Game 5 PG: Welp.....We Battled

[Prokorov]

the role player mantra has continue to hold true in this seires... good at home, bad on the road.

bogs pretty invisible ohter then that 1 big three and thad was the worst player on either team tonite.

meanwhile korver goes off antic was hitting shots for atlanta.

we need to find a way to win on their floor.

The answer is simple....Joe, Brook and Deron need to show up collectively. If Plumlee would quit being such a bum our bigs may not wear down so easily.

wearing down implies they are strong or normal at some point. not the case. brook didnt wear down tonite. he was going through the motions and walking and watching from opening tipoff.

im not sure what plumlee is going to do the first 10 minutes of the game or first 10 of the second half when brook is standing there or walking. like 2 minutes into the half.

[NjNeTs1029]

Lopez and DWill were both awful this game. If Anderson didn't go off it would've been a blowout.. Hopefully this team doesn't just fold on friday and they force a game 7.. Can't ask for much more than that from a 1-8 matchup. I honestly thought before this series started it would be over in 5.

[Prokorov]

I understand that but we can't expect this lumbering 7 footer to play 40 minutes a night while being the only rim protector on one end AND being the 1st/2nd option on the other. Dude is gonna break down any moment.

It's not the regular season anymore. It's expected that minutes for your best players go up to high 30s and low 40s during the playoffs. That's just the way it is.

JJ played 44, Millsap, Carroll, and Korver played 42, 41, and 40 minutes respectively. I'm sure if Horford would've played more than 34 if they didn't have a bigger lead early on.

That's still pretty darn high. Your expectations has to be different minutes wise for guards and forwards vs. big centers.

if brook is slow and worn down in minutes 30-40 i can live with that

when he is slow and stangnant minutes 1-30 thats on him

also, this isnt the finals. its game 5 of the FIRST ROUND. its not like he has 100 games under his belt. he played 70 games this year and under 30 minutes a game. he has 2 games off between each game.

it is such a nonsense excuse

[DarkXaero]

For me, Brook was the reason we lost this game. Absolutely horrendous performance by him. If he showed up, and did his usual 20/10 that he has averaged over the series, we win this game. Other than getting to the line and making his free throws, he did nothing good today. It sucks that Plumlee is such a horrible backup that we couldn't bench Brook either.

[Prokorov]

For me, Brook was the reason we lost this game. Absolutely horrendous performance by him. If he showed up, and did his usual 20/10 that he has averaged over the series, we win this game. Other than getting to the line and making his free throws, he did nothing good today. It sucks that Plumlee is such a horrible backup that we couldn't bench Brook either.

he didnt need to go 20/10. he could have gone 12/10 or 12/16. we didnt really even need a ton of offense for him.

but he create zero second chance points. that hurt us

he really killed us in the pick and roll on defense. teague had some easy lay ins where he just stood and watched late in the game that were killers. he had a ton of head in the clouds throw away plays. turnover on an inbounds, took 3 long 2s early in the clock, one of them right after a korver 3 that gave them a 5 point lead.

overall he just played soft and slow. we didnt miss the offense as much as we missed his size presence.

[Paradise]

the role player mantra has continue to hold true in this seires... good at home, bad on the road.

bogs pretty invisible ohter then that 1 big three and thad was the worst player on either team tonite.

meanwhile korver goes off antic was hitting shots for atlanta.

we need to find a way to win on their floor.

The answer is simple....Joe, Brook and Deron need to show up collectively. If Plumlee would quit being such a bum our bigs may not wear down so easily.

wearing down implies they are strong or normal at some point. not the case. brook didnt wear down tonite. he was going through the motions and walking and watching from opening tipoff.

im not sure what plumlee is going to do the first 10 minutes of the game or first 10 of the second half when brook is standing there or walking. like 2 minutes into the half.

I'm talking about throughout the series.

[DarkXaero]

For me, Brook was the reason we lost this game. Absolutely horrendous performance by him. If he showed up, and did his usual 20/10 that he has averaged over the series, we win this game. Other than getting to the line and making his free throws, he did nothing good today. It sucks that Plumlee is such a horrible backup that we couldn't bench Brook either.

he didnt need to go 20/10. he could have gone 12/10 or 12/16. we didnt really even need a ton of offense for him.

but he create zero second chance points. that hurt us

he really killed us in the pick and roll on defense. teague had some easy lay ins where he just stood and watched late in the game that were killers. he had a ton of head in the clouds throw away plays. turnover on an inbounds, took 3 long 2s early in the clock, one of them right after a korver 3 that gave them a 5 point lead.

overall he just played soft and slow. we didnt miss the offense as much as we missed his size presence.

Yea I know, he had a horrible overall game, offensively and defensively. But I'm just saying that the efficient 20/10 would have offset the horrible defense and mental lapses.

[DarkXaero]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

[Prokorov]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

with 2 nights between each game and in the first round there is no excuse for him to be gassed. especially early in games. he topped 40 minutes in just 2 of the 5 games. its not like we have run him out for 42-44 minutes a night.

and its not like he is some high energy guy either... he is jogging most of the time

[DarkXaero]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

with 2 nights between each game and in the first round there is no excuse for him to be gassed. especially early in games. he topped 40 minutes in just 2 of the 5 games. its not like we have run him out for 42-44 minutes a night.

and its not like he is some high energy guy either... he is jogging most of the time

You realize he averaged 29 MPG in the reg season? And now he's playing 40 MPG. Starters' minutes always go up in the playoffs but usually not by that much. Brook also doesn't have the best conditioning.

[Prokorov]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

with 2 nights between each game and in the first round there is no excuse for him to be gassed. especially early in games. he topped 40 minutes in just 2 of the 5 games. its not like we have run him out for 42-44 minutes a night.

and its not like he is some high energy guy either... he is jogging most of the time

You realize he averaged 29 MPG in the reg season? And now he's playing 40 MPG. Starters' minutes always go up in the playoffs but usually not by that much. Brook also doesn't have the best conditioning.

playing 29 minutes is exactly why he shouldnt already be faituged just 4 or 5 games into the first round. he should be fresh to start these games at the very least. him not having the best conditioning is a problem. for 17M the guy should have no conditioning issues.

he didnt play enough regular season minutes to warrant being burned out. this isnt noah under thibs.

and he only played 40 or more minutes twice this series. its not like he is getting he wilt treatment

[Paradise]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

with 2 nights between each game and in the first round there is no excuse for him to be gassed. especially early in games. he topped 40 minutes in just 2 of the 5 games. its not like we have run him out for 42-44 minutes a night.

and its not like he is some high energy guy either... he is jogging most of the time

1. His minute average in the regular season was 29 and his postseason average is 40. That's a massive jump.

2. Every game this week has only 1 day of rest which is still practice time and flying.

He is literally getting no rest all because our other 'talented' big has mailed it in because he lost his starting job.

That's not to excuse his poor shot selection tonight but his energy has also to do with minutes. Joe got extra rest when Bogdanovic went off in Game 3, Deron got extra rest when Jack played well three times. Brook does not have that luxury so far.

[Prokorov]

I do agree with the opinion that Brook is completely gassed though. We have played him too many minutes and he doesn't have the conditioning to handle it. He was basically gassed the entire game tonight. That still doesn't excuse the awful shot selection and other stupid mistakes though.

with 2 nights between each game and in the first round there is no excuse for him to be gassed. especially early in games. he topped 40 minutes in just 2 of the 5 games. its not like we have run him out for 42-44 minutes a night.

and its not like he is some high energy guy either... he is jogging most of the time

1. His minute average in the regular season was 29 and his postseason average is 40.

exactly. he was not abused during the regular season. no reason for him to be burned out or worn down. also can we stop with "averages" on a 5 game sample. he played 40 minutes twice. and he we was slow and stagnant from tip off and coming out of the half. its not like he is just being worn down late in these games. had he played 35 minutes tonite we would still be saying he was slow and gassed all game.

there is no excuse for it. a max player who wasnt used heavy in the regular season should be able to handle a couple 40 minute games in round 1.

2. Every game this week has only 1 day of rest which is still practice time and flying.

"every game this week"? there has only been 1 game this week.

2 days off between games 1 and 2
2 days off between games 2 and 3
1 game off between 3 and 4
1 game off between 4 and 5
and it will be 2 nights off before game 6

thats 5 games in 10 nights. not exactly a rodeo trip full off back to backs.

He is literally getting no rest all because our other 'talented' big has mailed it in because he lost his starting job.

whats the excuse for being gassed 2 minutes into the game? are we supposed to rest him after the first whistle of the game or something? more minutes of rest isnt going to change the fact that he is going through the motions from opening tip off.

That's not to excuse his poor shot selection but his energy level is low for a reason.

and that reason is because he is lazy, lacks motivation, lacks competitiveness, and isnt in good enough condition

im not going to let a MAX PLAYER who hasnt been used heavy at all this year slide on not having the condiitoning to get through a first round series. hell this was games 4 and 5. its not like game 7 of the ECF

he played under 40 minutes games 1,2, and 5.

it is embarassing anyone is excuse making for him on this

[Paradise]

exactly. he was not abused during the regular season. no reason for him to be burned out or worn down. also can we stop with "averages" on a 5 game sample. he played 40 minutes twice. and he we was slow and stagnant from tip off and coming out of the half. its not like he is just being worn down late in these games. had he played 35 minutes tonite we would still be saying he was slow and gassed all game.

If you are not accustomed to playing heavy minutes in the regular season, it will bother you come postseason. Especially for a big man who has to carry us every trip down. It happened to Anthony Davis.

In terms of Brook's minutes...it's not some two game sample average.

Game 5: 38 minutes
Game 4: 42 minutes
Game 3: 41 minutes
Game 2: 39 minutes
Game 1: 35 minutes (only due to foul trouble)

In comparison to Horford's minutes:

Game 1: 33 minutes
Game 2: 36 minutes
Game 3: 30 minutes
Game 4: 31 minutes
Game 5: 34 minutes

Horford gets less minutes because Antic is a comptent backup. Brook barely gets a break in this series and when he does Plumlee usually is a negative impact player. Non-athletic can get fatigued quicker than the average player. Especially in an uptempo environment.

[Hello Brooklyn]

Say what you want about Brook. He has been carrying us this series. Hes entitled to a bad game. Goes back to Deron Williams. What a fraud. Get him off my team.

[DarkXaero]

Would like to see an example of a NBA player this season who had a 10 minute increase in playing time from reg season to playoffs. Even Tim Duncan who is rested a lot in the reg season, only sees a 7 minute increase. And Tim Duncan is an unique case in the first place.

[MrDollarBills]

My apologies for flipping out last night all, I was in whiskey rage mode and I'm honestly embarrassed, my apologies to all. I'm so disgusted with what I watched. That first qtr, I knew we were going to see a bunch of bitch play.

Brook has been consistent for so long that you know what, it is what it is, he had a stinker at the worst time. He will bounce back.

Deron on the other hand...**** him. Seriously, **** this guy. 5 **** ing points and he played scared as hell. **** his soul.

and the Hawks covered the spread too. That was a blown opportunity, Prok.

Kudos to Jack and AA, who play like men amongst boys and bitches.

[SpeedyG]

You guys have seriously high expectations of Lopez' conditioning. It's not even just this series. I brought this up before the playoffs. Look how many minutes Lopez was playing during that stretch run. He's been playing north of 30 minutes and even 40 minutes for a month now. For a guy who's never had the best conditioning in the first place, that's a tough thing to do. Your body eventually wears out.

[Trader_Joe]

Lopez has looked gassed for two games now as even Hollins admitted, but it doesn't change the fact he was taking terrible shots last night. If he has gassed he needs to let Hollins know so he can either can him a break (Plumlee wasn't playing too poorly last night and there is always Jordan) or know to stay away from him on offense. It also affected his D as it was terrible last night.

One thing I would love to know (kind of random) but after Lopez has blocked a shot this series, how many times have the Hawks scored on the follow-up? This is where having a 6'7" PF next to Brook kills us. Thad, if he rotates over, isn't big enough to rebound, defend or block a shot. It's a bit of a conundrum. Either let the guards get lay-up attempts, hoping our slow guards can prevent them from actually getting a decent shot off, or let Brook go for the block and hope that someone doesn't come right in for the put back.

I had a feeling we were going to lose last night, but the game was much better than I expected (lame of them to cover the spread at the last second... glad I didn't bet on that game), but this team only plays well when their backs are to the wall. Whether it be fighting for the playoffs, down 0-2, or down 17 in game 5, there is a never a sense of urgency from the get go from this team.

I hope I'm wrong, but I really don't like our odds Friday night.

[Trader_Joe]

You guys have seriously high expectations of Lopez' conditioning. It's not even just this series. I brought this up before the playoffs. Look how many minutes Lopez was playing during that stretch run. He's been playing north of 30 minutes and even 40 minutes for a month now. For a guy who's never had the best conditioning in the first place, that's a tough thing to do. Your body eventually wears out.

Guys his size naturally have less endurance. Hibbert plays low minutes as well because he's too big to play as much as the guards. But, again, it doesn't excuse the type of shots he was taking last night. His D was more explainable by fatigue. But yeah, I saw what Prok did too... him literally walking as slowly as he could up the court on some possessions. I understand wanting to conserve energy, but now is not the time to hold back.