Sunday, March 23, 2008
Davidson vs. Goliath
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Cleveland Cavaliers: New Look Can Be Deceiving
While an initial glance of Cleveland’s 89-73 victory over Detroit may signify that the new guys played well, Detroit’s lethargy masked the quartet’s actual effectiveness.
Ben Wallace:
Wallace started the game stale and stagnant as ever. Twice he failed to show on screen/rolls resulting in a Tayshaun Prince jumper and a drive and dish to Antonio McDyess for a layup.
Wallace failed to fight through Rasheed Wallace’s uninspired box outs, set sluggish screens, and was a complete non-factor.
But since Detroit was sleepwalking themselves, Big Ben’s shadow gradually became more effective against the Detroit Piston ghosts.
Seven times Rasheed Wallace half-heartedly ventured into the paint and attacked Big Ben. His pet move was to hold the ball for a few seconds on the left box before softly backing down Ben and then reverse pivoting off his right foot for a fallaway jumper.
The results were:
- A missed mid-post turnaround from the right of the lane
- A slow reverse pivot turnaround leading to a questionable foul call on Ben. (‘Sheed hit both free throws)
- A slow reverse pivot fadeaway split the nets
- The same move was bricked
- The same move was blocked
- The same move was botched
- A subtle Big Ben bump on a Rasheed sweeping hook caused an airball
Totaling up the numbers, Rasheed ended up shooting 1-6 from the field with two free throws and four points in seven possessions. Certainly an acceptable defensive performance.
And since Ben’s juices were oozing slightly less slowly than Detroit’s, he was able to make several more timely defensive plays, such as:
- Blocking an Antonio McDyess dunk attempt
- Helping off his man to block Chauncey Billups coming off a screen
- Closing Rasheed off the three-point line with the shot clock winding down, forcing a hurried miss
- It should be noted that the only time a Piston challenged Ben with any energy, Wallace was too slow rotating on a Prince drive and ended up on a poster.
On offense, Wallace was lethargic and useless, setting poor screens, lounging on the weak-side, getting rid of the ball after catching it, as if it were a hot potato.
Of Wallace’s four attempts, one was a missed tip-in, two were “avert your eyes” fadeaways, and the one that went through the hoop was a nifty (lucky) two-handed jumping heave off an offensive rebound to beat the first half buzzer.
While Wallace showed that he can still have his moments on defense, how much of his performance was the result of his courage, and how much was a result of Detroit’s comatose play?
I’d venture the latter over the former.
Delonte West:
Delonte West (3-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 6 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 2 TO, 7 PTS had trouble penetrating on Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton, and when he did turn the corner, he was unable to finish over Detroit’s length.
West hit two of four jumpers when he was left all alone after Cleveland penetration. He also made a nice baseline cut and received a brilliant pass from Zydrunas Ilgauskas for a layup. His other attempts, whether in early offense or whether attempting to create, were all well off.
West’s passing was on target and he usually put the ball in good position for his teammates to shoot. None of his two turnovers were directly related to bad passing, as one came when he couldn’t penetrate on Rodney Stuckey and he pushed him in attempt to get separation for a shot, and a second came when he expected Sasha Pavlovic to zig while Sasha chose to zag.
West is fearless, gritty, and would make a nice backup, but he’s limited athletically, a factor that will come into play later in the playoffs.
Wally Szczerbiak:
Wally’s World showed that he can still hit jumpers when an offense runs set designed to get him open. Three times, Wally was able to run around low curls and hit jumpers, and he was fouled on two more occasions. Wally also hit a catch-and-shoot three after a LeBron penetration left him open.
Later in the game when Detroit’s bigs showed on the curls and allowed the defender to catch up, Wally was forced to fire up fadeaways from the high post with no prayer of going in.
Can the Pistons run the kind of offense Wally needs to maximize his effectiveness? Probably not.
But it was nice to see Cleveland’s offense employ some weak-side movement designed to get a player in an advantageous scoring position, rather than the rudimentary driving and kicking they rely on.
Wally was physical enough to grind with any player who tried to out-tough him, but he was left in Rip Hamilton‘s, Tayshaun Prince’s, and Jarvis Hayes’ dust when he had to defend them in space.
This is another limitation that will be exploited in the playoffs.
Joe Smith:
Mr. Smith (1-1 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 REB, 1 AST, 3PTS) wasn’t asked to do much, but he reversed the ball leading to a Devin Brown jumper, he hit an 18-footer, and he competed hard for every loose ball. He’s a valuable fourth big man in a rotation.
While each of the new Cavaliers performed his role admirably against Detroit, Cleveland still has considerable flaws.
Since neither West, Szczerbiak, or Pavlovic can create their own shots, the Cavs offense is even more LeBron-centric with Larry Hughes out. The Cavs don’t have the length or quickness to defend the perimeter well, and of their four bigs, the only reliable offensive player is Zydrunas Ilgauskas. In fact, the Cavs may now be one of the least athletic teams in the NBA.
The main problem with the new Cavaliers is the same problem the old Cavaliers had: The philosophy that everything on offense has to revolve around LeBron James.
Maybe if Detroit sleepwalks through another Cavs-Pistons series, Cleveland can pull another upset; but these Cavs are too one-dimensional on offense and too slow on defense to challenge Boston in the East.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Boston Celtics Breakdown: Championship Caliber
And after writing about 29 teams, I thought I’d save the best for last.
With the best record in basketball, it only took the Boston Celtics a little over a quarter to thoroughly annihilate the dysfunctional Bulls in a 116-93 bloodbath which was far uglier than the final score indicated.
Obviously the Bulls aren’t on Boston’s level so Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen were bound to impress. The trio combined to shoot 15-32 from the floor, 16-17 at the line, with 49 points, 16 rebounds, and 8 assists.
However, the game did provide a perfect backdrop to showcase the rest of the Celtics: the reasons why the Celtics are championship material.
Rajon Rondo:
Rondo’s responsibilities included bringing the ball up, not making mistakes, placing his passes in positions where his teammates could score, and hitting whatever open shot he was presented with. For the game his numbers were certainly impressive (5-9 FG, 6-8 FT, 3 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, 16 PTS), but doubly so considering three of his assists and none of his turnovers came in the first half when the game was still reasonably close.
Rondo rarely looked for his offense in the first half as he didn’t need to. In fact he only took a single shot attempt in the half. However, when the Bulls left him alone for a 20-footer, the youngster calmly knocked it down, a result the Celtics would love to see duplicated.
Of the rest of his field goals, Rondo had two dunks in transition, scored another layup when no Bulls defender picked him up on a one-on-four break, and knocked down a tough runner late in the fourth.
Of his four misses, all came in the second half when the game was out of reach. Two were on jumpers leaving him only 1-3 from the outlands, and two came on layups (one blocked by Ben Gordon) leaving Rondo only 1-3 on contested shots in the paint.
Still, the fact that Rondo was willing to attack the hoop (he earned eight free throws and wasn’t shy about initiating contact) showed that he’s fearless and wont back away from pressure situations.
On the other side of the court, Rondo locked Ben Gordon up on any isolation. On two Gordon attempts to break Rondo down, twice Rondo poked the dribble away and forced Gordon to go pick the ball back up. While neither play resulted in a turnover, Rondo threw off Gordon’s rhythm and disrupted his plan of attack.
Rondo also reached in and used his lightning quick hands to reach in on an Andres Nocioni drive and rip him of the ball.
Rondo is good enough defensively to lock up all but the strongest or quickest guards in the league.
Kendrick Perkins:
K-Perk (4-7 FG, 6-6 FT, 11 REB, 3 BLK, 14 PTS) was an absolute beast right from the opening tip off, letting the Bulls know that the backboards were off limits for the evening. The majority of Perkins’ rebounds came in heavy traffic, and his defense under the basket intimidated all the Bulls who ventured into the paint.
Perkins set man-sized screens, was astute to find holes in the defense whenever his teammates penetrated, and his own rumblings to the basket where akin to a rhinoceros attacking an unwary enemy.
Perkins is the enforcer that will stand up to Rasheed Wallace, Dwight Howard, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas come playoff time.
James Posey:
Posey’s jump shooting (2-7 FG, 1-6 3 FG, 4-4 FT, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 9 PTS) never made its way to the arena and Posey committed a couple of silly fouls on defense. Still, Posey hustled and bustled the entire game and always looked to play defense right in an opponents chest.
Posey’s playing like the championship winning asset he was in 2006, instead of the lazy, unconditioned distraction he was last season.
Eddie House:
House (3-8 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-1 FT, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 TO, 1 BLK, 8 PTS) is a streaky three-point specialist who’s hot streaks can carry Boston to victory while his cold streaks can be offset by his teammates’ production.
He’s making quick passes under Doc Rivers, and he’ll attack sloppy dribbles as well, but he’s not a backup point guard on a championship team.
Tony Allen:
Allen (0-4 FG, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 4 TO, 0 PTS) is a brick layer and a poor decision maker who’s best assets are his above average defense and his ability to finish on the break. He’s too mistake prone to be worthy of minutes in the playoffs.
Leon Powe:
Powe (3-6 FG, 4-4 FT, 3 REB, 2 BLK, 10 PTS) ran the court for a first half dunk and played with tremendous enthusiasm and hustle on defense. If he still is raw on his defensive techniques, his hustle and energy more than compensate.
Glen Davis:
Davis (2-2 FG, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 4 PTS) is surprisingly nimble for a man with his girth and also plays with tremendous defensive energy, fronting his man, staying with him off the dribble, blocking his shots under the basket, and never giving up on plays.
The Celtics as a whole played with an inspiring amount of energy and passion which blazed even brighter next to a Bulls squad that packed it in late in the second quarter. With the Celtics up by more than 20, midway through the fourth, there was Rajon Rondo diving headlong for a rebound. With the game winding down, James Posey crashed headfirst into press row for a loose ball.
Every loose ball was chased after, every Bulls shot was met with a raised hand, and every rotation was flawless.
Boston held Chicago to 43 first half points (a solid number), 31.8 percent shooting for the game (a championship number), outrebounded the Bulls 55-35 ( a championship number), blocked 9 shots, recorded 9 steals, took 43 free-throw attempts, and grabbed two offensive rebounds off of missed free throws.
Plus the Celtics were completely, and totally unselfish. Late in the second quarter, Rondo brought the ball up the right sideline, made a nifty entry pass to a posted Garnett who made a terrific pass to a cutting Pierce along the baseline. Even though Pierce had a very good shot at scoring over the rotating Chicago defense, he too made the extra pass finding Ray Allen all alone on the left wing for an uncontested triple.
Credit Doc Rivers for getting his team to play completely unselfish basketball. Credit Rivers again for getting everyone on his ball club to play with a fevered passion from his superstar trio to his bench warming backups. Tom Thibodeau also deserves credit for coaching his squad to play exceptional defense.
And while Garnett, Pierce, and Allen certainly deserve credit for their explosive offensive firepower, the Celtics are excelling this year because of less sexy characteristics: Their role players performing their duties harmoniously and their team wide commitment to exceptional defense.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
How the South was won
Friday, March 7, 2008
Memphis Grizzlies Breakdown: The Worst In The West
Despite their 100-88 victory over the Nets, the Grizzlies played exactly like a 14-46 team would.
Just how brutal was it?
None of the Grizzlies bothered playing any lick of defense. Individual defense was lackadaisical, rotations were late, and during the stray chance a Memphis defender managed to stay in front of his man, the defender would never throw his hand out to contest New Jersey's shots.It was New Jersey’s own lack of energy and their wayward jumpers—rather than anything Memphis did—that contributed to the Nets 45% shooting.
Besides Dark Milicic (and only when being defended by Nenad Kristic), the Grizzlies were futile in their ventures in the pivot with Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay missing all but one of their combined shots from the post.Juan Carlos Navarro, Kyle Lowry, and Javaris Crittenton are all shooting guards wrapped in point guard bodies.
The Grizzlies couldn’t slow down Richard Jefferson (10-18 FG, 22 PTS) and never closed out hard on Nenad Kristic’ jumpers.
Because of their fragile frames, Hakim Warrick and Rudy Gay slipped every screen making screen/rolls involving them virtually useless.
With no role players and no point guards, the Grizzlies tallied only 17 assists on their 39 field goals.
Darko Milicic’s leaden hands resulted in a number of needless Grizzlies turnovers.
Mike Conley (0-2 FG, 1-2 FT, 1 REB, 1 AST, 4 PF, 2 TO, 1 PT) was abysmal.
Of his four fouls, one was a mindless hack of Kristic after Nenad grabbed a defensive rebound; one was a terrible closeout on a Devin Harris jumper resulting in an atrocious foul; one came on a careless moving screen after a pass; and a fourth came when he didn’t move his feet quick enough on a drive and was tooted for a foul. Conley decided to drive one-on-four in transition resulting in a stupid turnover.
After leaving Marcus Williams to double Richard Jefferson on a wing, Conley stayed doubling Jefferson for three seconds after RJ passed the ball. Luckily for the Grizz, the Nets never saw Williams’ wide open dive-cut to the basket.
Because of Conley’s puny size, he wasn’t able to finish at the basket, he was strung out by screens, and he was timid where the giants live. On one third quarter drive, he beat his man and had a clear layup attempt at the basket, but he was so overly conscious of rotating bigs, that he timidly stopped and passed the ball out where Rudy Gay missed a semi-contested jumper.
Conley does deserve some recognition though. After all, it is hard for a player to make that many mistakes in only 13 minutes of playing time!
As the fourth pick of last year’s NBA draft, Conley will have to work extra hard on his strength, his psyche, and especially his court-awareness to avoid being the first bust of the 2007 draft.
With all of these flaws, mistakes, and errors, how did the Grizz manage to prevail against New Jersey?
Because Hakim Warrick (9-15 FG, 7-8 FT, 7 REB, 25 PTS) made the Nets pay for their refusal to throw a hand up on his jumpers.
Because while he’s too small, he doesn’t have great vision, and two of his layups were rejected, Kyle Lowry (5-12 FG, 4 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 15 PTS) had no reservations on driving to the basket and dishing out to shooters.
Because while he couldn’t stop Richard Jefferson at all, Mike Miller’s 22 points matched RJ’s total and prevented the Nets from winning that crucial matchup.
Because Jason Collins rebounded and set solid screens all game long.
On one possession, Collins set such a good screen while Hakim Warrick was curling off it, that Trent Hassell had to reach out and grab Warrick’s jersey to prevent an open look. Warrick hit his two free throws and the Grizzlies were able to add two points to their total just because Collins is fundamentally sound.
Because while his moves were bulky and mechanical, Darko Milicic (8-12 FG, 11 REB, 16 PTS) bullied Nenad Kristic and give him swirlies under the basket.
Because the Grizzlies managed to jump out to a quick 11-4 lead against the sleepwalking Nets. Realizing they had every chance to win, the Grizzlies played with energy the entire game.
The Grizzlies will be bad for the remainder of the year, and will likely be bad next season unless radical roster changes are made, or their young kids all develop ahead of schedule.
However, at least the Grizzlies have a post player in Milicic who can overpower NBA cream puffs, an athletic wing in Gay who has the talent to be a legit scorer, and the veteran Miller who can shoot, drive, pass, and rebound.
Fundamentally, the Grizzlies win was proof that in basketball, sometimes a lack of talent and a lack of execution can be made up for by simply playing hard.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Favre Retires
I'm sure you've heard that Brett Favre will spend the next NFL season driving an RV across country. So, what does this mean? Nothing. Just look for fewer interceptions in the League next season.
New Orleans Hornets Breakdown: Paul Is The Key
New Orleans latest victory may only have come against the lowly Knicks, but in the cannibalistic Western Conference, every road win is crucial.
In their 100-88 triumph, the Hornets displayed a number of traits characteristic of playoff teams, and a number of critical flaws as well. Since the positives outweigh the negatives, the Hornets are definitely a quality team. But how far can they go?
Let's look at Chris Paul and the rest of his nest to find out what's abuzz.
Good Paul:
Paul (11-17 FG, 2-3 3FG, 3-4 FT, 8 AST, 2 TO, 27 PTS) was terrific offensively against the Knicks, doing whatever he wanted with the ball in his hand. His pet move was to drive off a screen and use a nifty right handed pull-up dribble to unleash an array of floating layups and bankers.
Paul’s decision making off of screen/rolls was impeccable with a number of alley-oops to Tyson Chandler, mid range jumpers for David West, pull up J’s for Paul himself, or kick-out passes to open shooters resulting from his ability to create open looks for teammates.
Of Paul’s 17 shots, only a single one was forced.
Paul hit two spot-up three-balls after his man was forced to double team West in the post. Paul’s only miss from behind the line came to beat to the third quarter buzzer.
Paul looked to push the ball every time in early offense but was remarkably calm and patient allowing his team to run offensive sets.
Of Paul’s three steals, one was a simple one coming off a tipped Eddy Curry crosscourt pass, one was a result of an impressive deflection of a Nate Robinson pass, and a third was a spectacular dropping down from the weak-side to intercept a pass intended for David Lee.
I observed Paul setting two screens and they were good ones.
Paul grabbed five rebounds including two clutch ones in the final two minutes.
Paul’s total of eight assists is misleading—his teammates missed a number of open jumpers which would have raised his total.
Bad Paul:
Paul’s screen defense was embarrassing to watch. Not only would he get strung up on screens, but he’d give up on plays altogether after getting picked off. His pathetic screen defense allowed Nate Robinson to curl and shoot or stop and pop for 7-11 shooting and 17 points.
During a brief stretch in the second quarter, Paul made a bad decision to pass the ball to a well-defended David West in the post which nearly resulted in a turnover. After the Hornets inbounded the ball, Paul drove and made a terrible pass to a stationary David West which sailed out of bounds. Paul then failed to pick up Nate Robinson on defense and watched Nate take it coast-to-coast for a layup.
The key to the sequence is that Paul lost focus and cost his team a possession on offense and two points on defense. Don’t think that even such momentary daydreams will go unpunished come playoff time.
Paul’s entry passes are subpar with examples being the aforementioned near-turnover to West and a sloppy entry pass to Tyson Chandler turning into a steal for David Lee.
Even the slow as traffic Mardy Collins was able to blow by Paul and get good looks at the hoop.
Good Hornets:
David West was an efficient second option. He showed a soft touch on his 17-footers (4-8), was an effective passer out of double teams (2 AST), was able to block shots (4 BLK) and was able to shut down Malik Rose (2-7 FG) and David Lee (2-9 FG).
Tyson Chandler was a grizzly bear on the backboards, fighting his way to 18 rebounds, the majority of them in heavy traffic.
Chandler also set bruising screens, showed on screen/rolls, cut aggressively, converted garbage points, and now has a simple effective right hook which he used to exploit Eddy Curry.
Mo Peterson worked hard on defense and was able to knock down three corner threes because of Chris Paul’s penetration.
Mike James (3-5 FG, 3 REB, 0 AST, 0 TO, 7 PTS) used his quick first step to free himself for open looks.
Ryan Bowen followed a Mardy Collins dribble to poke the ball away from behind leading to a steal and Chris Paul slam.
The Hornets starters were always confident they would get an open shot, never forcing shots, never panicking if the Knick defenders took an initial set away. As a result, the Hornets stayed patient and got any open look they wanted.
If the Hornets don’t have many good on-ball perimeter defenders, their back line is tough as nails, and the team made a number of timely rotations.
Bad Hornets:
By my count, West was only 2-7 on low post moves, with two assists, and two trips to the free throw line. Since West only made one of the resulting four free-throws, one of the trips really counts as a turnover.
Chandler and West were dominated by Eddy Curry (8-11 FG, 3-6 FT, 8 REB, 19 PTS) under the basket. Chandler repeatedly was beaten down the court by Curry allowing EC to seal and gain prime post position against Chandler. Chandler also was beaten along the baseline by a Malik Rose iso (Malik Rose!), resulting in a reverse layup plus a foul.
Peja Stojakovic was dreadful from the perimeter (3-13 FG, 3-10 3FG, 9 PTS) and didn’t play a lick of defense. If Stojakovic makes more than 50% of his threes, he’s an asset; if he makes 40-50%, he’s a contributor; if me makes less than 40%, he’s a liability.
New Orleans bench is a disaster. Melvin Ely is a totally unacceptable backup. Jannero Pargo and Mike James are shoot first, last, and always point guards who can’t run an offense, defend, or play unselfishly. Rasual Butler (0-4 FG, 0-2 3FG) is a bricklayer, and Ryan Bowen is an 11th man.
The Hornets played with a disappointing lack of energy, a disturbing trend which has resulted in two losses to the Wizards, plus the dogfight against the Knicks.
The Outlook:
Chris Paul is definitely a stud of a point guard who can do whatever he wants with the ball. His slightly upgraded strength, his much improved jumper, and his willingness to pass first are what have elevated him from a very good young point guard, to one of the best point men in the NBA.
His defensive deficiencies are mitigated by the fact that aside from Jason Kidd and Derek Fisher, none of the talented point guards in the West are acceptable defenders.
Still, the effort is a concern. Will Paul continue to fight if he runs into obstacles? And will Paul’s lack of focus cost the Hornets even more losses against the NBA’s cupcakes?
The Hornets lack of experience and their putrid bench prevent them from being a contender this year, but the Hornets can definitely win a playoff series.
All they’ll need is for Stojakovic and Peterson to make the majority of their jumpers, James and Pargo to produce points off the bench, and for the team to avoid stretches of unfocused play.
Anything more will depend on Paul eliminating his mistakes and his teammates all playing up to their capabilities. Not impossible, but unlikely for this current season.
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Atlanta Hawks Breakdown: Bibby Makes The Difference
With the Hawks clawing and scratching at the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot, they couldn’t afford a home loss to the bottom-feeding Knicks. Indeed, the Hawks ultimately took care of business with a 99-93 victory, but they didn’t look too impressive in doing so. In fact, the newest Hawk, Mike Bibby, was the difference between a win and a loss.
For the majority of the game, Bibby (4-11 FG, 1-5 3FG, 5 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 2 TO, 11 PTS) didn’t have the range from the perimeter. Nevertheless, he had no difficulties bringing the ball up the court and finding open teammates after accepting a screen. Bibby made excellent passes on the break, sparking Atlanta to their total of 28 fast break points.
Of his two turnovers, one was Marvin Williams’ undoing, when Williams twice bobbled nifty passes from Bibby on one possession leading to a turnover.
If Bibby wasn’t making his outside shots, and if his defense was unspectacular, he saved his best for the last two minutes of the game. That’s when Bibby:
- Correctly anticipated a Jamal Crawford left-to-right crossover, stepping in front for the charge.
- Made an on-target lob pass to Josh Smith off a high screen culminating in a lead-changing alley-oop.
- Set a sturdy wing screen on Jamal Crawford with Joe Johnson attempting to use it to gain the baseline. With Crawford knocked down and unsure who to defend, Bibby was left wide open to pump fake away a flailing Crawford, take a step in, and knock down a critical jumper.
- Calmly sank two free throws to seal the win.
When the young Hawks got flustered and needed points, Bibby was a calming presence who kept them from panicking. His clutch presence and play down the stretch allowed the Hawks to prevail against a game Knicks squad.
What about the rest of the Hawks?
Joe Johnson (8-22 FG, 2-2 FT, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 TO, 1 BS, 20 PTS) is a playmaker, but he overhandles and takes too many bad shots to be an elite player.
Josh Smith (11-19 FG 1-2 3FG, 9 REB, 1 AST, 2 TO, 0 STL, 2 BS, 25 PTS) has range out to three-point land but only if he has his feet set and has time to wind up his slow release jumpers. The rest of his offensive game consists of early offense drives, long layups, catching lobs, running the floor, and knocking down mid-range pull-up jumpers.
For all of his hype, athleticism, and statistical achievements suggesting so, Smith is an unwilling defender.
When matched up with Zach Randolph. Smith was toyed with under the basket, and when Smith was defending a small forward, he didn’t move his feet at all. Smith’s closeouts were sloppy as he never came to a jump-stop while closing out, opting instead to drift to his man while the player just drove past him.
Smith only cared about playing defense when he was stride for stride with Fred Jones on the break and saw an opportunity to stuff Jones at the rim, and when he left his man to swat Quentin Richardson’s post up with 2 minutes to go—the point being, Smith only cares about the defensive plays that get on Sportcenter.
Al Horford boxes out, has an effective 15-footer, is either soft or weak (or both), and is too small to play center. Most of his points came on jumpers, or garbage points under the basket.
Marvin Williams doesn’t have the handle to play the three, and isn’t strong enough to play the four.
Smith, Marvin Williams, and Al Horford were pushed around down low by Eddy Curry, David Lee, and Randolph.
With the exception of Smith and Johnson, the Hawks were willing and able to make the extra pass to open teammates.
The Hawks make extremely good decisions on the break.
The Hawks are still young and their immature in the sense that they aren’t crisp in their half court sets, they don’t all come to play every night, and they crumble on the road. Their spectacular athleticism, and their genuine eagerness to produce is what has them knocking on Philadelphia and New Jersey’s doorstep.
Even with Bibby, the Hawks don't look like a playoff team as of yet.
