing RFM and Zaza for the final 17 1/2 minutes of the game. In the end, they played starters minutes and it was well earned.

Meanwhile, over in Miami---we have always believed that role players play best at home vs. road due to the home surroundings, etc. How odd to see the Heat bench almost contribute nothing to the team despite playing (48) of the teams (240) minutes. Daequan Cook, Michael Beasley, Yakhouba Diawara, Jamal Magloire, and Joel Anthony offered (2) points, (8) rebounds, (1) assist, and (1) steal. They did commit (9) fouls though--which was nice.


Home, Sweet Home?

The Hawks have now earned home court again and this time we hope it is treated better than it was in Game Two.

We would say it's a Best of Three series now--with two games in Atlanta, but we're afraid if we say "three" that Josh Smith will shoot again.

All the weeping and gnashing of teeth after Game Three seems considerably more peaceful now that the series has been set right, but it's going to take the same effort defensively and a much more efficient offensive night to get another game from Miami in Game Five.

We wonder if the Hawks will ever realize they have to play that way every night to win, home or away, especially in the playoffs. Until they do, their seasons will end earlier than what they should be setting as their ultimate goal for such a talented team.

The HHB called a Players-Only meeting in the Substitute Non-HD Viewing Center to get things straight---Fines and Other Penalties can be paid in the Comments Area.

Mind Games

It's important that, despite another bashing to the collective head of the Hawks by the Heat, this time in a 107-78 Game Three loss in Miami, that neither the Birds nor their watchers lose sight of the fact that it is still a long series.

The HHB has sifted through every painful High Definition frame of this game and believe the Hawks lost the game due to (2) reasons:

1. The Heat, once again, shot (272) percent from 3 point range and altogether made a metric ton of jump shots. Their less than average performance in the regular season in these areas has not been a true indicator in the series so far.

2. The Hawks were given another lesson in mental strength to start a game. Sadly, it's a class they have attended many times this season, yet they keep failing the test.The Hawks came out passive on both ends--and allowed the Heat to gain an emotional edge that they would not lose grip of despite the Hawks best efforts.

Defensively, you have to believe that keeping the Heat outside will eventually work out as sound strategy---but offensively, the Hawks have to come out stronger earlier and not hope that they will be the ones shooting the lights out from long range.

All can be changed with a single game, a single quarter even--as long as that quarter is the first quarter of Game Four. Should the Hawks come out with a purpose to be tough, be aggressive, and clean the glass, they can begin to enjoy what should be the inevitable benefits of the Heat coming back down to Earth with their jump shooting.

Of course, the Hawks could panic and begin to frisk every jump shooter with a double team as soon as they touch it, but that will only lead to higher percentage shots for the Heat and thus negate the opportunity to watch the Heat continue to jack shots from the outside and (in theory) watch them play back down to their level they demonstrated for (83) games prior to these last two.

No, we believe that staying the course defensively is the right play, but to adopt a much more aggressive mode offensively and taking care of the defensive glass are the keys to success in Game Four.

All the Hawks need is to take a single game in Miami to gain the home court back---and no amount of beating (and it was another acid rain shower of made jays) should de-focus the Hawks from that fact.


Otherwise, It Was A Great Game!

The Hawks miss Marvin Williams---The playoffs are no place to try and win these games short-handed (ask the Spurs)---and the Hawks sorely miss all the offensive weapons that Marvin can provide. Mo Evans is a nice guy and a solid player, but enough with the record when he starts--he is inferior to Marvin and we hope Marvin returns to steal one of these games away from the Heat. Evans looks like a huge upgrade to the emptiness that was the ghost of the eighth player in the Hawks rotation in Game Three.

Joe Johnson looks like he isn't sure what he should do offensively---he tries to go inside and gets swallowed--he tries outside and it hasn't been there either---The Backcourt had (6) assists and (7) turnovers, which indicts the ball movement of the Hawks completely. When the Heat double team Joe he has to move the ball faster---I know that Dwyane Wade would.

Josh Smith was terrible in the first half and the beginning of the third quarter, but seemed to wake up when he hit his first jump shot. From that point on, he got (7) of his suddenly team high (8) rebounds and was way more active defensively. Don't know what to make of it, except this team is better when he is that engaged on the glass and on defense.

The stats will show that Al Horford had a decent game, but he played small too often and let Jermaine O'Neal get the best of him. The Hawks seem afraid to get fouls, but they can't be---A more physical presence from Al is needed to help take the mojo back from the Heat.

In addition to their maddening good fortune in making jump shots (including a top of the backboard whopper of a backspin three from James Jones), the Heat were also perfect from the free throw line and we believe that the niece of Heat coach Eric Spoelstra canned a halftime half-court toss to win a free taco or something. Alright, we made that up--but it wouldn't surprise us. We wish we were making the Heat's offensive success up--but we aren't.

It seemed a bit odd to see the entire starting Heat squad out there until 3:37 left to play---especially after the Hawks had already thrown in the towel before that---pretty big risk to take and hopefully the bad karma needed to knock them off their good shooting graces that currently bless them.

Jamario Moon left the game for the Heat with an abdominal strain, which figured because he was the only Heat player with that scored a minus in the +/- category (-8).

The Heat also outrebounded the Hawks (48-35), which isn't surprising when they are hitting their shots and we aren't making ours, but there was one possession early in the fourth quarter when the Heat pulled down (5) offensive rebounds which really sealed the deal for Miami.

The HHB is at peace with the theory of the long series---even though we had predicted a much shorter series---Reasons why we shouldn't gamble can be left thoughtfully in the Comments Area.

Made You Look!

Game Two was a performance that we had seen many times before, and it's safe to say that we were disappointed to see it given the stakes. Well--disappointed and a little angry----OK---very angry.

Throughout the season you get to know when a team has it and when they don't. For the Hawks, these games are painfully obvious from the outset. It may have been a bit petulant on our part, but with 4:57 left in the first quarter when Josh Smith did a pirouette and lost the basketball, we knew. By the time that Jermaine O'Neal came swooping through the lane and the Hawks watched Dwyane Wade casually offer the ball to the suddenly vibrant center and watch him slam it home over the gawking hosts several seconds later, we were sure.

On those nights, on offense, the Hawks pretend to play motion offense, meaning whoever ends up with the hot potato on the third pass now will halt the flow of the basketball completely and attempt to break his man down one-on-one. When the Hawks best offense early in the game was Miami's Defensive 3-Second Violations, that was a bad sign.

Defensively, whereas when they win they look like they have a plan; when they are shuffling around, doubling the wrong players and leaving shooters open, they are on their way to losing.

In these games they treat the game and each possession as if all they have to do is announce their talent and that will do the work for them--or that they can flip some switch to get serious if they need to.

We found ourselves launching words like "unbelievable", "geez", and "wake up"---alas, our expert advise and sage words never made an impact. They often never do.

True, it is fair to say that, being one of the bottom ten three point shooting teams in the league means that Miami won't be hitting 15-26 from there every night, but hey, we are assuming the Hawks will stay at home better than they did in Game Two and actually work together to ensure such an occurrence has a slim chance of ever recurring.

The Hawks obviously believed everything they read in the HHB about sweeps, dominance, and talent--because they floated onto the court on our good vibes and little else. That their biggest lead of the night was a lousy single point and that occurred even before we declared it one of "those" games highlights the level of stink the team filled their arena with.

Hey, How 'Bout that Local Sports Franchise?

The Hawks had a good gameplan around "building a wall" for Wade to shoot over in Game One, but who knew that in Game Two the wall needed to be 24 feet from the rim?

That Daequan Cook fellow shoots awfully nice---seems like he could win one of those 3-pt shooting contes---wha-what? He did? Might need to cover that one, eh?

The abacus may be broken, but we're pretty sure nights that Joe Johnson has (0) assists and (4) turnovers are nights that end in recaps like this one.

We always like to say, all things good start on defense---in Game Two it all ended with the Hawks effort on that end.

We could make the obvious observation (and then the obvious observation about declaring it the obvious observation--and so on like mirrors) about Spirit the Hawk blowing it and delaying the game for while until The Falconer could get it back into the cage by cleverly tricking it with the phony "treat". What we thought was real funny was the ref giving the handler the business about why it took so long and then his sheepish reply. Hey, these are the highlights, folks.


When Others Reach for the Stars, We Cover Our Wallets

The Hawks tried moving the ball offensively and playing good man-up defense Sunday night, and they succeeded---They tried "Showtime" tonight---and failed.

We are betting for a more workmanlike effort in Game Three and getting this one back--We still believe that they are capable every night of playing as they did in Game One, whereas we aren't convinced that the Heat can duplicate the amazing shooting every night as they did in Game Two.


The HHB has had their beliefs crushed before---like when it was told that the XFL was no more---sniff---it still hurts---Flowers and Kleenex can be left in the Comments Area.

Nostrodamus Was Just Kidding

We here at the HHB are not going to pretend to tell you what we know will happen; only what we believe ought to happen.

See, that way, if things go awry, it wasn’t the way it should have happened, so obviously somebody screwed up---and that’s where our team of experts, physicians, and undercover angels collaborate to present our usual insightful comments after the film has been viewed.

That’s right, aren’t we the clever little elves, eh?


The Way Things Ought To Be, First Round Edition

The Hawks have beaten the Heat twice under full strength, once even with Major Acquisition Jermaine O’Neal patrolling the paint for the Heat. One of the big reasons is that the Heat do not go after Mike Bibby on their offensive end, thereby ignoring the biggest Achilles heel of the Hawks defense. Mario Chalmers has been content to sit outside and take jump shots, which is just what the Hawks would hope the player that Mike Bibby is covering would do.

Another reason is that the Hawks have massively outrebounded the Heat, led by Al Horford, who had (32) rebounds in those two wins. And in the matchup with Jermaine O’Neal, the Heat threw in the towel by benching the Major Acquisition for the home stretch.

So, with the Hawks showing their strength at home and away in Miami, what’s with all this talk around the league about a Heat victory or at least a tight series?

In our ill-advised and highly questionable opinion, the Hawks ought to win this series relatively easily.


Do You Expect the M-V-P to be M-I-A in---MIA?

Dwyane Wade cannot be stopped, so it would be foolish to gameplan to overplay him and in doing so get all of the Heat role players to get easier shots, more confidence, etc—and even more foolish to think he won’t be successful.

But Wade being successful isn’t the key to the Heat winning---it’s the success of his teammates that is critical to pulling off the upset. So far, the Hawks have done a nice job in playing the Heat straight, and the results have been that the Heat have shown they do not have enough to beat the Hawks with just Wade.

Case in point, as the Hawks beat the Heat with Jermaine, Horford was everywhere O’Neal was---every juke, step through, fadeaway---there was Al, and the Heat center struggled to a 3-10 shooting night and the aforementioned trip to the bench for the fourth as they leveraged Michael Beasley at center as a conciliatory measure against Al’s work against the veteran big man.

With the Heat content to stay outside and not challenge Bibby, it helps the Hawks that much more play good man defense against the Heat.

As evidence to the case, as Hoopinion has pointed out statistically, the Heat beyond Wade don’t shoot many free throws---in large part because they would rather take their shots from a point more distant than the free throw line.

As long as the Hawks continue to execute as they have throughout the season against the Heat by playing strong, man-up defense, the Heat don’t have enough to take the Hawks in any given game.


Everybody Must Jack Threes

Actually, we mean this in jest, as the Hawks have had success going towards the hoop and getting fouls from the Heat and converting inside to boot.

Even with O’Neal, the Heat don’t have a serious threat inside defensively—and if they go small with Beasley in the middle, it makes it even softer for the Hawks to attack.

It’s important that the Hawks don’t thrust the entirety of the offensive production on Joe Johnson’s shoulders as that has been a formula for inefficiency for Joe and ignorant exclusion of what has made the Hawks a formidable team this season.

For example, having Mike Bibby available for this series and not a liability that would need to be removed defensively enables the array of superb inside passes designed to take advantage of Smith and Horford’s athleticism and finishing acumen.

If the Heat decide that Michael Beasley’s offense is too good to keep on the bench for vet (and former Gator) Udonis Haslem, then he might be shown to be a weakness for the Heat as Smoove can get by the rookie at any time.

Horford’s ability to run the floor will stretch the stamina of O’Neal---and the Hawks have just figured out how to reward the second year frontman for his court sprints.

Add in Marvin Williams and RFM’s ability to use and/or abuse the smaller Heat guards (that’s right Chris Quinn) and there are plenty of reasons to believe that the Hawks have too much firepower for the Heat.


Are You Series-us?

The point has been made that the Hawks are a good team and that the Heat have the best player. Since when has the better team not been favored in a seven game series?

The Hawks are extremely talented, represented in the fact that, despite not doing much to improve the areas that we believed needed to be addressed before the season, they improved (10) games anyway. Their strength has been when they have played together as a team, their weakness has been when they have been individually wrapped up in themselves and the team concept has been broken.

The Hawks, even with a bench that’s comprised of Mo Evans, Zaza Pachulia, and RFM, are a strong eight man unit, and they are hard to be stopped when they are together.

As long as Coach Woodson doesn’t try to make a Flubber West statement at key points of the series, the excellence that has been this (47) win season will make itself known against the Heat.

So we’re standing by the assertion that the Hawks should win—add in the flavor of the NBA sort of underestimating the Hawks in this series and there could be some major “nobody believed in us except us” vibe that could add a smidgen of tangible to the mix.

With all we’ve noted, we’re putting our ought’s where they ought to be by picking the Hawks to sweep.

That’s right Four to Oh in favor of the Birds. We just don’t see where the Heat can conjure enough to beat a fully healthy Hawks rotation even once.

Of course, that’s the way we believe it ought to be---if it doesn’t happen, we’ll be here to tell you whose fault it was.

See you in the second round.


The HHB is dizzy from the lofty prediction for the series---Dramamine and other medication can be left for them in the Comments Area.

You Can Learn at Recess

Our pappy always told us, "No matter where you are or what you doing, there is always something to learn."

Ok, so he really didn't tell us that---and there was no "Pappy", but we do cheerfully suggest that there are some things to learn, even in a game that featured more airballs than game balls (see how we did that? Genius.).

The "Hawks" beat the "Heat" 81-79 in a glorified---ok, it wasn't even that glorified--exhibition in front of dozens of engaged fans.

Heck, it was fan appreciation night in the home closer of the season---even if the only fans who appreciated it were the families of Othello Hunter and Thomas Gardner.

Even through the brickfest and turnover stained footage of the game, there were some nuggets of knowledge to be gleaned from the activity known as the basketball game. Let's have some fun with it and play some HHB Did You See That Too Bingo as you read along!

Here We Go:

Michael Beasley can play some offense. His shot was so sweet, it seemed the Hawks were applauding it as it ripped through the nets. He had a double-double in the first quarter and would end up with (23) points in (24) minutes. Stellar!

Flubber West and Solomon Jones with 30+ minutes of floor time don't put up any different counting stats than they do in 4-6 minutes of floor time. Seriously guys---2 for 6 in (70) minutes of game action? This is Exhibit B to Rick Sund for a better bench next year. See our previous entry for Exhibit A.

RFM doesn't like being a part of "Exhibition Night". Murray sported the old, out-of-control RFM moves on his way to a "what the heck" 5-20 night from the field. Murray earned the right to be treated like a starter, but obviously the Hawks had too few players to make that happen, and RFM shot it like he just don't care---say Wham---say bam!

Speedy Claxton may have something to offer the Hawks in the playoffs. He was rusty (airball on a free throw, shot thrown out to midcourt), but he looked good as a playmaker, especially since these were the first (7) minutes of actual game time in over (2) years. It was funny that he was winded after (3) minutes in the first half, but expected---Maybe we're just weary of our lack of point guard play after Bibby sits, but Claxton needs to be on the roster at least.

Thomas Gardner looks comfortable on the floor---but he continues to miss wildly with his shot. Gardner had (4) steals and looked good out there, except that while he looks good while he shoots, that good look only lasts until the ball radically misses the basket. Still, of the Flubber/Solo/Morris bench guys, Gardner intrigues us the most.


See, fun for the whole family, eh? How many did you get?

The Hawks wrapped up one of the most impressive home seasons we've seen in quite some time (31-10)---admit it, Hawks fans, it was nice to see the Birds yukking it up on the bench, getting some major rest as the weekend and its playoff magic edges closer.

The HHB admits it never learned much at school---heck, we went to Florida---Theorems and hypotheses can be scribbled on the walls in the Comments Area.

Meaningless Is In the Eyes of the Beholder

Tonight's game may lack meaning in the standings, but if you have been following along on the Twitter conversations, it hasn't meant a lack of interest on some fronts:

Peachtree Hoops is setting lines and taking wagers on some interesting over/unders.

Hawk Str8Talk is hoping for a night to remember from pet project Thomas Gardner.

CoCo from The Vent wants to see the best of the Hawks making some kind of fashion statement.

And, of course, we want to see if our newest, bestest buddy, Speedy Claxton, will get to wear an actual uniform tonight. You know--other than for the Scott Cunningham team shots that appear on the website or the old photos from when he once played ---real, on the court threads.

According to HawksBlog's Micah Hart, Speedy participated in the walkthrough this morning and the man himself declared he is going to play, though coming off the bench!

So it's come to this: That Claxton, who costs the Hawks about (6) million dollars against the cap (since we believe they may be getting insurance to pay actual dollars to SC), can finally play when the game means absolutely nothing in the standings and the Hawks needs to rest the critical players--and even then he's coming off the bench. If it seems strange, that's because it is---we're anxious to see Claxton any which way---one would think that a veteran point guard could be helpful to the team--especially one that's talent challenged as you go deeper down the bench.

The HHB might also fall under the definition of meaningless---arguments for and against, as well as other things that might be interesting in this game can be communicated through the Comments Area.

572 Ways to Describe Excruciating Stomach Pain

Gross. Icky. Awful.

Go ahead---toss in your own adjective to describe something so foul that you make a carrot face and ask someone to "smell this".

Maybe you didn't see the Hawks 95-79 "game" Monday night. We here at the HHB use the " " to indicate that things really didn't reflect the word that is inside of the " ".

A game is usually fun---it's a joy---and since the Hawks were 100 percent joyless--well except for when Josh Smith picked up a technical foul while sitting on the bench---he looked happy at that point---anyway, since the Hawks were without joy and gave the ol' more turnovers than field goals a real run for the money, we're not calling that a game.

The Hawks moved on both ends without purpose, the offense--which seemed inspired early on by going inside and getting Dwyane Wade two quick fouls (note to Coach Woodson---he finished with those same 2 fouls)---wilted under the weight of a ton of missed shots. The particularly deflating ones were the real close ones we call layups and dunks---not good.

In fact, we thought maybe at one point the basket was tilted in a certain angle, because the ball kept spinning out the same way, like a demented basketball water slide---round and out and please clear the path for the next shot---thank you.

Mike Bibby seems to be pleased with our Bibby, Bibby, and more Bibby piece from haughtier times (last Friday) because he has been stinky the last couple of games---with no appreciation for the Hawks inside game (maybe why it worked well early on) and the persistent lack of being able to finish around the basket Monday night, the Heat put constant pressure on The Backcourt, leading to lots of turnovers and missed field goals.

Combined with a defensive effort geared to make sure Wade wasn't going to miss out on highlights after skipping the first quarter (he would finish with 35 points), the Hawks woes led to a final that didn't seem to accurately depict how far away the Hawks were from WinningLand.

It was ugly, nasty, and thoroughly nauseating at times. The HHB tried it at many DVR speeds---X1, X2, X3, and X4---it was unwatchable at all levels.

The Hawks now go to New York (Offensive SlumpBuster Alert!) and then come back to face the team that has had the Hawks numerics this season, the New Jersey Nets.

It is the HHB's hope that the club can figure out where the joy went because soon we'll run out of adjectives to describe the effort---and they will simply be losing.


The HHB skipped the usual post game meal---Lost Appetite Syndrome---For cures and comments please refer to the Comments section.