Hawks advance to face 76ers in 2nd Round of Playoffs

[MasterIchiro]

Sixers are a fringe playoff team without Embiid. Howard kills spacing and it doesn't help that Simmons can't/doesn't shoot from range. Having 2 of 5 players on the floor you can ignore really shrinks space for Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Maxey, Hill etc. Ben Simmons is overrated Stephen A. Smith is right. Sixers aren't going very far. Capela needs to send them on vacation. Warm up those Xbox thumbs Sixers.

[tbhawksfan1]

Hawks might want to up the pace against 6ers. Capela could pose a problem for either Biid or DH is he can get out running with Trae feeding him

agree with a few others, Hawks got to hit their shots and especially 3s. Overall Hawks didn't shoot well against Knicks. Got to do better.

If they can keep a nice high shooting percentage, they can beat anyone

[kg01]

Hawks might want to up the pace against 6ers. Capela could pose a problem for either Biid or DH is he can get out running with Trae feeding him

agree with a few others, Hawks got to hit their shots and especially 3s. Overall Hawks didn't shoot well against Knicks. Got to do better.

If they can keep a nice high shooting percentage, they can beat anyone

Agree. I think we can coax Howard into getting himself ejected and suspended too. I expect him to play the role of fake tough guy this series.

On that, why do people always say the way to get at Trae is to be physical with him? Do folks not understand that's how he's been defensed since HS? He expects that and plans accordingly.

[tbhawksfan1]

Hawks might want to up the pace against 6ers. Capela could pose a problem for either Biid or DH is he can get out running with Trae feeding him

agree with a few others, Hawks got to hit their shots and especially 3s. Overall Hawks didn't shoot well against Knicks. Got to do better.

If they can keep a nice high shooting percentage, they can beat anyone

Agree. I think we can coax Howard into getting himself ejected and suspended too. I expect him to play the role of fake tough guy this series.

On that, why do people always say the way to get at Trae is to be physical with him? Do folks not understand that's how he's been defensed since HS? He expects that and plans accordingly.

Trae is pretty much unstopable. I don't think that we'll face a more rugged, physical style than the Knicks. Didn't faze the Hawks then, I don't expect it to vs 6ers

[jayu70]

Hawks might want to up the pace against 6ers. Capela could pose a problem for either Biid or DH is he can get out running with Trae feeding him

agree with a few others, Hawks got to hit their shots and especially 3s. Overall Hawks didn't shoot well against Knicks. Got to do better.

If they can keep a nice high shooting percentage, they can beat anyone

Agree. I think we can coax Howard into getting himself ejected and suspended too. I expect him to play the role of fake tough guy this series.

On that, why do people always say the way to get at Trae is to be physical with him? Do folks not understand that's how he's been defensed since HS? He expects that and plans accordingly.

Trae is pretty much unstopable. I don't think that we'll face a more rugged, physical style than the Knicks. Didn't faze the Hawks then, I don't expect it to vs 6ers

Definitely pick up the pace in this game particularly with Embiid slowed. Both him and Dwight tend to play drop coverage on the PnR. I think the Hawks should/will PnR Embbid to death from way outside the 3 point line, more ground to cover to move that injured knee.
I can see us running some Zone when Howard, Simmons and Thybulle are on the court together.
The Thybulle v Trae matchup will be interesting, he can't really stay in front of Trae but what he does do is deflect and block shots once his man gets by him, I can see a case where Trae does the 'stop and Thybulle runs into him trying to block him from behind' the question is will the refs call it.

[kg01]

Hawks might want to up the pace against 6ers. Capela could pose a problem for either Biid or DH is he can get out running with Trae feeding him

agree with a few others, Hawks got to hit their shots and especially 3s. Overall Hawks didn't shoot well against Knicks. Got to do better.

If they can keep a nice high shooting percentage, they can beat anyone

Agree. I think we can coax Howard into getting himself ejected and suspended too. I expect him to play the role of fake tough guy this series.

On that, why do people always say the way to get at Trae is to be physical with him? Do folks not understand that's how he's been defensed since HS? He expects that and plans accordingly.

Trae is pretty much unstopable. I don't think that we'll face a more rugged, physical style than the Knicks. Didn't faze the Hawks then, I don't expect it to vs 6ers

Well, I wouldn't call him unstoppable, but I do think he has more options/counters than he gets credit for.

The idea that 'all you gotta do is be physical' is dismissive and lacks actual analysis or insight, imho.

Eggsperts out here basically saying, "Bwah, he won't be able to run around all free like he did against the Knicks". Well, of course not, but that doesn't mean he can't be effective. It also fails to acknowledge that he has more than one way to play. It's also a team game and there are other capable playmakers now.

[HMFFL]

Atlanta Hawks

@

Philadelphia 76ers

Philly is a -176 favorite to win the series.





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[jayu70]

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[Jamaaliver]

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[tbhawksfan1]

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"Trae Young is an offensive juggernaut"

[Jamaaliver]

2021 NBA Playoffs: Sixers-Hawks Preview



After making quick work of the Washington Wizards in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Philadelphia 76ers' real tests are about to begin.

The status of Joel Embiid’s knee will determine just how far they'll advance. Embiid is currently sidelined with a "small lateral meniscus tear" that has him listed as "day-to-day" for now. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, "managing potential swelling and pain in the knee will play a significant part in how soon Embiid will be able to return to the floor."

Who draws the Trae Young assignment?

The Sixers' three regular-season games against the Hawks didn't provide much of a template for how they'll defend Young in the playoffs. Thybulle and Simmons missed the first game because of health-and-safety protocols, while an ankle sprain sidelined Young for the second meeting.

In the lone game where both teams were anything close to full strength, Green spent the most time on Young by far. Young scored 15 points on 4-of-9 shooting with Green as his primary defender and had 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting against the rest of the Sixers.

If Embiid plays in Game 1, either Simmons or Green figure to get first crack at Young. But if the Sixers are without their All-Star center, Thybulle may draw another start so he can take the Young assignment.

After the Sixers' Game 5 win over the Wizards, Thybulle looked ahead to the challenges Young would present in the conference semifinals.

“He’s a dynamic scorer and passer,” he said. “He draws a lot of attention out of the pick-and-roll. His ability to stretch the court with his three, with his range … I think we definitely match up well with these guys. We’re one of those rare teams that has a lot of options on defense, so we have the opportunity to throw a lot of guys at him. I’m fairly confident in our ability to match up with him.”

Where does Seth Curry hide?

The Wizards played into the Sixers' hands by starting Raul Neto in three of the five games, which gave Curry a place to hide defensively. Even when Curry got crossmatched against Davis Bertans, the 6'10" sharpshooter lacked the off-the-dribble chops to punish his much smaller defender.

The Hawks won't present the Sixers with such a luxury.

Curry logged the most time against Tony Snell in the two teams' final regular-season matchup, but De'Andre Hunter has since replaced Snell in the Hawks' starting lineup. The 6'8", 225-pound sophomore has six inches and 40 pounds on Curry, but the Sixers might not have a better option on which to hide him.

Regardless of whom Curry draws as his primary defensive assignment, Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic figure to target him relentlessly via switches. If he's unable to hold his own, the Hawks might play him right off the floor.

Curry erupted for a playoff career-high 30 points in the Sixers' Game 5 victory over the Wizards, and the Sixers will need that sort of increased scoring output from him until Embiid returns. However, he might have to end up doing most of his damage against bench units if the Hawks' starters repeatedly attack him.

How does Doc handle his rotation?

The Wizards didn't have the size to hang with the Sixers, but the Hawks are one of the few teams that match up well with them.

Between Hunter, Capela and the 6'9", 235-pound John Collins, the Hawks should be able to wall off the paint and prevent Simmons from doing too much damage as a driver. They also have a 6'10" sixth man in Danilo Gallinari, who could cause the Sixers major issues given their lack of forward depth behind Simmons and Harris.

Rivers’ rotations will thus be one of the biggest X-factors of the series.

Rivers turned to his all-bench lineup throughout the Wizards series, but that will be less of a viable option against the Hawks. Until Embiid returns, the Sixers may need one of Simmons and Harris on the floor at all times.

Forbes.com

[tbhawksfan1]

It's so awesome that the Hawks are being respected as a tough match up against one of the top teams in the East. The Hawks ascent has been so fast

[Jamaaliver]

NBA playoffs 2021: What could shift 76ers vs Hawks



After no first-round series in the Eastern Conference went more than five games, here we are in the second round with two star-studded matchups.

How much will the Philadelphia 76ers get out of All-NBA big man Joel Embiid, who is day-to-day with a knee injury? What does Trae Young have for an encore after the Atlanta Hawks knocked out the New York Knicks?

How the 76ers got here

A new man calling the shots (Daryl Morey), a new head coach (Doc Rivers) and a couple of new pieces (sharpshooters Seth Curry and Danny Green), plus the Sixers' existing questions about their quick exit in 2019-20, made for a variance of opinions on where Philadelphia would be headed once the season started. All the Sixers did was finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference with Joel Embiid having an MVP-caliber season.

How the Hawks got here

Perhaps the biggest challenge the Hawks faced was on March 1, when they parted ways with coach Lloyd Pierce. At that time, the Hawks were 14-20 and had a 14% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index.

But after Nate McMillan took over, the Hawks stormed to a 27-11 finish in the regular season, the best winning percentage (.711) in the East in that span -- just a notch better than the 76ers (.703). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, McMillan became just the fifth coach in the past 20 seasons to take over a team midseason and win a playoff series the same year.

The Hawks also struggled with health for most of the season. According to Spotrac's injury-tracking data, Atlanta players combined to miss 278 games this season, fourth-most in the league and most for any team in the 2021 playoffs. While they are still missing Cam Reddish and Brandon Goodwin, they have the rest of the rotation in place and playing big roles. DeAndre Hunter's defense against the New York Knicks was a big reason they were able to slow down All-Star and 2020-21 Most Improved Player Julius Randle.

Series keys: Who scores for Philly, and can Trae be stopped?

Against Washington, Tobias Harris shouldered the offensive burden for Philly, averaging 25 points and 10 rebounds in five games. Ben Simmons nearly averaged a triple-double (16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 9.2 assists), but struggled mightily from the line (10-of-28).

Even if Philadelphia plays it as safe as possible with Embiid's injury, it will need even more from Harris, who averaged 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds in the regular season. To get by Atlanta, Philadelphia has to have Simmons get himself right at the free throw line.

In the regular season with Embiid sitting and Simmons, Harris, Curry and Green on the floor, Philadelphia's defensive rating jumped to 114.8. The Sixers went 10-11 in the regular season in the games that Embiid missed.

Atlanta could put pressure on the defense the same way it did against the Knicks in the first round, but Philadelphia would be well-equipped to put size against Young on the defensive end. If Philadelphia throws Matisse Thybulle into the starting group, it would allow the Sixers to throw someone at Young who focuses the majority of his energy on the defensive end.

It's hard to look at any of the three regular-season matchups between the teams as an indicator of what to expect in the playoffs. In the two back-to-back games in late April, the Hawks were missing Bogdan Bogdanovic and Hunter for one and those two plus Young for the other.

But as they proved against the Knicks, the Hawks won't be pushovers. McMillan has shifted his rotations to ensure one of either Young or Bogdanovic are on the floor at all times, helping the offense tread water when Young sits -- Bogdanovic can run point on the second unit with Lou Williams and provide the playmaking punch Atlanta had been missing at times.

ESPN.com

[shakes0]

one of the main keys to this story is DeAndre Hunter. if the Sixers plan to "hide" Curry on him we need to feed him the ball in the post and let him go to work. We need to make them pay for playing Curry. On the other end, we have guys we can hide Trae on....Green and Thybulle. I would assume one of them will be on the court at all times, right?

Hunter has shown he can post up smaller players and make shots over them. we need a steady diet of that if he draws the mismatch.

[the_process]

Sixers are a fringe playoff team without Embiid. Howard kills spacing and it doesn't help that Simmons can't/doesn't shoot from range. Having 2 of 5 players on the floor you can ignore really shrinks space for Seth Curry, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, Maxey, Hill etc. Ben Simmons is overrated Stephen A. Smith is right. Sixers aren't going very far. Capela needs to send them on vacation. Warm up those Xbox thumbs Sixers.

Why the salt, Hornets fan?

[shakes0]

has anyone here ever seen Gallo hit a fadeaway jumper over a defender as tall or taller than him? No, me neither.

You would think he would get the hint and realize he needs to get rid of the ball if he doesn't have a size mismatch in the post.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Jamaaliver]

Hawks better make the adjustment ASAP.

Run Trae off multiple screens every possession; Simmons will be exhausted by the time Trae gets the ball and TY should have just enough space to get a shot off or make the smart pass.

Philadelphia came out for the second half with Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons guarding Young, who, inexplicably, was guarded by Danny Green for most of the first half. Young torched Green, who provided little resistance. The decision from Sixers coach Doc Rivers to keep Green on Young for most of the first half made little sense because Young was getting every look he wanted and was setting up teammates for open looks. By the time Rivers adjusted by putting Simmons on him, the Sixers were in a 20-point hole. The Hawks will likely see a major adjustment when it comes to how the Sixers guard Young starting Tuesday in Game 2.

“I probably will do that,” Simmons said of guarding Young next game. “I mean, I want to. If the refs ain’t gonna call so many fouls, I can be physical and be 6-10, then I’ll be 6-10. But, we’ll see.”

The defensive adjustments worked, but the Sixers had run out of time after digging such a deep hole.

The Athletic