An Offseason Guide to Fixing the Holes in the Hawks' Game
by jrauch on Aug 1, 2009 5:54 PM EDT
27 comments
Just in case you're curious, we'd be moving up from Marginally Interesting to Legitimately Spunky. Still a few rungs away from Team that Nobody Wants to Play. We'll break it down into two categories Keep on Keepin' On - what the player needs to continue to do - and Stop Me Before I Shoot Again - what needs to get fixed, now. (Note: this includes only players returning from last year's squad, and those with an NBA track record. Jeff Teague gets a pass.)
Without further ado, after the jump:
Joe Johnson
KOKO: Great at backing down a smaller defender. Creates well in traffic, and I'm particularly in love with that little floater he loves to chuck up when he gets a head of steam in the paint. Probably the most athletic below-the-rim, 6'7" player I've seen.
SMBISA: When two or more opposing defenders begin to collapse on you, get rid of it. Work it around the perimeter. Two guys on one player means somebody's open. Stop dribbling the air out of the ball and hucking up 20 footers with 4 seconds left on the clock.
Most importantly, stop being mute. Speak. Yell. Get in someone's face. We need a leader, and you're supposed to be that guy. Slap Josh Smith with a clipboard in a huddle, I don't know any fan that would complain about seeing more fire from our supposed Alpha Dog.
Jamal Crawford
KOKO: If his prior stints are any indication, he's like a homeless man's Joe Johnson. Can create his own shot, especially with a decent mid-range game. Hasn't shot anyone.
SMBISA: Crawford is a hybrid player, combining all of the worst attributes of Josh Smith and Joe Johnson into one player. So maybe a personality transplant would help him stop the ball-hogging and a consistent whining to the refs/coaches/fellow teammates, and maybe playing defense for once in his life.
Seriously, Mike Bibby is incapable of guarding a tree at this point. Crawford just chooses not to, which I consider a far bigger failing. As bad as Bibby was on the defensive end, you could always tell he was at least trying to stay in front of the lawn chair he had to guard.
Mike Bibby KOKO: Continue shooting threes at a career rate. Keep telling Mike Woodson about his stupid play-calling and game management (see here). More alley-oops to our streaking wing and frontcourt players. I like the eternal internal debate he has about going with or without a headband. (Definitely with Mike, definitely.)
SMBISA: As I mentioned with Jamal Crawford, somehow rediscovering the ability to defend anything. Sadly, Bibby was never the best defender in the league, but miles upon miles have made him no more than a doormat for the better perimeter players. Woody was forced to try to hide him at various points during the season by covering the other team's small forward, only to get abused in the post. Outside the rare, good defensive play (a key steal here or there), its like the Hawks largely play 4 on 5 on the defensive end against a good point guard. His only saving grace are two decent shot blockers, Horford and Smith, who can attempt to bail him out. Never a guarantee though (see Tony Parker's game against the Hawks at Philips this year as evidence).
Frontcourt
via fouledout.files.wordpress.com
Al Horford KOKO: How in the world you maintain a sunny disposition is beyond me when all you get are garbage buckets and a coach who fails to realize you have some offensive talent. Keep that, and your exceptional rebounding skills, going.
SMBISA: Injuries. So far, nothing major, just the nagging sort that come from playing basketball for a living. But we really do, as Hawks fans, miss having you in the line-up night in and night out. I'd argue more about what you need to improve, but I feel like we're only seeing the tip of what you're capable of, driven in large part by the Iso-Joe offense's inherent limitations.
Marvin Williams (this presumes Marvin will return to the Hawks.) KOKO: Your duck butt is truly something to behold. I now understand where your crazy hops come from. As you showed when Joe was injured this year, you've got the skills to go to the rack. Do that, a lot. Keep stroking threes with one of the prettier jump shots around.
SMBISA: Like J-J-J-Joe Johnson, get some fire in that belly. Yell. Push an opponent. Show some fire. From that aggression should come greater production, both in rebounding and scoring.
Mo Evans KOKO: He's not horrible at any one thing, yet can't think of any distinct moments Mo had in the last year. Just avoid total embarassment while making spot three's and the occasional rebound or mild defensive effort.
SMBISA: Again, completely unremarkable. The only complaint I have about the guy is his faux interviews on the Jumbotron during timeouts (What person would you most like to eat dinner with?) were mildly annoying and nowhere near as fun as Zaza.
Mario West Greasy (Same situation as Marvin.) KOKO: Keep on smilin' and having a generally nice personality. Showing up to Hawks community events is a nice plus. The nickname Greasy is the best thing I've heard in a long time.
SMBISA: Basically everything related to being on an NBA arena floor at game time. He is, without question, the worst NBA player I've ever seen. I could probably write 5,000 words on what's wrong with Mario West being on an NBA roster, but I'll mention three examples on things he should avoid doing in the future. First, don't, on an uncontested dunk attempt, create: 1) A turnover to the other team. 2) A technical foul on yourself. 3) A missed dunk. Second, don't commit six personal fouls in eight minutes of play. Third, don't get posterized on a LeBron James 45-footer in the playoffs. I wish I could make those things up. Two of those things I've seen in person. The other I got pleasure of seeing on national TV as LeBron torched the Hawks.
Zaza Pachulia KOKO: Being a prodigous rebounder off the bench. That 10-15 foot set shot you have can be smooth. Would be nice if our coach ran a few pick and rolls with you once in a while. Keep getting in Garnett's face, it makes me giggle. You've got passion that few players on the Hawks have. And you rock those ridiculous in-game Jumbotron videos.
SMBISA: The backne. Seriously, see a dermatologist. You can afford it with your new contract. Thank Zombie Jesus I sit in the third deck at games so I don't have to see too much of it. Find something of a more reliable back-to-the-basket move. The face-up stuff is fine, but pulling you 12 feet from the basket to shoot also pulls one of our few decent rebounders from under the rack. Two years ago, this entry would have been 1,200 words about how you collapsed as a player, but I really was surprised by his game last year.
Randolph Morris KOKO: Keep being a 7 footer, because...
SMBISA: That's likely the only way you'll stick anywhere for any length of time. Seriously, why did we sign a guy who notified his college team he was leaving by fax machine to a multi-year deal? This is a guy who Isiah Thomas thought would be the Knicks answer in the post. Really? We're taking Isiah Thomas' cast-offs now? I could go on about how he needs to work harder on this or that, but really, all I want to see is Randolph look like he cares for one game. Seriously, every photo is exactly the same blank expression, whether he's in the game, on the bench or unconscious on Marietta St. Seriously, look at that photo above. That's his expression AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCING HE'S JOINING THE TEAM. If you can't get stoked then, when will you? I can only figure they signed him because Woodson can't reach certain things on high shelves, and needs someone on the roster to reach up there.
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Bacne really is the only problem with Zaza
Beyond that, the man does no wrong in my book.
So, I’m one of the two idiots who voted for JJ in the poll, and the reason JJ jumped out to an early lead in the voting. Here’s my reasoning really quickly:
One of the biggest issues with the Hawks on offense is the lack of passing. Now we know that part of this is related to lack of an actual offensive concept outside of iso-Joe, but his culpability in the lack of ball movement is not to be overlooked. He has a penchant for standing still for 10 seconds pounding the ball before making any kind of action on offense. This is the reason they often get such poor looks late in the clock-they waste too much time before attempting to make a play, and seldom have an opportunity to reset the offense if things aren’t working.
Outside of Joe, though, the obvious choice is Josh Smith because of his poor self recognition. I think he understands most basketball concepts really well (aside from how important rebounding is) but he doesn’t know what kind of player he is. If he just recognized that he’s really good at certain things and really bad at others, he might be an all-star.
Ok I'm done listening to all of you.
Bob Rathburn says we are going to win 55 games this year.
AND NONE OF YOU CAN PROVE HIM WRONG!!!!!
WHO AMONG YOU HAS THE FOLICLE FORTITUDE TO MATCH UP WITH HIM!?!?!
NO ONE THAT"S WHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Mama said that gators are so ornery cause they got all those teeths and no toothbrush" exclaimed Bobby Boucher...
I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I only lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three.
Elayne Boosler
i think josh smith is obvious choice
because he has the easiest ability to change (say hustle on the glass/don’t shoot long two pointers) and be much better.
but as far as important, I will stand by my man al horford. a marked improvement by him would be much harder but would mean he was getting more touches, improved his post game, and working in a much more balanced offense.
all good things for the hawks.
Horford's improvement though...
is that on him, or more on other players and Woodson to get him involved in a position to actually show what he’s capable of. If Josh Smith ever decides to be a post player and they work a high low game between themselves, it could be pretty nice to see. That and the perimeter guys feed him on the block every one in a while.
good point of clarification
i think horford is still more mechanical in the post and lacks a polished game down there. those are skills i would have expected him to hone on his own.
despite that, he has shown given shot attempts he will hit close to fifty percent of them. his fourth quarter stats are some of the best on the team.
so a scoring improvement seems to be squarely on the coach and his teammates getting al the ball.
an allstar level improvement would be equal parts on coaches and horford.
i also laughed out loud at this line
Probably the most athletic below-the-rim, 6’7" player I’ve seen.
I expected Marvin
“Butt” to be a scorer19-22/ game——-isn’t that what he was known for in high school?
since most votes are going to josh smith
lets say he becomes an allstar. do the hawks challenge for the third seed? is that what they need to hold on to the fourth?
what is the return?
Maybe.
That’s kind of a tough question since he’s not all that far from being an all star now. If you throw out his post contract year (in which he regressed as most players do), he’s had 2 borderline all-star seasons. But I think everyone would agree that based on last year’s performance, he was playing the furthest from his ceiling.
Really everyone in our frontcourt will need to improve significantly to challenge for the third seed. But Smith playing to his full potential compared to how he played last season is a greater gain than say Horford and his full potential vs his actual play from last season.
If Josh becomes an All Star...
a 16+ pt, 10-12+ board, combined 5+ blocks/steals a night defensive player of the year type, then yes they can compete for a division title.
if they begin to pass the ball too, well now we’re just getting silly.
I actually believe Josh Smith COULD generate an improvement of up to 5-6 wins, but it also involve a fair amount of luck as well. And the things he’d need to improve are very unlikely to be those which get him into the all-star game. But he definitely has the ability to improve in all these areas, so this best case scenario for Josh is based in reality.
1) The man was a defensive monster last year for the first 3.5 games, until he was injured. He seriously fell off defensively upon his return, and his overall effort was just so darned inconsistent from December-February. He seemed to find a bit of energy toward the end of the season, after his fight with Woodson and during the Hawks’ playoff push. He’s very capable of being a good man defender when he wants to, and he can do it without sacrificing his help defense.
2) Rebounding-last year was a career worst for him. The Hawks were a poor rebounding team overall, so the opportunities are out there. And even in 2006-07, his best year, he still didn’t do as much as he’s capable of. There’s this weird team-wide phenomenon where it seems as if no one is going to fight for rebounds when Al Horford is in the game. Common sense tells us this is crazy-the man can’t grab every board, and if it hasn’t been harped on enough, he’s an undersized center.
3) Free Throw Shooting: I shouldn’t need to say anything else. Even reverting back to his career average would be a big boost, and his skill level should put him back to his 07-08 numbers, about 71%.
4) Avoiding Technicals. This usually isn’t a costly problem, but Josh is becoming a veteran on this team, and showcasing his immaturity is really disruptive.
Notice I didn’t mention his jumpshooting. I seriously think he can continue to be an enthusiastic, horrible jump shooter to the extent he was last year and still increase his value significantly.
by Bronn on Aug 3, 2009 8:16 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I completely agree
He can improve in all of those ways and be a huge asset even if he does continue to take horrible jumpshots. God forbid what will happen if they ever start falling.
I think the best way to describe the potential impact he could have on a game as similar to AK-47’s when he was at his peak. Except Josh is still a better offensive player, and add to that the ability to inspire (or shut-up) a crowd with his world-class dunks.
Sadly...
I think they need to improve just to tread water. Heat/Raptors/Wizards/Bulls are all going to be better next year.
Can you explain that too me?
I keep hearing that all these teams are going to get better and pass us, but I don’t see why.
Heat will need another historic season from Wade just to stay the same. Not that I’m doubting him, but they haven’t added anyone so why does anyone think that anyone aside from Beasly is going to be any better for them next year.
The Raptors might be a bit better, but who’s going to play defense on that team? And are they 15 wins better?
Ditto the Wizards, and they are relying on a guy that played 15 games the past two seasons, had two major surgeries on the same knee, and relies on quickness to beat teams.
The Bulls are getting Deng back, but they lost Gorden, and we have no idea how they are going to handle the increased expectations?
I’m not saying that none of them will be better, but how is it a lock that any of them are going to be better?
I'm basing..
My assumption on the fact that two of those teams had basically rolled over and died by January last year — the Wizards and the Raptors — while the other two teams looked like completely different entities in the second half of the season compared to the first (the Heat and the Bulls). In both of those instances, we won’t steamroll those teams to easy victories anymore, and I think the conference from top to bottom is going to become tougher.
With the Wizards, in theory you’ve got all their guys healthy again, plus the addition of a three point shooter in Mike Miller who can stretch the floor when things stagnate in the offensive end. I think Javale McGee will be a real find.
The Raptors are making panic moves, which doesn’t always work out, but they’ll have their All-Star point guard back, and Chris Bosh will be playing for a contract from some other team.
With the Chicago Derrick Roses, I think the ceiling is a legit 4-seed, since their biggest loss was a bench player who couldn’t guard anyone or rebound, and was the biggest ball hog you can find. The expectations question is fair, but they’re not going to be an easy out on the schedule anymore.
While I’m not saying any of them (outside the Bulls) are legit 4 seed material, they’re all improved on paper, and I don’t see that necessarily from the Hawks.
So, same team with stronger conference equals heading backwards.
Fixing the Hawks
jrauch – I thought for a minute there you were in my head. Your thoughts were the same as
mine on the way the Hawks appeared to me during this past season. To me, if Josh would polish his inside game more and leave the outside game that he does not have to those that have it, he would be a much better player. And for crying out loud stop whining so much about things he cannot control (the refs) he’d be better off. But, above all that keep playing.
All of the players to me seems to need a little metal to them. Let that inner beast out more and stop being so timid.
Or maybe they just need a big in the middle with bad intentions.
In a lot of the games they just got out physical, like the street kid versus the city kids. I saw on a number of occasions that we seemed afraid after some of the physical play.
Again great article, jrauch…
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