ChuckFest 2013: Another Lost Season for the Hawks

Buddy Grizzard —  May 6, 2013 — 3 Comments

For all three seasons under head coach Larry Drew, the Hawks have failed to extend a playoff series to a decisive Game 7. In each series, Drew made at least one egregious, inexcusable decision that cost the team a chance to extend the series. However, Larry Drew’s greatest shortcoming in his nine years with the Hawks organization has been his failure to teach Josh Smith how to play basketball.

With 2:13 remaining in Game 6 and the Pacers leading 76-73, Roy Hibbert drove to the basket on Al Horford and lost the ball. While this action was taking place on the strong side, Smith was guarding David West on the weak side. As you can see at the 3:45 mark in NBA.com’s highlights for Game 6, not once during this sequence did Smith turn his head to track West’s location.

If the Hawks had collected the loose ball, the team would have been down three with a chance to tie or draw within a point. Instead, Smith allowed West to gain rebounding position where he collected the loose ball and laid it in. The same scenario happened Nov. 30th in a humiliating home loss to Cleveland. Smith was ball watching and allowed Alonzo Gee to gain inside position where he collected an errant shot and laid it in for the decisive basket. You’d think Smith would have learned his lesson and kept track of his man in a much more important game. Sadly, learning is not a strength of either Smith or Drew, as we will discuss in further detail below. Continue Reading…

In 2012-13 Season, Analysis ,
permalink

GRADES: Pacers 81, Hawks 73

Bo Churney —  May 4, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Pacers win series, 4-2

IND(4-2) 81 – 73 (2-4)ATL

Key Performers:
G. Hill (IND): 21 pts, 2 reb, 7 ast
A. Horford (ATL): 15 pts, 7 reb, 3 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Robby’s last grades started with “that was pitiful”, and I really wanted to keep that as the first sentence. The Hawks looked like they had given up at one point, going 1-for-15 in what was probably the ugliest quarter of basketball that I’ve ever seen. They ended up rallying back behind the cheers of the fans, but the team wasn’t able to overcome the Josh Smith jumper frenzy.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: He was the leader of the rally at the end, scoring seven points in the fourth quarter. However, he was pretty awful before that point. He couldn’t get post position, was missing open jumpers, and at times was completely out of offensive sets. That’s not really his fault, but I think he needs to assert himself more to the next head coach of this team so something like that doesn’t happen. 6/10

Josh Smith: This was the ultimate Josh Smith game. He was taking silly jumpers, throwing extremely risky passes, and making a habit out of unnecessary dribbles. He did make all of his free throws, though! The conclusion to the Smoove era in Atlanta was scripted beautifully, though. Down five with about 40 seconds left, Smith took matters into his own hands. Instead of going with the play Larry Drew had drawn up, Smith hoisted a contested 3-pointer, which was blocked by David West. Atlanta wasn’t able to recover. With Smoove’s history of shot selection, this ending was just too perfect. 2/10

Johan Petro: Hibbert was getting position on him all night, which really opened up the floor for George Hill to operate. On offense, he was awful, unless you count him hitting one of the most awkward looking floaters you’ll ever see as a “success”. 3/10

Jeff Teague: As bad as Josh has been this series, at least he plays defense. Jeff, though? Not so much. He was as passive as ever, and really played the role of Josh Smith’s enabler by constantly passing the ball to Smoove out on the perimeter. Teague looked like he had no intentions of attacking at all tonight, meaning that Atlanta was left without a fastbreak point until the second half. Would have been cool if Jeff had decided to show up for games 2-6 this series; the Hawks probably could have won under those circumstances. 2/10

Devin Harris: With Jeff essentially doing nothing out there, Devin tried to take some of that responsibility. He wasn’t exactly successful at it, but hell, at least he was trying. That’s worth something. 4/10 Continue Reading…

In 2012-13 Season, Game Recap, Playoffs
permalink

Hawks’ Season Ends in First Round

Bo Churney —  May 3, 2013 — 1 Comment

The Hawks had a chance. The series was tied at two games each and it looked like Larry Drew made an adjustment in the lineup that the Pacers might not be able to counter.

That chance was clanked away.

Losing game five was a blow to the Hawks, but one the team could have managed. The whole series had been determined by homecourt to that point, and it was thought that the Hawks would continue to hold serve and force a game seven. However, the Hawks didn’t get to seven; neither in number of games, nor in second quarter shooting percentage. (6.7%)

The Pacers, to their credit, played extremely strong defense. George Hill took the task of keeping the Atlanta ball handlers out of the paint, and even with they got through, Roy Hibbert and David West proved more than capable of cleaning up the mess. Indy’s offensive game was weak and Paul George was limited to four points, but the efforts of Hill (21 points on 14 shots) and Hibbert (17 points on 14 shots) were enough to help the Pacers climb into the second round of the playoffs.

This loss isn’t new ground for the Hawks; they’ve failed to win a game in the second round for the fifth time in the last six years, despite making the playoffs each season. However, this defeat is unique in that the future is now an unknown. Only three players (Horford, Williams, and Jenkins) have guaranteed contracts next season. Josh Smith appears to be heading out the door and not coming back, and Danny Ferry will have over $33 million in cap space to work with in creating a new team.

Even with how poorly this game played out, we still have a positive thought to take from this 2012-13 season. With the odds against them all season, these Hawks never quit. After losing Zaza Pachulia and Lou Williams to season-ending injuries, the Hawks still managed to grab the sixth seed. Despite falling 2-0 in the series, they fought back to even it up and give themselves an opportunity. And even after being down 17 points in the fourth quarter facing elimination, the crowd was electric, cheering on their team, who managed to cut the Pacer lead to three.

Yes, the Hawks lost, but as Al Horford noted in his postgame presser, the team didn’t quit like they have in the past. Moral victories aren’t always the greatest, but at least we know that Larry Drew left the players of this team with an attitude that they will always have a chance to win.

With Horford likely playing the role of franchise player for the next three, hopefully that persona continues to exist in Philips Arena atmosphere for the coming seasons.

In 2012-13 Season, Playoffs , , ,
permalink

GRADES: Pacers 106, Hawks 83

Robby Kalland —  May 2, 2013 — 14 Comments

FINAL
Pacers lead series, 3-2

IND(3-2) 106 – 83 (2-3)ATL   

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 21 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast
A. Horford (ATL): 14 pts, 9 reb, 2 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

That was pitiful. The Hawks had a one-point lead after the first quarter, before they remembered where they were and that they aren’t allowed to keep it close in Indiana. The Pacers followed the lead of David West (24 points) and Paul George (21 points and 11 rebounds), as they dominated the final three quarters. The Pacers out-rebounded the Hawks 51-28 (!!!!) and shot 50.7% from the field compared to Atlanta’s 33.3%. In the immortal words of Charles Barkley, the Hawks were turrible.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Al had his worst game of the series in game five. Horford got bullied on the defensive end by David West, who dropped 24 on Al, and that seemed to carry over into offensive frustration for Horford. Al shot 5-of-14 from the field for 14 points along with nine rebounds and missed a number of mid-range shots that are normally automatic for him. Horford, who was the aggressor in Games 3 and 4, was outmuscled and physically dominated by West on both ends of the floor and struggled to respond. This was a disappointing effort from Horford, but I expect him to be much sharper and more aggressive in game six. 2/10

Josh Smith: Smoove got in foul trouble early on and was unable to shake it off throughout. Smith stopped attacking the basket and shot 5-of-16 from the field (3-of-7 from the free throw line) in just 26 minutes of play for 14 points and five rebounds. Smith has to find a way to get the refs out of his head and pull himself together by Friday because he will need to return to form, especially defending Paul George, for the Hawks to have a chance to even the series back up. 2/10

Johan Petro: Petro was the only Hawk to shoot over 50% from the field. So…that’s not a recipe for success. Johan’s 2-of-3 shooting night came in 19 minutes as he tallied five points and two boards. He got abused on the glass and in the post, as was the theme of the night for the whole team, which is about par for the course for a Johan Petro game. 4/10

Jeff Teague: Awful. That’s the word to describe Teague’s masterful disappearing act in game five. Jeff was 3-of-16 from the field for seven points, had just five assists, and continuously lost George Hill on defense. Teague looked disinterested throughout and was unable to jumpstart the Hawks offense when they needed him to pick them up. He, like Smoove, needs to get his act together after that awful tech he picked up in the third quarter for elbowing Paul George as we walked to the bench. Jeff will have to find some inspiration to play harder in game six Friday if the Hawks are to force a game seven. 1/10

Devin Harris: Devin took some head-scratching shots, but he was the only ATL starter that appeared engaged for the entire game. He tried guarding Paul George, and was effective at times, but George’s physical skill set proved too much. Harris was also one of three Hawks to receive a technical foul on the night. 4/10 Continue Reading…

In 2012-13 Season, Game Recap, Playoffs
permalink

I’m Confused: Which Team is Fragile and Shaky?

Buddy Grizzard —  April 30, 2013 — 7 Comments

Prior to Game 2, I took issue with Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Wells’ characterization of the Hawks as fragile and easily-shaken. I argued that, “if [Larry] Drew plays his best players the most minutes, the national perception of the Hawks could change.”

It took three games for Drew to reach the same conclusion, but now the whole complexion of the series has changed. And there seems to be some confusion now within the Star’s staff about which team is the fragile, shaky one. Yesterday, in previewing tonight’s Game 4, Star columnist Bob Kravitz had this to say:

A mature, focused team wins Game 4 and closes it out Wednesday back in Indianapolis. That’s the call here, anyway.

A fragile, shaky team loses tonight and lets the Hawks right back into this series.

Continue Reading…

In Analysis , , ,
permalink

GRADES: Hawks 102, Pacers 91

Raj Prashad —  April 29, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Series tied, 2-2

IND(2-2) 91 – 102 (2-2)ATL

Key Performers:
P. George (IND): 21 pts, 12 reb, 2 ast
J. Smith (ATL): 29 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Indiana came out playing aggressively on both ends of the court to finish a pretty even first quarter. The Hawks took a 17-point lead into the half, only to watch it disappear behind shooting just 15 percent for the third quarter. Behind Josh Smith and Al Horford’s 17-fourth quarter points, Atlanta hung on to tie the series and send it back to Indiana with a chance to go up 3-2 and close out at home.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Horford got in foul trouble early, which seemed to plague him for most of the night. He did, however, get under David West’s skin yet again, holding the forward to 5-of-14 from the field. After sitting out much of the third quarter, Big Al dominated the fourth with 10 points and eight free throw attempts. 7/10

Josh Smith: One of the more emotional night for Smith led to an up-and-down game. In a supremely efficient first half, Smith had 16 points, six rebounds and played stout defense on Paul George, yet again. A dreadful third quarter in which Smith shot 0-for-6 from the field was just a precursor for his fourth-quarter rebirth. Smith took the game over, scoring seven points, dishing three assists and snagged two rebounds. Smoove’s offensive rebound and dish for a Kyle trey with 2:33 left in the contest, sealed the game. 8/10

Jeff Teague: It was a pretty nonchalant game for Teague, who matched opposing guard George Hill almost point-for-point and assist-for-assist. He held onto the ball throughout the night and knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the fourth to close out the night. 6/10

Devin Harris: Harris had another game that can only be explained in offensive spurts. He hit a buzzer-beating layup to close the half and knocked down a few shots, but wasn’t anything special. Harris’ defensive tenacity was lacking as he almost allowed a Lance Stephenson triple-double. 5/10

Johan Petro: Petro flew back to Atlanta after the birth of his son today and played 22 quality minutes in which he controlled Roy Hibbert for much of the night and he grabbed eight rebounds. 7/10

Continue Reading…

In 2012-13 Season, Atlanta Hawks, Game Recap, Playoffs ,
permalink

Hawks After Game Three Win

Bo Churney —  April 28, 2013 — 1 Comment

In 2012-13 Season, Playoffs, Video , , ,
permalink

Now THAT is How You Hit a Team in the Mouth

Buddy Grizzard —  April 28, 2013 — 4 Comments

In my series preview, I said that “the way to beat the Pacers is to hit them in the mouth at the start of the series.” When I said hit them in the mouth, I didn’t have 3-guard lineups, Kyle Korver guarding Paul George or the return of The Horford Treatment in mind. Watching DeShawn Stevenson go -20 in 44 minutes in the first two games was also not what I had in mind.

What I had in mind was Josh Smith, Al Horford and Jeff Teague playing at least 40 minutes per game and Devin Harris, Ivan Johnson and Korver playing at least 30. In Game 3, Horford and Harris played right at 40 minutes while Smith, Teague, Korver and Johnson all played close to 30. Continue Reading…

In Analysis , , ,
permalink

GRADES: Hawks 90, Pacers 69

Raj Prashad —  April 27, 2013 — Leave a comment

FINAL
Pacers lead series, 2-1

IND(2-1) 69 – 90 (1-2)ATL

Key Performers:
D. West (IND): 18 pts, 6 reb, 2 ast
A. Horford (ATL): 28 pts, 16 reb, 2 blk
[FULL BOX SCORE]

Indiana got out to an 8-1 lead early, but head coach Larry Drew called the first timeout, let the fans back into the game and succeeded in pushing a 42-10 Hawks run to give Atlanta a massive cushion in the second half. The Hawks used transition buckets, physicality in the paint and fantastic perimeter defense on George Hill and Paul George to get back into the series, now trailing just 2-1.

Reaction Grades: [assessed 0-10]

Al Horford: Horford had just six points when David West shoved him to the ground on a fast break, earning a flagrant foul for his trouble. Big Al responded with a massive 26-point, 16-rebound effort as he dominated the paint and led a few transition buckets. Having Horford matched up with West on both ends of floor allowed him the size advantage to work with, leading to a career night. 9.5/10

Josh Smith: It was a heck of an efficient night from Josh on both ends of the court as well. He played excellent defense on George, frustrating the forward whom Atlanta didn’t seem to have an answer for in the first two games of the series. Only three of his 13 attempts came from behind the 3-point arc and he consistently utilized his mismatch in the post over George. 9/10

Jeff Teague: Despite making only 4-of-15 shots, Teague was aggressive from the tip and had spurts of scoring Atlanta needed to push toward the big win. He finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists while turning the ball over only twice. He also played great defense on Hill, cutting off his driving lanes and forcing bad passes. 6/10

Devin Harris: Devin didn’t have a great night for the second consecutive game as he was virtually nonexistent on offense. He played well enough on the other end of the court to where his nonproductive night was matched by Lance Stephenson’s four-point effort. 5/10

Johan Petro: Petro only played 14 minutes, as LD preferred Ivan Johnson over the towering center, but he did have six points and four rebounds in the small chunk of minutes he played. 6/10

He also did this:

Continue Reading…

In 2012-13 Season, Atlanta Hawks, Playoffs ,
permalink

Hawks Backed Against the Wall

Bo Churney —  April 27, 2013 — 1 Comment

No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. That’s the fate that faces the Atlanta Hawks if they lose this game.

The Indiana Pacers come to Atlanta having won the previous two games with offensive dominance. Paul George has been spectacular, scoring 20 plus in each game, while playing 83 of a possible 96 minutes. Indiana’s usually great defense, however, has not been as strong so far; Atlanta is shooting almost 50% from the field and 40% from the line, both better marks than the Pacers.

Indiana, however, has been marching through the lane and getting to the free throw line, something the Hawks have not been able to do. For Atlanta to win this game three, they will have to change that.

How? Well, the Hawks have tried multiple defenders on Paul George already. Kyle Korver didn’t exactly work. Devin Harris and DeShawn Stevenson did better, but George was still able to tear the Hawks about.

It is time for Josh Smith’s turn.

Larry Drew has elected to go big for game three, starting Johan Petro at center, moving Smith to the small forward position. Smoove may be hobbled a bit by an ankle injury, but he’s still the best overall defender Atlanta has. According to mySynergySports, Smith is giving up only 0.67 points per possession in isolation, good enough for 43rd in the league. (which is extremely good, by the way) Considering that Smith has already had turns guarding LeBron James, DeMarcus Cousins, and Monta Ellis, I don’t think Josh will balk at the challenges that Paul George will bring.

Other keys for the Hawks? Running the offense through Al Horford. Now matched up against David West, Horford should be able to work more down low than he was able to against Roy Hibbert. He should still have a good speed advantage, but Coach Drew should attempt to get his star big man established down low early.

One final key: please Larry, sub Ivan in for Petro as soon as you can. Please…

In 2012-13 Season, Playoffs , , , ,
permalink