The Dwightmare has begun in Atlanta

Post #41 » by **ATL Boy** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 6:53 pm

I honestly thought Dwight wasn't gonna end up cause problems outside the court but man, he needs to learn to quiet down sometimes. This man just doesn't want to ever take any blame, no wonder the perception of him around the league has become so dismal.

macd-gm · Post #42 » by **macd-gm** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:17 pm

ATL Boy wrote:I honestly thought Dwight wasn't gonna end up cause problems outside the court but man, he needs to learn to quiet down sometimes. This man just doesn't want to ever take any blame, no wonder the perception of him around the league has become so dismal.

I agree but i can also see his point of view even if it's wrong. The nba has changed and his style just isn't something that anyone is willing to play right now. But last year you saw him standing in the lane wide open and our guys would just choose to drive it themselves or take a contested mid range and often they'd miss. So I can see his point that he's still there to convert a lot baskets. Guys just look at him and say nah.

jayu70 · Post #43 » by **jayu70** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:23 pm

macd-gm wrote:
ATL Boy wrote:I honestly thought Dwight wasn't gonna end up cause problems outside the court but man, he needs to learn to quiet down sometimes. This man just doesn't want to ever take any blame, no wonder the perception of him around the league has become so dismal.

I agree but i can also see his point of view even if it's wrong. The nba has changed and his style just isn't something that anyone is willing to play right now. But last year you saw him standing in the lane wide open and our guys would just choose to drive it themselves or take a contested mid range and often they'd miss. So I can see his point that he's still there to convert a lot baskets. Guys just look at him and say nah.

I get the game has changed but so has he. What made him so effective was his ability over power guys, out jump and out-quick guys, his sheer power and athleticism - he no longer has that compounded by the way the games has changed has made him less effective.
He can still do certain things well but he also wasn't always willing to do those things consistently.

kg01 · Post #44 » by **kg01** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 5:46 pm

macd-gm wrote:
ATL Boy wrote:I honestly thought Dwight wasn't gonna end up cause problems outside the court but man, he needs to learn to quiet down sometimes. This man just doesn't want to ever take any blame, no wonder the perception of him around the league has become so dismal.

I agree but i can also see his point of view even if it's wrong. The nba has changed and his style just isn't something that anyone is willing to play right now. But last year you saw him standing in the lane wide open and our guys would just choose to drive it themselves or take a contested mid range and often they'd miss. So I can see his point that he's still there to convert a lot baskets. Guys just look at him and say nah.

Nope. He chose to stand pat on his skillz rather than continuing to evolve. That's how the game passes you by. He's athletic enough to still be a force. He simply chose to punt on developing a post game. You think Shaq, Ewing or Olojuwon would be miscast in today's NBA? Nah, sun.

Did our guys use him poorly at times? Sure, I can see that. However, there's a reason they passed (hehe) on passing to him. He didn't do shat with it more times than they were comfortable with.

macd-gm · Post #45 » by **macd-gm** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:13 pm

kg01 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
ATL Boy wrote:I honestly thought Dwight wasn't gonna end up cause problems outside the court but man, he needs to learn to quiet down sometimes. This man just doesn't want to ever take any blame, no wonder the perception of him around the league has become so dismal.

I agree but i can also see his point of view even if it's wrong. The nba has changed and his style just isn't something that anyone is willing to play right now. But last year you saw him standing in the lane wide open and our guys would just choose to drive it themselves or take a contested mid range and often they'd miss. So I can see his point that he's still there to convert a lot baskets. Guys just look at him and say nah.

Nope. He chose to stand pat on his skillz rather than continuing to evolve. That's how the game passes you by. He's athletic enough to still be a force. He simply chose to punt on developing a post game. You think Shaq, Ewing or Olojuwon would be miscast in today's NBA? Nah, sun.

Did our guys use him poorly at times? Sure, I can see that. However, there's a reason they passed (hehe) on passing to him. He didn't do shat with it more times than they were comfortable with.

I'm not making the case that he's not to blame or that he is still a dominant player. But saying he didn't do 'shat' with it when they passed it to him isn't accurate. He shot the highest FG% of his career last year and one of his lowest turnover %. Granted a lot of putbacks but it's not like he was jacking shots left and right. All I'm saying is that from his point of view he's in the lane for an easy dunk and Dennis is wildly driving right at him or Baze is jacking a contested 20 footer. I doubt it's any different in Charlotte though but i'd say he exceeded my expectations (which granted weren't high) here in Atlanta.

kg01 · Post #46 » by **kg01** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:34 pm

macd-gm wrote:
kg01 wrote:
macd-gm wrote:
I agree but i can also see his point of view even if it's wrong. The nba has changed and his style just isn't something that anyone is willing to play right now. But last year you saw him standing in the lane wide open and our guys would just choose to drive it themselves or take a contested mid range and often they'd miss. So I can see his point that he's still there to convert a lot baskets. Guys just look at him and say nah.

Nope. He chose to stand pat on his skillz rather than continuing to evolve. That's how the game passes you by. He's athletic enough to still be a force. He simply chose to punt on developing a post game. You think Shaq, Ewing or Olojuwon would be miscast in today's NBA? Nah, sun.

Did our guys use him poorly at times? Sure, I can see that. However, there's a reason they passed (hehe) on passing to him. He didn't do shat with it more times than they were comfortable with.

I'm not making the case that he's not to blame or that he is still a dominant player. But saying he didn't do 'shat' with it when they passed it to him isn't accurate. He shot the highest FG% of his career last year and one of his lowest turnover %. Granted a lot of putbacks but it's not like he was jacking shots left and right. All I'm saying is that from his point of view he's in the lane for an easy dunk and Dennis is wildly driving right at him or Baze is jacking a contested 20 footer. I doubt it's any different in Charlotte though but i'd say he exceeded my expectations (which granted weren't high) here in Atlanta.

I hear you. I just disagree. I saw too many times where he was totally incapable of doing things like simply playing the ball off the glass. A simple layup and he looked like a church-league level also-ran. I'm like, 'dude, just put it off the square!' Only to have him ultimately fire the ball off the crack of the backboard with the speed of a Randy Johnson fastball from 3ft out. No touch at all. Could he not develop a Kevin Willis pterodactly-arm'd baby hook over the course of his career? Is that too much to ask? Apparently so, if you're Howard.

Could he have been used better/more? Yes, I guess so. Was there ample evidence there suggesting he may not have been capable of doing more? Yes.

Thas all I'm saying, macd.

macd-gm · Post #47 » by **macd-gm** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:41 pm

Ultimately i think you win in this league by making a lot of 3s. Giving bigs the ball a lot negates that unless they can pass out like Hakeem. Clifford can try to buck the trend i guess but i think we've hit the point of no return

kg01 · Post #48 » by **kg01** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 7:45 pm

macd-gm wrote:Ultimately i think you win in this league by making a lot of 3s. Giving bigs the ball a lot negates that unless they can pass out like Hakeem. Clifford can try to buck the trend i guess but i think we've hit the point of no return

That's what we're seeing but I still think that's a function of there being inadequate bigs. If there were a couple Shaq's coming down the pike, that trend would change. Unfortunately, it's easier to find a guy to jak up shots and make a few so ... here we are.

kg01 · Post #49 » by **kg01** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 6:11 pm

I must say, it's pretty funny reading the comments re. CHA's offseason and all the optimism on Howard. They sound like us a year ago. "Well, if he just accepts his role ..." and "if he'll just defend/rebound ..." or "this is the perfect coaching staff to get the most out of him .."

Yeah, wait on all that, HorCats.

jayu70 · Post #50 » by **jayu70** » Tue Sep 26, 2017 6:54 pm

Read on Twitter

Then, Lowe revealed that multiple members of the Hawks produced “screaming with jubilation” following word of the trade that sent the future Hall of Fame center to Charlotte.

“I don't know what it is.... No one has kind of gotten to the bottom of why... It can't just be the corny jokes (and, my god, does he tell the corniest jokes)... but I've heard multiple stories of Hawks players learning about the trade and screaming with jubilation into their phones.”

“You ask why and, one account was that Dwight would give these speeches before the game about how everyone is playing hard, we want unity, we're going to... and then go out and play like a "blah" game where he demands post touches and doesn't rotate as hard as he could. And everyone is like, "why are you speaking in the locker room?" but that's all anecdotal. It's just crazy how these stories come out after every stop in his career.”

Post #51 » by **ATL Boy** » Tue Sep 26, 2017 9:44 pm

This is coming from a credible source in Zach Lowe. Looks like it actually was a Dwightmare here in Atlanta.

Spud2nique · Post #52 » by **Spud2nique** » Tue Sep 26, 2017 10:53 pm

I had a similar reaction...I actually jumped up in the air and almost hurt myself. I'm not surprised. The Hornets are screwed. Lol.

Post #53 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 11:32 am

Read on Twitter

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Spoiler:

I gotta say, it's a real indictment on those old Atlanta Celtics AAU teams that each of their biggest stars became NBA vagabonds after strong starts to their careers. They all lacked the ability (or willingness) to adapt to a changing landscape.

In the case of Dwight and Smoove, their skills lacked from day one and they over relied on their athleticism until it was no longer sufficient to make them productive, top level players in the league.

They never learned to play basketball any other way.

NOTE: I also agree that this seems greatly overstated. Many may have supported his departure, but I find it hard that grown men 'screamed with jubilation' over anything not related to women, money or family-related-news.

This strikes me as overblown as the mutiny comments we heard from Windhorst earlier this year.

kg01 · Post #54 » by **kg01** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:10 pm

Oh man, my guy Isola is talking about this on NBARadio right now with unabashed Howard-hater Scalabrine.

Scalabrine says surely Dennis was happy about the trade since he and Howard clearly hated each other.

macd-gm · Post #55 » by **macd-gm** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 1:14 pm

I believe this might have been Dennis' reaction but who else are they talking about. No one else of significance was even staying with the Hawks so why would anyone care that Howard is leaving when they are leaving too.

Spud2nique · Post #56 » by **Spud2nique** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 2:22 pm

I jumped with Jubi and I'm a grown a$$ man so what are you saying Jamal ;-)

Post #57 » by **Jamaaliver** » Wed Sep 27, 2017 2:28 pm

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Interesting headline from literally one month ago:

Howard named Hawks’ Best Teammate in Players Voice Awards

Dwight Howard was the Hawks representative as Best Teammate in the Players Voice Awards announced by the National Basketball Players Association on Friday.

The NBPA Players Voice Awards are voted on solely by NBA players...The union named a Best Teammate for all 30 NBA teams.

AJC

Someone somewhere has a very obnoxious sense humor.

HoopsMalone · Post #58 » by **HoopsMalone** » Fri Sep 29, 2017 3:50 am

Hahahaha, that's hilarious him winning best teammate.

I don't think the hornets have any unrealistic expectations. Dwight is the 2nd best center on our roster but he brings a totally different skill set than Cody. We just went through a decade of centers like bj mullens, Spencer hawes, and Roy hibbert. Dwight is not even in the same hemisphere as those guys.

I can't see any circumstances where he's less productive than miles Plumlee and bellinelli. It was a necessary trade on our part.

Sent from my SM-N920V using RealGM mobile app

macd-gm · Post #59 » by **macd-gm** » Fri Sep 29, 2017 1:58 pm

HoopsMalone wrote:Hahahaha, that's hilarious him winning best teammate.

I don't think the hornets have any unrealistic expectations. Dwight is the 2nd best center on our roster but he brings a totally different skill set than Cody. We just went through a decade of centers like bj mullens, Spencer hawes, and Roy hibbert. Dwight is not even in the same hemisphere as those guys.

I can't see any circumstances where he's less productive than miles Plumlee and bellinelli. It was a necessary trade on our part.

Sent from my SM-N920V using RealGM mobile app

Dwight did everything you could have expected from him last year. I mean he rebounded everything when he was on the court but the problem is that Dwight's skillset doesn't win basketball games in the NBA anymore so you can't give him a ton of post touches and if you don't he's unhappy and plays lazy. I was really optimistic and enjoyed watching him play for the most part but he doesn't fit an offense focused on ball movement.

It's really just math. If dwight converts on 40% of his post touches (which is generous) how is that better than just getting the ball to guys who can hit 40% from 3.

Spud2nique · Post #60 » by **Spud2nique** » Fri Sep 29, 2017 2:05 pm

Dwight....Melo....Cousins....these guys are just never going to win.

Ps I hope I'm wrong about Melo tho cuz I need Okc to step up and beat the scrubs.