Peachtree Hoops: Initial Reaction: Bulls 94, Hawks 76

[Hawksquawk]

Quick Thought: I am mailing in this reaction post like the Hawks mailed in the second half. 

Summary: 

Sense of urgency: Zero.

Chances of a deep playoff run: Fading.

Comical amount of times visiting announcers say in wonderment, "Say, what's going on with Joe Johnson?": Rising.

Amount of times those same folks say, "We'll give Josh Smith that all night": Holding steady at "every single time he shoots".

Number of field goals made by Al Horford and Josh Smith in the second half against the Bulls: Zero.

Tonight, Atlanta scored 50 points in the first half and held the lead by two points. They spent the second half watching Derrick Rose nearly outscore them (24 for Rose, 26 for the Hawks) on the road to ruin.

The Hawks are directionless right now, with their only defining characteristic is that of a team who seems to enjoy doing all the things fundamentally sound teams/players don't like to do.

They have a coach on a cheaper than the league contract, which renders him toothless, with the only weapon at his arsenal, playing time, rendered moot by his lack of options provided by an odd system of selling off cheap, young talent, and chasing more expensive, partially subsidized leftover veterans. Yum, that's a combination that makes you want to camp out for playoff tickets, eh?

The sad part is when the team is doing all the right things, they win. Despite the short bench, the puzzling playmakers, and the feeling they are producing less than they could, the team can beat anyone---but lack the discipline or desire to make the personal, singular changes that would raise the team as a whole higher.

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