Here at THHB, there is much to celebrate--let us count the ways.
We Celebrate....
First, obviously, a massive ball sharing experiment that left the Toronto Raptors lying in a pathetic mess on the Philips Arena floor. This ball sharing episode led to (37) assists and put (9) players in double figures, something that hasn't happened to the Hawks since 1987--leading to a 146-115 blowout Wednesday night.
The absolute dominance of Al Horford. Chris Bosh is going to get a lot of money next summer when he becomes a free agent--and rightfully so. Horford made Bosh disappear by backing him down relentlessly and scoring and then smothering him on the defensive end as well, holding the all-star to (2) points for the entire game. Horford did what All-Star big men are supposed to do, dominate the game physically and get the other team's bigs into foul trouble. He also turned on the jets in transition and blistered Toronto repeatedly on his way to (24) points on (12) shots.
The presence of a competent NBA bench. Joe Smith may not get more minutes than Solomon Jones did last season, and we can debate the relevance of such a role on the team, but there is no arguing that Smith provides what we in the technical labs of THHB call "oodles" more than Jones may ever hope to acheive on a basketball floor. Yes, the Raptors were lost defensively---but Smith unleashed a variety of offensive scores and used his length very well in his (12) point, (5) rebound showing. Toss in the play of Jamal Crawford (16) and Zaza Pachulia (11) and you have quite the talent stew brewing off the bench.
We celebrate Jeff Teague seperately because he is what the Hawks haven't had at the point since Mookie Blaylock played golf in the ATL---a fast, quick handed point who can distribute efficiently and score. Teague is what old time scouts would call "sudden" on the floor. He looks calm and still and then---wham---he bursts with quickness to the basket or steals the ball and away we go. Where his ceiling is in unclear at this point, but one of the silver linings in a very golden cloud last night was that Teague had (22) minutes to do his thing and it was good.
The outside shooting of Mike Bibby. Who would guess that Bibby would have been perfect last night, if not for a dead ball free throw miss (4-4, 4-4, 0-1, 12 points, 5 assists, 22 minutes)? Among the Raptors many boo-boos defensively last night was leaving the Hawks point guard wide open with little attempt to deter.
The return this season of the shot blocking Josh Smith. We noted often last season that something was amiss from Smith in terms of shot deterrence and seeing him in full throttle shot denial this season underscores that even more. When he is active on that end, it wreaks havoc inside for teams--and good things follow for the Hawks.
The wonderfulness that is team rebounding. Here is where the Hawks have to look every game as a key to victory. If they protect the boards, with their offensive talent, they will end up winning. The Hawks failed to do this against Detroit and paid a heavy price at both ends. In their losses in general this is the case. Failure to stop defensively has led to stale offensive possessions and the cycle feeds itself constantly until the final buzzer. In this game, the Hawks outrebounded Toronto 51-29 and displayed a dedication to crashing the boards---from Marvin Williams all the way down to Randolph Morris.
The embracing of ball movement in this game was wonderful. Penetration, pass, pass again, drive, pass, score was in full effect in this blowout. Since this is not the first game that Hawks have had success not dribbling a hole in the floor every time down THHB asks why the team fails to make this their own personal basketball theme in every game?
Some of it is leadership--in that the biggest culprit is Joe Johnson--the supposed leader of this club. It was Johnson who in this game ground the team to a halt once again in the first quarter when he inexplicably took a quick 3pt shot (defended, mind you) when the team was killing the Raptors early inside. For someone who decries selfish play, this move by a leader of the team was perplexing. Taking a cue from Johnson, the team temporarily suspended ball movement for the jump shot fever. It was the only time that Toronto was in the game.
At the same time we celebrate all the positives of Johnson's game--of which there is much to shout about. (12) points, (6) rebounds and (11) assists in a mere (26) minutes shows that his temporary lapse of reason offensively was just that--for this night. Joe doesn't need to do this all by himself--even if at times he may want to.
Finally, we celebrate what this team can be when it's all going the right way--and it most certainly was Wednesday night. We hope they internalize how easy games are when you apply to knockout punch early (when it presents itself) and can get needed playoff rest late in the game. This team has all the talent to go far into the playoffs---only its own boundaries presented by their defensive rebounding and offensive ball movement prevent them from realizing their full potential on given nights.
Mike Bibby, Joe Johnson, Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford, Jamal Crawford, Zaza Pachulia, Joe Smith, Jeff Teague, Maurice Evans, Randolph Morris--take a bow--we celebrate you today.
THHB appreciates that the Raptors and Hawks joined us in celebrating the birthday week of this blog's founder (December 4th). A finer present could not have been offered. Fruit cakes and gag gifts can be left gift-wrapped in the Comments Area.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Friday, November 27, 2009
Fifty-Four, Twenty-Five
First of all--Happy Thanksgiving. And we mean that.
Now, if you want to know about the game tonight, then 54-25. That's all you need to know.
54-25 was the score of the second half of the 93-76 home embarrassment on Thanksgiving night, courtesy of the can't-beat-em-or-join-em Orlando Magic.
54-25 represented the worst of what this team can be. It was an accumulation of errors and poor play that turned an energetic, hard working team in one half into a lost, clueless bunch in the other.
What 54-25 displayed was a turn in the game on the Orlando offensive end, as the Magic stopped settling for outside shots and blasted a hole into the lane and creating shots and second chance opportunities that were not there in the first half. Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and even Rashard Lewis came out banging and stunned the Hawks into submission. That frontcourt outscored the Hawks 57-22 for the game.
This led to a deterioration of shot selection on the Hawks end, as the inability to keep Orlando out of the hoop in the second half led to more time to settle in defensively for Orlando on the other end and much, much harder shots for the Hawks. In the first half, some outside shots were falling, which probably gave the hosts a significantly false sense of security as they tried to shoot their way out of the slump and instead lost more energy and momentum in the process.
54-25 showed the Hawks that they can't be so careless with possessions as they have been in previous seasons. Too many good opportunities were there for the Hawks in the first half that were frittered away by needlessly flippant passes. As the Magic battened down the hatches in the second half, the Hawks probably would have liked to have had a few of those ops back.
As the Hawks settled in for a parade of one-on-one possessions and eschewing most of what had led them to a double-digit halftime lead to begin with, they also lost the energy that permeated their production in that half.
That the Hawks shot a shockingly low (7) free throws serves to underline the passive nature of the team. There was hardly any movement, any drive/kick out and reversal of the floor to create space, any semblance of a team approach to the offensive end of the floor and the results grimly portrayed the effect of such play.
Side Bets
Kenny Smith of TNT at halftime spent the majority of his take lauding the team offensive approach the Hawks used in the first half, saying that they "finally had an offense". He took the time to show that the number of passes exceeded the number of dribbles in most possessions. Somethings tells THHB that the Hawks failed that particular litmus test of offensive prowess in the second half. Just guessing.
Smith noted that the Hawks hadn't been on national TV on a holiday in part to their lack of approach on the offensive end. If that truly is the standard of excellence by which teams are placed on that network, then Atlanta's second half performance may have exiled the team for quite a while--at the very least it showed that they are only half ready for such a forum.
While we're on the TNT telecast, we have to say that they can keep the Birds on NBATV or whoever versus having Dick Stockton do anymore Hawks telecasts. Stockton is a legend, but he is approximately (27) steps too slow in his calling of the game or even the in-game, ready-made graphics that require a peppy narration. It hinders the enjoyment of the telecast when two guys can't keep up with the flow of the game.
A-T-L A-O-K
We liked the new jerseys--and it's a shame that they couldn't be worn in a more celebratory manner. With Josh Smith and Al Horford flying and dunking in the first half, it looked like the ATL alternatives would be winners---Now, they are just as dastardly as the ill-fated McDonald's jerseys which when worn brought not-too-much success as well.
The team was sloppy, but aggressive and took care of the defensive end which allowed the Birds to get out to that (12) point halftime lead. But when the Magic adjusted with an aggressive attack inside on the Hawks, the team went into the collective fetal position and never recovered.
It showed how strong and weak the team can be---all in a (48) minute span.
THHB ignored Coach Woodson's warning about the effects of a heavy meal before the game. Demerits and other penalties can be assessed in the Comments Area.
Now, if you want to know about the game tonight, then 54-25. That's all you need to know.
54-25 was the score of the second half of the 93-76 home embarrassment on Thanksgiving night, courtesy of the can't-beat-em-or-join-em Orlando Magic.
54-25 represented the worst of what this team can be. It was an accumulation of errors and poor play that turned an energetic, hard working team in one half into a lost, clueless bunch in the other.
What 54-25 displayed was a turn in the game on the Orlando offensive end, as the Magic stopped settling for outside shots and blasted a hole into the lane and creating shots and second chance opportunities that were not there in the first half. Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, and even Rashard Lewis came out banging and stunned the Hawks into submission. That frontcourt outscored the Hawks 57-22 for the game.
This led to a deterioration of shot selection on the Hawks end, as the inability to keep Orlando out of the hoop in the second half led to more time to settle in defensively for Orlando on the other end and much, much harder shots for the Hawks. In the first half, some outside shots were falling, which probably gave the hosts a significantly false sense of security as they tried to shoot their way out of the slump and instead lost more energy and momentum in the process.
54-25 showed the Hawks that they can't be so careless with possessions as they have been in previous seasons. Too many good opportunities were there for the Hawks in the first half that were frittered away by needlessly flippant passes. As the Magic battened down the hatches in the second half, the Hawks probably would have liked to have had a few of those ops back.
As the Hawks settled in for a parade of one-on-one possessions and eschewing most of what had led them to a double-digit halftime lead to begin with, they also lost the energy that permeated their production in that half.
That the Hawks shot a shockingly low (7) free throws serves to underline the passive nature of the team. There was hardly any movement, any drive/kick out and reversal of the floor to create space, any semblance of a team approach to the offensive end of the floor and the results grimly portrayed the effect of such play.
Side Bets
Kenny Smith of TNT at halftime spent the majority of his take lauding the team offensive approach the Hawks used in the first half, saying that they "finally had an offense". He took the time to show that the number of passes exceeded the number of dribbles in most possessions. Somethings tells THHB that the Hawks failed that particular litmus test of offensive prowess in the second half. Just guessing.
Smith noted that the Hawks hadn't been on national TV on a holiday in part to their lack of approach on the offensive end. If that truly is the standard of excellence by which teams are placed on that network, then Atlanta's second half performance may have exiled the team for quite a while--at the very least it showed that they are only half ready for such a forum.
While we're on the TNT telecast, we have to say that they can keep the Birds on NBATV or whoever versus having Dick Stockton do anymore Hawks telecasts. Stockton is a legend, but he is approximately (27) steps too slow in his calling of the game or even the in-game, ready-made graphics that require a peppy narration. It hinders the enjoyment of the telecast when two guys can't keep up with the flow of the game.
A-T-L A-O-K
We liked the new jerseys--and it's a shame that they couldn't be worn in a more celebratory manner. With Josh Smith and Al Horford flying and dunking in the first half, it looked like the ATL alternatives would be winners---Now, they are just as dastardly as the ill-fated McDonald's jerseys which when worn brought not-too-much success as well.
The team was sloppy, but aggressive and took care of the defensive end which allowed the Birds to get out to that (12) point halftime lead. But when the Magic adjusted with an aggressive attack inside on the Hawks, the team went into the collective fetal position and never recovered.
It showed how strong and weak the team can be---all in a (48) minute span.
THHB ignored Coach Woodson's warning about the effects of a heavy meal before the game. Demerits and other penalties can be assessed in the Comments Area.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Bursting Bubbles
Funny thing about winning streaks, especially one like the Atlanta Hawks have been on lately, is that you can never see them coming to an end.
Logically, THHB could never see any scenario where the club would finish 80-2, but we were well into the streak enough to lose track of how they can lose a game. After all, it hasn't exactly been precision playmaking at every part of every game that had gotten the Hawks to that point--so what kind of combination could?
Well, as the New Orleans Hornets showed (rather rudely we'll add--play like you want to win---harrumph to that) if you play with a lot of hunger and hit all your outside shots while the Hawks can't even finish a layup--hey, you may be in the business of a regular season upset.
The Hawks started the game 10-2 and then stopped doing anything consistently enough to stop the Three Train from the Hornets. New Orleans hit a ghastly 12-17 of their longer range attempts--some of them wide open/some not---while the Hawks hit only 4 of 22.
When the shots stopped falling from the outside, the Birds headed inside--and found little relief. Layups, missed runners, nothing was going in. Soon the Hawks started standing around wondering if anyone was going to be able to make a basket.
From there on the Hornets had the Good Night mojo and the Hawks were never able to wrestle that away from at any point the rest of the way. The Hawks would make an aggressive move on the offensive boards (where they scored 20 of those jobbies) but would miss the shot somehow only to see the Hornets whizzing by on the way to the hoop for a score of their own. Nice.
Hoopinion favorite Darren Collison had himself a tasty night and Marcus Thornton did the same as they attacked the Hawks all night. It was not a good night to compare the Hawks draft selection to those two, as Jeff Teague barely got off the bench and was invisible in comparison to the Hornets productive duo.
So the seven game win streak (remarkable in itself that the fact that it was a seven game win streak barely registered here) is over, as a 96-88 loss concludes, but we're willing to chalk it up as one of those nights---as if we could remember what those were.
What We Liked
When someone is dropping (4) 3pt anvils on your squad in the first quarter, there isn't much to smile about. (Hey, by the way, a big thank you to Tim Floyd for "advising" to get Peja Stojakovic off the floor when he couldn't have missed from the street.) But we have to say that despite Peja killing the Hawks with those bombs, the sight of the three Pejas-on-a-stick (shown after every three) across the bottom of the screen were worth noting for its entertainment value.
When are we going to see Peachtree Hoops fire up a picture of Marvin Williams in his "bench wear" collection? Maybe we've just been missing the boat (plenty of those missed in our careers) before tonight but the shots of Marvin in full "sealed for freshness" mode on the bench made us say "Nerd Alert!" Come on, PH, there's humor in that thar get-up, eh?
We liked that Josh Smith stayed active to the hoop, and continues to draw fouls (leads the team in draw foul rate). We saw in this game, however, that he was teetering a bit--couldn't resist launching more bad shots--yelping at the officials--more out of control than in the first dozen or so games. Stay in the light, Josh, stay in the light.
We like that it's clear Mike Bibby still has value---as his departure after landing on Collison's foot (5) minutes into the game showed that, while Jamal Crawford can score, score, score, Bibby is the point guard for this team and his presence was missed as the Hawks attempted to get back in front.
Most of all, we like that we are off until Thanksgiving Day, when we will gather together and break bread for the traditional Turkey Day game on TNT featuring the Hawks. Wait, what? Orlando v. Atlanta at 8pm EST on TNT to cap off a day of feasting for THHB team?
Oh yes--we like.
THHB wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Cooking ideas and broken streaks can be left in the Comments Area.
Logically, THHB could never see any scenario where the club would finish 80-2, but we were well into the streak enough to lose track of how they can lose a game. After all, it hasn't exactly been precision playmaking at every part of every game that had gotten the Hawks to that point--so what kind of combination could?
Well, as the New Orleans Hornets showed (rather rudely we'll add--play like you want to win---harrumph to that) if you play with a lot of hunger and hit all your outside shots while the Hawks can't even finish a layup--hey, you may be in the business of a regular season upset.
The Hawks started the game 10-2 and then stopped doing anything consistently enough to stop the Three Train from the Hornets. New Orleans hit a ghastly 12-17 of their longer range attempts--some of them wide open/some not---while the Hawks hit only 4 of 22.
When the shots stopped falling from the outside, the Birds headed inside--and found little relief. Layups, missed runners, nothing was going in. Soon the Hawks started standing around wondering if anyone was going to be able to make a basket.
From there on the Hornets had the Good Night mojo and the Hawks were never able to wrestle that away from at any point the rest of the way. The Hawks would make an aggressive move on the offensive boards (where they scored 20 of those jobbies) but would miss the shot somehow only to see the Hornets whizzing by on the way to the hoop for a score of their own. Nice.
Hoopinion favorite Darren Collison had himself a tasty night and Marcus Thornton did the same as they attacked the Hawks all night. It was not a good night to compare the Hawks draft selection to those two, as Jeff Teague barely got off the bench and was invisible in comparison to the Hornets productive duo.
So the seven game win streak (remarkable in itself that the fact that it was a seven game win streak barely registered here) is over, as a 96-88 loss concludes, but we're willing to chalk it up as one of those nights---as if we could remember what those were.
What We Liked
When someone is dropping (4) 3pt anvils on your squad in the first quarter, there isn't much to smile about. (Hey, by the way, a big thank you to Tim Floyd for "advising" to get Peja Stojakovic off the floor when he couldn't have missed from the street.) But we have to say that despite Peja killing the Hawks with those bombs, the sight of the three Pejas-on-a-stick (shown after every three) across the bottom of the screen were worth noting for its entertainment value.
When are we going to see Peachtree Hoops fire up a picture of Marvin Williams in his "bench wear" collection? Maybe we've just been missing the boat (plenty of those missed in our careers) before tonight but the shots of Marvin in full "sealed for freshness" mode on the bench made us say "Nerd Alert!" Come on, PH, there's humor in that thar get-up, eh?
We liked that Josh Smith stayed active to the hoop, and continues to draw fouls (leads the team in draw foul rate). We saw in this game, however, that he was teetering a bit--couldn't resist launching more bad shots--yelping at the officials--more out of control than in the first dozen or so games. Stay in the light, Josh, stay in the light.
We like that it's clear Mike Bibby still has value---as his departure after landing on Collison's foot (5) minutes into the game showed that, while Jamal Crawford can score, score, score, Bibby is the point guard for this team and his presence was missed as the Hawks attempted to get back in front.
Most of all, we like that we are off until Thanksgiving Day, when we will gather together and break bread for the traditional Turkey Day game on TNT featuring the Hawks. Wait, what? Orlando v. Atlanta at 8pm EST on TNT to cap off a day of feasting for THHB team?
Oh yes--we like.
THHB wishes everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Cooking ideas and broken streaks can be left in the Comments Area.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
It Ain't Over Until Billy Ocean Sings
It could have been over when...
...Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady was unavailable for the Houston Rockets.
...the Hawks won the opening tip and (6) seconds later was watching Josh Smith jam-in an alley-oop.
...Marvin Williams scored (13) first quarter points.
...Jamal Crawford hit a three and the Hawks started moving away late in the first half
...Marvin hit a three at the end of the first half, capping a (20) point half.
...the Hawks finished off a sluggish third quarter by actually extending the lead to (5) after Zaza Pachulia's third block of the game.
...Marvin grabbed his fifth offensive rebound of the night--doing so while he flew in from the baseline and slammed home an errant Joe Johnson fall-away--finishing off his (29) point night.
...Horford was rewarded for running the floor and slamming a charitable Joe Johnson fast break pass.
...Crawford cashed in another Johnson assist (he did have nine of them) for a three pointer that stretched the Hawks fourth quarter lead to (10) with just under two minutes left in the game.
...the Hawks blocked (11) shots to the Rockets (0) and outshot the visitors 50-43 percent and 8-20 vs 7-22 from 3-pt range.
It could have been over---but it wasn't.
No, the game was only over when Josh, shackled by foul trouble and likely only on the court because of Horford's foul disqualification seconds earlier, saw a Mike Bibby missed jumper come right to the front of the rim. In seeing it, Smith instinctively guided the ball to its home through the net with (7/10) of a second left on the clock. The timely eighth and ninth points of Smith's night ensured there would be no overtime in the Highlight Factory and the Hawks a 105-103 win over the Houston Rockets.
Why was it close?
The Rockets, even without their All-Star injuries, are a pain in what the kids near THHB call "the derriere". (Well, THHB main offices are on a unique block--don't hate.)
They play energetic, physical, and give you nothing easy. At times in the game tonight, it looked like the entire roster was under the basket at both ends. Such presence led to a mind boggling (20) offensive rebounds and a whopping 52-40 advantage in points in the paint. Outshooting your opponent means little when they can simply collect the change and stick it in the toll.
Trevor Ariza made life somewhat more difficult for Joe, who had a 6-18 shooting night when he wasn't helping others score. Josh had trouble inside too--as the Rockets had made it clear the Hawks would have to find other ways to win other than simply driving into the paint.
The difference maker for the Birds was the inspiring play of Williams, who simply blew up as the Hawks made sure they made good on the old Mike Glenn adage "Feed Him and Fan Him". Marvin played some Stacheketball on the Rockets--taking it inside, hitting effortlessly from the outside, and making that oh-so-sweet putback late in the game that looked like it might deflate the Rockets for good.
It didn't, but on a night where the Hawks were like a pitcher that should have been knocked out in the third inning because they didn't have their best stuff, they stayed with it and outlasted a well coached Rockets team--like good teams do.
...Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady was unavailable for the Houston Rockets.
...the Hawks won the opening tip and (6) seconds later was watching Josh Smith jam-in an alley-oop.
...Marvin Williams scored (13) first quarter points.
...Jamal Crawford hit a three and the Hawks started moving away late in the first half
...Marvin hit a three at the end of the first half, capping a (20) point half.
...the Hawks finished off a sluggish third quarter by actually extending the lead to (5) after Zaza Pachulia's third block of the game.
...Marvin grabbed his fifth offensive rebound of the night--doing so while he flew in from the baseline and slammed home an errant Joe Johnson fall-away--finishing off his (29) point night.
...Horford was rewarded for running the floor and slamming a charitable Joe Johnson fast break pass.
...Crawford cashed in another Johnson assist (he did have nine of them) for a three pointer that stretched the Hawks fourth quarter lead to (10) with just under two minutes left in the game.
...the Hawks blocked (11) shots to the Rockets (0) and outshot the visitors 50-43 percent and 8-20 vs 7-22 from 3-pt range.
It could have been over---but it wasn't.
No, the game was only over when Josh, shackled by foul trouble and likely only on the court because of Horford's foul disqualification seconds earlier, saw a Mike Bibby missed jumper come right to the front of the rim. In seeing it, Smith instinctively guided the ball to its home through the net with (7/10) of a second left on the clock. The timely eighth and ninth points of Smith's night ensured there would be no overtime in the Highlight Factory and the Hawks a 105-103 win over the Houston Rockets.
Why was it close?
The Rockets, even without their All-Star injuries, are a pain in what the kids near THHB call "the derriere". (Well, THHB main offices are on a unique block--don't hate.)
They play energetic, physical, and give you nothing easy. At times in the game tonight, it looked like the entire roster was under the basket at both ends. Such presence led to a mind boggling (20) offensive rebounds and a whopping 52-40 advantage in points in the paint. Outshooting your opponent means little when they can simply collect the change and stick it in the toll.
Trevor Ariza made life somewhat more difficult for Joe, who had a 6-18 shooting night when he wasn't helping others score. Josh had trouble inside too--as the Rockets had made it clear the Hawks would have to find other ways to win other than simply driving into the paint.
The difference maker for the Birds was the inspiring play of Williams, who simply blew up as the Hawks made sure they made good on the old Mike Glenn adage "Feed Him and Fan Him". Marvin played some Stacheketball on the Rockets--taking it inside, hitting effortlessly from the outside, and making that oh-so-sweet putback late in the game that looked like it might deflate the Rockets for good.
It didn't, but on a night where the Hawks were like a pitcher that should have been knocked out in the third inning because they didn't have their best stuff, they stayed with it and outlasted a well coached Rockets team--like good teams do.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Making A List, Checking it Ten Times (So Far)
Going into Wednesday night's divisional tilt against last year's first round nemesis, the Miami Heat, the Hawks showed the East's best record at 9-2. To post such a mark the Birds have been following a winning formula, one they wished to continue to use to add yet another win to the ledger.
How did the Hawks do? Let's check the recipe.
I Was Told There Would Be No Math
(Color Key: Green means Good, Red means Bad)
1. Take care of the defensive glass.
Both Josh Smith and Al Horford hit the glass for double digit rebounds to win the battle of the boards for the Hawks---and while the Heat ended the game with (9) offensive rebounds, two of those came late after the game was no longer in doubt.
Smith has (47) rebounds in his last three games, the most in any (3) game stretch in his career. Yummy.
In addition to Smith's (14) rebounds, Smith had (7) assists, (2) blocks, and a pair of steals. Oh, he scored (16) points as well and despite getting attacked inside every time he got in the paint, he maintained good control and was still able to finish showing patience inside.
Defensively Smith was active and aggressive going after many shots. We have to believe now that last year's dip in blocked shot percentage was significantly impacted by his early season injury. In the game tonight, Smith made a great athletic play as he stuffed a Jermaine O'Neal layup attempt, took the ball down the court and when he found little resistance, he finished the break with his right hand on a layup. Splendid.
He did teeter at times however, getting a technical foul over a call he felt he didn't get and attempting a couple of insane passes. But in total it was a Josh Smith performance that one might hope (pray) be called typical at some point this season.
3. Use Joe Johnson to lock down the other team's best perimeter player.
The difference between Johnson and other team's best players is that Joe is often used in exactly this capacity. Dwyane Wade entered Philips Arena with a 23-game streak of scoring (20) or more points. Wade left sporting a 6 for 18 night and a broken streak, mainly due to a steady diet of "uh-uh" from Joe and constant attention from Joe's teammates.
Wade was never a positive factor in the game and though he leads the league in free throws attempted per game (12.5), he shot a mere (2) for the whole game. This was due in part to Joe's ability to stay in front of Wade and the Hawks' strategy of getting the ball out of his hands quickly by sending solicitors to Wade's dribbling door. Out of sync and unable to get inside, Wade stayed around the perimeter and therefore also off the free throw line.
Johnson became the 6th player in (11) games to score over (30) points against Miami, using an 11-21/5-11 game to do it. Whereas Johnson covered Wade like a blanket, Joe found himself way more open than a shooter of his caliber should be, assisting his efficient shooting night.
5. Get a lot of points in the paint.
The Hawks scored a strong amount of points inside, despite the Heat collapsing inside on many occasions to keep Smith and Horford from easy hoops. The Hawks ended with (44) points in the paint and while that below their raw number average (54), it was enough to be able to play inside-out basketball very well to which the team's 8-20 three point shooting can attest.
Horford, Smith, and Marvin Williams all collected 3+ offensive rebounds, helping improve the PIP number. Williams sported another negative +/- night, but showed signs of life by being active inside--finishing with a season high (14) points.
The Hawks came into the game 3rd in raw turnovers per game and also 3rd in turnover %. Eight turnovers later the Hawks showed themselves again what can be accomplished by not wasting possessions.
Tell Us We're Not Dreaming
With all the boxes checked, and in spite of a (21) point game for Michael Beasley and a 9-21 game in 3-pointers for Miami, the Hawks fairly easily dispatched the Heat 105-90.
With their current approach, the team is rolling right now, earning a lot of respect and adulation in the tiny NBA world---all without a "superstar" to spotlight.
10-2, atop the NBA, and near the top of every meaningful NBA category, the Hawks have relevance in a way they haven't enjoyed since the 11-0 start of 97-98 season, which happens to be the last time the Hawks won (50) games in a season.
But while they are enjoying similar statistical glory as their 90's brethren, this team is doing it in a much more exciting manner. Where the Lenny Wilkens coached teams won, their style was rather bland and garnered little enthusiasm (in context---we realize it's better than losing. Really. We know.). This team, especially when the wheels are rolling, is exciting to watch on both ends, due to the athleticism of Horford and Smith and the precision and timely shooting of The Backcourt.
If they keep on keeping on and remember the things that they are doing that is allowing this terrific run, and keep their heads on straight when teams adjust or throw odd things at them to slow them down, they will be following their checklist right on into the postseason.
THHB marvels at how strong the team looks. Pinching and other forms of dream-checking are allowed--but only in the Comments Area.
How did the Hawks do? Let's check the recipe.
I Was Told There Would Be No Math
(Color Key: Green means Good, Red means Bad)
1. Take care of the defensive glass.
Both Josh Smith and Al Horford hit the glass for double digit rebounds to win the battle of the boards for the Hawks---and while the Heat ended the game with (9) offensive rebounds, two of those came late after the game was no longer in doubt.
Smith has (47) rebounds in his last three games, the most in any (3) game stretch in his career. Yummy.
2. Josh Smith stays true to his new found form (active, aggressive, under control).
In addition to Smith's (14) rebounds, Smith had (7) assists, (2) blocks, and a pair of steals. Oh, he scored (16) points as well and despite getting attacked inside every time he got in the paint, he maintained good control and was still able to finish showing patience inside.
Defensively Smith was active and aggressive going after many shots. We have to believe now that last year's dip in blocked shot percentage was significantly impacted by his early season injury. In the game tonight, Smith made a great athletic play as he stuffed a Jermaine O'Neal layup attempt, took the ball down the court and when he found little resistance, he finished the break with his right hand on a layup. Splendid.
He did teeter at times however, getting a technical foul over a call he felt he didn't get and attempting a couple of insane passes. But in total it was a Josh Smith performance that one might hope (pray) be called typical at some point this season.
3. Use Joe Johnson to lock down the other team's best perimeter player.
The difference between Johnson and other team's best players is that Joe is often used in exactly this capacity. Dwyane Wade entered Philips Arena with a 23-game streak of scoring (20) or more points. Wade left sporting a 6 for 18 night and a broken streak, mainly due to a steady diet of "uh-uh" from Joe and constant attention from Joe's teammates.
Wade was never a positive factor in the game and though he leads the league in free throws attempted per game (12.5), he shot a mere (2) for the whole game. This was due in part to Joe's ability to stay in front of Wade and the Hawks' strategy of getting the ball out of his hands quickly by sending solicitors to Wade's dribbling door. Out of sync and unable to get inside, Wade stayed around the perimeter and therefore also off the free throw line.
4. Use Joe Johnson as a lethal offensive weapon.
Johnson became the 6th player in (11) games to score over (30) points against Miami, using an 11-21/5-11 game to do it. Whereas Johnson covered Wade like a blanket, Joe found himself way more open than a shooter of his caliber should be, assisting his efficient shooting night.
5. Get a lot of points in the paint.
The Hawks scored a strong amount of points inside, despite the Heat collapsing inside on many occasions to keep Smith and Horford from easy hoops. The Hawks ended with (44) points in the paint and while that below their raw number average (54), it was enough to be able to play inside-out basketball very well to which the team's 8-20 three point shooting can attest.
Horford, Smith, and Marvin Williams all collected 3+ offensive rebounds, helping improve the PIP number. Williams sported another negative +/- night, but showed signs of life by being active inside--finishing with a season high (14) points.
6. Take care of the ball.
The Hawks came into the game 3rd in raw turnovers per game and also 3rd in turnover %. Eight turnovers later the Hawks showed themselves again what can be accomplished by not wasting possessions.
Tell Us We're Not Dreaming
With all the boxes checked, and in spite of a (21) point game for Michael Beasley and a 9-21 game in 3-pointers for Miami, the Hawks fairly easily dispatched the Heat 105-90.
With their current approach, the team is rolling right now, earning a lot of respect and adulation in the tiny NBA world---all without a "superstar" to spotlight.
10-2, atop the NBA, and near the top of every meaningful NBA category, the Hawks have relevance in a way they haven't enjoyed since the 11-0 start of 97-98 season, which happens to be the last time the Hawks won (50) games in a season.
But while they are enjoying similar statistical glory as their 90's brethren, this team is doing it in a much more exciting manner. Where the Lenny Wilkens coached teams won, their style was rather bland and garnered little enthusiasm (in context---we realize it's better than losing. Really. We know.). This team, especially when the wheels are rolling, is exciting to watch on both ends, due to the athleticism of Horford and Smith and the precision and timely shooting of The Backcourt.
If they keep on keeping on and remember the things that they are doing that is allowing this terrific run, and keep their heads on straight when teams adjust or throw odd things at them to slow them down, they will be following their checklist right on into the postseason.
THHB marvels at how strong the team looks. Pinching and other forms of dream-checking are allowed--but only in the Comments Area.
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