Seriously Woody? WTF?

[Admin]

Not really because he has already made it twice. he was expected to make it. It isn't like people are going to buy more JJ jerseys because he made the All-Star game for the 3rd time. The people who buy it will do so because they want it.

What difference does it make if he made it twice already? This is a new year so it's a new jersey and it's more exposure for the Hawks. What if JJ wins the game MVP? Don't you think that will get him and the Hawks a lot more publicity for a little while? Also I think you're reaching to say he was expected to make it considering how far down he was among fan voting. What was he, 10th among EC guards? Sure we as Hawks fans might (and I'd guess many expected he wouldn't) have expected him to make it but it was far from a guarantee.

You are just making up a scenario to try to make Woody look like less of an idiot. It isn't working. He had no reason to say to the media that he was playing JJ more minutes to make the All-Star game. He said it because he obviously feels that is a justifiable reason for JJ playing big minutes. There is no other reason for him to say what he said.

I love how you like to deal in absolutes. You really should go talk to someone about that because it's not healthy.

[crimedog]

I don't disagree with you and my personal feeling is that the success of the team (in terms of winning games) is the bottom line and I don't feel like JJ leading the league in minutes per game is a good way to be successful. My entire point in this thread is to get people to realize that there is more to what goes on with the Hawks than we'll ever know about and you can't even take Woody's words in most cases at face value because while he may sound stupid there's no telling what he isn't telling us.

One of my biggest problems, and I said this in another thread, is that to be a good coach means you need to be a good motivator and to be a good motivator you need to be able to say the right things to the right people in order to make them perform. Woody is ALWAYS sticking his foot in his mouth and saying stupid things like this. It makes me think he doesn't really know how to talk to people and deal with people.

Is that fair of me? Probably not. But when you are a fan, you have communication with the coach through the media and when the coach says retarded stuff to the media, well the fan can't help but think of the coach as unable to communicate with people, including his players.

[AHF]

I don't disagree with you and my personal feeling is that the success of the team (in terms of winning games) is the bottom line and I don't feel like JJ leading the league in minutes per game is a good way to be successful. My entire point in this thread is to get people to realize that there is more to what goes on with the Hawks than we'll ever know about and you can't even take Woody's words in most cases at face value because while he may sound stupid there's no telling what he isn't telling us.

I agree you can't always take public statements at face value.

What isn't encouraging is that you can take something stupid and make it sound good; you can take something smart and make it sound stupid; but it takes something special to take something stupid (running JJ into the ground) and make it sound like an even worse decision than it really is (assuming here that there is a better explanation than wanting JJ to make the All-Star team by virtue of stats that were inflated due to increased minutes).

[Admin]

One of my biggest problems, and I said this in another thread, is that to be a good coach means you need to be a good motivator and to be a good motivator you need to be able to say the right things to the right people in order to make them perform. Woody is ALWAYS sticking his foot in his mouth and saying stupid things like this. It makes me think he doesn't really know how to talk to people and deal with people.

Is that fair of me? Probably not. But when you are a fan, you have communication with the coach through the media and when the coach says retarded stuff to the media, well the fan can't help but think of the coach as unable to communicate with people, including his players.

That could very well be that he has a communication problem in general; or it could mean that he has a problem with communication just when he's talking to reporters. He certainly appears to say some pretty questionable things and a lot more so this year than I can remember in years past.

[HawkItus]

I agree you can't always take public statements at face value.

What isn't encouraging is that you can take something stupid and make it sound good; you can take something smart and make it sound stupid; but it takes something special to take something stupid (running JJ into the ground) and make it sound like an even worse decision than it really is (assuming here that there is a better explanation than wanting JJ to make the All-Star team by virtue of stats that were inflated due to increased minutes).

You know the problem here? Our local media sucks. A good reporter would have followed up that statement and asked Woodson to clarify. He would have either explained it better or left no doubt how illogical it was.

[Admin]

I agree you can't always take public statements at face value.

What isn't encouraging is that you can take something stupid and make it sound good; you can take something smart and make it sound stupid; but it takes something special to take something stupid (running JJ into the ground) and make it sound like an even worse decision than it really is (assuming here that there is a better explanation than wanting JJ to make the All-Star team by virtue of stats that were inflated due to increased minutes).

If there is nothing more to this than the words that Woody said then he is indeed special for saying them.

[AHF]

And just to add while we are talking motivation/communication, I don't think the two are the same. Bobby Knight can be a heck of a motivator as a coach for his players. He is not a very good communicator with the press or public as a coach, though.

[AHF]

You know the problem here? Our local media sucks. A good reporter would have followed up that statement and asked Woodson to clarify. He would have either explained it better or left no doubt how illogical it was.

I don't blame this one on the media. This statement was pretty clear from Woodson - even if it is not clear exactly what prompted it. Moreover, the media doesn't exactly get to sit down the coach after each statement and ask them to share their inner thoughts or expand on it.

The fact that the reporter didn't say, "Coach Woodson, Coach Woodson...can you explain why you want JJ to make the All-Star game and why that was important enough to play JJ more minutes?" doesn't seem like a real point for criticism here. Woodson clearly intended to tie JJ's minutes to his All-Star candidacy in that statement. That is on him, IMO.

[HawkItus]

I don't blame this one on the media. This statement was pretty clear from Woodson - even if it is not clear exactly what prompted it. Moreover, the media doesn't exactly get to sit down the coach after each statement and ask them to share their inner thoughts or expand on it.

The fact that the reporter didn't say, "Coach Woodson, Coach Woodson...can you explain why you want JJ to make the All-Star game and why that was important enough to play JJ more minutes?" doesn't seem like a real point for criticism here. Woodson clearly intended to tie JJ's minutes to his All-Star candidacy in that statement. That is on him, IMO.

No, I think a good reporter would have a said something akin to "Coach did playing him those minutes in hindsight work to the detriment of the team?" or "So can we expect Joe to get more rest during games after the All-Star break?" That way you begin to close off the excuses. Last year it was making the playoffs. This year its Joe making the all-star game. Both scenarios worked out no matter how you look at it. We made the playoffs and Joe made the All-Star team. But, if things don't change after the all-star break he's got more explaining to do.

[crimedog]

And just to add while we are talking motivation/communication, I don't think the two are the same. Bobby Knight can be a heck of a motivator as a coach for his players. He is not a very good communicator with the press or public as a coach, though.

Very true, I did say that I wasn't being fair in saying that though.

I guess I implied a little more than I said. I believe Woody isn't a good motivator based on what I see. Communication is a factor (not the factor though, as per your example) in motivation. Woody is a poor communicator.

Again, I'm probably not being fair but I also have a limited view of what happens behind closed doors so this is part inference and part "he doesn't look like he knows how to motivate them during games."

[exodus]

I agree you can't always take public statements at face value.

What isn't encouraging is that you can take something stupid and make it sound good; you can take something smart and make it sound stupid; but it takes something special to take something stupid (running JJ into the ground) and make it sound like an even worse decision than it really is (assuming here that there is a better explanation than wanting JJ to make the All-Star team by virtue of stats that were inflated due to increased minutes).

Woody sure is special all right, in the short bus way.

[AtLaS]

No, I think a good reporter would have a said something akin to "Coach did playing him those minutes in hindsight work to the detriment of the team?" or "So can we expect Joe to get more rest during games after the All-Star break?" That way you begin to close off the excuses. Last year it was making the playoffs. This year its Joe making the all-star game. Both scenarios worked out no matter how you look at it. We made the playoffs and Joe made the All-Star team. But, if things don't change after the all-star break he's got more explaining to do.

Local reporters just won't do that. Reason is because interviewing them is their job and if they offend or piss off the players/coaches with negative comments or questions, they won't get interviews anymore.