Question for anyone who's seen the team in person

[DavidSomerset]

Whether you've been to a pre-season game or a scrimmage, does Smoove look like he might be capable of being a legit 4 this year (really talking about defensively)

I remember last year he got handled by quite a few 4's (Bogut, for one).

Reports have said he put on some weight...It would be VERY nice if he could step up the inside presence a little bit more than just getting the blocks.

He is very young, and I know he's got a lot of time to grow, but his man defense was lacking last year...

What do yall think?

[TheNorthCydeRises]

He'll really have to develop a knack for defending aginst 4's . . especially down on the block . . to be successful defensively against them.

But to defend the average 4 in the NBA, you need to be tough . . mentally and physically. I wouldn't necessarily describe Smoove as being a "tough guy".

And defending against 4's has more to do with attitude, than actual size. Shawn Marion had to routinely defend 4's since Phoenix went with it's "smallball/speedball" concept. Shawn, while not an imposing physical speciman, doesn't mind at all mixing it up with guys bigger than him. That's why he's successfully been able to flourish playing the 4 for Phoenix.

With Smoove, his mental game is the thing that will take him far in this league. He has all of the physical tools imaginable. It's his mental game that needs further development.

Good thing he's only 20. He'll have plenty of time to become mentally tougher.

[slap]

I agree with the last comment. I saw them play against the Wizards, and I did not zone in on if he was having success defending the post, although the Wiz offense was pretty much all outside shots and offensive boards. Just plain physically, there is no question in my mind Smoove is there, in terms of sheer size and bulk. Jamison is a tweener 3/4, but is definitely considered one of the upper echelon power forwards in the league. I thought Smoove looked noticeably larger than Jamison. The question will come to if these guys know how and are willing to establish and fight for position in defending and rebounding. Smoove looked like a highly skilled player yesterday, and his ability to guard down low will come down to his desire.

[Traceman]

REGARDLESS of whether he is playing the 4 or 3, FOCUS is the key for Smoove. The thing that I have noticed thsi preseason watching Smoove is that while he can make some spectacular plays defensively, he can also give up some easy baskets because he fails to do the simple things like blocking his man out or like making sure his man doesn't go back door for an easy basket. I think he will have problems being consistently good defensively early in the season but I think he will get better as he matures and learns to focus and play hard all the time.

In my opinion, Smoove's problem is that he has always been such a superior athlete that he feels that he can just turn it on at will and play at a high level. The problem is that in the NBA, the game can be lost as a result of the smallest mental lapse by any one of the 5 guys on the floor.

I don't want this to be seen as bashing Smoove - it's not. You just asked about Smoove specifically. Marvin, Salim and even Chillz are guilty of the very same thing (I haven't seen enough of Shelden to make an informed comment about him in this area yet). Once all of our young guys learn how to play hard ALL THE TIME, I think we will start to be a solid team.

[Diesel]

If we really wanted Smoove to become a 4, we should have gotten Clifford Ray in here to work with him. Ray has a knack for making guys mentally stronger.

[BBallPrincess]

To be honest in my opinion, I still think he has a long way to go overall. He seems to me that he is not focused, and not taking things seriously at ALL. If I had to compare Marvins development to Josh's I would grade Marvin at an A, and Josh as a C-. When you use excuses like, "Oh I just wasn't there today," on more than one occassion then something is not right.

I just don't see him ready to step up and take on the role we are needing him to take up....

[SmooveTheFuture]

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To be honest in my opinion, I still think he has a long way to go overall. He seems to me that he is not focused, and not taking things seriously at ALL. If I had to compare Marvins development to Josh's I would grade Marvin at an A, and Josh as a C-. When you use excuses like, "Oh I just wasn't there today," on more than one occassion then something is not right.

I just don't see him ready to step up and take on the role we are needing him to take up....

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Enuff...with this already. Everyone in the Hawks organzation has said Smith has matured and worked out a ton this offseason. He knows and the hawks franchise on him to take his game to the level. To say hes not progessing when he was in the 2nd nba in total blocks at the age of 20 is ridculous. He is becoming a leader more and more for this team.

[unknownjdb]

No one is saying he hasn't progressed, I just think that some think he should be further along than he currently is. He should be more consistent, but hasn't quite made it that far. I hate to say it and hope it's not true, but I think management and the coaches are saying much of what they are saying to give some positive re-enforcement.

What Josh MAY actually need is another Jay Bilas draft-night-type comment to push him to that next level.

That first season Josh had to prove Jay's comments wrong. Then people said he was just a dunker, so he had to prove them wrong. This season, people were EXPECTing him to be even better. From what I've heard, no one has really CHALLENGED him to be more consistent.

In saying this, I am by no means saying that he will not blow up this year. I think this is his year and as the season progresses he is going to become quite dominant at whatever position Woody places him in. The growth is there, consistency will come with time.

[SmooveTheFuture]

This is where the age factor comes he's still only 20. I know the fact that he went so late in the draft year hurt his confidence. Because coming out of High School he was a top 3 high school prospect along with Shaun Livingston and Dwight Howard. Josh Smith was suppose to be a top 5-top 10 pick. He was promised on draft night by the Sixers and Cavs that they were going to take him. The fact that he dropped and then Jay Bilas comments just added fuel to the fire. IMO this hurt his confidence as he matures I think he will bring it everynight on a consistant basis. Meaning this team will get alot better esp with the other up and coming guys we have. As long as he plays at a high level everynight on both ends of the court hell develop nicely because the talent to be a good/great player is there. He's just as exciting as anyone in this league to watch.

[Final_quest]

I remember our own psuedo-insider, BBP, mentioning Josh not being inspiringly dedicated this offseason previously. I'd like to hear her expound on what she's talking about.

[TexasPete]

I am a big Smoove fan but was disappointed a little bit watching him against the Wizards. First, after taking the lead at about the 5 minute mark, Josh got beat 3 times by Jamison for easy shots. That won the game for the Wizards (although lousy free throw shooting was a factor). The coaching staff was pissed at Smith and he gave the "but its not my fault scowl" to the staff. It was his fault because he was covering Jamison and got beat in situations where there could be no help.

I was also disappointed in his offensive game. HE IS THE SAME GUY AS LAST YEAR. After his rookie year I felt he did a great job adding muscle and working on his shot. It appears that his game consists of settling for 20-22 foot jump shots.

No post game...zero

No ability still to put the ball on the floor to attack the rim.

No real finishing game...except for dunks on the break.

Falls asleep on defense occasionally leading to easy baskets.

What Smith does do is block shots. He will probably be in the top 3 in the league. But I was hoping that this offseason he would add some additional arsenal to his game on the offensive end. He did not. He does have a nice shot but when you can't really create an offensive game off the dribble it becomes harder to get your jumper. Speedy will help with penetration and kick...but I expected Smith to come back with more weapons and he came back the same. That is not what this team needed because we need to see some real growth from the young guys.

On a related note...Chill played well the other night but he also looked like the EXACT replica of last year. Marvin worked on his body and game and it shows. Smith and Chill look the same which disappointed the heck out of me. Chill's lackluster pre-season numbers bear that out as well. He just disppears for long stretches and the Hawks can't have that anymore.

[AtLaS]

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No post game...zero

No ability still to put the ball on the floor to attack the rim.

No real finishing game...except for dunks on the break.

Falls asleep on defense occasionally leading to easy baskets.

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Sounds like you expected to see KG or JO on the floor. Post games, dribbling and lateral quickness don't come in 4 or 5 months of offseason. They take YEARS to improve. He may have added a couple of moves and you didn't see them, we'll find out in the season. What 20 year old who hasn't played PF or C before is dominating in the post right now? or EVER? Dwight Howard still doesn't have any post moves, and he's played there his entire career since high school.

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He does have a nice shot but when you can't really create an offensive game off the dribble it becomes harder to get your jumper. Speedy will help with penetration and kick...but I expected Smith to come back with more weapons and he came back the same. That is not what this team needed because we need to see some real growth from the young guys. Smith and Chill look the same which disappointed the heck out of me.

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Disappointing?? Smith had 14 pts, 11 boards, 7 assists, 2 steals and 3 blocks! What do you expect from this guy? He may have gotten beat by Jamison, but that stat line tells me he's one of the reasons we were in that game in the first place. BTW Jamison is an all-star and USA player, he's not an average NBA player.

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But I was hoping that this offseason he would add some additional arsenal to his game on the offensive end. He did not.

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You saw ONE PRESEASON game, and you're saying that he added nothing, he is no better, you are disappointed, wow, what a pessimistic outlook.

It's funny how when we drafted Smith he wasn't even expected to do anything for at least like 2-3 years, then he comes out and has a good rookie season, improves DRASTICALLY in his second season, and now the standards are through the roof. lmao you haven't even seen him play this season, you saw ONE PRESEASON game, thats just funny to me. EVERY article I've read about Smoove has said that he's been working hard this WHOLE summer, I've probably read about five, including quotes from JJ, Woody and others but don't feel like looking them up. Not just saying he's been working hard, saying they think he's ready to blow up. BTW did you know he's only 20 years old??

[TexasPete]

I just provided my opinion. Smith played 40 minutes and took 11 shots...of the 11 shots, he took five 3's and shot 3 balls just inside the 3-point line. Shooting J's in the league doesn't cut it. Teams that attack the rim win NBA games...period. Marvin goes to the rack and gets to the line and that is a huge asset to the team. I expected Smith to work on his ballhandling and post up game and he showed ZERO tendency toward either the other night. In 40 minutes of work our starting PF got to the line one time. In fact, the Hawks as a team shoot too many jumpers and there are plenty of nights when the J's aren't falling and you need to take the ball to the rack.

Having said all this I will tell you I am a huge Smith fan. He has more raw potential and upside than any player on the team. He also has a fine work ethic. But settling for jumpers is not benefitting him or the team in the long run. I would also expect the younger players to come back more improved than a 6-10 year veteran because that is the way it works. Smith may be 21 but this is his 3rd year in the league and if the Hawks are going to achieve respectability he has to be a big part of it. Josh has to figure out how to take the ball to the hole whether he develops a reasonable post game or takes the ball hard to the basket off the dribble.

[DJlaysitup]

I really doubt JS will ever develop a McHale-type drop step or be able to attack the rim like Vince Carter. That said, I would just like to see him start finishing around the rim without it having to be an open dunk. That's something I think he can and will do. Once Speedy starts playing, the guys who move without the ball on offense should be getting more easy looks inside and on mid-range jumpers.

Really, JS was raw at almost all phases of the game coming out of high school (that's not a crtiticism - what player isn't). He's improved greatly on outside shooting, court vision, passing, and to some degree defense. We can't really expect him to get everything together in an off-season. If he is primarily a jump shooter who can pass, get offensive rebounds, and who is always a threat for the alley-oop...that's OK with me as far as offense goes. I would like to see better fundamental defense to go along with his shot blocking this year. JS also brings enthusiasm to the game...which this team can be short of at times.

[TexasPete]

One thing that I believe JS is very capable of doing is to improve the way he drives to the basket. I agree that developing a post presence doesn't seem as likely at this point. But I believe he should be working on getting to the rim. Now that defenders respect his shot he should be working on a jab step to get the ball closer to the rim. And he does need finishing work. But he is certainly athletic enough to beat guys off the dribble assuming he has the ball handling skill to get that done. Marvin has truly developed a nice jumper and he complements that with aggressive drives to the basket. So many great things happen when you attack the rim and we do a very poor job as a team of just shooting jumpers. The team needs a mindset that they are going to be aggressive offensively, getting to the line, getting key players in foul trouble, and getting into the bonus earlier in every quarter. That is a great formula for success in the NBA and Woody just doesn't seem to get that across to the team.

[DJlaysitup]

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...So many great things happen when you attack the rim and we do a very poor job as a team of just shooting jumpers. The team needs a mindset that they are going to be aggressive offensively, getting to the line, getting key players in foul trouble, and getting into the bonus earlier in every quarter. That is a great formula for success in the NBA and Woody just doesn't seem to get that across to the team.

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Yeah, I'm somewhat concerned that our reliance on perimeter shooting will haunt us once the regular season starts. I think much will depend on how well Speedy and our overall team passing can set our guys up. I would certainly like to see some possessions where Speedy drives and kicks out to JJ, who then kicks it back inside to one of our bigs who have been moving wothout the ball and have gotten themselves open deep in the paint. I think we can get points in the paint this year by being creative like that. I don't know that we will have that much of a standard "throw it in to the post" game though.

On the positive side (as far as the perimeter thing goes), we do have some very solid shooters on this team so hopefully we can hit enough shots that we can still succeed a reasonable percentage of the time.

I have yet to see a game in person so I have no idea about Lo's post moves.

[Traceman]

If we are going to look to Lo for a lot of scoring in the low post we are going to be in a world of hurt. He can make a little jump hook on occasion and he can make that little pick and pop jumper from around 15 feet but that's about it for his offense.

I don't think we have ANYONE on the roster at this point who commands a double team when they get the ball in the low post. I think our offense will mainly consist of drive and kicks, pick and rolls, cuts to the basket for layups or dunks, fastbreak points and putbacks. I hope that Marvin continues to develop his ability to take people off the dribble and either get fouled or get to the rim and score because we are going to need that and no one else has shown the ability to do that.

[Traceman]

For all the good things Smoove did in the game, losing Jamison on MULTIPLE occasions down the stretch of a close game simply CAN'T happen in the regular season. In the NBA, games are won and lost based on proper execution down the stretch on BOTH ends of the floor. It does no good to play a great game for 3 quarters and then lose focus in crunch time. It also does no good to hit a shot and then give up a layup on the other end.

I'm glad to see that the coaching staff took Smoove to task during the game for failing to properly execute on the defensive end. I hope they o the same with ALL the players. I'm also glad to see that the coaches held the TEAM accountable for their lackluster play in general duing the Wizards' game by running their arse's to death at practice yesterday. The only way the young guys will get it is if their are consequences for poor play and at this point, it looks like there will be consequenes.

Again, this is certainly not meant to be a Smoove bashing post. I love the guy and I think he is our most exciting player. Becuase I think he has the potential to be a star, I am going to call him out when I see him doing something wrong. I feel the same way about Marvin and I will call him out as well.

[unknownjdb]

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Once Speedy starts playing, the guys who move without the ball on offense should be getting more easy looks inside and on mid-range jumpers.

...and who is always a threat for the alley-oop.

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I just got chills imagining those alley-oops. I can't wait for Speedy to get in there.

[unknownjdb]

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One thing that I believe JS is very capable of doing is to improve the way he drives to the basket. I agree that developing a post presence doesn't seem as likely at this point. But I believe he should be working on getting to the rim. Now that defenders respect his shot he should be working on a jab step to get the ball closer to the rim.

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This just made me think (I know, crazy right?)...

Smoove's development consists of Five Phases that he is currently working through (note: this is my logic and I did not pull this from anywhere, it just sort of makes sense).

phaseOne: prove he's not a bust by showing his athleticism, i.e. win the dunk contest

phaseTwo: prove he can do more than dunk, i.e. begin improving shot, passing, blocking, etc.

phaseThree: put final touches on outside shot, i.e. increased three-pointers attempted (stretches opposing defenses)

phaseFour: improve drive to the basket (to begin working on once opposing players begin respecting his shot)

phaseFive: begin working on inside game, finishing around the rim skills (to begin working on once he is at MATURED size, i.e. PF)