Game 42: Atlanta VS LA Clippers

[High 5]

How is a player ever going to become poised in crunch time if he doesn't get to play in crunch time. The only person that shouldn't have been on the floor is Joe.

[JoshB914]

You ease him into it High. Let him get the experience on the floor before he sees crunch time. IV is still learning the game, and the game changes a lot in the last give minutes. He obviously has some clutch in him from his college days, I hope we don't ruin his confidence by throwing him into situation he isn't ready for.

[High 5]

JoshB914, I can't give any credit to Josh Smith. Throughout the entire night we didn't box out and we gave up so many boards. We didn't have a answer for Al and yet we have two defensive stoppers on this team. Josh included the entire team was a joke on both offense and defense.

How can you not give any credit to Josh? His timing was off tonight on a few would-be blocks, but a player is going to have off nights. He had 10 boards and 8 assists to go along with his 21 points.

[JoshB914]

Well there's nowhere to go but up. Night all.

[High 5]

You ease him into it High. Let him get the experience on the floor before he sees crunch time. IV is still learning the game, and the game changes a lot in the last give minutes. He obviously has some clutch in him from his college days, I hope we don't ruin his confidence by throwing him into situation he isn't ready for.

One of the main reasons we were in the game at the end was because of Law's urgent play. We're on a 19-2 run, you don't make a change in the last minute. I don't know what else to tell you.

[HoopsGuru25]

Hoops I'm not saying AJ is anyting special. But that was the first time IV has played in crunch time and he didn't look poised to me. AJ made that mistake one time and he has been playing down the stretch for us all year.

I'm with you guys that IV needs to get more PT. Just not in the last five minutes.

So you think it's smart to the pull the point guard out the game when the team is on a 19-2 run when they were losing by 20 points with AJ in the game?

As opposed to IV's 4.4 PPG and 2.3 APG?

He's a rookie. Playing him behind AJ and Lue is (Please Use More Appropriate Word). We migth as well try to help his development by playing him especially that we haven't won a close game since the Indiana game at home.

[Jjforprez]

There is no one person to blame this loss on.... the whole team sucked. Having a chance at the end doesn't change how bad this team looks. Who really thought they'd pull it out at the end anyway?? This is the Hawks we're talking about! Stuff like that doesn't happen to this team.

I'm sure they'll find new energy playing the next few games at home, but this team needs a change.... as they are right now, they won't get it done. There's got to be a guy out there that can be that missing piece on this team. It's not a superstar name... there's a guy on some team's bench that's there for the taking. It's probably a team that's struggling just like we are, that's willing to shake up their team, and will trade a nice piece for something they think they need.

[HMFFL]

-= original quote snipped =-



How can you not give any credit to Josh? His timing was off tonight on a few would-be blocks, but a player is going to have off nights. He had 10 boards and 8 assists to go along with his 21 points.

Someone has to look good out there. It's not like anyone else did anything on this team. Hell, Joe played forty minutes and only had 14 attempts. Am I suppose to praise Josh for scoring 21, but not completely giving it all on defense? However, I do believe the down times Josh had occurred when his teammates gave up.

[High 5]

-= original quote snipped =-



Someone has to look good out there. It's not like anyone else did anything on this team. Hell, Joe played forty minutes and only had 14 attempts. Am I suppose to praise Josh for scoring 21, but not completely giving it all on defense? However, I do believe the down times Josh had occurred when his teammates gave up.

You see it as him not giving it his all on defense, I see it as him having a off night. He gives it his all on defense every game in every situation. Sometimes you just get beat.

[evildallas]

Tonight the Hawks accomplished several things:

#1) They got me to forget the collapse in Portland.

#2) They made me indifferent about attending Saturday's game.

#3) They changed my mind on firing Mike Woodson during the season.

Let me focus on #3. I've been championing the concept of just allowing Woodson's contract to expire in the off season and bid him farewell, playoffs or not, because I don't feel he can't get the team where hopefully they want to go. I was on the record that I didn't think that firing him midseason would accomplish anything. After watching the team play the last several games (especially tonight), I feel he's lost the team. I now feel it is imperative to make a change for the sake of change. Give the players a different voice to hear. A different demeanor on the sidelines. Something. Anything. If it continues the way its been going I fear the players are going to spiral into a collective worthless mediocrity, the kind that requires the team be broke up to salvage any of them.

Let me say that I'm not trying to blame Woodson alone for tonight's game. He may have said and done all the right things today and the players didn't listen. Or perhaps he didn't say the right things. It doesn't matter, the result was pathetic. Personally I think it would be easy to sell the team on crucifying a short-handed opponent a night after being humbled thoroughly by a team you normally play well. I mean it would be easy if the team still listened to you. The team finally got the sense of urgency down by 20 with 6 minutes left. Pathetic.

#4 It isn't a new revelation, but it was reinforced that a trade needs to be made. I'm not talking about redoing the entire roster, but the team needs someone new in the top 8 player rotation. Someone who can do something different than the current roster can. Sadly, that could be a lot of different things because the roster is missing a lot different skill sets. It could be a 3 pt shooter to stretch the D, a 7 foot defensive/rebounding specialist, or a penetrating half court creator. We need all those things, but any one of them will bring instant returns.

It shouldn't matter that we are playoff team if the playoff start today. We're in that position by default not by accomplishment. I firmly believe the season can be salvaged and we can build for the future, but not with Woodson and not without some roster changes. If I was ownership I would be explaining this to Billy Knight right this minute that if he doesn't make the moves to right the ship now that he's gone at the end of the season as well.

To share a personal story, I'm reminded of years ago when I watched the Georgia Force (I've been a season ticket holder from day 1) score only 7 points in an entire game as they sleepwalked to a mediocre season finish after a promising start. I was screaming at then owner Virgil Williams from my seats on the 25 yard line all game long (he could hear me), "Virgil! I don't know about you, but I'm not happy!" I guess he wasn't. Well, they fired that coach, made a couple trades, got competitive, and sold the team to Arthur Blank. We've competed for titles the last couple years and I saw the only playoff win in the history of Philips Arena (sad, considering that I held season tickets for 3 teams that played there) and got to go to an Arena Bowl. ASG there is still hope just quit accepting the mediocrity.

[will]

Oh boy.

Can't lose to the Clippers.

I don't even know what to say now.

Ugh.

[killbuckner]

The team has overall done pretty poorly with Acie on the floor this season- when he is out there in the middle of a run then you don't pull him. Ideally he would be the PG of the Hawks- he just hasn't earned more PT. But on a night where the team is doing great with him on the floor then you leave him in and ride that wave as long as you can.

[conleyorbust]

You're right, at this point the team can only gain by replacing Woody, even if they insert an even worse coach. The guys just aren't playing for Mike. As far as a trade goes, I'd love to see BK do something... just a shakeup move.