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Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:38 pm
by Jamaaliver
Any thoughts on what specifically is causing us to fall apart with the game on the line so often?
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:40 pm
by Jamaaliver
2nd Halves in general seem to be a problem for us.
What are guys seeing?
- Lackadaiscal play?
- Poor halftime adjustments?
- Poor conditioning?
?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:49 pm
by Jamaaliver
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:50 pm
by Jamaaliver
At home against Sacramento, our shot profile was clean -- meaning we took decent shots. We just couldn't hit anything.
IIRC, Hawks went without a FG for the final 4:10 of the game after tying it up...

Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:53 pm
by Jamaaliver
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:54 pm
by Jamaaliver
The MIA game saw a similar defensive breakdown in the 4Q.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 7:56 pm
by jayu70
Jamaaliver wrote:2nd Halves in general seem to be a problem for us.
What are guys seeing?
- Lackadaiscal play?
- Poor halftime adjustments?
- Poor conditioning?
?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
When we have a lead, we are playing not to lose instead of to win. We stop doing what works and have difficulty adjusting. Missing freethrows. Defense. Rebounding....it's not one thing.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 9:36 pm
by raleigh
The explanation is shockingly simple: a lack of elite talent. Good teams come out of halftime with an intention to buckle down defensively and to attack any mismatches they've found. The Hawks' roster offers no sustainable answer to either of those two changes.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Mon Jan 1, 2024 10:44 pm
by Jamaaliver
raleigh wrote:The explanation is shockingly simple: a lack of elite talent. Good teams come out of halftime with an intention to buckle down defensively and to attack any mismatches they've found. The Hawks' roster offers no sustainable answer to either of those two changes.
I'm not sure if I buy that. I look at Indiana which has a less talented roster and is largely the same when it comes to
Offensive and Defensive Efficiency but are somehow 5 games ahead of us in the playoffs.
Trae = Haliburton
Bogdan = Hield
Jalen > Toppin
Dejounte > Mathurin
It feels like the difference isn't just talent...maybe chemistry or roster fit or ability to come through in the clutch.
For that matter, Nate McMillan had largely the same bunch playing .500 ball or better for the previous 3 seasons. How do we account for that?
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Tue Jan 2, 2024 1:08 am
by Jamaaliver
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Wed Jan 3, 2024 8:33 pm
by Jamaaliver
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 3:43 am
by Jamaaliver
Why does this keep happening?!?!?
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 3:54 am
by jayu70
Jamaaliver wrote:Why does this keep happening?!?!?
We are slowing the pace running the clock instead of running a real play, then end up with a bad shot or a shot clock TO.
Then we don't play defense
Rinse, repeat....rinse repeat.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 5:07 am
by jayu70
Who's gonna step up when this happens?
?s=20
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 12:12 pm
by dms269
jayu70 wrote:Jamaaliver wrote:Why does this keep happening?!?!?
We are slowing the pace running the clock instead of running a real play, then end up with a bad shot or a shot clock TO.
Then we don't play defense
Rinse, repeat....rinse repeat.
It feels like it is either we run the clock then try and do something the last 5 seconds (aka Trae Iso) or we push the pace too quickly and take a bad shot.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 1:40 pm
by jayu70
dms269 wrote:jayu70 wrote:Jamaaliver wrote:Why does this keep happening?!?!?
We are slowing the pace running the clock instead of running a real play, then end up with a bad shot or a shot clock TO.
Then we don't play defense
Rinse, repeat....rinse repeat.
It feels like it is either we run the clock then try and do something the last 5 seconds (aka Trae Iso) or we push the pace too quickly and take a bad shot.
I would like to see what Quin's playbook is to deal with the Trae traps.
Someone has to come to ball in these situations and make decisive decisions with a 4 vs 3 advantage. Stop playing scared.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 2:10 pm
by Jamaaliver
jayu70 wrote:I would like to see what Quin's playbook is to deal with the Trae traps.
Someone has to come to ball in these situations and make decisive decisions with a 4 vs 3 advantage. Stop playing scared.

Dejounte was
supposed to provide that for us......................
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 2:15 pm
by jayu70
Jamaaliver wrote:jayu70 wrote:I would like to see what Quin's playbook is to deal with the Trae traps.
Someone has to come to ball in these situations and make decisive decisions with a 4 vs 3 advantage. Stop playing scared.

Dejounte was
supposed to provide that for us......................
I'm ok with giving JJ the ball.
Time to trust JJ in these situations...place him at the center 3pt line as the outlet from a Trae double and let him go to work. I trust him to make a play for himself or someone else. Teams will typically use lengthy defenders to trap Trae. JJ should have an advantage somewhere.
There will be growing pains, but no time like the present since nobody else seems to do much of anything else.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 2:21 pm
by Jamaaliver
jayu70 wrote:I'm ok with giving JJ the ball.
Time to trust JJ in these situations...place him at the center 3pt line as the outlet from a Trae double and let him go to work. I trust him to make a play for himself or someone else. Teams will typically use lengthy defenders to trap Trae. JJ should have an advantage somewhere.
There will be growing pains, but no time like the present since nobody else seems to do much of anything else.
Couple of observations:
1) The fact we didn't have Bogdan out there for a big stretch of the closing minutes when Trae was being trapped and Dejounte was MIA is criminal. He's the most veteran rotation guard on the team and can kill traps with his 3-pt shot.
2)
Trae being on the floor in the closing seconds on that defensive possession was bad...really bad.That should be a 7-footer guarding the inbounds play. Not the smallest man on the court.
Re: Late Game Meltdowns
Posted: Thu Jan 4, 2024 3:12 pm
by raleigh
Sorry. Double post.