Camp Insider III

[Vesper]

Camp Insider III

By Sekou K Smith | Thursday, October 2, 2008, 05:47 PM

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

HAWKSVILLE - First the gas crisis and now the blog crisis (don’t know what happened to all the stuff - mine and yours - that posted last night and all day folks, bear with the blogmasters that be as they make like the Orkin man and get the bugs out).

There was a live scrimmage here Thursday, with Hawks in three different shades (Blue team was the first team, White team was the second group and the Yellow squad was the rest) going full tilt with officials for the first time in camp.

As opposed to one of my long-winded wrap ups I figured it might be interesting for you to see the notes I made to myself as the action was happening and then I’ll revisit some things later on after you get done laughing at me.

There was no real rhyme or reason to what I was writing. It was simply watching what was going on and then jotting down notes to myself on what I was seeing, so it reads like this:

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First team is JJ, Bibby, Josh, Al and Marvin as expected. Second team is Flip, Acie, Mo, Zaza and Solo. Interesting top 10. That second group doesn’t look half as bad as ESPN.com said they would.

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Marvin is making this 3-point thing look easy. He’s 2-for-2 and drained both from opposite corners like he’s been shooting them forever. If he keeps this up he’ll be hard to guard.

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Flip is stronger than you think. He’s holding his own against Joe physically. He might be the wild card in the backcourt this season.

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No doubt Solo is stronger. Nice touch on that baseline jumper over Al. Keep watching and see how he fares after everybody gets tired.

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Bibby is shooting lights out. He’s a totally different player when he’s healthy.

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Josh and Al have great chemistry on both ends of the floor. They’re the most active cats out there. Josh is a terror on the glass and goes wherever he wants to go, and if it’s not him it’s Al getting a hand on a ball as it goes in the air.

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How many free throws is Josh going to shoot. These second team cats can’t guard him. Heaven help the third team squad.

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Flip has just figured out that every time Joe hollers on his way to the basket these rec league officials call a foul (“That’s a bad word,” he tells the guys on the sideline, “I gotta steal that.”)

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The first five already have their timing down. They’re playing like they did in those home playoff games. Quick passes and anticipating each other’s every move. Impressive.

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Second five looks more impressive as a group than people will expect. Flip and Mo bring so much veteran savvy to the floor with Acie still working out the nuances of running the show.

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Uh oh, here comes the third crew and yup, Mario West makes his first breakneck play. This man is on a mission.

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Zaza looks quicker to the basket, much more decisive. That’s what he looked like a couple years ago. He has to keep this up if he’s going to have a major impact.

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Josh passes up a 3-pointer and drives to the basket for a sweet layup. Showing much better judgment in that situation paid off.

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There’s no doubt, Flip is already the vocal leader of this second unit. He knows what to do out there.

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Solo is working his tail off. Seals his man and makes a great catch and finishes with a two-handed jam. Where has this cat been the past two years?

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Flip made good on his promise and used his own version of Joe’s holler on a drive to the basket. He didn’t get the foul but he finished with a nice reverse layup in traffic.

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Solo is handling Oyedeji off the dribble and finishes with the nice layup. Solo is going nuts and his teammates are juicing him up along the way.

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Acie still strikes me as being a bit tentative, oops, scratch that. He finishes strong at the bucket after a nice drive in traffic.

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Flip and Mo running the floor like they’ve played together for a couple years. They’re finding each other on the break for easy baskets. Vets made all the difference in the world.

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Flip making it look easy, buries a wide open 3-pointer the way you’re supposed to when the defensive rotates too far.

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Solo has worked out every second he’s been on the floor, rebounding, shooting, moves to the basket and finishes the scrimmage with a smooth turnaround over Randolph. Write about Solo for tomorrow.

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First thing out of Woody’s mouth when they huddle, “I like what I saw today.” No doubt.

That’s the notebook from the scrimmage verbatim.

[Gray Mule]

Whet your appetite - We want to read more good stuff, and await the start of the season with a very positive outlook early.

Sounds like we have more than a starting five. Yet, we must wait and see how these guys show when faced by other NBA teams.

So far, so good.

[Vesper]

Whet your appetite - We want to read more good stuff, and await the start of the season with a very positive outlook early.

Sounds like we have more than a starting five. Yet, we must wait and see how these guys show when faced by other NBA teams.

So far, so good.

I really like the idea of Sekou sharing his notes! :beer:

Edited October 2, 2008 by Vesper

[exodus]

Marvin is making this 3-point thing look easy. He’s 2-for-2 and drained both from opposite corners like he’s been shooting them forever.

Josh passes up a 3-pointer and drives to the basket for a sweet layup

Let's hope they can both make this a habit. It would make a huge difference in our offense. It might actually make Woody's offense look good......

ok so i might be reaching a little.

[Plastic Man]

Great to hear so many good things. Sounds like the chemistry is there already and everyone is competitively stepping up their game. I want to see the confidence and intensity carry over to the regular season. The playoff experience and new vets should make a huge difference in close games, translating to more W's. I'm ready to order League Pass...NOW!

[DrReality]

Sounds like a lot more leadership from the guys being another year older, Bibby being healthy and the two vets coming off the bench. Sounds like they have a lot more confidence and that has not always been the case.

[WraithSentinel]

That was a great a read. Not enough Acie in that blog though. I want to believe he is the future. I can't help but have my doubts about him.

[thecampster]

just a quick thank you. I absolutely love reading the notes. Actually better than an article. Seeing your notes reminds me of mental note taking I did when coaching my sons in baseball and basketball. This is actually, IMO, one of the best posts ever on this board. I'd love to see this again.

Now for a criticism. There had to be things that challenged your gut not to right. Don't leave out the good or bad as this goes on. As much as you'd be allowed to write anyway.

[thefloydian]

Sounds good, but it's kind of odd to see nothing but good things said about the players.

If Marvin's really developed a three, though, things could be interesting this year.

[frosgrim]

Did Claxton get on the floor?

The notes are fun to read, but yeah, you have to wonder about validity when there are no negative comments. Maybe it was just that good of a practice, or SS was looking for positives to write about (start the season off on agood foot with the Hawks?)

Solo's progress sounds impressive, but its only the 3rd practice so I am not going to get too excited until we see him in a real game.

It does sound like Woodson has at least an 8 deep roster now with Z, Mo, and Flip being the bench guys. I hope Acie gets more aggressive as camp wears on to make that a 9 man rotation.

[hawkman]

Sekou has really been on his game lately. Glad to see the new Hawks meshing well with the team and the starters continuing from where they left off last season. Those notes seemed to indicate an added intensity and crispness in this training camp scrimmage that suggest that this team believes in itself. Everyone is on the same page. Bibby is healthy and will be the player we saw in Sac Town a few years ago. Marvin adding the three will help his game and the TEAM tremedously. We ARE going to the Playoffs again this upcoming season. I just have that feeling.

[DrReality]

Bibby is the guy who can really bring all this together. Great to hear he is on his game. If all the improvements can be put together, both big and small, it can add up to a major step forward. Hope we are not over hyping this.