AL is so not Clutchh!!!!

[Lascar78]

my only problem with the shot was that he was more concerned with throwing his foot out a la Reggie Miller to get a foul than he was in making the shot. I also wish he would have taken a step in.

I am getting sick and tired of Al and especially Smoove shooting 3s. As great a game as Smith played, his 3pt attempt in the last minute or two was a horrible decision that cost us big time. If I was Woody I would flat out ban Smith and Al from taking 3s, and bench them if they do. Just because you can make them now and again doesn't mean that the shot 2 feet in isn't a much, much better shot for them.

[Johnnybravo4]

If he pump fakes he could have walked into the lane. Hell I would have rather seen JJ force a floater then let Al shoot that shot.

[exodus]

I didn't care much for a 3 pointer down 1 either, especially considering how poorly he was shooting.

However if he had passed up that shot and tried to drive and didn't score we would be roasting him for not taking the shot.

[Diesel]

Milwaukee's defense was totally disorganized which is what you want when you don't call a timeout. This is why JJ move the ball to the top of the key surrounded by three defenders with Al being WIDE open.

BTW, it wasn't forced, it was a wide open three. It's the exact same shots that JSmoove has been getting down the stretch...Like in the pacer game.

So don't call it dumb now... Because the shot didn't fall. JJ and Al run that same play just about every game with Al hitting.

[Diesel]

When JSmoove does the exact same thing and hits the shot, we praise JSmoove, Woody, and everybody involved. When the shot doesn't fall, Woody is an idoit...

You can't win.

If it's good when it falls, it's good when it misses... it just didn't fall.

[thesheedera]

Gotta agree with Diesnutz on this one. He had a WIDE open look. He was having a bad shooting night, but you DON'T PASS UP AN OPEN LOOK WITH TIME RUNNING OUT!!!!!!

The D scrambled to JJ, he found the open man. Al could have pump faked and moved in, but that's at the risk of letting the defense react. He could have passed to Zaza, but only at the risk of time running out and Zaza fumbling the ball.

We only needed a 2. I wanted a time out, but we could not have gotten a more wide open look, even with a time out.

Al can hit that shot, and he should ahve hit tht shot, but the fact is that it was a GREAT shot to take with time running out.

Now the original subject was that he's not clutch. I honestly can't speak to that. Can anyone recite enough games where he's had a game winner and made or missed it in the past, so we can see if there's a trend?

[Lascar78]

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I didn't care much for a 3 pointer down 1 either, especially considering how poorly he was shooting.

However if he had passed up that shot and tried to drive and didn't score we would be roasting him for not taking the shot.

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just to be clear I was talking in general, not that last shot. I have no problem with Al taking that shot. I would rather see him take a step in if he can shoot it in rhythm from a little closer, but in the clutch you have to do whatever you're comfortable with.

[exodus]

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I am getting sick and tired of Al and especially Smoove shooting 3s. As great a game as Smith played, his 3pt attempt in the last minute or two was a horrible decision

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Smith has hit big 3s in the 4th quarter of several tight games recently, including last night.

He only took 2 3 pointers total in Dec and Jan. My guess is that he proved to Woody that he could make them in practice so now he has the green light to shoot them in games.

He looks good shooting them, and it isn't like the Hawks are in playoff contention. I think he is willing to let Smith shoot them to build up his confidence. The way Smith has been playing lately it is hard to argue with the way Woody is handling him.

[DJlaysitup]

Funny thing about Smoove is...he used to miss badly in games (like bouncing shots off the glass outside of the box). Now, a year later, he is making outside shots at key points in games (at least some of the time).

Wouldn't it be funny if he became one of the better 3-point shooters in the league...LOL...I'd have to eat my hat I spose.

[exodus]

If you watch him at the foul line he has a very natural shooting motion. I see no reason why he can't be a good shooter. He obviously has a good work ethic.

Plus he can jump which makes it tough for guys to challenge his shot. If he ends up playing the 4 with big guys guarding him they will have to come out on him, opening up easy drives to the basket.

[Lascar78]

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Smith has hit big 3s in the 4th quarter of several tight games recently, including last night.

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I know and I hate it. I think Sheed would have become a much more dominant player if he had never become so enamored with the 3 pt line. Smith has so damn much to learn, and his game is so full of holes, the last thing I want him to focus on adding to his game is 3 pt shooting. If this is the time when we can afford to lose games and let our young players experiment, get that boy in the post and get him to try to develop a post move or two. Get him to try to take his man off the dribble.

Not to mention he's shooting .261 on the season

I am disgusted every time he takes a 3. I love that he isn't afraid to take them, but I am disgusted that Woody lets him.

The only exception would be with the shot clock winding down or something like that.

[exodus]

Like I said he only took 2 in two months, so obviously Woody has him under control. He has only taken 23 on the season.

No doubt he needs to improve his post game but I think he will. He hasn't shown any reluctance to do whatever he can to improve.

[Lascar78]

Like I said it's not a problem with him. If Woody banned him, he wouldn't be doing it. I have a problem with Woody not putting him in the post, on both sides of the floor. I also have a more general problem with our whole team settling for jumpers in the clutch. I want to see smith pump faking, taking it to the rack, and at least getting free throws.

[exodus]

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I have a problem with Woody not putting him in the post, on

both sides of the floor

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I have been thinking about that and I think I know the reason. Smith is 20, and it gets rough in the paint. I would bet that Woody wants to let Smith mature a little more physically before having to spend a lot of time in the paint.

Anyone with half a clue can see Smith is our best interior defender. This is the only explanation that I can think of why Smith isn't playing the 4, especially on D.

[emeans]

I have to agree about Al's lack of coming through in the clutch.

Al frustrates the hell out of me at the end of games. I don't know how many games he has missed or turned over 4 to 6 straight possessions in the closing minutes of games.

We have probably lost 6 to 8 games this year because of Al trying to do too much at the end of games this year.

Al is not a Shooting Guard, yet they continue to give him the ball outside the paint in the late minutes of games and he either tries to drive to the basket and always gets blocked or shoots a LONG jumper that misses.

Al is good when he is in his comfort zone under the basket. He is very crafty there, however I cringe when they give Al the ball at the 3 point line and clear out for him to either turn the ball over or get blocked in the late 4th quarter.

Al is a talent but he has single handedly lost us a lot of games this year, because of trying to do too much!!

[Lascar78]

Smith is plenty tough enough to be in the post right now

[exodus]

I agree, but then again i have never played in the NBA. I know just playing pick up games my body frequently feels beat up.

I think I am going to give Woody the benefit of the doubt on this one, the same way you are giving BK the benefit of the doubt about the roster.

Next year will tell the story.

[Johnnybravo4]

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Smith is plenty tough enough to be in the post right now

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Even more than Smith I would like to see Marvin in the post more.

[Diesel]

You say that Al is not so good down the stretch but it was the same Al who scored over Magloire in the post the play before we almost won the game.