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Let's keep the good times rolling and get this W nice and easy so we can whoop some Embiid the following night.



Get rowdy Raptors fans. We might just be having a pizza party soon.

A struggling Hawks with injuries vs a Raptors team firing on almost all cylinders...
Schedule L it is.

The only thing I ask is for their effort level to remain high throughout the game. If you go up by 25, ok, but until then they need to go right at them. Winners mentality is like sharks smelling blood in water.

Friday night lights, Raptors get hawk two-a wins

I think this will actually be a more difficult game than the first one of the season. Trae definitely has his moments against the Raps, but it's also hard to overestimate just how much they're able to take advantage of him on defence.

Daniels and NAW is a much tougher defensive backcourt to play against.

Still, if the Raps keep moving the ball and playing through Scottie, BI, and RJ, they should be able to keep this win streak going.

Hawks have looked better without Trae

They just killed the Magic and are absolutely better without Trae, he played like a joke on opening night. Plus they're going for the getback on the Raptors - the Bulls only loss so far was when they had to play New York a second time.

Still this team looks competitive and are red hot shooting it. Should be a good game

Tofubeque wrote:They just killed the Magic and are absolutely better without Trae, he played like a joke on opening night. Plus they're going for the getback on the Raptors - the Bulls only loss so far was when they had to play New York a second time.

Still this team looks competitive and are red hot shooting it. Should be a good game

It's too early to say they are better without Trae. They beat Orlando but they haven't really been playing great so far this season (and they beat them first time with Trae). Bucks just beat the Warriors without Giannis

Hawks will be looking for payback, but our Big 3 won't care. Another W here.

TravisScott55 wrote:Hawks have looked better without Trae

My impression of that first Hawks game was that a lot of what went right was based on attacking Trae. So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Raps lost this.

Might be a must win game tbh
Us and the Hawks 1-0 in cup standings our next two games after are at home vs Wizards and Pacers

Winning this game puts us in great position to go 4-0 and win our group

Hawks will want their revenge so can't take them lightly even without Trae

I dont think the Hawks are better without Trae lol they barely beat Brooklyn the game he went down, barely beat the 0-5 Pacers (missing a million guys), and impressively beat the Magic. But the Magic look like an absolute mess and Bane got himself thrown out in a semi close game for no reason.

I think we blow them out again lol

Zeno wrote:

TravisScott55 wrote:Hawks have looked better without Trae

My impression of that first Hawks game was that a lot of what went right was based on attacking Trae. So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Raps lost this.

Meh. Trae had a -19 net rating that game and the Hawks as a whole had a -17 net rating, basically identical.

Bigger difference IMO is Jak was hurt already and we just didn't pay much attention to him struggling since we blew them out. He was the only guy on the team with a negative net rating that night. If he's moving better now, and he does look to be, or frankly if he just sits out if he is struggling, that moves the needle more than the Hawks not having to paper over Trae's weaknesses, I think.

dhackett1565 wrote:

Zeno wrote:

TravisScott55 wrote:Hawks have looked better without Trae

My impression of that first Hawks game was that a lot of what went right was based on attacking Trae. So it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Raps lost this.

Meh. Trae had a -19 net rating that game and the Hawks as a whole had a -17 net rating, basically identical.

Bigger difference IMO is Jak was hurt already and we just didn't pay much attention to him struggling since we blew them out. He was the only guy on the team with a negative net rating that night. If he's moving better now, and he does look to be, or frankly if he just sits out if he is struggling, that moves the needle more than the Hawks not having to paper over Trae's weaknesses, I think.

we will also have CMB back compared to the first game

front end of a b2b (with philly on sat) - does yak play in this one or in philly?

djsunyc wrote:front end of a b2b (with philly on sat) - does yak play in this one or in philly?

That would also depend if Philly wants to play Embiid against us or Detroit the very next day.

I say we go for the NBA Cup and have Darko throw the best pizza party ever

Madvillainy2004 wrote:I dont think the Hawks are better without Trae lol they barely beat Brooklyn the game he went down, barely beat the 0-5 Pacers (missing a million guys), and impressively beat the Magic. But the Magic look like an absolute mess and Bane got himself thrown out in a semi close game for no reason.

I think we blow them out again lol

Magic being mediocre so far has me feeling so validated lol

They'll definitely be better than a 3-5 team, but people marking them in as a top 3 team in the east lock never felt right to me

YogurtProducer wrote:

Madvillainy2004 wrote:I dont think the Hawks are better without Trae lol they barely beat Brooklyn the game he went down, barely beat the 0-5 Pacers (missing a million guys), and impressively beat the Magic. But the Magic look like an absolute mess and Bane got himself thrown out in a semi close game for no reason.

I think we blow them out again lol

Magic being mediocre so far has me feeling so validated lol

They'll definitely be better than a 3-5 team, but people marking them in as a top 3 team in the east lock never felt right to me

Thats because the East looked horrible to begin the year. Who do you have as being better than Orlando and you obviously get the benefit of some hindsight now too.

What's up with the nba schedule where we're playing the same games in the same location already?

Played bucks twice at home
Playing Hawks twice in ATL
Playing cavs twice in Cleveland
Will play 76ers twice in Philly within 2 weeks.