What will Hawks offense look like under Lloyd, Lin and Young Trae?

[Jamaaliver]

And for the record, I still see it as wasteful to pull a dominant inside player away from their strength in painted area...to be mediocre on the perimeter.

I generally agree with your last statement but you're using "dominant" rather loosely. I'd never use "dominant" to describe our bigs under Buttz. More like, "present".

I venture to say, though, that anyone with a truly dominant inside force isn't going to force them to shoot 3's. And, if they do, they won't win.

I believe, with his agility and athleticism, that J Collins could be a devastating (dominant?) inside scorer. Particularly if he improved his face up game, added a 15-18ft jump shot and a modest post game. The two big men I'd like us to model his game after are Antonio McDyess and LaMarcus Aldridge.

I don't think there are many defensive bigs quick and strong enough to stop John Collins one-on-one in the post. He'd get so many opposing bigs in foul trouble plus dominate the offensive boards.

That's why I get so frustrated when I see/hear us moving him out to the perimeter. Particularly when he camps out on the 3-pt line and doesn't even touch the ball. I view him as a greater threat for lobs and offensive boards than as a 3-pt shooter who misses 65% of his shots and is out of position for o-rebounds.


Just my humble opinion. Turning a dominant inside force into a mediocre outside shooter is not ideal.

(I'm not against Collins having the ability to pull out opposing shot blockers. But it should be a strategic option, not a widespread part of a team's everyday offense.)

[Jamaaliver]

Most every major piece on Atlanta’s roster is an unfinished product, and the team’s ceiling depends almost entirely on the coaching staff’s ability to mold the team’s talent into a more complete and polished nucleus. Pierce must find a style that fits that talent, which, like his defense, may be rooted in pace and aggression.

“We have to be in great condition, we have to take advantage of our youth,” Hawks Head Coach Lloyd Pierce told Paul Flannery of SB Nation. “We have to find a way to play high-efficient basketball — layups in transition, 3s in transition, score before the defense can get set, play with pace.”

Young will be instrumental in those endeavors and a focal point of Pierce’s offense. His shooting opens up the floor, creating ample opportunity for teammates, something the Hawks hope will lead to efficient looks at the rim and from deep. Flanked by shooting, he could become a dynamic offensive catalyst. Collins and Spellman, meanwhile, represent an intriguing and versatile tandem in the frontcourt. Spellman shot over 43 percent from deep in his lone year at Villanova while Collins’ jumper looked smoother and more consistent over four Summer League games. Collins is already an explosive vertical athlete that can destroy rims in the pick-and-roll; a reliable touch from the outside would help create unique advantages within Atlanta’s offense.

Fansided

[MaceCase]

You owe us an apology.

Why? Tap dancing is so much better.

[kg01]

You owe us an apology.

Why? Tap dancing is so much better.

But is it better than goalpost moving?

[MaceCase]

You owe us an apology.

Why? Tap dancing is so much better.

But is it better than goalpost moving?

Hmm, Okay. What's better than a tap dancing goalpost?

[kg01]

Why? Tap dancing is so much better.

But is it better than goalpost moving?

Hmm, Okay. What's better than a tap dancing goalpost?

Touche, mfer. Touche

[Jamaaliver]

^We get it...I'm the punching bag.



At least make an attempt to keep it on topic, though.

Geesh.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is John Collins the Next Amar’e Stoudemire?

So while much has been speculated about how Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk made the Young selection with visions of a young Stephen Curry in mind, it’s worth noting that Young has consistently said he models his game after the pass-first Steve Nash. Schlenk may see Young and hope for a Nash-like ascent, which would be accelerated by having Collins -- who in an optimistic projection -- could develop into Young’s Amar’e Stoudemire.

Don’t believe me? Have a look at the the Per-36 minute stats from a 20-year-old Collins and a 20-year-old Stoudemire. It’s scarily close.

Collins:


Stoudemire:


Coming out of college, no one questioned Collins’ ability to produce. After all, ever since the NCAA started tracking Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in 2009, only Collins and Anthony Davis registered PERs above 35.0 for an entire season as underclassmen.

But, as the league’s evolved, interior-oriented big men have fallen out of favor in the eyes of NBA front offices. Despite historic production from Collins collegiately, tacit skepticism surrounded his true winning value. In the new-age NBA, Collins was labeled pejoratively as a stat-sheet stuffer with underdeveloped defensive skills and a non-existent perimeter game.

So far, the hard work seems to be paying off. Despite 34% being a perfectly respectable three-point percentage from a rookie big, Collins plans to turn himself into a prolific stretch option.

“It makes it a lot easier when he’s on the floor,” Young told Hawks.com. “It’s great having a guy like John who’s like Amar’e.”

Hawks Propaganda Page

[macd-gm]

You maybe a punching bag today but everyone asked about you when you were on hiatus. Any attention is good attention. Keep shooting those 3s big fella!

[Jamaaliver]

I'd forgotten that Hawks had utilized transition opportunities so sparingly under...the previous head coach.

Expect the Hawks to run transition offense more often with Trae Young

Read on Twitter

Trae Young often ran a transition offense in college for the Oklahoma Sooners, which would be a major change of pace for the Atlanta Hawks.

Only three collegiate teams in the country had more field-goal attempts come from a transition offense than Oklahoma (31.1 percent) last season.

The Hawks ranked last in the Eastern Conference in terms of transition possessions (12.2%). For comparison, the Sooners operated in transition on 22.9% of possessions and it was their most-used offense.

Now with former point guard Dennis Schroder out of the picture, the Hawks might be a lot more willing to give another go at running a transition offense. Schroder averaged 0.91 PPP on this play type, which ranked 126 out of 138 players who had at least 100 possessions in transition. Also, he turned the ball over way too much.

Now under new leadership with head coach Lloyd Pierce and Young at point guard, things may change this season. Including his possessions that ended in assists, Young averaged 1.47 points per possession when in transition.

Speeding things up should be incredibly helpful to Young’s new teammates Kent Bazemore and John Collins. Bazemore averaged 1.31 PPP when in transition for Atlanta, which ranked No. 10 overall (minimum: 100 possessions) in the NBA among high-volume contributors. Collins was 36-for-44 (75.0 percent) on these attempts, which ranked Top 5 among those with as many opportunities.

But the player who should be most excited is Taurean Prince, who has thus far been used in transition on nearly 20 percent of possessions during his professional career.

Hoopshype


Unnecessary shot at Budenholzer:

Spoiler:

According to Jeff Siegel, the Hawks’ former head coach, Mike Budenholzer, had offensive philosophies that were “always going to hold the team back” in transition.

“Playing faster means something different for Budenholzer. He comes from the Spurs, where Gregg Popovich’s teams play with pace and purpose but are nowhere near the top of the league in transition usage nor possessions per game. San Antonio routinely push the ball up the floor, whether after a defensive rebound or made basket, to get into their sets early and use as much of the clock as possible to find the best shot available. When Budenholzer preaches to his team that he wants them to play faster, this is what he means.”

Peachtree Hoops

[kg01]

I'd forgotten that Hawks had utilized transition opportunities sosparingly under...the previous head coach.

Ha. We started lovingly calling it a 'fast broke' anyway.

It was like they eschewed the whole 'Highlight Factory" moniker to the point where they never wanted a fast break to happen.

Yeah. "Easy buckets"? Who wants that?

Hope the Bux grow to love Giannis walkin' it up.

[Jamaaliver]

Mason Plumlee practicing shooting 3s? Definitely feels like we're prepping to play 5-out basketball.

Uggggh.

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

I'd forgotten that Hawks had utilized transition opportunities sosparingly under...the previous head coach.

Ha. We started lovingly calling it a 'fast broke' anyway.

It was like they eschewed the whole 'Highlight Factory" moniker to the point where they never wanted a fast break to happen.

Yeah. "Easy buckets"? Who wants that?

Hope the Bux grow to love Giannis walkin' it up.

Even back to the days of Woody/LD, being at a game with a fast break was watching a train wreck. I used to cover my eyes and look through my fingers.

[MaceCase]

Hawks ranked right above the Spurs the last two seasons, seems like a legit strategy choice. Last time the Hawks were ranked much higher was when they had the full complement of Al, Sap, Teague with Dennis all pushing the ball and Korver racing to the 3 point line.

[ChokeFasncists]

Wow, sounds like

Trey/Lin/Baze/Prince/Collins

gonna be a blur in transition.

[Jamaaliver]

Young Trae to J Collins already looking like Matt Ryan to Julio.

I definitely see some Nash to Amare similarities between these two.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Also, it appears we really will be pushing the pace quite a bit this season.

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Conditioning might be an issue. As will the grind of an 82 game season:

Young finished with eight of the Hawks’ 32 assists in just 20 minutes of action in his first pre-season game. The total number of assists is something that head coach Lloyd Pierce was pleased about, especially with it being the first contest of the season. Pierce has emphasized lots of ball movement and a fast pace, which is something Young handled well in his preseason debut.

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday told The Athletic that he felt like Atlanta’s offensive system of playing as fast as possible is going to suit Young’s game perfectly because it’s going to lead to more open looks. After Young made the corner 3, his next shot attempt was an open 3 that grazed the front iron, which was due to him being tired, he said. The pace is something he’s going to have to get used to because Pierce emphatically said that he wants this young team to play with as much energy as possible.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

A quick blurb from the Associated Press:

With the Hawks playing another four exhibitions before opening the season Oct. 17 in New York, Pierce will continue to install his offence, a scheme that’s predicated on pushing the ball quickly up the floor before the defence gets set.

“We’re measuring everything with our first three steps,” Pierce said. “How quickly can we react to turnovers, makes and misses? When we have to play in the half-court, it’s body and ball movement. We’re looking for the most efficient shots, and that’s created. Our separation will be our bodies moving.”

[jayu70]

This action, I like...Trae and Collins will command a lot of attention, leaving our wings wide open for 3, they just gotta knock 'em down.

Read on Twitter

[kg01]

This action, I like...Trae and Collins will command a lot of attention, leaving our wings wide open for 3, they just gotta knock 'em down.

Read on Twitter

Heh. Remember the days when Dwhine Howard was supposed to create spacing ... by sucking the defense in ... toward the basket ... with his nonexistent post game?

I mean, how did we fall for that tripe?