lethalweapon3

I lol'ed ~lw3

http://blogs.hoopshype.com/blogs/thomas/2010/10/28/my-25-questions-to-begin-the-season/ By season's end, will Etan's Minutes > Etan's Questions? ~lw3

Although I don't agree that Smoove is getting shots for confidence-building's sake (and, oh dear, not to become The Future at SF), you've accurately suggested what I've been insinuating... that Smoove shooting threes like lawn darts is NOT the Big No-No in LD's offensive gameplan that some of us would like to think it is. It is but one shaky quiver in the expanded offensive arsenal that the Hawks will use, at least until Josh amasses PF-style offensive tools (and better FT shooting) worthy of going away from it completely. I also neglected above to note, in addition to being useful away from the basket for screens, that passing is another good option... except that would require him to get the ball and pray he doesn't shoot it, which brings me back to my initial question. After Josh hits his three and starts pounding his chest, was any of the staff on the bench caught biting their tongue, hanging their heads in shame, or grabbing Josh to school him that what he just did was improper? All the vitriol others are directing toward this one player needs to be spread around. They say something about those who keep doing the same things expecting a different result. We eagerly apply that concept to Smoove, but what about those who keep giving him the ball when he's clearly 15+ feet out? ~lw3

Q: At what point do we 'Squawkers get on Smoove's TEAMMATES for repeatedly handing him with the ball anywhere near the 3-point line? The above question is based entirely on the supposition that the concerns of beleaguered Hawks fans regarding Josh's shooting and positioning is remotely equivalent to those of the team and its coaching staff. Nothing I've seen since the preseason started indicates that supposition is true. If I offer the ball to a teammate, who I've played with for at least three seasons, and 85% of the time he takes the ball and does something less-than-desirable with it from a certain distance from the basket, at some point, I start looking to drive, or finding some other passing options. If I'm Horford last night, and I turned to find Shaq parked by his lonesome in the far corner, do I pass him the ball? Of course not. We already know why Shaq would be uncontested out there. Why would the decision with Smoove be any different? Smoove gets no touches beyond ten feet out = he attempts no threes or WTF twos = Hawks fans rest easier. Use the motion offense to deal with the double team until Smoove figures out the only reason he's that far out is to help with screens. ~lw3

He can be a dumbass, sure. But he's OUR dumbass. Love him or love him! Gotta love that block-to-turnover ratio, too! ~lw3

And yet Ron continues to go inside for his offense! After all these years! Such a dumbass! Gosh, if he never learns, his teams will never win a title. Oh, wait... ~lw3

Hear. Hear. ~lw3

What's 19 plus 10? lol ~lw3

We have been repeatedly agreeing on that very point (last season pre-playoffs notwithstanding), departing solely on whether the effort to change that is a lost cause or a work-in-progress (regress?). The bad shots will continue for at least the near future, whether we like it or not. I propose we continue to tear our hair out for pages and pages tilting at windmills for accurate comparisons in the meantime. Darn it, where did I put my Rogaine? ~lw3

And as with Smoove, Ronnie's apologists (in Sacramento, Houston, now LA) also point to the other things he does on one end of the floor (shutdown defender, blah blah) that compensates for his periodic errors on the other. As with Smoove, Artest loves to think he's wide open for jumpers without wondering why. However, where the comparison really ends is, no one has been transitioning Artest to become a vintage Elton Brand with extra hops. As a 3, perimeter shooting must remain in Artest's limited offensive repertoire until he retires. Not the case with Smoove. ~lw3

The accurate comparison is where Teague becomes the blazing fast PG who can make a layup in traffic. We can worry about 3-point shootouts later, let's at least help him compete for H.O.R.S.E.! ~lw3

How are the incarceration rates? ~lw3

We're going in circles on this, but you'll recall in both the Conference Finals and the Finals in crunch time Ron-Ron was on the floor, wildly dribbling out the shot clock and firing up turnaround long-range prayers that had Lakers fans (and Phil) literally in conniptions. Nearly shot them right on out of the playoffs. On the one where he made-up for it with a tip-in at the buzzer, Phil was like, "I love you, Ron! Don't EVER do that crap you pulled again, though!" lol So yes, it's a great comparison because Ron-Ron's flameouts happen on AND off the floor, and they'll continue to happen, except now he's got a ring for his troubles. There's no argument that if Smoove is not the worst perimeter shooter, then we should all shudder to imagine who is. The point is we all act like he (and Drew, and A$G) doesn't know this, like the next post we make listing these craptastically wondrous stats will finally drive the point home. He knows. They do, too. And for the reasons we've already hashed out here, he will be transforming to a stage where he is not a perimeter shooter at all. But that will take more time than you or I would like. And we can all tear our hair out over it in the meantime until we all look like Rick Sund, or just sit back and enjoy the bumpy ride. I choose the latter. ~lw3

Hopefully this team remembers their last trip to the Illadelph... two nights after a Josh tip-in to finally beat dreaded Orlando and keep us in the division hunt, only to play lackluster against a 26-46 Philly team they all thought would have laid down for them. Poor Steve Holman almost quit that day. Regardless of the outcome, let's hope we don't overreact to this game, either. ~lw3

Fine. You say tom-ay-to, I say tom-ah-to. But even Ron Artest's psychiatrist will advise to you that even the most egregious "dumbasses," if you will, win championships with the right personnel on the floor and on the bench. The real question here is how long till he becomes less enough of a dopey donkey on offense to propel this team into championship-caliber contention. Some believe it will just take one (more?) damm-good-talking-to, and voila, like a quick spray of Shot-B-Gone, Smoove becomes the back-to-the-basket post-up All-Star people keep dreaming of. Fine. All praise to (insert deity of choice here) if it works out so quickly. Others believe no amount of (coddling, coaxing, shouting, shoe-pounding-on-the-table, threatening, benching) will ever matter. That's fine, too. So long as everyone understands that Smoove is not going anywhere, save for a trade for the mysterious All-World superstar or "real center" people also keep dreaming of. I'm saying let's not assume that the next big chewing out is the one where Smoove gets it, once and for all eternity. If it ever does happen, it will take longer than one game, one week, or one month for Smoove to play consistently in this system. It may happen. But it won't happen by, like, Monday. I knew to expect a return to long-range shooting during the Memphis preseason game. Smoove was the first one out of the locker room at halftime, he grabs a ball and the first thing he does... is toe the line and loft up is a three (unfortunately, it goes in). Then he's shooting his 2.99'ers at the free scrimmage, with no signs of disdain from the coaching staff, despite a smattering of groans in the stands. The other elephant is the room that compounds this is his FT shooting. Playing close to the basket ensures the Hack-A-Smoove strategy goes back into full effect, as was the case early in the playoffs, and he knows this. The heralded motion offense will come to a halt every time the ball is directed to him in the low post. Rather than the indignities of getting persistently hammered once he touches the ball, having to suck it up to keep from getting T'd up, and then trying not to decapitate mascots and photographers with his bricks from the charity stripe, Smoove will happily resort to the relatively tranquil confines of the 3-point line. Call it what you want, but Smoove is happier shooting 30% of his two-pointers unmolested than 59% of his one-pointers with a scratched eyelid, bruised shoulder, etc. Getting Smoove where he needs to be on the floor consistently will require a significant restoration in his confidence with his FTs. That won't happen by, like, Monday, either. Until then, no matter where he is on the floor in the halfcourt, defenders have no rational need to play him honest. Some of us fans may not be willing to "live with," the extent of Smoove's transformation, but just understand that this franchise is. The hometown product who puts Highlights in the Factory is not going anywhere. The highlights are worth the "dumbass" lowlights, to both the owners and the less-anal fans amongst us who show up to see him play. Sorry. If that's not the ship the A$G was willing to go down with, then they shouldn't have simply tossed one deck chair off the Titanic and rearranged the others. ~lw3

Not the NBA coaches who intended to keep their jobs. Speaking of which, is Woody's resume on Monster.com yet? ~lw3

Hakeem probably should've offered some tips. One season the Dream shot 42% from three! lol But really, they worked on moving Smoove's play from a 3 to "something resembling a 4" (the team's minute-share for Smoove at the 4 jumped from 19% in '06-'07 to 66%; Smoove's share at the 3 went from 43% to 0%). Maybe if we had signed the Dream to the staff instead of paying for Summer Vacation Camp, Smoove would be playing like the 4 we expect instead of the 3.333 that we see now. Of course, we don't have Hakeem money like Orlando does (P.Ewing). Hello, Tyrone Hill! ~lw3

Yep. Starting at the 4 and actually playing like one (instead of "Smoove Forward") are two different things. Hopefully by season's end the twain shall meet. ~lw3

~lw3

First, because this six-year NBA veteran has been groomed over more than four years to play Smoove Forward and not Power Forward. Second, because this six-year NBA veteran knows, regardless of the consequences of his decisions, he's not going anywhere (unless "the bench" counts as somewhere of significance to him). Third, because this six-year NBA veteran's antics on this end of the floor are not playing us out of playoff contention -- not yet anyway. We're pretty much in agreement, excepting our expectations of how quickly Smoove's head softens. It's beyond the "STOP doing THAT" part... it's the "STOP doing THAT AND START doing THIS instead" that will take more time than you or I would like. He really IS learning to do something different. Smoove needs to get comfortable with swift low-post moves and precise high-post passes (on a team not familiar with either in its recent history) in a real-time environment against high-caliber NBA talent (apologies to Josh Powell). If that takes one more regular season game to set in for life, hats off to him! I don't expect it to happen right away, though. That's why I say, let's see where Smoove is in March heading toward the playoffs (Mr. Mora, I'm not talking to you), instead of October. And I'm not certain that the "messages" Drew is issuing to Smoove is equivalent to the one Woody gave him about those 2.9999-point shots. Instead of, "If you vow not to take any stupid shots, I'll shave my eyebrows or something!" I'm guessing it's more like, "If you insist that taking those stupid shots is the best option, we can fix that, but meanwhile, could you at least have the decency to go a step back behind the line?" Choice-wise, Drew is doing a hybrid of (1) and (2), he's living with it, and benching occasionally, with the expectation that he'll see improvement as the season progresses. ~lw3

What They're Saying... http://3sob.com/archives/59-october-2010/1197-ups-and-downs-grizzlies-v-hawks-opening-night ~lw3

I like when the ol' Razorback snares a dunk, too. It's like seeing a pig fly. ~lw3

Smoove 'n Larry will have their tete-a-tetes for a little while, but let's see if Smoove's offensive positioning and decision-making has evolved into something resembling a PF by mid-season. No reason to rush things. Actually, I suspect Smoove shooting 2.999-pointers is not as verboten under Larryball as it was under Woodyball last year. I expect he'll get one or two looks per game, usually after the initially designed play has broken down. If he improves his instinct to look for cutters before going up for the shot it will help matters, as will the other Hawks crashing the boards for the likely offensive-rebounding opportunity. ~lw3

18, 8, and 3 season-long averages would leave me feeling verklempt. (Talk amongst yourselves!) There's no reason why he can't become the second-leading scorer on this squad, with this offense, if he applies himself. It's awfully good to see him trying. ~lw3

Never mind "overreacting," I'm just glad to see people "reacting" when it's not a loss. ~lw3