SB Nation - Marvin Williams

Game 29 Preview & Thread: Nuggets vs Hawks (7pm MDT)

Nate Timmons — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:22:41 -0000

The Atlanta Hawks are among the NBA's elite this season and the Nuggets already had one up close and personal look at this team ... and it wasn't pretty. Tonight the well rested Nuggets get a shot at revenge against the Hawks, who are in town after crushing the Timberwolves last night in Minnesota (112-87).

The particulars ...

Records:
Denver: 19-9 (12-1 at home, 7-8 on the road)
Atlanta: 20-7 (12-2 at home, 8-5 on the road)
Injuries:
Denver: Chauncey Billups (left groin) and Johan Petro (left ankle) are both listed as questionable tonight.
Atlanta: Joe Smith (dislocated left thumb) is out.

Opposition's Take: Peachtree Hoops

Back on November 7th the Nuggets lost to the Hawks 125-100. Let's roll out the Polar Express also known as the Excuse Train ... the Nuggets were without injured Kenyon Martin and suspended J.R. Smith and were playing the second game of a back-to-back having played and lost in Miami the night before. Had the Nuggets been at full strength and not played the second of a back-to-back would they have won? Well, we can't even say tonight will prove that because the Hawks are coming in, as noted above, after playing in Minnesota last night.

Atlanta did have an easy time with the T-Wolves, but they didn't really get to rest their rotation guys too much. Al Horford logged 41 minutes, Joe Johnson 34, Marvin Williams 31, Mike Bibby 28, Jamal Crawford 27, Josh Smith 21 and Maurice Evans and Zaza Pachulia played 20 minutes each.

Jamal Crawford continues to look like a great addition to this team as he's averaging 16.5 points off the bench as the Hawks "J.R. Smith" clone (or maybe since Craw is the vet Smith is his clone?). Anyhow, on NBA TV last night they threw out the 20+ points stat for Crawford ... when he scores 20+ points the team is 9-2. So, I wanted to know if shutting him down is the key to beating the Hawks ... well when he scores below his season average of 16.5 points (or in this case 15 points or less) the Hawks are 9-4. Whether Crawford is having a good night offensively or a off night the Hawks still have put up a 18-6 record and that's the great thing about ATL ... their depth.

Who can defenses focus on when playing the Hawks? Pick your poison. Last night the Hawks had 6 players score in double figures and they can basically play to any style. You want to go inside? Horford, Williams and Josh Smith can score inside. You want to play outside? Crawford, Bibby, and Joe Johnson (J.J.) will eat you alive if you leave them open on the perimeter. Do you want to crowd the shooters and force them to drive? J.J. is one of the best guards in the league at getting into the lane and either finishing around the rim or finding a slashing big man for an easy bucket.

Atlanta can also play in transition or the half court and they play defense to boot, allowing just 96.6 points per game while scoring 105.5 points (tops in the East and 4th in the NBA). It should come as no surprise that with their win last night the Hawks tied their franchise mark for the best start through 27 games. Head coach Mike Woodson attributes the success of the team to their core guys playing together for four seasons now and I think he is right. When you get used to playing with the same guys it's just easier ... you know where they need/want the ball on offense and you also can communicate on defense without even having to say anything.

It's no secret that Denver has not been playing well over their last two games. A tough loss in New Orleans on Dec. 18th and a lack of effort loss against the Grizzlies in Memphis on Dec. 20th. The Nuggets have had two full days off to try and cure what ails them and playing at home at the Pepsi Center could be just what the team needs. The Nuggets are 10-5 against Eastern Conference teams this season and a perfect 5-0 at home against the East.

I'm not sure if we'll see Billups tonight as Ty Lawson is penciled to start for the second time this season. Bibby doesn't have great size, but he can play in the post and we've seen guards try to post Lawson up all season so tonight should be no different.

Crawford, Josh Smith and J.J. proved to be problems for the Nuggets in their first matchup as the trio combined to score 69 points against the Nuggets. The Hawks, again with the depth, had seven players score in double figures against Denver on Nov. 7th, including all five starters.

Having Kenyon Martin in the lineup should prove better at slowing down Josh Smith than Renaldo Balkman, Birdman and Joey Graham did in the first matchup. We can continue to say it until we are blue in the face ... the Nuggets must must get after the rebounds tonight. Atlanta doesn't have the biggest guys around, but they are athletic and rebound as a team. I'd like to see Denver improve on the 10 offensive boards they were able to snare against the Hawks in ATL and that is done almost solely on effort (and maybe not so many rushed outside shots in transition).

Who could use a good game?

Obviously Ty Lawson's first career start didn't go as well as he could have hoped, but he is a rookie so I'll let him slide for now. The Nugget who could use a "pick me up" game is Arron Afflalo. After scoring 17 points back on December 3rd against Miami - Double-A has looked like a minor leaguer. Afflalo hasn't scored in double figures over his last nine games and is shooting an unimpressive 32% from three-point land over that same stretch (8-25) including an 0-6 night against the Hornets from deep. All NBA players go through shooting slumps and it'd be nice to see Afflalo break out of his mini-slump tonight.

NBA News:

Just wanted to mention a couple of key notes that have occurred this week.

Joel Przybilla of the Portland Trail Blazers ruptured his right patella tendon and dislocated his patella in Tuesday's (Dec. 22) win over Dallas. He is out indefinitely. Przy is probably going to miss the rest of the season and that's a shame. The Blazers have been hit very hard by injuries this season and I was hoping they'd be the team to push Denver this season to make the Nuggets work to maintain the division title and that's probably not going to happen unless Portland makes a trade for a big man (something the Nuggets need) or can muster up some Houston Rockets type mojo.
The Utah Jazz traded promising rookie point guard Eric Maynor to the Oklahoma City Thunder for basically nothing other than a salary dump of Matt Harpring's expiring contract. Bill Simmons warned that teams would give up quality players if they could save money in this economy and it's looking like he might be right. We might see some interesting deals as the trade deadline approaches.

ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons

Photo courtesy of Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images

Mavericks Vs Hawks: Game 21 Preview

Phillip Baggett — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:50:29 -0000

Hawks vs Mavericks coverage

Hawks vs Mavericks preview

Peachtree Hoops

The Match-ups:

Point Guard

Jason Kidd: Well here we are again the second game of a back to back, and so far this year this has been the game that this team has struggled with. However typically the Mavs have been very good in the first game and they were awful last night. There defensive rotations were slow and they became once again very one demensional, as they shot zero free throws in the second half. This is Kidds job to get this team to move and attack the basket, one night after the team shot 35% from the field Kidd must now try and find a way to inspire his team, because the same lack of effort as last night tonight and they will get blown off the court.

vs.

Mike Bibby: Outside of CP3 by far my favorite PG in the league. Mike is just a gamer and has been for his entire career. The Hawks have a very athletic team but make no mistake Bibby is the leader of the team. When Bibby is penetrating and passing and knocking down the occasional deep ball the Hawks are lethal. The Key to beating the Hawks begins and ends with Mike Bibby.

Edge: Hawks

Shooting Guard

Rodrigue Beaubois: Finally after weeks of pissing and moaning coach Carlisle finally gave Roddy B some extended minutes last night. Even though the Mavs as a whole were awful last night I think everyone finally was able to recognize the difference in the flow of the team between Roddy B and the annexation of Puerto Rico. The difference is undeniable, when JJ is the game for longer than a 4 minute stint the flow of the game goes hay wire, but with Roddy B things seems more fluent. Rodrigue Beaubois athleticism will be needed tonight.

vs.

Joe Johnson: Yes he is a tad bit older now and maybe just a little bit slower, there is no doubting his shot skills. His FG% and 3point % are a little low this year, but he continues to lead a deadly cast in scoring at 21ppg. Joe Johnson has the ability to explode for large chunks of points, and this is what makes him very scary and a major point of emphasis tonight for the Mavs.

Edge: Hawks

Forward

Shawn Marion: I read lots of comments from people being upset that Marion was on the bench in the 4th quarter while Barea was on the court, and while i would agree the majority of the time, I also understand why that decision was made. Shawn Marion will have to devote more energy tonight on defense than probably any other game all year. I would not be surprised at all to see Shawn play more minutes than he has all year tonight. He will have his hands full with Josh Smith and Marvin Williams.

vs.

Josh Smith: Josh has been unbelievable so far this year, he comes in to tonights contest shooting a gawdy 54% from the field. The Hawks play with essentially 2 small gaurds, and 2 gaurd/ forward combos, and a PF in Al Horford. Both Joe Smith and Marvin Williams will be on the court at the same time and this causes serious match up issues not only with the Mavs but just about every other team in the league. Josh is the cutting, driving, havoc creating forward. Josh can also get a little wild at times and this is the Josh that we want to see as Mavs fans.

Edge: Hawks

Power Forward

Dirk Nowitzki: As poorly as he shot last night and as poorly as the team played Dirk still managed double figures in both points and rebounds. Tonight however the Mavs will not survive very long without Dirk being on top of his game. Dirk and the Mavs will probably use a lot of zone defense tonight to try and keep the high flying Hawks from getting easy baskets, and it is the Mavs defense and most notable Dirk Nowitzki's defense that will dictate the final outcome of the game.

vs.

Marvin Williams: Marvin is long and athletic with above average quickness for a player of his size, and these are the types of players that genuinely give Dirk and the Mavs trouble. Marvin has been known however to fall in love with his jump shot even when it is not going down. The Mavs need to be ruthless in their defensive pursuit of Williams and the Hawks tonight, slow and lethargic pursuit will not get the job done.

Edge: Mavericks

Center

Erick Gooden: This will probably be one of those nights that the Gooden half of the center combination sees the most minutes simply due to the extreme athleticism needed to cover the Hawks. However do not be surprised if the Mavs do not just slow the tempo down to a crawl in an attempt to pound on the smaller Hawks.

Vs.

Al Horford: Another in a long line of long, quick, and athletic Hawks. The Hawks get the most out of Horford when they are running. Al is very athletic, he moves more like a small forward, but he can finish close to the basket. However if the Mavs can slow the pace down and spend alot of time posting up, I am not sure Horford and the rest of the Hawks can handle that kind of treatment. The problem is that the Hawks simply do not let teams do that to them.

Edge: Even

Injuries/Suspensions

Atlanta Hawks

OUT - None

Dallas Mavericks

OUT - Josh Howard (will you please get better and come back?)

Prediction: Well I have been wrog most of the year with my predictions, and hopefully I continue that again tonight. The Hawks are just far to athletic for this version of the Dallas Mavericks to compete. The Mavs are just to inconsistent right now for me to be able to say which Mavs team will show up, but the only chance they have is if the "A" Team shows up.

Dallas Mavericks: 95

Atlanta Hawks: 110

God I hope I am wrong...

Knicks 114, Hawks 107

Seth — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:06:47 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

I would've liked to include a picture of Chris Duhon, but all photos taken of him scoring tonight are apparently being analyzed by the AP to guarantee authenticity. (AP Photo/Gregory Smith)

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That was confusing. After a three months of berating Chris Duhon and a full night of fawning over Al Harrington trade rumors, those very two Knicks co-piloted a convincing win tonight in Atlanta. Harrington dominated the first half with 25 points through the opening quarters, while Duhon was steady throughout, dropping a cool 25 and 10 in jaw-dropping, head-scratching, brain-melting fashion.

Details on those fellas and much more after the jump...

- Danilo Gallinari sat tonight because of a sore forearm. You might remember Matt Barnes decking Gallo into the Magic bench on Wednesday. Well, that apparently didn't feel too good on Danilo's shooting arm. The word is that there's no serious damage and Danilo should be back soon. In related news, I didn't commit infanticide this evening.

- The Knicks started this game down 11-0, at which point many people probably turned off their televisions. I, in fact, had yet to turn on my own. I arrived mid-way through the first, when the Knicks had nearly erased the deficit. That being the case, I feel no responsibility to go back and watch those first few minutes and rehash them for you, and I'm very happy about that.

- After all that, the Knicks actually finished the first quarter leading the Hawks 35-34. Once the Knicks started hitting, it became an old-fashioned shootout. The killer combo of Al Harrington and Chris Duhon had 28 of the Knicks 35 points in the first quarter. They each hit 3 three-pointers. I couldn't make this up.

- Harrington, overall, did his part to answer a lot of the criticism that's fallen upon him since the Tyrus Thomas rumors blew up. Al didn't suddenly become unselfish or anything, but he did manage to drain a lot of the shots we tend to scold him for taking. Al finished with 27 points on 11-17 shooting, including 4-8 from three on the night, and was nothing short of brilliant in the first half. If there's anything to buoy our demands that he be dealt, it was his stark drop-off in the second half, in which he was 1-4 by my count. Sticking with the here and now, though, Al Harrington was key in the New York victory tonight, and we thank him for that.

- Chris Duhon was something else entirely. First, let me remind everybody that Du has caught two months of grief not because he's a bad player, but because he consistently failed to flex his muscles and assert his bounty of point guard talent when it counted. At least that's how I've felt. Anyone who saw his stretch of brilliance early last season or his passionate play in training camp this September knows Chris possesses the skills to be an effective lead guard. For perhaps the first time this season, he showed that. Duhon not only ran the pick-and-roll brilliantly, he looked for his own shot both from the outside and, most importantly, at the rim. When David Lee's roll to the basket was shut off, Du would take off and glide to the rim for acrobatic lay-ins. It was a sight to be seen, and something we've been waiting on for months. Hats off to Chris Duhon, and here's hoping his newfound mojo is here to stay.

- Josh Smith got pretty frustrated with Al Harrington's savior-like play in the first half, and eventually blew his top. Smith's already got a chronic case of Meanface, but he took it to another level after a non-call and eventually got tossed by Bob Delaney. That didn't help matters for a Hawks team that just couldn't get it done on offense.

- Oh, can we all agree to call Josh Smith "The Flying Pug"? I'd really like that nickname to stick. My attempt to anoint Marvin Williams "Milk" (since he was a bad choice over Chris Paul and Deron Williams) didn't really pan out. I need at least one of my Hawks monikers to amount to something.

- That "Two Generations of Cool" thing with Frank Sinatra and Jay-Z concerts is on MSG tonight, and Walt Frazier and Kenny Albert had the following conversation in that vein:

Kenny: "Clyde, did you ever see Frank Sinatra in concert?"

Clyde: "Once, I did."

Kenny: "And how was it?"

Clyde: "Asdfasdfasdfasdf"

- The Knick defense and shot selection was superior to their previous game against Atlanta and, well, about 15 other games this season, but the Hawks also deserve recognition for failing to make shots from absolutely everywhere on the floor. They shot 4-23 as a team from downtown and I'm pretty sure I saw someone miss a tip-in from inside the basket. Sometimes the rim's got a lid.

- I don't think I'd want to play pick-up ball with David Lee. At least not in a game where you call your own fouls.

- Just to emphasize how well Duhon played tonight, I should mention that he personally generated two of Clyde's favorite rhymes. Du was both "swishing and dishing" and "driving and thriving" this evening, whereas he'd spent the first 19 games totally rhyme-free. If anything, he was "chucking and sucking" or something.

- Also, Clyde used the phrase "scoring extravaganza" twice tonight, which is exactly two more times than that phrase has been used by any other announcer in the history of color commentary.

- Shit, Clyde was on fire tonight. "Ain't that Pachulia"? That's goddamn brilliant.

- There was a fun little stretch in the third quarter during which Al Horford and Al Harrington kept going one-on-one with each other to determine who was the superior "Al H.". If I could pick one adjective to describe the showdown, it would be "mouthguard".

- We shouldn't forget Wilson Chandler in the midst of all this Harrington and Duhon hooplah. Wil put in hard work against Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams, and finished with 18 points on 8-17 shooting. He kept himself to 1-3 from downtown, and instead did a nice job attacking the rim. He even caught an alley-oop at one point, which made me feel a little like the announcers in Semi-Pro. I hadn't seen an oop in a long time.

- A monstrous 17 and 18 for David Lee. Top-notch, David.

- Larry Hughes had 10 in the fourth quarter. Marvelously done, Lawrence.

- Other than Hughes, D'Antoni kept his bench rotation typically short. Tonight, it was just Marcus Landry, who did nothing of note in 6 minutes, and Toney Douglas, who played some excellent off-the-ball D, shot 3-5 for 6 points, and pretty much did what Toney Douglas do.

In summary, I can't say I saw that coming, but I'm plenty happy with the results. Next game's Sunday against the Nets, who thankfully recorded their first win of the season tonight against the Bobcats. Consider that a bullet dodged. Everybody have a splendid night and I'll talk to y'all tomorrow.

Change is always good? Part 1, Marvin Williams coming off the bench.

hawksdawgs — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:55:06 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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The grass is greener on the other side. How do I know this? Because I only admit to being on the other side when I see greener grass. Change is wonderful until we stop calling it change and start calling it a wrong decision. I am as guilty of falling in love with the different as much as anyone. I can stare fact and reason in the face and say with full sincerity that change is the answer. And the beautiful thing about championing change is there is little counter argument. Hypotheticals are tough to defeat. These what ifs will never go away. No team is perfect so the conversation will always come up. What should the Hawks change? Where should they tweak? Over the course of this week, we will look at different places where Hawks fans (including me) have cried for change. Today we will examine Marvin Williams coming off the bench.

I will admit I like this idea in principle. Not necessarily because, up until the last two games, Marvin has struggled, but because he has a personality that defers on offense. The role he has either been given or self ascribed is one that focuses on defending, rebounding, and making the open shot. Now, Marv is not exceptional at any of those things, but he is not an exceptional player so one could say he plays that role quite nicely. Still, on nights when Marvin's shot is falling or even just falling at the rate we saw last year, it seems he has the capability of being a very good offensive weapon. He is the second most versatile scorer on the team. If the Hawks have to create an environment to take advantage of that due to Marvin's personality so be it. And that leads to people clamoring to bring him off the bench.

It is tough to bring stats into the equation since Marvin has only played about 25 minutes with a unit that consists predominantly of the second team (at least three bench players), and those small samples sway neither enormously negative or positive, but I think logistical points make this change a non issue.

First, the Hawks have a sixth man. Few teams have two sixth men. You have a player who comes off the bench to provide a spark. Giving that role to two players is simply confusing one of the great strengths of the sixth man function. And if those two players are Marvin and Jamal Crawford, it is tough to see Marv asserting himself on offense over the shot happy Crawford anymore than he would as a starter.

Second, Mike Woodson rarely plays the entire second unit for an extended period of time. It is a new thing this season for the Hawks, and we have only seen it for 31 minutes this season. So the idea that Marvin could be more aggressive on the second unit would be switching up a very successful starting unit for a few six minute stretches every third game or so.

Third, the start of a game is important. It is why almost every team but three or four put their best five players on the court to begin the game. For some of the elite small forwards that Marvin Williams guards, two minutes can be all it takes to get in a shooting rhythm for the entire game. Mo Evans would make a fast start easier and provide little work for said opposing star on the offensive end.

Marvin Williams is actually right. The most important thing for him is defense and rebounding. We always want more out of our players, but if he ever could become sensational at one or both of those, the Hawks would be a better team and Marvin would earn his contract money easily. In the immediate, Marv could be most beneficial, not by coming off the bench or getting more shots, but driving the basketball more and hitting the mid range jumper at a similar rate as previous years. The Hawks do not need 15 shots from Marv. They need efficient ones.

Still, that sentiment ignores the underutilized potential that Marvin has, and if he can show his willingness to drive the ball, get to the free throw line, and knock down open shots in the limited moments he chooses to score, Woodson should seek out opportunities for Williams. I think though, instead of bringing him off the bench, playing Marv alongside Jamal Crawford and an actual point guard (Bibby or Teague) and at least one back up front court player could be the best way to provide more offensive sets for him.

In the end, playing Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson side by side is going to limit touches for most people, and the more we see Joe Johnson at the three, the harder it is to get Marvin minutes, let alone minutes as a primary offensive weapon. Still, a problem exists in that the Hawks have yet to figure out how to most efficiently and effectively use the talent they have. Figuring out ways to get players rest, take advantage of the variety of offensive weapons available, and not create drastic mismatches on defense is a Mike Woodson problem, and the answers are plenty. The Hawks versatility means you could call for Marvin to see time at the four or work him more with Joe off the court or move him to work with mostly the second unit. I have no firm resolve on which is correct (if any), but I know figuring out a Hawks rotation that maximizes skill and limits the reliance on any one player will center around what the Hawks do with Mustache Marv.

Still to come: Jeff Teague's minutes, Al Horford at the power forward, Joe Johnson resting, other suggestions?

Atlanta Hawks 105, Houston Rockets 103 or Marvin and the good Joshettes

hawksdawgs — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 05:03:52 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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boxscore

recap

Sooooooo to recap, Josh Smith can dunk and he can put forth effort, and just those two things can literally win games.

The idea that the Hawks are not just lucky. That they are not simply over achieving. The belief that every game is one more mockery of preseason projections. For you people, us people, tonight was a good night. No one ever thought Marvin was struggling at the same rate Josh was excelling, but everyone knows Josh is succeeding without any new skills that don't exist between the ears. So seeing Marvin move far beyond what we expect, it articulates a hope even Hawks fans have yet to be able to articulate. Atlanta can be better, and when those who have made us better so far this season fall short, we have other guys capable of stepping up.

I understand people who think Marvin can be used better in Atlanta. I get that others wish we drafted someone else. I see how his seeming lack of fire can turn people off. However, you can't not like Marvin Williams the person. You just can't. And if you do, no one likes you the person. Go watch the Marvin Williams halftime interview. Then, I challenge you to say something bad about him ever again.The guy has shown up at 8 am every morning of this home stand to knock himself out of his slump, and tonight it paid off. Marvin destroyed for the first two quarters. He was inside, outside, get out of my way I am going ignore the rim for a half hour as I put up the easiest 20 in the history of the world.

The Joe Johnson over dribble into a jumper that allowed for a put back dunk by Marvin Williams followed by a steal and Joe unselfishly giving up the ball for an Al Horford assist pretty much sums up the game. Explain it? You can't. Love it? You can't help but do it.

Victory Bullets

I love how much Joe Smith enjoys the game from the bench.
Screw that, I love how much Josh Smith enjoys the game from the bench.
"Cooking with grease" is in the top 15 of basketball phrases. Way ahead of "heat check."
The Hawks drafted David Anderson seven years ago? I don't mean to ask that to prove my ignorance but to demonstrate how shocked I am that 2002 was seven years ago.
Teague plays good defense and still fails to stop buckets. It makes you realize there is more than good defense to good defense, and by that I mean clever fouling.
Zaza running over David Anderson for a blocking foul is the definition of my ideal.
Joe pressed. Joe was good. Joe shot bad shots. Joe was awesome. Joe was Joe.
The Hawks out blocked the Rockets 11 to 0.
Offensive rebounds by Houston made the end of this game necessary.
Josh Smith not getting a technical in this game might be the best evidence that he is a changed man. Not that they were bad calls but because he used to be bad Josh Smith and bad Josh did not care if the calls were good or not.
Trevor Ariza looks like an incredible role player. That is not a compliment if you are a Rockets fan.
I thought all Jamal Crawford's points were loud. They are not. That was a quiet 21 on almost 50% shooting.
Jeff Teague where did you go in the second half?
There is no call I hate and love so equally than the illegal screen.
How big of a homer am I? I would still like that Marvin Williams loose ball foul/shove at the end of 4th to be a no call.
Minus the last five seconds. That was a horrible end for the Hawks, but the Hawks are running right. They only need five seconds.

Go Hawks!

Quotes, links, and thoughts bursting with unknown feelings.

hawksdawgs — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:18:55 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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I have not liked Mike Woodson the whole time he has been coach. Through five years, I have only begrudgingly given him props for not screwing up. Even now, he is the last main cog I am reluctant to give my trust to. Still, even with that baggage of disdain still dragging behind me, I read quotes like this one and cannot help but feel that weird feeling in the pit of your stomach I believe most people call "respect."

"I’ll never forget those 13 wins. I’ll never forget walking into the locker room and seeing those faces, knowing we couldn’t win many games."

Now Woody is only three wins from matching that horrid season. So I don't think he is thinking motivation, looking for pity, or answering fluff questions when he drops post game quotes like this one. I think he just telling the truth.

"I can't ask for anything better. I couldn’t be more proud of a group of guys that made a commitment when they came into camp this year."

I am not revising history and taking away the blame I think Woodson rightfully deserved over the past few years nor will I promise that history will keep from creeping into my assessment of him during the season. But this is Woody's job, and it has been a ridiculous tough one. He has a right to be proud, and we have a duty to say well done.

Marvin Williams

The refs called a great game, it just was a bad game for Marvin Williams. They allowed a lot of contact around the rim, and they allowed it both ways. I am fine with that consistency, but Marv was beating his man and driving the ball under control. With a normal ref crew and one or two of those shots dropping, and Williams easily has 20 something points. Marv was more confident, got more opportunities, and hit a few much needed jumpers. One of the big questions still remaining this season is how to take advantage of Marvin's much needed perimeter defense against the number one unit of the opposing team and get him opportunities with the Hawks' second unit where he plays better offensively.

Jeff Teague

I would still like to see Teague play more minutes, but if he is going to ride the bench for long stretches, I am glad it is this season and not last February.

"[Josh Smith] plays so hard," Teague said. "The things he did on the floor, like blocking shots and rebounding and all of the things he doesn't get credit for, like taking charges and getting deflections and things like that ... I always try to pump him up when he comes off the floor to let him know that somebody's seeing what he's done and that we appreciate it."

2009-2010 Josh Smith is an excellent tutor. After my Woody love-fest, this post officially takes over the top spot of "thinks i thought I would never type."

Game recaps

Bret makes an excellent comparison with Dwyane Wade

The Hawks know how to defend Dwyane Wade. The sagging, switching defense combined with a lack of attention paid to the other four (largely immobile) players, and Dwyane Wade, one of the five or six best players in the world, turns into the equivalent of Iso-Joe circa 2006, lack of free throw attempts included. I fully expect Miami to do anything to win or willingly tank games (if necessary) five months from now so as not to face the Hawks in the playoffs again.

The Human Highlight Blog has no place to use its nice, new red pen. Thanks a lot Hawks.

Josh Smith continues to own the Vent's "good" section.

Str8Talk demands you give respect to the women of Philips Arena.

Final Victory Bullets

Ten games from now, if the Hawks stay close to this pace and level of play, Atlanta residents need to start going all kinds of 1991 on this city.

Go Hawks!

Atlanta Hawks Blog Season Preview

hawksdawgs — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 17:28:12 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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As you have seen from a few posts over the last couple weeks, I am participating in a large blogosphere preview of every NBA team. The time has come for the Hawks, and I am one of the people representing. Thanks to CelticsBlog for putting the whole thing together. I am rehashing my thoughts for the most part so feel free to rehash yours and/or old arguments. For the visitors, hello. Thanks for stopping by.

Team Name: Atlanta Hawks

Last Year's Record: 47-35

Key Losses: Ronald "Hot Flip" Murray, Acie Law IV, Solomon Jones, and some guy named Craig.

Key Additions: Jamal Crawford (trade), Joe Smith (FA), Jeff Teague, and the enormous butt of Jason Collins.

1. What Significant Moves were made during the off-season?

The Hawks resigned Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, and Mike Bibby. Getting each of them back was not overly surprising due to the stagnant free agent market and abhorrence of a handful of teams to even be in the same room as added salary let alone contemplate adding it. More pleasantly true though was that Hawks got them all back under long term deals that were at worst near market value and at best slightly under. Outside of the third and final year on Bibby's contract, Rick Sund did quite the job this off season.

Zaza is what he is and that is awesome. And by awesome, I mean an unathletic, hustling, rebounding, traveling, get under your skin defense, barely can dunk Eastern European machine. Bibby can still stroke it from outside, provide leadership from inside the locker room, and mentor Jeff Teague on his way out. Marvin just improves every year. He may be past that "big jump" year, but he is entering the prime of his career and the Hawks have front row seats at a very reasonable price.

Some people did not come back though. Flip Murray being one of them. The good thing about having Flip for one of his most successful seasons in the NBA was that the fans fell in love. We shouted "hot Flip!" like school kids. It was a summer lover affair in the dead of winter and those are hard to say goodbye to. We never knew any of the horror stories those Pacer, Piston, and Cavs' fans threw out. Not our Flip. It couldn't be so. It wasn't so.

Which has made the Jamal Crawford trade a bit of a mixed bag. People are excited and ready to believe he is an upgrade, but that nine times cheaper old summer fling is tough to shake. Still, there is a lot to be excited about with Jamal. For one, we got him for nothing (at least for the first year). Plus, Crawford provides ball handling and free throw shooting at the end of games, which the Hawks sorely missed last year. And then there are those 50 point games, that crossover, and the scoring off the bench. The question is whether those pluses will outweigh his lack of any defense and questionable shot selection. One thing we know the trade did though was, barring an improbable sign and trade, make it so the only big name the Hawks can sign next year is the one they already have, Joe Johnson.

Finally, if you would like to live in a world where preseason is a perfect indicator for future performance, Jeff Teague is about to take this league by storm. If you want to live in optimistic reality, he has the tools to be very good. And if you take preseason for what it is and that is fake games, he can jump and is fast and that is all we know. Personally, I have always liked the taste of kool-aid.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

The teams biggest strength is that you have to be exceptional to beat them in any one area. Not great, or all-time anything, just really, really good. If your team has a better starting five, you have a really good starting five, and when they play the Hawks, they will have to play as such. If you have a better bench, that bench is far above average. A lot of people look at the Hawks and say, "there is no super star!" which is true, but there is also no weak link. You are going to have to bring your game to beat this team. And if your game is better on the whole, you can certainly win. This Hawks team will not all-star themselves to many victories, but they can beat anyone. And on rare nights, even when a better team is playing up to their potential, the Hawks have the athletes to throw "what's suppose to happen" to the wind and beat you anyway.

In that, Joe Johnson is the personification of this team's identity, and also its must likely villain. Joe is a borderline all-star who hangs more on the border of being included. He is a guy that is consistent on both ends of the court, and for an organization that desperately needed anything in the same ballpark as consistent, fans and media give him rightful praise and recognition for leading them out of the dredges of the league. Joe will beat you. He can drop a quiet 35 with the best in the league. But he is not a super star. He needs teammates. A Joe Johnson team will not make the eastern conference finals. A Joe Johnson led team could.

And that is the rub. Joe is still learning to lead without dominating. It is unclear if Mike Woodson is learning to coach that way, but to be an elite team without elite players, the Hawks will need to play to the strength that they have few weaknesses. Because playing to a strength that is not really there will only undermine the only strength the team really has.

And that was the most confusing sentence I have ever written.

Other strengths in no particular order are home court, running against older teams, a built in food court outside the arena that sells beer, Dominique Wilkins doing color commentary, and Josh Smith dunks.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Rebounding. Or put another way Josh Smith accepting a role that fits his skill set. The Hawks are never going to be an exceptional rebounding team. Not with Al Horford playing center and Mike Bibby at point. But they could certainly improve. The Hawks ranked 23^rd last year. I don't know stats that well and I am horrible at memorizing things, and I didn't have to look that one up. That is how important it is.

The Hawks could be decent at rebounding. Al Horford is an excellent boarder despite his size. Zaza Pachulia has one of the best offensive rebounding rates in the league. Joe Johnson pulls down boards at an average clip. Marvin could get more but gets enough. It will be a team effort to overachieve here, but Josh Smith must step up. He had his lowest offensive rebounding numbers since coming into a league and was off a full board a game on the defensive end from his rate the past two years. When it comes down to it, the onus is on Josh to end his daydreaming around the three point line and attack the boards like a bat out of hell. Yes, a literal bat out of hell. I have been sending him Meat Loaf cds for weeks in preparation for this season. Hopefully, he has been listening.

The Hawks are simply not good enough at shooting or defense to leave rebounds for the taking. If they stay below average in this category, the improved east will make it very hard to keep the fourth seed and that clear division everyone talks about between the big three and the rest of the league will be so distinct you will think the Hawks are the best team in minor league ball.

The Hawks also must win more games on the road, but that is true for any non-elite team.

4. What are the goals for this team?

Mike Woodson is in a contract year so the goals for this season might easily be marked by what it will take for him to get a new contract. And that might be lower than some Hawks fans want. There will be riots in the street if a first round playoff loss garners a new contract, but a competitive second round exit should secure an extended stay in Atlanta for Woody.

However, one can only rebuild for so long and a conference finals appearance may be wishful thinking around these parts but it is not unheard of thinking. It is still a goal and not an expectation, but in two years, if the Hawks are saying goodbye to the playoffs in early May, fans will not be happy and Phillips Arena will go back to the sparse look it held for the early part of this decade.

The Hawks have improved every year under Woodson, and hope and excitement is built around that very fact. Improvement on 47 wins is a goal and a very reachable one at that.

5. Who will break out this season?

The Hawks are slowly dwindling down their list of potential break out stars. A few years ago you could go six deep easy. The team is settling into roles and skill sets. It makes people excited about competing and nervous about that final form not being enough.

And while Marvin Williams and Al Horford still have the chance to make improvements and maybe even leaps in terms of their game (I actually expect both to be better players this year), neither is likely to become an all-star this year or next. Josh Smith though is the x-factor. His talent is so immense that naming him the potential breakout star is never cliché. And I say that with a firm understanding that he will never be a good jump shooter.

No, Josh Smith is a commitment to rebounding, defense, and not shooting jump shots away from being a clear cut all-star. And those are three things, three big things, but they are less new skills to learn and more a mindset to adopt. That is all Josh Smith needs to become a dominating force. It is scary that the Hawks put their chips in this enigma, but it is also pretty dang exciting.

Predicted Record: 49-33 and 4th seed in the East.

Other player previews: Marvin Williams, Zaza Pachulia, Mo Evans, Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson

72 reasons to be excited!

Go Hawks!

Poll

The big one, how many games will the Hawks win?

Less than 40

2 votes

40-42

4 votes

43-45

5 votes

45-47

16 votes

47-49

17 votes

49-51

50 votes

51-53

32 votes

More than 53

28 votes

154 votes | Poll has closed

Atlanta Hawks 113, Washington Wizards 95 or where optimism should be desperately rationalized

hawksdawgs — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:44:34 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

Just smile. It's cool....

The Highlight Factory smelled good tonight. Ryan Cameron made me feel at home. My old ushers all remained in placed. And the Hawks continued to give a big middle figure to people who want to be pessimistic about the preseason.

Josh, the transformer?

If you would like, make the argument that Josh Smith is playing at regular season level and everyone else is playing at a preseason one. Just don't say he is not playing well above most people on the floor. Yes,a double negative is needed to prove that point.

The Inspector lived on the low block, contested shots he had not business contesting, worked defensively one on one, and fought for rebounding position on both ends. He was far from perfect but considering he will never be, it was quite a performance. One bad jumper that went down as a make, a couple bad post moves, and energy on both ends of the floor far above anyone else is a recipe for success. Period. End of sentence. Don't tell me what month it is.

Jeffrey, the rookie

Jeff Teague continued his good impression from the radio to reality. He took multiple bad shots. Shots that were far beyond rookie heaves. He made a couple of passes that were questionable. But the rest of the time, Teague made other 19th picks of the last couple years look silly. He may not be a top five draft pick contributor, but I struggle to see how he does not have that talent. On the other hand, anyone that expects such is totally, straight against the wall crazy.

Jamal, the blog reader

It is as if the guy read every blog post.

He was an assist machine. He was Marvin Williams with better handles out there. He passed up buckets for assists like it was going out of style forever. And man can he pass. It is the preseason and so many of those would have been stolen, but it was also out of a Piston Pete movie. So you can live on whatever side of reality you would like.

On the other side, man can he not shoot. For a while it looked like someone had combined Joe Johnson, Marvin, and Mario West into a super non-producer. Jamal refused to take shots the first 10 minutes he was on the floor. I was weirded out and I have never seen him live. Come regular season, of course he will have to score, but that has never been a problem. If Jamal is pass first and slightly interested in defense, you can mark this down as a win.

Bullets and highlights after the jump

Jason Collins is huge. Certainly in the running for largest posterior in the league.
Al Horford got everything I have ever asked from him on offense with those 15 shots. And he did not make me look that smart. Lots of jumpers. Only seven makes. And no free throw attempts.
The intern refs were much better in person. Or maybe they were just much better last night.
Mario West will not make this team based on preseason play.
Jeff Teague makes layups very exciting.
Seriously, who is the Maruice Evans guy? He has now scored more off the dribble in two games than he did all of the last year.
First Jamal Crawford crossover was pleasant on the eyes.
Jeff Teague's first NBA three was banked in at the first quarter buzzer.
Shooting 55% against any kind of defense is good. No players injured. Jeff Teague jersey fund taking a higher priority. I will go ahead and mark my first game down as a success.

72 reasons to be excited about the Atlanta Hawks: #20 Marvin Williams' game winners

hawksdawgs — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:34:12 -0000

More photos » by Scott Cunningham - NBAE/Getty Images

Browse more photos »

Marvin Williams is a cold blooded assassin who happens to be in semi-retirement.

He hoisted a would be game winner against the Celtics last year before the Hawks allowed a final gasp to be breathed by one of the two players they should have denied. Still, Marvin hits free throws in the clutch and drives to the basket with such ease in the fourth quarter you are too busy pumping your fist to ask where that was the other three periods. He knocks down warm up jumpers with two minutes to go. A Marvin shot goes in late in the game you find yourself saying "thank you..." as if it is what you wanted all along even though you had not thought about it until now.

Marvin Williams is the must clutch guy that has never really been clutch ever. He doesn't have many (any?) game winners. He just makes it so they are not necessary. Marvin makes leads happen, and his non-nonchalant attitude goes from annoying to irreplaceably great.

Marvin's clutch statistics (stats in the last five minutes with neither team up more than five points) are kind of ridiculous. His adjusted shooting percentage on his jumpers is 78.6%. That stat is not a misprint. Marv draws a foul 15% of the time. That is double the rate of Joe Johnson. The dude's adjusted shooting percentage overall is 76.5% in these clutch moments.

The sample size is small. Marvin does not have many shot attempts in these areas, but just when he is on the floor, the Hawks are +31 in these clutch moments. The problem is Marvin makes those baskets 79% of the time off assists and 81% of the shots are jumpers. Marv is ready. He is waiting, cold blooded, but the semi retirement is keeping him from taking the strong initiative that could wipe out whole teams.

So Marvin, if their is one place I would love to see your ability meet reality, it is in your "I will rip your heart with a calm mustache smile" mojo. I am excited for game winners. I am excited for awkward dancing. I am excited for Marvin to come out of retirement.

Create a caption! Marvin Williams, little kids, and panda skulls.

hawksdawgs — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:51:46 -0000

Don't normally do these, but I laughed at this picture for about three minutes.The Hawks went to Zoo Atlanta yesterday. I probably should have gone since I live a mile from there. I definitely would have gone if I knew Marvin Williams was going to show panda skulls to little kids.

Via Hawks Community Twitter

Best comment wins there very own panda skull.

********Winner*********

Mr. Sanchez with “Yeah, so it took me a little while to find your lost dog. Who do you think I am, Tyler Hansbrough?”