KEY problems in Game 3 and how game 4 can be won.

[JTB]

I rewatched the game on espn 2 and from the very beginning here's what went wrong (and these our minor mistakes like in game 1 in the 2nd half ATL!) I tried to keep this short but i couldn't, things were really on my mind about how dumb and effortless we played!

Offense problems:

-the offensive gameplan was simply NOT executed in the first half yet along even tried to be executed at that! JJ and others saw that Coach Skiles didn't have huge mismatches like in games 1 and 2 and for some reason JJ and others didnt even try to get the ball to horford or smith in the post or set them up for easy baskets in the 1st half as if smith and horford couldn't dominate just cause smith is now being guarded by mbah moute, instead they try taking jumpers all over the court not following the gameplan. An even though JJ made alot of shots he still didn't follow the gameplan as well as others and we lost simple as that!

-We get to the 2nd quarter and all of a sudden the hawks want to try to go to the post and pass to horford and smith but not set them up!......but let them go ISO, forcing them to set themselves up! and then in the 3rd we start trying to set horford and smith up and giving these guys chances BUT now im like what the hell took us so long into executing or even trying our gameplan as far as giving smith and horford some chances to score!

-Too many times horford and sometimes smith had to dribble in order to try and score instead of us letting him position themselves in order to score. that made no sense what so ever! and if you rewatch the game you can see that when we started to actually set horford up like we been doing all damn year he started to score in the 3rd quarter knocking down his mid range jumper. As for smith he just had a bad game but he usually makes the shots he missed. an we need to let smith go at mbah moute, moute is a good defender but i know smith can sore on him!

-jj dribbled entirely too long on too many positions instead of having BALL MOVEMENT! Im sorry but damn do we really have to go through this again........ATL HAWKS you have to have ball movement in your offense in order to be successful and getting the team involed!

I know im repeating myself on this but on the offense side again, we didnt execute our gameplan as far as setting horford and smith up for shots and at that it didnt even look like we tried to in the 1st half! cause the hawks act as if we shouldnt do our gameplan cause Skiles dont have huge mismatches like he did in games 1 or 2. An no ball movement again and most of that falls on JJ.

Defense problems:

-ok ATL Hawks if you are going to play a switching defense, play it! dammit! there is no reason people should be left wide open if we are switching on purpose! WTF man! I like the switching defense myself and I just didnt see the Hawks playing it well like they usaully do. I mean they know they are suppose to switch on purpose and not try to fight through a screen! There were too many times people got a wide open look. This should be very rare that a person sees a open look against our team because we switch so much purposely. We force guards to beat our big men. I did see our defense pick it up in the 2nd quarter and half of the 3rd quarter.

-Transtion defense took us out the game. We are fast enough and atheletic enough to get back down the court to stop these easy buckets that were made early on tho take us out the game!

-help defense wasnt there tonight! everybody must come threw on this one and come up to help on the weakside! not just horford or smith!

Defense was a huge problem but im more concerned that we didnt even try to execute our offense gameplan till late in the game. with that said i think our defense will be ok we showed we can stop them with no problem especially in the 2nd. We need to just show some effort and get back down court so easy transition buckets wont happen. An we need to make sure and switch on screens they try to setup since thats the defense we are playing!

KEYS to win game 4 (simple and sweet)

-play the switching defense like it suppose to be played (make sure to switch on screens and play help defense on the weakside when somebody gets beat or when needed)

-simply hustle more and get back on defense! ( stop letting easy transition buckets happen. Any team can beat you if they can score in transition with ease)

-run your gameplan no matter what the skiles or any other does in switching his lineup! ( if our gameplan is to go to the post and set up our big men then we need to do that!)

- setup horford and smith for some easy buckets (dont let these 2 have to try and set themselves up! Let them get in position to score then pass them the ball! gezzz)

-have ball movement in order to involve the whole team (jj dont dribble so long)

-crawford show why you are the sixth man of the year get out there and drop some points like we know you can!

-exploit mismatches if they are there!

[arhawkfan]

we didnt watch the same game if you are laying most of the blame on JJ

[dhawk]

Defense was the biggest problem. Every possesion was hugh and they were scoring on every possesion and we were not, the starters did not play well in the 1st quarter and that about sealed the game. Every starter got shots in the 1st, most didn't convert.

Edited April 25, 2010 by dhawk

[JTB]

we didnt watch the same game if you are laying most of the blame on JJ

it sounds like i was but im not im blaming it on the whole team but jj is the person who sets the tone! he's the leader! he must execute the gameplan and get others invovled because thats his job he's our star. yeah he had a good game but others didnt besides zaza anyways. Im not blaming him on everything just some things!

[hawkman]

it sounds like i was but im not im blaming it on the whole team but jj is the person who sets the tone! he's the leader! he must execute the gameplan and get others invovled because thats his job he's our star. yeah he had a good game but others didnt besides zaza anyways. Im not blaming him on everything just some things!

But JJ is doing EVERYTHING most of the fans here wanted him to do during the Playoffs in order for him to "prove" himself in their eyes. I just don't get this fan base sometimes. JJ has been playing great, period. The rest of the team was the problem last game. If the Hawks can get everyone on their respective games, they'll be just fine. I'm more concerned about Jamal's play as he's been struggling in all three games. I hope he can get over his Playoff jitters because he is the one supporting player who scores no matter if he's at home or on the road.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

But JJ is doing EVERYTHING most of the fans here wanted him to do during the Playoffs in order for him to "prove" himself in their eyes. I just don't get this fan base sometimes. JJ has been playing great, period. The rest of the team was the problem last game. If the Hawks can get everyone on their respective games, they'll be just fine. I'm more concerned about Jamal's play as he's been struggling in all three games. I hope he can get over his Playoff jitters because he is the one supporting player who scores no matter if he's at home or on the road.

Exactly.

JJ had some defensive breakdowns during that game, but the other guys were just flat out horrible. They played with no sense of urgency last night, especially Smoove. The Hawks have to understand that the playoffs is ALL ABOUT DEFENSE. These teams are too good to have defensive nights off like that.

I'm still in shock that Horford only grabbed three rebounds. Three.

And Crawford. Man . . . is the dude going to show up or what? Is he still hurt?

People just focus on the wrong things. 19 points in the 1st quarter is bad . . . but it sitll shouldn't see you be down by 17 points. So if you give up 36 points in the quarter, that's on the defense.

[JackB1]

JTB.....GREAT post! I wish we could could telegram this to Woodson. If he only had half the brains you do :)

After the 1st qtr and we were down by around 15, Woody said "It's early.......we'll be alright". Right then, I knew we

were in trouble. Woody thinks we can turn things around WITHOUT making adjustments to our gameplan. Big mistake.

You cant get down by 20 pts on the road and just hope to flick a switch and get back into the game. Won't happen.

Hawks came out flat Sat night and should have been ready for the energy Mil. brought. Smith looked uninterested

and played like he wanted to be somewhere else. I think all those days off really hurt us.

If we don't come out with focus and energy tonite, Sund better make some changes!!! This is the playoffs... There is no excuse!!!