Drew Wants Hawks To Exploit 'Interchangeable' Parts

[Wurider05]

IName of external link

Hawks coach Larry Drew wants to exploit the team's flexibility on the court in his first season at the helm.

"We have the luxury a lot of interchangeable positions. We've got twos that can be play 3, threes that can play four, fours that can play five," Drew said.

"We can even move Josh [smith] to the five against certain matchups. You might see the five at the three. You might even see the five at the one. [Regardless of lineup] nothing changes as far as the action on the floor. I want to utilize our abilities as interchangeable pieces."

The philosophy could see Smith playing center at times, giving Atlanta a different, less predictable look.

Read more: http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/68659/20100812/drew_wants_hawks_to_exploit_interchangeable_parts/#ixzz0wQp4gW64

We should see some entertaining basketball this coming season. wasn't this what BK was trying to do?

Edited August 12, 2010 by Wurider05

[HalfHawk]

IName of external link

We should see some entertaining basketball this coming season.

I think I have a man crush on Coach Drew. I'm dieing to see how this new look Hawk team plays on the court as a unit.

[Endy9]

IName of external link

We should see some entertaining basketball this coming season. wasn't this what BK was trying to do?

BK's probably saying "Damn, if only I had hired Drew."

[KB21]

My one concern with Coach Drew right now is that everything I'm hearing is talking about the offense. I've heard very little about what this team is going to do defensively. I hope the Hawks haven't gone from one end of the spectrum to the other with this decision.

[Chickenstanley]

My one concern with Coach Drew right now is that everything I'm hearing is talking about the offense. I've heard very little about what this team is going to do defensively. I hope the Hawks haven't gone from one end of the spectrum to the other with this decision.

This one I agree with you on. The scuttlebutt coming out of this mysterious "LD thing" thing sounds like 16 turnovers per game to me. And no mention of defense.

The Hawks biggest weakness as a team has been ROAD WINS! It's highly unlikely a team is going to win consistently on the road without a very strong defense. And also one that limits it's turnovers. Defense and limited turnovers keep teams in games on the road. Woody had this right --- but could not actually pull it off.

I don't care about winning 33 home games and losing 25 road games by the score of 121 - 115.

Some of you "stat guys" tell me what the chances are of making it to the Finals with under 25 road wins? Or even the conference finals? And what are historical odds of this happening?

The only "quality wins" for this team will come on the road this year. Home wins mean nothing anymore and are "expected" --- at this point in the teams progress.

CS

[JTB]

My one concern with Coach Drew right now is that everything I'm hearing is talking about the offense. I've heard very little about what this team is going to do defensively. I hope the Hawks haven't gone from one end of the spectrum to the other with this decision.

that is true but i beilieve that drew is intelligent enough to know that defense should be preached at all times unlike the knicks coach d antoni, i have read many times that he never preaches defense like it should be taught. the only reason drew is preaching offense alot is because the iso-joe is so terrible in the playoffs and predictable! it didnt matter if we had celtic defense! we still would have lost cause of that iso joe...yeah it works in the regular season but not the playoffs. another thing LD has already stated in a interview that he believes in man on man defense primarly which means every man is responsible for their own person, now that doesnt mean we wont see any switches or zones cause we will just not as frequently. one last thing LD is unlike woody by far, if a opponent is scoring all over one of our players in man to man defense i know and trust that LD will scheme and change what needs to be changed in that game unlike woody who would come back doing the same exact thing every game!

[Dexmethylphenidate]

BK's probably saying "Damn, if only I had hired Drew."

He did---3 years ago when he tried to fire Woody and the owner refuse.

[DJlaysitup]

IName of external link

We should see some entertaining basketball this coming season. wasn't this what BK was trying to do?

OMG...interchangeable parts? Where exactly is your interchangeable part to stop Dwight, or the MIA three, or the fast/quick PGs....BK all over again!!!! Shoot me Now!!

[niremetal]

OMG...interchangeable parts? Where exactly is your interchangeable part to stop Dwight, or the MIA three, or the fast/quick PGs....BK all over again!!!! Shoot me Now!!

There is no part - interchangeable or otherwise - who can stop Dwight, the MIA three, or Chris Paul when they come ready to play. So that's a red herring.

But the Magic don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Josh. The Heat have no one who can stop Al or Josh. The Celtiics don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Al.

The key to winning isn't to play to your opponents' strengths and cower about your opponent's mismatch advantages over you. It's to take advantage of your own strengths and force them to adjust to your mismatch advantages over them. That's how the Celtics beat the Magic this year and how the Magic beat the Cavs last year. If a team's strategy at beating Miami is stopping LeBron and Wade from scoring, they've already lost.

People always complained about the Hawks' not having a team identity and adopting whatever style/pace their opponents were using. That's basically what you're doing when you decide to take the strategy of trying to stop the other team's best player as the path to victory.

[DJlaysitup]

There is no part - interchangeable or otherwise - who can stop Dwight, the MIA three, or Chris Paul when they come ready to play. So that's a red herring.

But the Magic don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Josh. The Heat have no one who can stop Al or Josh. The Celtiics don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Al.

The key to winning isn't to play to your opponents' strengths and cower about your opponent's mismatch advantages over you. It's to take advantage of your own strengths and force them to adjust to your mismatch advantages over them. That's how the Celtics beat the Magic this year and how the Magic beat the Cavs last year. If a team's strategy at beating Miami is stopping LeBron and Wade from scoring, they've already lost.

People always complained about the Hawks' not having a team identity and adopting whatever style/pace their opponents were using. That's basically what you're doing when you decide to take the strategy of trying to stop the other team's best player as the path to victory.

Oh c'mon nir - you sound like the Auburn coach explaining to his players how to beat Kentucky. "We can't adapt to their game - we have to set the tempo and play to OUR strengths!"....it's all B.S. and everybody knows it. If they have the better player(s) and you don't have anybody who can slow him(them) down you are out of luck, period.

On the other hand, a team like Boston showed that you can win if you have solid big competitors - even though the other team has the best center. Of course Boston doesn't play PFs against all-star centers...they have their own centers.

[sillent]

There is no part - interchangeable or otherwise - who can stop Dwight, the MIA three, or Chris Paul when they come ready to play. So that's a red herring.

But the Magic don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Josh. The Heat have no one who can stop Al or Josh. The Celtiics don't have anyone who can stop JJ or Al.

The key to winning isn't to play to your opponents' strengths and cower about your opponent's mismatch advantages over you. It's to take advantage of your own strengths and force them to adjust to your mismatch advantages over them. That's how the Celtics beat the Magic this year and how the Magic beat the Cavs last year. If a team's strategy at beating Miami is stopping LeBron and Wade from scoring, they've already lost.

People always complained about the Hawks' not having a team identity and adopting whatever style/pace their opponents were using. That's basically what you're doing when you decide to take the strategy of trying to stop the other team's best player as the path to victory.

:thumbsupsmileyanim: Bravo!! Spoken like a true student/teacher of the game.

[thescout5]

I agree with DJ interchangeable parts it isn't going to matter if you can't slow down Dwight or the Boston tandem which only got stronger with Shaq. I don't think either Orlando,Boston or now Miami will worry about JJ or Smoove. Orlando and Boston have already contained are best players why would we think any different in a new year? Teams just get physical and the Hawks fold.Also if the Hawks can't score inside then ulitmately our outside will make the team die.

You win in the paint in the playoffs and the Hawks just can't figure that out.We haven't upgraded anything.Why would we think any different that the teams ceiling probably is another 2nd round loss.A new offensive strategy isn't going to defeat teams that play both solid offense and defense. Same broken tune like the last few years. :shake_puter:

[macdaddy]

Oh c'mon nir - you sound like the Auburn coach explaining to his players how to beat Kentucky. "We can't adapt to their game - we have to set the tempo and play to OUR strengths!"....it's all B.S. and everybody knows it. If they have the better player(s) and you don't have anybody who can slow him(them) down you are out of luck, period.

On the other hand, a team like Boston showed that you can win if you have solid big competitors - even though the other team has the best center. Of course Boston doesn't play PFs against all-star centers...they have their own centers.

Who were these Boston 'centers' that were able to slow Dwight down? 6'10" Perkins and 'Sheed for 3'?

[tremor]

Who were these Boston 'centers' that were able to slow Dwight down? 6'10" Perkins and 'Sheed for 3'?

Something tells me that you didn't watch actual games.

Perk always gives Superman good fits because of his strength, wingspan, but also unnoticed quickness under the basket. Sheed is tough, long and smart. He frustrated Dwight playing close to foul most of the time, prevented him from taking good position under the basket, even blocked him once in one on one situation. And when all this didn't work they were fouling him hard so Dwight had to earn his points at FT line.

Plus Boston defends very well as a team, forced Howard to lose the ball a lot of times.

Both sides of argument are right while not looking at the whole picture. It is very important to play your strengths and cover weaknesses while at the same time exploring weak sides of your opponent while trying to neutralize his strengths.

Can you beat the Magic when Dwight scores 30+ points on > 60% FG and 15+ boards? Sure, if your team can do even more damage to them. Practically very tough thing to do.

[macdaddy]

Something tells me that you didn't watch actual games.

Perk always gives Superman good fits because of his strength, wingspan, but also unnoticed quickness under the basket. Sheed is tough, long and smart. He frustrated Dwight playing close to foul most of the time, prevented him from taking good position under the basket, even blocked him once in one on one situation. And when all this didn't work they were fouling him hard so Dwight had to earn his points at FT line.

Plus Boston defends very well as a team, forced Howard to lose the ball a lot of times.

Both sides of argument are right while not looking at the whole picture. It is very important to play your strengths and cover weaknesses while at the same time exploring weak sides of your opponent while trying to neutralize his strengths.

Can you beat the Magic when Dwight scores 30+ points on > 60% FG and 15+ boards? Sure, if your team can do even more damage to them. Practically very tough thing to do.

I'm not questioning that Boston did a good job. Its this line i'm questioning:

Of course Boston doesn't play PFs against all-star centers...they have their own centers

Now most people consider Perkins a 'true' center and Al a PF but i didn't see Perkins playing center at the all-star game. Sheed to me has always been considered more of a PF than a center. The point is if you're making the case that you need traditional "centers" to defend Dwight effectively i don't think pointing to Boston is a way to make that case. I think it makes the case that the Hawks could do it as well as Boston with the right approach.

[thescout5]

There is a little thing called weight Al going at 245 and Perkins 280. Space eaters are what the Hawks don't have. Add Shaq at least 325 and the Celtics know how to put the bodies on players like Dwight. Who do the Hawks have? ZaZa? To slow and gets ate up vs better players and Al who doesn't have the body size to win the physical battles against elite teams. ASG doesn't see that and Drew's new offense fine and dandy but how do we defend the bigger teams? We are still way to undersized to beat the teams we need to to advance past the 2nd round.