By J. Terrell Price
Coming off a humbling 97-58 loss in Chicago, one which
included a franchise record setting low for points scored in a half (20) and
points in a quarter (5 in the second), the Atlanta Hawks find themselves at a
crossroads near the midway point of this 2013 NBA campaign. A season which
technically began in July with a franchise overhaul, not seen in these parts
since the dismantling of the Mookie Blaylock and Steve Smith era in 1999. Shipping
All Star guard Joe Johnson to the newly christened Brooklyn Nets signaled a
spectacular beginning for the Danny Ferry regime and an abrupt end to the “Iso
Joe” Hawks. Ferry chose to favor a more versatile, shooting oriented squad,
which in theory would complement the talents of Josh Smith and Al Horford. The
two new cornerstones of this Hawks franchise had previously had their full
capabilites stymied in favor of the all-around talents of Johnson. Larry Drew,
the Hawks head man, was expected to get the most out them with his “motion
style offense” he promised to install upon his hiring in 2010. Yet, here we are
in the midst of another season and Josh Smith still has not fully taken
advantage of his powerful 6’9” frame, continuing to exhibit spotty shot
selection and making ill-advised decisions while leading fast breaks.
Horford has rebounded solidly after a
season-ending pectoral injury sidelined him for all but 11 games last year. However,
Drew’s lineup shuffling throughout the beginning of the season has Horford and
Smith playing at center and power forward respectively or a position down depending
on the matchup. Drew has also dangled three point specialist, Kyle Korver in
the starting lineup. Korver, who is shooting at a 43% clip from three has been
one of many shooters Ferry brought in to supplement the loss of Joe Johnson’s
production in the lineup. Another of the new acquisitions, Lou Williams has
gone from sixth man supreme to starting shooting guard, back to sixth man. The
lineup changes Larry Drew has put forth have become a source of pregame debate
and speculation amongst Hawks fans, who have no idea from game to game what the
starting five will be. As the Hawks have gone from a respectable 20-10 to
losing 5 of their last 6 tips, Drew has shown a lack of consistency and an
inability to make adjustments in game. He apparently has second year starter
Jeff Teague on a short leash, constantly pulling him at a moment’s notice in
favor of veteran Devin Harris. Teague had his coming out party last season under
Drew, but with the myriad of guards on the roster, he is often substituted in
favor of a Lou Williams if mistakes are made. More telling than that is the
absence of Teague during crucial moments down the stretch in a number of close
games , including losses to Detroit, Minnesota and Washington on the road.
However, more seasoned veterans Smith, Horford, Williams, and Zaza Pachulia
have also had questionable decisions on the floor which have contributed to the
recent slide. Yet, Drew seems to give them more autonomy and less bench time.
Drew has also seemed to be unsuccessful in motivating his team, as a recent
players' only meeting revealed. The meeting was supposed to galvanize the
talented, but misguided bunch, but has only seemed to produce more confusion
and mistrust. As the Hawks get ready to face their old mate, Joe Johnson and a
the suddenly streaking Brooklyn Nets, they are facing more questions than
answers. Another loss would almost certainly add another nail in Drew’s coffin.
The thoughts
and opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Dirty Word, but of the individual author.
No comments:
Post a Comment