Crank

This is a game where you have to make sure you take advantage of matchups when they come your way .

Who will the magic start at PF Barnes or Bass against Smoove

Jason williams vs teague

Crawford vs JJ redick

Marvin vs Pietrus

I think the one thing I am looking forward to is how well we rebound against this team as it will also be a good indicator for games against Clevland Boston too.

I think any discussion of Teague starting is way, way too premature. I'm not even giving that a thought.

What I want to see in terms of developing Teague is a consistent role with the team and none of this: 8 min, DNP-CD, 20 min, 7 min, DNP-CD, 13 min, etc. pattern we have seen in the past with Law. He should have clear expectations for what his role will be game in and game out. I don't believe in force feeding him big minutes, but I do believe in giving him a minimum of a small consistent role to develop because we need him both this year and long-term.

Yeah I see him starting out with 15 mpg and then having it go up or down from there depending on how well hes playing .I think first we have to remember that its only preseason and that when the regular season starts he may not get a call at all.I think he will be allowed to play more of a scoring role beside Crawford the first couple of games and if he does well Woody will give him a shot on the road trip .However if he struggles against The pacers and Wizards I think Woody increases Crawfords and Evans minutes on that road trip. Preseason to regular season for rookie scoring guards is always tricky .

Crawford missed all 5 of his jumpshots, but he made up for it big time with 9 assists. This is what I was talking about last week, in which I said that I hope he sees what Gilbert Arenas was doing this preseason. Arenas was trying to be more of a playmaker than a scorer so far this year ( that'll probably change because of the Jamison injury ).

If Crawford's shot isn't going, this is exactly how I wat him to play. If he plays smart, and doesn't take all of those bad shots when ice cold, that he's known for, then I won't have many complaints about JC this season.

Friday night's game vs Orlando will be interesting. With it being an ESPN2 national TV game, both teams may take the game a little more serious.

But that is how Crawford has played the past few years. He tried to play the same way at GS and I posted an article about it where Nelson is basically forcing him to shoot. He hasnt been on a team in quite a while where his top priority wasnt looking to score. Even on GS with all those scorers nelson was still pushing him to shoot more . I even read something where Crawford and Corey Maggette got into argument while Crawford was playing pg because someone on the Warriors was having a great start to the game (Jackson I think) and they were getting him the ball and in control of the game and then Maggette comes in and immediately starts shooting with no regard for who was hot when he came in the game.

From talking with a couple of knicks fans they say Crawford is notorious for not having his shooting stroke in the preseason but then comes out on fire when the season starts .

I think Crawford really is gonna help Teague because when he's on the floor with Crawford he doesnt have to run the club as much which will take a lot of pressure off of him . This will allow Teague to get more minutes than he would normally get if Woody was dependent upon him solely running the club.

I would say this is all by design , its the best way to get Teague,Siler and a few other some quality evaluation time . I guarantee that Crawford and Joe get plenty of minutes the final 3-4 games . That is when you start putting together your rotation for the regular season. You almost never see 30+ yr old bigmen playing a ton in the preseason unless they are out of shape as well. .

Nice to hear but as Ive said before from his background this is Crawfords first team that hes been on that isnt in absolute chaos .From nutty players (Marbury and Stephen jackson) to coaches and management issues (Isiah and Nelson) . Just to be able to come in and fill in the blanks and not have the teams goals be anything other than winning games. After being in NY and GS I wouldnt be surprised if the guy cried after he found out he was traded to us .

This is his chance to shutup Hollinger and a whole bunch of people and not only that work on that final contract and he doesnt have to do any of that with scoring .Thats not a bad position to be in .

Glad to hear Crawfords ready to do what it takes now lets hope for a healthy and productive camp and preseason for everyone to get the meshing underway.

This is why stat geeks should only use stats and stop trying to give actual basketball analysis

Crawford is a better player than Murray if you're comparing careers, but he'll be hard-pressed to match the season Murray put together a year ago.

Flip

24.7 mpg

12 ppg

2 apg

1 rpg

44% fg

36% 3fg

all I gotta say is lol

I am sure he understands that, since he is much older now, he is not in a position to whine anymore.

We need both Mo and Stackhouse. Whoever plays and matches up better will get those backup minutes.

The thing with Stackhouse is if JJ or Marvin gets injured, we will still have that extra scorer.

That was just a season or so ago. Think about it do you really think that if Stack was visiting all these teams and saying he doesnt care how many minutes he plays that he is willing to work with the younger guys etc that he wouldnt have already have been locked up by a contender for the minimum ?

Stack is looking for big minutes and I doubt the offseason has changed his mind . Just last year at the start of camp he was saying he wasnt a bit player and he f could still start and play big minutes so he was gonna go and find a situation to do just that .

Mo is not even gonna play 20 mpg on most nights and I just dont think Stack is ready for that . If he said he was willing to accept that I would be all for adding him but hes given no indication of that.

As for an extra scorer we already have picked up Crawford and I feel we need the defense and intangibles of Mo off that bench more than the scoring of Stack

Crawford,MO,Joe Smith,Zaza will anchor that second unit and I havent even mentioned Teague because hes a rookie who didnt even have SL so Im in a wait and see approach with him .

How do you know most teams have passed?

Guys make decisions. Because you do not hear a thing, does not mean there is no noise.

Stacks has been "off the bench". He knows what time it is.

Stackhouse would get minutes here. He is still better than Marvin RIGHT NOW. So you know he would have Some from Marvin and all from Mo.

because training camp starts next week and hes not signed .

Hes had workouts with quite a few teams but still is not signed

stackhouse unhappy with playing time

I dont where you got this information that Stack knows the deal . Go ask Mavs fans and they will tell you that Stack whined to Avery Johnson for minutes and it then didnt deliver . Carlisle then took over and made Terry the sixth man and Stacks minutes were gone but it didnt matter because for the second year in a row he was plagued with nagging injuries. He is on the decline but still thinks hes has it but when you factor in his nagging injuries that he always seems to suffer . You just cant offer him big minutes and thats what he wants .

I loved Stacks game and I saw someone post his scoring average from that year with the Pistons but people forget that he was considered the most selfish player in the league because of his play at the time . Hes not ready to accept the role that a 34yr old guard accepts on a young playoff team .

He is not better than Marvin and he wont be satisfied with the <20 minutes or so Mo would receive.

It wouldn't surprise me if he did. I agree. I don't see the downside of signing a vet like him....

The downside is does he still think its 2001 ? Again its all about where his head because he basically didnt play last year . If he was willing to play a role no matter how small he would be on a contender like Cleveland for the min but they know Stack has a rep when it comes to his minutes and his shots and most teams have passed.the fact that hes still out there this late in the summer should b raising all types of flags .

Hes given no indication that hes ready to be a Derrick Fisher,Michael Finley or a Joe Smith and thats why hes still out there .

I like Stack but Im not sure how he would handle the dnp-cd . Is he ready to handle it ? I think that plays a big part in why no contenders have been all over him . If he is still expecting his 30 minutes a night than I would pass.

You said it yourself right there. They never lived up to the billing so Crawford had to step up. We have proven guys already in Joe, Bibby etc that can already be the focus of the offense. Crawford does not need to be the man here. He just needs to fit in and play his role. A role that is perfect for him.

I agree totally I just thought it odd that they skipped over the higher paid players who failed them and then blame Crawford not saving their franchises. With us his role will be established and that can only help him as he doesnt have to carry us, just do his part.

The big difference for Crawford is that he is not the main focus of the offense. He is a guy who comes off the bench for us.

His role will be much different here then it was at NY or GS.

He is our microwave who will come in and score.

But even on those teams he was never the main guy . Each of those organizations had guys that designated as the man who just never lived up to the billing . Crawford was never the main guy for GS or NY each of those teams chose players over the years that never lived upto the status they were given

NY- Marbury and Eddy Curry , Steve Francis , Zach Randolph

The warriors signed monta Ellis and Biedrens sp? to over 60 million ,then signed Maggette to a 5 year 50 million deal and then extended jackson .

I dont think Crawford was ever regarded as the man on any of those teams he just happened to be the only guy that isnt feuding with the coach or falling to pieces.

they are basically trying to give him more credit for more juice than what he had instead of just admitting to mistakes in who they chose to build around .

Its like the Spurs you know they live and die with TD and you expect Parker and Manu to help Duncan but you know going in that without Duncan that either of those guys by themselves would not be able to take the team far .

A Knicks fan just commented on Crawford (in the same ajc blog):

As someone who watched every game Jamal Crawford played for the Knicks, and someone who has absolutely no malice towards the Hawks (all the while recognizing that players do change sometimes), allow me to fill you in on what you’re probably getting.

Crawford will come to training camp and say all the right things about playing hard, playing smart, doing what the coach asks, accepting whatever role is given to him, just coming to fit in, etc.

Then when the lights come on, you’ll get a tremendously gifted scorer who is streaky, forces way too many shots, shoots a low percentage, can pass a little and plays no defense whatsoever.

Part of the problem in NY is that he played for Isiah Thomas, who basically just rolled the ball out and let his scorers do as they pleased. The end-of-game strategy consisted of nothing more than handing the ball to Crawford for some shake-and-bake followed by an off-balance 25-footer with a hand in his face. He’ll even make them occasionally.

The Bulls got rid of him because he was too wild, the Knicks got rid of him because he makes too much money for too long, and can’t catch and shoot (he absolutely must dribble thru his legs 2-3 times and take a few baby steps while palming the ball before launcing the J, and pouted when D’Antoni’s system didn’t call for that) and even a freestyler like Don Nelson had no use for him.

On the other hand, I always thought his best year – though not statistically – was the year Larry Brown coached the Knicks. He actually played with some intelligence that year, didn’t force as many shots, and even got into a defensive stance a time or two. So maybe he is coachable in the right situation.

I say beware a guy this skilled who is on his 4th team before his 30th birthday – all via trade – and has never been on a playoff team. If he plays a role any bigger than the one Flip Murray had, that might not be a good thing.

I hope I’m wrong.

I saw Marbury who was making 20 million and was the FRANCHISE player crying on youtube last week and eating vaseline . They should be paying Crawford punitive damages for playing there

So often during his career, nobody ever knew what made MJ tick. It's very smug of us to recognize his greatness on the floor and think that he comes from the same place as the rest of us do? Him being so great was a byproduct of the very same mindset that we curse now. That mind set is reserved for the David Robinson's who will get up and thank their high school coach for the opportunity. Jordan thanked the guys who motivated him by standing in his way. That's what got him there. I don't think he's the only guy like that..

I see a lot of MJ in Brett Farve. Guys that lived for the competition. That would play until they were 50 if you let them. You can put a suit on him, keep him away from the Mics and tell him how to sound humble when he does speak.. but I think HOF gave us a chance to hear from the real MJ. Instead of being critical, let's just be accepting that this is who he is.. and you know retirement is killing him.

Yep I loved the speech it shows exactly why he was the best . He took things that most people would be perfectly fine with and used it as motivation. I think MJ holds everyone he mentioned besides Krause in the highest regard . The average joe got a glimpse of what created MJ and they turned away shocked as they still think of the smile and the gatorade commercial. The one thing I did notice that kinda shocked me ws that he didnt mention his ex wife. She was at home with the kids taking care of the house while he was out winning titles and gave him great kids I thought he would at least say thanks .

Also I think people forget that MJ's been a HOF player for over 15 years .This is the end of the road so it has to be hard being the alpha male of your generation basically in sports and seeing the book officially closed .

Pretty interesting take. One interesting tidbit that he left out from that Bulls team he had #3 why didnt he mention that team already had Brand and Artest as well. Also that Clippers team had Lamar Odom on it.

Could we please stop trying to send marv to the bench. Josh at sf is just dumb, there is nothing we have done this offseason that remotely gives us the option of changing our starting lineup. We added some much needed depth but that's it, our lineup is what it is.

Why are so many so hung on on if Marv starts or not .I didnt say anything about him getting fewer minutes .

How is Josh at SF dumb considering we start out with bigger lineup much more capable of banging with the other team starters and then we open the game up with Crawford and Marvin off the bench . This isnt only about the regular season only its about creating a solid halfcourt offense that doesnt involve only Iso Joe .

The funny part is I said Zaza would play under 20 minutes so in essence no starter would be losing their minutes ,its just rearranging the lineup to help balance out the overall team . Early on basically the first month we play a ton of size I think this would be a great opportunity to slide AL to PF and check out his development on the block.

We cant go into the playoffs with the same philosophy as last year and we have to be able to tryout and test different lineups while the games are for real to better prepare the team for the playoffs

Nice low flash high substance signing .

I think this opens up the door for us to move Zaza back to the starting lineup

Zaza

Al

Josh

Joe

Mike

second unit

Collins

Smith

Marvin

Evans

Crawford

everyone in red I expect to play 20 mpg or less and will be in a rotation that revolves around the core 6

After Lebrons interview where he talks about loyalty to Akron I expect the Cavs to bomb and fall out of the top 3 . I just dont see how he is gonna keep his team focused when hes talking about maybe leaving. If they struggle coming out of the gate I expect a collapse .

The Celts are gonna regroup Im just not sure that at this stage of their careers that the Big 3 can maintain the pace and make it through full season. All of them are 30+ and were major minute players for years its gonna start to take its toll.

The Magic are gonna be good but theyve changed a lot about their team .Im always leery about teams with new found success changing their core so soon.

With the moves teams in the east have made its gonna be an interesting year and I wouldnt be surprised to see a conference where not a lot of games separate teams 1-8 in the win column

I think everyone is waay too focused on Crawfords scoring . Hes a better scorer,playmaker , and player than Flip PERIOD though and there really is no comparison.

However I think he will be big for us because he gives us another playmaker a guy that can create his own shot but also has the ability to create a shot for others . Every player has their strengths and weaknesses and Crawford is no different but hes been at the top of other teams scouting reports throughout his career so his role is gonna be as pseudo starter moreso than limited minute 6th man . He has a proven ability to close out games ,gets to the line in the 4th quarter a ton and can create ,take ,and make the big shot so I think he will definitely help us in close ball games.

I think the bigger area of concern is the countering the slow starts when we are turning the ball over and chucking like crazy and someone manage to be down by a basket or two at the end of first. If we take better care of the ball and come out a little bit sharper we havea chance to have some nice leads which will lead to easier wins and fewer close games and more rest for the starters overall.

I chose Al although I think Crawford will deliver as expected but AL will take that next step and that we end up with 3 all stars JJ,AL ,and Crawford

Sorry Jerry, but losing for that long will have a profound affect on him. Hopefully he doesn't contaminate our locker room. As for Larry Brown's praise, it seems like smoke to me. There's no way he would take a liking to a defender as poor.

For once, Hollinger is dead on with his analysis of a player. I'm still waiting for him to come up with a Defensive PER matrix that would ban Steve Nash from the league and void his MVP awards.

contaminate the locker room ? Jamal Crawford ? Those larry brown comments are pretty telling its pretty high praise coming from him . I posted an article awhile back in which Nelson said similar things in terms of how he wanted the team to share the ball more so Crawford was passing up shots top get others involved and they ended up begging him to shoot more.

I think Crawford is fine with a good team defense like Brown stresses but a team like the Warriors he would look horrible because Don nelson switches everything even guards and centers in hopes of creating that mismatch.

The criticism is valid but the issues they are talking about could be coached? Or at least it is possible, depending up on the coach. I agree tha Joe Smith would help. Both these guys need to realize that it's time to grow up and put the team before their stats.

Im still waiting on any actual evidence that these two are all about stats . I know smoove has always been a team player although a little temperamental at times and Ive yet to find anything about Crawford that says he wasnt a team player .I even read some warriors stuff where they were surprised that when Crawford went back to-play the knicks for the first time that the knicks played a video tribute to him. he seems to be a stand up likable guy who does whatever the coaches ask. he seems to be a pretty well respected player around the league to me.

Whoever did those rankings needs to be pencil whipped .

No WAY there is NO WAY that a 19 win team overtakes a 47 win team in the rankings without adding an all star or two . They question our leadership but somehow forget what happened to the Wizards the last time they made the playoffs and faced Lebron ? and the ultimate WTH is this guy thinking slap in the face to the Hawks is that a team who in their own poll they have as 29th defensive somehow overtake a team they have 13th in defense without adding one good defensive player ?

My team are the knicks sir and you being a hawks fan I encourage you not to be so hopeful and say things like "we almost beat them." Yeah and so did Chicago last year and Miami to the Hawks last season. I never understood why people used "almost" in sports to make themselves feel more secure with their team.

1. That was 2 yrs ago and Boston's 1st year playing together

2. Rondo and Big Baby are much better

3. They have a veteran Rasheed Wallace who has countless post-season experience

And I'm trying to be as realistic as possible. I don't come come here and bash them. I'm simply comparing the hawks line-up to the top 3 and in reality they do not match up well. And if you noticed in the NBA playoffs, it's all about match-ups. LOL it's not like the NCAA where a #6 seed team can get hot at the end of the season and carry it through the whole tournament. If you read my other posts I'm actually rooting for the hawks to go deep in the playoffs because I live here now and I'd like to see a playoff game. Something I haven't gotten from my own team...I can't stand Boston and Cleveland, but they are what they are...Better than the hawks. If playoffs started today, could you as a hawks fan confidently say we gonna beat Boston, Cleveland, or Orlando in 6? Other the other hand the big 3 fan w/o any hesitation probably wouldn't be too worried about the Hawks because they know what pieces they have on their team...Hawks fan are more like, "let's hope woody does this" or "lets hope josh stay within his game", "lets hope bibby's jumper is on", "lets hope joe can get it going." Reality vs hoping

So wait why Rondo and Big bay are much better but none of the Hawks players have improved ?

Why do we have to say we are gonna be that them in 6 ? why cant it be 7 ?

Im sure the Cavs thought they would beat Orlando with homecourt didnt they but they lost in 6 . Its a reason why they play the games . To admit defeat before even playing game is a losers mentality . Any of the top 4 seeds can beat each other in a 7 game series it really becomes a matter of who is playing there best ball at the time the series occurs .If we are playing our best ball we can beat any of those teams . Its no different in the west with Por,La,SA,and Den any of those teams can beat each when they are playing their best ball and thats not hoping vs reality thats just the reality. You are talking as though we are an 8th seed who made it in on a tie breaker or something . Our expectations of growth are in no way abnormal and should be expected of a young team growing while making the playoffs .