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.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
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:
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.
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.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Opening Night Victors
We love Opening Night.
We especially love Opening Night at home.
The Atlanta Hawks gave us plenty to love about Opening Night at Philips Arena Wednesday night by kicking off the 2009-2010 season the same way they did it last season, by winning--this time casting aside the Indiana Pacers 120-109.
The Hawks started slow, picked up steam by halftime, and then battled the Pacers into the fourth quarter where, as they have made it a pattern of doing so against lesser comp (especially at home), they put the guests away behind strong interior play and clutch shooting.
The Pacers started the game shooting hot, and it helped them to a 53/56/84 night against the Hawks. They likely would have assumed a win if they had known before the game how they would shoot, as they also had the Hawks playing their tempo and their game, but the great equalizer was a massive (25) turnovers to the Hawks (10), allowing the Hawks to close the early gap and eventually overtake the game.
The Preseason is the Land of Illusions and Game One Reveals All
Game One of the season puts some of the fluff of the off-season aside and begins to paint the mural that will become the regular season. In the beginning of a mural, anything is possible, and as the first game concluded THHB saw plenty for Bird watchers to smile about.
Al Horford answered the bell by being very beastly all around against the slower Roy Hibbert and the less talented Jeff Foster. Horford scored (24) points by playing a very confident, powerful game. He shot without hesitation, he took the ball to the hoop without doubt, and finished with plenty of authority. He corralled (3) offensive rebounds, all of which seemed to lead to putback or tip dunks and owned the glass overall, finishing with a game high (16) rebounds. Defensively, in addition to collecting the boards, he contested shots without drawing fouls, blocking a pair to go with (4) assists on the offensive end, thereby filling out the stat sheet. Saying Al Horford set the tone might be stretching it too much, but in his game we saw the bigger picture of how the Hawks won; a consistent effort which, when the game concluded, showed its full value.
Hawks fans also got to see the tuned-in Josh Smith in Game One. Smith was extremely aggressive on both ends against the Pacers, contesting shots, going after steals, and taking the ball to the hoop with extreme prejudice. Smith is becoming one of the best in the entire league at finishing around the hoop. No, not just on the dunks, of which there were some fantastic throw downs by Smith, but anytime he went to the basket, even when fouled, you felt confident it would go in---and it usually did. Smith took only (1) Ty Corbin Three all night long, and there were times where he was definitely tempted. For his efforts to delay gratification, he was rewarded with a 7-10 shooting night (0-0 on real threes) and drew enough attention with his interior scoring that he was able to distribute (8) assists on the night as well. This is what Smith can be when he is dialed into playing the game the right way---and is faced with a less than average defense.
Joe Johnson took the game high scoring (25), but truth be known he captured the mark by launching a space shuttle shot to beat the shot clock with (6.5) seconds remaining in the game. Johnson definitely mirrored the early game struggles the Hawks had getting things flowing correctly, but once Joe was locked in, he lost the half court discomfort and had the typical ho-hum 25 points, 6 assist, 4 steal game we come to expect and dismiss from him.
Game One also showed some of how Woodson may plan to deploy his bench and not use Mike Bibby so much. In what was not a settled game until the fourth quarter wound down, Bibby still logged just (30) minutes. He used that rest to make three big fourth quarter shots that gave the Hawks the lead and then put it out of reach. Two of the buckets were bombs that were standard issue open Bibby looks, but the 2-pointer sandwiched in between was a runner in the lane in which Bibby seemed to lose the handle on, but was able to sneak it by the taller players inside and get the bucket. That basket gave the Hawks a (4) point lead with 7 1/2 minutes left and the Hawks never trailed again.
To be able to give that kind of rest meant that Woodson was already comfortable letting rookie Jeff Teague get his feet wet in his first official NBA game. Teague looked good in his debut, modeling a new take on the Josh Childress Memorial Jump Shot in going 2-7, but he seemed very comfortable at the point and was able to penetrate, dish, and get into the open floor enough to score (4) assists against (ZERO) turnovers. That his first game ended in a win and his first basket an impressive dunk were pretty tasty cherries on the winning sundae.
Nice Guys Finish With Eleven Minutes
For all the build up regarding Jamal Crawford as a Hawk and what it all means, he ended up playing a meager (11) minutes off the bench and his best shot of the night didn't even count. Crawford had (3) assists and a steal to go with his (3) points in such limited action, but his best action came when he missed a jump shot with about (4) seconds left in the first quarter and then, as the Pacers tried to throw the ball down the court to get a last second shot off, he leaped high to deflect the pass, collected the ball, and then turned against his body from about mid-court to try and beat the buzzer. The shot went in, but it was overturned in replay.
For what it's worth, it looked like there was .2 seconds left when the lights came on, but it could have been un-synced on the telecast.Great shot anyway. Welcome to ATL, Jamal.
Good Thing He Wasn't Healthy
Danny Granger was questionable health-wise before the game, but he was able to suit up and play (22) minutes for Indiana. This was probably helpful to the Hawks because when Granger was in the game he must have been wearing his Cloak of Invisibility, because he found himself wide open a bit too much for someone of his considerable talents. Granger cashed in (5) of (10) three point attempts in his short amount of time on the floor--scoring (31) points in all.If he had been able to go more tonight we might have had a more somber story to relate.
Elsewhere, unlike in March where TJ Ford obliterated the Hawks guards for (29) points, Ford was unable to accomplish anything positive against the Hawks in this new season. Ford was 1-9 from the field and didn't find the job of scoring as easy as he did about (7) months ago. The reason? Quite a few times it was Joe Johnson handling the action on Ford. Case closed.
Speaking of Clock Problems and Things Remaining the Same
It took exactly (3) seconds into the season for the Philips Arena clocks to go haywire. That in itself isn't funny, especially considering the the reputation the official scorers and the electronics have in the arena. What was funny was that, after the Hawks had won the tip and the game underway, the game had to stop--which frustrated the fans, most of whom we're guessing have seen this a time or two. Clearly annoyed, the ATL faithful booed lustily.
Ahhh--good to be back, isn't it?
THHB believes that winning is better than losing. Arguments to the contrary can be laughed at inside the Comments Area.
We especially love Opening Night at home.
The Atlanta Hawks gave us plenty to love about Opening Night at Philips Arena Wednesday night by kicking off the 2009-2010 season the same way they did it last season, by winning--this time casting aside the Indiana Pacers 120-109.
The Hawks started slow, picked up steam by halftime, and then battled the Pacers into the fourth quarter where, as they have made it a pattern of doing so against lesser comp (especially at home), they put the guests away behind strong interior play and clutch shooting.
The Pacers started the game shooting hot, and it helped them to a 53/56/84 night against the Hawks. They likely would have assumed a win if they had known before the game how they would shoot, as they also had the Hawks playing their tempo and their game, but the great equalizer was a massive (25) turnovers to the Hawks (10), allowing the Hawks to close the early gap and eventually overtake the game.
The Preseason is the Land of Illusions and Game One Reveals All
Game One of the season puts some of the fluff of the off-season aside and begins to paint the mural that will become the regular season. In the beginning of a mural, anything is possible, and as the first game concluded THHB saw plenty for Bird watchers to smile about.
Al Horford answered the bell by being very beastly all around against the slower Roy Hibbert and the less talented Jeff Foster. Horford scored (24) points by playing a very confident, powerful game. He shot without hesitation, he took the ball to the hoop without doubt, and finished with plenty of authority. He corralled (3) offensive rebounds, all of which seemed to lead to putback or tip dunks and owned the glass overall, finishing with a game high (16) rebounds. Defensively, in addition to collecting the boards, he contested shots without drawing fouls, blocking a pair to go with (4) assists on the offensive end, thereby filling out the stat sheet. Saying Al Horford set the tone might be stretching it too much, but in his game we saw the bigger picture of how the Hawks won; a consistent effort which, when the game concluded, showed its full value.
Hawks fans also got to see the tuned-in Josh Smith in Game One. Smith was extremely aggressive on both ends against the Pacers, contesting shots, going after steals, and taking the ball to the hoop with extreme prejudice. Smith is becoming one of the best in the entire league at finishing around the hoop. No, not just on the dunks, of which there were some fantastic throw downs by Smith, but anytime he went to the basket, even when fouled, you felt confident it would go in---and it usually did. Smith took only (1) Ty Corbin Three all night long, and there were times where he was definitely tempted. For his efforts to delay gratification, he was rewarded with a 7-10 shooting night (0-0 on real threes) and drew enough attention with his interior scoring that he was able to distribute (8) assists on the night as well. This is what Smith can be when he is dialed into playing the game the right way---and is faced with a less than average defense.
Joe Johnson took the game high scoring (25), but truth be known he captured the mark by launching a space shuttle shot to beat the shot clock with (6.5) seconds remaining in the game. Johnson definitely mirrored the early game struggles the Hawks had getting things flowing correctly, but once Joe was locked in, he lost the half court discomfort and had the typical ho-hum 25 points, 6 assist, 4 steal game we come to expect and dismiss from him.
Game One also showed some of how Woodson may plan to deploy his bench and not use Mike Bibby so much. In what was not a settled game until the fourth quarter wound down, Bibby still logged just (30) minutes. He used that rest to make three big fourth quarter shots that gave the Hawks the lead and then put it out of reach. Two of the buckets were bombs that were standard issue open Bibby looks, but the 2-pointer sandwiched in between was a runner in the lane in which Bibby seemed to lose the handle on, but was able to sneak it by the taller players inside and get the bucket. That basket gave the Hawks a (4) point lead with 7 1/2 minutes left and the Hawks never trailed again.
To be able to give that kind of rest meant that Woodson was already comfortable letting rookie Jeff Teague get his feet wet in his first official NBA game. Teague looked good in his debut, modeling a new take on the Josh Childress Memorial Jump Shot in going 2-7, but he seemed very comfortable at the point and was able to penetrate, dish, and get into the open floor enough to score (4) assists against (ZERO) turnovers. That his first game ended in a win and his first basket an impressive dunk were pretty tasty cherries on the winning sundae.
Nice Guys Finish With Eleven Minutes
For all the build up regarding Jamal Crawford as a Hawk and what it all means, he ended up playing a meager (11) minutes off the bench and his best shot of the night didn't even count. Crawford had (3) assists and a steal to go with his (3) points in such limited action, but his best action came when he missed a jump shot with about (4) seconds left in the first quarter and then, as the Pacers tried to throw the ball down the court to get a last second shot off, he leaped high to deflect the pass, collected the ball, and then turned against his body from about mid-court to try and beat the buzzer. The shot went in, but it was overturned in replay.
For what it's worth, it looked like there was .2 seconds left when the lights came on, but it could have been un-synced on the telecast.Great shot anyway. Welcome to ATL, Jamal.
Good Thing He Wasn't Healthy
Danny Granger was questionable health-wise before the game, but he was able to suit up and play (22) minutes for Indiana. This was probably helpful to the Hawks because when Granger was in the game he must have been wearing his Cloak of Invisibility, because he found himself wide open a bit too much for someone of his considerable talents. Granger cashed in (5) of (10) three point attempts in his short amount of time on the floor--scoring (31) points in all.If he had been able to go more tonight we might have had a more somber story to relate.
Elsewhere, unlike in March where TJ Ford obliterated the Hawks guards for (29) points, Ford was unable to accomplish anything positive against the Hawks in this new season. Ford was 1-9 from the field and didn't find the job of scoring as easy as he did about (7) months ago. The reason? Quite a few times it was Joe Johnson handling the action on Ford. Case closed.
Speaking of Clock Problems and Things Remaining the Same
It took exactly (3) seconds into the season for the Philips Arena clocks to go haywire. That in itself isn't funny, especially considering the the reputation the official scorers and the electronics have in the arena. What was funny was that, after the Hawks had won the tip and the game underway, the game had to stop--which frustrated the fans, most of whom we're guessing have seen this a time or two. Clearly annoyed, the ATL faithful booed lustily.
Ahhh--good to be back, isn't it?
THHB believes that winning is better than losing. Arguments to the contrary can be laughed at inside the Comments Area.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
THHB Hawks Season Preview On The Bill Shanks Show
The Bill Shanks Show was very kind to host THHB for a Hawks Preview this afternoon. You can listen to the interview (if you can stomach it) below (2 parts)!
Part 1:
Part 2
Good luck getting to the game (or to your TV) for opening night and Let's Go Hawks!
Part 1:
Part 2
Good luck getting to the game (or to your TV) for opening night and Let's Go Hawks!
THHB Season Preview, Part Three: The Rest of the Story
We've tackled The Season and The Starters and now it's time for----the Rest of the Story.
We've been asked about the new depth the Hawks have and we have stated that, while yes it's nice to see familiar names and seemingly competent folks holding down the Six through Ten, it doesn't exactly mean the Hawks have the bench of say the Magic and/or Celtics, who just so happen to be the teams the Hawks should be aiming to chase down this season.
Let's take a look.
The Bench:
They Liked it So Much, They Bought the Company!
Making a summer long story shorter---the Hawks got great production out of Ronald "Flip" Murray last season, but it was only the third such season in RFM's well traveled career, making it very unlikely that he would repeat such production. The Hawks understood the value that RFM provided the team and figured they needed to ensure such levels of production needed to be secured for this follow up season.
The Hawks also entered the offseason without a signature of Mike Bibby's on a contract meaning that, should Bibby sign elsewhere, they could have been without a triggerman for their perimeter heavy offense.
Enter the deal for Jamal Crawford---a deal that fulfilled both insurance in case Bibby bolted and also a player who could likely match that production that RFM lent to last season's team.
Didn't really make that shorter, did we? Moving on---
Crawford's career numbers are, even on the low side, right at or above the season that RFM provided--so they have that going for them, which is nice. The cost of attaining such assurance, player-wise was insignificant: a finished Speedy Claxton and the disappointing/disliked (by Coach Woodson standards) Acie Law. The price tag (2 more years, 19 more million dollars), however, is what has raised some eyebrows around the Nest, given that with that contract the Hawks, even if Joe Johnson left this coming offseason, wouldn't have enough for a star level contract to replace him.
The question this season around this shall be: Was it worth that kind of commitment to hedge a Bibby bet and/or replace RFM (circa 2008-09)?
Crawford provides a terrific ability to score--so much so that he scared THHB every time he made a shot when he played against the Hawks, as if he was going to go nuclear and go on one of those runs that can paralyze an opponent. His defense had been much maligned everywhere he has gone, but none of those teams have seen the level of bad the Hawks have individually displayed on defense over the years--believe us America when we say: We can cope with it.
That Man's Money and He Doesn't Even Know It
We were very surprised that Zaza Pachulia took (4) years and (19) million dollars to resign with the Hawks. That the Cavaliers spent quite a bit more for a similar player in Anderson Varejao (6 and 50) and Marcin Gortat receiving a full MLE from the Magic should let Hawks fans know how much Zaza wanted to be a Hawk.
Every winning team seems to have a player like Zaza coming off the bench in the frontcourt.
He doesn't really have the ability to block a shot (no seriously, don't wait for any blocks unless Earl Boykins is driving and even then--he's more likely to get knocked down by Zaza than get his stuff thrown out of there.) and he won't be confused with Brad Miller in terms of passing the ball from the center position.
But what he does--oh, he does so well.
He provides precious extra possessions by his ability to offensively rebound.(Zaza was 7th in ORB% among players that played at least 15 mpg last season (basketball reference is king) ). He goes to the basket with reckless abandon---not with the intention of scoring necessarily, but with the intention of his version of a meet-and-greet in the lane, otherwise known as drawing contact. Pachulia's draw foul rate was far and away the best on the Hawks at (25.2) percent (82games.com is also king--remember--we're appeasers!).
He is also the type of annoying presence for the opposition that makes you love that he is on your team. THHB doesn't believe that he is insidious as some other goons might have been on other teams in the past---Zaza brings the nice guy demeanor to the "Screw You Guy" for the opposition to shout at.
No, That's Not a Pseudonym, His Name is Really Joe Smith
He was their big outside the roster free agent signing, and they got him for peanuts. THHB hopes it doesn't end up smelling like elephants.
Smith will provide a more seasoned upgrade for the minutes Solomon Jones logged last year, and if you were certain that Smith would be used more than Jones, then you're saying that he'll thief those minutes from Zaza, Al, or Josh---try that at your own (and the team's) risk.
Smith's playoff seasoning is really encompassed in the last (2) seasons he spent in Cleve-land. Smith provided the same sort of minutes we feel Woody will use Joe for here---a dependable big body off the bench, rather than the "I'm not ready" look that Jones often provided or the cavalcade of projects and D-leaguers the Hawks gave floor time to.
We would have preferred a more impact type role player, like say Drew Gooden, but if the goal was to upgrade the minutes from last season and replace one for one, then Smith (especially for the min price) was a good option. We would just caution not to expect much at all from this role.
In the NBA Draft, Even the Ushers Get the Guy They Really Wanted
Jeff Teague is fast. Maybe the fastest Hawk with the basketball since JT. What Teague does not have that Terry had like crazy is a drop dead jump shot. And in the Hawks stand, dribble, and shoot offense, that may not be such a good fit.
Teague has a nice feel for the ball and delivers it surprisingly well for a guy not even into the seasonal part of his rookie year, but to make the most out of his skill, the Hawks would have to allow him to penetrate and dish or get out on the break and run. Filling the "Mike Bibby" role in the offense does not play to Teague's strengths and would make for some frustrating outings for the young man.
Teague replaces Acie Law as the PG of the Future Du Jour--with an important advantage. Leading up to and through the draft, Hawks GM Rick Sund made it clear that Mike Woodson would have a good part in making this pick. Even on the night of the draft, there was Woodson in the war room, and afterwards Sund made it clear that this was a "team" pick, leaving Woody's fingerprints on the 19th pick. It behooves Woody to not bury Teague on the bench or make him play away from what he does best, so that may end up in the Hawks favor when it comes to the eventual production of this exciting young player.
You Got it Half Right---Which Means You Got it All Wrong
We never believed that Maurice Evans could replace the production of Josh Childress and the stats say it wasn't even close. Evans struggled through massive stretches of play with his outside shot, making the series of games he was hot moot by impact. The offensive rebounding and overall efficiency provided by Childress was missed off the bench and in the spots where Evans was forced to start (25 games last season).
Evans did however prove to be quite a leader and a steady voice of reason, but his play on the court was a little too shaky for a guy who logged over (1800) minutes for a playoff team.
Others Finished with (65) Percent of the Vote and Will Take Office in February.
Randolph Morris, Othello Hunter, and Jason Collins make up the rest of the roster, making the Hawks one of (4) teams to carry the league minimum of (13) players.
Morris is in the last year of a (2) year, minimum level contract and hasn't shown near enough to justify continuing the experiment to this point. He plays smaller than his height, but does have soft hands--it just doesn't amount to a lot on the basketball court at this point.
Hunter is an aggressive, always improving big man who wouldn't be so bad as the Hawks 5th big man, but that role has been given away to a Proven Veteran. Hunter still is very raw, but gives fans what they are looking for from a player so far down on a bench---hustle, aggressiveness, and obvious athleticism.
Collins is the Proven Veteran who will no doubt get the call if Al, Zaza, Josh, and Joe Smith are unable to return to the game. Collins once was an excellent defender but in recent years seems to have lost the fastball. We are interested to see what the big fella (and he does have some serious NBA size) can provide if pressed into duty, but we're getting the feeling that we don't wanna know.
To summarize: The Bench has improved, but one did not have to elevate to the levels of The Namesake to clear the bar set by the previous season's benches.
They're OK, and that is definitely an improvement.
We Watched (27) Minutes of Previews---When Does The Movie Start?!
We've said our peace, now we're ready for the home team to prove us wrong (unbloody likely with our talented scouts and mathematicians on staff here). GameTime is Tomorrow Night---A Home game even!
THHB will appear on The Bill Shanks Show this (Wednesday) afternoon @ 5pm EST (click the link for the live stream if you want to listen in) to talk about the season, players, and all other things Hawks. In other words, just what you have read for the last three days---but in audio form! Seriously, tune in to Bill's show as he actually hosts a show in Georgia that gives a darn about the Hawks and will talk knowledgeably about them .
THHB is amped for the new season. That is all.
We've been asked about the new depth the Hawks have and we have stated that, while yes it's nice to see familiar names and seemingly competent folks holding down the Six through Ten, it doesn't exactly mean the Hawks have the bench of say the Magic and/or Celtics, who just so happen to be the teams the Hawks should be aiming to chase down this season.
Let's take a look.
The Bench:
They Liked it So Much, They Bought the Company!
Making a summer long story shorter---the Hawks got great production out of Ronald "Flip" Murray last season, but it was only the third such season in RFM's well traveled career, making it very unlikely that he would repeat such production. The Hawks understood the value that RFM provided the team and figured they needed to ensure such levels of production needed to be secured for this follow up season.
The Hawks also entered the offseason without a signature of Mike Bibby's on a contract meaning that, should Bibby sign elsewhere, they could have been without a triggerman for their perimeter heavy offense.
Enter the deal for Jamal Crawford---a deal that fulfilled both insurance in case Bibby bolted and also a player who could likely match that production that RFM lent to last season's team.
Didn't really make that shorter, did we? Moving on---
Crawford's career numbers are, even on the low side, right at or above the season that RFM provided--so they have that going for them, which is nice. The cost of attaining such assurance, player-wise was insignificant: a finished Speedy Claxton and the disappointing/disliked (by Coach Woodson standards) Acie Law. The price tag (2 more years, 19 more million dollars), however, is what has raised some eyebrows around the Nest, given that with that contract the Hawks, even if Joe Johnson left this coming offseason, wouldn't have enough for a star level contract to replace him.
The question this season around this shall be: Was it worth that kind of commitment to hedge a Bibby bet and/or replace RFM (circa 2008-09)?
Crawford provides a terrific ability to score--so much so that he scared THHB every time he made a shot when he played against the Hawks, as if he was going to go nuclear and go on one of those runs that can paralyze an opponent. His defense had been much maligned everywhere he has gone, but none of those teams have seen the level of bad the Hawks have individually displayed on defense over the years--believe us America when we say: We can cope with it.
That Man's Money and He Doesn't Even Know It
We were very surprised that Zaza Pachulia took (4) years and (19) million dollars to resign with the Hawks. That the Cavaliers spent quite a bit more for a similar player in Anderson Varejao (6 and 50) and Marcin Gortat receiving a full MLE from the Magic should let Hawks fans know how much Zaza wanted to be a Hawk.
Every winning team seems to have a player like Zaza coming off the bench in the frontcourt.
He doesn't really have the ability to block a shot (no seriously, don't wait for any blocks unless Earl Boykins is driving and even then--he's more likely to get knocked down by Zaza than get his stuff thrown out of there.) and he won't be confused with Brad Miller in terms of passing the ball from the center position.
But what he does--oh, he does so well.
He provides precious extra possessions by his ability to offensively rebound.(Zaza was 7th in ORB% among players that played at least 15 mpg last season (basketball reference is king) ). He goes to the basket with reckless abandon---not with the intention of scoring necessarily, but with the intention of his version of a meet-and-greet in the lane, otherwise known as drawing contact. Pachulia's draw foul rate was far and away the best on the Hawks at (25.2) percent (82games.com is also king--remember--we're appeasers!).
He is also the type of annoying presence for the opposition that makes you love that he is on your team. THHB doesn't believe that he is insidious as some other goons might have been on other teams in the past---Zaza brings the nice guy demeanor to the "Screw You Guy" for the opposition to shout at.
No, That's Not a Pseudonym, His Name is Really Joe Smith
He was their big outside the roster free agent signing, and they got him for peanuts. THHB hopes it doesn't end up smelling like elephants.
Smith will provide a more seasoned upgrade for the minutes Solomon Jones logged last year, and if you were certain that Smith would be used more than Jones, then you're saying that he'll thief those minutes from Zaza, Al, or Josh---try that at your own (and the team's) risk.
Smith's playoff seasoning is really encompassed in the last (2) seasons he spent in Cleve-land. Smith provided the same sort of minutes we feel Woody will use Joe for here---a dependable big body off the bench, rather than the "I'm not ready" look that Jones often provided or the cavalcade of projects and D-leaguers the Hawks gave floor time to.
We would have preferred a more impact type role player, like say Drew Gooden, but if the goal was to upgrade the minutes from last season and replace one for one, then Smith (especially for the min price) was a good option. We would just caution not to expect much at all from this role.
In the NBA Draft, Even the Ushers Get the Guy They Really Wanted
Jeff Teague is fast. Maybe the fastest Hawk with the basketball since JT. What Teague does not have that Terry had like crazy is a drop dead jump shot. And in the Hawks stand, dribble, and shoot offense, that may not be such a good fit.
Teague has a nice feel for the ball and delivers it surprisingly well for a guy not even into the seasonal part of his rookie year, but to make the most out of his skill, the Hawks would have to allow him to penetrate and dish or get out on the break and run. Filling the "Mike Bibby" role in the offense does not play to Teague's strengths and would make for some frustrating outings for the young man.
Teague replaces Acie Law as the PG of the Future Du Jour--with an important advantage. Leading up to and through the draft, Hawks GM Rick Sund made it clear that Mike Woodson would have a good part in making this pick. Even on the night of the draft, there was Woodson in the war room, and afterwards Sund made it clear that this was a "team" pick, leaving Woody's fingerprints on the 19th pick. It behooves Woody to not bury Teague on the bench or make him play away from what he does best, so that may end up in the Hawks favor when it comes to the eventual production of this exciting young player.
You Got it Half Right---Which Means You Got it All Wrong
We never believed that Maurice Evans could replace the production of Josh Childress and the stats say it wasn't even close. Evans struggled through massive stretches of play with his outside shot, making the series of games he was hot moot by impact. The offensive rebounding and overall efficiency provided by Childress was missed off the bench and in the spots where Evans was forced to start (25 games last season).
Evans did however prove to be quite a leader and a steady voice of reason, but his play on the court was a little too shaky for a guy who logged over (1800) minutes for a playoff team.
Others Finished with (65) Percent of the Vote and Will Take Office in February.
Randolph Morris, Othello Hunter, and Jason Collins make up the rest of the roster, making the Hawks one of (4) teams to carry the league minimum of (13) players.
Morris is in the last year of a (2) year, minimum level contract and hasn't shown near enough to justify continuing the experiment to this point. He plays smaller than his height, but does have soft hands--it just doesn't amount to a lot on the basketball court at this point.
Hunter is an aggressive, always improving big man who wouldn't be so bad as the Hawks 5th big man, but that role has been given away to a Proven Veteran. Hunter still is very raw, but gives fans what they are looking for from a player so far down on a bench---hustle, aggressiveness, and obvious athleticism.
Collins is the Proven Veteran who will no doubt get the call if Al, Zaza, Josh, and Joe Smith are unable to return to the game. Collins once was an excellent defender but in recent years seems to have lost the fastball. We are interested to see what the big fella (and he does have some serious NBA size) can provide if pressed into duty, but we're getting the feeling that we don't wanna know.
To summarize: The Bench has improved, but one did not have to elevate to the levels of The Namesake to clear the bar set by the previous season's benches.
They're OK, and that is definitely an improvement.
We Watched (27) Minutes of Previews---When Does The Movie Start?!
We've said our peace, now we're ready for the home team to prove us wrong (unbloody likely with our talented scouts and mathematicians on staff here). GameTime is Tomorrow Night---A Home game even!
THHB will appear on The Bill Shanks Show this (Wednesday) afternoon @ 5pm EST (click the link for the live stream if you want to listen in) to talk about the season, players, and all other things Hawks. In other words, just what you have read for the last three days---but in audio form! Seriously, tune in to Bill's show as he actually hosts a show in Georgia that gives a darn about the Hawks and will talk knowledgeably about them .
THHB is amped for the new season. That is all.
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