“Call Me… Dianedre!”
What’s up, Doc? Things are indeed looking up for the one-time All-Star point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, and current coach and team president for the Los Angeles Clippers. Ahead of the clash between the Hawks and Clippers at Staples Center tonight (10:30 PM, Fox Sports Southeast, Prime Ticket), Doc Rivers takes comfort in knowing he has stifled his legions of critics, at least for the moment.
Doc The GM corrected two free agent mistakes in the past couple months. He dispatched the slap-boxing duo of Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson via trades, departing with cash and a future draft pick for the trouble. In return for Stephenson, he pried free from the Grizzlies Jeff Green, a versatile forward who always looked the part of a budding star until he actually played consistent minutes.
Doc The Coach has also navigated the tricky waters of coaching a team without its leading scorer (yes, Hawks fans, it’s yet another one of those games). Blake Griffin has been out-of-action since playing the Lakers on Christmas Day, when the Clips were a modest 17-13 and generally treading water. Griffin injured his quad on that day, and later gave himself something to help him forget his quad pain, when he treated his equipment staffer-buddy’s face like a hanging slab of meat, breaking his own hand in the process.
The paw hasn’t healed enough for doctors to release Griffin, and he’ll have a few more games off due to suspension once they do. Yet the Clippers have cruised back into relevancy without him, going 23-7 since the lump of coal arrived in their stocking.
That run included a nine-game winning streak immediately after losing Griffin, and an 85-83 win at the Highlight Factory on January 27. The Hawks built up a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, but then was held to two field goals over the course of more than 13 minutes. A Kyle Korver three-pointer seemed to save the day with 25 seconds to go, but the Hawks could not keep DeAndre Jordan (NBA-high 68.6 FG%; 14.1 RPG, 2nd in NBA) from the rim, Al Horford blew a free throw, and Paul Millsap missed two point-blank shots in the closing seconds.
Among the differences between these teams’ coach-execs, one is blessed with a superior and steadier Wake Forest point guard. L.A.’s Chris Paul has elevated his offensive game in Griffin’s absence (since Dec. 25: 20.5 PPG, 10.3 APG, 47.0 FG%, 38.8 3FG%, 89.8 FT%), logging double-digit assists in seven of his last eight games while turning over the ball no more than three times in his last ten.
By comparison, Atlanta’s Jeff Teague isn't exactly chopped liver, but he has been limited in his impact lately (last 6 games: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 APG, 40.7 FG%, 30.4 3FG%, 70.0 FT%). Both he and Coach Bud have grown more deferential to Dennis Schröder (team-high 19.4 points and 8.0 assists per-36), justifiably. Schröder and Kirk Hinrich (3 assists in 3 garbage-time minutes @ LAL) are far better options off the bench than the Clips’ Pablo Prigioni and favorite-son Austin Rivers.
Teague (7-for-10 FGs, 2 assists, 5 TOs vs. LAC) generally matched the passing wizardry of Paul (5-for-15 FGs, 10 assists, 2 TOs @ ATL) with his scoring in their January 27 meeting. And Teague, well rested for tonight’s contest thanks to Schröder (team-high 16 points vs. LAL on Friday), still has something the 9-time All-Star and his franchise have long coveted: experience in an NBA conference final.
As well as the Clippers have played to this point, they’re aware it’s unlikely they’ll get to sniff the Western Finals if they’re facing the Golden State Juggernauts in the second-round. They do know they’d have a better shot against the team they sent packing in the first-round last season, the San Antonio Spurs, who are all but certain to lock down the second-seed. Paul denies that he cares where his team lands in six weeks, but you can bet Doc and Paul’s teammates are quite mindful. That’s why the race is on with the OKC Thunder to clinch the third-seed in the West.
L.A. stormed back from a 22-point deficit on Wednesday night for a resounding 103-98 home victory over OKC. This, despite a season-high 63 rebounds gathered by the visiting Thunder. With Paul Pierce, Green (0-for-7 FGs vs. OKC), Cole Aldrich and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (out with a lacerated eyelid) spackling the hole at power forward where Griffin and Smith once resided, L.A. does risk being exposed around the rim whenever Jordan (2.3 BPG, 2nd in NBA) commits as a help defender. The team brought in burly D-League All-Star Alex Stepheson (NBDL-high 13.8 RPG) on 10-day contracts to bide the time until Griffin returns.
Despite 19 rebounds by Jordan in the win at Atlanta, the Clippers struggled to contain the floor-stretching tandem of Paul Millsap (12 rebounds, 4 offensive vs. LAC) and Al Horford (8 rebounds, 2 offensive vs. LAC) around the offensive glass. That task will be much tougher for the Clippers if Kris Humphries gives the Hawks a smidgen of the effort he provided (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 offensive in 22 minutes, 5-for-6 FTs) in last night’s draining of the Lakers.
Neither team wastes much time compiling second-chance points (Clippers’ 9.3 PPG a league-low, Hawks’ 10.8 ranked 25th in NBA), so the offense that gains the edge tonight is the one that finds better-quality first-shots and makes their free throws when they’re sent to the line. To limit Atlanta drives into the lane, Paul (2.1 SPG, 3rd in NBA) will put unyielding defensive pressure on Teague and Schröder, and they in turn must rely on their bigs to keep the ball moving inside-and-out and cross-court.
It will be especially advantageous for the Hawks if the ball finds its way to Kyle Korver (4-for-4 3FGs vs. LAC on Jan. 27) and Tim Hardaway, Jr., a combined 6-for-6 on threes against the hapless Lakers last night. Perimeter scoring from the shooting guards will be needed to offset J.J. Redick (48.1 3FG%, 2nd in NBA, 63.0 TS%, 3rd in NBA) and former Hawk Jamal Crawford (team-high 21 points, 9-for-16 FGs @ATL; NBA-high 90.9 FT%), two ready-to-score players whose best defense is a blistering offense.
Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore (3-for-10 3FGs @ LAL) have to blow past their man (without stepping out of bounds), driving more and settling less for contested jumpshots from the perimeter. The more players drawing defensive attention from Paul and Jordan inside, the more that Teague (8 assists in 28 minutes @ LAL) and Al Horford (5 assists in 25 minutes @ LAL) can get into the scoring column themselves.
Like the Clippers, the Hawks continue to pursue a higher seed in their conference standings. However, the teams in front of them, namely the Raptors, Celtics, and heat, have already found their sea legs, while Atlanta is still struggling to establish its own groove. Getting back in the mix will require much more than beating downtrodden teams like the shorthanded Lakers. Pulling off a Staples sweep this weekend could be just the thing for the Hawks to start moving the meter.
Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
