Game Thread: Hawks @ Nets -- 1/9

[Jamaaliver]

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The Brooklyn Nets are back home on Wednesday night to host the Atlanta Hawks after winning two of three games on their four-day road trip through Memphis, Chicago and Boston. Along the way, they hit the midpoint of their schedule, playing game No. 42 Monday night in Boston, and moved up to seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.

...the Nets are just a half-game behind the Heat and have clearly established themselves as a contender in the group of teams that will battle for the final three playoff spots.

The Nets welcome back two fan favorites when the Hawks visit on Wednesday. The Hawks are 12-28 after Tuesday night's loss to Toronto and have dropped four of their last five after having won four of five. They're going young, with two rookies in the starting lineup in guards Trae Young and Kevin Huerter, plus second-year forward John Collins. Collins leads the Hawks with 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, while Young averages 15.4 points and a team-leading 7.3 assists per game. In their previous meeting with the Hawks, the Nets scored a season-high 144 points in their win on Dec. 16.

Brooklyn Team Page

[Jamaaliver]

The Red Viper is back!!!

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[ducler]

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[lethalweapon3]

That was an impressive high-wire act our Atlanta Hawks performed last night in Toronto, holding form and staying balanced right up until the last-minute tumble. On the second night of a back-to-back, they’ve got some Nets to help break their fall, in Brooklyn (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in The BK). While that used to sound like a good thing, the Barclays Center Bullies have been awfully Hawks-tile to Atlanta, and many others, lately.

When last Our Fine Feathered Friends swung through this borough, they put up 127 points, their second-highest tally of the season, behind 29 points from John Collins, and… lost. By 17 points!

The 144 points the Nets countered with fell just five points short of that time Ray Williams helped “New Jersey” set the franchise regulation scoring mark. Sugar Ray’s 52 points helped coach Larry Brown, Buck Williams and Albert King outshine Isaiah Thomas’ upstart Pistons, during a throwaway 147-132 game for Detroit in April 1982. If you struggle to recall the Nets ever being in the Garden State, ask Vince Carter.

Even if they again play up to the hi-octane pace that the Hawks prefer, it will be conceivably tough for coach Kenny Atkinson’s Nets (20-22… dare we say Playoffs?) to get back around that number tonight. The Nets were already reeling at that time from the loss of team catalyst Caris LeVert (foot dislocation), possibly for the season. But they had to go into Boston’s lair on Monday without DeMarre Carroll, Joe Harris, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (18 points vs. ATL on Dec. 16), Allen Crabbe and rookie Dzanan Musa, due to injuries.

That left Coach Kenny fielding a roster of ten healthy bodies in a 116-92 loss to the Celts, one of whom was their two-way player (Theo Pinson), and another was Kenneth Faried (season-high 28 minutes, 13 points and 12 boards). Brooklyn won’t be walking on eggshells as gingerly tonight, with the returns of Carroll (sore knee) and Harris (sprained ankle) to the floor.

Up until Carroll’s brief injury respite, Brooklyn was enjoying perhaps the best stretch of production anyone has seen out of the Junkyard Dawg since his days as a borderline fifth All-Star with the Hawks. His last five games included averages of 18.4 PPG and 5.8 RPG, all off the bench, while shooting 55.6 percent from the field (48.4 3FG% on three 3FG makes per game) and committing a grand total of three turnovers, none in his last three appearances.

JYD’s play helped the Nets bounce back from a pair of tough road losses to win three straight, including a Wall Street-style pair of wins over the (Grizzlie) Bears and Bulls. They’re making Barclays a formidable place to play as well. Their win over the Pelicans on January 2 made in seven wins in the Nets’ past eight home games.

Harris’ jumpshot has made it hard for Atkinson to take him off the floor. Despite going 1-for-5 from deep in his last matchup with the Hawks, Harris’ 48.2 3FG% ranks second in the NBA, only behind Curry (Seth, that is, and the Trail Blazer sincerely thanks you for asking).

Unheralded contributors like Harris, Sultan of Swat sophomore Jarrett Allen, bench studs like Carroll and sixth-man award candidate Spencer Dinwiddie (17.1 PPG and 5.1 APG), and lunchpail players like Ed Davis (team-high 8.5 RPG in just 18.2 minutes per game, NBA-high 17.7 O-Reb%) and Jared Dudley are all stepping up their play, in light of the spate of injuries.

That collective effort has allowed D’Angelo Russell space to freelance and freewheel to the height of his abilities. And that, in turn, has D’Lo, only 22 in his career-best fourth NBA season (18.1 PPG, 6.3 APG, 35.7 3FG% and 81.3 FT%), on the fringe of a coaches’ All-Star selection. While being in the Leastern Conference is the prevailing factor, it would feel redemptive for the former Laker to know that he, not Los Angeles’ trade acquisition Kyle Kuzma, or Russell’s effective Laker replacement in Lonzo Ball, reached the floor of the mid-season classic first.

Starting together last night, Trae Young (19 points, 7-for-15 2FGs) and Jeremy Lin (8-for-9 2FGs and 9 assists @ TOR) stuck their heads right between the jowls of the mighty Raptors, and nearly escaped with their hair unscathed. Suppressing the turnovers, particularly those of the unforced-error variety, will be essential for the Hawks today, particularly for DeAndre’ Bembry, who got nearly as much as he gave (5 steals, 5 assists, 7 turnovers) during his eventful team-high 37 minutes yesterday. But the bigger factor will be Young and Lin avoiding the urge to go tit-for-tat in the scoring column with Russell and Dinwiddie, as otherwise useful teammates look on.

Kevin Huerter (back) is probable to return for Atlanta, giving the Hawks another option to seek when defenses collapse in the paint, along with Vince and a game, yet ultimately ineffective, Daniel Hamilton (minus-18 @ TOR despite 3 steals). Coming off a slow night for him, look for Alex Len to throw his weight around off the bench, at times perhaps alongside rested rookie Omari Spellman.

At game’s end, I suspect that Young was racing the former DPOY to the hoop last night not in hopes of a miraculous layup, but for a slightly-more-rational, off-the-glass, FTW lob to a backdoor-cutting Collins. Like one potential future teammate, Collins continues to show that he is more than just a dunker (3-for-3 3FGs, 21 points, 14 rebounds @ TOR), and a commitment to passing and being disruptive defensively will continue to bear that out.

The Hawks’ ballhandlers need to be mindful of their big men and their burgeoning exterior marksmanship, as drawing Allen even momentarily outside of the restricted area can be a win-win for the Hawks’ offense versus a Brooklyn side (4.0 team BPG, 28th in NBA; 22nd in paint points allowed per-48) with few other rim-protection options.

When Davis fills in for Allen, the Hawks can still attack the interior, but had better be ready to slow down the Nets' guards and forwards in transition, particularly those sneaking out to the corners, where they hit around 40 percent from either side. 33.5 percent of the Nets' offense comes from three-point territory. That's fourth-highest in the league, same as the Hawks' league rank for proportions of team offense from the paint (47.4 percent).

Last night’s contest kicked off an arduous six-game stretch for Atlanta, this game appearing to be the most winnable with a trip to Philly preceding home visits by Milwaukee, OKC, and Boston. Will the Hawks come into tonight’s action well-prepared and focused on the team in front of them, or will they come in weighted down with too much Toronto on the brain? Any effort that ends with less than 144 points for the opposition will have to be viewed as a Net positive.


Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

This Spencer is not interested in Gifts.

https://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/nets/nba-playoffs-joe-harris-demarre-carroll-1.25689896

“It’s the next-man-up philosophy,” Spencer Dinwiddie said of the battered lineup. “Our coaching staff has done a great job preparing all of us throughout the year, and we believe in the talent in this locker room. We just have to come together and get wins. Same type of thing as when we lost Caris.”

Dinwiddie was referring to the loss of emerging star Caris LeVert, who suffered a dislocated ankle on Nov. 12 and isn’t likely to return before the All-Star break in mid-February. The Nets rebounded from that loss in spectacular fashion and will go into the Hawks game as the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

[they're really in 7th at the moment, percentage points ahead of the Hornets. ~lw3]

Now that playoff contention is a reality for the Nets, Dinwiddie said they must maintain the focus that put them in that position. “I think we’ve just got to take it game by game,” Dinwiddie said. “Our focus right now is to beat Atlanta. That’s how we got here. To shift it now and try and take a holistic outlook and say, ‘Hey if we win five out of our next seven, I think we’ll be in the playoffs,’ I don’t think that does us justice. Just take a game at a time and beat Atlanta.”

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

Lw3, when you talk about 1982, it makes me reminisce about a simpler time...well not for our Hawks or anything as the aforementioned Zeke and the upstart Pistons were our rivals for a decade or so. I didn’t check on this yet but is Buck Williams in the Hall? If I had a vote, yes sir. Ultimate glue guy..top 10 in NBA history. Great preview as always!

Back to our game, an old friend Kenny Atkinson. To be truthful, I always liked Kenny more than Q Snyder..oh boy, I don’t want to get into who was the actually shooting coach.. lol.

Basketball is a game of habit and superstition for a few, myself included. I’ve noticed every time I predict us to win we lose and visa versa so...


Nets 111
Hawks 98

(We are tired from Canada..jinx no jinx..)

GO HAWKSSSS!!!!

Ps Is John Collins the most nimble power forward in the NBA today? I mean he puts the ball on the floor and makes moves that a power forward with his size shouldn’t be able to make. Keep it up J Co!

[DirtybirdGA]

They have young Artis Gilmore at center...lol

[hawkmanreturns]

Trae picking up Dinwiddie full court. I like it!

[King Ken]

Trae is starting to turn into a good NBA starting level PG

[EazyRoc]

I swear Alex Len has the worst pair of hands I’ve seen since Zaza lol. Trae and JC jump out early. Traes shot selection has been MUCH better and he now hits those deep 3s and they actually look like decent looks when he takes them. We’ve got a future star.

[hawkmanreturns]

Trae needs to maintain that same defensive energy and effort he had in those first 6 minutes for the rest of the game.

[King Ken]

Loving these December and January Hawks. They look like a decent team.

[King Ken]

I swear Alex Len has the worst pair of hands I’ve seen since Zaza lol. Trae and JC jump out early. Traes shot selection has been MUCH better and he now hits those deep 3s and they actually look like decent looks when he takes them. We’ve got a future star.

I know Len always had crap hands but damn!

Collins has Jerry Rice hands. He catches everything

[jayu70]

I swear Alex Len has the worst pair of hands I’ve seen since Zaza lol. Trae and JC jump out early. Traes shot selection has been MUCH better and he now hits those deep 3s and they actually look like decent looks when he takes them. We’ve got a future star.

I know Len always had crap hands but damn!

Collins has Jerry Rice hands. He catches everything

Bad hands and getting blockrd6by the rim - Alex Len in a nutshell.

[jayu70]

Bembry's anticipation on defense is special.
He just needs to get his TOs down, hit his freethrows and finish those easy shots at the rim.

[King Ken]

Daniel Hamilton man.

[King Ken]

Bembry's anticipation on defense is special.
He just needs to get his TOs down, hit his freethrows and finish those easy shots at the rim.

Bembry is prime definition of a defensive specialist who can't shoot.

[hawkmanreturns]

Bembry's anticipation on defense is special.
He just needs to get his TOs down, hit his freethrows and finish those easy shots at the rim.

Bembry is prime definition of a defensive special who can't shoot.

He's not as bad as Roberson in OKC but he really needs to be able to hit a midrange jumper or corner three. He's better than what he was, but he's still not an offensively gifted player at all.

[EazyRoc]

Daniel Hamilton man.

You gotta give him time in 3 minute spurts. Anything more and he starts doing too much lol.

[King Ken]

Our defense has been great with Bembry