Answers sought to slump puzzle

[DrReality]

Answers sought to slump puzzle

Punchless starts gut efforts

By Sekou Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Monday, February 02, 2009

Three months into the season, the Hawks are experiencing an identity crisis that has everybody wondering.

Are they the inspired bunch that raced to a 6-0 record at the start of the season and has scored wins over likely playoff-bound teams Orlando, New Orleans, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit and Miami?

Or are they the ragtag bunch that lost 10 of 16 games in January and four of their past five, including games to sub-.500 teams New York and Milwaukee in the past week?

“We’ve just got to figure it out because this has been going on for the past six weeks,” said Hawks forward Marvin Williams, overstating the Hawks’ struggles by a couple of weeks. “You see it every day. We’ve got some things to figure out.”

Chief among those things: Why, win or lose, do they spend so much time climbing out of holes they’ve dug for themselves with sloppy play early in games?

After making a concerted effort earlier in the season to strike first on the road, the Hawks (27-20) have eased back into a routine of winning at home (they’re 18-5) and struggling on the road (9-15).

“It’s the same routine as last year,” Williams said. “It’s almost like we’re just waiting to get jumped on before we start playing, especially by teams when we’re on the road. We look up and we’re down 15 or 18, and then everybody decides it’s time to play. It just doesn’t work like that.”

After another dry spell that started late in the first quarter and lasted into the early part of the second in Milwaukee, the Hawks were down 18.

“It’s kind of been somewhat our trend,” coach Mike Woodson said. “And I hate to say that. But we think we can spot teams 18 to 20 points, and I don’t care what team it is in the league that you play. It takes too much energy to try and get back in it.”

In addition to the sluggish starts, the Hawks seem to have abandoned the furious defensive style that was their hallmark earlier this season.

The Knicks pounded them for 62 points in the paint Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, and the Bucks drilled them for 52 Saturday night.

Without starting center Al Horford available to hold down the middle of their defense, the Hawks have been exploited regularly around the basket.

“That’s something we’re going to have to address again, too,” Woodson said. “I haven’t looked at the tape yet, but I know we gave up at least 20 layups. And that just takes the heart and soul out of what you’re about defensively.”

The Hawks are 5-7 without Horford in the lineup. One of the only bright spots on the upcoming schedule is the prospect of his return from a bone bruise in his right knee. He’s expected back on the court this morning for his first full-contact practice.

The February schedule, however, is treacherous. There are only three home games, Saturday against the Clippers, Feb. 10 against Washington and Feb. 27 against Miami.

“If we don’t know who we are right now, we better figure it out quickly,” Williams said. “Because we don’t have any more time to waste.”

NEXT FOR HAWKS

> Who: at Minnesota

> When: 8 p.m. Wednesday

> TV; radio: SPSO; 790 AM