AJC Article on Marvin

[ncthompson11]

http://www.ajc.com/sports/content/sports/h...sider_0909.html

May have been already posted but Marvin talks about how he is feeling quicker and more explosive and what he did this past summer.

[Popeye]

Damnn, Marvin weighs 242.

[ncthompson11]

he looks closer to 220. He said he was 238 in college so he has had that build for a while.

[AtLaS]

Marvin: "But honestly, when the summer [school] session started I really wasn't doing too much basketball-related stuff. I'd get up at 7 and lift weights and then go to class at 9:30 and then play some later in the day after I was done studying. It wasn't until a little bit later in the summer when I caught up with [Hawks assistant coach Greg Fizdale] and he gave me some things to work on that I really started honing in on my game like that. "

don't like the sound of that.

[khaos7]

I'm with you AtLas. I don't like the sound of it either. Who knows, it may work for him. One thing that has never been a knock on Marvin is his work ethic, according to those close enough to know. But, for a guy who the team needs to step up, I would have liked to hear that he was in the classroom during the day AND in the gym every other waking minute. But hey, this approach may work for the guy. Who knows...

[WraithSentinel]

I never question Marvin work ethic during the season. Offseason however is another case. I always wonder if he take the offseason as seriously as Smoove does. Smoove is proof of what a great offseason can do for a player. It is just a shame this is Smoove last season with the Hawks.

[Swatguy]

Quote:

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I never question Marvin work ethic during the season. Offseason however is another case. I always wonder if he take the offseason as seriously as Smoove does. Smoove is proof of what a great offseason can do for a player. It is just a shame this is Smoove last season with the Hawks.

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JSmith plays for a quadruple double Every game. Every Game. It is why he has been in Houston

[coachx]

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Damnn, Marvin weighs 242.

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Marvin has a strange body. He has narrow shoulders and huge hips with a baboon butt. I think his butt gives him an extra 20 pounds that serves no purpose b/c ne never uses it to box people out.

Maybe that explains why he appears slow or even flat footed at times on the floor.

This is why the national media portrays him as a PF, 6'9'' and 242 llbs sounds like a PF on paper. On the floor he lacks the heart and strength of a 6'9'' 242 lb professional athelete. Too bad he has no core strength and foldes like tissue paper vs. NBA post players.

This year is put up or shut up for Marvin. I have been a patient Marvin supporter but this is the year.

"If your hurt by the truth. Well, get ready for whole lot of hurt. " Lou Holtz

Man, I just love that quote in today's ridiculously "politically correct" society !

[mrhonline]

I don't understand some of you Marvin haters. I mean it's one thing to be frustrated with his on-court performance b/c that's certainly fair game, but second-guessing a guy for focusing on getting a college education in the off-season is silly to me.

Plus, he says he's been lifting weights, which is something people on here constantly say he needs to do. Do you really think he's not been playing basketball with Sean May & Co. in and out of Chapel Hill all summer long? Do you not think that he's not once had a conversation with one of the best coach staffs in the NCAA's?

[KB21]

It is well known that the guys that go back to North Carolina in the offseason have some very intense basketball workouts.

It is also pretty easy to comprehend what Marvin said in this interview. He never said he didn't play basketball. In fact, he said that after classes, they would play some games. What he said was that he didn't focus on one specific thing when playing the games this summer until David Fizdale got with him and told him what he wanted Marvin to work on.

[khaos7]

Nobody is questioning Marvin getting an education. In fact, I said, I wish I heard him say that he was in class DURING the DAY and thinking about basketball every other waking minute. Never was he critcized for getting his education. That's to be applauded, commended, and complemented. Cats like him should be given the spotlight for striving to educate themselves.

However...

As a guy who was picked 2nd in his draft, is being depended on to play crucial minutes, and contribute, personally I would like to hear him say he's been working on his game constantly over the summer. To whom much is given, much is required. That's not a knock on him. That is one man's observation given the role the Hawks would like him to fill. Yeah, he should educate himself. But he also needs to evolve his game and work on specific areas that need improvement. The weight lifting is cool. But, we'll see.

[Zone034life]

When a player doesn't have the passion and motivation to be great in his profession odds are he never will be.Why is smoove working with the Dream and an assistant coach has to get Marvin thinking about basketball in the summer months? This is not a good sign for Marvin being a star, he may be nothing more than a role player in this league. Preperation in the offseason is what makes stars just ask Jerry Rice and Walter Payton.

[mrhonline]

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But he also needs to evolve his game and work on specific areas that need improvement. The weight lifting is cool. But, we'll see.

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I wish I could be boss for some of you guys, so that I could follow you around on Saturday's and Sunday's to criticize your work ethic.

Of all the ado made last off-season about Smith's workouts, he proceeded to shoot more threes than in his previous two seasons. For all of Marvin's hard work in the summer league, it was wasted because of his injury. For all of JJ's effort in the Olympic qualifier, he was burnt out by February. Of all the experience that Shelden picked up by working his butt off at Duke, he was overwhelmed in the NBA until April.

Let the season speak for itself, and spare these guys some criticism for a few months.

[mrhonline]

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What he said was that he didn't focus on one specific thing when playing the games this summer until David Fizdale got with him and told him what he wanted Marvin to work on.

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Thanks for your ability to read, KB. It's becoming rare around these parts lately.

The ironic thing is that Marvin probably should have been a little more guarded with his comments, because IIRC the coaches are restricted in how they interact with players during the off-season.

[Diesel]

This is pure BS.

Marvin gets paid Millions of dollars and was picked 2nd overall to be a basketball player. However, by his own admission, he put being a student ahead of basketball for most of the offseason. There's no hunger in him. This is why he sucks.

Zone03... This is why people like Smoove and not like Marvin. Becuase when you see Smoove, Smoove is working out with Calvin Murphy and Hakeem because he wants to be the best player he can be. When you see Marvin, he's goign to class and not doing basketball related stuff at all until somebody lights a fire underneath him.

That sucks.

[Diesel]

And Mr. H is driving.

This is year 3 Mr. H. What excuses will you stand by now? At some point, there must be the realization that production is necessary. You can follow me around all day Saturday and Sunday. IF you're paying me 5 million dollars per to do my job, guess what, on Saturday and Sunday, I will be doing something to make me better at what I do!

[TroyMcClure]

Quote:

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Nobody is questioning Marvin getting an education. In fact, I said, I wish I heard him say that he was in class DURING the DAY and thinking about basketball every other waking minute. Never was he critcized for getting his education. That's to be applauded, commended, and complemented. Cats like him should be given the spotlight for striving to educate themselves.

However...

As a guy who was picked 2nd in his draft, is being depended on to play crucial minutes, and contribute, personally I would like to hear him say he's been working on his game constantly over the summer. To whom much is given, much is required. That's not a knock on him. That is one man's observation given the role the Hawks would like him to fill. Yeah, he should educate himself. But he also needs to evolve his game and work on specific areas that need improvement. The weight lifting is cool. But, we'll see.

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I agree completely. Except I don't see his education as being that important to anyone but Marvin's mom and dad. The MAN is a MILLIONAIRE! Personally, I feel the number 2 pick in the draft should not be going to classes... unless they are being taught by Phil Jackson! Seriously, I'm a HAWKS fan, not a Marvin Williams fan. I don't care how smart he becomes. I care about how he looks lost on the court at times.

Professional sports are year-round now. There is no off-season. There are simply too many good athletes and too few spots. As a Hawks fan, I feel his undevoted attention should be to his employer and their needs.

College is over. He's a professional now. He should act like one.

The benefit of the doubt is over with Marvin. He either puts up or we need to look elsewhere. Woody or no Woody.

Marvin has to start leading. He enjoys the shadows far too much, imo.

[Diesel]

Exactly...

IF Marvin wanted to get his degree... He should have stayed in school...

He decided to come out. That means, that his responsibility first and foremost is to be the best basketball player he can be. The Hawks have invested a lot of money and resources into Marvin. What's Marvin investing? He's investing his efforts into something that won't benefit the Hawks one IOTA.

Smoove should be mad. Smoove makes 1/5 of what Marvin makes. Smoove bust his a-- all year long. Marvin is lacksidical on the court and off... Where is our priority??

[Dexmethylphenidate]

So being a smarter basketball player is not that important?

I'd say good for him continuing his education and be more mature about the world which in turns will help his basketball career.

[mrhonline]

I would love to follow you around on weekends Diesel, but it's clear to everyone here that the only job you have is to annoy all of us by creating 700 poorly-veiled "Marvin attack" threads all summer long.

Marvin's job ended in April. I'm a teacher, and although my job is 1,000,000x more important than Marvin's, I don't work in the summers, either. It's not a complicated idea.