Smith's attitude isn't helping the Hawks

[AnnArborHawk]

Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

• The Atlanta Hawks appear to be a team on the rise, but I fear there is one issue -- one player, actually -- who could torpedo their ascent. Josh Smith . He may be one of their most talented young athletes, but he's also showing signs of being the most immature, as well. During the Hawks game against the Pistons, he was yelling at teammate Tyronn Lue because he wasn't passing him the ball enough. He yelled at coach Mike Woodson to get Lue out of the game and had to be restrained by coaches and teammates. When he did get the ball, he often broke plays to get off his own shot. Then, after playing terribly most of the game, he was given a gift of three free throws (on a debatable call against Rasheed Wallace ). After he made the free throws, which only tied the game, he gave the Pistons' bench the stink-eye, as if he did something heroic. The Pistons won the game on the ensuing possession. Smith, an unrestricted free agent in July, is playing for a contract and not necessarily to help the Hawks win games. That is a dangerous element on a young team.

• Cavaliers insiders are starting to believe Eric Snow 's days in Cleveland are numbered. Before undergoing knee surgery, Snow sold his house in Cleveland and returned to his family's home base in Atlanta. After joining up with the Cavs for two games of their West Coast trip last week, he went back home to Atlanta citing personal reasons. The suspicion is he will ask the Cavs to buy him out of the two remaining years of his contract, which he hopes would allow him to sign with the Hawks. That might be a problem, though, since he stands to make $6.7 million this year and $7.3 million next year.

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[DJlaysitup]

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Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

• The Atlanta Hawks appear to be a team on the rise, but I fear there is one issue -- one player, actually -- who could torpedo their ascent. Josh Smith . He may be one of their most talented young athletes, but he's also showing signs of being the most immature, as well. During the Hawks game against the Pistons, he was yelling at teammate Tyronn Lue because he wasn't passing him the ball enough. He yelled at coach Mike Woodson to get Lue out of the game and had to be restrained by coaches and teammates. When he did get the ball, he often broke plays to get off his own shot. Then, after playing terribly most of the game, he was given a gift of three free throws (on a debatable call against Rasheed Wallace ). After he made the free throws, which only tied the game, he gave the Pistons' bench the stink-eye, as if he did something heroic. The Pistons won the game on the ensuing possession. Smith, an unrestricted free agent in July, is playing for a contract and not necessarily to help the Hawks win games. That is a dangerous element on a young team.

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Smoove is out of control - as if Woody ever had control.

[Packfill]

Fantastic. Smoove probably has some legit issues with Lue, since Lue doesn't really pass to anyone, but that kind of attitude is inexcusable. Someone needs to get control of the situation. Sit him on the bench if need be.

[DJlaysitup]

My guess is that the Hawks have serious locker room issues. It's JJ versus JS,

I'm not picking sides on this one.

JJ's probable attitude: "this kid is just going for a contract and is killing the team".

JS's probable attitude: "this guy is making $70M and we won more games without him last year".

[BigDirty]

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• Cavaliers insiders are starting to believe Eric Snow 's days in Cleveland are numbered. Before undergoing knee surgery, Snow sold his house in Cleveland and returned to his family's home base in Atlanta. After joining up with the Cavs for two games of their West Coast trip last week, he went back home to Atlanta citing personal reasons. The suspicion is he will ask the Cavs to buy him out of the two remaining years of his contract,

which he hopes would allow him to sign with the Hawks

. That might be a problem, though, since he stands to make $6.7 million this year and $7.3 million next year.

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I hope he means that he wants to sign with us as a coach, cause we sure as hell don't need another backup point guard.

[coachx]

I never noticed Smith get out of control during the Detroit game. However, someone needed to yell at Lue b/c that was an awful game by him. That horrifically bad game is what gave Law the starting job. Lue forgot he is a PG. He was jacking up shots left and right that PGs have no business shooting.

However, since half way through the 2nd quarter vs. Boston when Smooth got the technical he has regressed mentally. He is losing his composure way to easily. If you are a true pro and think you deserve a $70 - 80 million contract you got tot start acting and playing like a franchise caliber player. He is making efforts to improve his play( he is making a consertive effort to get in the paint) but his emotions are getting the best of him. Right when you think he is going to turn the corner and take the next step his emotions come in and get the best of him causing him to act like a teenager which intern regresses his game.

It is so tough as a coach to discipline Smith and bench him after jacking up outside jumpers b/c he so often hustles down court and challenges shots defensively. He is our best shot blocker. So you would be essentially hurting the team defensivly by taking Smith out and punishing him individually. The PG can control how many times Smith gets the ball and where he gets it. It is up to Smoove to grow and up and show some maturity. Maybe Horford can help him with that. (but is Smith is too stubbor to learn from a rookie ?) I am amazed at Horford's maturity.

JJ or someone has to keep Smith composed during games....he sure as heck can't do it himself.

[AnnArborHawk]

Just more of the same crap that went on last year, leading to Josh's suspension. He said in the Hawks Preview on FSN before the season that he was out to prove this year that the immaturity that he showed last year, giving fans the finger and cursing out coaches, is not who he really is. He said people who know him know the real Josh Smith and everyone's going to see that side of him this year. Doesn't sound like he's off to a good start. Interesting that Sekou never made mention of this incident.

[Guest]

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Smith, an unrestricted free agent in July, is playing for a contract and not necessarily to help the Hawks win games. That is a dangerous element on a young team.

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I have never heard of this guy, but he obviously isn't very good. Smoove unrestricted? Come on, that shows this writer doesn't follow the NBA that much and could possibly be a Sam Smith Jr.

[AnnArborHawk]

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someone needed to yell at Lue b/c that was an awful game by him.

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Yelling at Lue is one thing. Yelling at a coach to take another player out is another. Having to be physically restrained...

Good points on Horford. Seems to really have a good head on his shoulders. Maybe a couple years of college wouldn't have hurt Josh.

[TexasPete]

Here's the real deal...this is not the first time that the Detroit paper has made up a story about a Hawk. They made up something last year as well and all parties denied it vehemently.

Funny, it's the same writer in the same paper. I can't remember the details but the guy wrote something about ZaZa decking Josh Smith in the lockeroom or soemthing to that effect. The Hawks players, when they heard it, all laughed and wondered how this paper could be so out to lunch.

Josh does have an attitude issue that needs to be fixed but I don't believe a word of what that paper said because they have made stuff up before.

[AnnArborHawk]

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I have never heard of this guy, but he obviously isn't very good. Smoove unrestricted? Come on, that shows this writer doesn't follow the NBA that much and could possibly be a Sam Smith Jr.

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True, he got Smoove's status wrong. But I don't think that not knowing the details of the Hawks contract situation has much to do with what he observed of Smith's behavior.

[coachx]

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My guess is that the Hawks have serious locker room issues. It's JJ versus JS,

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What makes you think that ?

I do think players were upset with Lue after the Detroit game but the last 3 games he has played unselfish, anti T-Lue basketball.

I have seen no evidence on the floor to suggest there are any issues between Smith and JJ.

Be specific. What have you actually seen to support your belief ?

[DJlaysitup]

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...However, since half way through the 2nd quarter vs. Boston when Smooth got the technical he has regressed mentally. He is losing his composure way to easily. If you are a true pro and think you deserve a $70 - 80 million contract you got tot start acting and playing like a franchise caliber player. He is making efforts to improve his play( he is making a consertive effort to get in the paint) but his emotions are getting the best of him...

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Here is the main problem for Smoove (IMHO). He isn't big enough to play PF...he's figuring this out. The kid is 6-8 (in shoes) and we expect him to be Karl Malone. Ain't gonna happen.

Diesel is right. JS is a SF. Now I'm not trying to start the old JS/MW arguement. I don't know which guy is our best SF. But put Horford at PF and get help at the C spot.

[AnnArborHawk]

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They made up something last year as well and all parties denied it vehemently.

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I remember that story, but didn't know it came from the same writer. I'm still inclined to believe that some of this happens, and they deny it so as not to make a bigger deal of locker room issues by involving the media. That wouldn't be unusual for a professional sports team.

[TroyMcClure]

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Here is the main problem for Smoove (IMHO). He isn't big enough to play PF...he's figuring this out. The kid is 6-8 and we expect him to be Karl Malone. Ain't gonna happen.

Diesel is right. JS is a SF. Now I'm not trying to start the old JS/MW arguement. I don't know which guy is our best SF. But put Horford at PF and get help at the C spot.

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I like how you put that. I don't know which is better either. But I know neither one of them is a PF.

[TroyMcClure]

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True, he got Smoove's status wrong. But I don't think that not knowing the details of the Hawks contract situation has much to do with what he observed of Smith's behavior.

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It shows he isn't a professional and should not be paid any attention. If you combine that with what TP reminded us of, it shows that he can't be trusted as to what he actually observed. He's a liar. Furthermore, I watched the game and ESPN highlights that night. At no point was a shouting match shown or mentioned. Local media might want to cover that up, but the national media? No way. They would have jumped all over it.

[PureGreatness]

THIS NIKKA IS LYIN LIKE A MOFO

[Atlantaholic]

Anyone who believes this story needs to have their head checked.

Why didn't the AJC cover this?

Why didn't we see it on TV?

Why have our players not complained of Smith's attitude?? You don't think Marvin, or Lue, or JJ would have something to say about Smith if he was yelling at everybody to give him the ball?

Why has Woody not been approached about this?

Just because someone writes something doesn't mean it's true. Especially when it's a nobody like the guy who wrote this article.

[DJ_Money]

I recall that story about the alleged locker room incident between Smoove and Zaza. I think it was a Peter Vescey joint.

It also went on to talk about how Josh got kicked out of an Atlanta nightclub (One would assume for being underage...) and threatened to come back later to shoot the place up. Childress was said to have stepped in to calm him down...

I didn't believe either of those tall tales, and I don't much believe this one either, although it's much more realistic. Somebody became upset with the way Lue dominates the ball? Go figure. If it was Joe speaking up, he'd be lauded for finally becoming a vocal leader. Since it's Josh, and we lost, he gets raked over the coals.

A single Detroit writers' perspective means nothing. If Sekou wrote today that he saw Arenas put Brendan Haywood in a headlock over a game of Halo 3, would anybody believe it? Further, would anybody care?

[AnnArborHawk]

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Anyone who believes this story needs to have their head checked.

Why didn't the AJC cover this?

Why didn't we see it on TV?

Why have our players not complained of Smith's attitude?? You don't think Marvin, or Lue, or JJ would have something to say about Smith if he was yelling at everybody to give him the ball?

Why has Woody not been approached about this?

Just because someone writes something doesn't mean it's true. Especially when it's a nobody like the guy who wrote this article.

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I can think of a lot of answers to your questions. Too many to list, but all involve not wanting the media to get wind of anything. You want to blow a small tiff out of proportion? Involve the media! So why wouldn't they, to keep it in-house.

As in most things, the true reality is not that nothing happened and it's not what the Detroit paper reported, but somewhere in the middle.