Josh Smith is killing us

[CBAreject]

This string of close losses really has a lot of people scratching their heads...but not me.

Josh Smith continues to shoot for a miserable percentage. He was 3-16 tonight, scuttling an otherwise good shooting performance by the Hawks.

He went 1-12 in a heartbreaker to Milwaukee and 3-12 in a close loss to Detroit. The Seattle game was OK for him, as he went 9-20, but he inexplicably shot 10 3-ptrs, making only 3 of them.

Josh Smith is a putrid 20-72 (.278) in his last 6 games.

On the bright side, we're getting Childress and MW back soon. We'll need somebody to take some shots from Josh Smith if we're going to start winning some of these.

[Popeye]

I got pissed of on him on almost every possesion, it's not even funny anymore. First play of the game he makes a lousy pass, what's wrong with him??? Is he serious??

[CBAreject]

Smoove is playing himself right to the bench. He's been the biggest disappointment of this season for me. He doesn't look like the same player he was at the end of last year. Did he spend the whole summer just jacking threes? Who takes 10 3 pointers in one game? He's not Ray Allen.

I just don't understand how you help out a soft Seattle defense by jacking threes over them. Does he not understand the concept of optimizing each possession, shooting for a high percentage, and getting to the foul line? Josh Smith can be a very valuable player once he realizes who he is. Right now, he thinks he's Glen Rice.

[Peoriabird]

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Smoove is playing himself right to the bench.

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If anybody else wer playing like Smith like Lue, Shelden, or Johnson for that matter there would be a minimum of 10 thread calling to trade them. Heck, someone even starting a thread calling out Joe Johnson. The board is wierd!

[TheDude]

well lets slow down a second. the only thing i see him doing wrong is bad shooting percentage. and i agree it IS killing us. but you have to admit he has gotten better on WHEN to shoot the last few games. his effort on all other aspects has gotten quite a bit better. that great rebound at the end gave us another chance and lue wasnt able to hit it.

you can't say he's playing himself into the bench because he's not doing anything wrong. he has working on his shooting and i definitely hope he continues. his other parts of his game are definite plusses.

honestly i think he needs a goto move in the midrange area. something he KNOWS he can hit and does consistently. this would give him the ability to get in the teens scoring-wise on a daily basis making him more consistent. i think that would be great for the team and keep his confidence (the whole nososecret around shooting) up.

but it's NOT the fact that he's shooting them as much as the fact that he's not hitting them. he definitely is showing improvement on when to shoot.

[tarco69]

I believe fans like u are fair weather fans. Josh Smith hustle made up for his bad shooting. Is that the only thing you saw in the game tell me how bad pachulia looked and if JJ had hit that shot you would never open your mouth he had a good look and it did not go in. Josh smith is the one hustling at mid court for them to get back the ball plus the second chance rebound he pulled down. Pachulia was the one who did not even give a spark to the team. His defense was horrible I saw him flop a couple times giving up open dunks. But all u can see is josh smith when he misses shots.

[Popeye]

He shot better last year, especially in the 2nd half of the season. He was money, i am not sure what's wong now. It's not only his shooting, yes he did get a good rebound on that possesion but he played bad on defense as well and had 5 TO.

[DJlaysitup]

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Smoove is playing himself right to the bench...

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I posted this a few games ago but it's still real IMO. JS would be better off if MW was healthy and fighting him for the 3-spot. JS just doesn't have the head for team basketball and Woody isn't a strong enough coach to force him. He's the D'Angello Hall of the Hawks.

How big would the basket have to be for JS to hit layups?

JS is fighting the ghost of MW's summerleague MVP and is choking. He's not as bad as he looks now - but heck - the Hawks aren't a JS developmental franchise - we gotta win these games when we can!

That said - either Salim or Freije could have won this game for us if they could hit open shots.

[Peoriabird]

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well lets slow down a second. the only thing i see him doing wrong is bad shooting percentage. and i agree it IS killing us. but you have to admit he has gotten better on WHEN to shoot the last few games. his effort on all other aspects has gotten quite a bit better. that great rebound at the end gave us another chance and lue wasnt able to hit it.

you can't say he's playing himself into the bench because he's not doing anything wrong. he has working on his shooting and i definitely hope he continues. his other parts of his game are definite plusses.

honestly i think he needs a goto move in the midrange area. something he KNOWS he can hit and does consistently. this would give him the ability to get in the teens scoring-wise on a daily basis making him more consistent. i think that would be great for the team and keep his confidence (the whole nososecret around shooting) up.

but it's NOT the fact that he's shooting them as much as the fact that he's not hitting them. he definitely is showing improvement on when to shoot.

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WoW Where do I start? First of all, The 2nd worse shooter on the team should not take the 2nd highest number of shots every game. certainly should be taking the second most number of 3 point shots. Playing with Smith on offense is like playing 4 on 5. Atleast Shelden knows how to seal his man and roll to the basket and can shoot better than Smith from the perimeter now.

The one thing that I can't understand is why is Smith graded on a curve? He has never shown any of those skills that you mention he should develop. This is why we drafted Marvin because Smoove is a bench player that can bring energy and defense, The sooner he realizes this, the better off he will be. He needs to stop trying to make one on one offensive plays period!!!

[SmooveTheFuture]

Right now Josh Smith cant hit a shot for his life. He has good mechanics but his shot seems short. Coming out of High School he had a nice lefty stroke. Why that hasnt turned into a good jump shot its tought to swallow esp. after showing great promise last year where he won us some games with his jump shot. I see him trying to drive but they double him once he puts the ball on the floor and he gets stripped. They have to keep him in the paint to get shots around the basket until he can hit some kind of shot down maybe taking closer shots. Attack the basket and get to the line. I give him about 5 more games to get his act together if he doesnt improved his overall offense and shooting. Theres no other solution then to bench him until he hit shots and become a more consistent player.

[exodus]

Over the last 5 games Zaza has shot 35%, putrid for a center.

[DJlaysitup]

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...The one thing that I can't understand is why is Smith graded on a curve? He has never shown any of those skills that you mention he should develop. This is why we drafted Marvin because Smoove is a bench player that can bring energy and defense, The sooner he realizes this, the better off he will be. He needs to stop trying to make one on one offensive plays period!!!

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Dead right PB...the problem is the gap between what JS wants to be/thinks he is - and reality. Woody needs to take charge. Actually - I think we would be a MUCH better team right now with a solid veteran coach.

Guys like JJ, Shelden, TLue, JC and some others would love to have a solid experienced leader (IMHO).

[Popeye]

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Theres no other solution then to bench him until he hit shots and become a more consistent player.

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Holy moly, I got to quote you on this sorry.

[JJJ]

I have said it all along!

He is just not a good player. And he is proving my point right now by coming back down to Earth after that nice start.

[DJlaysitup]

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Over the last 5 games Zaza has shot 35%, putrid for a center.

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yep

[Peoriabird]

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Over the last 5 games Zaza has shot 35%, putrid for a center.

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This is always the response when Josh is bad. If Lue is bad, the threads come out! Lue Shoots too much, He should have hit that game winner, He doesn't play defense Blah Blah. When Smith has be terrible, the response is other players look bad also.

[Popeye]

Zaza plain sucked tonight, i mean SUCKED S-U-C-K-E-D tonight. He lost us any momentum we had in this game with his famous FLOPS. He needs to understand that his name is ZAZA not Karl Malone and stop flopping cause he wont get the damn calls.

PS: REFS called everything on us, every single touch. Didn't that Ref Stevie Javie cost us that game in Philly last year???

Was it him??

[SmooveTheFuture]

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Over the last 5 games Zaza has shot 35%, putrid for a center.

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This is always the response when Josh is bad. If Lue is bad, the threads come out! Lue Shoots too much, He should have hit that game winner, He doesn't play defense Blah Blah. When Smith has be terrible, the response is other players look bad also.

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Smith is 20 Lue is how old ? Thats why you expect young guys to struggle esp ones that made the jump from High School to the NBA.

[gsuteke]

you guys can call each other names all you want. you can stand in your "Josh Smith is may favorite player" corner all you'd like. here is the bottom line. Josh looks to shoot jump shots and then pass, not necessarily in that order depending on the night.

if you think Josh Smith is the starting "PF" for the Atlanta Hawks you are delusional.

ESPN says it best on their boxscore "GF"

the painful truth

[DJlaysitup]

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Over the last 5 games Zaza has shot 35%, putrid for a center.

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This is always the response when Josh is bad. If Lue is bad, the threads come out! Lue Shoots too much, He should have hit that game winner, He doesn't play defense Blah Blah. When Smith has be terrible, the response is other players look bad also.

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I think you are missing the point to the responses a bit PB - folks are agreeing with you - just adding that the others could have done more as well.

Prime Hawks Villians tonight:

1. JSmoove

2. Zaza

3. Salim (for missing and not stepping up)

4. Freje (same)

5. Woody