What is the Most Important Element the Hawks Need to Advance Past the First Round

[Highpozt2]

Assuming the Hawks go into the playoffs healthy (Acie and Marvin on the active roster) What is the most important element the Hawks need to advance past the first round???? The follow up question is who is the most important player to achieving that???

IMO the Hawks have the talent and as crazy as it may sound I even think they have the right player rotations and game plan. I believe the most important element the Hawks need to advanced past the first round is INTENSITY and FOCUS and the most important player to bring that intensity and focus is no other than the teams best player Joe Cool. Here is where the issue lays is Joe to Cool to fire up the team. No doubt Joe is a baller but the playoffs are super intense and talent aside the team with the most intensity can really make up for lacking in other areas. Homecourt obviously helps the Hawks focus and intensity however the Hawks will need it for every game and that is what got them to game 7 with the World Champion Celtics last year. Thoughts??

Edited April 7, 2009 by Highpozt2

[AHF]

Backcourt play, IMO. If our guards are doing well, the team will do well. If our guards struggle, the team will be going home early.

[coachx]

Backcourt play, IMO. If our guards are doing well, the team will do well. If our guards struggle, the team will be going home early.

I agree. The most basic part of basketball.................hit your jump shots. We cannot survive Bibby and JJ being off from the perimeter. Go to Horford and Smith early in he paint to help loosen up the perimeter defense.

The 2nd most important thing to me is for them to look and play like a veteran playoff team. By that I mean NO whining to the refs where you don't get back on defense. Play though the tough calls and keep your wits about you ! This goes not only for Smoove but for everyone.

Sure there are plenty of other factors but good shooting can cover up and over come many other areas of weakness.

1. Bibby and JJ are our veteran leaders and need to play like it. Not just with good shooting but good decision making and low turnovers.

2. Flip is the X-factor off the bench

3. Smith and Horford have to come with their lunch pale ready to do the dirty work underneath.

4. Anything Marvin and Law gives us is a bonus.

5. We need ZaZa to do exactly what he did last year. Don't be afraid to give a hard foul or 2 on Wade !

6. Mo - space the floor and keep the defense honest. Keep getting those offensive boards.

Edited April 7, 2009 by coachx

[Highpozt2]

Backcourt play, IMO. If our guards are doing well, the team will do well. If our guards struggle, the team will be going home early.

I agree --- that goes hand in hand to me with focus and intensity --- if Joe in particular , and Bibby play with focus and intensity they are usually more aggressive, which seems to bode well for the hawks --- it appears when Joe and to a slightly lesser degree Bibby do not force the action the Hawks look lost. The team feeds off of the aggressive backcourt play.

[Highpozt2]

I agree. The most basic part of basketball.................hit your jump shots. We cannot survive Bibby and JJ being off from the perimeter. Go to Horford and Smith early in he paint to help loosen up the perimeter defense.

The 2nd most important thing to me is for them to look and play like a veteran playoff team. By that I mean NO whining to the refs where you don't get back on defense. Play though the tough calls and keep your wits about you ! This goes not only for Smoove but for everyone.

Sure there are plenty of other factors but good shooting can cover up and over come many other areas of weakness.

1. Bibby and JJ are our veteran leaders and need to play like it. Not just with good shooting but good decision making and low turnovers.

2. Flip is the X-factor off the bench

3. Smith and Horford have to come with their lunch pale ready to do the dirty work underneath.

4. Anything Marvin and Law gives us is a bonus.

5. We need ZaZa to do exactly what he did last year. Don't be afraid to give a hard foul or 2 on Wade !

6. Mo - space the floor and keep the defense honest. Keep getting those offensive boards.

I don't disagree with any of this --- The NBA playoffs get very stingy when it comes to easy baskets and free paths to the basket --- so the good solid outside shooting will be needed. Watching playoffs particularly the years when the Spurs won championships they were often not the most talented team, but they by far were the most focus and intense team in the playoffs. What that means is that it appeared that thy could always dig in and make a defensive stop when needed or set up a halfcourt pick and role with Parker and Duncan and get a critical score. The Hawks will have to always at least match the intensity of their opponent even when the offense slumps as it often does with any team in the playoffs. That is assuming focus and intesity = concentraton, smart play and most importantly staying strong for 48 minutes with no lulls.

[Gray Mule]

Offense wins ball games.

Defense wins championships.

Remember the movie, "A league of their own?" "There is no crying in baseball."

As stated already, you can't play defense while you're crying to the ref. while your

teammates are playing defense, five on four. If you just gotta whine and cry, wait

until there is a time out to do it. Then, be a gentleman about it and don't make the

ref mad by questioning his ancestory.

No sleepwalk. No lay up drills for our opponent. Watch out for those wide open threes.

Guards on the Hawks are a big part of our scoring. They can't have those 2-12 games

and expect us to win. Ball movement and moving without the ball. Work some of

those inside out plays and quit getting hung up on always going outside in.

And, hit those free throws. They count too!!

[AtLaS]

Defensive rebounding is huge, as well as backcourt play. If we rebound the ball and Bibby/JJ play well we are extremely tough to beat.

[Highpozt2]

Offense wins ball games.

Defense wins championships.

Remember the movie, "A league of their own?" "There is no crying in baseball."

As stated already, you can't play defense while you're crying to the ref. while your

teammates are playing defense, five on four. If you just gotta whine and cry, wait

until there is a time out to do it. Then, be a gentleman about it and don't make the

ref mad by questioning his ancestory.

No sleepwalk. No lay up drills for our opponent. Watch out for those wide open threes.

Guards on the Hawks are a big part of our scoring. They can't have those 2-12 games

and expect us to win. Ball movement and moving without the ball. Work some of

those inside out plays and quit getting hung up on always going outside in.

And, hit those free throws. They count too!!

Yes the free throw thing is huge because there will be few easy layups or uncontested shots in the paint without fouls --- if the Hawks can shoot free throws in the 80 -85% range they will be tough to beat. Number of free throw attempts will mean the Hawks are not settling for jump shots but driving the lane which also will pay dividends

[Highpozt2]

Defensive rebounding is huge, as well as backcourt play. If we rebound the ball and Bibby/JJ play well we are extremely tough to beat.

Yes rebounding will be critical particularly since the Hawks are smallish in the front court ---- The hustle points including steals, rebounding, block shots and recovering loose balls can often offset a poor shooting night. The Hawks have to keep the intensity for 48 minutes no 5 minute lulls.

[DrReality]

Defense helps create offense and create a flow. We've got to play tough D to have any chance. Outside shooting would be icing on the cake.

[Highpozt2]

Defense helps create offense and create a flow. We've got to play tough D to have any chance. Outside shooting would be icing on the cake.

As simple as it sounds defense in the playoff is intense (no free layups down the lane, no uncontested dunks and strong legal fouls). The Hawks often go into lapses on offense, but if the defense stays intense for 48 minutes they will be very tough to beat.

[HamHawk]

I thought long and hard about the most important element the Hawks need to advance past the first round and here's what I came up with:

Wins :laughing5:

Seriously, intensity. Defense is key. . . so is FT percentage. . . . so is hitting the jumper. . . . I hear about our "5 minute lulls" or "complaining to the refs". Those are signs of the lacksidasical effort we've put forth down the stretch. If we don't bring intensity, we'll be the only team in the playoffs that doesn't and that is just unacceptable.

[Diesel]

Assuming the Hawks go into the playoffs healthy (Acie and Marvin on the active roster) What is the most important element the Hawks need to advance past the first round???? The follow up question is who is the most important player to achieving that???

IMO the Hawks have the talent and as crazy as it may sound I even think they have the right player rotations and game plan. I believe the most important element the Hawks need to advanced past the first round is INTENSITY and FOCUS and the most important player to bring that intensity and focus is no other than the teams best player Joe Cool. Here is where the issue lays is Joe to Cool to fire up the team. No doubt Joe is a baller but the playoffs are super intense and talent aside the team with the most intensity can really make up for lacking in other areas. Homecourt obviously helps the Hawks focus and intensity however the Hawks will need it for every game and that is what got them to game 7 with the World Champion Celtics last year. Thoughts??

Coaching.

Last year, what made our team great was that Woody showed up and made adjustments.

If we draw Miami, you have to be ready for Wade.

That's going to require a good game plan, good substitutions, and a recognition on what type of defense to play.

[mrhonline]

I thought long and hard about the most important element the Hawks need to advance past the first round and here's what I came up with:

Wins :laughing5:

I opened this thread just for the chance to say that...