Just as the blowout win against the Bucks on Friday provided little new light on this Hawks team other than the fact that Josh Smith is really good when he shoot uncontested dunks, I think one would be reaching to make any sweeping generalizations about the team over a poorly played game against a fairly desperate Suns team. You can jump on the Solo band wagon after this game if you like, but I am willing to take on more than a few bets that his play, good or bad, is not the lynch pin to get the Hawks to second round.
Mike Woodson apparently aggrees somewhat since his post game news conference, which I was able to see in person, provided literally no take aways from the game other than a team must make shots to win the game. Which is hard to argue with and so I won't.
Joe agrees with Woody and me. Making baskets is imperative to winning.
"We just couldn’t make shots. We had some good looks, just couldn’t make them. I even missed a layup. It was just a tough night."
I am not quite on board with Woody's second excuse based on Amare's play. But that is just because I don't know what he is talking about.
"(Steve) Nash has played with him so long that he finds him, whether he’s rolling or popping, and he made plays. He made shots tonight."
For a more lively discussion of the takaways from last nights game, you can scroll down* to the end of the game thread to read some insightful thoughts from Bronn and rbubp.
* And please scroll quickly so that you miss where I predict Nash and Bibby will go for 70 odd points.
In a bad loss, they found the blame could be spread pretty generously, and I tend to agree. However, I think the real moral of the story is when your starting center is out, the starting back court cannot combine to go 7-33 from the field. And I tend to label that stat an aberration more than a problem.
But I am blogger. Bloggers don't leave lingering questions. They bring conclusions. Short sited, emotional, ignorant conclusions. So without further adeu i bring you the final section of the recap.
Short sited, emotional, ignorant conclusions.
1. The Hawks bench destroyed the Suns reserves. Every Hawk reserve finished with a positive or zero plus minus (and do Randolph Morris and Othello Hunter even count anyway?) while the Suns' second unit all ended the night in the negative. Which leads me to wonder what it would have taken for Flip Murray to play Mike Bibby's final minutes. Woodson could not have been worried Flip would dribble the ball of his foot. He didn't even let Bibby dribble in the final minutes. Maybe he kept Bibby in for defensive purposes. Ahhhh Woody and his subbing pattern, how I loathe thee.
2. Dear Joe and Woody,
The Hawks are not the same team they were two years ago. Just because it is the fourth quarter does not mean dribbling, 18 second post ups, and 1 on 5 basketball are the only three plays in the arsenal.
Sincerely,
Drew
3. Please show Josh his three fourth quarter jump shots and ensuing defensive possesions. Then show him this.