JT-O's DNP-CD was a little surprising to see vs. Blazers

[hawks21]

I don't think Jeff is in the doghouse already. Is he? Maybe Woodson plans to give him 20 to 24 minutes tonight in a back-to-back road game situation and limit Bibby's minutes and possibly increase Crawford's minutes who played 34 against Portland.

And who is going to guard Kevin Martin tonight? Martin can monster shooting games, so somebody needs to stick to him all night.

So more Jamal and Jeff on the floor along with more Zaza, who played only 14 minutes at Portland.

However, if I see another DNP-CD by Teague's name, I will begin to worry a little bit. However, I believe it was more of a coaching strategy than anything else.

[NineOhTheRino]

I don't think Jeff is in the doghouse already. Is he? Maybe Woodson plans to give him 20 to 24 minutes tonight in a back-to-back road game situation and limit Bibby's minutes and possibly increase Crawford's minutes who played 34 against Portland.

And who is going to guard Kevin Martin tonight? Martin can monster shooting games, so somebody needs to stick to him all night.

So more Jamal and Jeff on the floor along with more Zaza, who played only 14 minutes at Portland.

However, if I see another DNP-CD by Teague's name, I will begin to worry a little bit. However, I believe it was more of a coaching strategy than anything else.

Crawford was too hot too take off the floor. Can't say the same for Bibbs though. Don't expect Woody to play the rook in tight games.

[coachx]

This is what I would assume.

1. After all the turnovers vs. the Lakers we needed Bibby in their to run a steady and tight ship.

2. Crawford was red hot and could not be taken out of the game in the 4th quarter..................even for Bibby.

3. JJ defense was needed to hold Roy in check.

4. Andre Miller is one of the most savy PGs in the league, off the bench, for Teague to match up against.

5. JJ is the only guy on the roster to defend Roy. Roy would have torched Crawford's defense at the 2-guard.

I hope Teague gets 15 - 20 minutes tonight in the 2nd game of back to backs.........maybe more if he is hot.

This was an extremely intense and competitive game and Crawford was red hot while at the same time racking up assist by creatig for others.........not just the cheap assist where a guy hits a perimeter shot. There will be nights when JJ does not play 46 mpg and Crawford will not play 34 mpg............but when they are both playing extremely well and get those heavy minutes it hust leaces little to no time for Teague.

[AHF]

This is what I would assume.

1. After all the turnovers vs. the Lakers we needed Bibby in their to run a steady and tight ship.

Teague has turned the ball over less than Bibby (overall and per minute) and has the better A/TO ratio so I am not sure whether this was a huge factor.

2. Crawford was red hot and could not be taken out of the game in the 4th quarter..................even for Bibby.

No problem with Crawford playing. It is Bibby who didn't need 35 minutes.

3. JJ defense was needed to hold Roy in check.

No problem with JJ playing. It was Bibby who didn't need 35 minutes.

4. Andre Miller is one of the most savy PGs in the league, off the bench, for Teague to match up against.

Maybe, but it isn't like Bibby uses his savvy to defend Miller or anything.

5. JJ is the only guy on the roster to defend Roy. Roy would have torched Crawford's defense at the 2-guard.

Agreed.

I hope Teague gets 15 - 20 minutes tonight in the 2nd game of back to backs.........maybe more if he is hot.

Agreed.

This was an extremely intense and competitive game and Crawford was red hot while at the same time racking up assist by creatig for others.........not just the cheap assist where a guy hits a perimeter shot. There will be nights when JJ does not play 46 mpg and Crawford will not play 34 mpg............but when they are both playing extremely well and get those heavy minutes it hust leaces little to no time for Teague.

The 35 minutes for Bibby should have been split between Bibby and Teague, IMO, with the bulk of the minutes going to Bibby.

[Traceman]

I would have liked to see Teague get a little run in the first half along with Crawford when JJ was ice cold but I understand why he didn't. The unit of Bibby, Crawford, JJ, Smoove and Horford were in a GREAT flow in the 2nd and we were on the comeback trail. Can't mess with the chemistry when you were just down 12 and you are cutting into the lead with the group that is on the floor. As for the 2nd half, our D was terrific and you can't let POR have the opportunity to let Miller post Teague and get easy baskets. No knock on Teague but not many rookies can handle Miller's strength and savvy in that situation. Great road win early in the season. I look for Teague to get significant minutes tonight (20 or so).

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Let's keep it real about Teague for a minute.

He played very well . . in gargabe time . . in a blowout in LA. Has Teague done anything to warrant Bibby seeing his playing time cut? Or better yet, has Bibby done anything to see his PT cut?

He's only more athletic and faster than Bibby. He's not a better passer . . or a better shooter . . or a better ball handler . . or a better guy to run the team.

I forget who pointed this out, but after the Washington game, somebody said that it may not be a good idea to play Teague with Crawford, because they are similar style players. I don't totally agree with that, but I do see where he is coming from with this train of thought.

In that game, Teague did struggle a little, in terms of picking his spots to be aggressive. And when Crawford got it going in that quarter, it was easy for Woody to pull the kid, and just go back with Bibby at the point, or keep Jamal at the point. He had a play where he was a little out of control, and Woody got him out of the game immeadiatey.

If a game is tight, Woody is simply going to trust his veteran PG ( Bibby ) over the rookie, or he's gonna let Crawford run the show.

( edit ) Good point Traceman, about Miller's post up ability in regards to Teague. Miller is like how Anthony Johnson was down on the blocks ( especialy during AJ's days in Jersey and Indiana ). For a point guard, Miller does a real good job posting smaller guards up and scoring on them.

The more you look at the game, the more you have to appreciate how the coaching staff really thought out everything, especially on defense. Putting Marvin, of all people, on Miller for a short stretch, was a damn good coaching move to protect Crawford from possibly picking up cheap fouls.

Edited November 4, 2009 by northcyde

[Traceman]

Let's keep it real about Teague for a minute.

He played very well . . in gargabe time . . in a blowout in LA. Has Teague done anything to warrant Bibby seeing his playing time cut? Or better yet, has Bibby done anything to see his PT cut?

He's only more athletic and faster than Bibby. He's not a better passer . . or a better shooter . . or a better ball handler . . or a better guy to run the team.

I forget who pointed this out, but after the Washington game, somebody said that it may not be a good ideal to play Teague with Crawford, because they are similar style players. I don't totally agree with that, but I do see where he is coming from with this train of thought.

In that game, Teague did struggle a little, in terms of picking his spots to be aggressive. And when Crawford got it going in that quarter, it was easy for Woody to pull the kid, and just go back with Bibby at the point, or keep Jamal at the point. He had a play where he was a little out of control, and Woody got him out of the game immeadiatey.

If a game is tight, Woody is simply going to trust his veteran PG ( Bibby ) over the rookie, or he's gonna let Crawford run the show.

I think Teague has the POTENTIAL to be a better passer, creator, scorer and defender than Bibby and it won't surprise me in the least to see him start to cut into Bibby's PT as the season goes along. I see that as a good thing because it wil not only allow Teague to develop but just as importantly, it will allow Bibby to be fresher later in the season. That said, Bibby's leadership, veteran savvy, knowledge of the game, shooting and his fearlessness with regard to taking and MAKING big shots is INVALUABLE to this team and it will continue to be that way for the forseeable future.

[NineOhTheRino]

He played very well . . in gargabe time . . in a blowout in LA. Has Teague done anything to warrant Bibby seeing his playing time cut? Or better yet, has Bibby done anything to see his PT cut?

Some are probably afraid that Woody is going back to his pattern of killing young guys confidence. Woody is a empty wins junkie. He doesn't care about the future. Hell get everything from Bibby then throw him aside and bring in another vet to soak up JT-0's minutes. Honestly I think it's more important to develop young talent than competing with the likes of Portland.

And I'll add that I fully understand Woody's position. He knows that Sund and these fans expect nothing less than playoffs so why would he gamble on his job security. He truly has to walk a fine line here.

Edited November 4, 2009 by NineOhTheRino

[coachx]

Honestly I think it's more important to develop young talent than competing with the likes of Portland.

So you would rather play a rookie PG then compete and beat a 50 + win team in their own building ?

I thought our achilles hill was our inability to win on the road. Its hard to preach that and have your players buy into it unless you coach to win against the 50 + win teams on the road.

If we want to bring JJ back then we need to be a 50 win team ourselves.

This was only the 4th game of the year. Teague will have plenty of chances.

Edited November 4, 2009 by coachx

[NineOhTheRino]

So you would rather play a rookie PG then compete and beat a 50 + win team in their own building ?

I thought our achilles hill was our inability to win on the road. Its hard to preach that and have your players buy into it unless you coach to win against the 50 + win teams on the road.

If we want to bring JJ back then we need to be a 50 win team ourselves.

This was only the 4th game of the year. Teague will have plenty of chances.

Yes! Right now I know this team has no shot of competing with Boston, Cavs, or Orlando. Now imagine if Teague could develop into a player with impact like Rondo. Add a true center and this team is cooking with grease.

Edited November 4, 2009 by NineOhTheRino

[Traceman]

Some are probably afraid that Woody is going back to his pattern of killing young guys confidence. Woody is a empty wins junkie. He doesn't care about the future. Hell get everything from Bibby then throw him aside and bring in another vet to soak up JT-0's minutes. Honestly I think it's more important to develop young talent than competing with the likes of Portland.

I STRONGLY disagree. I think we are WAY past the point of developing talent at the expense of doing whatever is necessary to win. If we do what we are supposed to do, Teague SHOULD get enough consistent minutes to develop but I don't see an urgent need to get him minutes AT ANY COST like we did with the Joshes and Marvin (I don't put Al in that category because he EARNED his minutes right off the bat).

"Competing with the likes of Portland" is what it is going to take if we are going to take the next step and be a real threat in the playoffs. Portland won 54 games last year and they are a GREAT home team. Considering our record on West Coast road swings over the past decade (and our poor road record in general over that same time frame) that was about as big a win as we could have this early in the season. Not quite as big as winning at BOS, CLE or ORL but every bit as big as winning at LAL or SA.

[tbhawksfan]

DNP's are bad for rooks. No need for it. There's always time to get JT0 in the game for a few.

[NineOhTheRino]

I STRONGLY disagree. I think we are WAY past the point of developing talent at the expense of doing whatever is necessary to win. If we do what we are supposed to do, Teague SHOULD get enough consistent minutes to develop but I don't see an urgent need to get him minutes AT ANY COST like we did with the Joshes and Marvin (I don't put Al in that category because he EARNED his minutes right off the bat).

"Competing with the likes of Portland" is what it is going to take if we are going to take the next step and be a real threat in the playoffs. Portland won 54 games last year and they are a GREAT home team. Considering our record on West Coast road swings over the past decade (and our poor road record in general over that same time frame) that was about as big a win as we could have this early in the season. Not quite as big as winning at BOS, CLE or ORL but every bit as big as winning at LAL or SA.

I think the good players are self motivated. If Teague has some "Rondo" in him then there isn't much woody can do to hold him back. All Woody has to do is give the young buck an opportunity improve on the court.

[GameTime]

This is what I would assume.

1. After all the turnovers vs. the Lakers we needed Bibby in their to run a steady and tight ship.

Here is the problem with that. Bibby was playing off-guard most of the time when Craw was out and Craw was playing PG making plays.

[Traceman]

DNP's are bad for rooks. No need for it. There's always time to get JT0 in the game for a few.

Jerryd Bayless, who was a lottery pick last year, got a DNP for POR last night. Their rookie Dante Cunningham also got a DNP. Should McMillan have found time for them?

[macdaddy]

Teague played really well against the Lakers so you would think that would provide a comfort level for getting in a close one against Portland. You know earning minutes. I expect him to get time against the Kings and I'll be disappointed if he doesn't.

Its one game so its no big deal, but Woody has a history of starting the season playing some guys and then falling back to a smaller rotation pretty quickly. We need Teague and we will need him this season. When guys go down come crunch time or in the playoffs (that'll never happen right?) he won't be ready if he's been on garbage duty all year.

The one rookie you have to show confidence in is your rookie PG. Especially when he's #2 on the depth chart. He's given us every reason to believe he's up to the task so far.

[FrankWhite]

Despite scratching my head over this last night, I'm willing to cut Woody some slack on this since I think this was viewed as a must-win game by him and the team. They wanted this win as a statement that they can beat a good team on the road. I don't necessarily agree that we couldn't beat them with Teague getting some minutes, but whatever. It worked.

Now if we don't see Teague early against SAC, I'll go back to scratching my head.

[MaceCase]

Teague played really well against the Lakers so you would think that would provide a comfort level for getting in a close one against Portland. You know earning minutes. I expect him to get time against the Kings and I'll be disappointed if he doesn't.

Its one game so its no big deal, but Woody has a history of starting the season playing some guys and then falling back to a smaller rotation pretty quickly. We need Teague and we will need him this season. When guys go down come crunch time or in the playoffs (that'll never happen right?) he won't be ready if he's been on garbage duty all year.

The one rookie you have to show confidence in is your rookie PG. Especially when he's #2 on the depth chart. He's given us every reason to believe he's up to the task so far.

Teague played well during garbage time against the Lakers where there was no pressure, just go out there and play young man. There's a huge difference between that and the high pressure situation of a close game. Honestly, before that 4th quarter against the Lakers Teague has been rather mediocre this season, which you would expect from a rookie, so I don't see the issue over him not getting minutes in that win. I believe it's far less detrimental for a rook to sit on the bench during a close win than to know he contributed to a close loss.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I think the good players are self motivated. If Teague has some "Rondo" in him then there isn't much woody can do to hold him back. All Woody has to do is give the young buck an opportunity improve on the court.

But Rondo didn't have a Mike Bibby or a Jamal Crawford playing in front of him, that could take some of his minutes at the point. With a combo guard as good as Crawford can be at times, you can easily justify not playing Teague AT ALL.

If Bibby played 30 minutes a night, and JJ 35 minutes a night, you could easily justify giving Crawford the rest of the 18 minutes at PG and 13 minutes at SG, so that Crawford plays 31 minutes a game. If JJ couldn't also play the 3, we'd probably do just that. Most teams, I think, would do that.

If Crawford works out for us the entire year, teams that could've used a creative scorer like Cleveland, Miami, and New Orleans will be kicking themselves.

The "superstar version" of Crawford, along with Lebron, would be absolutely scary.

[tbhawksfan]

Are you saying Teague can't handle 5-10 minutes a game without dooming the team to a lose ? Does burned out iso-Joe remind you of anything ? Remember Acie Law ?

Yeah, the Hawks won a big game. Portland is a team many will argue are stronger than us at every position and we beat them on the road.

But, Teague could have gotten 5 in the game.