Grinding in the Hightlight Factory

For those of you hoping to see some "in action" looks or screen caps of folks dancing to the Sprite Jam Cam at Philips Arena or some Kiss Cam "After Dark"  footage---we do apologize for our misleading title.

For those who watched the Hawks 100-89 win over the visiting Washington Wizards, you know exactly what we're talking about.

There are games when everything clicks, folks are on the same page, and every choice that's made is the right one. This was not one of those games for the Birds.

Sure, the Wizards never truly challenged after the Hawks spotted their guests a 15-5 lead, but with Antawn Jamison out, Caron Butler getting hurt and not playing the second half, Gilbert Arenas turning the ball over (7) times, and Flip Saunders deciding to play Nick Young and bury JaVale McGee until too late, the game was there for the Hawks to salt away long before all doubt was erased. It was reckless play by the home team that allowed the game to be even the margin that it was.

After the Hawks climbed out of that temporary hole behind Jamal Crawford's excellent (15) point first half off the bench, the team dropped their sharp play for something more out-of-sync. The result was a number of missed opportunities on the break, poor shot selection by just about everyone on the floor, and a precipitous drop in offensive shooting percentage due to a high percentage of standing around in the third quarter.

Joe Johnson couldn't get things to drop early, or middle, or late. And because the rest of the team was floundering as well (41 percent for the game after shooting around 47 percent for the first half), Joe began to force things and, as a result, sent the team further down the rathole in that third quarter, scoring only (17) points for the entirety. Even defensively the wheels began to come off as the Hawks' big men stopped moving their feet and began to slap at passing Wizards. Heck, Joe Smith even got whistled for fouling McGee---when he was shooting backwards.

The saving grace for the Birds was at the foul line, where the Wizards couldn't make 'em and the Hawks couldn't miss. Atlanta shot a whopping (91) percent from the foul line (31-34) while Washington shot managed on (64) percent (14-22). The Hawks even made a dead ball free throw (gasp!).

It wasn't as if they didn't want to or weren't trying, they struggled to get things in gear. In the fourth quarter, the guys would put together 30-40 seconds of good basketball every so often, just enough to keep the Wizards at arm's length. The grinding noise of the Hawks offense could be heard even with the Official HDTV of THHB muted.

The best of these moments came just under five minutes to play when Josh Smith drove the basketball and dished to Al Horford who slammed it home then (16) seconds later, after Josh's 900th career blocked shot (an Arenas 3-attempt and his first block of the game), Mike Bibby lobbed a ball towards the basket, a pass so high that only Josh could corral it and complete the flush, which he did.


More Josh Smith---More:

Regarding Smith's 900th block--in doing so he became the fastest to reach that milestone, breaking Shaq's old record. Take that, Cleve-land!

We've said it before, when Smith drives to the hoop we expect the ball to fall in--he has become one of the best in the league at finishing. Even with the Wizards tall, strong frontcourt and all the shot blockers, Smith found a way to finish. It's like a celestial compromise the basketball gods are making with the young man---just stop shooting jumpers and go to the hoop---and we promise we'll do all we can to guide it in---it's the score and one more!

Maybe it was just us (likely), but when Josh picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter, he looked foul heading to the bench, but not in the sulking, brooding way we may have seen in years past, but in a "aw, heyazz no" way that we noted Smith seemed irritated and that the Wizards may have done something to wake him up. That Smith had (9) points, (2) boards, and his only two blocked shots in the final quarter may not qualify as dominant, but he definitely made his presence felt in a way he hadn't during the other (3) quarters of the game.


Tight Rims

While The Backcourt struggled to shoot straight (8-25), they kept things going in the other stat columns (10 boards, 13 assists, 3 turnovers)--but it's a reminder that the Hawks can't rely on the jump shot to win games. The Hawks pulled away when they went to the rim and made things happen that way--- a big reason why they went to the line as much as they did.

Al Horford drew back a little offensively tonight---as he tends to do against much larger defenders. He rushed a few shots around the basket and finished with a 4-11 night from the field. The one time he did take it strong in the first half was right at the end, when he got the ball in the block, turned toward the lane and put a hook in the hoop, sending the Hawks to a (14) point halftime lead.

BTW, we've got inside information that Zaza Pachulia even looks for contact on the pre-game layup line. Oh, there were opportunities for Zaza to make a bucket (he was 0-1 with 4 made free throws), but he didn't have the slightest interest in all that nonsense---it's all about the whistle with Zaza, baby.

Not Quite Yet, But Who Knows?

We previewed the game tonight by noting the abundance of prognosticators that see the Wizards at least as the Hawks equal .We also stated that, while this game was a good litmus test for both teams, it's shouldn't be a "told you so" game either way.

Afterwards we have to say it was a let down in that regard. With Jamison out, Butler getting hurt, and Flip Saunders obviously still getting to know his personnel, the Hawks could see a much different team the next time they host Washington on January 13th, rendering this game just another notch on the win or loss column, and little else.

We don't know why, but if JaVale McGee was healthy enough to play (10) minutes, he should have played more. THHB is not a fan of the token starter (cough--Royal Ivey--cough), so we have to question why Fabricio Oberto not only started, but played more minutes than McGee--who seems to always be a thorn in the flesh of the Hawks. Between McGee and Andray Blatche, they were menaces to the Hawks society.

And while we're at it, congrats to the Wizards to holding Mike Miller to (5) shots, in (32) minutes no less, while Nick Young saw fit to launch (8) in (12) minutes, which all missed.

THHB sees glory in a 2-0 start, and looks forward to the upcoming 3am recaps during their upcoming West Coast swing. All caffeinated beverages should be routed quickly through the concierge in the Comments Area.

Early Season Sorting

Going into tonight's game against the predicted resurgent Wizards, we were surprised to see just how much folks believe in the Wizards rebound, even before it happens. The below is a table from the Wizards NBA.com site, which lays out some of the choices for the Southeast and East in total:

MEDIA EXPERTS	WIZARDS PREDICTIONS
Sporting News	Southeast: 1st East: 3rd
Michael Lee, Washington Post	Southeast: 3rd East: 5th
Mike Jones, Washington Times	Southeast: 3rd East: 5th
Yahoo! Sports	Southeast: Tied for 2nd East: Tied for 4th
ESPN Experts	Southeast: 3rd East: 6th
SI.com Scouts	Southeast: 3rd East: 5th
NBA.com	Southeast: 3rd East: 5th

This doesn't account for SI's own Basketball Preview selecting the Wizards as the 4th best team in the East, casting them above the Hawks or even our own panel of distinguished Hawks Bloggers mostly selecting the boys from the Cap as the team to watch in the East next season.

We're excited to see if the Wizards are indeed back--as they contain the fabulous shooting of Mike Miller (Go Gator) and the Hawk Hating Gilbert Arenas. We remember (not so) fondly Arenas, bearing the Oakland colors a few seasons back, stealing an in-bounds pass in front of Dan Dickau (Dickau playing on the final possession! Good times!) and then racing down to win the game for the Warriors. Ah yes, Arenas is a player with whom anything and any shot is possible---or would that be was after the series of injuries that have made him more bystanding than outstanding recently.

All of which makes tonight's game in Atlanta a decent early season matchup/litmus test to see where each franchise is. Have the Wizards indeed made up the considerable ground that existed between the two teams last season? Will the Hawks be just as strong as the season before with their improved bench? It's a low-impact assessment on where these two division mates reside.

This game shouldn't be cast as a defining "see there?!" for either team, but a good barometer for the early season. For the Hawks, it's a chance to show that they are still the best of the eastern rest, and to play against a team that many think are on the same level as the Birds.

Game Two awaits.

Easy

Listening to other broadcast teams (read: different from IBR and THHF) around the league is to hear the same opinions and takes on each of the Hawks players. Now, we know how it works---they buddy up with people from the visiting or host organ-i-zation or have someone do that for them---and blammo---instant information about the other team---that and the gameday media guide assembled by the under appreciated and overworked media relations team--that's right, fellas---the HHB has your back!

For the Hawks, the following takes are universal:

• Joe Johnson is underrated AND a 3-time All-Star.
• Al Horford is great---what a great young player (this will be replaced eventually by what a great veteran player he is).
• The team has taken a step forward with Proven Veteran Point Guard Mike Bibby.
• Ronald "Flip" Murray has been a great addition to the team.

There are others, but here is the one that has been most relevant lately:

• Marvin Williams, while not being in the same class as Chris Paul and Deron Williams, has really begun to blossom.

Now, we're not saying these takes are incorrect---but it is funny to hear broadcast teams in the East and West with almost the exact same take on each player.

In Mustache Marvin's case, it's definitely true and then some. Every Hawk fan's worry about Williams previous to this season would be could he ever find a way to make an impact on a team--well, make that a positive impact.

Williams has done that and more---by using a blend of moves to the hoop, running the floor effectively, and expanding his range on his jump shot (Marvin's Jumper---Now with 30% more Range!). It is routinely stated now that he has hit more 3's this season than in his career combined prior to this season.

What's really special though is that he does it completely within the flow of the game--hardly ever forcing a shot he shouldn't take. His game high 28 points last night in the Hawks 98-89 handling of the home team Wizards was a portrait of his growth, complete with a very impressive Pick-6 (ok, 3) when Marvin stepped in front of a Wizards pass, intercepted, ran the floor, made the right move and got fouled and finished.

All of which makes the arguments that Peachtree Hoops, Hoopinion, and Str8talk have been posting about the Hawks late game decisions to isolate Joe Johnson and eliminate the many options the Hawks now have to deliver the late game daggers.

For the second night in a row, the Hawks have been extremely democratic and efficient, to the point where it seemed Joe Johnson made a conscious choice to get some shots up to get his points into the teens before the bout was finished. Still, Joe proved his wonderful ability to light this offensive fuse, evidenced by his own playmaking ability to the tune of a (shhh) whisper quiet 13 assists.

Yes, the Wizards are not good---a lineup with only Antawn Jamison to call notable and a (14-46) record is evidence to this opinion---but the Hawks fought off a late arrival (7am) and the emotional letdown of a hard fought, high attention game against the Cavs the night before to play the game the right way and win the game they should win, even on the road. After watching this same team lay an absolutely rotten egg at Philips against the Clippers, this should not be tossed aside.


Hot Coffee:

After watching Anderson Varejao, who is as bad a shooter as there is among players who get regular minutes in this league, hit a pair of ridiculous shots to help beat the Birds the night before, seeing Andre Blatche hit some off balance wonders made the HHB think that maybe someone on the Hawks had made the basketball gods take revenge on the team. Blatche started 4-4 in the first quarter, but fortunately the mojo couldn't continue the whole game, going 2-6 for remainder of the game.

We are loving it---because Al Horford has made himself a part of the offense. He still rushes some things and needs to be aware to pass out of the post lest he become Kevin Willis II, but it makes things even more open outside when Al can be a positive factor on the offensive end.

We made Caron Butler a key player for the game last night (Check our Twitter Hitters for our Key Players predictions)---and we don't mind saying we were right! Butler's hammy tightened up and couldn't play, making the Hawks job a lot easier on the defensive end. He is tough on the Hawks with his aggressive play---


The HHB is injured from patting themselves on the back---Ace bandages and other relevant thoughts are welcome in the Comments area.

Get Well Soon, Al and Josh!!

The HHB would like to send this Get Well Soon card to Josh Smith and Al Horford, especially after seeing the Hawks limp along without them at home against the Wizards Wednesday night.

Oh sure, the final was in the Hawks favor, 91-87, but they needed some Marvin Williams heroics to do it, with the man hitting another clutch three in the right corner late in the game.

(Sidenote: We heard the great Steve Holman's call of Marvin's shot today on First Team on Fox and Holman referred to Williams as "Marvelous Marvin". Now, we looooove Holman, but there was only one Marvelous Marvin, so couldn't we find another alliteration for Marvin? How about Mustache Marvin in honor of his early 80's 'stache or Martian Marvin, since he so resembles the "where's the kaboom" Marvin of Looney Tunes fame? Something needs to be done here---Marvin Hagler is turning over on his sofa as we speak.)

Back to the game and the fact that the Hawks struggled---really, struggled with a Wizards team that can best be described as "bad", and that's being nice. Without Gilbert Arenas, the team lacks any panache, even with the solid Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. The Wizards started Dee Brown and JaVale McGee against the home team last night, first starts for both and it showed.

Any team with playoff aspiration should have pasted the Wizards or at least had the game well under control, but the Hawks seemed to rely way too much on a series of 1 on 1 moves, usually ending in a jump shot. That the Hawks shot less than 40 percent indicates how largely ineffective the strategy was.

For a bit, I thought that Terry Stotts was calling the shots again for the Hawks, waiting endlessly for the jump shots to go in so that the inside would open up.

(crickets)

Things are tightening up on Joe Johnson as well, with Joe taking a few more than before off balance shots and having to fade away more than the beginning of this season. Only Mike Bibby remained hot, and did so by going 11-17 on twos and burning the Wizards as they tried to press Joe.

The frontcourt, especially defensively, reminded all why Smith and Horford are critical to the team's success, as Zaza Pachulia, Solomon Jones, and company allowed a Princeton Chorus line to the hoop quite often---too often by too many Wizards.

It was the offense of Bibby, the tenacity of the offensive rebounding (Definately a Zaza Specialty), and the aggressive play of Marvin that eventually pulled the game out for the good guys, salvaging things for a bit and ending the painful four game losing streak.

(One more Sidenote: Doesn't it seem like losing streaks go on for at least twice as long as winning streaks of the same size, or in the Hawks case greater? Back to the words.)

Marvin definitely showed more attack to the hoop, which was needed because the other player that goes to the hoop (other than Joe) has been Ronald Murray, who provided one of those games that his former teams have warned us about. But the HHB is not jaded yet---we like Murray's attack style, even if it means he has some of these stinkers (2-11). In fact, his running three to end the half was typical of a player like Murray--you know, a guy that thinks every shot he puts up is "money".

Still, despite the relief of a win, which was definitely needed and appreciated, it was a game that was too often led by the Wizards, and sloppy by every definition of the word as it relates to the game (defensively, offensively---yum, 17 turnovers!). That they were able to settle down somewhat and take care of the team is nice, but the play of the team without their two frontcourt stalwarts makes the HHB nervous and anxiously awaiting their return.

Get Well Soon!