The problem is the locker room

[RLHawk]

The problem with the last 3 losses has been what goes on in the locker room.

In all of the games we have come out in the first half and played well (we either start strong or come up with a good 2nd quarter). We never trail by much at half-time and it is exciting to look forward the the 2nd half.

The 2nd half ALWAYS begins with a lack luster start where we dig a big hole. In the NBA, a team can always fight back (the hawks do very good at it) the problem is that it takes a lot out of you and puts a lot of pressure if they sink a couple big shots.

Is it just me or do the plays we run successfully in the 1st half (and generally late 3rd qtr into the 4th) seem to not work a the beginning of the 3rd quarter. I think something is going on in the locker room (or not going on) that is causing us to come out flat in the 3rd. I believe maybe we are just talking about what we did right and then resting until we take the floor again. We need to challenge the guys to come out explosively int he 3rd and put the other team on the defensive.

[emeans]

It is Lon Kruger position to get these guys ready to play in the 2nd half. It is Lon Kruger position to get them playing defense. It is Lon Krugers position to get them to stop turning the ball over every other play.

I don't want to say Lon Kruger is a bad coach, not just yet, but I am very close to leaning that way.

There are some coaches no matter where they go, you know you will get good defense out of their team or a good effort.

I am not seeing this from Lon's team so far. Not to mention I am starting to question some of his substitution patterns.

As much as I hate to say it. I think the Hawks problem is coaching and not the players per say.

Your thoughts??

[KB21]

......ENTIRELY TOO EARLY to be making a judgement on what this team's problems are and what the solution is.

Time. Give it time. Allow this team to develop their chemistry and get into a groove before you start jumping on the "fire the coach" or "trade so and so" bandwagon.

If, after 30 or so games, this team is still showing some of the things they have shown in recent games, then you can make the judgement.

I'm perfectly willing to give this thing the time it needs. We've got two new starters on the team that everyone has to get in sync with. There are new assistants who need to be on the same page. Give it time.

[Guest]

1)Big Hogs shot selection.I don't mind his jumper,

but when he tries to create his own shot it gets

ugly.

2)Ball handling.Until we get another ball handler

these problems are going to occur.

Addition,I think some people just don't want to

realize that Lon isn't a good coach.

[mdawg]

I am really getting tired of watching Lon Kruger coach this team. I don't like his sub. patterns, and I don't think he makes quality halftime adjustments. He just isn't a good NBA coach. He was good as a college coach, and maybe he should go back there. My question is this: How much money will Mike Dunleavy want to coach this team?

[Lrenfro]

I don't think that "fire the coach" is the bandwagon that people are jumping on rather they were there last year. The bandwagon acualy is give him a chance with the new team. But they sub patterns were the complaints we had last year. Nothing has changed he just has more and better people to do it with. So there are not as many complaints because the team is covering it up.

[JTFan31]

My thoughts are that also that Kruger is not getting this team so hyped up for the 2nd half and that is his job, he needs to adjust for the 2nd half and have his team hustle and play harder. All 3 games, we were either leading at half time or losing by a couple of points, 2nd half starts and bam the other team is ahead by double digits in a matter of minutes. IMO I think that is very poor adjustments Lon is doing in the 2nd half. If Lon cannot win with this team, then he is not NBA coach material. I'm seriously starting to question his coaching now, with the potential this team has, we should of been 5-2 or even 6-1.

Honestly check this out, we lost against the Kings by 8 pts right, considering they threw everything they had, Webb had 27, Peja 16, Bobby 23, Christie 19.......also considering JT was off target and so was Big Dog in the beginning and we played at Arco Arena, I think we did d-amn good considering all of the above.

[Diesel]

Lon is a college coach. He has a college coaches mentality.

Why else does he lean to CBA talent (Hanno, Lrob, Ajohnson, Email, Cal, and etc.). He has a wealth of quality player and he just doesn't use them to their potential. So sorry KB, this is not a new bandwagon.. This carivan has been ongoing for 3 yrs now. Every since I realized that he didn't know how to structure a team around it's strengths.

He doesn't know how to take advantage of Matchups. I say that because we can have a really good matchup advantage and we never use it.

Whatever happen to Uptempo?

Why is it that he will sub in a whole team of Non Shooters?

I betcha we lose to the Knicks?

[Guest]

Lon gets the best out of CBA players but not

NBA players.As you said that is a sign of a

college coach.Like againest the Jazz...JT should

attack John Stockton because Stock is rather

slow now.

[Boondocks]

In reply to:

---

I betcha we lose to the Knicks?

---

Nah we ain't that bad lmao

Kruger's time is running out though, he hasn't shown a good feel for the game with his sub. patterns.

Jeff Van Gundy perhaps a possible successor?

[Sage11]

Maybe it is as you say "too early" but maybe it is not....I promised to give this Lon coaching question a rest until the all star break but I have to tell you he is not doing much to change my mind about him. Nevertheless until the break....no public criticism of our embattled coach.

[Diesel]

That's the diesel Deadline.

The allstar break is too late to bring in what we need. Dec. 19th we should know by then what Kind of things to expect.

Don't get me wrong, this has little to do with the loses. I don't think we could have beaten NJ and SacTown on the road. However, even in our wins, we had to struggle... And we have a team that is not suppose to struggle much.