Game 4: Wizards @ ATL Hawks 8 PM (CSN/TNT/1500 AM) [4/24/17]

[dlts20]

I fear Atlanta way more than Boston. Millsap is just very unique. I fear him more than guys like Love, Horford, and Obama. He's just too quick and skilled for our guys. Then you also have Howard. Add to that they are a top 5 defense. No one else in the East presents those problems

[I_Like_Dirt]

Maybe. I mean, these are ridiculously small sample sizes overall so it's tough to tell either way. That said, I think there's a bit more to it. I also think the Raptors would likely be blown out in a couple games against the Cavs, which the Pacers weren't at all, and I don't think that would be just coincidence, either. I'm not sure whether or not the Hawks or Wizards will win this series, but I suspect that if the Wizards play the Cavs, they'd win a game or two, and if the Hawks ran into the Cavs, they'd get swept. It doesn't mean one team is inherently better than the other - really, given how many different kinds of circumstances and variables there are, the answer to that question is impossible to pin down unless there is a massive talent gap (as there is with the Cavs and the rest of the east). But there's definitely more to it than just chance, which is what you're implying when you say "3rd sweep in a row was highly unlikely" while seemingly saying that one or two sweeps is likely.

[dlts20]

Candace is wrong. Dennis has gotten mostly all his points against backups until the last game. More over, it seemed childish or amateurish compared to what a respected journalist would say. Then you pick out the one guy who is literally the only reason why we have 2 wins. I usually do not approve of such things but I would honestly be OK if Wall never granted her an interview or answer any of her questions again. I don't live in the DMV anymore so I don't get to see all of the CSN stuff but I know that they had her on NBA TV a couple of months ago to talk about the Wiz and she was horrible. She was mixing all of her words up and was super repetitive. Didn't seem like she was ready for prime time although I'm sure she has gotten better

[AFM]

Candace wants John's D, this is her way of flirting with him. "Notice me @JohnWall !!!!" Smh

[long suffrin' boulez fan]

I fear Atlanta way more than Boston. Millsap is just very unique. I fear him more than guys like Love, Horford, and Obama. He's just too quick and skilled for our guys. Then you also have Howard. Add to that they are a top 5 defense. No one else in the East presents those problems

Yeah. I wouldn't think that Obama would be much of a threat.

Osama on the other hand...

[dlts20]

Haha, it's supposed to say Ibaka

[Meliorus]

http://deadspin.com/the-wizards-have-the-saddest-problem-1794630391

Interesting read.

[Mojo Amok]

http://deadspin.com/the-wizards-have-the-saddest-problem-1794630391

Interesting read.

Yeah, that was pretty good, though I don't know how he's getting Mahinmi as a poor man's Bismack Biyombo or that it's really surprising that our interior presence is almost entirely lacking without him.

Marcin Gortat was credited with a whopping 18 rebounds last night, and is averaging just shy of 12 a game in the series, but the raw counting numbers belie his actual presence inside. Nearly all of his defensive rebounds last night, for example, were uncontested, with no Hawks players in the immediate vicinity; by my count, all four of his offensive rebounds were of the volleyball variety, where he tipped the ball out toward a teammate on the perimeter, rather than actually securing the rebound himself. When he has to contend with Howard (or Paul Millsap, or even Ersan Ilyasova) for the ball, he has to go up with one hand to their two, thanks to his almost total inability to jump, and can do no more than get his fingertips on it. He also lacks the quickness to box out effectively against anybody who’s more than a foot away from him.

The same limitations hinder him as a defender. He’s averaging just shy of three blocks per game in this series, but that number, like his rebounding average, is somewhat deceptive: He’s blocking some shots, but he’s not really deterring any. The Hawks are attempting the third-most shots within five feet of the basket (34.5 per game) among all playoff teams, and they’re driving at Gortat with impunity.

He’s not the problem! All in all, he’s not performing all that differently than he did all throughout the regular season.

A serious indictment of Gortat there; there's a fair bit of hyperbole in there, but a good bit of truth as well.

Gortat has impressed me with his intensity this series, but at the same time I'm still scared of going forward with him as a key cog who's going to be 34 this time next year.

In the playoffs, the Wizards are 14th in DREB% and 15th in Opponent Points in the Paint.

Imagine if we play the Celtics in the second round. It would be the ultimate 'not playoff basketball' matchup in the history of the NBA!

[queridiculo]

Gortat is playing as good a series as you can expect him to when you're being honest about who he is as a player. His play in this series isn't why Washington is tied heading home though.

Morris is a completely different story, but I'm tired of talking about how much he's let the team down in this series it's not like Washington has any legit alternatives.

To me the far bigger problem is that the Wizards struggles aren't down to one or two guys not playing well, collectively they are simply too fundamentally unsound and lacking in discipline and focus to defend effectively as a unit.

I'm watching these games and I can't discern a defensive identity.

I have no clue what the teams force rules could possibly be for example, or any sort of consistent approach to defending the pick and roll.

Washington plays as if they can just win their individual match-ups on defense and they are being proven wrong time and time again evidenced by the points in the paint numbers and their high frequency of fouls.

Millsap has proven that there's nobody on the Washington team that can guard him, yet we let him play in isolation time and time again.

The Wizards haven't forced the ball out of his hands to make other players prove they can consistently beat us and now with the series tied might not necessarily be the time for big changes.

It feels like Washington missed an opportunity to try a few new things over the last few games sort of lulled into a sense of security by the wins in game one and two.

We're not blitzing the pick and roll to throw the Hawks of balance, we don't double Millsap or play deny defense on him on occasion, the Hawks get to do whatever the **** they want on offense and that's just not going to get it done against a team with veteran leadership.

At some point in this series it would have been nice to see what Porter can do matched up with Millsap. We'd get a chance to insert Oubre into the lineup alongside Wall and Beal and perhaps that would shore up our struggles on the defensive end.

There's a risk of Washington absolutely obliterated on the boards, but Washington would also have an opportunity to turn this into a more uptempo game with Howard and Millsap not necessarily being the spriest guys out there.