Not too impressive.

[Playmaker0017]

Nice win, but let us get one thing straight. This was not a pretty game. If you think for a minute we played well, then you didn't watch the same game I did.

I will take the 'W' with no qualms, but again, if we played a decent team (Or Houston played decent ... who shoots 12-28 from the FT-Line) we lose.

I think our defense looked better without Big Dog. JT looks comfortable at the SG position. Those are the only positive things to take from this game.

However, JT took FAR too many difficult shots. A lot of those shots won't drop tomorrow. He is a great shooter, and sometimes they drop. Sometimes they don't. It is reinforcing the concept that he needs to shoot dumb shots.

Another thing we have to learn is: OUR ROLES! Just because you are open, doesn't mean you should shoot the ball. Some people are not meant to score. Wilks and Newble take note. Pass the ball and play defense, respectively.

I loved Ham out there today and should start over Ira, and Theo played his best game as a Hawk.

Reef. You looked horrible, despite the stat sheet. My guess is that something is wrong with him. I have NEVER in the 8 years following him, seen him miss that many hook shots. There is no excuse except injury. But, again... maybe it is the concept of sometimes they fall sometimes they don't.

In all, this was a 'W', nothing more. If we play like this tomorrow... I'll be watching Vick.

Play.

[Guest]

Well whenever you play grindout games your

offense suffers...You aren't going to score

100PPG and only give up 80.JT played both

postions tonight and I think he if he stays

will have to settle for a comprimise.

Ham should never see on court action.He is a

horrible player and he commits some of the

dumbest fouls.He reminds me of Hanno.

Part of the reason for the Rocketsstruggles was

the Hawks defense.

last note...JT is a scorer not a shooter.

[Playmaker0017]

HotLantaDude,

We didn't play great defense as much as the Rocket's played poor offense.

How many times is Yao going to miss the one foot tap up? How many times is a team going to shoot 12-28 from the line?

You can't honestly say that we caused the 26% shooting in the first quarter? They just missed shots. Open ones and covered ones.

We do that to a team that is on, or a good team -- WE GET KILLED.

This wasn't agreat defensive effort tonight. It was decent. We have to improve. But, we didn't hold them to the points as much as they held themselves.

Play.

[hds428]

Reef looked horrible despite the stat sheet? Are we lookin at the same stat sheet dawg? Mine says Reef got outrebounded by a 6'2" guard, and for his 23 points scored, still managed to give up 20 to Griffin. The only good thing I can say about Reef's performance tonight is that he actually showed effort, and even though it faded after the first quarter, it seemed to fuel Theo (and the entire team) in a big way. You're right though, this was'nt pretty and I would'nt be comfortable relying on JT for 30 every night (although he's more of a keeper than Reef and Big Dog). I did'nt mind Wilkes not hitting any shots cause he needs to take some, hit or miss, but I'd like to see Theo more involved in the offense, and being more active like tonight on the offensive boards, and Dion needs to go back to his post up/slashing game, taking threes over n over is not his forte. Still though, a W is a W.

[Guest]

Well the objective was to play Ming one on one.Most

teams don'thave a Ming so they play with this type of entergy

most nights they will win.

The defense wasn't as bad as you say it was.Doesn't mean

it will last with the effort every night though.

[Playmaker0017]

HDS428,

You'd be a fool to think that JT is better than Reef.

You point to Shareef getting outrebounded by Terry... so what? Kidd does that nightly. Shareef is still struggling with a bad back, albeit it is little excuse. But, it is ONE game. When you are hot on one end, it usually carries over to the other. So he happened to be at the right place.

JT certainly wasn't getting the rebounds because he was banging with the big boys. He got them off of LONG rebounds because the other team was hoisting HORRIBLE jumpers.

Reefs 23 points were bogus. Most of them came from the line and weren't gotten from him driving the lane. Which is why I say he is hurt. He missed ALL of his hook shots.

And giving up 20 to Griffin... this is a team game. And last I checked, we have moved to a more team oriented style of defense rather than man-to-man.

Just like Terry, sometimes you are on... sometimes you aren't. Don't mistake a spark of greatness for the real thing.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

HotLantaDude,

But most nights, the uncontested jumpers fall.

The team was off.

We played better.

Our defense was good. But, don't think that we had much to do with the slow start Houston had. They just weren't on. So, they were fighting uphill ALL night. It is hard to hit in those circumstances.

I guess another good thing we did was overcome the fact that we sagged in the third.

Play.

[Guest]

a 7 minute period without scoring is playing better?That

is usally the objective to play better instead of trying to

win with the other team playing better.

The fact is they didn't fold when Houston came back.

Before they would have folded when Houston made

that 18-1 run.Them not folding was a good sign.

[hds428]

Oh Jt is'nt better than Shareef, that's a no brainer, but he is outplaying Reef, no matter how ya try to dress it up. If Reef is playing with injury, then it must be pretty serious since he's played like crap since early Nov. So if that's the case ,then double shame on him for being too selfish to admit he's injured and go on the IL. If he's playing injured, it certianly is'nt to the team's benefit to have a one dimensional push (ie giving up as much as he gets) on the floor. This is'nt about one game, it's about Reef getting pushed around nightly on the boards, JT's performance just punctuated that fact. Why did Theo haul in 16 boards tonight? Cause he was all by his lonesome on rebound island with Reef running full speed to get back on offense and get his shot. As far as JT, I'm not mistaking nothing for anything, but I'd rather have JT's desire and heart, tweener issues included, than a slacking one dimensional underachiever.

[Playmaker0017]

HotLantaDude,

In reference to your message about the 7 minute period of not scoring and then not folding in the first.

Didn't I just say that? I said that we didn't die after sagging in the third.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

HDS428,

"...all alone with Reef running the floor to get his offensive shot..."

YOu obviously watched a different game than me. And watch an entirely different Shareef.

He hasn't hustled too hard for an offensive attempt in a while. That is part of the problem. He isn'y LOOKING to score.

As for Theo being alone, no that isn't true either. Reef just had no hands. He couldn't contain the ball tonight. It hit him in the head, the hands, the knee. I watched him bobble at least 5 rebounds away from himself.

Play.

[Guest]

I disagree about the roles. Granted, I can't watch the game, but if someone is open for a shot within 15 -18 feet, they should take it. No, their role isn't to score - but if you consistenty pass out of all those shots, the other team's D just has too much ability to double team/ cut off passing lanes for those who can....

passing wide open threes is one thing. If yo'ure open in mid-range to less, they should take it. With few exceptions, guys in the NBA can shoot to a pretty high degree

[Playmaker0017]

Weaseldom,

I agree. But, when guys can't hit a jumper, the team still doubles and worse yet, you lose a possession.

No one gaurded Wilks all night. It was sad.

Play.

[hds428]

LOL we must've been watching different games, the Reef I saw was ONLY looking to score (23 pts, 0 blocks, 0 steals 5 rebs?), and sorry but Theo was stranded on the boards, as usual, because Reef had been pushed to ten feet out by a small forward and his only option was to push the break or get back in transition.

[Guest]

open shots, even for a subpar NBA player, will fall at leat 45% of the time...they didn't tonight, but trust me, they will. They're there for a reason (the players)

[Playmaker0017]

HDS428,

Yes, those 13 shots... heck he was putting it up, wasn't he?

10 of his freethrows tonight came from foul trouble. 4 attempts came from over the back calls... where Reef was on the boards trying to get a rebound.

The 23 points is COMPLETELY misleading. You can't judge a game by a stat sheet.

If you did, you might be dumb enough to trade Kukoc for Glenn Robinson. Oh wait. We did that.

Play.

[Playmaker0017]

Weaseldom,

I agree, they will eventually fall. But, the question is... which is a smarter move: Dion for three or resetting the offense? Ira from just inside the arc or resetting the offense?

A player has to be smart enough to know their limitations and know when they are NOT hot. Wilks just kept shooting.

Play.

[hds428]

You're right the 23 points is misleading cause he was slacking in every possible way. You can keep harping on tonight's game and making excuses for him, but what I'm saying is my gripe is'nt tonight's game. It's his entire season, tonight was just more of the status quo.

[Playmaker0017]

HDS428,

There really is no reasoning with you.

You want to see fault.

Play.

[swolehawk2]

He had to shoot ...why don't u get that? if u r wide open you have to shoot especially when it is late on the shot clock like tonight. If you look at his form he is not a bad shooter..he had a bad night though. If you too notice the one time he passed on a wide open shot and tried to drive he charged Rice made a good play...then all the Hawks told him to go ahead and take the shot.