If Hawks re-sign Smoove I may have to find a new team to support.

[Guest]

You are right ALL players have flaws,all players make bad plays in a game, miss a rotation on defense, take ill-advised shots here and there,disappear in a game, turn the ball over at the wrong time, not box out on a rebound - those I have no issues with.

Unfortunately, Josh shooting as many long jumpers and 3's (particularly early in the shot clock) I don't see that as a flaw - that is just bad basketball.

[TheFuzz]

Damn y'all. No reason to attack AHawks89. Josh is obviously his favorite player but I have seen ZERO indication that he's a Josh fan before a Hawks fan. Come on. In fact I think AHawks might be the most positive poster around here in general. The ONLY time I ever see him criticize a player is AFTER everyone jumps all over Josh. Somebody has to balance it out. I admit, maybe you're a little overboard sometimes AHawks, but nothing major. Certainly not any worse than these people accusing you of not being a fan. Sheesh.

Yes, Josh continuously makes dumb mistakes. It annoys the hell out of me too and I'm completely ready to move on, but it's disrespectful to Josh (IMO) to toss aside his good plays. It's even more disrespectful to AHawks to jump down his throat the moment he defends him. He even admitted he only wants him back on a good deal. Goodness people.

How about this? Horford is hands down my favorite player in the NBA, but he's way too passive offensively sometimes and yes it has costs us games. I don't know where his defense has been at times this year. Nobody gets on him about not being aggressive enough (which, while not as bad, is a lot closer to Josh's chucking than I'd like to admit as it's completely mental).

I really dig Josh's high-low passes to Horford, and his always fantastic defense (but for the love of pete I despise his shooting). By far the most extreme people in this thread (and the vast majority of threads, really) have been the Josh bashers. Give AHawks a break, it ain't a crime to like a player. Hawksquawk is better than this.

Edited April 5, 2013 by TheFuzz

[AHawks89]

You are right ALL players have flaws,all players make bad plays in a game, miss a rotation on defense, take ill-advised shots here and there,disappear in a game, turn the ball over at the wrong time, not box out on a rebound - those I have no issues with.

Unfortunately, Josh shooting as many long jumpers and 3's (particularly early in the shot clock) I don't see that as a flaw - that is just bad basketball.

I'd say it's bad basketball if that's the only thing he did, but he does a lot more than that. Defensively & Offensively (passing), and when he plays in the paint. He wasn't leading in the NBA in defensive win shares last year for no reason. He's having an off year.

[buckeye242424]

Because people treat him like he's garbage. The people that "liked" it are the people who treat him and blame every loss on him. I don't like the fact that people trash him the way they do. If they want to go extreme and trash him, i can do the same vice versa. Simple as that. "I don't see you defending other players like you defend Josh" Wonder why? Think about that. I guess now that Chipper has left the team, I'm going to stop being a Braves fan. Now that UGA has lost a lot of their defensive players, I'm going to become a Bama fan. LOL, what do you think I am? A sports fans of all different teams? I'm an all Atlanta fan, except I pull for the Steelers in NFL because I grew up watching Steelers football. Falcons are my next team. Crazy to see you think that just because my favorite player is leaving, you think I'm going to leave too. LOL smh. You are crazy. People mad because I defend a Hawks players who they hate. LOL

I've taken my own shots for supporting Smoove as well. I've admitted that he is frustrating, and honestly....I believe it's a time for a scenery change for him. Not because I don't like him or think he's a bad player, but because I think he's done everything he could in a Hawks uniform, in a good way, but change is needed. From a personal standpoint, that many won't know...but D. Thomas from Ohio State is leaving after his junior year despite being projected a late 2nd round pick. Should he go? No...but he's ran it's course at OSU. Same with Smoove.

My biggest issue are the personal shots Josh Smith takes around here from the biggest fans. He chooses to play basketball, a SPORT, a certain way. That doesn't make him a stupid, idiot, moronic person. I think it's unfair.

[benhillboy]

The regression of his free throw shooting to obscene levels and the failure to realize how efficient he and his team were when he was disciplined with his shot selection (09-10, 53 wins, over 50% shooting) tells you all you need to know about the guy. He's one of the biggest enigmatic contradictions in NBA history. If I were a GM, damn near every dollar he made would be performance based: 50 from the field, 70 from the line, and no jumpshots unless absolutely neccessary. I'll give him a pass on bringing the ball up because he does make some sparkling plays when he isn't fumbling and bumbling. I'd give him 14.5 per for those strict guidelines. If not, he'd probably have to pay me to play. Woody is a disciplinarian and only managed 1 season of Josh playing smart with all the other seasons mired in rumblings of static between the two. Your hands a s a coach are pretty much tied when you've told a guy something 1,000 times not to do something and he does it anyway. You dont want to discipline (sit) him because he's your second best rebounder, most athletic player, and wonderful passer to and from the paint. I don't think some marquee coach can change Josh with the snap of a finger. I'd rather just bid him adeiu and replace him with a True 4 who defends the paint, sacrifices his body for boards, and shoots efficiently. I don't even like this new "stretch 4" crap going on, I damn sure don't like pseudo-stretch 4s.

Edited April 6, 2013 by benhillboy

[Ruckus]

I agree with everything you just posted except I'd rather swap him for a true 3 and add a center.

[ATLscrubLove]

Oh please tiny infant Jesus, let us re-sign Smoove for the MLE. Let this guy leave the real Hawks fans alone so he can spend the rest of his days begging for autographs from the Georgia Gwizzlies.

I don't see you going out to almost every Hawks game supporting the team like I do. I cheer for the team, but I don not clap for Smoove at all. I actually boo when the call his name during the starting lineup.

Edited April 7, 2013 by ATLscrubLove