Category: Atlanta Hawks Blog

Atlanta Hawks blog

Mo Evans exercises option to stay with Hawks

Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:

Mo Evans exercises option to stay with Hawks

Mo Evans studied this summer’s NBA free-agent market, considered the $2.5 million he would get for returning to the Hawks, and chose the money in hand.

Evans said he exercised his 2010-11 contract option with the Hawks on Tuesday. Evans, who also made $2.5 million in 2009-10, said he didn’t like his chances of securing a long-term contract as a free agent.

“There are not a lot of teams out there giving away contracts,” Evans said. “I’m satisfied with my deal even though it’s undervalued. I’m still going to go out and do my job.”

Dwane Casey in demand

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports:

dwane casey in demand

Assistant coach Dwane Casey is with the Mavericks’ management crew in Chicago and will meet with Atlanta Hawks officials about their coaching vacancy.

Casey is on the list of virtually every team looking for a coach, but several of those teams don’t seem to be in a hurry to make a hire.

New Orleans has interviewed Casey and Philadelphia, also with an opening, interviewed Casey last year. The Clippers have not yet asked for permission to interview Casey, but the Mavericks have been told there is interest.

Nelson said the Mavericks are bracing for the possibility Casey could be moving.

“We love Dwane and we’d hate to lose him,” Nelson said. “But he’s popular for a reason right now.”

Hawks part ways with Mike Woodson

Hawks part ways with Mike Woodson

Executive VP/General Manager Rick Sund met with Coach Mike Woodson this morning and informed him that he will not be offered a new contract.

“After careful consideration, we have made a difficult decision regarding Coach Woodson’s contractual status,” said Sund. “We’re grateful for Mike’s contributions over the last six years and we want to wish him the very best.”

Named the 10th head coach in Atlanta Hawks’ history on July 8, 2004, Woodson produced a 206-286 (.419) record in six seasons at the helm of the Hawks, and a 53-29 (.646) mark this past season. He coached Atlanta to three straight postseason appearances, finishing with an 11-18 (.379) record.

Game 4: Magic eliminate Hawks

The AP reports:

Vince Carter scored 22 points to lead another dominating performance by the Magic, which finished off its second straight playoff sweep with a 98-84 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.

Orlando won the four games by an average of 25.3 points—a total blowout that no one could have expected in a matchup between the teams that finished second and third in the Eastern Conference. It was the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA playoff history, according to STATS LLC…

“We would have to be playing at our absolute, absolute best—like, mistake free—to beat that team,” said Jamal Crawford, who led Atlanta with 18 points…

Atlanta held Dwight Howard to 13 points and eight rebounds, but the Magic had plenty of other options…

Jameer Nelson was unstoppable, baffling the Hawks with his now-you-see-him, now-you-don’t quickness. He finished with 16 points and nine assists. Rashard Lewis scored 17 points, knocking down four 3-pointers. Mickael Pietrus scored 12 points—all of them from beyond the arc.

As a team, Orlando was 16 of 37 from 3-point range, taking more long-range shots than two-pointers (28). Overall, the Magic shot 55 percent from the field and never trailed during either game in Atlanta…

Hawks star Joe Johnson finished off a miserable series by scoring only 14 points on 5-for-15 shooting.

Joe Johnson probably costing himself money with play vs Magic

Chris Sheridan of ESPN reports:

“Joe, do you think you are costing yourself money?”

joe johnson

That was the question posed to Joe Johnson after one of the more lackluster playoff performances a supposed max-salary player had played since the term “max-salary player” was added to the NBA lexicon in 1999.

And even more unbelievable than his performance and that of his teammates was Johnson’s answer: “No.”

Huh?

Let me try to get this straight: In one of the final games this highly talented player will perform in before becoming an unrestricted free agent July 1, Johnson attempted 15 shots, missed 12 of them, was booed repeatedly and loudly and had about as much impact on the outcome as teammate Mario West, who was inactive.

Memo to Johnson: Go back and take a look at what the Dow Jones did last Thursday. Go look at the value of Accenture stock, which went from $35 a share to mere pennies in an eyeblink. (OK, so that was caused by a glitch.) Read up on what’s happening with the economic crisis in Greece, where the word “plummet” is being redefined downward with each passing day.

Because a stinker like the one Johnson played Saturday in the Atlanta Hawks’ 105-75 shellacking at the hands of the Orlando Magic is bound to have a profound, multimillion-dollar impact on the value of the contract(s) Johnson will be offered when he hits the open market.

Game 3: Magic destroy Hawks 105-75

The AP reports:

rashard lewis magic destroy hawks

Rashard Lewis scored 22 points and the backups helped Orlando pull away early with Howard on the bench as the Magic romped to another playoff blowout, moving to the brink of their second straight sweep with a 105-75 victory over the Hawks on Saturday.

Howard had 21 points and 16 rebounds but was hardly dominating. No problem for the Magic, who have so many complements to Superman and allowed many of them to shine in Orlando’s seventh straight postseason victory and 13th straight win overall.

Lewis knocked down four 3-pointers. Jameer Nelson scored 14 points. Mickael Pietrus chipped in with 13, hitting three shots from outside the arc. Marcin Gortat, Howard’s backup, grabbed six rebounds in less than 10 minutes. All 10 Orlando players who got on the court made it to the scoresheet…

The Hawks shot only 35 percent (29 of 83), and their best player was the biggest culprit. Joe Johnson made only 3 of 15 attempts to finish with eight points. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 22 points.

Fans discussed the game live as it happened in this forum topic.

Game 2: Howard dominates, Magic beat Hawks 112-98

The AP reports:

magic vs hawks playoffs game

Dwight Howard came back from a bloody nose to finish with 29 points and 17 rebounds, and the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 112-98 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

Vince Carter had 24 points with some big shots late and Rashard Lewis finished with 20 points, leading Orlando’s 19-2 run in the fourth quarter. The perennially poor free-throw shooting Howard also was 13 for 18 from the line…

Howard made a layup as he was slapped in the face inadvertently by Horford to start the third quarter, the blood pouring from the Magic center’s nose. Howard shot the free throw—and missed—with plugs in his nostrils, holding back laughter, and then left for about 2 minutes so trainers could stop the bleeding.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Magic scored just 17 points in the second quarter. The Hawks only scored 15 in the fourth.

Orlando shot 55.9 percent, Atlanta 41.3 percent.

Orlando hit 9-of-23 three-pointers, Atlanta 6-of-11.

Orlando only hit 69.2 percent of their 39 free throws. Atlanta hit an amazing 30-for-31.

The Magic has four players score 20 or more points: Dwight Howard had 29 and 17 rebounds (no assists). Vince Carter had 24 and seven rebounds. Rashard Lewis had 20 with six assists. Jameer Nelon scored 20 with six assists. Mickael Pietrus scored 13 off the bench.

For the Hawks, Al Horford (9-of-13) had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Jamal Crawford had 23 (on 18 shots) off the bench. Joe Johnson shot just 5-of-16 for 19 points and five assists. Josh Smith (6-of-15) had 18 points and nine rebounds, but five turnovers.

Fan discussion of the game as it happened was here.

Game 1: Magic destroy Hawks by 43

The AP reports:

Magic destroy Hawks by 43

Dwight Howard had 21 points and 12 rebounds in one of the most crushing playoff wins in Magic history, a 114-71 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal.

Howard added five blocks and avoided the fouls and frustration that overwhelmed him in the first round, helping the Magic go ahead by as many as 46 points. Vince Carter finished with 20 points as Orlando showed no signs of rust after an eight-day layoff…

Josh Smith scored 14 points and Zaza Pachulia had 12 for a Hawks team that had little playoff poise. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Thursday night in Orlando, and Atlanta will have to find some way to rally from an embarrassing defeat…

The Hawks were held to 10 points in the second quarter, and just 11 points in the third. Howard and most of the Magic starters weren’t even needed in the fourth, and Atlanta players covered their heads with towels on the bench in the final minutes.

InsideHoops.com notes:

The Hawks shot just 34.6 percent from the field and only hit 2-for-13 from three-point range.

Mike Bibby shot just 1-of-5. Al Horford only hit 1-of-7. And Jamal Crawford hit just 1-of-11.

The entire Hawks team dished just 12 assists.

This was a mess.

Brandon Jennings vows to get stronger

Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports:

Brandon Jennings vows to get stronger

Brandon Jennings left his rookie year Sunday with a vow.

“This summer I’ll work out, get stronger and come back a totally different player,” he said after the Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated, 95-74, by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

That has to be an encouraging thought for the Bucks and a sobering concept for the rest of the league about the electrifying point guard who finished third in rookie of the year voting.

Jennings also averaged 18.7 points in his first postseason experience after leading the Bucks with 15 points in Game 7. Throughout the series, he mostly performed with veteran poise. Though he struggled with his shot late in the series, he opened it by scoring 34 points on the Hawks.