Why did the Hawks stop scoring

[exodus]

in the second half? It is actually very simple. You could see it coming if you know what to look for.

In the first half the Hawks scored 51 points with minimal contribution from their "veteran leaders". Since Al is playing for a contract, and JJ is trying to live up to his, i figured they would stop moving the ball and start going one on one.

That was about as obvious as a kick in the teeth.

[Diesel]

I don't think it was as much Al and JJ putting up shots.... Yes, they did increase their shooting, but that was evident coming out of the break part of the Hawk's gameplan. Al hadn't really scored in the first half, he comes into the 3rd and gets some easy buckets... What's the problem?

The real problem was JJ. His turnovers really hurt us in the 4th. I mean, the travelling call, losing the ball, getting the ball stolen....

Still, all these difficulties could have been remedied by having a good experienced PG. An experienced PG would have gotten us into an offensive set and we would have run plays.

Also, when we do play 1 on 1 ball, one of the biggest culprits is Salim! He doesn't see a scoring opportunity that he doesn't like.

[exodus]

Forcing up bad shots is never part of a game plan.

And Al and JJ's lack of production didn't hurt them much in the first half when they scored 51 points.

However their selfishness did hurt in the second half, when they scored 34.

[Diesel]

AGAIN,

An experienced PG would get the team into and out of their offensive sets.

Exodus, it seems that you believe that Houston went into the Half and came back out with the same gameplan?

No.

Houston went into the Half and made adjustments to what we were doing.... Our answer to those adjustments were for each man to go for self. That's the sign of not having a PG who can read defenses and who can call plays from the floor.

Still, you talk as though we scored nothing..

We got the score back close at about 64-65 or something like that...

Then the other achilles Hill for the Hawks was T-mac. Everytime we'd get Close, Tmac would come in the game like he was Willis Reed or something. He'd turn the momentum around by doing superstar like things... I wanted to give him an ovation too!

[Diesel]

Secondly...

Al and JJ didn't cause Yao to get more offensive boards at the right time?

Al wasn't the cause for the turnovers at the wrong times?

Who was guarding tmac?

Who was guarding Luther Head?

[exodus]

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Houston went into the Half and made adjustments to what we were doing.... Our answer to those adjustments were for each man to go for self.

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ROFL. Our game plan was for JJ and Al to become chuckers? WTF is that?

All Houston did was try to close out on the shooters, which would have opened up easy drives to the basket if the Hawks moved the ball. Going 1 on 1 just makes things easy for the defense. That is why the Hawks scored only 15 in the 3rd quarter.

If anything the Hawks should have focused even more on ball movement to make it even tougher for the defensive rotations to keep up.

[Diesel]

why not listen to yourself....

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All Houston did was try to close out on the shooters, which would have opened up easy drives to the basket if the Hawks moved the ball. Going 1 on 1 just makes things easy for the defense. ......

If anything the Hawks should have focused even more on ball movement to make it even tougher for the defensive rotations to keep up.

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An experienced PG would have taken us to that same answer. Instead, we have a Sg playing PG (regardless of who's on the court).. Another thing that Houston did was shut down our drives through the lane. All we needed was some spot up shooters, ball movement AND Movement without the ball. However, when our first gameplan is shut down, we settle for the one on one play with everybody watching...

[exodus]

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we settle for the one on one play with everybody watching...

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You got the cause and effect mixed up. JJ and Al are going one on one strictly out of their own selfishness. Since they aren't moving the ball, the defense doesn't have to rotate and their drives are easy to cut off.

What they don't realize is that they are simply making themselves look bad. As their shooting percentages continue to drop maybe they will realize that it is in their best interests to play team ball.

[Packfill]

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we settle for the one on one play with everybody watching...

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You got the cause and effect mixed up. JJ and Al are going one on one strictly out of their own selfishness. Since they aren't moving the ball, the defense doesn't have to rotate and their drives are easy to cut off.

What they don't realize is that they are simply making themselves look bad. As their shooting percentages continue to drop maybe they will realize that it is in their best interests to play team ball.

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Diesel is right on this one, a good floor general will help create offensive opportunities with ball movement. That, or the coach should have a system in place that requires more ball movement.

[exodus]

The Hawks moved the ball for the entire game against Boston. A good pg isn't an antidote to selfishness.

[Diesel]

The difference is that Boston never made any adjustments to what we were doing.

Other teams are...

[Packfill]

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The Hawks moved the ball for the entire game against Boston. A good pg isn't an antidote to selfishness.

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So you think it is player selfishness rather then bad coaching or bad team construction?

[exodus]

Excuses, excuses.

It would be great if the Hawks had Jason Kidd running the point, Tim Duncan in the middle and Phil Jackson as the coach, but they don't.

In order for the Hawks do score consistently they have to move the ball. There is no defense ever divised that can prevent players from passing to each other.

You guys can make excuses for Al and JJ to your hearts content, but it won't change the fact that their selfishness is killing the Hawks offense. They don't have the personel to be a strong defensive team but the do have the ability to be a good offensive team. But they won't do it as long as Al and JJ keep trying to do their MJ impressions.

[Wretch]

Rarely is there one almighty solution to a team's problems. I think it's a combination of coaching and PG play. Get a guy like Deron Williams in there and first of all, he's going to have the ball for the majority of the game. He's in control and is an extension of the coach on the floor. He decides what plays to run and he decides who gets the ball.

A good PG, like Stockton, Kidd, Magic, Isiah, will know exactly how to take control of a team. If they need to go to the bread and butter, they'll set up the pick n' roll or they'll drive and kick, or they'll issue directions. If that isn't working, they'll take it in and score. They know when to give it up on the break...they know when to "freeze" a guy out of the offense. They have an incredible impact on the game. With shoot first guys playing the point, that isn't happening for this team and as they miss, it's only giving the other team a chance to score. What's more, it isn't allowing the other guys to get involved in the game...guys like Chill, ZaZa, and Smoove who can score. Get all of these players involved and we really don't need any changes. We'll win games.

Now, JJ is a damn good player...but he's playing like a SG and he's trying to do it all. He wants to put this team on his back, but the "team" doesn't always play like a "team." That's where coaching comes in. Woody has to get control of these guys and get them to buy into the concept for 48 minutes. I don't think it's selfishness as much as it is the mentality that SOMEBODY has to do something so EVERYBODY is trying do it. Everybody is trying to save the team on their own. And that never works...

We have little to no direction, no consistency, and at the heart of that is lack of a true floor general and a lack of discipline (which is coaching). We need someone to come in and drop the hammer on these guys and we need someone on the floor who decides how we play.

[Packfill]

I am not disagreeing, the one-on-one crap has to stop. But I do place a considerable amount of the blame on the coaching staff and front office for not putting the team together the right way.