RealGM

Atlanta's defense has seemed great since game 1 - every time anyone drives to the hoop, everything collapses down completely - do they just have too much length with Horford/Smith/Williams? Pierce and Rondo used to do that at will but nothing seems to be there. You'd think a kickout to an open guy could kill them, but it doesn't seem to be happening.

The lack of a real low post threat is hurting there. We're left shooting J's, but we can't crash the boards for an offensive rebound because we are scared of the Hawks running a fast break the other way.

This has been happening the whole series, but in Boston, the Hawks kept throwing the ball away and couldn't shoot at all. We either have to shape up or hope that the Hawks youth and inconsistency returns.

I think some of this collapsing in and stopping the drives can be blamed on the refs- it seems like if the Hawks did the same thing they'd get to the line each time...I kind of agree that the league's anti-Celtics bias may be trumping the monetary potential of a Lakers/Celtics final.

Not that that's completely to blame - I don't think the Celtics have played a good game this series, and Garnett's jump shot picked a terrible time to go cold.

We need to attack right at J-Smoove. It's like in football-you don't run away Ray Lewis, you run AT Ray Lewis.

They can't stop KG down low-he needs to attack like crazy down there. But no fadeaway, and nothing long.

And we need someone in there to shut Joe Johnson down. Tony Allen or James Posey. At all times.

ICanOutreboundWalter wrote:We need to attack right at J-Smoove. It's like in football-you don't run away Ray Lewis, you run AT Ray Lewis.

They can't stop KG down low-he needs to attack like crazy down there. But no fadeaway, and nothing long.

And we need someone in there to shut Joe Johnson down. Tony Allen or James Posey. At all times.

Yes yes yes yes and YES

Pierce needs to attack the basket more. I would also like to see more pick-and-roll with KG and Pierce. Running it with Rondo isn`t really that effective since Rondo isn`t a great shooter.

And overall our jumpers just aren`t falling. ATL makes them and we don`t. We had numerous open looks in the last game and we weren`t able to make them pay.

Everbody talks how our defense has been poor but what about our offense! We have had stretches of over 5 minutes when we couldn`t score from the floor! Against the hawks! That is just pathetic!!!

Pierce and Rondo- our only two slashers who play- have had no trouble getting to the bucket. See the 8 FTs for Pierce and the great FG% up until last game for Rondo. The problem lies in KG and Allen never getting it going at the same time, Pierce picking up dumb fouls, and our bench contributing NOTHING after being an asset most of the year.

We need to go hard to the basket and FORCE contact. That is what Smith is doing at the other end, as well as Marvin Williams. Make them hit us, and if they block it so be it. But go hard; the Hawks are not really adept at picking up chargesfor the most part.