Woodson thinking big again

[DrReality]

Woodson thinking big againBy Sekou Smith

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Hawks coach Mike Woodson always speaks his mind.

Enlarge photo Allen Sullivan / aesullivan@ajc.com Hawks coach Mike Woodson has visions of a playoff run for the Hawks this season.

.Last season he predicted a 50-win season for his team when few people outside of the organization expected them to contend for a playoff spot.

Yet he's not stuck on numbers this season, with start of training camp just hours away. Not after back-to-back playoff appearances.

Rather than tossing out a random number of wins for this season, Woodson said he's simply pushing his team to achieve bigger and better things than they did with last season's trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

"We're at a stage now with our team where I think that's the logical thing, taking the next step," he said. "And now that next step is trying to get out of the second round of the playoffs and trying to challenge for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. That's the next step."

If that seems like a rather bold prediction, consider the source. This is the same coach who refused to count his team out when they were down 0-2 to Boston in a first-round playoff series two years ago.

"After that Celtics series, no one thought we would snatch one of those top four spots in the conference, no one gave us a shot," Woodson said. "You can complain all you want about how we did it, but we did it. My belief is that you push to take the next step and for bigger and better things than you've done before. If you get to the Eastern Conference finals and find a way to win it, anything can happen after that."

Smith still in stitches

Josh Smith still had stitches in his left hand late last week. But the heavy gauze wrap that he sported in the days immediately after cutting his hand open during a pickup game two weeks ago had vanished.

"I've still got my Frankenstein going," Smith said with a smile as he wiggled his fingers so his stitches could be viewed. "I'm just waiting to get [these stitches out] and get it all done so I can get out there for camp. It's healing up fine, though."

Smith said he'll probably have to keep some sort of protective wrap on his hand for the first week or two of camp to prevent any complications. Other than that, he said he'll be "ready to go."

Upon further review

An offseason statistical analysis revealed a team flaw that Woodson hopes the Hawks have cured with their summer work.

The Hawks were the second-worst free-throw shooting team (.737 in the regular season) and the third-worst (.744) in the playoffs of the eight teams that played in the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals, finishing ahead of only Orlando (.715 and .722) and Cleveland (.742 in the postseason).

"If someone had told me we'd shoot that poorly from the free-throw line and still win 47 games and make it to the conference semifinals, I'd have told you they were nuts," Woodson said. "The worst part is we have guys that can make free throws, but we lost six or seven games at the free-throw line last year.

"I'm not going to dwell on it with this team, but if you're talking about making the jump from where we finished to 50 or 55 wins, you have to be lights out from the free-throw line. That's the only way you can feel good about going to the line and putting games away when you have to."

Edited September 27, 2009 by DrReality

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Woody knows his team, contrary to popular belief. He knows it's a step by step process, before you challenge for a title. But I'm sure some people will even criticize him for these comments, because he's "limiting the Hawks" for merely challenging for a ECF spot, instead of a spot in the NBA Finals.

Great line from Woody:

"You can complain all you want about how we did it, but we did it."

That, my friends, is Woody addressing all of his haters, to ESPN and AJC writers to the casual Hawk fan.

[Swatguy]

Woody knows his team, contrary to popular belief. He knows it's a step by step process, before you challenge for a title. But I'm sure some people will even criticize him for these comments, because he's "limiting the Hawks" for merely challenging for a ECF spot, instead of a spot in the NBA Finals.

Great line from Woody:

"You can complain all you want about how we did it, but we did it."

That, my friends, is Woody addressing all of his haters, to ESPN and AJC writers to the casual Hawk fan.

**Crickets**

[gsuteke]

**Crickets**

You got a problem with the General??????

[sillent]

You got a problem with the General??????

No he loves the general and is responding to the haters silence.

On another note though Woody is an evil genius and he knows if he can get them to the ECF anything can happen!!

[Swatguy]

No he loves the general and is responding to the haters silence.

On another note though Woody is an evil genius and he knows if he can get them to the ECF anything can happen!!

It is not that I love Woody, it is that I respect what he has done.

(oops, guess i'll get more reds)

[MaceCase]

It is not that I love Woody, it is that I respect what he has done.

(oops, guess i'll get more reds)

I repped you just incase, this way you won't be as far under zero when they read that :thumbsupsmileyanim:

[AHF]

I can't buy into Woodson as a coach until he gets a functioning offense. We'll never contend until we get beyond iso-Joe as the foundation for our offense and develop some other avenues to exploit like using our pick and role point guard to...I don't know...run the pick and role. This is especially critical in the playoffs when we have to be able to exploit the double teams on JJ.

I think Woodson deserved to return for this season, but I am not sold on him. I like the approach Sund is taking.

[Buzzard]

I can't buy into Woodson as a coach until he gets a functioning offense. We'll never contend until we get beyond iso-Joe as the foundation for our offense and develop some other avenues to exploit like using our pick and role point guard to...I don't know...run the pick and role. This is especially critical in the playoffs when we have to be able to exploit the double teams on JJ.

I think Woodson deserved to return for this season, but I am not sold on him. I like the approach Sund is taking.

Agree AHF. If we have peaked under Woodson and his ISO offense it will show this year in our record; and not that I expect us to catch the big three but in the fact that we still have plenty of room for improvement before that happens. Road record, overall record, team defense and offense have plenty of room for improvement before we hit 60 wins. This year is just as critical for judging Woodson as a coach as the last two have been; in that a slide backwards could happen without further improvements in our overall team play.

Edited September 28, 2009 by Buzzard

[GameTime]

I am glad Woody is doing this. Its a win/win. He gets fired or we go to the conference finals.

[DrReality]

I can't buy into Woodson as a coach until he gets a functioning offense. We'll never contend until we get beyond iso-Joe as the foundation for our offense and develop some other avenues to exploit like using our pick and role point guard to...I don't know...run the pick and role. This is especially critical in the playoffs when we have to be able to exploit the double teams on JJ.

I think Woodson deserved to return for this season, but I am not sold on him. I like the approach Sund is taking.

We have more weapons this year and if he doesn't use them . . . . . bye, bye Woody.

[GameTime]

We have more weapons this year and if he doesn't use them . . . . . bye, bye Woody.

Honestly our depth compares with the top in the East.

If we keep Dixon:

Bibby/Teague/Crawford/Dixon

JJ/Crawford/Mo Evans/Dixon

Marvin/Mo Evans

Smoove/Joe Smith

Horford/Pachulia/Collins

A very deep rotation considering where we were last year. It is up to Woody to divide the minutes responsibly.

Edited September 29, 2009 by GameTime