The VENT: "Energy, Soft, Leadership"

[AHawks89]

Lou Williams SHOULD NOT be in the starting line up. He is a great 6th man, nothing better, nothing worse. Like you said, when he is in the game, he dominates the ball, leaving other players scrambling around and when he can't get a shot off, he dishes the ball to whomever - usually to a person where they're not set up to score at the best shooting spot (Josh Smith - seen it way to many times), but yet these players get the blame.

The line up I would like to see is:

Teague

Harris or Korver

Smoove

Horford

Zaza

Bench: (mins split)

Lou/Harris

Lou/Harris/Morrow

Korver/Stevenson/Smoove

Ivan/Horford/

Zaza/Ivan

[willthepureshooter]

I'm with Josh on this one guys... Everyone's tired of Drew coming with the same ol crappy excuses after every loss.. Its either 'no energy' or players being 'soft' during the game.. When will him and his coaching staff start looking at each other? This guy never takes up for his players when they get screwed over by inconsistent calls during the game. He holds grudges with players, even when it effects our teams chemistry (i.e Ivan).. Mentally, he's the reason why Teagues developments' taking a step-back. How can you fly to Indiana to promise your starting point guard that the Hawks will be HIS team this season, but quickly make his season a living hell by picking up start-worthy guards..? The addition of Lou Williams into the starting lineup is the big reason why we're not coming out with ENERGY.. He's a ball dominate guard that takes away from the other starters. Basketball is a system game were players flow through rhythm. And rhythm requires ball movement, timing, and players finding their spots. Lou in the starting lineup has hampered our team in the worst way.. Numbers...

Original Lineup

Teague

Stevenson

Korver

Smoove

Horford

eFG: 49.2% eFGA: 43.6% FTA: -5 Close: 33% dClose: 29% Reb: 49.5% T/O: +6%

(W/L): 6-3

winning%: 66.6%

With the original lineup we scored more effeciently, rebounded, and also defended the basket. We took more shots closer to the basket, but we got to the foul line less..

New Lineup

Teague

Williams

Korver

Smoove

Horford

eFG: 46.6% eFA: 41.5% FTA: +2 Close: 31% dClose: 35% Reb: 43% T/O: +5%

(W/L): 9-6

winning%: 60%

With the new lineup, we dropped a couple percentage points in field goal effeciency while protecting the basket less..

I may be using a small sample size but the truth is the truth.. Lou Williams' has stunted the flow of our team with his erradic shooting and poor floor management.. I'm not blaming Lou for his inability to get players in gear, but I do blame Larry Drew for his horrible experiment thats cost us a couple games. He's trying to reinvent a wheel that 'great' coaches before him have experimented with time and time again.. Lou Williams will always be a sixth man off the bench! Volume shooters do what they do the best.. Shoot the ball and create momentum for the second unit..

I get the feeling that our guys are checking out on Larry Drew.. He continues to hold grudges and betray his players all the time. Ivan gets screwed so you can play an inconsistent journeyman in Tolliver? Seriously..?? Teague gets pulled from games for the smallest mistakes, even when he's on pace to have a career night..? I don't understand Drews logic with his handling of Teague. Drew randomly travels to Indiana... Miles and miles away... To whisper sweet nothings to his volitale starting point guard. What kind of supreme mind f------ is going on??!! LOL!! This guy!! No wonder Mike Woodson has no respect for him.. Ferry needs to send Drew on the next train smoking at the end of the season..

He needs to understand that when you treat your players like employees, you will in turn be treated like a 'contract' employer. And guys will be looking for the next opportunity around the corner..

YOU NEVER CALL YOUR PLAYERS 'SOFT' IN FRONT OF THE CAMERAS TO GET YOUR POINT ACROSS.. AND JOSH AS THE CAPTAIN, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR STANDING UP FOR HIS TEAMMATES. WHICH HE RIGHTFULLY DID...

I remember when my high school coach called me a p**** during practice.. I was pissed and I remember telling him, "my momma never had one of those so you can direct that to someone else.." And after that I began to DEMOLISH everyone in practice.. After the season, I got the coaches award for being the hardest working player and on/off the court leader..

So sometimes coaches have to realize that as players we all have a level of respect that needs to be maintained.. Young or old.. Players can't go to the media and bash the coach for being soft.. And trust me if it was allowed, a ton of coaches would get there feelings hurt...

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK???

[Guest]

ISO Lou - I said in the Timberwolve game thread that the ball moved better when Stephenson was at SG because he doesn't dribble and only shoots when he is open. LD is all about offense. Forget defense and rebounding.

[willthepureshooter]

ISO Lou - I said in the Timberwolve game thread that the ball moved better when Stephenson was at SG because he doesn't dribble and only shoots when he is open. LD is all about offense. Forget defense and rebounding.

My exact thoughts... It seems that Lou slows our momentum down as far as working with the starters. Horford doesn't get many shots and Teague's looking at Drew with the wtf face.. I've noticed the similarities in Joe and Lou's game.. They both dribble the clock out and pass it to Smoove for the chuck.. LOL!! Talk about scapegoat.. Geez!

[macdaddy]

They are playing soft. Why dance around it. I think LD is frustrated that guys were supposedly learning from the Celtics game and then come out with such terrible play the next day.

The rebounding and points inside by the twolves are the symptom. The disease is not defending the perimeter. We knew this would be the problem this season but we hoped that Teague would do a good job since the others are chronically bad. Now with Stevenson being physically limited opposing guards are picking us apart and getting easy layups for their bigs.

Shved: 15 points 7 assists

Ridnour: 10 points 4 assists

Rubio : 4 points 8 assists (in 18 minutes!)

Berea: 5 points 1 assist

That's 25 assists from their guards. Lou/Jeff/JJ/Korver had 9

[macdaddy]

My exact thoughts... It seems that Lou slows our momentum down as far as working with the starters. Horford doesn't get many shots and Teague's looking at Drew with the wtf face.. I've noticed the similarities in Joe and Lou's game.. They both dribble the clock out and pass it to Smoove for the chuck.. LOL!! Talk about scapegoat.. Geez!

Lou is doing what he does though and he's doing it well. I don't see where he can do a better job than he is doing but i agree that he's not being used properly. Teague playing the 2 isn't a good thing. Lou playing point is fine if Teague isn't in the game.

[MrMeltdown]

Teague sucks but he nor Lou is the problem. The problem is Josh and Al are not good enough. No-one is going to blame Chalmers and Battier when they lose people will look at the stars and rightfully so. It is Josh and Al, it used to be Joe, Josh, and Al none were or are good enough.

[willthepureshooter]

Teague sucks but he nor Lou is the problem. The problem is Josh and Al are not good enough. No-one is going to blame Chalmers and Battier when they lose people will look at the stars and rightfully so. It is Josh and Al, it used to be Joe, Josh, and Al none were or are good enough.

Totally disagree Melt.. I think Drew's not good enough to lead a team. He's a coach that continues to go against his word by benching players for small mistakes and holding grudges. Btw, the lack of energy comes from Drew not utilizing our bench properly. No one can muster up enough energy to play an NBA game after playing 35+ minutes the nights before..