Roster full of

[codyatl]

2nd option guys. We don't have a REAL go to guy. You guys can say reef is but that is crap. He tuns the ball over too much and doesn't seem to be able to get himself into a good position in the post. reef doesn't seem decisive enough when he gets the ball. i just can't help but think we made a huge msitake by trading our pick for sar. We would never be able to geta pick that high in return for him now, no way.

Our team looked lost at times last night. I still can't believe we didn't even get off a shot at the end of the game, unreal. timeout or no timeout, someone has to move and get open for a shot. is it just me or do we play way too much 1-on-1 style offense. No motion off the ball.

There was some good. Diaw played well for his first game. Theo played pretty good. jackson showed promise. I hoep that reef is just rusty from his back surgery cuase he looked completley lost offensively.

[JTFan31]

And what Gasol is a go to guy, no way in [censored]. I will take Reef hands down over Gasol. I dont remember Reef being a slow starter but I know JT is definitely a slow starter, he usually gets cooking when December rolls around. Well the obvious that we lost the game last night because of 27 freaking TO's, and yet we still had opportunity to win that game. Stotts need to work them to death now on how to break a full court press, many teams know how to do it and I'm sure we can figure it out as well. We out played the Hornets last night in every category except for that full court press that kicked our behinds in the 3rd and little bit in OT.

Guys lets not get ansy now it was only the 1st game of the season and where we looked bad was on turnovers and we were so careless with the ball. Many teams last night didnt look very good, even the teams that are suppose to be their at the end. Is only one game guys and to me the only improvement that we need is taking care of the ball. Defense is definitely improved.

[Playmaker0017]

Cody,

Reef had 1 TO. 1.

Last year he had under 3.

How does he turn it over too much again?

The issue is and will always be strategy. Even with JT running the offense, we should have had more motion and better set ball than we had.

Boris Diaw had MUCH better court vision while playing than either Vaugn or Terry. That is NOT a good thing.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

JTFan,

And we need to learn how to run an offense. We had NO gameplan.

I loved that we were a running team... but what was our option after that? Stand around and hope that Reef isn't triple teamed?

Play.

[Diesel]

We need better ball handling and PGing. I won't call Reef a waste.

Now I wonder.

What would have been if we would have kept Grob and let JT go?

If we would have drafted a PG like Banks or picked up a guy like Bremer or even Wilks...

I'm willing to bet, things would have been better.

[Diesel]

His court vision was pretty good. He also played hard. He didn't score nothing and he's not a scorer. However, he played hard and showed some heart.

When JT got the ball stolen and Just stood there while Diaw ran down Davis and disrupted his layup, I wanted Stotts to take the C off of JT and put it on Diaw.

However, I was thinking about it... IF this team is still playing the same way come Jan. I expect the new owners to ship Stotts out. According to the broadcast, the new owners are not official yet. However, later this year they will be. If Stotts doesn't have something recognizable going on by Jan.. I hope Fratello gets a call!

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

It is hard for me to want Big Dog, but I would have been happy if we lost BOTH BD and JT.

I think they both were not stellar players.

I would have loved Kenny Anderson instead of JV. Heck, I'd have taken him over JT.

Now we are stuck with JT. I hope he can improve and maybe lead this team. But if yesterday was any indication of his ability to manage the team.... we're doomed.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

Fratello Or Pat Riley.

He's open as well.

My prediction is that Diaw will be starting for Stephen Jackson before the year is out. I think that Diaw will be forced to run the offense, because I think JT wants to defer too much.

I think JT WANTED Jackson to initiate the offense. He kept picking up his dribble and handing the ball off to someone else.

I loved Jackson's heart. I'll give him that. He definately had it over Big Dog there... but his skills aren't in balance with his desire.

Play.

[Diesel]

I'm just thinking... There were a lot of arguments against Big Dog. However, we got rid of the Dog and the team is THE SAME. I wouldn't have said anything if we had lost and not had the exact same problems that we had last year. However, we lost and had the exact same problems as last year.

Let's play the blame game...

New Coach.

NO Big Dog.

New Owners.

New Ball friendlier Jackson.

SAME problems.

How long will we play the process of elimination with this.

Next in the blame game is SAR...

However, we have had these same problems since we have gotten JT. Brutus makes an excellent Point in another thread. JT should be used as scoring off the bench. JT is a great character and has a great attitude but he doesn't do the right things ont he court. Like you, I hope this is temporary.. However, this is year 5 of a novel I have read 4 times... Will the story all the sudden Change??

[Weez]

JT. problem is, he struggles mightily when trying to be both the game saver and play maker. In those tight, must score/end game situations one of two things needs to happen, both working towards putting JT in position to score.

Dion or Diaw needs to be the quote unquote "pg." I'm not sure if Dion's capable of this and I'm not sure if Diaw's ready for this...but that's how it needs to be. JT can hit that shot...he's got the best handles and ability to create his own shot...and can somewhat dish, esp. if SJAx is moving well without the ball (something he showed he can do last night).

[Diesel]

Fretello.

Pat Riley will trade everybody and start a rebuilding process around Theo/Diaw that will take 5 years to complete. JT, REEF, and even Glover are not Defensive players up to Riley's bar.

Fratello on the other hand will fuss, cuss, and discuss in a manner that will get to the root of these players. I don't know how he would handle JT.. But I know he will do something to either help his development or find out the truth...

[Diesel]

One of JT's virtues has been his ability to be clutch. As a SG, he never found any problems delivering the game winning shot.

I think his problem is that his whole world changes. He doesn't know what to do...

Dion came around last night on the last play of regulation in what looked like it should have been a handoff. JT kept the ball and stood there looking silly until the horn blew? He wasn't doing anything in particular.

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

I am with you... I don't think, and have never thought, JT is a capable PG. I was deluding myself early, but by the end of the year --- I said we need to let JT walk.

Jackson, as I stated, and will continue to state, is awful. He is only a modicrum better at ballhanding than Big Dog, but he THINKS he is Jordan. Either than or JT is forcing him to be Jordan by deferring to him.

It is HARD to find fault in JT, because he fills the stat line and he is such a good guy. But, we need to face facts -- he cannot control a team. We bash Reef for him leadership skills... but he is LOADS better than JT.

Did you see JT pout on the bench?! POUTING! Can you imagine Joe Montana pouting? Didn't think so.

He lost control of the team and added to the disarray. He has limited court vision, just look at how Diaw handled the ball. Diaw knew who was open and where they were BEFORE he got the ball. JT holds the ball for 20 seconds and still doesn't know.

Signing JT to 3 years was an awful move.

I hope he proves me wrong. I want to like him.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

Stotts, Riley, Fratello... I don't care... anyone who puts fire in our hearts and forces us to run offensive sets is fine with me.

JT hasn't shown that he can run a set offense. He doesn't know what to do.

The rest of the team has shown that they don't know how to move without the ball.

Maybe Jackson can instill something in the team about movement.

But Reef at the three point line HAS to stop.

Play.

[Diesel]

I think Me, you, Hotlanta, Trace, and Nique can draw up a better gameplan for the Hawks than what we seen last night.

I will give props..

Props to Stotts for creating the quick outs. Utilizing the speed of the Hawks is important. Nazr's lobs were reminiscent of his days at UK. BUT... Floyd countered in the second half by pressuring JT. Something that always have worked for the Hornets. They applied the pressure and next thing you know JT is coughing up the ball, they are slowing our team to a walk up... Dion's not helping bring the ball up court...Diaw's making inbound passes?..... S Jax is bringing the ball up and taking the quick three....Terry is content to allow anybody to bring the ball up. Even Reef and Theo bringing the ball up and Terry doesn't set up anything when he gets the ball back... Reef on the Arc for 3????????

Props to Floyd for establishing some passes to Theo.. But Theo should be just a little closer when he shoots. OUr offense made the game so hard...

[Playmaker0017]

Diesel,

It is quite simple really.

Reef downlow should be the focal point as long as he is on the team.

Then the double... or triple as it was most of the night. Someone cuts....

Easy.

But, what happened last night is they were doubling Reef BEFORE he had the ball. Instead of addressing that with motion... we moved Reef to the top of the arc.

GREAT!

Our best scorer is struggling with his shot and we just made it tougher.

Play.

[swolehawk2]

Well it was obvious to me that thay hadn't spent much time in practice working on full court pressure....because they took the get it up the best way you can approach. Why they didn't run a lot of plays is because the by the time they got in position to run a play the shot clock was [censored] near at 10.

I think all of you are exagerating just a little.

We definately have to work on how to bring the ball up against pressure quicker...but most of our TOs last night did not come in the half court set. Actually we did ok in half court. How does JT get all the blame when they throw the ball in to him he immediately is trapped and everyone stands a watches him or runs to the other side of the court and yells "I'm open"?

[Playmaker0017]

Swole,

JT gets the blame because he didn't change the tempo of the game.

JT gets the blame because he picked up his dribble FAR too often.

JT gets the blame because he was unable to establish a half court set, regardless of the time left.

JT gets the blame because he deferred to others to get the job done and the offense initiated.

JT needed to slow the pace down when we went on a TO spree in the third. Instead, he panicked and picked up the pace. Not good basketball.

Play.

[JTFan31]

Playmaker, Diesel and Hotlanta just make me (us) sick with this hawk bashing. It's only one game and you guys already bashing the Hawks saying that Reef isnt jack, JT cant run the point and Jax shouldnt be starting. Get a grip guys is only 1 FREAKING game that we should of won and we lost that game.

If the Hawks would of won this game, would you guys still be syaing this? No, and I bet you wouldnt. Diesel and Playmake say JT cant run the point and you guys rather have Wilks or Kenny Anderson, hahah was that a joke? JT ran the point well last night except for that 3rd quarter where they were taking the ball out of JT's hands and wanted Jax or Reef to bring the ball down and they got stripped. Other than that 3rd quarter the offense wasnt all that bad, we just missed alot of shots that we usually make.

On the last play of regulation where JT had the ball on top of the key, JT had something going, what messed it up was Dion coming across and brought his man over and disrupted his dribbling. I admitted JT did look kind of bad in some plays on offense, but he is not perfect and not every play works. He is not J. Kidd and will never be like him neither, not many in this league is like Kidd at the point. And what did Davis run the point much better than JT, no he didnt, their offense didnt look all that neither, only thing that was working for them was offensive rebounds and a couple of Davis drives. And yes Davis did drive past JT a couple of times, but JT returned the favor......didnt you see that? I'm sure you did.

So continuing bashing the JT's play that at the end we all will be getting the last laugh.

[Playmaker0017]

JTFan,

You won't get the last laugh if that means making the playoffs.

There is no chance in the brightest spot of Hades that the Hawks have of making the playoffs if this is the sets they will run on offense.

You praise JTs play! There were over 8, I counted 8 times that JT threw the cross-court lob. A slow, easy to intercept pass to Jackson... for no reason. A pathetic pass that they, luckily, did not capitalize on.

Reef had an outstanding game. I won't bash him. His points will come over time... he is out of sync.

Jackson... I never wanted Jackson. He can't dribble and he's worse than dog, because he thinks he can. He cost us the game more than his three pointers helped. He kept turning it over with poor play. It wasn't a "my bad" kind of turnover that was an errant pass... these were TOs of the first degree.

If we won this game, based on continued play from the first quarter... no I would probably not say much other than JT needs to initiate the offense a little more. But, that didn't happen. If we won after the third... I would say JT looked awful at PG, but at least we rebounded from a devestating 3rd. But that didn't happen.

What did happen is the same thing that happens every game.

So, you point to ONE game and say it is ONE game... I point to the TREND and say the TREND continues.

Play.