Lakers 96 Atlanta 83 or where I waste 2 hours of my normal sleeping pattern

by hawksdawgs on Feb 18, 2009 10:00 AM EST in Game Recaps Comment 6 comments

Repeat after me:

The Hawks were not suppose to win that game.

I feel better already. A little reality check in the system is a good thing. Ok lets get to what the players had to say.

Mike Bibby continue to ease the sting please.

“What the [expletive].”

errrr ok.

Coach?

“Our starters were [expletive]"

right....

Two things are not going to win games against good (let alone great) basketball teams. Getting out rebounded by almost 30 boards and playing selfish, bad offense.The Hawks were willing to press that theory last night...theory still holds.

Rebounding shows up in the box score?

Josh Smith going through an entire game without a rebound is just horrible effort. I can't think of any other excuse. But it was not just him. The whole team was bad. An example from the second quarter that I will try to type through my tears. A Laker shoots a long jumper. No one boxes out Pau Gasol. A problem of course, but Joe leaves Kobe and stands directly behind Pau either planning to out tap the 7 footer for the ball or to get an over the back foul. Instead of doing either, the ball simply goes to a now unboxed out Kobe on a long rebound for an easy score. This is more than bad effort; it is bad basketball and bad basketball leads to triple doubles in the third quarter.

David Lee probably would have come down with 30-33 rebounds last night.

Webster would be pissed defining this an offense.

Mike Woodson thought the Hawks did not respond from the Lakers punch in the mouth. True enough, but Woodson only ever gives the team one type of punch to fight back with. A jab is a great go to move but not when the guy is blocking it with one hand and giving you the business with the other it seems adequate to switch it up. You know for your face's sake.

Start Mario West tonight?

I am not against it.

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West

Maybe the guy doesn’t put up any significant numbers, but no one can say he doesn’t give 110% effort every (sub-)minute he is on the floor. I think he deserves a lot of credit for not giving up or relaxing his game even with the game out of reach.

by Jesse28 on Feb 18, 2009 10:49 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

it was good game for drinking

that was nice.

by zaza's armpit on Feb 18, 2009 12:09 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

You don't expect to win some games

But you’d hope even those games aren’t pretty much over halfway through the third quarter.

Sure, it’s all the same in the box score, but there’s definitely a significant difference between losing a competitive game and being spanked across the court for 36 minutes, until all 10 starters are sitting it out. This was just as miserable showing as the Hawks had in Boston during the playoffs, and just as bad as they had in Orlando this season.

The Hawks often do their best to turn games that should be entertaining and watchable into performances which make you turn off the TV (or hurl the remote). If they want to build a fanbase, they need to deliver at least some entertainment value when they play games that many people want to see. Josh Smith being outrebounded by Lamar Odom is just unacceptable.

by Bronn on Feb 18, 2009 12:32 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I just amused myself

by looking up Mario’s per36 numbers.

Interestingly, he’s averaging only 4.3 fouls per 36-high end, sure, but not the 7+ that I expected. All in all, the line looks what you might get from a solid 6th man (aside from the nasty FT%).

So, what the heck, I’m on board with starting him. Why not?

by Bronn on Feb 18, 2009 12:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs