thesheedera

Brings up another question that doesn't get much air time here. How can BK and Woody possibly be on the same page? They seem very loyal to each other, but they don't seem to see eye to eye on personnel at all. We have a lot of money and spent picks tied up into Shelden and Acie but they don't get the run. Zaza's spent a lot of time on the bench as well, and Salim and Solo are two guys that I would think BK looks to as draft pick steals. A busted pick's a busted pick, but surely some of these guys should be getting more burn. It just seems to me that their on different pages when it comes to talent, but you never hear anything about any tension there if it exists.

Quote: Quote: The question then, is this satisfying to anyone? Speaking for me personally: (a) As of the day the playoff matchups are announced, it is satisfying without qualification in a year where our lottery pick is already gone; (b) As of next season, just how satisfying is a matter of how we look when we get there. The Thrashers are the perfect example of (b). I sort of agree, but will add that I won't be too satisfied if we limp into the playoffs with a record several games under .500. The scenarios that satisfy me: - .500 (or close to it) and higher - playoff berth - giving the Suns as high (in numbers, not high as in close to #1) a pick as possible The scenario that I get more than satisfied with, let's say "proud of": - competitive first round series, take it to 6 or 7 games The scenario that would thrill me beyond expectations: - winning the first series

Quote: Actually, you raised asked a reasonable question and the answer to your question COULD be "yes." MAYBE JJ IS too heavy to chase SGs around all game. Remember when Kobe bulked up and started getting injured? The next season, he came in 20 lbs lighter and he has been healthier since. I don't know if JJ needs to lose weight or not but if he doesn't, maybe Woody needs to spread the load out by letting Chillz, Marv and Smoove spend more time guarding the other teams' better perimeter players. My thought is that if he's gonna stay a little thick, post up every chance you get. I'd choose a JJ iso on the block over a JJ iso 30 feet out in any clutch situation of the week.

Quote: Quote: Does Woody not think that the team can function without Joe in the lineup for an extensive amount of time. I mean whenever we have big leads that is the time to let Salim and Mario get some minutes. He is going to run Joe into the ground and he will need the same guys to step up when Joe is hurt. There is no need for him to play 40+ minutes a night. It is starting to affecting his play. IS Woody trying to save his job on JJ's back. There's no question that is what he's trying to do, although it can back fire if JJ went down. Woody is just an ***... when you have big leads... sit JJ you **** so if you need him again, he can be fresh off the oven. And there's no need for wholesale substitutions to keep guys fresh. One at a time is just fine so we don't have several minutes on the floor with overwhelmed players.

Quote: Quote: The running game that had worked for us.. had become a memory. The scorers who we were counting on, had become spectators in the JJ show. I agree. I don't understand why we don't keep doing what worked in the first half. Every time we have a lead in the second half we play not to lose. I'd rather have any coach in college basketball's major conferences coach this team over the last 5 minutes of games than Woodson. I'd rather have the players coach themselves over the course of the last 5 minutes of games. I'd rather see complete streetball than have Woodson directing this squad in the clutch. I can't recall a single time (granted, off the top f my head and while still reeling from that loss) I went away from watching a game thinking that our team had outcoached the other team.

Quote: I think if more fans weren't so "understanding" we'd be a hell-of-a-lot better off. W I'm pretty certain that there's not a dang thing I could possibly do as a fan to affect some kind of change within this franchise, but if there were somthing I could be doing, I would be the first to get up and go do it. It's so bad that Woodson and BK aren't even discussed much as being on the hotseat. I mean, that's nearly an impossible task, but because our ownership is so far beyond screwed up it seems normal to us now. I don't have any hope at all for a managerial or coaching change until the ownership is finalized 100%. Until that happens we're barely treading water.

Quote: It is also that they stop passing the ball in the half court sets. They just keep running iso's over and over and that is on Woodson. DING DING DING

Rudy got more starts and more minutes in each of his first two seasons. So essentially your argument is that Marvin's had more opportunity because Rudy chose to withdraw from the draft as his stock plummetted amidts concerns over his heart and dedication.

Just as a side not - I thought AJ did an excellent job pushing the tempo last night.

But we still could have - and should have - won even with him shooting poorly tonight. We had the game in our hands. Everything was fine until we just handed it all over to him. When I say he had a bad game, what I'm referring to is the bad shots and turnovers and getting burned on D as the game winded down. I don't mind 38% as long as you're not dribbling off your leg with the game on the line. Had we not put the whole thing in his hands, we would have won despite his poor shooting on the evening. So I put this on Woody as much or more than JJ. We should have won in spite of JJ.

Something about this loss really upsets me as well. This would have been such a great win on the road, and we had it, and we just let it go. Times like these that I find a lto of comfort in the fact that this is just a dumb game over which I have no control whatsoever, and that there's a million things more important in life than who won the matchup in Portland tonight. G'night squawk.

...from our pgs tonight, yet they aren't allowed/trusted to touch the ball in the halcourt for the final minutes of the game. Northcyde's right, the defense was the biggest reason for our lead, but the biggest offensive reason was that we were moving the ball and playing like a team. We get away from that and we lose the game. This meltdown has as much to do with the lack of coaching as it does with JJ having a bad night.

Quote: I WANT A FIRING OR TRADE TOMORROW OR I AM READY TO MAIL IT IN you know where the door is

Quote: 12 million a year? His LIFE ain't worth 12 million dollars. you are a humongous joke

You have to actually call a play to be the worst at it.

we completely abandon what worked all game (ball movement and forcing the tempo) just like we always do, and let the game be decided by a one man show for the last few minutes many times that works, but there's no reason for it we didn't have a single play that looked planned in the last 3 or 4 minutes

Quote: Thank you for your service to our country and allowing me to sleep at night without fear. AMEN

Quote: oooooooo . . nice alley from AJ to Marvin. Portland went to zone, and that was wide open. And definitely looked like a set play coming out of the TO. A nice change from the typical routine.

Quote: Blake is a good passng PG, but a notoriously streaky shooter. Tonight, he's definitely off. Man the Hawks defense looks great tonight. Very solid and active D, and 16 assists in the first half. Now we gotta sustain the runs that you gotta expect from the Blazers in the 2nd half. LOVE seeing Al hit that jumper.

Please explain how Marvin has been given more of an opportunity than Rudy Gay? Rudy got more starts and more minutes in each of his first two seasons. Gay's biggest critics have always questioned his heart, oddly enough. Do you really think his 3 ppg more than Marvin is significant enough to deem him superior? They're two months apart and have almost identical numbers other than Gay's extra 3 ppg.

I don't really see a whole lot of ass kissing from last night or today. You know there's space between kissing ass and hating on a player. It's actually a very wide spectrum.

Silver lining - if we're in a downward spiral it COULD lead to a new coach. Not that A) I think this is all Woody's fault, or B) I think we can secure a decent new coach with our ownership situation... ...but...a new coach would at the very least infuse new energy into this listless franchise, and might give the players enough motivation to prove that they haven't been the problem (even if they have been). Woody set the bar with the playoffs this season. Anything short of that and he can't possibly be kept around.

Quote: why do we keep talking about replacing smooth with al at the 4 spot. smooth is one of the top power forwards in the nba. many think he should be a allstar this year. it is not his play as a small forward. If you can get a REAL center it wouldn't hurt the team AT ALL to move Horford to his natural NBA position at the 4. If you keep Marvin and Smith, either 1 - Marvin comes off the bench and can spell either Josh or Al. If he spells Josh, he plays SF with Al at the 4. If he spells Al, Josh slides to the 4, but Marvin and Josh play as they have been - a two forward tandem. 2 - Josh comes off the bench and can spell weither one, easily sliding into either position. If you keep Childress and Smith, the same can basically happen but he's less help defending a team with two strong post players at forward. Either a three forward rotation of Al, Josh and Marvin or Al, Josh and Childress would be incredible alongside a legit center. There are NO problems with those scenarios - at all. While Josh isn't as consistent with the J as Marvin is, you don't HAVE to have a jumpshooter at SF. You can have a slasher or a guy that posts other SFs up.

I haven't been around as much lately but I don't see anyone getting down on Horford, other than the minority of posters who were skeptical to begin with or just jump from hating one player to another. Personally I rank our team like this: 10 being untradeable, 1 being worthless. And this is gut-reaction, not much thought put into it. 8.5 - JJ - almost untouchable but for a All NBA kind of guy he's on the block 8 - Horford & Smith - only trade for absolute studs, difficult to upgrade on what they bring and what they can become 7.5 - Marvin & Law - you could more easily upgrade on these guys, but they can also be important pieces on a championship type team, either as the role playing starter or the 6th man who gets starter minutes. Law will slip to 7 or below if by the end of the season he doesn't make more of an impact and start to take control of the team. Diesel Disclaimer: I suggested Marvin as a "role player" only when qualified by a phrase like "on a championship type team" 7 - Childress - I just can't picture him ever being a starter on a championship level team, so he's just a notch below Marvin and Law, but he's certainly the kind of guy I can see as a 6th man for that kind of team 6 - Mario, AJ & Solomon - Mario and Solomon for their upside at a low cost and AJ for his low cost vet presence. Mario and Sol more valuable long term, AJ more valuable short tearm as we bridge the gap with the future. These guys are bench depth on a championship level team. 5 - Lue, Salim, Shelden - They serve a purpose, but it's a purpose that you can serve easily with dozens of players that are easy to acquire. I still hold hope for Shelden (and to some degree Salim) proving to be more valuable than this, but so far it isn't looking pretty. In the right place I think they can be pretty good. Lue's another short term gap-bridger. His short term value is probably a 6, while his long term value's sub-4. 3 - Zaza - he's pretty tall - this kills me because I imagined him as an up and coming center, someone that would become like Chris Kaman one day - a surprise to all, a dependable big man than can score when needed, and does everything else just well enough to help more than he hurts. Hopefully the guy that shpwed promise in the past is just having an awful injury riddled season. Hopefully he's not just a international player with a BS age who actually peaked last season. 1 - Speedy - who?

He's not Josh Smith and he's not Joe Johnson, but Marvin does contribute in more ways than just jump shooting. He's ahead of Childress (everyone's "do everything player") in most per 48 categories: 21.6 to 19.4 in points 2.6 to 2.1 in assists 1.59 to 1.47 in steals .65 to .38 in blocks While Childress is ahead: 8.3 to 7.7 in rebounds 3.0 to 4.4 in fouls and 2.1 to 2.2 in turnovers No wonder that the better jumpshooter is rebounding less than the guy who plays the baselines, and those turnover numbers are a wash. The fouls are an issue for Marvin at times, but he's also the one that guards post players far more often - because he CAN. You can talk all day about the intangibles that Childress brings that you don't think Marvin brings, but I think a lot of that is based on previous reputation and performance, and not on what's been happening this season. I strongly prefer Marvin as a man to man defender and all around offensive player. I strongly prefer Childress as a rebounder. I love them both - do we need them both? In my opinion, not if one of them can get us a legit 1 or 5 man. If we can get that 1 or 5 and keep them both - gravy.