The Atlanta Hawks Thread (2014-15)

[Dr Spaceman]

Wasn't able to watch game 3, but the big problem tonight was Horford's foul trouble. Forced to play Antic key minutes in the fourth and overtime. That kind of killed them.

They'll still win this series unless Deron Williams has sold his soul to the devil or something- the shots he was hitting tonight were insane, and sometimes that stuff just happens.

But beyond- the team desperately misses Sefilosha, and honestly they would desperately miss any rotation player just because of the way they're constructed. They are jumping the Nets in first quarters just like the win streak but their bench hemhorrages points and often the starters come back down double digits. BKN has made a big run at the end of every first Q this series and Bud has taken to putting KK and Horford back in after only like a 2 minute rest in the first.

Play call should've been ISO Teague every possession during the endgame, Budz is inexperienced and trying to outcoach himself when simple stuff is working. Williams and Lopez are no match for Teague, plain and simple. Didn't have a problem with the shots Korver was taking, one 3 late in the clock and another off a decent look in OT.

They're definitely better than this, but I don't know what to make of this series.

[HeartBreakKid]

They have no answer for Brook Lopez. He's way too big for anyone on the Hawks to handle.

[Goudelock]

[Vine][/Vine]

Wasn't able to watch game 3, but the big problem tonight was Horford's foul trouble. Forced to play Antic key minutes in the fourth and overtime. That kind of killed them.

They'll still win this series unless Deron Williams has sold his soul to the devil or something- the shots he was hitting tonight were insane, and sometimes that stuff just happens.

But beyond- the team desperately misses Sefilosha, and honestly they would desperately miss any rotation player just because of the way they're constructed. They are jumping the Nets in first quarters just like the win streak but their bench hemhorrages points and often the starters come back down double digits. BKN has made a big run at the end of every first Q this series and Bud has taken to putting KK and Horford back in after only like a 2 minute rest in the first.

Play call should've been ISO Teague every possession during the endgame, Budz is inexperienced and trying to outcoach himself when simple stuff is working. Williams and Lopez are no match for Teague, plain and simple. Didn't have a problem with the shots Korver was taking, one 3 late in the clock and another off a decent look in OT.

They're definitely better than this, but I don't know what to make of this series.

Great post. The part about the Hawk's bench is spot on. They're giving up leads like nobody's business; I never thought that Thabo would be this important. Dennis Schroder needs to get his act together and play like he did during the season.

About the Nets: D-Will won't be having another game like this for a while, some of those shots he was making were insane. And I have no idea as to why they don't just throw it down to Lopez on every single possession. That guy could average 40ppg against the Hawks.

[Clyde Frazier]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/AnaheimAmigos/status/593055332215062529[/tweet]

Regular season shot chart:

[Dr Spaceman]

Teague just went to the locker room to get his ankle redone. Things just keep getting worse. Very similar to the Memphis situation where a bunch of their rotation players are just in that healthy enough to play, but hurt enough to be visibly ailing zone.

[Dr Spaceman]

BTW- Nets are handling Korver by switching EVERYTHING. Interested to see what Bud draws up to take advantage.

[Texas Chuck]

BTW- Nets are handling Korver by switching EVERYTHING. Interested to see what Bud draws up to take advantage.

you must be watching this game on delay? But are posting as if it is real-time? I won't spoil things I guess.

[Dr Spaceman]

BTW- Nets are handling Korver by switching EVERYTHING. Interested to see what Bud draws up to take advantage.

you must be watching this game on delay? But are posting as if it is real-time? I won't spoil things I guess.

Yeah, I realized that a minute ago. It's been a loooong day

[Texas Chuck]

BTW- Nets are handling Korver by switching EVERYTHING. Interested to see what Bud draws up to take advantage.

you must be watching this game on delay? But are posting as if it is real-time? I won't spoil things I guess.

Yeah, I realized that a minute ago. It's been a loooong day

Oh I totally understand It's just I turned off that game shortly before the end once the outcome seemed secure and then I saw you posting and I thought did I miss an epic comeback and like 3 OT's?

I end up watching a lot of the playoffs off my DVR because that's the only realistic way I can watch 2 or 3 games a night.

[penbeast0]

Anyway, I think they're a really important development for basketball historically, and we end up discussing them so much anyway I thought this thread could be helpful.

Agree 100%. In general, when my team's out of it, I like to see the marquee players of the league having some success, but I think Atlanta or Golden State (though Curry *is* a marquee player, I still think he's flying under the radar) winning it all would be huge. It is a copycat league, after all (SA winning again would also be big, or even Houston).

A lot of the recent champions have employed innovative strategies/concepts that have really changed the league's climate (Boston, Dallas, Miami, SA), in that teams are replicating their models of success, or at the very least attempting to do so. Atlanta plays a very interesting/unique brand of basketball (as talented analysts such as yourself have pointed out ), and it would be awesome if some of what they're doing catches on league-wide.

In this sense, wouldn't it be cool to have a Wizards/Grizzlies final . . . old school pre-analytics teams (to some extent) built around big post presences and ball dominant PGs. You'd have all the blather about how the GS/ATL model is a regular season dynamo but doesn't translate to postseasons success and teams changing to the new popular wisdom.

Then next year the pendulum can swing back again, lol.

[Dr Spaceman]

Who's watching?

Carroll looks like he can be a significant plus offensively when guarded by Pierce. His hot shooting continues. Millsap is afraid to shoot right now. I think that shoulder is really bad. :/ Horford looks good though, and I like the matchup for ATL. I expect them to take this series, although the Wizards will be a fight.