SB Nation - Mike Bibby

Thoughts on Jeff Teague from Peachtree Hoops

MRickman84 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 16:30:13 -0000

More photos » by Erik S. Lesser - AP

Since we analyzed Jeff Teague's performance as outsiders and Wake fans, we thought it would be interesting to get some perspective from someone who has seen Jeff play a lot more than we have. So we turned to Peachtree Hoops, the fantastic Atlanta Hawks blog. Drew was able to give us a great interview, so enjoy!

BSD: What did you think on draft day when Teague was taken by the Hawks?

Peachtree: In one of my greatest feats as a Hawks blogger, I predicted the Hawks would take Jeff Teague. So I am not sure if my initial excitment was due to ego or reality, but I liked the pick from the start. But here is what I wrote right after the draft.

"So the good news is the Hawks took Teague too. The bad news is a strong case could be made that Sund and company were playing by the same rules set forth by my mock draft. No trades, no moves, just wait your turn.

Can I be upset that Jeff Teague fell to the Hawks? Shoot no. He could be a great pick. The Hawks have not had a point guard that can drive the lane AND finish since Jason Terry (maybe). If Teague stayed in school and improved a bit, he probably would have been a top ten pick next year. Imagine if he stayed all four years like Acie Law. Jay Bilas' head may have exploded.

That being said can I be a tad disappointed that the guy I wanted Ty Lawson was only one pick away? Or that a rebounding machine whether he has zero knees or three knees went in the area of picks that normally get traded for cash. I think so.

Still, the ease at which it appeared the Hawks could have moved up and taken these players or others leads me to believe the Hawks got the guy they wanted (at least with the first pick). The Hawks brought Lawson in for a last second work out more because they knew he had the chance to fall to them and less because they were interested in moving up to get him. Teague was there guy, and for now, I can trust the GM on that one. He showed flashes of brilliance at Wake so to down play what could be will just put you squarely in negative nancy territory. And who wants that, after all, the draft is a time for irrational optimism right?

So does Teague's assists to turnover ratio scare me a bit? Yes. Have I heard he is a little too streaky? Maybe so. Is it going to be incredible nice to see an athlete in a Hawks uniform streak into the lane and finish at the hoop? You better believe it."

BSD: What is your overall impression of Jeff?

Peachtree: I only saw three Wake games last year. Two were spectacular Teague performances and one was the tourney. What I expected from him was lightening fast speed and great athleticism around the rim. What I thought he would have to work on was distributing and getting his jumper off with that weird release.

So far, the speed is there, and that has forced opposing defenders to play off Jeff so his shooting release has been a non issue. What has surprised me a little is his ability to facilitate and inability to finish around the rim. Teague may be athletic, but so is everyone in this league, and he has had a lot of shots blocked early on around the basket. Still, he has made up for the new found limitation by averaging 8.5 assists per 40 minutes.

My only other impression is he would shoot the ball 25 times a game if the coach let him.

BSD: What do you believe to be his strengths? What does he need to work on?

Peachtree: Speed, some more speed, and that really fast speed. Teague is not college fast or ACC fast. He is just fast period, against anyone. With the hand checking rules in the NBA, that is a commodity you cannot have enough of.

He needs to work on finishing in the lane first and foremost. Jeff has admitted as much. He can get to the paint as easily as anyone in the league but is still adjusting to 7 footers with the athleticism of college guards and the quickness of help defense. Even today though, he can get that floater whenever he wants it. Just has to hit it.

If coach Woodson was answering this question, he would probably say defense though. Teague has shown the ability to pick up steals, but he still does not have the scheme down. When to switch on screens, when to fight through them or go around them, how to rotate, etc. etc. He also picks up some bad fouls.

Long term, shooting will be the biggest concern.

BSD: How have teams defended him when he is in the ballgame?

Peachtree: They don't. They let him shoot jump shots and can't guard his drives. The best, and so far largely effective, defense has been to block his layup.

BSD: How is Jeff earning his minutes?

Peachtree: He started out getting a five minute stint or two each game, and he showed his enormous potential and the fact that he was totally lost. And while I complained about it at the time, Woodson cut back his playing time to blowouts, but I think that was the right decision. It provided him time to acclimate.

Then Mike Bibby rolled his ankle. It did not force him to miss any games but gave Jeff practice time with the first unit and some game minutes. Helped by some blow out wins, Teague has seen over 20 minutes the last four games and looked great. They were mostly garbage time minutes and that can bring out garbage play, but Teague has looked like a different guy. Lots of adjustments still need to be made and skills must be added, but the confidence is in tact. Which is huge for a rookie point guard.

BSD: We read recently that Mike Bibby is kind of taking Jeff under his wing. Do you know anything else about this? Who else on the team does Jeff seem like he looks up to?

Peachtree: I probably only know what you read in that same article, but I have heard Bibby repeatedly say how he wished he some kind of mentor when he came into the league. Whether that was a nice fluff piece or reality I don't know, but the body language of Bibby when Teague is in the game is one of sincere support.

As far as who he looks up to, I would say everyone. I am always amazed when I talk to Wake Forrest fans. So many of them don't like Jeff. There are accusations that he played toward or bought into a draft status, put forth bad effort on defense, or something in between. That may all be true, but so far as a Hawk, Teague plays the game with real joy. His quotes, his body language on the bench, the way he reacts to his teammates and himself, the whole package shows a guy who could not be more happy to be playing in the NBA.

BSD: Will he stick in the NBA? Is he the Hawks' point guard of the future?

Peachtree: Jeff will stick in the NBA without a doubt, and he certainly has the talent to be the starting point guard. The onus is on him and his work ethic whether that starting job is serviceable, good, or all star level.

NBA Eastern Conference: Taking Stock

tenaciousT — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:04:32 -0000

NBA –arama

After making my preseason predictions, I said I'd check how things were going from time to time. It's time. Let's take a look around the east, see what’s going on, and fess up to a few big misses. A number of predictions are on target...so far. Preseason predictions are in parentheses followed by current record

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics (63-19) - 20-4
Thought they were going gently into their assisted living facilities, eh? Tut tut, my skeptical friends. The ‘assisted living’ comes courtesy of one Rajon Rondo, point guard extraordinaire. Rondo plays one gear higher than the rest of his starting unit.

11 game win streak says they are rounding into shape after starting strong, stumbling, then slowly righting the ship. The only major surprise was/is the lack of 48 minute intensity, and rebounding woes. They still look like one of the best teams in the NBA to challenge the Lakers. Back with a vengeance? They are back. Vengeance comes later.

Toronto (35-47) - 11-17
International crisis or communication breakdown?
Some expected more, but they are about where I expected and for the same reason – defense. Bargnani is part of the dilemma. He is a skilled big, but not an interior presence. With a domestic vs. international player rift surfacing recently, the Raps played their best defensive game of the season afterwards. Hedo’s not fitting in like they hoped…yet.

Jose Calderon has disappointed so far in what was supposed to be his big year. The rebuilt roster should be better later in the season, but aren’t built for prolonged defense. They are giving up 103.5 over their last 5 games, which 5 points better than before.

New York (31-51) - 8-16
After a 3-14 start, the ‘D’Antonies’ are 5-2 in their last 7 games. Another team without interior defense. They looked under every rock for a bona fide PG but the right one – the draft. Biggest current embarrassment is choosing Jordan Hill over Brandon Jennings in the draft. This was going to be a learning year anyway, right? Ty Lawson, Darren Collison, Eric Maynor, Jeff Teague were also still out there. Any of those better than Chris Duhon? Maybe some are already.

D’Antoni, frankly, has disappointed as well. I’ll confess, I thought Darko Milicic was a good risk for a team starved for bigs that block shots and play defense. Go figure. Jordan Hill may end up being a good player some day, too. Winning started by benching Nate Robinson. Coincidence? Sharp shooter Gallinari continues to impress, adds some board work.

76ers (41-41) – 6-19
Okay, this is one that’s not going as I thought it would. Oye.
Injuries are only part of the problem. Is Brand a lesser player now? Or is he just on the wrong team? Maybe it’s all bad karma for Elton leaving a good situation in Clipperland. (Yes, I did just say that.) Louis Williams (injured), Marreese Speights, and Thaddeus Young give hope for the future. It’s so bad that Iverson is back. Yeah, I know.

New Jersey (26-56) – 2-24
Say no more. Accident on the Jersey Turnpike. Tie up for miles, but not for years. No, they are not this bad. Bad luck continues with Yi Jianlian getting 50 stitches (yes 50) in his mouth courtesy of a Sean Williams elbow in a recent practice. The sooner this team can exit the swamp the better. Still, Brook Lopez will become an even better player if this season doesn’t kill him first. Devin Harris, Courtney Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts are all good young talent.

Central Division

Cleveland (58-24) – 19-7
They are much better after starting 0-2 and 3-3. Not dominating like last season, but still a force. Shaq shooting a career low 49%, though they are now winning with him. Most lopsided team scoring distribution I have ever seen for a top team. Only three players in double digits and one of them is Shaq at 10.8 per.

Second best FG% defense and 4th best points allowed means they are still dangerous and in the hunt. Though Shaq is mostly a sideways or backwards move, if they get to the finals he helps against Lakers’ frontline. Shaq can’t slow down an already very slow team…can he? I feared this team more last year. Stop LeBron and you stop the Cavs. Am I wrong?

Stat of note: Cavs lead league in points in paint defense (34.1)

Milwaukee (35-47) – 11-12
Early season surprise coming back to earth lately. Many thought I had them too high. But Skiles always seems to get players to overachieve for a few years, until his tough guy ways get tired. Brandon Jennings makes a big splash with 55 point game but is tailing off since then. Still, he is the real deal and will figure things out.

Bucks are first in shot attempts and dead last in free throw attempts, which pretty much goes hand in hand. No one on this team gets to the line, except Jennings and Hakim Warrick.

Side Note: Toronto is known as the international team. But even they can’t compete with Milwaukee. Current starters are from 5 different countries: Turkey, Argentina, Australia, Cameroon, and U.S. Positively cosmopolitan for a city Shlitz beer made famous.

Detroit (36-46) - 11-14
I guess they are a bit better than I thought. Will this last? Even with key players injured, they put together a recent 5 game winning streak. They are still working a new system with a new coach. Loss of Tayshaun Prince hurts, Gordon is playing hurt, and Rip Hamilton is still in and out.

Still, the biggest surprise is the renaissance of "I’m retiring" Ben Wallace. Back up to 30 minutes and 10 rebounds a game, he can still defend, too. Detroit is 2nd best in points in paint defense. Can he do it all year and where is his help?

Pistons have the 3rd best total rebounding and 3rd best offensive rebounding differential in the league. Rodney Stuckey’s career year (19.3 pts) is offset by lower shooting %. He should stop taking three pointers altogether (21.4%)

Indiana (30-52) – 9-14
Danny Granger’s team is without Danny Granger for a while. With mediocre stats everywhere, just what do they do better than most NBA teams? Foul. They are 3rd in league with 2.2 foul differential.

Mike Dunleavy returns to a system that uses him to his best advantage and not a minute too soon. If the Pacers win 36 games, and that’s possible, that means O’Brien would have coached three straight 36-46 records here. Hey I have to find something interesting, don’t I? T.J. Ford is underwhelming again.

How are they doing attracting more fans? The past three years they went from 30th to 28th to 27th this season in attendance. They are a team with more integrity, but a few more wins wouldn’t hurt, would it?

Chicago (41-41) - 8-15 No one expected this meltdown. The loss of Ben Gordon’s 4th quarter points, Tyrus Thomas’ injury, Kirk Hinrich playing hurt, John Salmons’ underachieving season are all contributors, but all are secondary to Derrick Rose’s lack of noticeable improvement.

The chant for Vinny Del Negro’s head grows louder and I’m not against it. But I’d ask…who hired a rookie head coach for this team in the first place? That is where the blame should lie. Del Negro did reasonably well last season, but the wheels are falling off the wagon now.

Deng is playing well and Joakim Noah is continuing his rise up the food chain, but it’s nowhere near enough. I am fast becoming a Joakim Noah fan. Plays with passion, toughness, and heart.

Southeast Division

Orlando (60-22) -19-6
Fools go where wise men fear to tread – the paint against the Magic. They are crazy deep and probably Boston’s biggest problem in the East. Jameer Nelson returns soon and that’s not good news for opponents. Right now they are better offensively (5th rated) but worse defensively (9th rated) than last season, while giving up 2.2 more points.

This is a great situation for Vince Carter, who is playing 5 minutes less, but leads the team in scoring (19), while still hoisting up 17 shots per and will be a solid 4th quarter option for the Magic.

D. Howard is getting one less block a game, but shooting a career high in FG% (63.4%) While they probably over paid a bit for Mickael Pietrus ($5.3 mil), he continues to be a valuable piece to this team. Ryan Andersen has quietly been a nice addition. Marcin Gortat – the unhappy multi-millionaire.

Atlanta (48-34) - 18-6
This team is playing even better than I thought….and I thought this would be a good team. Woodson said the next thing is to learn how to win on the road. The Hawks are 7-4 so far this season and that is a huge step forward. Three of those road wins were against very tough home teams - Dallas, Boston and Portland.

For a team that could lose their leader (Joe Johnson) and their coach next season, they are moving from pretender to contender. Their youthful exuberance could make up for whatever they are missing. Al Horford and Josh Smith are unique young players and Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson provide the veteran leadership. They are pasting the lesser teams and are 3rd in the league in average winning margin at +8.4 points. Just behind the Celtics and Lakers. Hmm…

Miami (38-44) – 12-11
Dwayne Wade is to this team what LeBron is to the Cavs. Probably more so. Jermaine O’Neal is actually playing pretty well, but is a shell of his earlier self. We knew going in that the Heat go as Wade goes. Michael Beasley is improving and Haslem is solid.

They stretched the Lakers to a (lucky) Kobe Bryant banked buzzer beating 3 pointer over Wade’s outstretched hand. That probably defines their season as well as anything. With $50 million coming off the books in 2010, this team (hopefully) gets a complete rebuild. With a player option for $17 million, whether Wade stays or not remains to be seen.

Charlotte (33-49) - 10-14
Solid defensive team (2nd in points allowed) that has trouble scoring (27th). Deliberate offense (pace: 28th in NBA) helps keep opponents’ numbers down. 5-5 over the last ten, they added controversial, but multi-talented Stephen Jackson. It gives the team a focal point (and… gulp…leader) Larry Brown has great experience handling prima donna players and Raymond Felton is playing better since Jackson’s arrival.

Gerald Wallace, the last original Bobcat, was plucked from deep on Sacramento’s bench. Time to test him for HRH (Human Rebound Hormone). He has gone crazy boarding, up from 7.8 last season to 12.2 this year. I’d like to know the last time an established player made that kind of jump. He continues to ply his game for a team going nowhere.

Talented DJ Augustine has perplexingly gone backwards this season. Tyson Chandler, who could have been an earlier version of Joakim Noah, is showing how much Chris Paul helped his game.

But we forget just how bad this team was before Larry Brown arrived.

Washington (41-41) - 7-16
In preseason I wrote…. "everyone’s favorite ‘move up’ team." What I didn’t write was that it would take some doing to keep all these scorers happy with shots and minutes. Unfortunately, that appears to be the case. And things aren’t getting better. They are on a 6 game losing streak as I write this.

I never saw a happier, more hopeful team in the losers’ locker room than the one that ended its season against the Celtics last year. They all knew a much better year was coming. They had their version of a big three returning. But ubuntu doesn’t live here. Tragic because there is a lot of talent here. Flip Saunders has to sort this out, but I’m not sure where he starts.

I’ll end by (again) making my pitch for an unsung role player buried on the Wizards bench. Dominic McGuire would make a great (and cheap) Celtic.

There you have it. I apparently thought way too much of the Sixers. Comments welcome on all teams.

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...

Atlanta Hawks 100, Philadelphia 76ers 86 or efficient, boring basketball that I want to see again and again

hawksdawgs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:53:24 -0000

More photos » by Jesse D. Garrabrant - NBAE/Getty Images

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boxscore

recap

Up to the Mike Bibby three pointer with a little over a minute to go, the Hawks had 42 possesions give or take an offensive rebound or two in the second half. They went inside at some point in all but 11 of those possessions. The predominant culprits in the 11 possessions where the ball stayed outside were Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson. Joe was horribly ineffective when he refused to give the ball up getting fouled once, turning the ball over three times, and missing a jumper once. Luckily, Jamal was hitting his outside shot or getting fouled on this night, and like any night where that happens, Jamal forces you to love him.

These little stats don't tell us much that we do not already know. Shockingly, Jamal and Joe like to shoot and over dribble sometimes. Still, tonight shows how efficient and easily the Hawks can operate with an actual inside out game. There was nothing flashy. No dominant performance. No one shot 90% from the field or scored at will. The Hawks played team basketball and team basketball only requires normal performance.It just takes one and half of the Hawks three main guards to hit jumpers and a willingness to pound the ball inside. Last night was so boring because it was not flashy. The Hawks out executed the Sixers. It might not sell tickets, but it wins games.

Jamal Crawford and Joe Johnson are great one on one players. If Jamal drives the ball, his ability to get to the line makes that style of play an asset to the team. Well spaced and executed isolation plays can be very effective with Joe Johnson. They guy has a knack to weave through most any defense. However, dribbling around without any offensive set is just bad basketball. It is bad basketball when they miss, it is bad when they make. The Hawks were either fouled or made a shot 20 out of 31 times the ball went inside at some point during the possession. The Hawks can play any number of styles. They can run and play half court. They can isolate and pick and roll. They can post up and drive the ball. The Hawks have the players to do all these things, but each of them is made more effective and efficient when the Hawks figure out a way to use more than one guy going down the court.

The Hawks are not a super star led team. The faster they realize they can be a super star team when they play with all five guys the better.

Victory Bullets

It felt like Dalembert blocked Josh Smith 15 times.
Why does Josh Smith not beat the defense down the floor every time? It makes the game surprisingly easy for him.
Jeff Teague actually played defense at the end of the second quarter and Willie Green still made the shot. It was like Teague trying actually helped the shot go in.
Once again, Teague looks perfectly capable in his short first half stint.
The way the PA announcer says Thaddeus Young almost made me ok with the fact that he scored so much.
When Mike Bibby is drilling jumpers, it makes you realize how much better this offense is and in a small way, why Jeff Teague does not get more minutes.
Joe Smith just put in the quietest 14 minutes you will ever see on a basketball court. I must have blacked out for each of his five rebounds.
If Marvin is going to continue to be a no show on offense, the least he can do is pull down nine boards.
Can we stop running plays for Zaza? And I of course say that with the greatest of love and respect.
Back during the 72 reasons to get excited about the season, one of them was "Mike Bibby's jumper shot." Last night justified its place on the list.

Go Hawks!

What They're Saying Before the Orlando Magic Face Off Against the Atlanta Hawks

erivera7 — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:29:12 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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Orlando Magic PF Rashard Lewis is still searching for his shooting touch
Josh Robbins notes that Rashard Lewis is a player to look out for in the Orlando Magic's game against the Atlanta Hawks. Here's the rundown:

One player to watch closely is power forward Rashard Lewis, who acknowledges that he's still playing "catch-up" after his 10-game suspension to begin the regular season.

Lewis knew it would take him a little while to reacclimate after his NBA-imposed punishment for testing positive for an elevated testosterone level. He just didn’t expect that he would need at least six games to find his rhythm offensively.

Lewis has struggled with his outside shot since he returned to the Magic lineup on Nov. 16. In his five games so far, Lewis has made just 5 of his 29 shots from beyond the arc. That's a surprise for someone who had made 39.1 percent of his career 3-point attempts entering this season.
Bibby's status still uncertain
Ken Sugiura of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Hawks' point guard, Mike Bibby, is a game-day decision against the Magic.

The decision on whether Hawks guard Mike Bibby will play against Orlando on Thursday will be a game-day decision.

Bibby, who sprained his left ankle in Saturday's loss to New Orleans, missed practice for a third consecutive day Wednesday. The decision will be made at the Thursday morning shootaround at Philips Arena, coach Mike Woodson said.
Bibby's status still uncertain
In case you're into aesthetics.

The Hawks will debut their alternate road uniforms against Orlando, a bright red jersey with "ATL" across the chest in white.

"I love ‘em," center Al Horford said. "I'm pretty excited about it."

Johnson, Bibby and others will wear shoes to match the uniforms.
Here's what the unis look like, in case you're curious.
Thanksgiving Night Game Thread: Orlando (11-4) @ Atlanta (11-3)
Bret Lagree of Hoopinion shares the particulars of tonight's game.

Having the Hawks play a game on one of the great eating days of the year is a mixed blessing. Getting the 8pm game on TNT is a mark of how far the team has come but due to holiday plans and obligations I can't attend and where, on a normal Thanksgiving, I could relax watching basketball in between trips back and forth to a stuffed refrigerator while becoming intermittently fixated on my suddenly distended belly, tonight I'll be taking notes and paying rapt attention to the battle for first place in the Southeast.

Taking an early look at the five stat benchmarks for the Hawks and the third seed.

hawksdawgs — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:41:30 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

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Back in September, we looked at five numbers the Hawks needed to meet to contend for the third seed. Eleven games in, consider the team contending. So lets look back at those benchmarks.

20x2: That was two players with a 20 PER or higher. I assumed Joe Johnson and Josh Smith were the most likely candidates since they had been the closest in previous years. Well, Al Horford says shame on me. He stands at 20.15 in this young season. Josh Smith, as we all know, now hates "bad Josh" and therefore, he has a PER of 25.24 which is good for tenth in the league. Joe Johnson sits just outside the threshold at 19.71. Basically, the Hawks starting front court is good. Really, really good.

14x10: Al Horford staying consistent on the glass and picking up a few extra buckets a game on offense. So far, he is a half point off at 13.5 points and 10.2 boards.

3.06: Mike Bibby was eighth in the league in assist to turnover ratio last year at 3.06. The low turnover rate for the team helped fuel their success. Could Bibby match this number in another season? Well, through eleven games, Mike is exactly 3.06 assists per turnover. I will just assume he read the last post.

15: Atlanta needed to move from bad to at least average in rebounding. Say 23rd in the league to 15th. As of now, the Hawks are 10th, and one could argue they have won three games (Celtics and both Blazer games) because of their rebounding. Kind of nice.

41.6%: That was Jamal Crawford's career best field goal percentage, and it happened the one season he played mostly as a sixth man. Possibly the early season stat that could fluctuate the most, but right now, Crawford is shooting 45.6%.

So with all five benchmarks at least within reach, which one do you think is most important to keep up? Have another one we should add? I know it sounds weird, but it really might be all about ~~ball bearings~~ numbers these days.

Go Hawks!

Josh Smith, humanitarian.

hawksdawgs — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:31:10 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

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How impressive was this win? Not impressive. How good was it? Very good.

In the first half, the Hawks played bad defense. Jamal Crawford played horrible defense...by Mike Bibby's standards, and the Knicks played well. But how bad was the Hawks offense in the first half? If you are having trouble figuring it out, I would like to point you to the second half as exhibit number one.

Josh Smith

Every game where good Josh Smith comes to play is a victory for all people everywhere. I honestly feel like it is making the world a better place. At the very least, petty crime is decreasing. Josh Smith took three jump shots. Two of those were spite filled chunks of rage, but even on a shot foot, the guy went 10-15 from the field and grabbed 12 boards. I am telling you, the world is a better place. I am not even locking my doors anymore.

I cannot quite convince myself this Josh Smith is here to stay, but a move in the third quarter, where Josh got the ball with about six seconds to go, he sat wide open for a long jumper. To be honest, he probably should have taken the shot, but he didn't. He didn't take it. This coming to awareness is like Einhorn and Finkel without all the vomiting.

Al Horford

The Knicks apparently have no interest in guarding the screen and roll. Fine. Good really. Al Horford and Mike Bibby says thank you. And so I say this knowing other teams actually have some interest in defending it, but can we run that play more. I am not one to think Al Horford is in a position to get easy baskets whenever he wants them, but I do think his size, speed, and skill should get a few easy baskets every game. Horford and Josh Smith are made for the pick and rolls. God is borderline pissed we are not using them for their created purpose, and now that the good Lord gave us the Knicks to make it obvious, He is going to turn bad Josh Smith back on if we don't do it more.

Marvin Williams

In know way do I think Marvin has regressed, but he is certainly lost. And the old adage, "don't mess with what is working" only sounds good when things are working. Because when things stop working and Marvin Williams is crying in the corner unable to shoot the ball, we are going to say I wish we did something to carve out Marv's role on the team.

"We can wear a team down with our depth and our athleticism, and the way we're able to switch we can kind of stop a lot of plays being ran," Smith said. "We didn't play our best basketball, so we had to turn it around in the second half and we did."

Either Josh Smith is giving a lot of credit to Mo Evans or in context, there was heavy emphasis on athleticism.

Coming off a bunch of rest, the elevated play of the front line in the second half, and getting a full day off today with little travel makes the starters' huge minutes defensible but not non-worrisome.

Victory Bullets

But for reals, Horford and Smith played great games.
Nique thinks every shot Joe Johnson takes is a tough shot, especially when he makes it. I am starting to think that is not a compliment.
Maybe Maurice Evans is planning on opting out of his contract after all.
From Posting and Toasting "Speaking of which, watching Jamal Crawford from the opponent's perspective is still a wild experience. The feeling is identical, yet opposite. Instead of lamenting his shot selection but celebrating his improbable buckets, I found myself celebrating his shot selection but lamenting his improbable buckets. He can be positively infuriating in either light. I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for Jamal Crawford. Soft in the sense of compassion, but also soft in the sense of aortic decay. He's that kind of player."
Apparently, drilling jumpers and finding the open, cutting guy is not that that exciting, because I could not really think of anything to write about Mike Bibby except he was awesome and "more please."
I honestly thought Gallinari ended with 30 something points. Those were a loud 12.
Al Harrington just looks unhealthy.
For at least the third time this season, Joe Johnson made me aplogize to the television screen with a strong second half.
But seriously, learn to pass out of the double team.
Randolph Morris and Jeff Teague need not be on the same rotational plan.
If the Hawks ever start holding to the loose balls, they are going to have five more turnovers and rebounds a game. Everyone on the team grows lobster claws when they see an unconstrained ball bouncing around.

Go Hawks!

Atlanta Hawks 100, Washington Wizards 89 or should we get used to "normal" wins?

hawksdawgs — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:15:42 -0000

More photos » by Gregory Smith - AP

THAT'S FOR AL HORFORD!

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boxscore

recap

In the first quarter, the Hawks played better than the Wizards. In the next three quarters, with Caron Butler our for most of it, the Hawks just were better. Outside of a well executed first six or so minutes by the Wizards and a bad offensive third quarter, the Hawks played a great overall game. Certainly, the Wizards were not at full strength and dealt with a bit of foul trouble, but the Hawks responded by playing like the better team. Throw it all together and mention that Joe Johnson only played 30 minutes and you have a very satisfying win.

Josh Smith

If you were looking for an embodiment of the 72 reasons to be excited, Josh Smith's block on Gilbert Arenas and subsequent ally-oop slam would do nicely. Josh is playing very enjoyable basketball. He fails to grasp perimeter defense and still drives the ball without any real plan when he gets to the basket, but the focus and energy are some how making those shortcoming all to be a little easier to deal with. And the guy was working the boards in the fourth quarter. I am talking Zaza effort on the offensive glass. It was impressive. And if you are ever impressed with Josh Smith and his head is below the rim, you should be very, very happy.

Jamal Crawford

I get why he is annoying. At least on the offensive end. The guy has such incredible handles you want him to break his guy down, go to the hole, get fouled, dish. When it happened tonight, the game looked easy. But often Jamal uses that great dribble for a couple inches of shooting separation 26 feet from the basket. Tonight, he mixed the good and the bad well enough. To be honest, when the second team is all in, I don't even mine the contested long bombs, but come fourth quarter, the fuse will be shorter. So please Jamal, use your skill for good, please, please use it for good.

All that said, damn I like him.

Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby

The back court has yet to have a good game and the Hawks have two double digit wins. And the best part of it is Bibby and Johnson are getting their shots. They are just contributing in different ways. Bibby had seven assists to one turnover tonight. Joe played high effort, if not always successful, defense against the other team's best player two nights in a row. And he still dished out six assist per contest. A little more efficiency on offense and the Hawks are going to be scary good on offense.

Victory Bullets!

Cure for Mike Bibby's defensive liability? Nick Young.
Joe Smith shoots three pointers...and makes them. News to me.
Al Horford is three very makeable shots away from easily getting 14 and 10 every night. Seriously, guy had 10, 12, and 5 blocks. Could have easily been 16, 12, and 5 without doing anything different but finishing very average shots.
Opposing players are going to be annoyed by Jeff Teague's defense 40 feet from the basket all year.
Gilbert Arenas should use that dribble to pull up and drill the jumper which it felt like he did about 12 times and not try and maneuver through all five guys in the paint. His over dribbling that led to turnovers helped the Hawks take and then expand the lead in the first half.
However, spotting us a 7 point lead in the fourth, I was very nervous he was going to try and succeed at winning the game by himself.
Marvin Williams feel one rebound short of having the most workman's double double in the history of double doubles.
Please, please Zaza. No more drives by you starting beyond the three point line.
Mo Evans gave a damn efficient 17 minutes off the bench.
Seriously that block and dunk by Josh. It was good.

2-0. I thought long and hard about it, and no, you can't ask for better than that.

Go Hawks!

If all the quotes are right, the Hawks definitely won last night.

hawksdawgs — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:57:36 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

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Jeff Teague enjoys the game out there. After that steal and dunk, the kid was uncontrollably smiling. Wake Forrest fans might not agree or want to hear it, but the way he hustled around last night, maybe Jeff just has an NBA game or at least an attitude that the NBA game inspires. Don't know if the energy will last, but I plan to enjoy it while it is around.

A Kings fan once came on here and said Mike Bibby was so clutch for the those Sacramento Kings teams because he could coast through a lot of the game and be full bore for the fourth quarter. It is exactly what Bibby did last night.

The Human Highlight Blog, unbeknown to me when I started writing, already said this.

Game One also showed some of how Woodson may plan to deploy his bench and not use Mike Bibby so much. In what was not a settled game until the fourth quarter wound down, Bibby still logged just (30) minutes. He used that rest to make three big fourth quarter shots that gave the Hawks the lead and then put it out of reach.

Josh Smith continues his odd streak of self aware comments in the AJC today.

"You're going to have nights like this, when the other team is shooting lights out and you're forced to play outside of your comfort zone a little bit," Smith said. "We wanted to clamp down on the defensive end and put the onus ourselves to get stops when it mattered and I think we did that. Joe got it going late and Al was playing well, so I wanted to be the guy that was on the defensive end making plays. And I was able to get a couple of steals and late block at the end that helped us finish them off. I know it wasn’t the sort of defensive masterpiece coach loves to see, but it turned out positive for us in the end."

Hoopinion makes the subtle but important point that Josh too.

"[Josh] was credited with 8 assists against a single turnover, almost all a result of attacking the basket."

It may not seem like much but Josh Smith driving to the basket is not quite good enough. The guy does not have the moves inside to dominate. Josh Smith driving to the basket controlled enough to finish or dish to the open man is plenty, plenty good enough.

Sekou is not happy with the bench minutes.

Did you see enough of Jamal Crawford and Joe Smith Wednesday night?

How about Jeff Teague and Mo Evans?

Zaza Pachulia and Jason Collins?

I didn't think so.

Sure, the Hawks did what they had to do in dispatching the Indiana Pacers in their season opener. But I expected more, namely in minutes for the reserves.

We've heard for weeks about all this improved depth and how much deeper this team is going to be this season. We saw it in the preseason.

But it wasn't on display against the Pacers.

I actually don't want to see more of Jason Collins. It is true I could have see some Jamal Crawford. Maybe a little Teague with the first unit, but that was more out of curiosity than strategy. Joe's 39 is too much but expected.

Truth of the matter, if you are going to have a bench that goes 10 deep your not going to get everyone minutes. I thought Woody did a good job of balance last night to be honest.

Final victory bullets

Last night, Zaza Pachulia looked like Zaza Pachulia if no one liked him.
The crowd was pretty sub par last night. Not sure how many tickets were sold but there were probably only about 13,000 people there. Pacers on a Wednesday is still not must see in Atlanta, home opener or not.
Josh Smith did have a bad rebound night. On occasions he held back on the offensive glass, he got back to defend the Pacers from pushing the pace, and the dude was working defensively. You want more than 3 rebounds, but it was a good 3 rebound performance.
I don't know if it is Joe Johnson passing it or Marvin Williams getting position but that combo attempting to run a play for Marvin in the post is a serious work in progress.
Joe Smith is much better than Solomon Jones.

Comment of the game thread (since no one rec'd any I am picking three winner).

Duff Man: "I vote Zaza for the next snickers commerical, ZAZA PACHEWLIA."

Mr. Sanchez: "Rathbun in true 720p"...the hair. It’s real, and it’s magnificent."

Bonhoffer (mostly because it was his only comment): "Larry Bird looks old."

Go Hawks!

IC Cold Links: NBA Opening Night Is Here; Pacers Health Improves

Tom Lewis — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:38:46 -0000

The NBA is back!

In just a few short hours the NBA season will tip off in Cleveland where LeBron Jamesand the Cavs will host the reloaded Boston Celtics. Not a bad way to start things off. Other games tonight include Washington at Dallas, Houston at Portland and the L.A. Clippers at L.A. Lakers. Yep, that should get the hoop juices fully flowin'.

The Pacers are set to go to Atlanta for tomorrow night's opener against the Hawks. Mike Wells reports a mixed bag of injury news from practice yesterday. Danny Grangersat out with a bone bruise on his heel. No, it doesn't sound good but all involved insist the injury isn't serious and DG33 will be amped and ready to go tomoorrow.

Also, T.J. Ford, Travis Diener and Luther Head went at it for the full practice and are also set for the opener.

Jeff Foster will join the team in Atlanta but his availability is up in the air and considering he went to Boston for treatment it doesn't appear that he'll be available in to play in Atlanta and in fact, JOB is making that assumption while preparing for the opener.

After the jump, several more links of interest:

PACERS: Hibbert, Rush give cause for optimism
Bruno's latest report focuses on second-year players, Roy Hibbert and Brandon Rush shouldering an important role on the team. Also, Tyler Hansbrough made it through day three of his half-court workouts continuing down the right path toward a full return.
Rest of NBA chasing Kobe and the Lakers
Jeff Rabjohns previews the NBA with a few points of local interest to keep an eye on throughout the season.
Two Hawks starters are on injury watch
Mike Bibby and Al Horfordboth nursed injuries at the end of Sunday's practice, leaving a gaping question mark in the middle and at the point for the Hawks. Sekou Smith has the details.
Pacers-Hawks Preview
Matt Beardmore previews the Pacers-Hawks opener set for Wednesday in Atlanta.
8p9s/Pacers Season Preview
Jared Wade offers up a thorough preview for the True Hoop Network.
The Summer Losses: Rasho Nesterovic
Jared Wade looks at the impact of not having Rasho Nesterovic on the roster this season.
Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin has broken kneecap, out weeks
Clippers rookie Blake Griffin has a broken kneecap and could miss six weeks. Of course he does. Clippers catch yet another bad break.