Zaza and Al are a joke

[Duff_Man]

Quote:

---

Even when Al does well offensively he still dosen't play defense and that's the botomline.

---

So you would rather score 88 and lose than keep up offensively and have a chance to win? No matter who we had in thre in Al's spot, if we don't score, we are screwed.

[swolehawk2]

I like ZZ but he is what he is and that is ok...we just need defensive bigs to make up for it...but Al can not start for us...he can't guard 3s or 4s and shoots too many jumps shots...hell lets give those jumps shots to Marvin Smoove and Chillz...we don't need a fake post player that plays no d really does not pass well and forces shots....signing Al would be a disaster.

[Duff_Man]

Quote:

---

I like ZZ but he is what he is and that is ok...we just need defensive bigs to make up for it...but Al can not start for us...he can't guard 3s or 4s and shoots too many jumps shots...hell lets give those jumps shots to Marvin Smoove and Chillz...we don't need a fake post player that plays no d really does pass well and forces shots....signing Al would be a disaster.

---

I am not saying we want Al for next year. I am saying stop complaining about him this year. He is a major piece of the team. ven Kenny Smith loved the guy tonight. Al's D sucks, yes, but we could be really a lot worse without him.

[Weez]

as I read these posts, in combination with others by Hotlanta, it strikes me:

Al averages 4+ fouls per game.

Al plays little 'defense' and is generally criticized for his lack of defensive effort.

Al's 'glory days' to this point were as an offensive sparkplug for a VERY good Pacers team.

Conclusion and Questions:

how does Al get in foul trouble? where are his fouls coming from?

Anyone think that one reason that he challenges so few shots is that he is typically already in foul trouble?

is he teaching this 'pattern' to Marvin (who is also quite foul prone)?

As a 'bench player' Al rarely had to worry about fouls...that wasn't his role or in his job description. If he got into foul trouble...so be it. his job, from the first day since HS, has been to score in this league.

I think Al's foul-proneness combined with his 'upbringing' leads to you the answers as to why his D is often questionable...and I, for one, don't htink that answer includes effort...

not that that changes the end result...but I don't htink it's about effort.

[swolehawk2]

I don't think we would be much worse without him....and Kenny Smith knows nothing of how Al has played or the Hawks for that matter...he also said Al is a good defender.

[Duff_Man]

Quote:

---

I don't think we would be much worse without him....and Kenny Smith knows nothing of how Al has played or the Hawks for that matter...he also said Al is a good defender.

---

I do think we would. I bet we'd have 6 less wins right now.

Our tam defense is weak. One guy will not change that right now. We need his O. Next year hopefully we won't have to say that, but for now, we really have to outscore teams to win.

[swolehawk2]

It is effort because he does not try to move his feet when playing d...often times he is not in a defensive stance...he gets fouls beacuse he uses his hands to slap and grab..signs of little effort to gain good defensive position.

This also happens when a player is unsure of where to be or what to do ...but Al is a vet now and that should not be the case.

[swolehawk2]

We can out score teams with ball movement and team play...does it ever strike you as odd when the ball movement becomes better and we get more easy baskets when AL is sitting...it is because he is a blackhole player who does not pass well and forces shots.

[exodus]

Quote:

---

how does Al get in foul trouble? where are his fouls coming from?

---

By lowering his shoulder on offense. He gets a lot of offensive fouls.

Quote:

---

and I, for one, don't htink that answer includes effort...

---

How much effort does it take for him to lift his arms over his head when he is under the basket and someone is shooting a layup right in his face.

I bet even you could lift your arms over your head for a couple of seconds, but for some reason that is too much effort for Al.

[y2kenta]

Zaza is OK. Not great as a starter, but very OK and he's only 21, holding his own. Either we:

A) get an impact C and let him play backup or

B) we move Al and get a impact PF to play next to Zaza and Smoove

I vote option B, because if we get an athletic PF who runs the floor gets 8+reb and can get atleast 1.5+bpg, then we'd have one hell of a defensive frontline. Now I rather have that along with Zaza's toughness and rebounding than having Al play out of position at PF for another year.

For the record (FTR) - Zaza is not very turnover prone when compared to the rest of the DECENT starting centers. Only Yao, Ilgauskas, Camby, and Bosh have fewer TOs per game than Zaza (2.32 tpg). I included J. O'neal and Duncan as centers.

[exodus]

Quote:

---

I included J. O'neal and Duncan as centers.

---

Do you really think Zaza gets as many touches on offense as Duncan and Jermaine?

The fact is that Zaza is 30th in the league among bigs in turnover ratio, which is the amount of turnovers a player has relative to the number of possessions.

[Diesel]

Our defense as a whole is not good. Hell, Nate Robinson torched every guard we have. And you want to blame Al and Zaza?? How many charges do Al got to take??

[exodus]

That Francis dunk symbolized the Hawks problem all year long. Zaza on one side of the basket and Al on the other, neither challenges Francis' shot even though they both saw him coming.

Al couldn't even be bothered to raise his hands up over his head. He just stood and watched, as usual.

And yes Al did draw a couple of charges late. He used to do that frequently last year. This year....not so much.