GT: Hawks (31-8) vs Raptors (26-12)

[DirtybirdGA]

11 in a row and 11 overall!!

[Neon Keon]

True story.

On NBA radio today ( I think it was the Kenny Smith show ) a bunch of Hawks fans were calling in upset that the annalists weren't putting ATL in with the big boys (Golden State/Portland/Etc and just looping them in with CHI/TOR/WASH etc.

I wasn't offended this morning but I\m offended now.

Not only is your team incredible to watch, but seemingly it's done with a process/system so you should should be enjoying this for a while. The story itself is excellent for sports in general as it debunks a great myth in that you can't win without superstars.

Congrats to your recent success and I'm sure some of you hard core Hawks fan's are owed this.

PS Schroder looks like the real deal....crazy mid round pick

[atlantabbq99]

Huge statement win tonight!!!! and this is going to be a huge light on the NBA radar for the next 24 hour news cycle. Toronto is a top 4 team in the east, and they just got back DeRozan, and the Raptors are defending their home court.

It wasn't even a close game, the Hawks kept them at arms length the whole night. Toronto is not doing well. They are loosing alot and the last straw they were holding onto was that they can claim that they beat Atlanta twice, but after this game, they can't brag about that any more.

Horford is player of the game, he just destroyed Valanciunas, but really , everybody had a good, efficent game. It was a typical Hawks win, great passing, great defense, and great team basketball.

Baz is finally learing the system, and that is why i think we are seeing more minutes from him.

Alot of guys had good stats, but i just want to highlight one.....

Schroder - 9pts, 4assist, 1 turnover, 4-6FG
Louis - 5pts, 2assist, 1turnover, 2-6FG

I don't care what anybody says, for me Atlanta won on the Salmon's trade!

[Jamaaliver]

Great win. AL is really hitting his stride of late. Team takes down a another big dog.

I really think Schroeder is coming into his own before our eyes. Read a stat somewhere that the team is like 12-0 in games DS plays at least 20 minutes.

looks like Pero came back to earth a bit. But his +/- indicates he was doing all those intangible things that don't fit in the box score.

Bazemore his coming along. I'd still prefer JJ2. But at least KB is looking like a real NBA player at this point.

[ATL Boy]

Maybe our most impressive win this season, outside of that game in Portland. To go into Toronto (who had DeRozen back) and just dominate them like that is absolutely great. If we can go into Chicago and do what we just did tonight then we'll really be at a full arms length ahead of everyone else in the conference.

[Jamaaliver]

Maybe our most impressive win this season, outside of that game in Portland. To go into Toronto (who had DeRozen back) and just dominate them like that is absolutely great. If we can go into Chicago and do what we just did tonight then we'll really be at a full arms length ahead of everyone else in the conference.

Yeppers.

Noah sat tonight in a Bulls victory over Boston. I can't help but wonder if it was in anticipation of our rematch with CHI-Town.

I see CHI as our biggest obstacle this post-season. (Followed closely by WAS.) Let's slay another giant, fellas.

[Hawk Eye]

Went to go see my little brothers rec league game (man that was some funny stuff lol). Anyways, just finished watching the Hawks and Warriors game off my DVR.

I never thought I'd say this but i fully expect that this team canbeat every single team in the league. wow.

On a side note.. ESPN picked up the Hawks vs Pistons game this Monday!!

[azuresou1]

Hey guys, reading alot about the team lately, thought this was interesting and you would be interested reading (its not mine hah).

The Hawks' roster, which lacks true star power, has capitalized on “controllables”—variables that are primarily in the players’ control and have little to do with outside influences such as opponent play—and has maximized intangibles to earn the second-best record in the league to date. Most notably, the Hawks have created a culture of trust and teamwork anchored in purposeful personal accountability. Currently, the Hawks lead the league in Helps per 100 Chances (11.08) and 6th in Double Teams per 100 Chances (5.89), thus trusting and relying on each other defensively. Yet the team ranks third lowest in Switch% (7.64)—a strong indicator of personal responsibility players have been entrusted with by their coach.

The Hawks’ strong emergence this season has also been fueled by a sense of selfless discipline. While the wisest players in the game today understand the energizing value of a timely rim-rocking dunk, a demoralizing block that sees the ball fly into the 10th row, or even an occasional technical foul to provide a spark, these players never forget that self-control is superior. They are fully aware that at the end of the day, discipline will always dominate showmanship. In that vein, the Hawks currently rank an impressive 2nd in the NBA in Block-to-Possession Rate (64.12), thus creating extra offensive opportunities for themselves and earning roars from the crowd for consistently efficient play rather than temporary superficial excitement.

Their meticulous rim protection has the Hawks sitting in 2nd place in Opponent Inside Shot% (47.41), well ahead of championship contenders such as the Mavericks (49.11, 5th) and the Bulls (49.5, 6th).

The Hawks' focus on controllables is further evident in effort-based statistics like Deflections per 100 Chances (4.60, 2nd), Pressure Rate per 100 Chances (7.35, 6th), and Loose Balls Possessed per 100 Chances (2.43, 9th). While it is still questionable whether the Hawks have the player personnel to make a deep run even in an Eastern Conference that lacks depth, their relentless focus on intangibles mirrors that of past teams that had great postseason success despite a lack of superstar power on their roster—the 2004 NBA Champion Detroit Pistons come to mind.

Pretty impressive stuff, theres more on the article, heres the link.

This is an awesome article. I encourage everyone to click in and read it.

[D21]

Read a stat somewhere that the team is like 12-0 in games DS plays at least 20 minutes

But it doesn't mean that it's a W because he played at least 20 minutes. It could mean that Teague did a fantastic job in few minutes, creating a huge lead that allow Bud to play Dennis more than 20 minutes.
On the other hand, when he plays more than 20 minutes, he almost always has a positive +/-
but he also has lots of time a negative +/- when playing less than 20 minutes, which could mean that Bud knows he's still a bit inconsistent and sees in few minutes if he can play more or if he's hurting the team (and has to play less).

[Jamaaliver]

Read a stat somewhere that the team is like 12-0 in games DS plays at least 20 minutes

But it doesn't mean that it's a W because he played at least 20 minutes. It could mean that Teague did a fantastic job in few minutes, creating a huge lead that allow Bud to play Dennis more than 20 minutes.
On the other hand, when he plays more than 20 minutes, he almost always has a positive +/-
but he also has lots of time a negative +/- when playing less than 20 minutes, which could mean that Bud knows he's still a bit inconsistent and sees in few minutes if he can play more or if he's hurting the team (and has to play less).

A very fair point.