4/3 NY @ Atlanta

[Jamaaliver]

WOW!

We may get the 5 seed. But we're not in the same league as the top Eastern Teams. (MIA, NYK, INDY)

And if JJ comes back healthy and rested for the playoffs, we'll have a hard time keeping up with Brooklyn as well.

We need someone capable of scoring with his back to the basket. To at least provide some resistance in the paint.

[Rip2137]

Their D was good in the 4th.

and seriously Jamal, what exactly makes NewYork and Indy out of our league. I honestly think we beat both those teams in the playoffs.

[Jamaaliver]

Tonight, the fans in ATL showered Melo with chants of MVP.

3 years ago, the fans of ATL showered Amare Stoudemire with chants of MVP.

Why do the Hawks suck so much as a franchise?

I can't wait to clean house and get started with a new era of Hawks basketball.

[Jamaaliver]

Their D was good in the 4th.

and seriously Jamal, what exactly makes NewYork and Indy out of our league. I honestly think we beat both those teams in the playoffs.

Because they are better than us.

If we had Lou, Zaza and Devin, we might give them a run fior their money.

As we stand, I don't see it. And sadly, we're not good enough to even get a shot at them in the playoffs.

[Rip2137]

They certainly aren't better than us.

Melo had to go for 60+ percent shooting on well defended shots TWICE now just to keep them in games. They have won both, but nothing about their performances scream "on another level"

The Pacers, I would say probably are better, but don't matchup well with us and we can beat them. I can't call a team on another level if I don't think they can beat us.

[Jamaaliver]

They certainly aren't better than us. I can't call a team on another level if I don't think they can beat us.

Ummm... Ok.

Keep in mind, we only were in the game tonight because Korver got hot and carried us.

Our team make up at this point is pretty ugly.

We're undersized, lacking in depth at PG/SG/C. No Hawks player can be trusted to get a bucket in crunch time. We're a terrible rebounding team.

There's a reason we've only won 36% of our games against winning teams.

[Yungsta404]

I think we are the 2nd worst east playoff team. which is pretty sad.

miami, indiana, knicks, brooklyn, chicago, boston would beat us in a 7 game series. We dont play well against playoff teams at all.

We are too flawed. We have no real shot creator, no rebounding, no defense, and we tend to struggle in halfcourt situations,turnover prone, and we make too many mental mistakes and low IQ plays in crunch time.

This team isnt built for playoff play at all.

We might as well look forward to the offseason

[PandaKidd]

Was at the game last night, the chants from the visiting team fans are nothing new, as a season ticket holder i can attest to how pro visiting team it usually is if its a big market team vs the hawks.

Carmelo Anthony just ripped Josh Smith a new one last night. Granted Melo , when hes in the zone, theres no one who can stop him. He wants to shoot contested 15=17 foot jumpers so be it. The post up and drives to the hole, I cant give him that. Josh has to be able to stop that. I mean there was 2-3 plays where Melo just posted Josh Smith up and abused him to the rack. Did we even Double Melo in the first half?

0-7 on FTs? These werent even high pressure FTs. He was 0-4 in the first half.

Ok, all that aside, Josh Smith was typical Josh Smith. He gets abused by melo, and he drags ass down court. He complains, and bitches an moans. He continued to shoot jumpers despite Korver being HOT all night. I realize NY doubled him when he got the ball a lot, but when he has Kidd and sometimes Felton on him, TAKE IT TO THE RACK. IT was like they didnt even look to go inside last night.

All in all Josh comes up short in a big big game, and looked like he just didnt want to be out there after the first half. Body language, effort, just isnt there.

If im larry drew, i tell Josh Smith "you shoot another 3 and youre benched".

[Jamaaliver]

Josh Smith was typical Josh Smith. He gets abused by melo, and he drags ass down court. He complains, and bitches an moans. He continued to shoot jumpers despite Korver being HOT all night. I realize NY doubled him when he got the ball a lot, but when he has Kidd and sometimes Felton on him, TAKE IT TO THE RACK. IT was like they didnt even look to go inside last night.

All in all Josh comes up short in a big big game, and looked like he just didnt want to be out there after the first half. Body language, effort, just isnt there.

What's crazy is that he's done these exact things for almost a decade now. I'm amazed that folks still defend him and make excuses for him. (It's Billy Knight's fault. It's Joe's fault. It's LDs fault. Seriously?)

you shouldn't have to coach effort. Not at this level. And his basketball IQ is getting worse. He still often makes the wrong play at the worst possible time. His fundamentals are terrible.

Such a headache for a guy who only avg 17 ppg.

[Rip2137]

LOL...you two, your last two post that were "analysis" of the game are RIDICULOUS. First. Melo hit 2 layups on Smith in the game and both were defended well. He also hit a lot of well defended jumpers. There was no lack of effort in defending Melo, the guy had it going. Just to make sure you get this, you are ripping Josh Smith because the 2nd leading scorer in the NBA and the guy that scored 50 points the night before scored on him.

As for "making the wrong play" I notice this entire thread just sits on their comments when Al is missing wide open jumpers, mack, tolliver, Stevenson, Teague and Ivan all turn the ball over right behind each other (YOU KNOW WHAT ACTUALLY LOST US THE GAME) and Al Horford on THREE straight possessions doesn't step out on the pick and roll(Barry actually noted this in case you didn't see it) and let Felton walk to the basket for layups. For all his faults, Josh Smith was probably the ONE reason we didn't get rolled in the 4th quarter last night. He had one turnover on that HIgh/Low play to Al.

I truly expect guys to post that he was kicking kittens in the 3rd quarter of the next game because you guys LITERALLY make up crap now to pile on him. Was he bad shooting the ball? he was. Defensively, his effort was GREAT last night. Not good, GREAT.

Al Horford was 4-10, gave HORRIBLE effort defensively...but that's okay. Josh smith was 5-13 gave great effort defensively but CRUSH HIM. BODY LANGUAGE RAAWWARRR.

But again, anyone can feel free to tell me how it was Josh Smiths fault that Mack, Ivan, Stevenson and Teague turned the ball over 6 times in the 4th which led to points, Al gave up 6 points with no effort on D and the game that was a tie turned into a double digit loss. PLEASE share with me.

Its not the point that Josh Smith hasn't lost us games, because he has. He has won us some too but that's not the point. The thing is, you guys are ripping on him on a game where EVERYONE EXCEPT HIM went to crap in the 4th. He is getting blamed for other guys mistakes now? That's when you have become delusionally hateful of a guy. The ONLY argument that I can see ANY of you making is that we probably would have been up 5-6 points if he played better in the first half. That's the best I can try and be on your side on this one. But everyone except Smith played horribly with the game on the line last night.

[Rip2137]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/playbypla ... 3&period=4

And here is this just in case you want to jog your memory on what happened in the 4th quarter of this tie ball game that lost it for us. Review that, then come back and tell me again how Josh Smith is totally at fault.

[Jamaaliver]

Never said this loss was Josh's fault. If anything, this loss was on Drew and injuries.

And my grievances with Josh go way further than one disappointing loss on national TV.

Wednesday night was just more proof that Josh and the Hawks need a dovorce. It's been nine years.

Terrible jump shooter, limited post game, can't guard wing players, poor Basketball IQ. Not clutch. FT shooting is abysmal this year.

RIP, you gotta stop accepting mediocrity.

In 9 years, everything has changed on our roster...except Josh. It's time.

[PandaKidd]

I was at the game, I saw what I saw and im not a Josh Smith hater. When rabid Knick fans sitting behind me are yelling out "YOU ARENT A MAX PLAYER JOSH" when hes shooting 3 pointers and 17 foot jumpers, its not just me who sees what is there.

You obviously didnt read my post, Melo torches people, its what happens. Josh defended him VERY well on a few outside jumpers, But letting MELO back him down and score on him? Are you kidding me?

It wasnt just twice.

The team as a whole just played badly, but I saw more than once where Josh Smith did what Josh Smith does:
1) Takes ill advised shots that are OUTSIDE OF HIS RANGE
2) Makes bad basketball decisions and loafs it on defense leading to a transition score
3) Play hard at specific times, and loaf it at other times.

It wasnt just me who saw it either.

[D-BE-LAW]

the knicks suck.