[Radii]

After that last series of games, Raja Bell and Boris Diaw both have small injuries nagging at them, keeping them from playing at 100%. Additionally, Flip Murray and Derrick Brown both feel like they ought to be getting more playing time, knocking their effectiveness down a bit. Most everyone else on the team seems to be taking a small hit from Chemistry or sucking or something, so that's problematic. But we're not likely to jump up into the playoffs or anything so its not a big deal this year i'd imagine.

January 22th, 2010

Charlotte(14-26) at Atlanta(23-18)

CHA:ATL
70:81 OVR
62:85 OFF
76:81 DEF

Atlanta Scouting

PG Mike Bibby - 78 OVR - 11.4 ppg/6.2 apg - a solid backcourt mate to Joe Johnson, a good outside shooter and defender.

SG Joe Johnson - 84 OVR - 19.9 ppg/5 rpg/4.4 apg - The star on a well rounded Atlanta team, he's pretty much solid everywhere, attackign the basket, shooting outside, defending and handling the ball.

SF Jamal Crawford - 75 OVR - 16.9 ppg - A 3 guard offense, Crawford looks like a soid outside shooter and an athletic type who might do ok keeping Wallace from the basket.

PF Josh Smith - 78 OVR - 15.4 ppg/9.0 rpg - Smith shoots over 50%, he's not a star by any stretch but he's adequate inside, on the boards and as an all around defender.

C Al Horford - 77 OVR - 10.3 ppg/11.8 rpg - More of a rebounder than a scorer, though he grades out very well inside on offense.

70 rated SF Marvin Williams should have stayed at UNC an extra year, eh? :P He's averaging 8 points/game off the bench. Top pick in this most recent draft, PG Jeff Teague, is hurt, but he's rated 66 OVR when healthy and putting up about 4 points/game. No one else off the bench seems to make a huge impact.


Johnson is a solid second tier star and the rest of their lineup is a noticible nod ahead of what we've got, so this looks pretty bad on paper.


First Quarter

Atlanta 22
Charlotte 19

Gerald Wallace picked up two very quick fouls and spent almost the entire quarter on the bench, so I'm very pleased we were able to find enough ways to score to keep this one close without him. Diaw has 6, Chandler 4, no one else more than 2... Josh Smith has 8 to lead Atlanta, Johnson was cold in the 1st(2-6) and has 5 points.


Second Quarter

Atlanta 54
Charlotte 44

It was 28-27 Hawks when Atlanta scored 14 straight and exploded to a double digit lead. Raja Bell again plays great D on the opponent's star, Joe Johnson only has 9. But Josh Smith is just an insane athlete and is all over the place. He's 8-10 from the field for 18 points. Bibby has 11 and Marvin Williams actually has 10. Gerald Henderson leads us with 8, Murray 7, an odd case of our guys off teh bench being the most effective by far. Wallace has only 4, Felton 4, Augustin 3.


Third Quarter

Atlanta 67
Charlotte 61

At the 6 minute mark in the 3rd we're on an 8-2 run... for the entire quarter that is. 56-52 Atlanta. We eventually go up 60-58 before Atlanta scores 9 straight to take the lead back. We trail by 6 going into the final quarter. Gerald Wallace has a good quarter and now leads us with 13. Henderson is still 2nd with 8, Felton is up to 7 now. Jamal Crawford got up into double figures for the Hawks, but Josh Smith still has 18 and still leads all scorers there.


Fourth Quarter

6:30 to go - Atlanta came out hot and went up by 10 but we've got it back in sight again... Felton burns Jeff Teague three times in a row, coming away with 5 points(getting blocked on one attempt and earning a 3 point play on another). Its 78-72 Atlanta and we're down 6, still within striking distance.

4:40 to go - Atlanta up 8... 82-74, I get a timeout and both teams have their starters back in for good now.

1:45 to go - Raja Bell with a 3, but we've just been trading baskets for awhile. This gets it down to 5... 90-85.

1:15 to go - We get a big stop on defense as Joe Johnson misses a contested 3, and Felton finds Wallace going to the basket for a layin in traffic, 90-87 Atlanta. Atlanta takes a timeout.

0:26 to go - Trading baskets, most frustratingly Al Horford misses a jumper, we have a chance to rebound down 3 with 38 seconds left. I'm controlling Tyson Chandler and leap for the board, it takes an extra bounce on the rim though and I end up goaltending. URGH! We trail 94-91 and have to foul.

0:13 to go - Bibby misses one of his two free throws. Raja Bell misses a 3 on our end, but Wallace is there for the offensive board and putback. Its 95-93 Atlanta. We need them to miss another FT.

0:11.6 to go - Bell is exhausted, I get Augustin and Flip Murray in for 3 point shooting. Joe Johnson only goes 1 of 2 from the line and its 96-93 Atlanta, we get a timeout.

I want to get it to Augustin but can't, Flip Murray ends up takign and missing a 3. We foul one more time but its too late.

Atlanta 98
Charlotte 93


Wallace: 23 points/7 boards
Felton: 12 points/10 assists
Chandler: 10 points/14 boards
Henderson: 10 points
Bell: 10 points

Josh Smith leads atlanta with 22, Jamal Crawford 17, Marvin Williams 16, Joe Johnson 14.

I'm extremely happy with the feel of these last two games after fixing the shooting foul slider, these games have flowed great and felt really really solid.