He said what?

[codyatl]

I hope I misunderstood Verrette during the pregame when he said that woody wanted his players to be cool tonight and NOT to look at this game as a do or die situation. ARE YOU F$%^ing kidding me? Again, I hope i read that wrong but if not this, to me, is the final nail in the proverbial woody coffin. I just cant believe a coach would not get his players in the mindset that tonights game was a MUST HAVE. Just unbelievable to me.

[mrhonline]

There's blood in the water...and there's some sharks in Indy.

It's going to be an interesting run to the finish, and the Hawks are never short on the entertainment side.

[Plainview1981]

You knew they wouldn't win this game. Just like even a 40 point lead is not safe.

[Admin]

If he said that and meant it the way it sounds the only reasoning I could see behind that is he knows how emotional this team is and if he gets them really pumped up and make it seem like a do or die game and we lose the game it could have a really negative impact on us. On the other hand if they go into this game like it's any other game and don't get too down about it afterwards maybe we won't go into a tailspin. That's grasping at straws but it's all I could come up with as that seems pretty strange to me for him to say.

[Devon]

EVERY GAME AT THIS POINT IN THE SEASON IS DO OR DIE YOU CLUELESS MORON!!!

And you wonder why we play with zero intensity/heart/hustle/effort; eh, it's just another game.

Who cares that this game could've eliminated your staunchest competition for that playoff spot; it's just another game...

That's like being in the water with a Great White shark and saying, "eh, just a fish, no big deal"

CLUELESS, IDIOT, MORON, FOOL... I could keep going on for days.

[DJlaysitup]

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If he said that and meant it the way it sounds the only reasoning I could see behind that is he knows how emotional this team is and if he gets them really pumped up and make it seem like a do or die game and we lose the game it could have a really negative impact on us. On the other hand if they go into this game like it's any other game and don't get too down about it afterwards maybe we won't go into a tailspin. That's grasping at straws but it's all I could come up with as that seems pretty strange to me for him to say.

Actually that makes some sense Dolfan...but I gotta figure Woody expected that we would at least be competitive anyway. He didn't expect us to get slaughtered like we did.

In hindsight - if that was Woody's strategy - I think it was wrong. Yes...hard as it is to fathom...I think Woody was dead wrong this time.

Oh well...surely we can beat NYK at their place right?

[Wretch]

I heard Woodson talking before the game and I read all of the quotes. He basically had them come out like it was any other game in the season. Just a normal day at the office. They came out with the wrong mindset.

This game was important and if for some reason Woodson wanted to prepare them in case of a loss...then we've also got a problem. They should have come out ready to take this game and I think Smoove was the only player that did. Honestly, I think he said the hell with Woody and came with his own plan.

You could see it too. The first quarter of the game, Smoove came out with a vengence. You could see just how hungry he was. Woodson should have had EVERYONE that hungry for the win. Not relaxed and "ho-hum, let's get to work guys..."

These games are HUGE and that was the biggest game we've had since our last post season appearance. I blame the players, but good supporting job Mike Woodson (F+).

[Wretch]

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"This is the game we needed to win to lock things up, and we didn't do it," said Smith, who finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and a block.

"Now we have to go down to the wire with this thing and play every game like it's our last."

So if that is the case now...wouldn't it have also been the case before the game? Then why the hell did we come out with the mindset of "business as usual." Unless Woodson wanted them thinking that they SHOULD win the game - as if we were at that level already. Yeah...

I wonder if he'll have them relaxed and ready for the final games of the season?

[TheTruth]

Winners don't come out flat (or with less than the utmost intensity) so that they wont be so down if they lose such a crucial game. They come out ready to stomp you in the ground. If they just so happen to lose, they take it on the chin, buck up, and live to fight another day. If Woodson did in fact prepare his team for that game as "just another game," and it sounds like he did, then it shows every reason and then some why Woodson needs to go. I didnt have to watch the game to know these cats just didnt play like they wanted it. Period.

[LOL_Hawks]

It's not do or die at this point. Do or die is if Indy is actually in front of us.

That's why I'm not panicking yet. A win last night would've made things easier, but it's still a doable situation. Just pick up a couple of wins (which can be done with the Knicks and Heat left on the schedule), wait for the inevitable Indy loss, and we're in. Last night was bad, but it's not over. Not by a long shot.

I just hope the Hawks got their terrible basketball out of their system, and Woody will actually motivate his players and let him know that even though it isn't a do or die situation...THEY SHOULD STILL COME OUT AND LOCK THINGS DOWN!

[Dnice]

Should, yes but will they? Hell if I know. They won't be sure if Orlando and Boston will be coasting in those games, and Indy could lose but aslo keep winning.

[TheTruth]

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It's not do or die at this point. Do or die is if Indy is actually in front of us.

That's why I'm not panicking yet. A win last night would've made things easier, but it's still a doable situation. Just pick up a couple of wins (which can be done with the Knicks and Heat left on the schedule), wait for the inevitable Indy loss, and we're in. Last night was bad, but it's not over. Not by a long shot.

I just hope the Hawks got their terrible basketball out of their system, and Woody will actually motivate his players and let him know that even though it isn't a do or die situation...THEY SHOULD STILL COME OUT AND LOCK THINGS DOWN!

I never said it was a do or die situation. I was just replying to the mindset that Woodson [apparently] facilitated for his team. It was a crucial game nonetheless. With as schizophrenic as this team is, winning last night would have all but solidified our spot. Oh well. Surely we can beat the Knicks and Heat right?

[Swatguy]

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"This is the game we needed to win to lock things up, and we didn't do it," said Smith, who finished with 25 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and a block.

"Now we have to go down to the wire with this thing and play every game like it's our last."

So if that is the case now...wouldn't it have also been the case before the game? Then why the hell did we come out with the mindset of "business as usual." Unless Woodson wanted them thinking that they SHOULD win the game - as if we were at that level already. Yeah...

I wonder if he'll have them relaxed and ready for the final games of the season?

"Business as usual" should mean "Win The Game". It could be the coach wants them to play at the highest level EVERY Game.

Stop blaming the coach when these highly tuned, highly compensated, professional "Basketball players dont play on a high level.

You guys make excuses for the players like little Kids. They are young but they are grown men and are accountable.

[Gray Mule]

Indiana had already whipped the Hawks - Bad. We just don't match up well with them.

And, they had their star player back, further motivating them, if they needed anything

to move them. Then, they are fighting for #8 in the playoffs.

"Beat these guys or we are dead meat!"

Then, the blowout comes. How do the Hawks feel? Like dead meat, that's what.

No, this loss doesn't end our season. It's not the end of everything. There are more

games yet to be played. We're still ahead in the standings.

This is not a group of kids, but professional players. Is there a difference?

Sometimes, you have to wonder. They may be adults, but they have the same

emotions. They can get just as high or just as low as your average kid. We,

as fans, are the same way. We react to defeat or victory in a positive or negitive

fashion just as much as anyone, don't we.

Time to get on with business. Not the time for panic. Hawks can still win this

8th position for the playoffs. Woody is correct. This one game was not the life

or death of the entire season as some reactions would have us believe.

We're "right there" now for the season. We could yet fall flat on our face. We

could hit the skids and lose all the rest of our games. I don't believe that will

happen.

Would you have been happy, before we played our first game this season, to

know we would be in 8th place in the playoff race, two games ahead of the team

in 9th place with 4 games to go?

It ain't over until it's over and this season and this playoff position ain't over yet.

Is this the time to panic? Nope. This is the time to buckle down and win this

thing. Hawks can do it. Don't expect Horford/Zaza/Bibby to have another game

where they go 2-23 from the floor, as they did against Indy.

GO HAWKS!!!!!!

[Guest Walter]

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"Business as usual" should mean "Win The Game". It could be the coach wants them to play at the highest level EVERY Game.

Stop blaming the coach when these highly tuned, highly compensated, professional "Basketball players dont play on a high level.

You guys make excuses for the players like little Kids. They are young but they are grown men and are accountable.

I don't believe the players should need a lot of motivation prior to the then biggest game of the past many years but when today's AJC has Marvin Williams saying this

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"In order to stay here, we have to play with a sense of urgency over these last four games, and we can't afford to get complacent."

...it suggests that MW has a much better understanding of the situation than Woody.

And no offense to the MW fan club, but when MW out-motivates you, you SUCK as a motivator.

W