The Hawks Blog: Rough Start to the "2nd Half"

Back From the Break and Broken

Yeah, so the final 27-game stretch did not get off to a good start last night. We knew things were going to be tough for the Hawks over the next couple of months, but last night was just demoralizing. The Lakers were certainly focused, but that wasn’t what this game was about. This was about the Lakers toying with us. We weren’t even a threat. They couldn’t miss and we couldn’t hit. The other problem was that they absolutely dominated on the boards.

We didn’t have an answer for Kobe, Fisher, Odom, Gasol, or Shannon Brown. We fell down 8-0 right away and trailed by 15 during the very 1^st quarter. In the 2^nd quarter we cut the deficit to 9 and had a wide-open 3 to make it a 6-point game, but we made only one 3-pointer all night and this wasn’t it. By halftime the deficit was 21 and the game was over.

If Larry Drew Falls in the Forest and Doesn’t Make it to the Game, Does Anything Change?

Hawks coach Larry Drew doesn’t seem to mind sharing his thoughts and feelings with the media. As a fan, you’re sitting there questioning every aspect of this team’s game, from attitude to execution. And then the coach goes out and voices those exact same concerns with the media. The trouble is that he doesn’t seem to be able to do anything about it. He appears to be a total non-factor other than the shuffling of players in and out of the game.

Could Someone Please Reprogram Josh Smith?

Josh Smith began the year showing off an improved shot. He was clearly better across the board, hitting mid-range jumpers, 3-pointers, and free throws better than ever before. However, instead of being an occasional option from outside, or a last resort at the end of a shot clock, Smooth is now spending most of the team’s possessions floating around the perimeter or just inside the 3-point line. He’s settling for jumpers and not doing anything to create a higher percentage play. He needs to be on the block, driving, or cutting most of the time.

His finesse offensive game plan seems to be influencing other parts of his game. Twice last evening he threw up wild “alley-oop” passes that banged off the backboard before anyone could even think about trying to go up and catch them. I’m not exaggerating. The first time he did this it looked like he was trying to throw the ball through the backboard. Someone needs to get Josh’s attention and tell him to go back to playing the way he did last season, because right now, he’s not even entertaining.

I’m Through with Marvin Williams

I’ve been willing to be patient and hope that Marvin would continue to grow into a better than average NBA player. I’ve basically been positive about Marv for his entire career with the Hawks. I supported the move to resign him last year. Now I’m ready for him to be gone. I’m done. He’s not going to blossom or even progress. He’s just Marv.

I’m also starting to just plain dislike him. I’m tired of his duck walk. I’m tired of his emotionless face and blasé body language. I’m tired of his total lack of instincts and basketball IQ. I’m just tired of him. I would love to see the Hawks trade him at the deadline. I’m sure getting something decent in return (like a capable point guard) is highly unlikely, but I just want him gone.

Tonight’s Game

The Hawks are in Phoenix tonight. This is a winnable game. The Suns will be playing their first game since the All-Star break, while the Hawks will obviously be playing for the second night in a row, but our starters sat the entire 4^th quarter last night so rest shouldn’t be an issue. The Suns are 27-27 and have been outscored by opponents on the year. They are 11-10 against the East and 16-13 at home.

There are some concerns about this matchup, namely that the Phoenix roster is filled with a lot of the former Orlando players that used to give us such trouble. They are much taller and longer now and that could cause problems. Plus, we’ll be playing Vince Carter, which means he’ll transform from Wince Carter into Vincanity for 40 minutes.

Our ship-jumping friend Josh Childress has been a colossal disappointment for the Suns this season, and has played in only 1 of the team’s last 10 games. He’s just happy to be playing basketball for a really, really good living. Yeah, he sucks. He takes from the sport. And his fro is silly. Go Hawks.