Zach Lowe: Smith’s attitude poses problems for Hawks

[Wretch]

D needs to understand his team. Josh has a WIDE range of talents and coach is to utilize those talents for the best, not limit the team and him. Let that dog Eat !!, I say.If the guy is nailing the three, run a play for him occasionally.

Coach, coach.

My thoughts exactly. It's not always about the coach and it's not always about the player. HOWEVER, it's moreso on the coach to know this than it is the player. Drew needs to recognize that Smith's shot is more consistent this year and *U-T-I-L-I-Z-E* it. I've never had a problem with Smoove shooting. I've said this in the past (see) nobody listens though... Here's the deal with Smoove:

He is not and will likely never be an off-the-dribble, pull up and shoot, crossover type player. THAT is what is killing him and the team. He just doesn't have the coordination or the control. 9 times out of 10, with a halfway decent defender, he is going to lose it or launch a very bad shot. Any time he tries that on a double or a good defender, it is a possession thrown away. The rest of the team might as well leave him and get back on D. What Smoove has is GOOD FORM AND FOLLOW THROUGH on his shot (great actually), strength, quickness, and incredible athletic ability. He needs to balance his game between the post and SPOTTING UP. In the post, he needs to go back to what he learned from Hakeem. It's perfect for him. He also needs to take a page from Tim Duncan with basic stuff and GOING GLASS. That little bit right there would make him a monster 20/10 any given night.

Between that, Larry Drew needs to find a way to get him open jumpers - RUN PLAYS FOR IT. This accomplishes a number of things.

1) You keep Smoove happy by giving him long shots.

2) You allow him to get set and give him a better chance at making these shots (he SO MUCH better, INFINITELY BETTER, when he works IN the flow of the offense and not forcing it)

3) You take away the defense's time to react to him. Making it much easier for him to get his shot off.

Smoove is already incredible at bringing so much to the table. If we could get these two aspects of his game under control, along with that attitude, he'd be unstoppable.

[Sothron]

As long as a guy is hitting the outside J I don't honestly know how a coach can ask him to stop shooting. Josh actually is hitting his outside shots this year. He said he worked on it in the offseason and you know what? I've noticed his release is a little later on jump shots and it is absolutely making a positive effect on his shooting.

You only trade Josh for a superstar or at least an All star level player as a position of dire need (point guard, center). You don't trade the guy because of a tiff with a coach.

[lethalweapon3]

I typically attribute the article to the source. He was the writer on the article which was posted on cnnsi.

My apologies, AHF. I wasn't critiquing the link, just wondering aloud before clicking, who in blazes this Zach Lowe guy was that was worthy of our attention. A former ABA/NBA coach? A nationally reknowned sports columnist? A Hollinger-styled statistics guru? Or, just another of those BleacherReport tweens typing from his momma's basement?

As it turns out, Zach's a CelticsHub blogger who two months ago got his fulltime gig with SI; a "bro" that needs "cool stories" to attract eyeballs to the internet version of a mag nobody buys anymore except around Valentine's Day every year. Would've loved to have seen his detailed commentary on Nate Robinson's attitude this time last season with the Knicks.

I put this gentleman in the "He can't say that about our pledges..." category. His article's a story that's been hashed about plenty and gone stale that he's trying to revive as "fresh commentary" to establish some sense of legitimacy. And his view is presented through green-colored glasses.

I'm not critiquing the posting of this here. In fact, it helps to display one of the continual problems this team has to endure (and I'm not referring to Josh's attitude).

Finding anything decent to say about this 14-8 team is too much of a hill to climb in the national media. Win or lose, good or bad, you can bet there's a critique waiting around the corner. Last month, the choices were "Al won't get extension; shows what a ****ed up org the Hawks have," and "Al gets extension; that means Josh is definitely a goner." Last night's game had one of two resulting national headlines, "Even when afflicted with leprosy, Magic trump Hawks," or "Hawks squeak past depleted, tummy-hurt Magic." It's either "Hawks lose... it figures..." or "Hawks win, but c'mon, does it matter, really?"

The lamestream media had two half-empty articles warmed up on the hot plate since Joe went under the knife, waiting to serve either one based on the outcome. "Hawks are sunk without Joe at the helm," or "Hawks prove they don't need big-money Joe."

Thus far, thanks to winning, we're getting more of the latter. (Prompting my next question: what the hell is a Tim Povtak?)

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/12/07/hawks-learning-to-win-without-joe-johnson

~lw3

[tremor]

I typically attribute the article to the source. He was the writer on the article which was posted on cnnsi.

On Smith's shooting, I am thrilled he is shooting better on his jumpers. It is worth noting, however, that even though his efg% on jumpers is MUCH higher and his ft% is significantly higher that his overall scoring efficiency has been slightly worse than last season because he hasn't been shooting as much on the inside where he is most effective. (His TS% this season is .530, lower than either of the last two seasons). Spending less time on the inside also means he is spending less time getting offensive rebounds - which not surprisingly are down .5 rp36 this season on the offensive glass compared to last year.

I am absolutely not someone who wants Smith gone. I also don't know for sure whether he is defying his coach but if the article is accurate on that point - it is definitely something to be concerned about. You can't install an offensive system without people being disciplined and 4 people following the offensive system and one freelancing isn't going to work. If Smith's outside shot is this good, it is LD's job to incorporate it into the offense - not Smith's to buck the system and do as he wants.

Smith is one of our "big three" and an essential player for our success. I hope the article is exaggerated and Smith really is rowing in the same direction as everyone else.

I have a feeling that Josh doesn't have so many easy baskets from fast breaks this year which would at least partially explain less shots inside and thus lower efg%.

[DJlaysitup]

I have a feeling that Josh doesn't have so many easy baskets from fast breaks this year which would at least partially explain less shots inside and thus lower efg%.

Good point tremor...+ that he has bounced around a bit between PF and SF. Personally (IMHO without any inside knowledge) I figure Smoove parties too much sometimes and comes in out of kilter. My previous praise as him being a pro is lessened if this is the case. Pros come to play every game.

Key thing is - as much as I like the Damien pickup - I think we need another PG to go along with Bibbs. JJack would have been a homerun IMO but since that has gone by the boards I'd take an A.J. type in a heartbeat. :kickcan:

[AHF]

I have a feeling that Josh doesn't have so many easy baskets from fast breaks this year which would at least partially explain less shots inside and thus lower efg%.

We are currently averaging 15.4 fastbreak points per game. Last year, we averaged 15.5 points ppg so there has been virtually no change in that area.

[AHF]

My apologies, AHF. I wasn't critiquing the link, just wondering aloud before clicking, who in blazes this Zach Lowe guy was that was worthy of our attention. A former ABA/NBA coach? A nationally reknowned sports columnist? A Hollinger-styled statistics guru? Or, just another of those BleacherReport tweens typing from his momma's basement?

As it turns out, Zach's a CelticsHub blogger who two months ago got his fulltime gig with SI; a "bro" that needs "cool stories" to attract eyeballs to the internet version of a mag nobody buys anymore except around Valentine's Day every year. Would've loved to have seen his detailed commentary on Nate Robinson's attitude this time last season with the Knicks.

I put this gentleman in the "He can't say that about our pledges..." category. His article's a story that's been hashed about plenty and gone stale that he's trying to revive as "fresh commentary" to establish some sense of legitimacy. And his view is presented through green-colored glasses.

Hopefully, he is someone putting a new label on old material and just pot stirring for attention. It does appear to me, though, that LD has benched Smith in a couple of games where Smith would ordinarily have come out onto the floor with the rest of the starters.