Anyone else worried so far?

[JackB1]

Look, I know it's preseason, but I really don't like what I am seeing here in these games and don't expect the Hawks will just turn on a switch on opening night and turn everything around.

Here are my concerns:

1) This new offense looks great until we take the shot. The movement is good, but it seems like our players are not used to the quick touch and shoot that Drew wants. They seem to be erratic

and the shooting percentages in these games has been awful. I don't understand why the movement would make the shotting worse, but if we can't shoot better than 40%, it doesn't matter what

we do.

2) Where is the emphasis on "D"? Drew was saying that he wants to emphasize defense during the preseason, but I don't see any intensity on defense so far. I DO see less switching on picks,

but I don't really see anything different than last year. Smoove seems to be sleepwalking on D most of the time and we need him to be more active.

3) Smoove looks confused. I don't think I have seen Smoove posting up in the low post hardly at all? I thought Drew was supposed to get him away from the perimeter and put him in position to

use his talents? I still see him doing all the stupid things he always did under Woody......he dribbles the ball up....takes stupid long jumpers...doesn't hustle on "D" and in general, doesn't play smart.

Looks like "same old, same old" when it comes to Smith. Still don't understand why we didn't trade him for a Center or PG.

4) NOBODY IS DRIVING THE PAINT!!! Jump shot - Jump shot - jump shot!!! This shows how much we needs guys like Crawford and hopefully Teague and JC2 to penetrate and draw fouls. Joe

doesn't look like he wants to do anything but shoot jumpers anymore and nobody is penetrating the lanes. Drew needs to explain to Joe, that he needs to draw some fouls like most "stars" do.

I am worried that this lack of success with Drew's new offense will get our players to not trust it and want to revert back to what they did last year? What good is change if it makes you worse?

Right now Drew is making Woody look like a genious and I never thought I would say that in a million years. Everyone here seems to think it's just a "preseason" thing and everything will be

cleared up when our starters are playing the majority of the game, but I am not so sure. The only one that is impressing me right now is Jordan Crawford. This kid needs to find a way to get

lots of minutes. He has loads of talent and doesn't have that typical "scared rookie" look out there. I would play him at the point right away. He's got the handles and quickness to do it. All he

needs to develop is the passing ability. Bibby is a huge liability on D and shouldn't be starting anymore. I would move JJ to the #3 and use JC2 both at the 1 and 2, depending on how Teague

does.

[lethalweapon3]

The only folks needing to be worried are Rick QuickSund and the poor souls who, for a living, have to sell season ticket packages to people willing to pay to watch what we saw last night live. If they watched that mess last night (or last spring, for that matter) and they're not worried enough to act on it, there's no need for anyone else to be.

Personally, I've stashed away my Panic Button for Drew and our major contributors in a lockbox until at least mid-December (signed free agents' trade restrictions expire by then). There's no way this half-baked team will get through the growing pains of a new system by an inexperienced coach in time for the start of the regular season, and we knew this back in May even before the final roster revealed itself. Until it all gels, and the players show confidence and discipline in running it, they are going to take their lumps.

~lw3

[JackB1]

The only folks needing to be worried are Rick QuickSund and the poor souls who, for a living, have to sell season ticket packages to people willing to pay to watch what we saw last night live. If they watched that mess last night (or last spring, for that matter) and they're not worried enough to act on it, there's no need for anyone else to be.

Personally, I've stashed away my Panic Button for Drew and our major contributors in a lockbox until at least mid-December (signed free agents' trade restrictions expire by then). There's no way this half-baked team will get through the growing pains of a new system by an inexperienced coach in time for the start of the regular season, and we knew this back in May even before the final roster revealed itself. Until it all gels, and the players show confidence and discipline in running it, they are going to take their lumps.

~lw3

But what is it about this "new system" that is making them miss shot after shot? And why doesn't Drew use some playsets that create lanes to the basket?

I just don't understand why a little more "movement" is creating all kinds of problems for us putting the ball in the basket???

[niremetal]

But what is it about this "new system" that is making them miss shot after shot? And why doesn't Drew use some playsets that create lanes to the basket?

I just don't understand why a little more "movement" is creating all kinds of problems for us putting the ball in the basket???

Simple. The constant movement is a 180-degree turnaround from the no-movement-whatsoever "strategy" that the Hawks had employed the previous 5 seasons. The players aren't comfortable with the new system yet. Thus they aren't acting aggressively or confidently within that system. At first, they turned it over constantly because the players hadn't learned to read where each of them is headed in the offense yet. Last night, it seemed like they overcompensated for the turnover problem by being hyperconservative and refusing to attack (a tendency not helped by the presence of Dwight Howard around the rim). The injuries this preseason made it even harder, because not everyone is on the same page as far as learning the offense. LW3 nailed it - everyone saw (or at least should have seen) this coming from the day Drew was hired. No need to hit the panic button unless we're several weeks into the season and we still look out of sorts.

In any case, the way I see it, this offense wasn't designed to produce a better regular season record, necessarily. It was designed to make us stronger come the playoffs. I don't think our regular season will be so bad that we'll drop below 45 wins and/or seed lower than 5th (barring major injuries), and frankly I have absolutely no interest anymore in simply looking good in the regular season. I want us to be competitive come the playoffs. That was impossible under the old, predictable schemes that Woody ran. It's at least possible with Drew's system.

Edited October 19, 2010 by niremetal

[Vol4ever]

The only folks needing to be worried are Rick QuickSund and the poor souls who, for a living, have to sell season ticket packages to people willing to pay to watch what we saw last night live. If they watched that mess last night (or last spring, for that matter) and they're not worried enough to act on it, there's no need for anyone else to be.

Personally, I've stashed away my Panic Button for Drew and our major contributors in a lockbox until at least mid-December (signed free agents' trade restrictions expire by then). There's no way this half-baked team will get through the growing pains of a new system by an inexperienced coach in time for the start of the regular season, and we knew this back in May even before the final roster revealed itself. Until it all gels, and the players show confidence and discipline in running it, they are going to take their lumps.

~lw

What indication has this team given that they will make changes? Must have gone over my head.

[lethalweapon3]

What indication has this team given that they will make changes?

None. So if they're not worried, why shouldn't we be Alfred E. Neumann for a little while?

~lw3

[spotatl]

For those wondering how much preseason success tends to translate into regular season success I thought you might enjoy this article. http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/10/11/spurs-stats-nba-preseason-predict-regular-season.

Conclusion

The preseason is a significant factor for predicting regular season success. In fact, preseason performance is comparable to regular season performance for predicting future wins and losses. After accounting for the number of starter minutes played, the difference becomes even smaller.

Read more: http://www.48minutesofhell.com/2010/10/11/spurs-stats-nba-preseason-predict-regular-season/#ixzz12pfr0Ytz

[BudBall]

We are not going anywhere soon.

[Wretch]

I'm not really worried - in the sense that I knew what to expect. Our team has been under the direction of rookie coaches for the past decade, with the only experience coming from a guy who was also a rookie coach for us and funneled us into a simplistic offense. It's going to take time for them to pick this up. Ultimately, I believe they CAN be a better playoff team but we will not have a better record than we did last year.

I really think this team is primed for a blockbuster move. I won't get my expectations up until I see either A) someone currently on the team stepping up in a MAJOR way or B) a major trade. Don't get me wrong though, I'm still looking forward to the season. It'll be interesting to see how guys react to having the freedom to contribute to the offense.

[JackB1]

In any case, the way I see it, this offense wasn't designed to produce a better regular season record, necessarily. It was designed to make us stronger come the playoffs. I don't think our regular season will be so bad that we'll drop below 45 wins and/or seed lower than 5th (barring major injuries), and frankly I have absolutely no interest anymore in simply looking good in the regular season. I want us to be competitive come the playoffs. That was impossible under the old, predictable schemes that Woody ran. It's at least possible with Drew's system.

You are 100% right on the money there. Our Woody led predicatable style was easily beaten when a competing, better and smarter coach see's the same thing night after night in a playoff round. Drew's real test will come in the playoffs and also during the season to see if he can make in-game adjustments. We all know that Woody was unable to do so.

[txsting]

Look, I know it's preseason, but I really don't like what I am seeing here in these games and don't expect the Hawks will just turn on a switch on opening night and turn everything around.

Here are my concerns:

1) This new offense looks great until we take the shot. The movement is good, but it seems like our players are not used to the quick touch and shoot that Drew wants. They seem to be erratic

and the shooting percentages in these games has been awful. I don't understand why the movement would make the shotting worse, but if we can't shoot better than 40%, it doesn't matter what

we do.

2) Where is the emphasis on "D"? Drew was saying that he wants to emphasize defense during the preseason, but I don't see any intensity on defense so far. I DO see less switching on picks,

but I don't really see anything different than last year. Smoove seems to be sleepwalking on D most of the time and we need him to be more active.

3) Smoove looks confused. I don't think I have seen Smoove posting up in the low post hardly at all? I thought Drew was supposed to get him away from the perimeter and put him in position to

use his talents? I still see him doing all the stupid things he always did under Woody......he dribbles the ball up....takes stupid long jumpers...doesn't hustle on "D" and in general, doesn't play smart.

Looks like "same old, same old" when it comes to Smith. Still don't understand why we didn't trade him for a Center or PG.

4) NOBODY IS DRIVING THE PAINT!!! Jump shot - Jump shot - jump shot!!! This shows how much we needs guys like Crawford and hopefully Teague and JC2 to penetrate and draw fouls. Joe

doesn't look like he wants to do anything but shoot jumpers anymore and nobody is penetrating the lanes. Drew needs to explain to Joe, that he needs to draw some fouls like most "stars" do.

I am worried that this lack of success with Drew's new offense will get our players to not trust it and want to revert back to what they did last year? What good is change if it makes you worse?

Right now Drew is making Woody look like a genious and I never thought I would say that in a million years. Everyone here seems to think it's just a "preseason" thing and everything will be

cleared up when our starters are playing the majority of the game, but I am not so sure. The only one that is impressing me right now is Jordan Crawford. This kid needs to find a way to get

lots of minutes. He has loads of talent and doesn't have that typical "scared rookie" look out there. I would play him at the point right away. He's got the handles and quickness to do it. All he

needs to develop is the passing ability. Bibby is a huge liability on D and shouldn't be starting anymore. I would move JJ to the #3 and use JC2 both at the 1 and 2, depending on how Teague

does.

Good post. I think that everyone needs to be prepared to take a step back over the first 1/4 of the season. You don't make these types of wholesale changes and 'boom' all of a sudden you're a world beater. It's a process. I don't expect .600 ball to start. Maybe we will play .500 or a bit below that.

After we get 20 games or so in, I would expect to see some improvement, and over the last half of the season I would hope we are winning games at a good clip, similar to last year or better. Don't blame Drew for the slow start - you should probably go ahead and expect it. Save your Drew hate for the possibility that we don't get any better.

[Lascar78]

1) This new offense looks great until we take the shot. The movement is good, but it seems like our players are not used to the quick touch and shoot that Drew wants. They seem to be erratic

and the shooting percentages in these games has been awful. I don't understand why the movement would make the shotting worse, but if we can't shoot better than 40%, it doesn't matter what

we do.

I have only seen last night's game but the idea of the motion offense is to read the D and make the right decisions to end up with open shots, preferably to the basket. What is currently happening is we are trying to run some motion for a while, and we fail to get whatever it is that we were looking for. Then we panic, and whoever has the ball and goes 1 on 1. Except it's even worse than an iso because the rest of the teammates are not positioned to prevent their defenders from helping. And most of these shots end up being long jumpers as opposed to a planned iso where the floor is cleared out and the player tries to take his man inside.

I think that one major problem is that Bibby hasn't had any motion in his legs for 2 years, and Teague has been out. Late in the preseason you still expect plenty of mistakes, but I'd feel better if I'd seen some plays where the offense led to easy buckets. I really didn't see a single one. If this is supposed to be a Princeton offense, I didn't see any backdoor cuts either.

It''s way too early to judge, but I don't think the signs are too good.

There will be plenty of growing pains, but either way I look forward to Atlanta's return to the game of basketball, which is supposed to be schemed 5-on-5, not 1-on-1.

[spotatl]

BTW- I love the creativity of people who are still finding a way blame Woodson for the Hawks offense even after they fired him.

[DrReality]

any time you go from chaos, which is what they've yhad to order it causes more chaos.

[JTB]

Simple. The constant movement is a 180-degree turnaround from the no-movement-whatsoever "strategy" that the Hawks had employed the previous 5 seasons. The players aren't comfortable with the new system yet. Thus they aren't acting aggressively or confidently within that system. At first, they turned it over constantly because the players hadn't learned to read where each of them is headed in the offense yet. Last night, it seemed like they overcompensated for the turnover problem by being hyperconservative and refusing to attack (a tendency not helped by the presence of Dwight Howard around the rim). The injuries this preseason made it even harder, because not everyone is on the same page as far as learning the offense. LW3 nailed it - everyone saw (or at least should have seen) this coming from the day Drew was hired. No need to hit the panic button unless we're several weeks into the season and we still look out of sorts.

In any case, the way I see it, this offense wasn't designed to produce a better regular season record, necessarily. It was designed to make us stronger come the playoffs. I don't think our regular season will be so bad that we'll drop below 45 wins and/or seed lower than 5th (barring major injuries), and frankly I have absolutely no interest anymore in simply looking good in the regular season. I want us to be competitive come the playoffs. That was impossible under the old, predictable schemes that Woody ran. It's at least possible with Drew's system.

exactly man....theres not much to worry about right now. we will win games and still get atleast 50 wins. what the whole point is that by the time of the playoffs this new system needs to be ran at a pace where the hawks can feel comfortable and more confident as a unit cause everybody is being invovled. the offense will come into its own no worrys, we have too many offensive weapons for it not to. now the defense needs to step it up and play with alot more urgency immediately cause no matter how good we are on offense the defense is what going to carry us through the playoffs!....See last year and this year will be completely different on the offense end. teams wont know exactly how to guard us come playoffs cause the iso are now gone but that only fixes part of the playoff issues, theres no telling how the defense will do!

[NineOhTheRino]

Looks like the Hawks have gone from dribble-dribble-dribble-jumper to pass-pass-pass-jumper. Same [bleep] different potty.

[spotatl]

The real issue for the Hawks has always been that even if they get a step on the perimeter that the players are too content to settle for long jumpers. When Joe has the advantage he needs to take it inside and draw a big and either initiate contact or dish it to one of the bigs. To me this isn't a coaching issue- this is a player deciding he wants contact instead of settling for long jumpers issue.

To me the hawks have no real post threat and just 1 guy who can consistently draw a double then find the open guy. That greatly limits the options they have for attacking a defense.