Atlanta, We have a problem

[Diesel]

I watched a lot of the game last night. I have a problem. Teague didn't get 1 assist? Not while I was watching. I was a bit distracted but what I saw was a guy who could break down the defense, get to the cup at will but not a guy willing to be a playmaker.

[thecampster]

A guy who can draw the defense? That sir is at least a start. If he doesn't start feeding JJ, Smoove and Al, they'll let him know about it.

[JohnnyCASH]

too soon

[MaceCase]

He's simply not a PG but he's someone that the team can benefit from tremendously because he offers things we haven't seen from our previous players at the position in that he can defend, penetrate, and can push the ball in transition. He's not a passer, never was and it's doubtful he ever will be so all he should do is make himself a bigger scoring threat to draw attention and that will allow him easier passing lanes and better passing options. The trick will be whether he can overcome his tunnel vision in those situations though.

[sturt]

Not sure I'd ever draw too much from a scrimmage that I hadn't already concluded from watching him play over the course of two years. Just sayin.

[lethalweapon3]

My problem is more the teammates than Jeff. Players are not working to get themselves in position for passes. On halfcourt sets, when he was dishing the ball, usually it was to somebody not ready to take the shot, who winds up putting the ball on the floor looking desperately for help. Unless it's Josh, who is all-too-ready to jack up shots he shouldn't.

And when Teague pushed the ball up on the break, nobody was trailing or available for kickouts. For the motion offense to work, whoever has the ball has to know his teammates are coming open. Otherwise, you get a lot of forced decisions out there.

Where Teague can help is to demand the ball back; if Josh is stuck on 20-foot-island with the ball and plenty of time still on the clock, Jeff needs to come around and get it back to set up something else.

~lw3

[WraithSentinel]

Yep way too soon. I watch some of the stream last night. There was nothing to take from it. Now Monday Night game will be something worth talking about good or bad.

[AHawks89]

• The Hawks had a public scrimmage. They let me in, too. I don’t want to make too much of a camp scrimmage but I was so happy to see competitive professional basketball again I have to make some observations even if they end up meaning nothing.
  
• Nice crowd at Philips–the Hawks put it at 2,500. The fans were into it. “That felt great to see that,” Josh Smith said. “The fans are really anticipating this season and looks like they are really excited to see something special we are putting together.”
  
• The fans saw a scrimmage that was cleaner than any I’ve seen at camp. That doesn’t mean it was very good. “Overall, it was OK,” Larry Drew said. “But we still have a ways to go.”
  
• Joe Johnson (13 points, three rebounds, seven assists, very very unofficially) looked like he could go out and play 40 good minutes right now. He scored effortlessly, made his 3-pointers, defended with vigor and generally showed the young guards in camp what an All-Star talent in top form looks like. “I didn’t know when the lockout would end, and I just wanted to come in in great game shape,” he said. “If you come in in good shape, everything else takes care of itself.”
  
• Joe said he’s down to about 236 pounds after weighing as much as 247 last season. “I feel a little faster, more durable,” he said. “I am going to try to keep it down.”
  
• “He’s playing really well,” L.D. said. “He’s having one of his best camps that I’ve seen him. He looks comfortable. He’s picking and choosing his spots. I think having guys like Tracy [McGrady], [Jerry] Stackhouse and [Vladimir] Radmanovic out there, I think he feels a comfort level with those guys because he knows those guys have been in the trenches.”
  
• Jeff Teague (16 points, four rebounds, one assist) pushed the pace and got to the rim whenever he wanted. Finishing was another matter. Teague tends to have tunnel vision while heading to the basket, which isn’t so bad because it means he’s being aggressive. However, he will draw a lot of defensive attention and he’s playing alongside scorers now so probably good to look for them.
  
• Josh Smith (10 points, six rebounds, two assists) was off and running every chance he got (though he, too, had some trouble finishing at the rim). He’s definitely faster but probably sacrificed some strength.
  
• Smith said he will have to change his approach to playing in the post: “I’m doing pretty good with that. I have just got to make sure I am low at all times and be able to create the contact and not wait for it. I’ve got to be ready for guys like Derrick Favors, Zach Randolph, Amar’e Stoudemire, all those guys who are strong down low.”
  
• Pape Sy (two points, two rebounds) didn’t make many shots but was aggressive with the ball and made some good decisions when he got to the basket. He threw down an alley oop dunk on a lob from J.J. “He’s very athletic,” Drew said. “He can get up and down the loor, he’s got a good body on him. He’s a really hard driver, too. He puts his head down he usually gets to the rim.”
  
• I’ve heard Keith Benson (10 points, four rebounds) has struggled during camp but he had his moments tonight. He’s got a smooth mid-range J, which was expected. He also showed no fear with banging in the paint for rebounds and post position, which were good signs for his development.
  
• McGrady (two points, two rebounds) never really seemed into it. Stackhouse (four points, two rebounds) competed hard on D and running off screens but the first step is lacking and the jumper wasn’t falling.
  
• Vladimir Radmanovic (three steals, two blocks) showed that he can at least hold his own on defense. He’s got quick hands and anticipates plays well.
  
• Al Horford (seven points, four rebounds, three steals) tried to work on his post game but he ended up mostly going to the spinning fadeaway Js. Those are the moves Brandon Bass andJoakim Noah anticipated and disrupted. I didn’t see him try to drive much, either.
  
• Drew said Magnum Rolle suffered a foot injury while playing in Korea over the summer. That helps explain why Rolle looked out of shape early in camp. He’s got good size and was making smooth jumpers. “I like his size, I like his length,” Drew said. “He’s a guy that hopefully he can keep getting better. You can throw him the ball down there and he can do something on the block.”
  
• I thought Brad Wanamaker (nine points, three assists) and Donald Sloan (five points, three assists) both looked pretty good. Both players are solidly built.
  
• Wanamaker is the crafty combo guard.”He’s a tough kid,” Drew said. “Very steady. He’s got some bulldog in him. I like that about him. He doesn’t back down. He’s a competitor.”
  
• Sloan is the speedy one, especially for his size (6-3, 205). He looks the part to play in the league. “I think he has the talent, I think he has the body,” Drew said. “All of the essentials needed at the guard position, I think he possesses those. He can knock down shots, he’s good on the pick-and-roll, he’s a distributor.”
  
• Zaza Pachulia (seven points, six rebounds) did what he does: He went hard to the basket and didn’t finish particularly well but drew fouls and kept collecting his own rebounds because he competes.
  
• Jason Collins did not play.
  
• Shout out to Hawks PR staffer Jason Roose for supplying the unofficial stats.
  

http://blogs.ajc.com/hawks/2011/12/16/atlanta-hawks-camp-report-day-8-public-scrimmage/?cxntfid=blogs_hawks

Edited December 17, 2011 by AHawks89