We have Defensive problem!

[Peoriabird]

I know its the en vogue for fans to focus on offense specifically the point guard position but defense gets you wins consistently and defense wins championships. We scored 118 points against the Sonics and lost! It just seems to me that we let a guy from the opposing team score more than usual all of the time!

Dallas- Barea/Harris

Detroit - Maxiell/Jarvis Hayes/Hamilton

Phoenix- Nash

New jersey- Jefferson

Boston- Eddie House

Washington- Haywood/Jamison

Seattle- Damion Wilkins

Milwaukee- Andrew Bogut

We should be a better defensive team than we are currently/ We probably lead the league or close to it in blocks and steals. One solution is definitely no let Anthony Johnson see the floor again this season but I think we should rethink our concepts especially when getting back on defense from a made basket and T. Lue ends up on the opposing team's center or power forward. ALSO THE SWITCHING HAS TO BE LIMITED! unless its perimeter to perimeter or big to big! I see a big switching out on a guard and vice versa far too often in this scheme. That needs to be fixed right away! WHEN WE SOLVE OUR DEFENSIVE WOES, WE WILL WIN MORE CONSISTENTLY!

[Peoriabird]

Didn't mean to leave out Earl Watson for Seattle!

[DJlaysitup]

Yeah PB, the switching should be a situational thing depending on who a player is switching onto. I'm not sure our coaching is advanced enough to teach that to the players.

[Peoriabird]

we are pretty good at blocking shot #1 in the league and #14 in the league in steals but we are

#21 in the league in points allowed

#25 in the league in forcing turn-overs

#26 in the league in field goal percentage allowed

#28 in the league in assist per game allowed

These stat have to get better before we can start to win!

[coachx]

I would be curious to know how high we are in turnovers per game.

The main thing that needs to be improved is our perimeter defense on the PG to stop dribble drive penetration. That is why the assist given up and FG % given up is so high. Opposing PGs are able to drive and create easy shots for their teamates far too often & too easily.

Law will help here but he is still probably at least a week away.

The night Damien Wilkens had was an abberation. His uncle and idol is Nique, his dad was at Phillips, and he played the game of his life in front of the organization he wanted to play for from day 1.

[Traceman]

Particularly the big lineup with:

Horford

Smoove

Marvin

JJ

Chillz

on the floor together. The problems I see with the switching is when one of our smaller guards such as T Lue or Salim ends up on ANYONE other than the opposing PG. Acie is actually big enough to guard most SGs but asking him to guard SFs, PFs or C's is asking too much. If we do decide to switch everything, we definitely need to do so with the idea that anybody big who catches one of our PGs is immediately doubled upon catching the ball.

The biggest problem I see caused by the switching is that at times, we get caught with our better rebounders out guarding people on the perimeter and our weaker rebounders around the basket. Again, not a problem with the big lineup because all are pretty good rebounders but asking a PG to box out a SF (or bigger) is not going to work very often.

[TheDude]

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we are pretty good at blocking shot #1 in the league and #14 in the league in steals but we are

#21 in the league in points allowed

#25 in the league in forcing turn-overs

#26 in the league in field goal percentage allowed

#28 in the league in assist per game allowed

These stat have to get better before we can start to win!

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what this means to me is that we have natural talent (blocks and steals are more geared to natural talent) but not coached defense (positioning, man defense).

[Diesel]

Our problem is

1. System. We do a lot of unnecessary switching. I've been watching closely and what I see is that we get to the point where a good team can swing the ball on us with ease because we're so busy trying to switch that there's always somebody wide open.

2. Personnell. We have a problem with Big bigs.. We also have a problem with 2s that can put the ball on the floor and score off the dribble. JJ is not a great defender. Not on ball. He loses his man in the defense. He tends to drift away from his man when the ball is opposite side. Also, if his man is a good ball handler, it's a long night for the Hawks.

[Guest Walter]

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we are pretty good at blocking shot #1 in the league and #14 in the league in steals but we are

#21 in the league in points allowed

#25 in the league in forcing turn-overs

#26 in the league in field goal percentage allowed

#28 in the league in assist per game allowed

These stat have to get better before we can start to win!

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what this means to me is that we have natural talent (blocks and steals are more geared to natural talent) but not coached defense (positioning, man defense).

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That's an interesting series of statistics. Frustrating but interesting. I believe it was Stan Van Gundy that said defensive FG% was the most important defensive statistic. We're awful in that regard.

W

[Packfill]

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we are pretty good at blocking shot #1 in the league and #14 in the league in steals but we are

#21 in the league in points allowed

#25 in the league in forcing turn-overs

#26 in the league in field goal percentage allowed

#28 in the league in assist per game allowed

These stat have to get better before we can start to win!

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what this means to me is that we have natural talent (blocks and steals are more geared to natural talent) but not coached defense (positioning, man defense).

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What it means is the Hawks have players who are willing to gamble, often resulting in easy buckets for the opposition when the gamble doesn't pay off. That and the fact that the team is poorly coached.