Hawks vs Heat

tontoz · Post #1 » by **tontoz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:08 am

Surprised there isn't a game thread on an important game like this. Looks like Horford finally woke up and realized he can get an open jumper any time he wants. He shoots them at a good clip so there is no reason not to take them.

Bibby with a doughnut so far. They will need him to start hitting to win the game.

The Hawks played pretty well against Denver and it looks like it has carried over.

dpaulh · Post #2 » by **dpaulh** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:20 am

We are getting a little lucky tonight because Wade doesnt seem right yet... Joe is playing good D but Dewyane just seems passive tonight

Chalk that put back up as the best dunk I have ever seen in a game that I was watching at the time!! I rewinded it about 10 times and dropped my jaw everytime!!

Post #3 » by **HMFFL** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:20 am

I'm just glad Al's attempted ten or more field goals. Since last season I said he needs to attempt ten or more and this year he only has attempted ten or more during thirteen game this season. That includes tonight.

tontoz · Post #4 » by **tontoz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:31 am

HMFFL wrote:I'm just glad Al's attempted ten or more field goals. Since last season I said he needs to attempt ten or more and this year he only has attempted ten or more during thirteen game this season. That includes tonight.

He isn't doing it on post ups either. He is doing it by shooting midrange shots, moving without the ball, htting the offensive glass and driving. His lack of offense this season isn't because of Woody or the other players it is because he has been trying to be a back to the basket player.

tontoz · Post #5 » by **tontoz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:33 am

Has Horford had a 20/20 game before? He only needs 1 rebound.

dpaulh · Post #6 » by **dpaulh** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:38 am

This has been an exciting one at least... I wish Josh and Al would play this aggresive on both ends of the floor every night. They are looking like beasts tonight! Come on guys just 5 more minutes...

HoopsGuru25 · Post #7 » by **HoopsGuru25** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:39 am

I think the Hawks should fire their big man coach. Shelden and Zaza got worse when he came last year and Horford(until recently)only looked to score by trying to post up(which he isn't good at). Make Al work with Mark Price and force him to shoot a certain amount of midrange jumpshots a game.

mattlanta · Post #8 » by **mattlanta** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:41 am

tontoz wrote:Has Horford had a 20/20 game before? He only needs 1 rebound.

He's got it now. 21 pts, 20 rebs with four minutes of basketball left to play.

tontoz · Post #9 » by **tontoz** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:50 am

Libid21 wrote:
tontoz wrote:Has Horford had a 20/20 game before? He only needs 1 rebound.

He's got it now. 21 pts, 20 rebs with four minutes of basketball left to play.

They just said he is the first Hawk since Deke to do it. Hopefully these last two games will turn his season around.

dpaulh · Post #10 » by **dpaulh** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:52 am

This is the intensity we should bring every night. We are doing this basically without Bibby tonight and with Joe having to use most of his energy on the defensive end. If we played like this every night with a fully healthy roster then I would feel much better about the team

HoopsGuru25 · Post #11 » by **HoopsGuru25** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 2:52 am

That was a bailout call by the ref IMO. For some reason the Hawks are scared to let any one other than Flip or Joe touch the ball down the stretch.

Ganon19 · Post #12 » by **Ganon19** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:09 am

Big fan of horford. He represented Dominican Rep well today on our independance day.

ATL DirtyBird · Post #13 » by **ATL DirtyBird** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:11 am

Good game and good win by the hawks tonight, but I was kinda puzzled on why most of the time Marvin only touched the ball in the post when thats not his game. Hes so much better on the perimeter to mid range!

LL Cool Scott · Post #14 » by **LL Cool Scott** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:11 am

Al gives me a boner when he plays like that. He's the most important player on the team. He's the leader of the team. He's the future of the team.

Retrovision · Post #15 » by **Retrovision** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 3:24 am

riding^ ?

Skyhawk1 · Post #16 » by **Skyhawk1** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:40 am

What a great game by Horford. It was great to see him being involved in the offensive end instead of just isolating him down low. He's a beast, and I have the feeling that if we had a different coach his game would've developed much more than it has so far. Now, J. Smith should be the 4th or 5th option on the offensive end for the Hawks (I mean before we ship his ass out of here). We'd look much better without him taking 14 shots as we did tonight.
Grades for this game
JJ. B-
Bibby. D . We need you against the Cavs stud, so get ready.
Marvin. C-. It'd take another 10-20 games for him to play the way he did in Denver.
Smith.C-. The less you touch the ball the better we look, so keep away from it unless you got a dunk.
Flip- B-. He's got the coach's trust and has run this team very well.
Horford. A+ . Have you guys noticed this game had a playoff thing to it and one man started it on a mission?

evildallas · Post #17 » by **evildallas** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 4:55 am

HoopsGuru25 wrote:I think the Hawks should fire their big man coach. Shelden and Zaza got worse when he came last year and Horford(until recently)only looked to score by trying to post up(which he isn't good at). Make Al work with Mark Price and force him to shoot a certain amount of midrange jumpshots a game.

That's my cue to bring up Clifford Ray again. He had big impact on Dwight Howard, then he went to Boston and helped improve Jefferson and even made Perkins serviceable. Our bigs could use the knowledge.

A question from this game and a few observations . . .
Question: Why start Diawara? Reminiscent of the Woodson, I'm starting Royal Ivey each half and only playing him 10 minutes total. I for one appreciate every minute that Diawara was out there instead of Beasley, it was like spotting us a player.

Observation #1: Jermaine O'Neal doesn't have much left in the tank offensively. He couldn't finish worth a damn and during their mutual time on the court he was basically a wash with Zaza.

Observation #2: Much better game out of Josh although he heard some boos whenever he shot an missed. Outside of two early shots I felt he didn't force much. He's energy was good. I suspect he's still not 100% (either physically or mentally, not sure which), but he's still not finishing consistently above the rim.

Observation #3: The offensive balance feels much better with about even shots by position with Josh being low man (I'm adding Flip and Bibby together as PG). I think it works better to work to get Al involved offensively early and bring Josh along slowly. Also props to Woodson for realizing that Bibby didn't have it tonight and going with Flip late. Woodson hasn't always grasped the obvious in the past.

Observation #4: The Hawkapella karoake segment was one of the best that I've seen this year. Joe Johnson singing "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye. He wasn't particularly good sounding, but he put his heart into it.

And from other games: AI out with back problems and Detroit wins breaking an eight game losing streak. And they did it against a playoff team (Orlando).

Denver upends the Lakers and Chris Anderson had such an impact (7 blocks) that George Karl gave him a curtain call after LA threw in the towel while leaving Anthony and Billups on the floor. I've always been skeptical of the Birdman (since his return from drug suspension), but he can still be a game changer on the defensive end.

LL Cool Scott · Post #18 » by **LL Cool Scott** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:08 am

I didn't quite get a chubby watching Josh play tonight, but he deserves some accolades for the way he competed and played smart. I loved hearing the boos whenever he took a jumper (only twice that I remember). Maybe that got to him a little bit.

evildallas · Post #19 » by **evildallas** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:26 am

One more observation, it was unintentional that I wore my atheist shirt link here on the night of a free Christian concert. Unintentional, but funny.

evildallas · Post #20 » by **evildallas** » Sat Feb 28, 2009 5:35 am

LL Cool Scott wrote:I didn't quite get a chubby watching Josh play tonight, but he deserves some accolades for the way he competed and played smart. I loved hearing the boos whenever he took a jumper (only twice that I remember). Maybe that got to him a little bit.

2 times was my count on the boos as well. And while I didn't get a chubby from Josh's play either, although thinking back the girl next line over at the concession stand at the start of the game was criminally hot with a black mini skirt and fishnet stockings and that rack. Sorry, what was I talking about? Oh yeah, Josh's game. 8 rebounds was a much better contribution than he made on the west coast trip and he did contribute some highlight moments which have been more rare of late. That one block and then that reverse put back were both worthy of play of the night consideration from Sportscenter.