Opening Game vs Nets

[phoostal]

JJ goes for 80 Smoove 45 Horf 43 Teague 55 and williams 15 Hawks win 245 Nets 33

[YP2K]

I was hoping Rathbun and Nique were replaced . . .

Definitely don't mind Andre Aldridge replacing the Cellini brother!

[High5]

Abuse the mismatches and don't let Deron score 50. Should be a W.

[lethalweapon3]

Who keeps the reality star off the glass tonight?

~lw3

[AHawks89]

Who keeps the reality star off the glass tonight?

~lw3

Who ever has the biggest *ss on the team.

[JackB1]

Looking forward to seeing if Josh keeps his word on not shooting anymore 3s :-)

[TheTruth]

Where is the chat room? Can't remember where it is.

EDIT: Found it. Lol, I'm so blind.

Edited December 28, 2011 by TheTruth

[EazyRoc]

Hawks bench looks pretty damn good

Radman is a pretty good passer too

Edited December 28, 2011 by EazyRoc

[RonMexico]

How long are we going to keep the bench in??

[JJFAN4LF]

I really like what I'm seeing out of these guys. Great ball movement, great shooters, great defense.

[EazyRoc]

Radman is looking real Hedo- like

[DrReality]

And its nice to have another big white guy on the court . . . . . and he can shoot the ball.

[SerbianHawk]

Yeeeeeeee

[TheTruth]

Great game. Awesome bench sans Green and washed-up Stackhouse. 55 points from the bench tonight...and they actually EXTENDED the lead.

And wow, Vlad was beastmode. And Marv played very, very well.

It's just one game, against a bad team, but it is promising.

Will be even better when Kirk gets back.

[DJlaysitup]

We definitely need to schedule more games against New Jersey .

Seriously though...great opener on the road...great defensive effort...great to see Teague knocking down outside shots...Marvin looks like he went in for a full tune-up.

[High5]

First and foremost I apologize for underestimating Vlad Rad. I honestly didn't know he was that crafty and agile. He was cruising around the floor (for a 6'10 white guy) and moving the basketball extremely well. If he's going to be that active along with hitting the 3 ball at a good clip he's a great addition. T-Mac was impressive, too. He was getting to the rim consistently and he can still finish in traffic. A different ref may have given him 5-8 more FTs tonight.

The best thing about tonight was the effort for 48 minutes. It's one thing to outclass a team with superior talent, it's another to outwork them.

[AHawks89]

For the first time, I'm glad we're all so wrong about the predictions about this game.

[ATLNY7]

The Hawks played way better than what I expected. Their defense was just excellent throughout the whole game. New Jersey just looked terrible on offense. I was a liitle bit nervous beacuse I thought the Hawks were going to blow the big lead, but they kept their composure all night.

Now, for the player reviews:

Jeff Teague- He was really imressive. He made a few threes, and went to the basket strong and converted on a few layups. He played Deron Williams very well on defense. He controlled the offense well. He didn't play nervous at all, and he made a long three to end the first half. He made some good passes on offense also.

Joe Johnson- He looked alright, I guess. He made a couple threes. Overall he played decently, but he didn't really play that much because of the big lead. Can't really say much more.

Marvin Williams- He started the game off with a three, then missed a couple of shots after that, but he was very aggresive and attacked the rim often. He played with a lot of energy. Overall, he played well, and got to the line often.

Josh Smith- He took a few long 2-point jump shots early, and I believe he took a three with the clock running down. He got an early block. He didn't really play that much, so I can't say much about his play.

Al Horford- He made a few close shots early and a few jump shots. He played good defense. He had a nice ally-oop dunk.

Willie Green- He played decent. He didn't really wow me, but he looked like he was still trying to figure out the offense, but he made a three and played good defense.

Ivan Johnson- Didn't really see that much action until late in the game. Had a little scuffle with Okur. He made a jumper, and wasn't afraid to shoot the ball.

Tracy McGrady- He complained too much to the refs. Looked to be agrresive, and found his rhythm after a slow start. He attacked the basket and went to the line. He was okay overall.

Zaza Pachulia- Played very well, possibly the best in the game with addition to Radmanovic. He grabbed a lot of offensive rebounds. He just destroyed the Nets frontcourt. He hustled for evey loose ball, and drew a lot of fouls. I'm very impressed with the way he played. He also had a very nice dunk and got fouled for the three point play.

Jannero Pargo- He played good. He played good defense, and was a nice addition off the bench. He made a few threes.

Vladimir Radmanovic- He played very well as soon as he stepped on the court. He was just killing the Nets with his long range shooting. He made some nice passes too. He also had a very nice dunk. He drew some fouls and converted at the charity stripe. Overall, I was very impressed.

Jerry Stackhouse- Only saw him in the game for a few minutes. All I saw from him was a missed three point attempt.

I know it was just the first game, but I was very impressed with the defense. It forced the Nets into some tough shots. The ball movement was very good as well. Overall, the Hawks looked great for their season opener. I know that they were playing the Nets, who were playing on a back to back and are not a very good team, but I still liked what I saw. The Hawks could've let the lead slip away like in past games, but they didn't. I would say the performance of the night would go to Teague, Pachulia, and Radmanovic. I can't really choose one. I hope this wasn't just a fluke. I hope the Hawks play with this much energy throughout the season.

[ATLien_]

First and foremost I apologize for underestimating Vlad Rad. I honestly didn't know he was that crafty and agile. He was cruising around the floor (for a 6'10 white guy) and moving the basketball extremely well. If he's going to be that active along with hitting the 3 ball at a good clip he's a great addition.

It's refreshing to see a player on the court with a BB IQ as high as Rad. His understanding of basketball fundamentals is off the charts. How many open threes early in the shot clock did he pass up to get better looks for other players? You think Jamal would have done that? He spaces the floor perfectly and rebounds well too.

I was actully most impressed with his defense tonight. I didn't know he was this good of a defender. He actuallly guarded 3's well too on switches.

I like having all these smart vets on the bench. A+++ for the bench tonight.

[benhillboy]

Especially liked Tracy attacking and a few instances where Pargo and Radmanovic made good decisions handling and running successful plays on a reset clock after Teague turned it over a couple times. But the consensus surprise was Radmonivic. I knew he had the streaky, feathery three, but he made a few PG quality plays handling while playing like a big man down low and was quite alert defensively. He and Zaza looked good together on both ends. Everyone helped weak side and hit the glass. Passing was crisp. The Nets, true (the Brooks kid from Tucker was balling), but still a very impressive team performance. Let's Go.

On a side note, that Norris Cole kid is making Miami a little scary. Dude hitting -2:00 shots and free throws like it's nothing.

Edited December 28, 2011 by benhillboy