Productive Loss.

[Diesel]

It's hard for me to call a loss good, however, this was a productive one if Woody and his staff takes it the right way. The reason why we got our a-- handed to us is that we continued to switch off a Big on Parker and Parker had a field day. That and we didn't cover the perimeter well at all. Mason and Finely just had their way in the 3rd.

Now it's up to Woody to learn to preven that bad switch. Maybe find a defensive solution for Bibby, because Bibby is at the root of the problem.

Edited March 26, 2009 by Diesel

[Plainview1981]

It's hard for me to call a loss good, however, this was a productive one if Woody and his staff takes it the right way. The reason why we got our a-- handed to us is that we continued to switch off a Big on Parker and Parker had a field day. That and we didn't cover the perimeter well at all. Mason and Finely just had their way in the 3rd.

Now it's up to Woody to learn to preven that bad switch. Maybe find a defensive solution for Bibby, because Bibby is at the root of the problem.

Bibby is a big part of the problem. His game is so limited. Last year when the Hawks got him he added enough to the team that the team was able to beat enough bad teams to get 8th seed. However, we know he gave nothing in the playoffs. Now he has shot the ball well overall this season, but he's not dependable for big games anymore. Which is strange because that's where he used to play the best.

[Diesel]

Bibby is a big part of the problem. His game is so limited. Last year when the Hawks got him he added enough to the team that the team was able to beat enough bad teams to get 8th seed. However, we know he gave nothing in the playoffs. Now he has shot the ball well overall this season, but he's not dependable for big games anymore. Which is strange because that's where he used to play the best.

I think you just have to look at Bibby for exactly what we have in him. He's good for offense and bad for defense... although, I've seen him try on defense more than he has in previous years (contract year). His defense against fast guards is just atrocious. I think offensively, even when he's having a bad night, he's still helping Joe in ways that we can't determine. Joe feels very comfortable with Bibs, but at the same time, Bibs is a player who can shoot you in or out of a game.

It would have been nice for us to pick up Billups instead.. but that didn't happen. So for now, we just have to try and determine what we will do with Bibby in the playoffs. Our defensive coach needs to learn from this loss and try to develop some sort of game plan other than switching. If I see Parker blow past Horf one more time, I don't know what I'm going to do.

[Plainview1981]

I think you just have to look at Bibby for exactly what we have in him. He's good for offense and bad for defense... although, I've seen him try on defense more than he has in previous years (contract year). His defense against fast guards is just atrocious. I think offensively, even when he's having a bad night, he's still helping Joe in ways that we can't determine. Joe feels very comfortable with Bibs, but at the same time, Bibs is a player who can shoot you in or out of a game.

It would have been nice for us to pick up Billups instead.. but that didn't happen. So for now, we just have to try and determine what we will do with Bibby in the playoffs. Our defensive coach needs to learn from this loss and try to develop some sort of game plan other than switching. If I see Parker blow past Horf one more time, I don't know what I'm going to do.

The problem is against the good defenses Bibby can't make the plays like he does against the bad defenses. His production this year is pretty flimsy as it is... Really, when he isn't feeding Josh Smith, his passing is below average. Joe has shot the ball very poorly this season, so I don't see how he has helped JJ.

The bottom line is that Bibby don't help take the Hawks to a new level. I suspect he will be a weak link in the first round loss to Miami kind of like he was a weak link last year. Mike does even give good leadership. The leadership really appears to be coming from Al.

Edited March 26, 2009 by Hotlanta1981

[tonegully]

To me this isnt a good lost. We lost to Parker and a bunch of average players.

I dont think Woody took anything away from this game or he wouldve made adjustments at the half. I know he doesnt have to watch any tape to see why we lost. Everyone could see why we were losing while the game was going on.

[DrReality]

We did get exposed and if we don't address this issue we will get killed in the playoffs.

[buckeye242424]

I think you just have to look at Bibby for exactly what we have in him. He's good for offense and bad for defense... although, I've seen him try on defense more than he has in previous years (contract year). His defense against fast guards is just atrocious. I think offensively, even when he's having a bad night, he's still helping Joe in ways that we can't determine. Joe feels very comfortable with Bibs, but at the same time, Bibs is a player who can shoot you in or out of a game.

It would have been nice for us to pick up Billups instead.. but that didn't happen. So for now, we just have to try and determine what we will do with Bibby in the playoffs. Our defensive coach needs to learn from this loss and try to develop some sort of game plan other than switching. If I see Parker blow past Horf one more time, I don't know what I'm going to do.

Luckily, you won't have...unless we happened to make the finals. And the Spurs too..

[Diesel]

We did get exposed and if we don't address this issue we will get killed in the playoffs.

I call it a productive loss because it allows us to see this sort of thing before we're in the playoffs getting torn a new one. Woody should go into the playoffs knowing how to adjust to situations. This is the start...

[Antmillennium]

I call it a productive loss because it allows us to see this sort of thing before we're in the playoffs getting torn a new one. Woody should go into the playoffs knowing how to adjust to situations. This is the start...

Woody won't learn. It doesn't take 12 months to learn from a mistake and change your ways if you keep getting burned by it. I've seen Bibby matched up against Paul Pierce and other players several inches taller than him too many times as a result of switching. If Woodson was going to learn his lesson, he would have done so by now. Woody will continue on the same idiotic path.

[jerrywest]

Woody won't learn. It doesn't take 12 months to learn from a mistake and change your ways if you keep getting burned by it. I've seen Bibby matched up against Paul Pierce and other players several inches taller than him too many times as a result of switching. If Woodson was going to learn his lesson, he would have done so by now. Woody will continue on the same idiotic path.

Switching works if Chillz or a 6-6 or taller guy is playing PG. Woody just can't adjust.

[benhillboy]

I agree that it was a very poor loss. Tony Parker will be remebered as an afterthought when discussing great point guards of his era or even discussing the San Antonio team itself. His Finals MVP award was against a skills-challenged team led by a child, albeit a royal child. To allow them to beat us, in Phillips, without arguably the centerpiece of their entire franchises' history is upsetting. Everyone knows that Parker is a mediocre jump shooter at best, at the same time, everyone knows that he is pound-for-pound the best finisher in the NBA. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to realize how to combat his skills: get the ball out of his hands early in the clock, force him to think and coordinate the offense, and force unneccessary dribbling and his average jumper late in the clock. And if he happens to get to the hole, lay some damn wood! Regardless of any numbers (rings, points in the paint, FG%), Tony Parker is not a great point guard. Passing and defending skills are slightly above average, at best. With the front line that San Antonio ran last night, the Hawks (mainly Josh and Al, then Woody) should be ashamed of themselves. Popovich is exponentially better than Woody, but come on. Popovich knows our dominance at home and probably expected a loss without Duncan and Ginobili at 60%. At the end of the day though, the Hawks are who they should be: They pounce on similarly and lower-level competiton, while they simply do not have the versatility nor experience to find ways to defeat elite or historic squads/ players like Kobe, LeBron, the Spurs, Celtics, and Magic. This murderers row of opponents that we are in the midst of should only sharpen us, though. Can we please beat the Celtics once this year!?