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Let's run it back.




The Atlanta Hawks know the key to slowing down the Washington Wizards' up-tempo offense.

Actually slowing down Wizards guard John Wall isn't quite so simple. That the Hawks couldn't...is why Washington has a 1-0 lead.
ESPN

Budenholzer said the Hawks’ failures were a combination of breakdowns and effort.

“We have to cut a lot of their transition points,” Dwight Howard said. “That is the thing that really killed us. Their transition buckets. If we do that and contain John Wall and Bradley Beal we’ll have a good chance of winning. And we cut down our turnovers.” myAJC

Adult John Wall rocking a throwback Steve Smith jersey?





I love it!!!

Smitty is still one of my All Time favorite Hawks.

NOTE: Those remain some of the ugliest uniforms I have ever seen.

I feel like Bucks-Raptors will be the NBA TV series.

We're about to see if Dwight Howard can earn the first year of that big contract he signed.


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Wiz fan here. Ever since we got Morris, it feels like we have the advantage. However, my biggest fear for the Wiz is always guys like Gobert and Whiteside. They tend to make it hard for us and Wall especially to score. That's why I wanted the Bucks because a motivated Howard can cause similar problems.

I actually think game one will be the highest skilled game 1 of the 1st round. I believe both teams will bring there A game. I believe you guys will look like the 60 win Hawks and we will look like the 18-3 pre all star Wiz. I believe we will find a way to get it done which will then screw with the Hawks head because you've played so well lately and even better in game 1 but still could not win. Then I think you guys will slowly go back into the tank.

One crucial worry is Mahimi. He got hurt in our last game and was playing awesome. So much so that most of the time Wiz fans wanted him to start over Gortat. Now we have to play Dwight who bullies Gortat alot with no backup. Then if he gets in foul trouble we have to play Jason Smith who has been awesome but Howard will bully him even more.

We will just have to go all offense at that point with Smith spreading the floor. Mahimi is out the first 2 games but probably longer. At the end of the day I think we will win the series because of Wall offensively. I just think that he's on a mission and will completely control the tempo of the series to where Atlanta can't keep up

Losing Mahnini is dissapointing, he was our ace from the bench who can end each game bringing great D.
2 years ago we lost Wall vs Hawks, you should consider change your name on Atlanta Witches

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John Wall has already identified the biggest weakness in our defensive scheme. One that will likely prevent Howard from playing down the stretch of tight games:

Brad Beal wrote:We know that they are a team that likes to have their bigs play back in pick and roll coverage, so we took full advantage of it and were able to come off screens for jumpers or get in the lane and create for someone else.

John Wall wrote:They are a type of team that closes out the paint first, then closes out on shooters, so with me and Bradley being aggressive in pick and rolls, guys just have to be ready to shoot. More teams are just going to give me the shot in pick and rolls by allowing me and Gortat to play two-on-two or take us away and let the weak side score.

HawksHoop


It'll be up to Bud to fix this and limit damage in the mid-range by Wall/Beal/Porter/Markief.

Jamaaliver wrote:John Wall has already identified the biggest weakness in our defensive scheme. One that will likely prevent Howard from playing down the stretch of tight games:

Brad Beal wrote:We know that they are a team that likes to have their bigs play back in pick and roll coverage, so we took full advantage of it and were able to come off screens for jumpers or get in the lane and create for someone else.

John Wall wrote:They are a type of team that closes out the paint first, then closes out on shooters, so with me and Bradley being aggressive in pick and rolls, guys just have to be ready to shoot. More teams are just going to give me the shot in pick and rolls by allowing me and Gortat to play two-on-two or take us away and let the weak side score.

HawksHoop


It'll be up to Bud to fix this and limit damage in the mid-range by Wall/Beal/Porter/Markief.

The way Muscala's played lately and with the efficiency between Millsap and Ilyasova Bud has options whenever the Wizards go small ball down the stretch.

There have been plenty of games lately where Dwight was watching the end of the game from the bench.


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This series will be good and close.
I suppose we'll see what our team is really made of. I give the edge to Washington!

I predict Dennis starts the series off cold, struggling to contain Wall and balance his duties as starter. But by game three, back in ATL, he'll break out for a monster game.

I don't plan to watch the Hawks Wizards first round. Its not an interesting match up and the Wizards are a boring team. I might catch the high lights the next morning if i have time.

But what good about how the Playoffs shaped up is that Boston did get #1. So when the Hawks meet them in the second round, i'll defiantly be excited for that. So i really can't wait until the second round starts.

atlantabbq99 wrote:I don't plan to watch the Hawks Wizards first round. Its not an interesting match up and the Wizards are a boring team...

Yikes. This sentiment is apparently pretty widespread:

Thanks, But No Thanks: Wizards vs. Hawks

This could get ugly. The Hawks were the league’s least-efficient team on offense after the All-Star break, the Wizards had the third-worst defense in that span, and we could be in for some classically ugly Eastern Conference basketball.

...there are just too many ways this devolves into uninspiring territory. Anyone into Otto Porter—Tim Hardaway Jr. three-point duels?​

Sports Illustrated

Jamaaliver wrote:I predict Dennis starts the series off cold, struggling to contain Wall and balance his duties as starter. But by game three, back in ATL, he'll break out for a monster game.

If that's the case by game three three Washington will have a 2-0 lead on us.

HMFFL wrote:

Jamaaliver wrote:I predict Dennis starts the series off cold, struggling to contain Wall and balance his duties as starter. But by game three, back in ATL, he'll break out for a monster game.

If that's the case by game three three Washington will have a 2-0 lead on us.

A distinct possibility...


With the way Calderon and Delaney have struggled of late -- plus the inconsistent play of Dennis -- I wouldn't be surprised to see THJ or Bazemore get key minutes at backup PG. This would be a matchup advantage for us (Bazemore-THJ-Thabo together) and help offset any struggles by Dennis. Hopefully, this could help us steal a game in WAS.

Not an official prediction, but a strategy I think we could benefit from in a Game 2 on the road.

Bud on 92.9 The Game radio said that he's leaning towards keeping the starting line up the same with THjr and Prince. This is good. Some of the ball handling/playmaking responsibilities on Dennis can be reduced. They are both effective driving the ball and making a play at the rim or passing unlike Thabo and Baze who just doesn't have the handles I'm comfortable with.

I think the main Bench rotation will be Baze, Thabo and Ersan with some Jose (and some Delaney - they have really picked up their play to end the season, they run the offense as it should). With Mahinmi sidelined expect to see some of Moose (he looks like he did to start the season these last 5 games - confident) and more Ersan playing center to guard Jason Smith since Dwight struggles there.

Bud on 92.9 The Game radio said that he's leaning towards keeping the starting line up the same with THjr and Prince.

I understand the train line of thinking. But starting a rookie in the playoffs is risky. Especially one with barely a dozen starts under his belt.


Also...why would he disclose this days before the start of the series? Something about competitive advantage...

All the favorites to win the series matchups are kind of high. Washington is at -280

Money is beginning to side with Atlanta to win the series early. Washington is now a -240 value favorite.

Coach Mike Budenholzer plans to start Taurean Prince and Tim Hardaway Jr. against the Wizards.
It's a testament to how well Prince has played lately. That suggests Kent Bazemore will stick in the second unit, which makes some sense to add another ball-handler next to either Malcolm Delaney and/or Jose Calderon. Prince is likely looking at minutes in the 20s, but his usage likely won't be very high with Paul Millsap healthy.
Source: K.L. Chouinard on Twitter

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