I’ll keep this brief, since the Hawks-Magic series doesn’t really interest me that much. The Magic are too brilliant, and the Hawks are too frustrating, so there isn’t all that much intrigue. (But still, you should watch it, because you love basketball).
NBA Playoffs Thursday Night Viewing Guide: Mike Woodson, Hawks Look Like They’ve Quit On Each Other
Anyway, I've hated the Hawks' style of play for three years. Even when they had marquee games, they rarely struck me as a "must-watch" team. It's kind of funny to hear the national commentators like Kevin McHale and Hubie Brown complain about how their offense is "stagnant" and there's "no ball movement," because that's exactly how they've played for three years. They run three plays: a screen for Joe Johnson leading to an isolation, a post-up isolation for Josh Smith and a pick and roll that eventually turns into an isolation for Jamal Crawford. Color me unimpressed.
But still, it worked relatively well - until now. And the operative question we should be asking in the wake of Tuesday’s disaster is not whether the Hawks have quit, it’s who quit first? The players, or Mike Woodson?
Because this does not look like a coach who has his heart in it anymore.
"We didn't make shots." Gee, ya think? Something tells me you're going to need to do more than that to make this a series. Not to sound like your cliche angry sports fan here, but where was the fire? Where was the passion? Contrast that postgame press conference to, say, Mike Brown's after Cleveland's Game 2 loss to the Celtics, and there's a huge difference in demeanor. Brown might not be the best coach, but he wasn't afraid to rip his team for their effort. He cares. Mike Woodson? Shrug. Whatever.
At the same time, these are the facts about Woodson: he’s improved the team’s record every season, and he hasn’t received anything close to a vote of confidence from management as a reward. No contract extension, no nothing. And if Ric Bucher is to be believed, his two best players basically told him to shut up when he tried to coach them last round. If the players won’t listen to you, and management is preparing to let go of you despite your record ... then it’s easy to quit. Not defensible, but natural.
All in all, it just stinks for Hawks fans. They’ve finally earned some respectibility, and now, they’re losing it again. I guess they could still make this a series, but I’m not seeing it. I’ve been wrong before though.
Anyway, let’s break this game down, if we must.
Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic: Game 2, 8:00 p.m., ESPN
Game 1 in one sentence: The Orlando Magic won by a lot of points.
Problem the Hawks must solve to win: You mean besides everything? Getting some ball and player movement would be nice, but this is the Hawks, so that’s asking a lot. Otherwise, SB Nation’s Hawks blog Peachtree Hoops has a list of things to not do if the Hawks want to win.
Lets see, things to avoid tonight: Mike Woodson having to make decisions, medium to large deficits, one foul benchings, forming game strategies around Gortat, long, contested two point jump shots, not trying, and giving up easy “and 1.” To be fair, it is not as bad as it sounds. The Hawks only need to do six out of seven of these to win. Plus, all the normal stuff like rebound and play defense and hope the other team does not play well.
Problem the Magic must solve to win again: Assuming the Hawks sort of get their act together, the Smith/Al Horford tandem could pose some problems, in that Smith can dominated Rashard Lewis and Horford can pull Dwight Howard away from the hoop. SB Nation's Magic blog Orlando Pinstriped Post, in a rare display of charity, suggests the Hawks do exactly that if they want to combat the Magic.
Run plays for Smith. He’s more effective in transition or creating his own opportunities on the offensive glass, but here, it might make some sense. Neither Rashard Lewis nor Anderson has the athleticism to stay with him on a drive to the basket, and if he can manage to get there without dribbling off his own foot or thigh, he can finish. Or, at the very least, draw Howard away from Horford. It’d certainly make the Magic’s defense react, which is something it didn’t have to do much of in Game 1, considering the proliferation of isolation play.
Totally inconsequential thing I want to see happen: Jason Collins got some random run for the Hawks as a means to defend foul Dwight Howard. Now, the Hawks have also activated Randolph Morris, presumably to use his six fouls. I'm looking forward to Morris coming in and using them. Foul like you've never fouled before, sir!
Prediction: Atlanta will play better, but Orlando is too good. Magic 105, Hawks 91.
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