Woodson sends Pachulia to locker room early

[Lue_4_MVP]

[Lue_4_MVP]

I wouldn't put him in period. Trade his ass already.

[atlsun]

Hay zaza the coach would put you in the game if you could help your team win the fu#%!@$ game.

[killbuckner]

its pretty shocking how far Zaza has fallen. I think the Hawks would just take expiring contracts for him now.

[Jjforprez]

I've never really cared for Zaza... He's a 7 footer who's soft as tissue paper. (And I don't believe he's actually 6'11'', everybody does that trick... they don't want to list themselves at 7'0. KG says he's 6'11'' too...) He doesn't play big at all. Instead he's flopping around trying to draw contact...

He's clumsy, and he has no real post up game... when he catches the ball in the post, he's going to face up everytime. And again, for a 7 footer, he should be able to score with his back to the basket.

Even when he has scored well, it's been mostly from put backs of his own missed shot, or the free throws he's been able to get from the refs after one of his flops.

And he's a black hole... Once he catches the ball, you can best believe it's going up... even if there's 3 guys draped all over him. I've never seen him pass out of the post.

He's had some good games, don't get me wrong...but more often than not, he's just stumbling his way through the entire game. The only area he occassionally looks good in is rebounding, and it's not enough to justify his being out there.

[Hawks]

It is time for him to go. I can't believe Woodson actually put Horford on the bench for that short period of time in favor of Zaza. This was with Horford doing everything Woodson could ask for of his center. More playing time for Lo. I didn't think I would say that this year.

[tontoz]

Zaza sucks. There were a lot of people defending him last year but now the truth is obvious.

[ATLfan]

Its about time that he got pulled.

[lunarblues]

i was one of those people and i can't even do it anymore. this guy has been the most dissappointing hawk this year. (i would count speedy but i don't even consider him a part of the team anymore). this guy has regressed so far you can't even see his talent in the distance. personally i put most the blame for us having a losing record at his feet. here is a guy that we all were looking at to give us at least 12 and 5 this year. and he hasn't given us half of that. add to it the fact that the other team goes on a scoring binge the second he steps on the floor and you can't help but wonder why woodson put him in in the first place.

i remember in the beginning of the season we all thuoght we had one of the deepest benches in the east. but that portland game opened my eyes. we don't have anyone with the exception of childress that we can count on to give us 10 pts a game scratch that in 3 games combined.

sheldon-no
zaza-no
west-no
lue-half the time no
speedy-ha!
lorenzen-no
acie-no
solomon-no

we're counting on our starters to come up over 85 pts a game every time. there's no way we're going to last the whole season with that. and it's zaza who was supposed to help big time. woodson holds him to a higher reguard. he's done it before. why can't he do it now.

[will]

Go ZaZa!

I hope he and JSmoove smack some sense into Woody

Literally.

[JoshB914]

It's interesting how Smoove left the game early last season and everyone was quick to defend him.. double standard maybe?

As for Zaza, I think we all agree that he's been an incredible dissapointment. Last year he started off the season flopping all over the place and Woody benched him. After that he seemed to get it and really stepped up and provided a decent source of post scoring for us in the second half of the season.

This year he's worse than ever before. I don't know if drafting Horford took his confidence away or he's pressing. But we can't play a guy like that when we're fighting for the playoffs.

[Rip2137]

I am not gonna rundown Zaza.

I was at a game where I saw Woody curse out Zaza like he was his pimp or something after he got a entrace pass stolen from him. Then I watch the players as they came out of the time out go up to him and tell him not to worry about it.

Sure, he has had a bad season, but i am just not one of those people that think that a coach should be able to curse out a player and then send him packing if he says something back.

[tontoz]

Hawks Suspend Pachulia For Conduct Detrimental To Team
January 22, 2008 - 4:32 pm
RealGM Staff Report -
The Atlanta Hawks have suspended center/forward Zaza Pachulia for tomorrow night's game at Denver for conduct detrimental to the team, according to Executive Vice President and General Manager Billy Knight.

Pachulia's absence from the team will only pertain to Wednesday's game against the Nuggets, and he will be available to play at Seattle on Friday, January 25. [READ]

[HoopsGuru25]

Why did Josh get two games and Zaza only one? The only reason I can think of is that we were tanking...especially considering we blew a 20 point lead in the game Josh cursed Woody out.

[JoshB914]

I thought Smoove left the bench on his own last season? And he also had some issues with team conduct previously. This is the first offense for Zaza. And a lot of it probably had to do with frustration.

[High 5]

Zaza was never a great player, but he used to be at least a solid backup center. Now he's hot garbage. It's hilarious seeing the "Vote Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Zaza Pachulia into the 2008 NBA All Star Game" thing that scrolls across the top of the screen during games.

[HoopsGuru25]

I thought Smoove left the bench on his own last season? And he also had some issues with team conduct previously. This is the first offense for Zaza. And a lot of it probably had to do with frustration.

Smith didn't go to the lockeroom on his own. Woody ran the last play for Lue in a tie game and Lue jacked up an air ball. When they went back to the bench Smith cursed Woody out and Woody pointed to the lockeroom. I also don't think Smith had any team conduct penalties before this did he? I remember him giving the finger in Charlotte but that's not a TEAM conduct violation...was it? The only two reasons I can think of him getting two are that we were tanking(and needed the losses)and that the camera was on Smith and Woody arguing for every one to see. I wasn't even aware that Zaza was sent to the lockeroom(from watching the Portland broadcast)until late last night.

[evildallas]

It's not a double-standard, it's a sliding scale with respect to what the player contributes and the situation in which the event occurred.

[JoshB914]

Well to me the fact that Smoove had already lost his cool on the court before was the reason got two games. I think it is pretty well known that Smoove and Woody had some issues last season.

I think that this may light a fire under Zaza. I hope it does and he comes back playing the way he is capable of.

[conleyorbust]

-= original quote snipped =-


Smith didn't go to the lockeroom on his own. Woody ran the last play for Lue in a tie game and Lue jacked up an air ball. When they went back to the bench Smith cursed Woody out and Woody pointed to the lockeroom. I also don't think Smith had any team conduct penalties before this did he? I remember him giving the finger in Charlotte but that's not a TEAM conduct violation...was it? The only two reasons I can think of him getting two are that we were tanking(and needed the losses)and that the camera was on Smith and Woody arguing for every one to see. I wasn't even aware that Zaza was sent to the lockeroom(from watching the Portland broadcast)until late last night.

Was it Lue or AJ? I thought it was AJ.

We did run a lot of end of game plays for Lue last season. I remember the Wiz game where we gave it to Lue at the top of the key and he tried to take a pull-up jumper from just inside or something and Deshawn Stevenson swatted it and the game ended like that.