Game Thread: Hawks Host T-Wolves on B2B

Post #1 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 2:24 pm

Hawks vs Timberwolves: Game Preview

Opening bell: The Timberwolves offense has been inconsistent to start the season. Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns have yet to get going, but the team's defense has held each of the first two opponents below 100 points. Before their 127-110 victory Sunday night at Milwaukee, the Hawks lost their first two games by six points each.

Watch him: Atlanta guard Trae Young had an inefficient start to the season (just 23% shooting over the first two games), and this is an important year for him under the tutelage of former Utah Jazz coach Quin Snyder, who took over the Hawks' coaching job during last season. Can Snyder unlock Young's potential? Or is Young doomed to be a high-volume shooter who doesn't contribute much to winning?

Injuries: Jaden McDaniels, who hasn't played for the Wolves in their first two games of the season because of a left calf injury, is listed as questionable and could make his debut. Wesley Matthews has yet to play in the regular season for Atlanta because of a right calf strain.

Forecast: The Hawks will be the second consecutive team the Wolves will face on the tail end of a back-to-back. The Wolves' half-court defense has looked strong so far, and they seemed to iron out some of their transition defense issues Saturday. Atlanta is a beatable team, and this is a good chance for the Wolves to pick up their first road win.

Star Tribune

Post #2 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 3:47 pm

Scheduling Complaint:

It's insane that we play Milwaukee and then Minnesota on a Back-to-Back with the first Game in Wisconsin and then the second game all the way BACK in ATLANTA.

Logistically, it makes waaaaaaaaaay more sense to just host this game in Minnesota since we were already like a 45 minute plane ride away last night.

jayu70 · Post #3 » by **jayu70** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 5:01 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Scheduling Complaint:

It's insane that we play Milwaukee and then Minnesota on a Back-to-Back with the first Game in Wisconsin and then the second game all the way BACK in ATLANTA.

Logistically, it makes waaaaaaaaaay more sense to just host this game in Minnesota since we were already like a 45 minute plane ride away last night.

I kept thinking this game was in Minny until the game finished yesterday. Scheduling has some very weird quirks.

Post #4 » by **Jamaaliver** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 5:21 pm

Scouting Report:

Minnesota is led by one of the NBA's young superstars Anthony Edwards, who is averaging 22.5 PPG so far this season, shooting 35.7% from the field and 58.3% from three-point range. Rudy Gobert is averaging over 13 RPG and two blocks per game so far. Karl-Anthony Towns is off to a bit of a slow start through two games, averaging 15.5 PPG and shooting 21.4% from three-point range. The low three-point percentage is surprising considering that KAT is one of the best shooters in the NBA. Minnesota has two very good bench players in Naz Reid and Kyle Anderson.

It has only been two games, but the Timberwolves are the No. 1 rebounding team in the NBA and have the No. 2 defense in terms of PPG allowed. The offense for Minnesota is a different story though. They have the worst offense in the NBA in terms of PPG and they are 26th in field goal percentage. The Hawks have the No. 5 scoring offense in the NBA and it will be interesting to see which side has the advantage.

Key player to watch on Atlanta: Clint Capela

Capela has had struggles in areas this year (mostly offensively), but he had a really good game against the Bucks on Sunday night. He is going to be tasked with facing Gobert tonight, who is one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in the NBA. Winning the matchup on the glass against Gobert is going to be one of the keys to the game in my opinion.

Key player to watch on Minnesota: Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns is off to a slow start this season, averaging just 15.5 PPG and shooting poorly from three-point range. He is one of the most gifted big men in the NBA on offense and can do a lot of damage scoring. Whether it is shooting or in the paint, Towns can take over a game with his talent and Atlanta needs to make sure that he does not get going.

Prediction

This is going to be a tough game for the Hawks with it being a back-to-back, they are coming back from a road game, and Minnesota did not have to play yesterday. Those things can make this matchup tilt in favor of Minnesota, but the Timberwolves have not been that impressive this season. They beat the Heat, who did not have Jimmy Butler, and they have had trouble scoring the ball. They are a talented team and it will be a close game, but I think the Hawks can get a win tonight at home.

Final Score: Hawks 114, Timberwolves 109

SI.com

CP War Hawks · Post #5 » by **CP War Hawks** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 6:05 pm

I wanna say the Hawks play better at home but looked like ass vs NYK. Antman is wanting to make a statement back home. Mcdaniels for them can cause problems scoring for the Hawks. I feel relatively confident about this matchup....

CC on Gobert
JJ on Towns
DH on Antman
DJM on Conley
Trae on NAW

tbhawksfan1 · Post #6 » by **tbhawksfan1** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 6:24 pm

Jamaaliver wrote:Scheduling Complaint:

It's insane that we play Milwaukee and then Minnesota on a Back-to-Back with the first Game in Wisconsin and then the second game all the way BACK in ATLANTA.

Logistically, it makes waaaaaaaaaay more sense to just host this game in Minnesota since we were already like a 45 minute plane ride away last night.

NBA's contribution to global warming

jayu70 · Post #7 » by **jayu70** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:17 pm

Read on Twitter

?s=20

Post #8 » by **HMFFL** » Mon Oct 30, 2023 11:40 pm

T-Wolves are a 2.5 point favorite.

We need a win!

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

Post #9 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:48 am

Can't even call this a schedule loss. T-Wolves simply playing out of their minds...

Did they all get a home cooked meal from Anthony Edwards' mom Sunday evening?

jayu70 · Post #10 » by **jayu70** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:50 am

We are shooting well, but not defending. Minny's size is killing us on switches.

Post #11 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:52 am

Jamaaliver wrote:Can't even call this a schedule loss. T-Wolves simply playing out of their minds...

Or, I could be wrong.

Read on Twitter

Post #12 » by **Jamaaliver** » Tue Oct 31, 2023 12:54 am

jayu70 wrote:Minny's size is killing us on switches.

The NBA suddenly went back to dominant size outweighing other aspects.

And Minny has 4 very good bigs that each bring a different skill set to the game.

Gobert - KAT, Naz Reid - Slo Mo make a great mix of big men.

Clint* and Okongwu are too small to put up a fight.