SB Nation - Solomon Jones

Off-Day Open Thread: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic Teammates Unhappy with Other Teams for Fouling Howard Hard

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:00:27 -0000

More photos » by Reinhold Matay - AP

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard's frustration about other teams' constantly hammering him under the basket reached a boiling point in last night's win over the Indiana Pacers. Late in the third quarter, Howard got free underneath on the break. Before he could go up for a dunk, Pacers forward Troy Murphy came up from behind Howard and brought both his arms down hard around his neck and shoulders, preventing Howard from getting a shot off. Howard tried to push Murphy in retaliation as he attempted to untangle himself, which earned him a technical foul; Pacers coach Jim O'Brien unsuccessfully argued that Howard threw a punch and should have been ejected. Head official Ken Mauer ensured the Pacers would not get a free throw out of the bargain by escalating the call to a double-technical on both players, rather than just a technical on Howard.

This skirmish has set off a debate about the ethics of hard fouls, about which you can read on OrlandoMagic.com, the Orlando Sentinel, and NBA FanHouse. One side holds that Howard gets hammered far too often, and in unseemly ways; the other believes that Howard does his own fair share of bullying, and that fouling Howard hard is the only way to prevent him from scoring in certain situations. Murphy's hack indeed prevented Howard from getting a shot up, and was far more effective in stopping a score than, say Solomon Jones' weak attempt at the 3:26 mark of the second quarter, when he needlessly slapped Howard on the arm after he had dunked.

Where do you stand on this issue? Is it fair for NBA teams to base an entire strategy on "fouling the hell out of Dwight Howard," as O'Brien described it after the game? At which point does this strategy cross the line? What can the NBA do to address the problem, if anything?

For the record, we'll note that fouling Howard appears to be paying off so far. He's connected on 58.4% of his foul shots this season, the worst mark of his 6-year career. Basketball purists might suggest that Howard improve that figure in order to discourage intentional fouls, rather than complaining about the rough treatment he receives.

UPDATE: Justice appears to have prevailed in this case--depending on your allegiances--as the NBA rescinded Howard's technical foul and upgraded Murphy's technical foul to a flagrant-1.

Pacers 91, Nets 83: No Apologies For Ugly Win By Pacers

Tom Lewis — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 04:33:40 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Defense leads the way to Pacer wins these days.

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Exhale, pack the W and race back to Conseco Fieldhouse without looking back.

Fortunately there's no beauty points awarded for wins in the NBA, because the Pacers weathered an ugly outing in New Jersey to hang on for a win over the depleted Nets, 91-83. But sneaking out of the swamp with a W after a subpar outing is the type of thing that's starting to make this season so attractive.

This game had the nightmare trap-game scenario written all over it. The Pacers were feeling good coming off a big win over Boston. The Nets were feeling lousy, having been nipped at the buzzer in their last outing to go to 0-10. There were simply too many favorables leaning toward the Pacers for the team to be amped up for this game.

But the Pacers won in the face of losing their offensive rhythm against a desperate team willing to play hard for 48 minutes. They found a way to get enough defensive stops in the fourth quarter to seal the victory, a method of closing out a game they couldn't rely on last year.

So, yes it was an ugly game with plenty of play to complain about. Just don't lose sight of the win, and the way the Pacers hung on to take it home. Not only did they not turn an easy win into a loss, but they never let the game get closer than two possessions thanks that newfound defensive efficiency.

Pacers 101, Knicks 89: Ford Becomes Unlikely Hero As Pacers Earn First Win

spstevenson — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:46:43 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Al Harrington's game-high 22 points weren't enough to keep the Pacers from picking up their first win of the season as Danny Granger and company nabbed the victory, 101-89.

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Everything is just fine. Order is restored. Let the road to the playoffs begin. Or something like that.

After dropping the first three games of the season in ugly fashion, the Knicks allowed the Indiana Pacers to regroup, recharge and reignite that burning flame that leads to something we like to call...winning. Despite losing Danny Granger to the bench with fouls in the final minutes, it was the team's defense and strong offensive possessions from T.J. Ford (no need to check your eyes, that does read correctly) that sealed the Pacers 101-89 win.

After trailing by six at halftime, the Pacers (1-3) shook off their usual third-quarter blues by clamping down defensively and holding the shot-happy Knicks to only 33 second-half points. The Pacers took charge of the game after Granger fouled out with the team up four points with three minutes to play. Dahntay Jones, who was an offensive and defensive force from the onset Wednesday night, hounded the Knicks post play despite being undersized against the likes of Al Harrington and David Lee. Then an unlikely hero rose from the ashes of the season. Ford, who had struggled mightily in the team's first three losses, made eight of Indiana's final 10 points to put the game out of reach.

The game featured many season "firsts" for the blue and gold. Brandon Rush attempted his first free throw, while also draining his first 3-pointer. Roy Hibbert fouled no one. Granger made big plays. The defense actually put a stop-gap in the middle of the lane. And the Pacers had more free-throw attempts, more rebounds and, most importantly, more points than the Knicks.

Still, these were the Knicks, which along with the Pacers have only one win apiece in the infancy of the 09-10 season. Maybe the Knicks were too distracted by the World Series, but something must be said for seeing, for the first time, some semblance of what the Pacers looked like in games last year. Hey, it's a start. Or something like that.

Other notes:

Another slow start for the blue and gold gang. The offense was stagnant yet again in the first quarter but, luckily, the opponent was the Knicks. The Pacers posted seven turnovers in the first six minutes of the game, along with a staggering amount of misguided passes, blind dribbling into traffic and a blatant disregard for knowing where their teammates were on the court. Then, things immediately shifted for the better when the second unit, consisting of Earl Watson, Solomon Jones and Luther Head, came into the game late into the first quarter. They picked up the game speed and it replaced the lull that shrouded the opening minutes.
Without Troy Murphy available due to injury, coach Jim O'Brien cut the playing rotation down to only eight players. Travis Diener, A.J. Price and Josh McRoberts sat dressed in their uni's on the bench tonight.
Free-throw differential. For the longest time tonight, the Pacers actually dominated in this stat category for the first time since 1971. Midway through the fourth quarter, Indiana had 22 attempts from the charity stripe compared to a paltry four shots by the Knicks. But thanks to a Danny Granger-led fouling spree to finish the game, the Knicks cut that differential pretty quickly, yet the team still compiled a 28-18 advantage at the end of regulation. But hey, at least we know it's possible for the Pacers to dominate the free-throw disparity. Possible.
Roy Hibbert fouled...NOBODY! It's a miracle! Very good night for the big man on offense and defense. I've written a billion times, but the guy needs the ball in the post much more often than he's been getting it. Too many times, Hibbert is being given the ball beyond the perimeter to act as a passing mechanism to further the Pacers' non-existent ball movement skills. He needs the ball in the post people! It may never be pretty what he does in there, but he gets things done.
Granger didn't look right early and often on the offensive end. The heel must still be bothering him pretty badly as his elevation on the jump shot is just not where it needs to be. Still, he came up big in the second half and recovered his box score to garner a team-high 21 points on 7-of-18 shooting. We talking on the boards that this upcoming schedule might be a good time for Granger to sit down and let that heel rest. The Pacers play only game between now and next Wednesday (Friday's contest against the Wizards). Maybe the time off could get him back to Superman status.
Brandon Rush, welcome to the 2009-10 season. He was one of three players to compile double-doubles (Rush had 12 points and 10 rebounds), and his two 3-pointers in the first half kept the Pacers in striking distance for the big second-half run. Jones and Hibbert nabbed double-doubles as well with Jones getting 19 points, 12 rebounds and Hibbert overpowering the small-ball Knicks lineup for 15 points and 14 rebounds.
Lastly, the offense still looked terrible quite often, the shooters still shot a paltry 5-of-21 from beyond-the-arc, the defense allowed David Lee to run wild for 20 points and 19 rebounds, and the Pacers dominated in turnovers again with a healthy 21 total. Still lots of problems. But it sure felt good to get that win. Check out the Knicks point-of-view on the game over at Posting and Toasting.

Former Pacers Already Making New Teams Happy

spstevenson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:16:42 -0000

More photos » by Terry Gilliam - AP

Marquis Daniels is dominating some of the league's best players in his new green uni. Dominating may be the wrong word, but he's definitely doing something good to make Celtics fans happy.

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Jarrett Jack and Marquis Daniels are making their marks early in their new digs in the NBA.

After both played well, particularly Jack, for the Pacers last season, it is not a surprise that both of them made solid impressions on fans, teammates and coaches during the preseason. They both did it with playing on-the-court as well as their demeanor off of it.

Celtics fans immediately enjoyed Daniels' quirky attitude that he displayed at his introductory press conference and continued during the eight games that he played in his new green and white uni off the bench for the aspiring leaders of the Eastern Conference. Jack, who came off the bench in each preseason contest, could find himself embroiled in another point guard controversy as he's outplayed starter Jose Caulderon and has been finishing games on the court rather than sitting on the bench.

Check out the jump for a look at the preseason stats of the players who left the blue and gold this offseason, compared to the newcomers playing in Indiana this year.

Preseason stats? Yeah, that's what it's come down today. Sometimes the preseason just reiterates what we already know. Danny Granger finished fifth in the league in scoring, Troy Murphy had the third-best rebounding average and T.J. Ford averaged a healthy four turnovers per contest. The same old stuff.

But, then again, some preseason stats throw everything off, such as Roy Hibbert's emergence as the team's second-leading scorer and the NBA's blocks per game leader. He was a beast. So will he be a beast in the regular season? Just keep praying that the answer is "yes" and we'll move on.

So below are the stats for players who left Indy and the players who came into the town. Maybe they mean something. Maybe they mean nothing. But here they are for you to decide. Anyways, it won't matter too much longer. The NBA starts on Tuesday! Time to celebrate.

Former Pacers averages:
Marquis Daniels (Celtics) -- 8 games played (2 starts), 19.9 minutes per game, 47.9% FG, 65% FT, 2.4 apg, 7.6 ppg.

Jarrett Jack (Raptors) -- 8 games played, 24.0 mpg, 37.9% FG, 6.7% 3ptFG, 80.0% FT, 4.0 apg, 7.9 ppg

Rasho Nesterovic (Raptors) -- 7 games played, 15.1 mpg, 35.7% FG, 3.4 rpg, 4.6 ppg

Stephen Graham (Bobcats) -- 8 games played, 18.6 mpg, 32.7% FG, 92.3% FT, 3.6 rpg, 7.6 ppg

Maceo Baston (Pistons, waived at end of preseason) -- 4 games played, 3.5 mpg, 0.5 ppg

New Pacers averages:
Earl Watson -- 6 games played (2 starts), 24.7 mpg, 43.3% FG, 53.3% FT, 4.3 apg, 5.8 ppg

Luther Head -- 3 games played, 26.0 mpg, 68.4% FG, 44.4% FT, 2.3 apg, 11.0 ppg

Dahntay Jones -- 7 games played, 23.9 mpg, 42.4% FG, 74.2% FT, 10.6 ppg

Solomon Jones -- 7 games played (3 starts), 20.0 mpg, 50.0% FG, 75.0% FT, 4.3 rpg, 1.57 bpg, 8.6 ppg

A.J. Price -- 6 games played, 19.3 mpg, 42.9% FG, 33.3% 3ptFG, 33.3% FT, 2.0 apg, 8.5 ppg

Geez, who knew that Solo Jones would be the best free-throw shooter out of the new crop. I'll just assume that's one of those "inaccurate" preseason stats.

Pacers 114, Spurs 112: Pacers Finish Preaseason On Winning Note

Tom Lewis — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 02:26:10 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Danny Granger saw plenty of action in the Pacers' final preseason game against the Spurs.

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The Indiana Pacers finished the preseason on a winning note after denying the San Antonio Spurs a shot at the win on their final possession to preserve a 114-112 win at Indiana University's Assembly Hall.

Several Pacers were pressed to play big minutes in Bloomington which in the end played in the team's favor. After a slow shooting start, Danny Granger put up some huge numbers in his 40-plus minutes of playing time. Brandon Rushplayed nearly 37, while Dahntay Jones (34) and Earl Watson (33) also ran for 30-plus.

In the end, those four players put up the numbers needed to push the Pacers to victory which was well worth the extra minutes considering the how bad things went two days ago in Orlando.

Why the big minutes for four players, you ask? Well, Troy Murphy was slowed by a sore foot but did play 20 minutes. Jeff Fosterplayed 11 minutes but still has the back to nurse along. Then to go along with the dinged bigs, Roy Hibbert and Solomon Jonesboth fouled out. Too bad, since both bigs pitched in nicely while on the court.

After the jump, a little closer look at the numbers.

Danny Granger finished with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists. He also knocked down 5 three-pointers although 13 attempts is too many regardless of what my inner-gunner is telling me. The good part about those balky 3-ball numbers is that he started out 1-8, so taking the extra attempts to finish the game 4-5 was just fine for a preseason game.

Dahntay Jones seems to find a way to score whenever he's on the court. His ability to run the floor and take the ball to the hoop in the open court helps open up the scoring opportunities. Jones finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists as he was able to get some easy buckets and trips to the line. Jones did have a bad turnover late in the game which put the final possession in the hands of the Spurs.

Earl Watson rebounded nicely after a tough night in Orlando to finish with 6 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds and most importantly, 1 turnover.

Like Granger, Brandon Rush also started out struggling from the floor but found a rhythm in the second half and finished with 17 points.

A.J. Price played 16 turnover-free minutes and chipped in 10 points.

Roy Hibbert fouled out in 18 minutes but did chip in 16 points and 3 blocked shots. He also had a few nice finishes including a baseline reverse dunk on Tim Duncanthat drew quite a reaction from Mark Boyle and Austin Crosher on the radio call. Timmy repaid the favor quickly by quietly draining a shot at the other end to even things up.

T.J. Ford stayed in street clothes with a hammy as did Luther Head with an ankle issue which I guess is better than the back acting up again.

For the Spurs, former Broad Ripple Rocket and IUPUI Jag, George Hillhad a real nice outing. No doubt he relished the opportunity to light it up on IU's floor. Hill finished with 21 points and 5 rebounds, doing it like he often did in high school by getting in the lane and drawing free throws.

DeJuan Blair didn't play until late in the third quarter as it appeared the Spurs ran through a full dress rehearsal for the first half through the early third quarter.

Speaking of the third quarter, the Pacers skipped the common let down and instead took control of the game after the break outscoring the Spurs 34-21 in the third.

Don't forget Fan Jam is on Sunday from 3:00PM-6:0PM at the Fieldhouse.

Orlando Magic News for October 22nd: Dwight Howard, the Pirate; More Predictions for the Orlando Magic

erivera7 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:09:24 -0000

Dwight Howard Might Have to Wear an Eye Patch for Halloween
Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse notes how Dwight Howard jokingly suggested he may start wearing a facemask or goggles after getting poked in the eye in last night's game against the Indiana Pacers.

Magic center Dwight Howard may have decided Wednesday night on what costume he will wear Halloween night. He might be the biggest pirate ever to go trick-or-treating. Howard got poked in the right eye by Solomon Jones late in Wednesday night's victory over the Indiana Pacers, giving the Magic a brief scare until his vision cleared.
Lakers, Celtics, Cavaliers lead strong NBA title race
Chris Ballard of Sports Illustrated notes how the title race in the NBA this season may be one of the most entertaining one in recent years.

The Magic has tried to keep up not only by adding Carter but also by bringing in free agent Brandon Bass from the Mavericks so that Orlando will at last have a traditional power forward. But have those moves made the team less dangerous? Three-point sniper Rashard Lewis, who is suspended for this season's first 10 games because he failed a drug test for a performance-enhancing substance, will now spend fewer minutes creating havoc at the four spot, and Hedo Turkoglu, the 6' 10" playmaking small forward who was crucial to Orlando's upset of Cleveland in the conference finals, has moved on to Toronto as a free agent. The Magic enjoyed some mismatches with its offbeat lineup last season, but as G.M. Otis Smith notes, that unusual style didn't bring Orlando a championship. "You can't expect fans to come pay to see us if we're going to be passive," says Smith, who must fill his team's new downtown arena, which opens in 2010-11. "We're going to be aggressive."
Defense should lead Celtics over Lakers for NBA title
Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated chimes in, as well, on how the Orlando Magic will fare.

Unless they beat out Cleveland for the No. 1 seed, the Magic will find themselves matched up against Boston in the second round. At that stage last year, they barely beat a Celtics team that didn't have Garnett. As much as the Magic have improved their talent with the return of Jameer Nelson and the acquisitions of Vince Carter and Brandon Bass, they still have to prove that they're better than the Garnett-led Celtics, who have also bettered themselves.
Acting just comes natural to me!!!
Dwight Howard posts on his official blog, today, and talks about being comfortable around other actors.

Of course, my focus is on basketball and leading the Magic to a championship. That’s what consumes me every day and it’s my first thought when I wake up in the morning.

But acting is something that I truly enjoy and I want to get better at it. I was in a lot of plays and short stories when I was in high school, so it’s something that I’ve always done.
Orlando Magic roster analysis 2009-2010 NBA preview
UPDATE: Here's an excerpt of an opposing team's scouting report on the Magic - I suggest reading this write-up because it is very thorough, even if you agree or disagree with the observations and opinions of another person.

There is going to be a lot of pressure on Van Gundy to pull all of these new pieces together while doing at least as well as last year's team that went to the Finals. He was in the same position with Miami where he had a team built to win a championship, and obviously the players and/or Pat Riley did not think he was the guy to get them there. I thought a lot of that was unfair, and really a lot of what undermined Van Gundy in Miami was that Riley was sitting there waiting in the wings. The harsh reality is that the questions about Van Gundy have not gone away despite the success he's had in Orlando, and they won't go away until he wins a championship. He is undoubtedly one of the best and most intelligent coaches in the NBA. Watching his team, you can see they've got a plan and they execute it. They're in the spots they're supposed to be and it's rare they have a clunker game or they play in an undisciplined way. In the end-of-game situations, he always seems to do a terrific job with getting the shot they need.
Orlando Magic ‘09-10 NBA season preview
UPDATE 2: Austin Burton of Dime Magazine previews Orlando.
Marcin Gortat continues his strong preseason
UPDATE 3: Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily talks about Marcin's Gortat strong game against the Indiana Pacers, yesterday.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Limp Back To Indiana After Bad Loss To Magic

spstevenson — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:39:15 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

Roy Hibbert tries to look as intense as possible to get the Polish dude out of his space.

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Thank you Fox Sports for having the foresight to not air last night's beatdown in Orlando. Listening to the Magic romp the Pacers was bad enough.

The loss meant the Magic stay undefeated in preseason play, while the Pacers fall to 2-4 with one game remaining at Assembly Hall in Bloomington on Friday. More than likely, the team will be playing short-handed again with players trying to rest up and get healthy for next week's season-opener at Atlanta.

But I'm trying to focus too much on the ~~bleak~~ promising future. If you really want to dwell on last night's outing, or you need your fix of Reggie Miller scandals and more season previews, then check out the links after the jump. But don't say that I didn't warn you.

I'm sure Mike Wells was glad that he didn't make the trip all the way to Orlando for this one. The Indianapolis Star posted the AP report for the contest, while Wells blogged back in here Indy about the Pacers lack of a secondary scoring threat to compliment Danny Granger.
Fan House also recognized The Lone Granger as the lone superstar and attribute on the Pacers roster.
Box score for last night's game, along with Tom's recap of the contest.
If you want to see what joy, happiness and success looks like, then check out Third Quarter Collapse's write-up for the Orlando version. We really need to look into trading names with their blog.
The Orlando Sentinel gave Solomon Jones a brief story about the Central Florida native trying to earn a starting spot on the blue and gold.
Ready for another season preview? This one is actually worth it as our friends at Eight Points, Nine Seconds puts together a nice catalog of season previews along with their own unique take on the upcoming year.
John Oesher, who has taken over Indiana Pacers duties at Examiner.com, posted his take on the latest positive news surrounding the injuries of Tyler Hansbrough and Mike Dunleavy.
USAToday reports that Maceo Baston, who played for the Pacers last season, has been waived by the Pistons.
And, finally, poor Reggie Miller. After all that crap surrounding him earlier this summer about him trying to get Alex von Furstenberg's woman, the saga still isn't over. Alex threatened to "beat down" Reggie after stalking him to his car outside of a Malibu restaurant. Now the pages have turned and Reggie has handed Alex his own restraining order.

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

Pacers 119, Rockets 104: Pacers Pressure Sets The Pace For Win Over Rockets

Tom Lewis — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 02:48:28 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Houston native, T.J. Ford was on top of his game against his game against the Rockets.

Browse more photos »

I hope the Pacers save some of this good play for the regular season. As Quinn Buckner would say: My goodness!

The Indiana Pacers used their pressure defense to set the pace early before running away from the Rockets on their way to a 119-104 win at the Fieldhouse. The fifteen-point final deficit doesn't accurately portray the dominant play of the Pacers, since a late fourth-quarter run by the Rockets made the final score more respectable.

Consider that the Pacers had 71 points at the half and an even100 after three quarters and it all seemed so easy.

The tone was set on defense. After Luis Scola scored on Houston's initial possession, the Pacers collected five steals and a blocked shot to stop six of the next eight possessions for the Rockets. Defense led to offense, helping the Pacers push out to an early 17-10 lead and the Rockets were chasing the Pacers for the rest of the game.

Pressure and pace were in full effect and wore out the Rockets who started the game a bit weary after playing on Thursday night in Toronto. Should be interesting to see how the Pacers respond tomorrow night in New Orleans. Shouldn't be a problem since no body played a ton of minutes. Luther head logged 28 minutes but everyone else was around the 15-20 minute range.

After the jump, more player and game observations:

The Pacers held Houston to 37% shooting from the floor while shooting 49% themselves which includes a poor shooting finish for the Pacers.
The Pacers had measly 10 turnovers which is a vast improvement after averaging just over 20 turnovers/game in their first three outings.
Houston native, T.J. Ford only had one of those turnovers while playing brilliantly in just over 17 minutes of burn. Ford is really getting after the ball on defense and found a way to energize both ends of the floor finishing with 11 points, 6 assists, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. He even knocked down a 3-ball for good measure.
Danny Granger continues to play a controlled, smooth preseason game while producing at will. Like Ford, Granger play just over 17 minutes but easily pumped in 22 points with 4 treys. Misses have become a surprise for 33 and seriously, he appears to be playing the game in third gear while everyone else is in fifth. Like driving a high-performance car on the freeway, when it feels like your driving 50 mph but your really going 80.
The Rockets killed the Pacers on the offensive glass, saving 24 possession by grabbing their own misses. Overall the Rockets finished with a 58-43 rebounding edge. Obviously, the Rockets had far more misses to grab than the Pacers, but that's still not good.
Jeff Foster was back in action after missing the games in Taipei and Beijing. Foster played 13 first-half minutes and then sat out the second half. He was able to mix it up for 6 points and 3 rebounds while sporting the plastics face mask and white headband combo. Yikes!
Luther Headalso returned to action and again showed and active game at both ends as he relished the chance to battle his former mates in red. Both Head and Dhantay Jones do a nice job taking a rebound and just taking it up the court to push the action. Dhantay had 11 points and Luther 13 with most of those points coming in transition opportunities.
Roy Hibbert had a tough time getting his offensive game together as he missed 9 of 11 shots. The Rockets didn't have a legit center to throw at him and with the pace of the game, establishing a low post presence just never happened. He was able to make an impact defensively with a couple of early blocks. Solomon Jones pitched in 4 blocks himself, but both big guys missed out on some rebounds, finishing with just two each.
Troy Murphymade sure there would be no third quarter let down in this one, as he came out smoking after the half. Murph finished with 17 points and while he had three 3-balls, he did show off the mid-range game he claims to have worked on this summer. It was actually strange to see him pull up inside the arc from 17 feet, but real pleasant to see him knock it down.
Former Purdue Boilermaker Carl Landry played about 17 minutes and was on a tear late in the game. He finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds while rockin' the rim a few times with strong finishes.

2009-10 NBA Blog Previews: Indiana Pacers

Tom Lewis — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 04:16:23 -0000

Once again, Indy Cornrows is pleased to participate in the 2009-10 NBA blogger previews orgainzed by Jeff Clark at Celtics Blog.

Team Name: Indiana Pacers

Last Years Record: 36-46

Key Losses: Jarrett Jack, Marquis Daniels, Rasho Nesterovic

Key Additions: Tyler Hansbrough, Dahntay Jones, Earl Watson, Solomon Jones, Luther Head, A.J. Price

1.What significant moves were made during the offseason?

Get your programs, people.

After the 2007-08 season, the Indiana Pacers used the draft and a couple of trades to bring in seven new players and begin overhauling the roster in the post-Jermaine O'Neal contract era. Beggars can't be choosers, so the moves two summers ago were more about the players leaving the roster than the players joining the roster. But those moves made the salary cap more manageable and allowed Larry Bird and David Morway to make a few more moves this past summer to address the team's defensive deficiencies.

Since the salary cap remains an issue for at least two more years, the Pacers' decisions weren't solely based on basketball but more on the bottom line. The team let Marquis Daniels and his $7.5 million team option go and were unable to match Toronto's free agent offer for Jarrett Jack. The Pacers also preferred to use Rasho Nesterovic's expiring contract space instead of spending the money re-sign the veteran big man. Sparsely used free agents, Stephen Graham and Maceo Baston were also let go to find another team.

With six open slots on the roster, the Pacers went bargain shopping to fill specific needs without taking the team's cap number over the lowered luxury tax threshhold. To bolster the team's perimeter defense and backcourt options the Pacers signed Dahntay Jones to a four-year contract and agreed to a couple of one-year deals with Earl Watson and Luther Head. To fill a frontcourt need, center Solomon Jones signed a two-year free agent deal with the Pacers. Jones was seldom used in Atlanta but is a young player who has shown plenty of upside in early preseason action.

The Pacers used the draft to select Tyler Hansbrough fresh off a national championship at North Carolina. Hansbrough performed well in summer league games but a shin injury has kept him from testing his game against an NBA lineup. He is not expected to return to action until the end of October.

In the second round, the Pacers took UConn point guard, A.J. Price who had a successful college career but came out of the draft with questions about his shooting ability and athleticism. So far, he's shown plenty of NBA ability and looks real comfortable on the floor for a rookie. The Pacers don't expect much from Price this year and instead look to him as a point guard for the future, but he appears ready to go should the opportunity present itself in his rookie year.

2. What are the team's biggest strengths?

The Pacers biggest strenghts remain their ability to push the pace and score lots of points. Last season they beat every top team in the league thanks to their ability to run, knock down threes and score in bunches. When things are clicking the Pacers can wear down an opponent, any opponent, and give themselves a chance win.

Consistent offensive output from Danny Granger and Troy Murphy are the basis for any offensive success the Pacers achieve. When supplemented by some combination of T.J. Ford, Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert, the Pacers will have enough points to win any game this year. The more consistent production they can get from these three players the more W's they'll accrue. Hibbert's development is especially important since he's shown the ability to score in the low post if he can just avoid foul trouble and stay on the court long enough to get the requisite touches.

The Pacers depth could be a surprise strength this year if Mike Dunleavy and Tyler Hansbrough can return healthy and ready to play. With Earl Watson, Dhantay Jones and Jeff Foster in the mix, Jim O'Brien has ten players capable of contributing minutes with a variety of skill sets to allow the coach the flexibility to match up better with other teams. It also gives the Pacers a chance to keep fresh bodies on the floor to keep the pace fast and help wear down opposing lineups.

3. What are the team's biggest weaknesses?

Defense and backcourt consistency are two weaknesses the Pacers hope to improve on this year. Earl Watson, Dahntay Jones and Solomon Jones have already shown they will bolster the defensive end which should show vast improvement from last year.

Still, mixing and matching all of the new faces and integrating them into a team defensive scheme could take some time to see positive results. Increased ball pressure is the goal, but until we see this team consistently prove they can make a positive impact at the defensive end it will remain a weakness. Foul and free throw attempt differentials were a glaring problem in losses last year and improving the defense is the only way to turn those numbers around.

As for the backcourt, T.J. Ford will begin the season running the team at point guard, with Earl Watson and Travis Diener coming off the bench. Watson has played some two guard in the preseason, ala Jarrett Jack which will likely happen during the season when JOB goes with a small lineup. These guys have to tighten up the decision-making and turnovers which may be wishful thinking.

Jim O'Brien prefers passing to dribbling which was a shock to Ford's system last year. He did finish last season well coming off the bench and appeared to be moving in the right direction. If he improves in one area let that be the blind pass for a turnover. Often times, Ford takes the ball in the lane knowing Murphy, Rush and/or Granger are set up behind the arc should the defense rotate to stop him. Unfortunately, he'll jump to turn around and kick the ball out, but if a defender has the shooter covered the ball goes the other way. Regardless of the team's desired pace, there are times Ford would be better served to slow down his game a notch to remain in control, not to mention in possession of the ball.

4. What are the goals for this team?

After back-to-back 36 win seasons, the Pacers are looking to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. That's the goal this team talks about at every opportunity and when you look at all of the close games the team dropped last year it doesn't take long to find a few more wins which would've put them in the playoffs.

Only problem is that there are several more teams in the mix in the Eastern Conference this year. Once you skim the cream off the top you could make the case that every team in the EC could make the playoffs if they stay healthy and play well. That alone exposes a mediocre middle of the conference, but the opportunity is there. Some teams don't necessarily have to stay healthy nor play exceedingly well, but the Pacers are one of the teams that will indeed need good health and must come together to play better than the sum of their parts in order to make the playoffs.

5. Can the Pacers stay healthy enough to give themselves a chance this year?

Mike Dunleavy hopes to return to the court after fixing a knee that kept him out for the bulk of last season. Just when he returns and how long before he's playing at full throttle remain up in the air. The season will play out quite differently if Dunleavy can play even 50 games.

Tyler Hansbrough isn't expected to have a big role on the team this year as he works his way through his rookie season, but he definitely needs to play. Considering a shin injury has him on the shelf until the season starts, it's reasonable to assume Hansbrough won't be playing much if at all over the first few weeks of the season.

These are two known injury issues that, if they improve, will be a boon for the Pacers. But there are always other injuries throughout a season and dealing with those injuries will make or break the Pacers this year. T.J. Ford is always considered an injury risk because of past neck issues. The neck wasn't a problem last year and he appears healthy and ready to roll this year, but with a slight build, taking his share of hits while racing into the lane keeps him on the injury watch list.

Finally, Danny Granger had a minor knee issue over the summer and missed a few games last year, so any game DG misses is tough for the Pacers to overcome. At full strength, this team has the right combinations to make a run at the playoffs, but the margin of error is slight so maintaining their health is critical. Hopefully, the team can avoid the "flu-like symptoms" that wiped out nearly everyone for a few games last season.

Predicted Record: Easy to speculate on a broad range for the Pacers' win total. If the team stays healthy and the defense improves even a little, a win total in the mid-40s is possible. On the other hand, if injuries and familiarity prove to be too much to overcome the wins could easily dip into the lower 30s. Taking these scenarios into account, I'll split the difference: 40-42