Are we a playoff team without JJ?

[Wurider05]

Bibby

Crawford

Marvin

SMoove

Horford

Teague

Joe SMith

Zaza

Mo Evans

Hunter

West

Morris

Siler?

IS this team capable of at least making the playoffs without JJ in the lineup??

[Dragitoff]

Bibby

Crawford

Marvin

SMoove

Horford

Teague

Joe SMith

Zaza

Mo Evans

Hunter

West

Morris

Siler?

IS this team capable of at least making the playoffs without JJ in the lineup??

It depends on whether we ran an offensive set other than ISO plays. If we ran ISO's for say Crawford, I don't think so as much. If we ran a true offense all the time, I think that team still gets in as a 7 or 8 seed. Bench is short though which could hurt in event of an injury.

[ATLNY7]

I think so, because the hawks are in the eastern conference.

[TruJerz]

I think so, because the hawks are in the eastern conference.

Eastern Conference 09 >Western Conference 09. If you havent notice. And no we arent a playoff team without JJ. Crawford is nice and all but his D is pretty bad at times.. and JJ does so much more than score. And the Eastern Conference has gotten tough..we would be in 10th place probably

Edited August 21, 2009 by r3drumNYNJ

[High5]

The Hawks aren't good enough to play this game.

[MaceCase]

Any team where Crawful is your best player is not making the playoffs. He's only proved this 9 years running.

[Plainview1981]

No.

[TruJerz]

Any team where Crawful is your best player is not making the playoffs. He's only proved this 9 years running.

Crawford would not be the best player..he is not better than Josh Smith or Mike Bibby..but that team without Joe Johnson would not make the playoffs still. And when has Crawford even been the best player on his team? Knicks..not really. Bulls? no. Warriors..nah. and definitely not now. But I do agree if Crawford is your best player, you're in trouble..I like the guy but he doesnt play much defense and he takes bad shots. I do think he can be one of the best 6th men in the NBA and I expect him to win 6th man of the year this season

Edited August 21, 2009 by r3drumNYNJ

[DrReality]

Highly unlikely.

But if we didn't have to pay his salary it would leave a bundle to sign his replacement(s)

[buckeye242424]

The Hawks aren't good enough to play this game.

X2. I don't like to think of this team without the All-Star. I like it much better with JJ on the team.

[xhawk]

IS this team capable of at least making the playoffs without JJ in the lineup??

This should probably be a poll question,

I believe that we can will 35 - 40 games without Joe and that will probably be good enough to make the playoff in the East. Our main competitors for 8th place would be Detroit, Indiana, Charlotte and Philadelphia. All these team have huge question marks even at full strength.

[Guest Squawker]

Considering JJ hasnt been great in the last post season, i think we could.

[Guest Squawker]

I would also like to add if we get home court we have a good chance of winning the playoff series. I actually went to game 7 against the Heat...It was crazy in the arena!!!! Our home crowd is definently the best when it comes to playoffs.

[LordOfNYork]

Eastern Conference 09 >Western Conference 09. If you havent notice. And no we arent a playoff team without JJ. Crawford is nice and all but his D is pretty bad at times.. and JJ does so much more than score. And the Eastern Conference has gotten tough..we would be in 10th place probably

WOOOOOOOW are u serious? Shaq didn't bring over the whole western conference. Put hawks, bulls, heat, 76ers, pistons in the western conference and they ain't seeing no playoffs...And no the hawks are not a playoff team w/o Joe Johnson.

[HawksBalla]

I think this team WOULD make the playoffs. All of your players would have a chance to develop their games once they split up all of JJ's shots. Crawford would score a solid 18-20. We'd run more without iso-joe bogging us down. I think this team would have a realistic shot at at least the 7th seed.

[capstone21]

No

[joeschmoe]

No

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Without JJ, this the 06 - 07 Hawks all over again.

- Crawford might not be the best player on the team, but he'd be used like he is the best, because he's the guy that can get his own shot at any time. At the end of games, it'll be up to him to either take the final shot or pass the ball. No way we can throw the ball down to Smith at the end of games and live and die with him making the right decision on offense.

- If the "JJ Rules" are applied to Crawford ( i.e. - he sees constant double teams ), will he make the correct play more times than not? JJ cut down on his turnovers this year, even though those double teams did bother him at times. With Crawford, he'd look to take quick long jumpers to keep from getting doubled, which is why the guy shoots a low percentage.

- Defensively, a Bibby - Crawford backcourt would be one of the worst in the league. Remember, Woody started to have a tendency to go with Flip at the end of games, if the opposing teams PG was torching us. So imagine the situation the Hawks would be in against a team like say . . . Orlando. Bibby on Nelson . . Crawford on Carter. That's not good folks.

- Because of the lack of offensive firepower on the bench, Woody would be tempted more than ever to go with a short rotation that heavily depended on the starters. Part of our success last year was the fact that a guy like Flip could score in those middle parts of each half, taking some of the scoring pressure off of JJ during that time. This year, Crawford hopefully will be able to do the same thing. But take away JJ, who will be the guy off the bench to score if Crawford is starting? Teague? It'll have to be him, because those other guys aren't dependable offensive players. And if it can't be him, it means that the starters would have to carry the load.

- You'd have to trade for a pass-first, penetrating-first PG, and get Bibby outta here, to be able to maximize what Smith, Marvin and Horford could give you on offense. Bibby is a good compliment to JJ, who will freely wait for the double team to come, to pass to a wide open Bibby. But without JJ, Bibby might find it more difficult to get those wide open jumpers ( especially from 3-point range ). This might be a playoff team if a guy like Andre Miller or a Jason Kidd were our PG. Miller would drive the ball while keeping others involved, while Kidd would get others involved first, while knocking down the occasional jumper.

[Flight]

Yes

[TroyMcClure]

It depends on whether we ran an offensive set other than ISO plays. If we ran ISO's for say Crawford, I don't think so as much. If we ran a true offense all the time, I think that team still gets in as a 7 or 8 seed. Bench is short though which could hurt in event of an injury.

I agree. Scenario A is more likely to happen because scenario B is a dream that isn't going to happen. But let's hope no one gets hurt, except Mike Woodson. Some sort of pelvic or hip problem would take him off the sideline for sure, right? JK, but I would not be upset!