Trail Blazers 108 Hawks 98 or how I am running out of ways to complain about the same things in different ways
by hawksdawgs on Feb 21, 2009 1:52 PM EST
in Game Recaps
22 comments
Jealousy.
That would sum up this game. Pure unadulterated jealousy.
And it may because I already knew the outcome when I started watching so instead of freaking out about the laundry list of freak outs that I normally check off during the course of a Hawks game, I simply sat and got jealous.
Because didn't the Rose Garden sound like a playoff atmosphere? Didn't you wish we had a Channing Frye to come off the bench instead of a Solomon Jones?
I have lots of complaints about this game. But they are the same complaints I always have. It gets boring after a while. You can only demand for Al Horford to have more shots so many times before it becomes annoying. So I am not going to complain today. It is just tacky at this point. One thing I will say for future games against Portland, Josh Smith should not try and guard Brandon Roy. That is not a complaint though just a recommendation.
So here are the positives from last night.
- Hawks had good energy coming out. Josh Smith had one of those Josh Smith blocks. And that made me happy.
- Flip Murray is on an offensive tear fueled undoubtedly by not being selected HORSE competition.
- Mike Bibby is shooting the ball great, playing great contract basketball.
- Marvin continues to drive the ball well. If someone showed game tape of his rookie year side by side with film from last night, it would look like two different offensive players. That first year, I don't think I ever saw Marvin take three coordinated steps in a row with the basketball.
But seriously who am I kidding? I am going to complain, but I will keep it very brief. One sentence will do.
I do not understand one thing Mike Woodson does to help this team win.
I hope you disagree with me. I want to change my perspective. Because last night, the biggest jealousy I had was watching Nate McMillan coach for the other team. Is there any doubt that those fans can show up that loud on a random Friday night because they know their coach will give the team a chance to win. Hawks fans show up hoping the players perform exceptionally well because that is the only way this team wins.
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Hey remember a little while
back when the Hawks were a good 4th qtr team and we chided them? Well now they are a seemingly good 1st qtr team and we should chide them even more. I hated it when they reserved their effort for the 4th, but if this team only has one good qtr in them I guess I’d prefer it be the 4th qtr because that’s the qtr where you actually have a chance to win the game. I too was jealous watching Nate McMIllan. I swear to you I don’t think MIke Woodson even bothers to watch the game as it unfolds. His substitutions are his substitutions, flow of the game be dammed.
But you are right, there is not point in continuing to complain about the same thing. However, I would suggest we just copy and paste our thoughts from old posts to save time if we simply must remind people how bad of a coach Woody is.
you are right
when i complain about the hawks only being good in the fourth because they are bad in the first and then turn around and flip flop, it just sounds a like bad fan.
I do think that is the trap. Sometimes you start complaining when you have no right to complain and you start blaming because it gives you something to talk about. however, there is a lot to complain out with these hawks. It is just how to be a good fan doing it.
Just for argument's sake
I’ll disagree. While the fourth quarter wasn’t their best ever, they lost this game at the end of the third. I mean, they ended it down 8 (when it had been within 5/6 most of the quarter), and lost by 10. They never got closer than 6, so it wasn’t great, but that quick flurry of possessions where Portland had their 12-2 run to essentially clinch it wouldn’t have been so devastating had the score been closer immediately preceding that. Atlanta made more of a run to close the gap that I thought they would-had they been down by 8 instead of 16, the game is still close enough that Atlanta doesn’t have to force hurried three point attempts.
agreed
but my point was more how do fans talk about a team that is surpassing expectations (4th seed in the east) and still playing and being coached far below what we consider acceptable.
I watched about 15 minutes
and for the whole time I kept my eye on Josh Smith. Coco, you’re gonna hate me for saying this, but the guy is absolutely tanking. Remember the hot streak when Al went down? Well, I guess Josh just doesn’t believe he needs to chase a rebound or move without the ball now because he is just not as much the center of attention. Once again, our “PF” had THREE rebounds in 39 minutes of action last night.
Please, just watch nothing but him for a while. When is Woodson going to bench that sorry motherfucker? I would much rather have Pachulia and Al in there with Marvin than have Josh in there standing around with his friggin’ thumb up his ass.
I sign a fat contract, I’ll decide to play only in “important” games. And my coach will let me get away with it!
I could never hate anyone ;)
“I’ll decide to play only in "important" games. And my coach will let me get away with it!”
That’s what I mean when I say " I don’t think MIke Woodson even bothers to watch the game as it unfolds. His substitutions are his substitutions, flow of the game be dammed"
He is going to play who he is going to play regardless of what kind of night they are having. WE all saw what happened in the two games Flip missed. His lineups were utterly ridiculous at certain times during the game because he didn’t have his normal players available. He has no clue how to make adjustments. All he knows is Mo is the first one off the bench when one of the forwards gets two fouls and Flip is the first one off the bench to give Bibby a breather. He can’t think on his feet and he can’t make adjustments. Josh may have some off court things going on here lately. I don’t know, but he’s in a funk and the effort is not there. Although last night it was there for a quarter. This team needs a shake up of some sort.
There are childish games going on here. Bret points out at hoopinion that Josh is undermining the team, and when you’re playing 4 on 5 it’s certainly an accurate description. It seems like he’s trying to get taken out of the game. Do you think Josh, who seems to be a smart kid, is trying in his imitable 23-year-old way to call attention to the absurdity of Woodson’s offense?
I wish
But even then, I highly doubt it would change anything. Just looking taking in the situation at face value, it appears we are stuck with Woodson for two more years per his 3-yr extension. The ASG is in court and more than likely will be for the next year or two, I’m very doubtful they will do anything to change this sweet deal they have with Woodson.
Maybe they are paying Woodson to intentionally undermine the teams chances at winning so that the team gets a low appraisal value so they don’t have to spend a lot buying out Belkin. I know, conspiracy theories get me no where, but I’m just trying to put some reasoning behind Woodson’s horrible coaching.
correction
Woodson is only around for one more year per his contract extension, not two. Conpiracy theory most likely squashed, but hey, I write on the fly, lol.
Blazer fan here.
I didn’t see the game last night, but I wanted to respond to a couple of the comments here. I had to laugh at the complaints about Coach Woodson and praise for Coach McMillan because you should see all the complaints about McMillan from some Blazers fans. I agree with the conclusions that Dave Berri (author of Wages of Wins) reached in a recently completed study of NBA coaches, that there is very little difference in team performance from coach to coach.
As for why the fans show up, McMillan is not a big reason, believe me. Most of us love him, but he’s just one of many reasons why Blazermania is back in Portland.
Re Josh Smith, one BlazersEdge.com participant commented:
Josh Smith is in a funk. I figured he would have given the Blazers more trouble than he did. He really isn’t hustling for rebounds, steals, or block shots like he was last season.
My guess is he’s injured and not talking about it. As for Woodson playing him anyway, you don’t have a deep bench, so maybe Smith is Woodson’s best option, regardless of his current level of play.
I like the Hawks. I love that you almost took-out the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last year. Lots of similarities between our two teams. No reason for you guys to feel bad about a 32-23 record. Your team is on the rise. Now go to Salt Lake City and kick the Jazz to the curb. Please.
It's obvious Josh Smith isn't where he should be
There’s a couple of possibilities as to why. Either he isn’t giving 100% effort, or he’s injured and dogging through it.
I myself am more inclined to believe the former-he looks like he’s pouting and/or sulking half the time out there. His body language is garbage-injuries affect the way you move and perform, but they shouldn’t be a factor in how you carry yourself. And when he was at the high point of his season just a month ago, it makes it harder to credit the injury theory.
Thanks for popping in on a Hawks blog-most of us are just crazy jealous at how Portland manages to balance youth AND depth.
Dear Miled,
Thanks so much for the analysis. There is no doubt that you’ve been watching the Hawks way more closely than we have, and that you are right to critique our over-analysis of Mike Woodson’s coaching because of your insight advantages.
Thanks for pointing out our flaws,
Hawks Fans
P.S. We have the talent to be 40-15 at this point rather than 32-23; that’s why the team took Boston to seven last year, because they TRIED. You may have heard what Rajon Rondo said after the most recent Hawks-Celtics game this year…“If they played as hard against the rest of the league as they do against us, they’d be one of the top teams in the league.”
Correction
Actually Rondo said “top five”, not just “top.”
And we won’t be beating the Jazz. Count on it: it’s not urgent enough a situation.
Harsh response
Especially since he didn’t even offer his own analysis, he simply cited someone else’s statistical analysis of the effect of coaching.
Maybe rbubp looks at the Hawks and sees the Clippers.
Hard to understand otherwise why a 33-23 record for such a young team is cause for such bitterness.
A coach can only do so much. Maybe the team could play harder. If that’s the case, I find it hard to believe that Woodson isn’t aware of it and doing everything he can to motivate the players. I’m not a shill for Woodson, but the players are well-paid professionals and shouldn’t need a coach to play mind games on them to play hard.
You sound like a shill for Woodson.
If it looks like a duck…
but isn't this
“My guess is he’s injured and not talking about it. As for Woodson playing him anyway, you don’t have a deep bench, so maybe Smith is Woodson’s best option, regardless of his current level of play.”
analysis? Maybe I’m being sensitive, but it seems to me the analysis was that Josh Smith isn’t loafing, he’s hurt, and that Miled has enough info to make that claim despite what others here say…
There's a difference between analysis
and speculation. As a general rule, anything prefaced with “I guess” is speculation.
Hey all. Blazer fan here.
I love watching the Hawks. They are without a doubt my second favorite team, my first team in the east. I always root for them whenever they’re not playing the blazers. I was thinking to myself during the game how I would rather have the blazers lose to the hawks than just about anyone else. That’s how much I like them. Joe Johnson is this years Brandon Roy, in that he is just not very respected. The guy is sick, just a joy to watch. And Josh Smith has got to be one of the most exciting players in the league.
I just wanted to say don’t get too down on your team. They could have a better record sure, but think of how much better their record is than last years. If the club runs the course, they could be an elite team in a year or two. Management is obviously committed to your young players, and Al should be all-star caliber in a year or two. I actually think they are coached very well. The rotations are tight and effective. The Josh Smith on Brandon Roy experiment didn’t work obviously, but was worth a shot, as similar players like Artest have given Roy fits in his career. I look forward to watching this team in the playoffs and hopefully make a run.
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