A "must read" from Sekou Smith (AJC)

[mrhonline]

We argue day-in and day-out about these Hawks, but none of us have painted the depressing start to this season as poignantly as Sekou:

Who's leading the Hawks?

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"There's no real beef in there," he said. "There's no physical tension between us. Nobody can say I don't pass somebody the ball because I don't like him. It's just a lot of times, during the course of a game people want to, with good intentions, try to do it alone.

They want to do it and I think the wrong people try and do that."

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I hate to be the pessimist (and I'm not alone these days), but I'm afraid things have to get a lot worse before they will get better...

[exodus]

Woodson called out his captains and Pachulia after Tuesday night's loss to Houston for the selfish offensive play against the Rockets, making it clear that he won't exonerate his older players.

Can the problem be fixed in time for the Hawks to salvage their season?

"It can," second-year forward Josh Childress said, "but guys have got to buy into it. And I'm talking about everybody. Right now we have that separation. But they [veterans] need us like we need them. For us to work and for us to win and be competitive, we have to have everybody playing together.

"And I wish it was a simple as us having a meeting or sitting down and talking about, but I don't think it is. All of our actions will speak louder than any one person's words."

This disconnect has been obvious to me. However they have moved the ball during the Boston game and the first half of the Houston game. Eventually they will realize that is the only way to salvage the season.

[swolehawk2]

Like I said before...we need a vet proven coach in here quick....Al is poutin because he thinks this should be his team, but he can't produce like a superstar....the Hawks don't have a Wade or Shaq or Kobe or KG or AI....but they do have enough talent to compete if they share the ball.

What Al and Joe have to learn though, if Salim or Marvin or the Joshs are playing better than them...then we need to run plays for them too....Salim does not have enough plays run for him...neither does Marvin....I would rather Salim take 20 shots that Joe take 20....honestly.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

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Like I said before...we need a vet proven coach in here quick....Al is poutin because he thinks this should be his team, but he can't produce like a superstar....the Hawks don't have a Wade or Shaq or Kobe or KG or AI....but they do have enough talent to compete if they share the ball.

What Al and Joe have to learn though, if Salim or Marvin or the Joshs are playing better than them...then we need to run plays for them too....Salim does not have enough plays run for him...neither does Marvin....I would rather Salim take 20 shots that Joe take 20....honestly.

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That's not Al and Joe's job though. That's the job of the coach. It's the coach that's not running the plays for Salim. Man . . if all of this is happening on this team, maybe Woodson isn't the right guy for the job.

Everybody on this team needs to start doing the small things to win games.

[Diesel]

I am an advocate for Frank Johnson.. BUT this situation might require the experience of Paul Silas...

[biggsmooth]

Agreed. I think Paul Silas would be a perfect coaching candidate to deal with these types of issues, particularly with a young team.

[Wretch]

Winning teams have an identity. When you think about certain teams, you think about certain players, coaching, and style of play. We still have no identity. Al and JJ may be captains and vocal leaders, but when it's gametime, the team is looking for anybody that can take over or give us a lift. I mean, how many times have you sat there and watched a game and said, "Come on Salim...get hot."

?

Looking to a rookie, a 2nd rounder no less, to "do something"...? That's the most telling sign of an identity crisis right there - that we are always looking for someone to step up. The truth of the matter is, on any given night it could be anybody...and that isn't good.

So what to do?

Al is a good player, but on a good ball club...he wouldn't be a first option player. He should not be allowed to go out there with the mentality that he is a 1st option (IOW -identity defining) type of player. I think the same goes for JJ. It isn't so much that they should or should not be shooting so much as it is they shouldn't be in complete control of that. Some of it falls on the PG to decide (which, as we know we NEED badly) and some of it falls on Woody.

He should recognize that we are not a team with an identity, so we can't play that style of ball. We can't go to Joe or Al in the way that the Mavs go to Dirk or the Cavs go to LBJ; and we certainly can't allow them just to go into the halfcourt and "1-man" it. Nobody on this team (as of right now) is capable of "saving" us.

The offense needs to be spread out. Period. Al and JJ may be captains, but on this team everybody needs to share an equal responsibility in the offense; throught that I believe Al and JJ will become even more effective...because teams won't simply be waiting for us to go to Al or JJ, and they won't be able to collapse on them (or wait for their inevitible miss). They will have to honor everyone.

On defense, it's simple. Yank mother#*(&S that won't respond or pay attention. Yank 'em. What does it matter anyway because A) we're losing and B) anyone on this team is capable of stepping up offensively.

Lastly, somebody needs to bring out the hammer...and let it fall. Woody's a good guy and I'm sure he's doing all he can...but I just don't think he's the long term answer. We are turning the corner on being a developmental team. Woody is a developmental coach. If we don't show marked improvement by the All-Star break...yank him. Bring in Paul Silas.

DROP THE HAMMER on these players. Just like BK got into Chills @ss for wuss-play, someone needs to get into these guys. Not just players yelling at each other...but the coach reinforcing what needs to be happening on the court. Drop the damn hammer man. Tough love. Mold these guys the right way from the get go.

[exodus]

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The offense needs to be spread out. Period.

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Exactly. The did it in the Boston game and the first half of the Houston game. There's no reason they can't do it consistently.