Pistons (10-10) @ Hawks (10-9)

[ATL Boy]

Let's see if we can get some good mojo going with a change-up in the gamethread.



Matchup of the day is obviously:

vs.


Pistons are hot, winning 4 in 5 games, including Ws over the Clippers, Hornets and Celtics. Hawks have lost 7 of 8 and hope that a calendar shift to December will help shift their fortunes.

Projected starting lineup (subject to change):
Detroit
PG: Ish Smith
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope
SF: Tobias Harris
PF: Marcus Morris
C: Andre Drummond

Atlanta
PG: Dennis Schroder
SG: Kyle Korver
SF: Kent Bazemore
PF: Mike Muscala (Paul Millsap if healthy)
C: Dwight Howard

Reggie Jackson and Paul Millsap (doubtful) are the injuries, and I don't expect either to play tonight.

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Smart move by Coach Bud to meet up with Santa in the midst of our struggles. He's bringing out the big guns to try and get us out of the slump.

GO HAWKS!

[Jamaaliver]

So, wait...

we finish a 5-game road trip. Out West. Then get a single game at home. Then play the second night of a back-to-back in Canada?

Wow...that's rough. That's a lot of mileage. In a very brief time.

I'd like to see Humphries get the start at PF tonight in Millsap's absence. He's been under-utilized thus far this season. And he has enough of range to create space for Dwight.

[jayu70]

So, wait...

we finish a 5-game road trip. Out West. Then get a single game at home. Then play the second night of a back-to-back in Canada?

Wow...that's rough. That's a lot of mileage. In a very brief time.

I'd like to see Humphries get the start at PF tonight in Millsap's absence. He's been under-utilized thus far this season. And he has enough of range to create space for Dwight.

This schedule has done us no favors. We've played a ton of teams coming off 2 sometimes 3 days rest while it's been a travel day for us or a back to back.

[Jamaaliver]

Let's see if we can get some good mojo going with a change-up in the gamethread.

ATL Man...you should do a throwback if we win tonight and create one of your classic Player of the Game threads. They were always well done...if consistently under-appreciated.


Even a GOAT of the Game/Week thread might get some action in this forum. This place is dying from inactivity and indifference.

[DirtybirdGA]

I see yall are so ready for the next ones to start, lol

[ATL Boy]

Let's see if we can get some good mojo going with a change-up in the gamethread.

ATL Man...you should do a throwback if we win tonight and create one of your classic Player of the Game threads. They were always well done...if consistently under-appreciated.


Even a GOAT of the Game/Week thread might get some action in this forum. This place is dying from inactivity and indifference.

Idk how effective any of it would be without too much activity. The reason I stopped doing them was because it got so bad that only 2-3 votes were cast by the end.

I get the idea to do something fresh to generate some momentum on the forum though. I would oblige but I can't create a poll based thread following home games since I'm at Phillips for every game and don't get home till late.


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[ducler]

[ATL Boy]

Thabo might get the start at PF. Would make this a really important game for Dwight on the glass.


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[MaceCase]

Thabo might get the start at PF. Would make this a really important game for Dwight on the glass.


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That's interesting, would help match-up with Detroit's hybrid forwards. I wouldn't be worried about the boards, Thabo gets busy. He's rebounded almost on par with Al and is better in that aspect than both Morris and Harris, just need Dwight to cancel out Drummond. Musky and Humph got their work cutout with Detroit's bench bigs though.

[DirtybirdGA]

Oh well get ready to get whooped by Toronto.... eff this.

[ATL Boy]

Is it an overreaction that I want them to put Sap on the block tonight and just cut our losses with this terrible season?

It's not that they're losing, it's that they look helpless in every single game. This team is a first round exit at best.


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[Jamaaliver]

Is it an overreaction that I want them to put Sap on the block tonight and just cut our losses with this terrible season?

An overreaction to this game? Yes

An overreaction to this last two weeks? No. We've looked really bad of late.

Silver lining: Dennis appears to have figured some things out this week. He avg 20 ppg and 7 apg in the last five games.

That's...me wracking my brain to be positive.




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[Jamaaliver]

So Bud tried something really unorthodox tonight in starting Thabo. And, it didn't work out. I don't blame him for taking a risk. Desperate times and all.


But tonight fully illustrated what the biggest concern is. We can't shoot. There are few offensive threats. The spacing is terrible. Starting Thabo further exacerbated the spacing issue.

We need shooters. Plain and simple. We need Both mid range and three point shooters. We acquired an inside presence, but don't have anyone to space the floor around him.


NOTE: I miss AL Horford. Do you think he misses us, too?


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[whitehops]

rough game for you guys, i was surprised before the game to see that the hawks were slumping so bad but the game showed me kind of why (with your offense).

i don't think starting thabo over muscala was a bad decision in theory. harris has roasted some bigger PFs like porzingis and kaminsky so having someone with better foot-speed was a good counter. unfortunately for the hawks harris is a pretty versatile scorer and was able to get a few buckets on thabo in the post which forced help to come.


you guys lacked offensive talent tonight but getting millsap back will definitely help. between bud and the defensive talent on your team i'm sure you guys will get back on track soon, good luck the rest of the way.

[ATL Boy]

Either our players need to get scorching hot shooting the ball (unlikely), or we need to make a trade (either cutting our losses, or trying to bolster the team with a shooter). You can't win in basketball if you can't shoot.

Korver looks finished.


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[Jamaaliver]

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