SB Nation - Jamal Crawford

Q&A: Marcus Thompson - Contra Costa Times / InsideBayArea.com (Part 2 of 3)- Don Nelson's media downfall, Chris Mullin as a front office hire, Chris Cohan's closeness to selling the Golden State Warriors

Atma Brother ONE — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:17:50 -0000

In Part 1 Marcus Thompson shared some bright spots on the Golden State Warriors dismal 2009-2010 campaign, players likely to be traded out of Oakland, and Robert Rowell's role in making basketball decisions.

[Inside the Warriors]

In this part MT dissects Nellie's media downfall, whether Mullin is a good front office hire, and how close Cohan is to selling the Warriors.

Golden State of Mind: After a string of 8 coaches during the Warriors 12 year playoff drought, Don Nelson was "the rebirth of cool" for this franchise back in 2006. He was an instant media darling. The Warriors improbable run to qualify for the 2007 NBA Playoffs and their exciting playoff run only cemented his darling status. But a little over two years later it seems like there's a daily piece from either the local Bay Area or national media questioning his every coaching decision and even his character. What specific events do you think caused Nellie's media downfall?

Marcus Thompson: Any instances causing Nellie's "media downfall" are inherently linked to his last stint with the Warriors. So I think all of it is tied to the bad break-up he had with Golden State the first time, especially handling of rookie stud Chris Webber.

With that said, his relationship with Chris Mullin, and the way he handled notoriously good guys in Al Harrington and Jamal Crawford, really made him look like the villain.

The perception was that Mullin and Nellie were linked, tight, best friends. That's how it was played when they brought Nelson back. I'm not going to presume to know what happened behind the scenes. I know what I've heard, and what I believe, but that's all speculation. Members of the organization will say and have said any talk of Nelson pushing Mullin out or getting him fired is nonsense. But what can't be overlooked was the lack of support Nelson showed Mullin publicly.

Considering how close those two were supposed to be, considering Mullin brought Nelson in, where was the outcry for Mullin to stick around from Nellie? Where was his lobbying for Mullin to keep his job and this winning pair to stick together? What's not said is sometimes as powerful as what is said. I think that led to the perception, whether true or false, that Nelson had thrown Mullin under the bus. And considering Mullin had made the moves that led to the turn around, that left Nelson as the easy target as the bad guy.

Then you throw in Nellie's conflicts with Harrington, one of the happy-go-luckiest guys you'll ever meet, and Crawford, another guy who is perhaps to professional and stand-up for his own good. I think those situations made Nelson look meddlesome.You starting putting all these things together, plus the past, plus serious questions about whether Nellie ball even works at a high level, plus public beef with Mark Cuban and agents talking bad about him, and it's easy to see why Nellie's reputation has taken a hit.

Golden State of Mind: Much was made about Chris Mullin's dismissal from the Warriors front office. Months have elapsed since the Warriors let him go and he still does not have another front office job. How much interest is there around the league in bringing him on as a front office executive? You covered his entire tenure as a VP of the Warriors from draft picks to trades to contract negotiations. Is he a good front office hire?

Marcus Thompson: I still think he will end up in New York with Donny Walsh. And I do think he is a good front office hire. He has relationships around the league. He has a pretty good eye for talent. And players love him because of his style of management. Say what you want about Mullin and his bad contracts, but he has his understanding of how to build a franchise. It has its holes, but it makes some sense. You make the franchise a place where players want to play, and they will come. You get players and you will win.

Of course, Mullin did that by overpaying guys to lend some kind of credibility to the franchise. Plus he gets enamored with players and he is loyal to them even when they are proving unworthy of the loyalty. But only one player ever left the Warriors unhappy because of Mullin, and that was Jason Richardson. And the reason he was unhappy was because he didn't want to leave.

Mullin, just like anyone else in the franchise, hasn't done anything yet. But I think over time he had a chance to be a pretty good GM. He has a much better chance under an owner who doesn't mind spending money, because his philosophy can be expensive. Plus some in the organization said he lets the players get away with murder, and there is probably some validity to that.

But since neither philosophy has won anything in Golden State, its hard to choose whose idea of how to run a franchise is better. You might have to lean towards Mullin's because they had their most success in recent years under him.

Golden State of Mind: How close is Chris Cohan to selling the Warriors? Are there any updates about that topic? Give us a prediction- when will he finally sell and to who?

Marcus Thompson: I don't think he's close. To be sure, the process to sell a team takes two or three years anyway. So even if he had an offer right now that he was willing to accept, the sale probably wouldn't go through for two years. I think he's got a number in mind that no one is going to reach. Not in this economy. Not on this team. Now, if the IRS knocks on his door demanding $200 million in taxes owed, that might change things. But Cohan's best business move might be to hold on until the team turns it around, thereby raising the offers if he believes things will turnaround.

**********

Keep it locked for the third episode!

Q&A: Marcus Thompson - Contra Costa Times / InsideBayArea.com (Part 1 of 3)- Warriors bright spots, the next to be traded, Robert Rowell and basketball decisions

Atma Brother ONE — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:00:35 -0000

We recently mic'ed up Marcus Thompson of the Contra Costa Times/ InsideBayArea.com to get his thoughts on the Golden State Warriors.

Click and roll to MT's Dubs blog

Jump for some positives about the Warriors season, who will be the next players the team ships out, and Robert Rowell's future in making Warriors hoops decisions.

Golden State of Mind: We're in the midst of some seemingly endless "Dubs Drama" (again). Let's hit the pause button on the dysfunction for a second though. You cover the Warriors extremely closely, so you're the best person to ask this. What are some of the bright spots for this organization either on or off the court that aren't getting enough ink across the hoops world?

Marcus Thompson: The bright spots are obvious: Monta Ellis, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Stephen Curry and I will even throw Kelenna Azubuike in there.

The brightest is no doubt Monta Ellis. Say what you want about him, the kid is showing he is special. He hasn't done anything yet. But the prospects look good. He will benefit the Warriors extremely down the road, whether as a player or as trade bait.

Morrow is right behind Ellis. He may not have the superstar power Ellis has, but Morrow at the very least could be just a solid starter for years to come. That is nothing to sneeze at.

Randolph, though he is up and down, I think is still promising. His fate may be more in the hands of his coaches, who have to figure out a way to help him progress. But that is what organizations have to do sometimes. Sure, the onus is on the player. But he didn't invest in himself, the Warriors invested in him. It is on them to do everything they can to maximize that investment. Because if Randolph turns out to be a bust, it's the franchise's fault for drafting him.

The cap flexibility is also pretty good. As it is now, they have the flexibility to add a big contract for a player they really want. The chance is there to really get someone good. If they don't take advantage, that is on them.

Golden State of Mind: Within his first few months on the job as the GM of the Warriors Larry Riley has already given the roster a shake-up. Jamal Crawford, Marco Belinelli, and recently Stephen Jackson have all been shipped out. This still isn't a contender to say the least, so more moves seem likely. Considering the big money deals still on the books, expiring contracts, young and raw talent, and lingering in-house drama, who do you think will be the next player(s) headed out? Does Monta Ellis "got next"?

Marcus Thompson: Ideally, it would be Corey Maggette. They aren't getting the bang for his buck, and he certainly would like to play more. But everyone knows it's tough to trade his contract. With that said, I think it has to be either Monta Ellis or Andris Biedrins. I don't see how they can land a difference maker without giving up one of those two. Those are the two big money guys, so if the Warriors want to give someone $15 a year, they will probably need to move one of those two (unless they can get rid of Maggette's contract). But mainly, those two guys I think are the only commodities the Warriors have that will make another team give up a stud.

If you're Phoenix, who would you want in return for Stoudemire? If you're Toronto, who would you want in exchange for Bosh? Sure, they want young talent, but for the money the Warriors will have to shell out, young talent won't be enough. Maybe if they decided to package Curry and Randolph with Maggette, they might get another team to bite. But I really don't think they'd do that.

Curry and Randolph are among the untouchables currently, but I wouldn't be surprise if their status changed between February and August. Especially in the case of Randolph, the Warriors may be more willing to include him in a deal down the line than they are right now.

Golden State of Mind: Golden State Warriors president Robert Rowell has had his fair share of critics for personally inking Stephen Jackson to that questionable early 3 year extension, among other recent front office decisions. With Larry Riley and Don Nelson firmly entrenched as the Warriors GM head coach is this the last we'll see Rowell making basketball decisions such as negotiating player deals and extensions? How safe is his job with the Warriors?

Marcus Thompson: I think it's the last he'll be taking or given credit publicly. There was a time when the Warriors wanted his name mentioned for the good things the Warriors did. Of course, with that comes your name being mentioned when bad things happen.

I think everyone in the organization, even Rowell, realizes that he needs to either become the GM or let the GM run the show. I don't think that means he is out of the loop on decision making, though. In the end, he's still got to approve all financial moves, and sell them to owner Chris Cohan. So he's in the room, and at the very least in the loop. But Riley will get all the credit and the blame when it comes to basketball decisions.

**********

Stay tuned for the rest of our Q&A with Marcus! In the mean time make sure to check out Inside the Warriors

Blogging With the Enemy - Peachtree Hoops

RaptorsHQ - Howland — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 20:39:11 -0000

In what we hope to make a Friday tradition, we reached out to Drew at Peachtree Hoops to discuss the Hawks prior to tonight's game.

HQ: After years of setting-up camp at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings Atlanta has finally come around and is starting to look like a real contender in the East. What's been the biggest reason for this? Growth? Maturity? ZaZa?

I want to give sole credit to Zaza. I really do. I could even make a compelling case for it, but the truth is growth and maturity are the big reasons. Specifically, growth and maturity in Josh Smith. He has improved in almost every facet of his game, and really that did not take adding any new skills, it just required attempting (and subsequently missing) fewer jump shots and trying most of the time. His athleticism combined with effort supersedes skill. Add the addition of Jamal Crawford and Joe Smith, some internal improvement from Al Horford, and the continutity built by having the same starters and coach for the last season and half, and the team has easily been able to take the step from clear fourth seed to probably still fourth seed but not so clear anymore.

HQ: A lot of the talk in Toronto centers around CB4 and whether he is staying or going. What's the feeling on Joe Johnson? WIll he stay or go? What sort of impact would his departure have on this team given it has taken them so long to become relevant again?

The Hawks world is very split on this. So may answer is far from consensus, but I think Joe will go where he gets the most money for the most years. No home town discount this summer. If the Hawks have to outbid other teams to keep him and approach a max salary over five years, I think it will hamper the internal growth of Al Horford and Josh Smith and financially limit the Hawks from contending for conference championships going forward. Joe demands a lot of shots, and he has a lot of wear and tear. There is no doubt in my mind by year four of whatever deal he has will be one that deserves about six (and not fifteen) million for the effort. Still, if the Hawks can sign him to a reasonable rate, I think they should and will bring him back. Atlanta has been so centered around Joe and found such success with that strategy, it would be a huge risk to let him go.

Atlanta without Joe Johnson next year would struggle to make the playoffs, but building around the front court and spending the money that would have gone to Joe wisely two or three years down the road, might yield a team with a higher ceiling than one with Johnson.

HQ: What are the keys to the game for the Hawks to ensure they secure another win against the Raps?

I don't think Atlanta is going to shoot the ball as well as they did last time against the Raps. So take solace in that, but your team is not what they like to call "good on defense." So if the Hawks can stay patient, work the ball around, inside out, get in some pick and rolls with Horford, I think the Hawks will score enough points to win. But, Toronto can fill it up. I expect Chris Bosh to put in more than two points, and it is when the defensive break downs happen for the Hawks that they start to play one on five and try to cure every problem known to man every time they touch the ball. Translation, there are a lot fadaway, contested jump shots.

I expect Atlanta to win, but I expected that against the Knicks a week ago too. Still, if the Hawks rebound with tenacity and have balanced scoring I think they pull out the road win.

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

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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!

Why You Should Watch, Part 1: A Suns Fan's Cheat Sheet to the Rest of the League

Mike Lisboa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:00:40 -0000

Coach Gentry cheers on the Suns at every game. You should, too! (Photo by Max Simbron)

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The Phoenix Suns are 11-3 and heading into a December full of must-watch games against top flight NBA teams. No Suns fan worth their salt is going to miss a match-up against the Lakers or Spurs or Mavericks. Those teams have been lifelong (or at least decade-long) nemeses to our beloved Suns and each of those games is like a basketball rite of passage.

But what about the rest of the League? Why should you watch the Suns beat up on the Timberwolves or Bobcats? And what about those random teams that never get any pub way out west like the Bucks or the Nets? Below is part one of list of things to look for and reasons to watch our Suns play every team in the NBA. Feel free to print it out and keep it on the fridge next to your official Phoenix Suns schedule or next to the remote so you can crib from it on gameday. Also included is each team's SBNation site if you'd like to learn more about them.

But mostly you should watch because it's the Suns!

Atlanta Hawks, Peach Tree Hoops: Another early season surprise, just like The Suns. The obvious angle here is former Sun, Joe Johnson, aka Daisy Buchanan aka The One That Got Away. While in past seasons, one could have argued that perhaps he was the only reason to watch the Hawks, this year Atlanta done went and put together a ball club. Josh Smith will put you on a poster after rebounding your miss that he nearly blocked on the other end and Jamal Crawford will go from 0-15 points in the blink of an eye. This is a fun team that, like the Suns, seems poised to make an unexpected run at an assumedly superior division rival (the Orlando Magic).

Boston Celtics, CelticsBlog: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce. For me those are reasons enough to watch them. For Suns fans, KG represents an alternative dimension where the Suns won the trade lottery a few years back and miraculously transformed into a defensive championship-winning machine. Ray Allen was a Suns assassin with the Sonics seemingly ending every contest against the Suns with a 3 as time expired. And Paul Pierce is the The Truth. Probably a little underrated around these parts, Pierce is a ferocious competitor and maybe the 3rd most important Celtic in history behind Bill Russell and Larry Bird. However, time is catching up to the Big 3 and this may be the last chance to catch them before they retire/go their separate ways. Oh, and for added Suns angles, former Sun/Sun Devil Eddie House is always conscienceless good times firing 3s off the bench and Rajon Rondo causes some current fans to look at Goran Dragic coming off the bench and cut themselves since he was in fact a Phoenix draft pick that the Sarver and company sold on eBay back in the day.

Charlotte Bobcats, Rufus On Fire: True story: I nearly canceled League Pass after coming across a Bobcats/Nets game a couple weeks ago. It was eye murder. That said, there's some fun to be had here. First, you can boo/cheer Boris Diaw as you see fit. Watching him play waffle croissant frustrate another team is much more liberating without worrying about how his 9 milli a year is affecting the Suns' cap situation. Raja Bell is gone, but in his place is former Suns division rival Stephen Jackson who should up the excitement quotient in the Queen City. And if you though Mike D'Antoni had a thing against young players, you can practically see the Charlotte faithful's collective head getting ready to explode as rookie lottery pick Gerald Henderson continues to ride pine even in garbage time.

Continued after the jump...

Chicago Bulls, Blog-A-Bull: Joakim Noah will make you eat your words. Derrick Rose is going to be a very good point guard for a very long time. Vinnie Del Negro has one of the best tans I've ever seen. He's the NBA's answer to George Hamilton. If you want something of a Suns angle, John Salmons shunned the Suns leading them to eventually sign Marcus Banks to one of the worst contracts in Suns history AND Luol Deng was also a one time Suns draft pick. Alternately frustrating and fantastic, there's a lot to watch any time these Bulls take the floor.

Cleveland Cavaliers, Fear The Sword: Little known fact about these Cavs... just kidding. If ever an NBA team suffered from overexposure, it's this year's Cavs. Whether or not, Shaquille O'Neal puts Cleveland over the top or drags them under, LeBron James' presence makes Cleveland must-watch basketball every time he takes the court... at least for another few months.

Dallas Mavericks, Mavs Moneyball: Well, well, well, if it isn't a rejuvenated Shawn Marion back in the Western Conference! With Jason Kidd and Tim Thomas on the roster, that's 3 former Suns who could make life miserable for their ex-team. Then there's notable Suns killer and former Wildcat Jason Terry who gets all Bill the Butcher on the Suns every time they play. And of course, Dirk Nowitzki is a straight up animal. New to the mix this year is rookie Frenchman Rodrigue Beaubois, who might be the only 6'0" player in the NBA with a go-to alley oop play drawn up especially for him. So, yeah, watch these guys.

Denver Nuggets, Denver Stiffs: This is quite simply an electric basketball team. Defensively suspect perhaps, this Nuggets team is simply terrifying on the offensive end. Carmelo Anthony's most dangerous spot on the floor is, well, the floor. From the baseline to the top of the arc, he is making opponents lives miserable this season. Off the bench, rookie PG Ty Lawson is quickly making a name for himself as a capable and dangerous back-up to Chauncey Billups' unwaveringly steady hand. These cats are slick and worth watching any time they take the floor.

Detroit Pistons, Motown String Music: The most exciting development in the world of Dee-troit Basketball is Will Bynum's transmogrification into the explosive substance, Bynumite. And he's a former Wildcat, too! Also, the Suns whupped them handily so they're good for the occasional Alando Tucker sighting. And I <3 a healthy Rip Hamilton.

Golden State Warriors, Golden State of Mind: There's a lot to like here: Steph Curry, Anthony Randolph, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrens and hey -- it's Raja Bell! I was a big Anthony Morrow fan at Summer League and after one game, even D-League call-up Chris Hunter is making some noise. The problem is with Don Nelson running the show mailing it in, you never know what version of this team you're going to get. As a Suns fan though, with 14 games worth of hindsight, try and figure out how that rumored Amare trade would have worked out this season (my 2 cents: not well).

Houston Rockets, The Dream Shake: No T-Mac? No Yao? No problem. Sort of. After a hot start, the Rockets have cooled off to the .500 level in their last 10 games. What they lack in star power, the team is attempting to compensate for in effort and ingenuity. While that combination may make for a middling season, it also makes for smart, hard-fought basketball games that the Suns will have to earn.

Indiana Pacers, Indy Cornrows: Because Danny Granger is the brightest star you've never heard of. While off to a bit of a rough start in 2009, Granger is capable of taking over games and should not be slept on. Also, Tyler Hansbrough will help you find your dog.

Los Angeles Clippers, Clips Nation: This is a team on the verge of... something. They've got a solid if unspectacular commingling of veteran and youth presence in the starting line-up and on the bench and it will only get better once Blake Griffin joins the mix. Boom Dizzle and Eric Gordon make for an above average (and occasionally dynamic) backcourt. Chris Kaman is playing as if he is actually from another planet this year. Marcus Camby is ol' reliable and Craig Smith and Sebastian Telfair are providing serviceable minutes off the bench. In short, these Clippers are ready to break out of the cellar and into the NBA middle class, but they won't because Mike Dunleavy is a terrible, terrible coach. So why should you watch? For the novelty of seeing a team whose locker room cancer is actually roaming the sidelines in a suit.

Los Angeles Lakers, Silver Screen and Roll: "Hate Leads to Suffering; Or, How I Learned to Stop Suffering and Appreciate the Los Angeles Lakers." I'm not sure when I stopped hating the Lake Show, but it's a relatively recent phenomenon. There's just too much good basketball happening when they're on the court. Kobe Bryant is the pre-eminent basketball technician in the league right now. Pau Gasol might be the most sophisticated power forward in the NBA. Andrew Bynum is morphing from man-child to man with each passing minute on the court. Lamar Odom is the Ghost of Earl Clark Future and Ron Artest has gone from dangerously crazy to lovably eccentric with a change in area code. Oh, and that guy on the sidelines has 12 rings (2 as a player... haters) to legitimize any complaints of "Fakerism." For weaknesses, Derek Fisher is showing his age and then some and that bench is the basketball equivalent of Russian Roulette (there's about a 1 in 6 chance they will cost the Lakers the game). But you know, watch for the hate. It feels good, doesn't it, young Skywalker?

Memphis Grizzlies, Straight Outta Vancouver: Because Allen Iverson is must-watch basketball! Watch these guys so that 2 years from now you can say you were there when... Rudy Gay announced his presence with authority, O.J. Mayo came into his own, Zach Randolph quietly resucitated his career, Marc Gasol began working his way out of Pau's shadow, Jamaal Tinsley was brought into stabilize (!) a team's roster, and Hasheem Thabeet began fading into obscurity. It's kinda like watching the X-Files before the X-Files was cool (and that also started in Canada!).

Miami Heat, Peninsula is Mightier: Because if you don't watch, Dwyane Wade will throw himself at you and you WILL be called for a foul. While it's easy to mock Wade's penchant for reckless drives and refs tendencies to bail him out, it's impossible to argue that he's not a hardwood hurricane when this team needs him to be. Without Wade, this team's win total is somewhere in the 30s, but with him, they're a dangerous playoff foe... which isn't to say there isn't some talent around him. Udonis Haslem defines "unsung hero" outside of Miami-Dade County. Jermaine O'Neal and Quentin "P90X" Richardson are both having mini-renaissances this season and youngsters Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley provide inconsistent if effective support to their leading man. But mostly, it's all about Wade being a force of nature that you can watch from the comfort of your home without worrying about losing your home in the process.

To be continued....

Change is always good? Part 2, Jeff Teague's minutes

hawksdawgs — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:16:44 -0000

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Jeff Teague has not been good this year. The likelihood of him being good this season was always low. Rookie point guards drafted outside the lottery rarely contribute at a high level in their first year. Still, it is not that Teague has shown no signs of life. He has been an annoyance with on the ball defense outside the three point line, can get into the lane at will, and is at least average at finding teammates off that penetration. Teague's downfall has been his inability to hit open shots, failure to adjust to athletic shot blockers, and cheap/bad fouls after getting beat on defense. Basically his down fall has been being a rookie.

It is unfair for Teague or Woodson to expect big things from him this season or even to compare him to other rookies doing well. The Hawks have Teague and there is no reason to define his role and minutes based on anything but the Hawks' internal dynamics.Still, the role he has now is an "if" mentality. Teague can play if we get up by enough points, if foul trouble hits the front court, if Woodson remembers, and that just will not work. Jeff may have a lot of development in front of him, but the Hawks have four guys good enough to surround him and make that development have some definition outside of "we will see what happens."

If Bibby is out/needs minute reduction

Jeff Teague should take the minutes at point guard. He is not going to be worse at defense than Bibby, and he is only going to learn defensive communication and how to avoid fouls by playing. If you do not play Teague because he is rookie (and those are rookie issues), there is no reason to have him on the bench. Send him to the D-league. One could understand taking him out at the end of games, but Jeff Teague has enough skill to survive with four very good starters. Plus, as Bronn pointed out, Jamal Crawford at point guard has produced his weakest play from the point.

The key is defining his role, which has been hard to do in the four minute stretches Teague has had so far. The problem is no one has confidence in Jeff's jump shot, and that is a prerequisite for Woodson. Teague's college stats indicate his shooting could/should come around. So as a stop gap and/or emphasis on development, Woody could adjust. He needs to adjust. There are plenty of good point guards that cannot hit jumpers at a regular clip. And yes, Teague has had problems even hitting shots in close, but that is because bigs are blocking his shot. If they are blocking Teague's shot that means they are not guarding Josh Smith or Al Horford.Put an emphasis on distributing the ball and Jeff can be dangerous without ever taking a field goal attempt.

He will not be MIke Bibby or even Jamal Crawford. He does not need to be. He just needs to survive, and the longer he survives, the more he will learn and the better he will get.

When the Hawks are at full strength.

Jeff Teague needs more minutes. Not because he is better than the other guys playing, but because you have to learn to trust your players, give them confidence, and allow them to learn. The Hawks may not be a better team every time Jeff hits the court, but there are moments when they will be. And the more Teague learns the game, the more those moments will happen. Plus, Jeff Teague playing point guard means Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford are playing their most effective position.

Per 36 minutes, Jeff Teague is averaging 6.5 assists to 2.1 turnovers. That is better than Ty Lawson. Of course, Teague has picked up a lot of those stats in garbage time and against second units, but with a healthy team, he really only needs to play against second units. He just needs to play.

The question Woodson needs to ask is Jeff Teague going to lose us games playing 12 minutes a game? Some match ups that might be the case, but being stubborn about a specific style of point guard is going to continue to make developing a young point guard very difficult. They rarely come in ready. That is why there is a coach.

Jeff Teague needs experience and a game plan that fits his strengths, both of those can happen without sacrificing the roles of the other players on the team. Woody will just have to break his five year old mold.

Someone get a chisel.

The impact of Jamal Crawford

Bronn — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:11:27 -0000

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The Hawks have the best record in the Eastern Conference, and are on top of most of the power rankings, and have generally beaten up on some very tough opponents. The front court is playing as well as anyone in the NBA, and is carrying this team to heights we haven't since the House of Mutombo was torn down. However, I feel the timing is right to take a look at one of the bigger question marks coming into the season, new acquisition Jamal Crawford.

After starting out extremely hot, he's posted consecutive performances of 2-10 and 3-10 shooting. And we knew this was coming-nobody expected that he was going to be the guy who put up 27 points against Portland on 16 shots and 9 free throws. I feel better looking at his numbers now that he's had a few cold shooting nights to counteract his hot ones-he's bound to be streaky. So what impact has this had on his overall effectiveness? Well, so far, Jamal is still having a career year in a lot of respects.

Despite the fact that he hasn't yet found his rhythm from three, he's still posting a 44.5 FG%, good for a career high if we discount his injury shortened 01-02 season with the Bulls. He's done this by making 55.8% of his 2 point attempts (75% on attempts in the immediate vicinity of the basket). He's been getting some good looks driving off of the dribble and on the fastbreak. This has also led to his drawing fouls at a higher rate, which can only be good for a career 84% foul shooter. Overall, his efficiency numbers are great-his eFG% (49%) sits right below the league average (49.4%), and his TS% (56%) is above league average (53.7%), both of which are career highs. And those of you who are fans of PER, he's posting a very respectable 17.4, also a career high.

After the jump, a look at usage.

The bulk of Crawford's minutes so far have been as part of a three guard unit involving Johnson and Bibby. I can't give you an exact percentage because I don't have all the data, but it's at least 35% of his total minutes. Most of those are with the starting five, in which he essentially replaces Marvin Williams and JJ plays at SF. Despite some recent struggles this group has had facing a 2-3 zone, it remains the most effective 5 man unit the Hawks have employed (excepting the very limited Bibby/Johnson/Evans/Josh/Horford minutes), allowing .94 points per possession while scoring 1.41 points per possession.

Right now, it's unclear to me exactly why this combination is doing so well defensively. Thus far, JJ's on/off data suggests he's been fairly pedestrian, and that Crawford has been rather poor (as expected). Bibby's on/off data is over the top good-his defensive efficiency on the floor is 100.7, while the efficiency with Bibby off the floor is 115.6, for a differential of 14.9. There is nothing in Mike Bibby's history to suggest this is remotely sustainable, and he's an aging smaller guard. So far, it seems like a lot of minutes where Bibby is off the floor involve Maurice Evans and/or Jeff Teague, neither of which have played very well on defense in the early part of the season. None of this explains why the three guard line-up is playing so well on defense while placing two poor defenders and a fairly average defender together, so for now, I'm expecting a regression unless an explanation is found.

Approximately 28% of Crawford's minutes are coming as a point guard. He's only posting a PER of 12.6 in that role, with an EFG% of 46.1, and the Hawks have an efficiency differential of -5.3 during the minutes he's been playing at point guard. Thus far, he's been much more effective, and the Hawks have been much better off, when utilizing him at the 2 guard-which is essentially what I predicted back when this trade was made.

I also was curious as to whether he's been effective during his minutes when he's not scoring-ie, does he provide anything off the bench besides scoring punch?-and here's a very simple view. During the 8 efficient scoring games he's had (TS% greater than league average), he's added 26 assists (3.8 per36) and 16 rebounds (2.35 per36) in 245 minutes . During the other four, he's had 7 assists (2.47 per36) and 6 rebounds (2.12 per36) in 102 minutes. The Hawks are a combined +7 while he's on the floor in his "bad" games while being +68 with him on the floor in his "good" games. Overall, when he's not scoring, he's not useless, but he's not doing a lot, either.

I was also interested in seeing if Woody is giving him the hook in games in which he's not shooting well. Three of his longest stints have come against Portland, Sacramento, and Denver, where he's dropped 27, 26, and 25 points respectively. Of course, he also played over 34 minutes while shooting blanks against Charlotte, and only got to play 28 minutes while he was shooting 50% against the Hornets (and hitting 3 of 8 3PAs). So far, there's only a very weak correlation (0.464) between his TS% (my preferred measure for scoring efficiency) and playing time, meaning Woodson hasn't been particularly quick to cut his minutes when he's been ineffective scoring the ball.

After 12 games, I'd say he's been basically as expected-providing scoring off the bench with the ability to create his own shot. Placing him into an offense that's (surprisingly) functional and removing the responsibility of playing distributor have, thus far, made him a fairly efficient scorer, though it's still early. He may not continue at this pace, but I suspect the talent around him will keep him from killing his efficiency by shooting 31 times on nights when he's ice cold (though his teammates may not be immune to this). And certainly, his 25.5% from 3 should eventually regress toward his career average of 34.6%, which would give this offense an additional boost.

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

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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!

It's all in the jumper (well, almost) for Andray Blatche

Mike Prada — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:16:56 -0000

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In the spirit of reminding everyone that we're not even one-tenth of the way through the season, let's talk about the one major bright spot of the first eight games -- Andray Blatche.

Blatche has arguably been the Wizards' best player thus far this season. (This is where your jaw drops and you gasp. Do it for effect, please). He has the highest PER and the highest Roland Rating (which is 82games' statistical formula that takes into account individual numbers as well as the team's performance when he's on the court as opposed to being on the bench) on the team. He's also been among the most consistent players, which may be an even greater sign that he's coming along.

How come Blatche is surging statistically? It must be better rebounding, right? Well ... no; his rebound rate this season is actually lower than it was last season. Better passing? No, his assist rate is basically the same. Fewer turnovers? Okay, okay, that's actually a big part of his improvement -- his turnover percentage is just 11.6% this year as compared to 14.3% last year. But it's not nearly as significant as ...

(Dun Dun Dun)

... Blatche's improved jump-shooting.

Earlier this summer, we talked about how much better Blatche would be if he just stopped attempting so many jumpers. Why? Blatche was simply dreadful at shooting them last year. His eFG% on jump shots last year was 35.6%, the type of mark you see from guys like Rajon Rondo and Tyrus Thomas. That he posted a league-average PER while posting such a poor percentage on jumpers is actually kind of remarkable.

The theory at the time was that Blatche should get inside more and shoot fewer jumpers, because he stunk so much shooting from the perimeter last year. Jumpers constituted 57% of Blatche's shots last year, which is about 30 percent too high for someone who shoots that poorly. He would have provided much better production, the theory stated, if he played more to his strengths on offense.

Well, fast-forward one year later, and Blatche's jump-shooting has completely transformed. Blatche has an eFG% of 50% on jump shots in the first eight games, and amazingly enough, he's actually shooting more jumpers this year than last year (63% of his shots are Js). His improved jump-shooting proficiency has vaulted his true shooting percentage all the way up 57.4%, as opposed to his mediocre 50.8% mark last season.

How do you explain this? I see two reasons that go hand-in-hand. The first explanation is quite simple -- Blatche worked his butt off on his jumper this summer. Granted, Seven-Day Dray worked his butt off on everything this past summer, but he has continually singled out jump-shooting as an area of emphasis. The far more detailed explanation, however, lies in the type of jumpers he's taking. We all have the typical Blatche possession where he dribbles five times and launches an awful shot in our heads because, well, that's what happened so much last year. Only 44% of Blatche's jump shots last year were assisted, and when you're constantly shooting off the dribble, your percentage suffers unless you're an incredibly unique player like Jamal Crawford. This season, 63% of Blatche's jumpers are assisted, because Blatche is catching and shooting confidently instead of trying to create something on his own. No wonder his percentages ae up.

Now, the reason I say these two reasons go hand-in-hand is because confidence plays a huge role here. It's just hard to tell which way. Blatche is making much quicker decisions when he gets the ball, opting to let it fly when he's open much more often than in the past. Why is this happening? Clearly, Blatche has developed a good rhythm from practicing the shot all the time, and trusting that rhythm in the heat of the moment comes from having confidence in your shot. On the other hand, confidence also comes into play when he's hitting the shot early on. It's possible Blatche found that, when he set his feet, squared his shoulders and just shot it rather than trying to create something off the dribble, he was actually a pretty damn good shooter already. He just needed to see that ball go through the hoop to gain the necessary confidence. It's a classic chicken or the egg phenomenon.

Regardless, as long as Blatche continues to play and shoot this confidently, he's going to be an incredible asset coming off the bench relieving Antawn Jamison. We talked about how Jamison's injury was Blatche's opportunity to shine, and that's exactly what he's done.

Josh Smith, humanitarian.

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

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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!