Where is J-Smooth?

[NYHawk]

Anyone know why Josh Smith got zero PT against the Wolves?

[Wretch]

And because the young guy has to earn the PT. It's just the way it is in the NBA; especially with these guys coming right out of HS. I mean...think about it. HS straight to the pros.

[Plainview1981]

Yeah, we wouldn't want them to try and improve during

the preseason. They should be playing in the preseason.

The regular season might be different.... But that"They

got to earn their time" in a exbition game doesn't hold

water.

[Weez]

on a completely new team, with many players who have never played with each other, or this coach...I think playing games like they're the regular season is the right philosophy. JSmith will get his minutes, his burn...but Woodson's also got to figure out the best lineups right now.

The first 20 games or so of the regular season could be used for this...but it could cost you a couple of wins...which, if in a hunt towards the end of the season, can really come back to haunt you.

[Plainview1981]

This team isn't winning anything this year. Sorry,

it just isn't happening.... They're is no excuse

to keep playing Anderson/Willis/Barry who could all

three be retired next year so much in PRESEASON games

when you could use the time to develop young players.

[emeans]

I totally agree with Hotlanta. Josh Smith should be getting minutes in pre-season. How has Josh Childress earned minutes and Josh Smith haven't when Josh Childress is terrible right now? How can you develop effective rotations when you haven't even played Josh to see if he fits into some of those rotations.

I hope Woodson doesn't have something personal against Josh Smith. Every word that has come out of his mouth about Josh seems to be leaning toward the negative side. The guy always proves himself when he is given the opportunity. If Josh Childress is getting opportunity, then Josh Smith (Who was the MVP of this team in the Summer League) should get minutes. He is getting less minutes than Donte and Ivey? Go figure this is preseason not the regular season!!!

[CBAreject]

[JB20]

Gotta remember that Woodson is a Larry Brown disciple. Meaning that if Smith isn't willing to learn every single detail, play balls out all the time, and play like a vet (which Childress is...somewhat...playing three years in college and being pretty seasoned).

Woodson is a great developer of guys (look at Ben Wallace on offense, his shot went from crap to looking somewhat good...although his FT shooting is still an adventure...by the end of the season). He worked with Tayshaun Prince and Darko quite a bit, too.

[Plainview1981]

Ben Wallace shot 42.1% last year. I wouldn't call that

much of an improvement. Ben Wallace took a career high

in shots... But taht doesn't make him a better offensive

player than he was. Even the worst of offense players

is going to make some if they shoot enough.

Quote:

---

(which Childress is...somewhat...playing three years in college and being pretty seasoned).

---

He from what it seems like he sucks... So why is he

playing more than the other rookies if he isn't very

good? He might even better another Dermarr Johnson

for all we know.

Kevin Willis is a nice guy and I'm glad to have him

back because he will get to finish where he started.

But he doesn't have the skills anymore to show young

players much of anything ON COURT.

If these guys aren't giving their all you can look right

back to Billy Knight and asked him why he made these

draft picks.

[Brxa]

Regarding Ben Wallace..he did improve his shooting. Stats are deciving.

His percentages were better before were higher because he never shot the ball, only dunked and put back from rebounds, and scored layups.

This year LB asked him to shoot more this year and thus the shot attempts are up. He still isn't a great shooter. But if u watch pistons games u will see him knock down some perimiter shots, and that is a definite improvement over the last few years when he would be shooting air balls from same spots.

[Plainview1981]

Yeah, he probably can make 3 out of 10 jumpshots instead

of 1 out of 10

Regardless, Ben is a vet player.. What young players have

Woodson helped? I still haven't seen a good reason why

Kevin Willis is playing minutes in the Preseason and

Josh Smith isn't.

[Wretch]

If it weren't true, then Smooth would have seen more than 3 minutes and a DNP through 8 quarters of preaseaon play.

Woodson is coaching this team to win. That's what I've been hearing in his comments and echoed by the players. Guys will have to earn time. Whether it holds water or not makes no difference. The young guys will only get opportunity when and if they earn it.

So...Barry's gettin' heavy minutes at off guard and Harrington will log 30+ at the 3. If Crawford hadn't gone down, I would have expected Smooth to get his 5 - 10 minutes a night plus garbage time.

Again, not that I agree with it...because I think we should be in full rebuild mode - which means let the young guys play. I gather from what I've heard and the games that have been played that Woodson is trying to get this team closer to .500 sooner than later.

[Plainview1981]

Then I would say he might be the wrong coach for this

team. He might have been better for a team like New

Orleans or Boston/NY or something like that. Even if

the team got 8th seed it wouldn't mean a thing because

nobody would care? They gunna even hold their own againest

Indiana or Detroit? Not very likely. This is the type

of franchise that can't afford to push mediocre vet players

like Willis/Barry/Anderson just to have a .500 season

that nobody will care about next year.

I can understand the arguement about regular season

games and forcing players to earn time in meaningful

games. These exibition games aren't meaningful. They

are to help rebuilding teams gain experience. What

more is Kenny Anderson and Kevin WIllis going to

learn in these games they don't already know?

I know you are saying you don't agree with it. It

just doesn't make sense to me. A 37 year old Kenny

Anderson and a 43 year old Kevin Willis aren;t going

to win or Really help you win games at this point.

[pathway23]

Kenny is 34, Kevin is 42...and I don't understand your logic. This team needs to turn around its attitude immediately, the fans in Atlanta are starving for wins. The only way ATL can hit the Free Agent market hard next year with the money it has to spend and have those free agents even give them the time of day is by winning this year...I would love it if this team finished 41-41 or better this year and made the 8th spot. It would be good for the team in the offseason....Sure it would mess up where we pick in the draft, but I'm not scared of where we pick in the draft AT ALL with Knight pulling the strings on the selections.

[emeans]

Quote:

---

Woodson is coaching this team to win. That's what I've been hearing in his comments and echoed by the players. Guys will have to earn time. Whether it holds water or not makes no difference. The young guys will only get opportunity when and if they earn it.

---

So he is coaching to win with Josh Childress playing heavy minutes and doing terrible???

He is coaching to win yet he sits his best rookie defensively and offensively on the bench the entire game???

Josh Childress, Donte Smith and Royal Ivey have earned time and Josh Smith hasn't?? Explain that one.

Josh Smith has proven he can play better than all three of those guys....period!!! But he can't get off the bench in PRESEASON and they can??

That makes absolutely no sense to me. It doesn't add up.

Josh Smith based on his Summer League play has earned some time off the pine at least in preseason!!!

Preseason games don't count....play all of your rookies and see what they can do.

When Josh Smith came in the game for a minute a so at the end of the game, he immediately showed what he can do with a highlight alley-oop slam.

[Weez]

it's be rightfully said that this city is in need of wins. even preseason gets some press...wins help the fan base.

KA played well the past two games, Willis too...do you want the HS rookie who's had his motivation and desire to feel as if his spot was guaranteed?

more importantly...think about this: the Hawks, a perennial league pushover of late, could definitely use a little respect from teams. We beat them in preseason...no, it doesn't carry the weight of a reg. season win...but KG still played 30 minutes last night, other starters close to that...if we play them tough now, we get a measure of respect, with a new team and coach, that we haven't had in previous years.

for the Hawks, every game counts, including preseason.

[Wretch]

Still, I'm preparing for MANY nights sitting in front of the TV waiting for the young guys to get on the court. I gather Woodson is going to be leaning on the vets and more experienced players pretty hard.

I'll say this though...

If we start winning...I mean not like kickin' ass or anything, just winning consistently with the vets in the lineup, I suspect we'll see ALOT more of what we've seen the 1st two games.

[Wretch]

Who knows. I mean, this is only the preseason. On the flipside though, you don't want these kids so jacked up for PT that when they finally do get on the court they are trying to do too much. Y'know?

People want to see Smooth catching lobs and throwing 'em down. People want to see what the future holds for Childress. The fans want to see that stuff too...

I'm concerned about the image, but that's not going to change over-night. We have to produce on the court, but the guys that are producing now might not be around in a few years. The future is in the hands of the young guys...

[Wretch]

You gotta have something to explain Smooth's brief garbage time in the season opener and that fat DNP against the Wolves. Barry's gettin' a good chunk of time at the 2...more that Chill in fact. You also have to remember that Chill is a polished collegiate

As for Ivey and Donta, they got a combined 9 minutes in the 1st game, and DNP to the 2nd power in the next.

[Plainview1981]

This team needs to turn around its attitude immediately, the fans in Atlanta are starving for wins. The only way ATL can hit the Free Agent market hard next year with the money it has to spend and have those free agents even give them the time of day is by winning this year...I would love it if this team finished 41-41 or better this year and made the 8th spot."

You think a 41-41 season is going to get the fans excited?

C'mon, you know better than that. We are talking about

the preason here. Winning preseason doesn't mean jack. If

you win all the preseason games and start out 0-5 those

preseason wins mean nothing. YOu aren't going to win games

with Kenny Anderson/John Barry and Jason Collier starting

anyway. These guys are not starters.