GT#1 Round 2: Washington Wizards @ Atlanta Hawks 5-3-15 1PM Philips Arena on ABC

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Our rebounding was pretty damn solid, but we sort of lost the plot towards the end of the 4th with the small lineup.

Washington was limiting the Hawks to one shot for a majority of the game, a major reason why the Wizards were able to pull out a win.

Atlanta's coach ... what's he thinking right now?

Washington didn't turn it over. They forced the Hawks to one shot until at the end, when EVERY long rebound seemed to go to them...Washington beat them. Atlanta didn't blow a game.

I think Atl's coach is thinking "I need some production out of my bench - in addition to Schroeder - because my starters looked tired at the end. I need to rest them more." Btw, does Schroeder look like a smaller young version of Rondo, or what - especially the way he uses those long arms to get easy layups?

One thing I noticed the Wiz do - they took advantage of Antic's weaknesses. He's a problem because he's a 3 point threat at center, but he's not good at other facets of the game. You don't have to guard him with a big, and you can take advantage of his poor defense and rebounding.

Ruz, I do expect Schroeder will get a lot more minutes.

Antic made Gortat look not just All Star, but All NBA. I think it was just a real weak game for Antic. He's usually better than that.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Solid win for the Wizards yesterday. I was most impressed with your screen action with Beal. I didn't realize that they ran him off screens so relentlessly. Wall/Beal owned the guard matchups and Teague wasn't very aggressive. I have to wonder if his early ankle roll was the cause for his lack of aggression. He has now rolled in two straight games. Even with a game 1 loss, I think the Hawks will be fine as long as they win game 2. Having 3 days off between game 2 and 3 should help.

Per Sportsvu, the Hawks shot 15/49 (30.6%) on unconstested shots in Game 1.

Seriously glad to read your post here. You're a knowledgeable fan who loves your team. Just that your team's not our's.

I am surprised by Wall and Beal. I hated on them like the Grinch Who Stole Christmas until very recently. Suddenly, Wall's "playing through adversity" and Beal and he are both logging heavy minutes through pain.

I agree now that your Hawks can feel okay with a game 2 win. They WERE the less fresh team for a perfect storm of reason.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Great win. Looked like they were gonna run us out of the building early but we kept fighting and grinding. Say what you will about Wittman but he knows how to get us playing playoff basketball and winning. Four straight road Game 1 wins, first team in HISTORY. How about that?

I think Atlanta is soft. I'm not saying we're better or that we're a lock to win the series, but I don't think they're as tough as we are. They'll roll when their 3 point shots are hitting but you take that away and they can't win a slugfest.

Now just gotta hope Wall and Beal are healthy for Game 2. We lose either for an extended period and we can't win this series. Wall in particular was fantastic late after Beal went down making some clutch shots and passes. And his D as usual was awesome.

I cannot think of a single NBA team that is physically tougher than the Wizards, top to bottom.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Milellie111, are you enjoying the wins or are you primarily a Grunfeld supporter? Are you just here to say "told you"?

I'm not mad at you either way!

I love polite debate where ideas are civilly supported or refuted, and tolerance of disparate views is a goal.

Occasionally, one person is right. I remember posts about many players years ago. I wasn't necessarily the only one. .. but I KNOW what I posted that was attacked.

To me it would be surreal if milellie111 ends up being right. That should be what all of us hope. Wizards wins mean happy happy joy joy!

Let the guy gloat, clown all our asses, whatever!

I am enjoying the wins CCJ. I am a supporter of the team. If being a supporter of management who constructed the team I've been rooting for that have advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs two seasons in a row makes me a "troll" on this board then so be it. I've been a member for years and I've seen how the flow goes on this board. I'm not the only one who gets called out for my ideas. I notice the same with others like hands and Brenice.

I'm not here to rub anything in anyone's face however I did make a declaration that EG is proving doubters wrong, the majority on here who said he should be fired and questioned all of his moves. I also said that Wittman is a good coach for these young guys. I've given stats and facts to back up my statements. Yet others like TGW MikeTheKidd Tontoz and a few others say I should be placed on ignore for being a troll? Lol. I post in other threads as well and evaluate the talent we have in some other threads. It's funny how guys like TGW, a so called fan posts infinitely when the team is doing bad to fire the GM but he doesn't post now when we are winning and give some praise to the GM or coach.

That's exactly what you're trying to do. One win into the Atlanta series, and you put your big rooster pants on acting like Foghorn Leghorn calling out our posters.

"Aw say..Aw say...Aw say, I told you sons of ... that Ernie Grunfeld is gonna PROVE YOU WRONG"

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

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[tweet]https://twitter.com/BulletsForever/status/595311886482149376[/tweet]

This is kind of like when the Slurs insist that they were winning the offseason.

Katt Williams would say, N-word please ...

Honestly, I like Millsap no matter what he's saying. They got beat. Let's hear what is said after game 2.

[tontoz]

Anyone want to venture a guess as to wtf Milsap is talking about? They scored only 15 pts in the 4th quarter, lost by 6, and are counting it as a win?

[TheSecretWeapon]

Anyone want to venture a guess as to wtf Milsap is talking about? They scored only 15 pts in the 4th quarter, lost by 6, and are counting it as a win?

He added some specifics, which makes me think he was talking about their process being good. He seemed to be saying they played the right way, but missed open shots they'd normally make. My guess is that what he was saying made more sense in person than it does written out in a headline.

[queridiculo]

I can see why Hawks players may feel that way, but did Atlanta really expect to continue to make shots at the clip they were making them in the first half?

If I'm a coach, I love to hear the other team say stuff like this because to me it demonstrates a fundamental lack of awareness about how they lost that game.

Washington played and worked harder than Atlanta on both ends of the court.

They got the loose balls, they controlled the tempo, they got better shots and despite what the numbers indicate, dominated the glass.

If Millsap thinks that missed shots were the difference in that game he's quite obviously right, but he's also on the wrong track about what's going to win them this series.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Some forward thoughts that I can move when the new thread(s) is up:

Obviously, none of us know the severity of Brad's injury. But if he's iffy for game 2, I'd hold him out and give him the six day break that gives him the best shot at being effective the rest of the series. I don't think ATL gives up if they're down 2-0 and I think we can definitely win a game 7 on their floor. So I think you gotta take the long view with Brad. If we play him and he's essentially a shell of himself the rest of the series, we're not doing him or the team any good.

So what to do in his absence?

I think Otto, Gooden, Humphries, Butler, Temple, and Sessions all need to be ready for larger roles and Witt's got to try several things and see what works.

The fact that neither Korver nor Carroll are threats off the bounce tell me that I can get away with Otto and Pierce as my wings for big chunks of time. You put Otto on Korver and just play Otto more minutes. I think he's shown he's ready. That would mean going to Rasual at the backup 3 when Pierce sits (or alongside PIerce and Otto when we go small). That makes me nervous because Butler is going to hurt you on D when he gets caught in switches. So that brings in Temple. If he can make an open shot or two, he'd really help -- because you'd really like to glue him to Korver when he's on the floor. Wall can do it with Sessions guarding the point, but you don't want John exhausting himself that way.

Nene was -9 with the starters and +6 with the bench. He can help when he's on Antic. he can beat on Horford a little and wear him down. But he cannot guard Millsap to save his life and he kills our offensive spacing. It's time to try Drew as a starter and bring Nene in as a backup 5. Hump should be ready; he's a better backup 4 than Nene and I think he can handle Mike Scott. he can certainly punish him physically. Nene should be on the floor when Gortat is sitting and that's about it for this series.

Fishercob, I agree with you on Nene. His physicality contributes to the objective. I also agree Humprhies should be ready and that Temple might help if need arises to utilize him.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Milellie111, are you enjoying the wins or are you primarily a Grunfeld supporter? Are you just here to say "told you"?

I'm not mad at you either way!

I love polite debate where ideas are civilly supported or refuted, and tolerance of disparate views is a goal.

Occasionally, one person is right. I remember posts about many players years ago. I wasn't necessarily the only one. .. but I KNOW what I posted that was attacked.

To me it would be surreal if milellie111 ends up being right. That should be what all of us hope. Wizards wins mean happy happy joy joy!

Let the guy gloat, clown all our asses, whatever!

I am enjoying the wins CCJ. I am a supporter of the team. If being a supporter of management who constructed the team I've been rooting for that have advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs two seasons in a row makes me a "troll" on this board then so be it. I've been a member for years and I've seen how the flow goes on this board. I'm not the only one who gets called out for my ideas. I notice the same with others like hands and Brenice.

I'm not here to rub anything in anyone's face however I did make a declaration that EG is proving doubters wrong, the majority on here who said he should be fired and questioned all of his moves. I also said that Wittman is a good coach for these young guys. I've given stats and facts to back up my statements. Yet others like TGW MikeTheKidd Tontoz and a few others say I should be placed on ignore for being a troll? Lol. I post in other threads as well and evaluate the talent we have in some other threads. It's funny how guys like TGW, a so called fan posts infinitely when the team is doing bad to fire the GM but he doesn't post now when we are winning and give some praise to the GM or coach.

People who say place you on ignore are rallying the hate. They could just place you on ignore, but like lynch mobs in the south they want a mob to get rid of you.

In a way, when you push back in emotional or snarky ways, it promotes strife. When you stir up the hornet's nest as an otherwise silent member it does come off as trolling. The lynch mob deems you as an anarchist, or an interloper. They want moderators to "take out the trash". Your removal would please them because they wrote you off or see your intent to be subversive. Not good people. A lot of times once you turn people off they are done with you for good ...

I won't touch the so-called fans but I read your comments...I appreciate the depth and extent to which you explain your feelings clearly. I hadn't noticed Brenice being treated a certain way.

Personally, this is to me a microcosm of the world. Extremism and hot button issues affect all of us. I remember when this board was more lively. It's getting better with the wins...

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I am at fault, too. We all make mistakes. ..

[benb331]

I don't get the whole 'ignore' thing. Never much agreed with WizD, but I miss his postings every week that goes along with his absence. Hands' sheer word count volume wears me down at times, but I'd never put him on ignore. Millie strikes me a little naive, a little too much of a fan and too little of a realist, but ignore? Really? I dunno, I guess if someone was belligerent and personally attacking that feature might come in handy. Otherwise, what's wrong with dissenting opinions? Keep 'em coming folks.

[ATLHawksfan21]

I can see why Hawks players may feel that way, but did Atlanta really expect to continue to make shots at the clip they were making them in the first half?

If I'm a coach, I love to hear the other team say stuff like this because to me it demonstrates a fundamental lack of awareness about how they lost that game.

Washington played and worked harder than Atlanta on both ends of the court.

They got the loose balls, they controlled the tempo, they got better shots and despite what the numbers indicate, dominated the glass.

If Millsap thinks that missed shots were the difference in that game he's quite obviously right, but he's also on the wrong track about what's going to win them this series.

It's true that the Hawks shot over their heads in the first half but the pendulum swung much farther in the opposite direction in the 2nd half. The Hawks shot 25% in the 2nd half, which was their worst shooting percentage for a half all year. They also only made 30% of their uncontested attempts. It's not far-fetched to say that the Hawks could have won the game if they hit more of their open shots in the second half.

The key is that they didn't hit those shots while the Wizards did. Wall and Beal were killing it with that elbow extended jumper off of the PnR and the Hawks will need to find a way to force them off of that shot or just hope that they don't hit them as often.


Things I will be looking out for in Game 2 are:

-Teague has to be more aggressive on offense and make Wall work harder on defense. He seemed very hesitant in the first game. It could have been due to the early ankle roll or it could have just been an instance of passive Teague which pops up now and again.

-Will Budenholzer give Muscala a shot. Muscala weighs less but he is much more agile than Antic. Gortat scores more off of rolls, cuts and jumpshots than just out muscling his guy on a backdown. This leads me to think that Muscala could be a better option. Muscala is also a better rebounder and rim protector.

-Will the Hawks bench finally show up. All season, the Hawks depth was a big strength and now it has collapsed. Mike Scott and Bazemore have lost all confidence in their 3 pt shot. Scott is as streaky as it gets and an early make could lead to a sudden outburst which could turn in to a game changer. Thabo was the glue that held this bench together and the team's defense together as a whole.

[Ruzious]

I can see why Hawks players may feel that way, but did Atlanta really expect to continue to make shots at the clip they were making them in the first half?

If I'm a coach, I love to hear the other team say stuff like this because to me it demonstrates a fundamental lack of awareness about how they lost that game.

Washington played and worked harder than Atlanta on both ends of the court.

They got the loose balls, they controlled the tempo, they got better shots and despite what the numbers indicate, dominated the glass.

If Millsap thinks that missed shots were the difference in that game he's quite obviously right, but he's also on the wrong track about what's going to win them this series.

It's true that the Hawks shot over their heads in the first half but the pendulum swung much farther in the opposite direction in the 2nd half. The Hawks shot 25% in the 2nd half, which was their worst shooting percentage for a half all year. They also only made 30% of their uncontested attempts. It's not far-fetched to say that the Hawks could have won the game if they hit more of their open shots in the second half.

The key is that they didn't hit those shots while the Wizards did. Wall and Beal were killing it with that elbow extended jumper off of the PnR and the Hawks will need to find a way to force them off of that shot or just hope that they don't hit them as often.


Things I will be looking out for in Game 2 are:

-Teague has to be more aggressive on offense and make Wall work harder on defense. He seemed very hesitant in the first game. It could have been due to the early ankle roll or it could have just been an instance of passive Teague which pops up now and again.

-Will Budenholzer give Muscala a shot. Muscala weighs less but he is much more agile than Antic. Gortat scores more off of rolls, cuts and jumpshots than just out muscling his guy on a backdown. This leads me to think that Muscala could be a better option. Muscala is also a better rebounder and rim protector.

-Will the Hawks bench finally show up. All season, the Hawks depth was a big strength and now it has collapsed. Mike Scott and Bazemore have lost all confidence in their 3 pt shot. Scott is as streaky as it gets and an early make could lead to a sudden outburst which could turn in to a game changer. Thabo was the glue that held this bench together and the team's defense together as a whole.

I can't disagree with any of that. Teague is the key to the Hawks because of his speed and his ability to penetrate and create. Their jump shooters feed off of him. If he can't cut on that ankle, they should rely much more on Schroeder.

Antic's a tough matchup because of his 3 ball, but the Wiz did a good job of exposing and taking advantage of his weaknesses - which are pretty much everything other than shooting 3's against centers. He's a 7 footer who you can defend with a small forward.

[tontoz]

The Hawks averaged only 22 points in the 4th quarter in the Nets series. the Nets are a below average defensive team. Looks to me like the Hawks tighten up when the heat is on.

[nuposse04]

Great win. Looked like they were gonna run us out of the building early but we kept fighting and grinding. Say what you will about Wittman but he knows how to get us playing playoff basketball and winning. Four straight road Game 1 wins, first team in HISTORY. How about that?

I think Atlanta is soft. I'm not saying we're better or that we're a lock to win the series, but I don't think they're as tough as we are. They'll roll when their 3 point shots are hitting but you take that away and they can't win a slugfest.

Now just gotta hope Wall and Beal are healthy for Game 2. We lose either for an extended period and we can't win this series. Wall in particular was fantastic late after Beal went down making some clutch shots and passes. And his D as usual was awesome.

I cannot think of a single NBA team that is physically tougher than the Wizards, top to bottom.

Memphis I would say is more physically tough then us but otherwise I'd agree. Wizards are probably the most physical team in the east that's for sure.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I don't get the whole 'ignore' thing. Never much agreed with WizD, but I miss his postings every week that goes along with his absence. Hands' sheer word count volume wears me down at times, but I'd never put him on ignore. Millie strikes me a little naive, a little too much of a fan and too little of a realist, but ignore? Really? I dunno, I guess if someone was belligerent and personally attacking that feature might come in handy. Otherwise, what's wrong with dissenting opinions? Keep 'em coming folks.

Agreed.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

I cannot think of a single NBA team that is physically tougher than the Wizards, top to bottom.

Memphis I would say is more physically tough then us but otherwise I'd agree. Wizards are probably the most physical team in the east that's for sure.

Memphis ... hmmm?

Who's tougher:

Zach Randolph or Nene?
Well they do have Z Bo. Is he tougher than Nene? I would certainly say he's a more consistent performer on the court. He makes tough baskets, tough rebounds. Yes there. However, Nene's defense is better and Nene's got better physical tools. Wouldn't want either guy mad at me, but I don't think Z Bo punks Nene. Nene might not be someone Randolph would run up on. I'm calling that one a draw.

Marc Gasol or Macin Gortat?
Both European MGs are tough in separate ways. Marc is a very, very good defender. He's extremely mentally tough. I give him a big advantage in composure over Gortat. Marcin's much more up and down with his play. Gasol plays a conservative game, always within his limits. Gortat OTOH is docile one minute and beast mode the next. Marc Gasol would appear to be stouter and bit stronger. Marcin, however, runs the court harder. Marcin has a MUCH meaner, ornerier temperament. This one's close, but I guess sense Marc has a bigger body he has a slight edge. But Marcin's way more athletic than Marc. Slight edge Gasol, maybe.

Wall or Conley?
Mike has the mental edge. John has the physical edge. This one's ice vs fire. Depends. One's gotta broken face and the other a broken hand. BOTH are playing through it. John's a physical freak. Mike Conley is not. Advantage: Wall.

Beal or Courtney Lee?
Beal is just 21 and he's already playing through injury. Courtney Lee has one advantage: age/experience. He's been around longer but Beal is a bad boy. Advantage (even in toughness): Beal

Tony Allen/Vince Carter or Paul Pierce/Otto Porter?
This is one where Allen is younger and more athletic but Paul Pierce is a motherf'er. Otto is young and full of energy. Carter is the nicer guy version of Pierce in a way. Another HOFer, but not as physical. This one is tough. Real tough. Pickem, only because Allen is a junkyard dog (JYD) type player.

nuposse04, I'll give you that the Grizzlies are similarly tough.

I would love to see a Grizzlies/Wizards finals!!! (No matter how unlikely it seems).