lethalweapon3

“Wax on! Wax off!” Hi there! It’s your Friendly Neighborhood Schedule Fiend here. It is time, once again, to share the latest rest advantage the upcoming opponent has over your Atlanta Hawks. Let’s see who we have here. Ah, yes, it’s the Utah Jazz, all geared up and loaded for bear tonight (9 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, AT&T SportsNet in SLC). They enjoyed three off-days before outlasting the Raptors on Wednesday at Vivint Arena, a place they haven’t had to stray far from in nearly a month. They won’t need to hit the road again until this five-game homestand concludes and Toronto, in whatever form they’ll look like by next Friday, comes calling again. The Hawks are the third visitor in this homestand, which will make it a stretch of 11 games in SLC out of 13 for the Jazz by the time it concludes, broken up previously just by trips to division rivals Minnesota and Portland. They had two off-days prior to the start of this homestand, when they pounced on a Luka-less and Wood-free Mavs squad. They’ll get two more off-days after today, whereupon Dallas, possibly without an injured Luka again, winds its way through what used to be turnstiles. Can Atlanta get a day off before traveling from here to face the NBA West’s top-seeded Denver? Silly Rabbit. That’s what yesterday was for! We’ve grown accustomed to our Hawks’ lead players waiting until January (February, these days) to cram for their All-Star assignments. It turns out, getting 29 coaching staffs to check an All-Star Reserves box beside the guy whose feud with a venerated but burnt-out peer went public once the latter declined to show up to a game is a hard row to hoe. Yes, even when said player ranks third in the NBA East for per-game assists, seventh for scoring. So you all take a good, hard look at The Trae Young (24-22), Utahans. You’re not likely to see him again anytime soon around these parts, not unless he’s winning 2024’s Jury Prize at Sundance. My guess is when Hawkman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Onyeka Shooting a Three), based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, is ready For Your Consideration. In a pinch, the Commissioner can always call on Jalen Brunson (26-23), Or, the Beard, if things get really hairy. Or, Jimmy Butler (21-17)! Or DeMar (23-25)… what’s that? He’s already in? Oh, OK. (Shoehorning in my annual gripe that there should be 13 All-Stars per team, not 12, since we’ve been doing 13-man minimum rosters since the 1980s, when we had like 80 percent as many teams. We’ll see you this time next year, sweet gripe of mine!) Now, as for a certain Layton, Utah native power forward, who made it onto the rolling credits for his nine points and two boards (three blocks, though!) at the end of the Hawks’ last boffo production, Sunraker? You Beehive Staters will just have to wait and see if you’ll get to see him again in 2023. I’m told somebody’s working on it. That somebody probably isn’t Danny Ainge, notorious for his teams declining to make major Trade Deadline moves. Don’t fret, my Jazz fans, John Collins might still be coming to an arena near you. He just might do so as a repeat visiting opponent. Back on the subject of All-Star accolades, Lauri Markkanen (seventh among Westerners in scoring, twelfth in RPG, if one discounts AD and Zion) and the Jazz had it figured out, from the jump. When it comes down to voting for the NBA’s midseason classic, it’s not how you finish, it’s how you start. Ask Zion, he knows the deal. We all recall when coach Will Hardy’s club was hotter than fish grease at a Captain D’s victimized by arson. Lauri was on the markk at State Farm (6-for-8 3FGs, 8-for-8 FTs, team-highs of 32 points and 8 boards), stubbing Atlanta’s three-game streak in a 125-119 win that surged the overachieving Jazz (five straight W’s against ATL; five straight W’s @ ATL) to a stunning 10-3 dash out of the blocks. That was notable insofar as it was Utah’s fourth-straight win, and more noteworthy given they haven’t won three in a row since that November 9 game, tonight coincidentally being the sixth consecutive chance that the Jazz will have to do so. But hey, have you heard how great The Finnisher has been? How you seen the weekly highlight dunks? Wowzers, where is my ballot? In the forty games since last beating the Hawks, with all eyes on Markkanen, Utah as a team has taken up the spirit of Jordan Clarkson, King’s Peak in offensive efficiency (3rd-best in NBA since November 9), Beaver Dam Wash at the other end (3rd-worst in NBA, ahead of just SAN and DET). That’s allowed them to look like the Bonneville Salt Flats statistically, something you’re aware by now that the break-even Hawks like to do. But not so much in the unforgiving standings of the NBA West, the 17-23 skid dipping the Jazz down to 8th in their conference. Opponents over Utah’s past forty games are connecting on threes at a 37.3 percent rate (5th-highest in NBA). And the Jazz are not winning many turnover battles, their +2.1 net turnover percentage since November 9 ahead of only the Rockets and coach’s pet All-Star Jrue Holiday’s Bucks. The defense consists of basically funneling opponents inside to their All-Rookie ATLien, Walker Kessler (last two starts: 15.5 PPG on 82.4 FG%, 42.9 FT%; 12.5 RPG, 6.0 BPG), whose offensive presence in the sizable starting frontcourt lets Markkanen (43.2 3FG%) create matchup issues at the 3-spot and Kelly Olynyk (40.6 3FG%) to stretch out the floor even more at the four. Young and Dejounte Murray will want to avoid settling for floaters and short-range jumpers over Kessler’s outstretched arms, seeking paint shots only after drawing contact and hearing whistles. Instead, the Hawks’ off-screen player movement, on display through much of Wednesday’s unexpectedly satisfying 132-100 win in Phoenix (season-best 57.6 3FG% and 19 makes, part of a season-high 32 assists), must again be the order of the day to match Utah’s offensive firepower. This gamethread writer can finally pretend his team heeded his warning about recent lapses in perimeter closeouts, Atlanta holding the Suns to 4-for-28 3FGs on Wednesday. If I may quibble just a bit over the proceedings in Phoenix, the Hawks’ 24 personal fouls tied for the most since losing at Houston on November 25. That won’t fly against a Jazz club whose top-seven minute-getters feature six players shooting over 82 percent from the charity stripe. Five teams, some with more recognizable All-Stars than Markkanen, are nipping at Utah’s heels from the 13-seed on up. But the good news is a victory today might nudge the Jazz back up as high as 4th place. And have I mentioned how the plentiful intermediate rest days, and travel-friendly schedule, have cushioned their fall (7-3 over past ten games)? Yes, the Jazz eventually has to figure out how to improve their road record (9-17, incl. 4-14 since last winning in ATL) to be taken seriously as a playoff contender. But that's hardly an issue for Hardy to deal with, not until this time next week. Unlike the situation for Atlanta, it doesn’t really matter if the rebuilding Jazz, given their suppressed preseason expectations, closes out this season on a sour note. Either way, seemingly by design, they’re sleeping well. As for us, we'll meet up on the other side of the Rockies tomorrow! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

“Y’all can’t see me for the trees!” Trae Young is back in the fold, his probable return from a sore ankle producing a clean injury sheet as the Atlanta Hawks prepare to visit the Suns in Phoenix (10 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Arizona, ESPN). He and Dejounte Murray, fresh off the latter’s turn at a career-high scoring game in a losing effort at Portland, should be prepared to give Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges fits. Trae returns confident, too, that he can’t be blamed for the wretched perimeter defense that was on display on Monday up in Oregon. Atlanta (25-26) allowed the Trail Blazers to splash nearly half of their 40 three-point attempts, just enough to keep the Hawks at bay all night, lowering the visitors to 1-9 on the season when their opponents hit more than 15 threes, 3-12 when sinking them at better than a 40 percent clip. The opponent marksmanship by the Blazers (19-for-40 3FGs) was negligibly better than two nights before, when Young and the Hawks watched the visiting Clippers go 19-for-39. But in the last game Young missed, he and Clint Capela were out for Atlanta (last 5 games: NBA-high 15.4 opponent 3FGs; 42.5 opponent 3FG%, 3rd-highest in NBA) when the Bucks sprinkled 18 triples to fend off the Hawks last month. Capela has since returned to shore up the rebounding issues, but the coverages when Atlanta centers sag around the rim and their teammates overhelp are still worrisome, no matter what Dejountrae brings to the table on the offensive end. Hopefully the team has a plan to adjust their defensive roles, especially if John Collins (3.7 3FGA-contests per game, behind just Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley at 3.8) is rocking another NBA team’s jersey at some juncture next week. It would help the Hawks’ cause a tad if they were able to fight fire with fire, as they’ve exceeded 15 made threes just once all season (16-for-33 last month against the Haliburton-less Pacers). Regrettably, Collins (25.9 3FG%, sliding down from 36.4, 39.9, and 40.1 the prior three seasons) hasn’t provided the tit to counter the tat, while Bogi Bogdanovic (4-for-10 3FGs @ POR, 1-for-4 vs. LAC; season-high 7 FTAs @ POR but let’s leave it at that) and DeAndre Hunter (38.8 3FG% in last 9 games, but 2-for-12 3FGs in his past two) have been consistently inconsistent. Naturally, the Hawks’ marquee and All-Star contender Young (31.6 3FG%) catches the flak for not rising above it all, as does the front office for not stocking the roster with better jump-shooting threats, to say nothing of keeping what they once had. But Trae’s current supporting cast repeatedly failing to excel at either hitting decent looks from outside, or thwarting opponents from getting many, helps no one in the long run. Atlanta catches a break as Suns lead scorer Devin Booker (out, strained groin) can’t return in time to participate in tonight’s proceedings, as is also the case for Landry Shamet (out, sore foot) and Cam Payne (out, sprained foot). But it would also be swell if the Hawks had a forward like Cameron Johnson (himself back from a knee injury; 15-for-27 3FGs in last 4 games despite going 1-for-6 Monday vs. TOR), capable of making teams pay for over-pursuing their ballhandling guards. The recent returns of Paul (last 5 games: 21.6 PPG, 46.7 3FG%, 5.6 RPG, 10.4 APG) and Johnson to Monty Williams’ rotation has helped the Suns (27-25; 6-1 in last seven games, all without Booker) rise from a rough 5-17 stretch that set them at three games below .500. Aided by a team-oriented approach that has as many as seven Suns exceeding four rebounds per game, Johnson’s presence and production in the starting lineup takes pressure off their 2018 lottery pick, Deandre Ayton (last 4 games: 22.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG), to be a world-beater, while it renders the idling Jae Crowder a mere trade chip. Nate McMillan has a Johnson that he could turn to as well to help turn things around. Unfortunately, Jalen Johnson (DNP @ POR) was left on the pine to watch two-way Trent Forrest chase Damian Lillard’s taillights for ten minutes on Monday, in relief of Aaron Holiday. McMillan also couldn’t find much additional playing time for a fellow Dookie, AJ Griffin (3-for-4 3FGs @ POR in 21 minutes), despite a short rotation. Those problems may take care of themselves, soon, if a deal for Collins doesn’t return veteran punch in the frontcourt. While Griffin and Johnson can absorb more of the responsibilities, the Hawks won’t be a nightly threat unless Hunter (3-for-14 FGs, 2 rebounds, one assist in 38 minutes @ POR), whose 10 points kept his double-digit scoring streak alive, becomes more than an afterthought on the floor. The Hawks can again put themselves in position for victory with timely clutch play and limited turnovers from the Suns’ on-ball pressure, this time with Trae back in command of the offense. But they will continue to imperil their own fortunes so long as they give up threes at a tragic number. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

~lw3

“Knock, Knock!” “Sigh… Who’s there, Bawb?” “A drunk UGA Quarterback!” Prepare for takeoff! The Atlanta Hawks get the chance to knock out almost all of their Western travel duties before the All-Star Break, with this five-game trip that begins tonight with the Trail Blazers in Portland (10 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, ROOT Sports Plus in PDX, NBATV everywhere else). This run in the schedule is an opportunity to firm up their Play-In resume, among teams in what is shaping up to be the Pretenders Invitational. Miami, last night, was the latest team to leave its home fans in a sour, dour mood following a defensive collapse versus Charlotte. For now, they cling perilously to the final No-Play-In seed in the East, one game ahead of the Knicks and 2.5 in front of the Hawks (25-25), as visits to the Knicks, the Cavs, Bucks, Nets, and the Fighting Bol Bols loom before the Break. The heat are ripe for the overtaking, as long as one Pretender contender is willing to do what it takes to pluck them from the low-hanging 6-seed branch. There may be more disappointments in store back home at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, but teams worthy of that #6 seed will sport at least break-even records on the road. Once the Hawks (12-14 in away games) finish flying the friendlier skies nine days from now, these young men won’t have to go West again until two games in late March, at Dejounte Murray’s old stomping grounds of San Antonio, and at Minnesota. Until those March trips arrive, the Hawks will only travel to Charlotte for a pre-Break payback match. Then they’ll have some sleepovers in Miami and D.C., playing pairs of away games against their other division rivals. In the meantime, a healthier Hawks club has to pick up as many road wins as possible. They have to pull this off with two sobering acknowledgements One, superstars like Damian Lillard (last 3 games: 42.3 PPG, 7.7 APG, 63.2 FG%, 51.4 3FG%) are probable to go off for 60 on any night. Two, opponents that can hit their perimeter shots on a multitude of possessions can go off for 40 in any quarter, 80 in any half. Hardly any NBA team, certainly not the Hawks, are immune. Atlanta was unable to stick to Clipper bench shooters (4-for-8 3FGs) in Saturday’s 120-113 home loss to LA, while closing out the game 1-for-7 on threes themselves in the fourth quarter. But the Hawks did have reason to feel they were in the running late, due to containing the Clips to 22 first-quarter points, plus turning in a low-turnover second-half (11 assists, 1 player TO, despite 3-for-15 on threes). Setting up better open looks, knowing the opposing personnel, and continuing to keep unforced errors to a minimum will give Atlanta a chance to play the road-team spoiler role late in the coming week-and-a-half’s worth of contest. Portland (23-26, 5-9 this month) overachieved out of the gate to begin the season, but lately they’ve struggled to keep pace with division mates Denver, Minnesota (11-4 along with DEN in January), Utah and, surprise, Oklahoma City (this month’s top Net Rating in the NBA, their +8.7 ahead of second-place Denver’s +8.0). The Blazers greatly wish to grant Lillard a shot at knocking off some teams come Play-In time, not the least because their first-rounder is only lottery-protected from Chicago (thank you, Larry Nance, for your half-season rental). The best of the haul GM Joe Cronin received, in dealing away Nance and CJ McCollum to New Orleans at 2022’s Trade Deadline, is utilitarian swingman Josh Hart (9.3 PPG, down from 19.9 in his post-trade stint; 8.1 RPG, 4.0 APG, 57.3 2FG%, 33.0 3FG%). Alas, Hart (questionable, tight hammy) is in the running with Portland’s ran-his-course center Jusuf Nurkic (sore calf), and Atlanta’s John Collins for the title of the league’s hottest Deadline trade commodity. The 27-year-old Hart’s $13 million contract for next season becomes unguaranteed if he chooses to opt-in, which suggests he won’t. The team would like to move on from Nurkic, but in his and Hart’s absence on Saturday night the Blazers were gnashed around the glass by the Raptors (30 D-Rebs to 27 POR Total Rebs, plus 15 O-Rebs), Toronto surging past the Moda Center hosts by a 37-14 score in the opening quarter before cruising to a 123-105 victory. Whatever comes back in a deal for either Hart or Nurkic must be a rebounding upgrade over Drew Eubanks and second-year pros Trendon Watford and Greg Brown. For Collins (2-for-7 FGs in second half vs. LAC, after 5-for-6 and a team-high 11 points in the first), and the Hawk veterans without tricky details like trade kickers in their contracts, road victories are possible if they stay focused on the task in front of them, not looking as if their head is in on a swivel, in search of a team executive about to tap them on the shoulder. More balanced offensive support will keep Trae Young (questionable, sore ankle; 31 points despite 0-for-2 on 3FGs, 10 assists vs. LAC) from feeling obligated to go bucket-for-bucket with Lillard, tonight, and the scoring guards that await during what could be a fortuitous trip. Place your Trae in the upright position, Atlanta, and fasten your seatbelts. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Because you can't spell DEPILATED without ATL! ~lw3

~lw3

Out West, the true road Warriors play for LA. This will be the 27th away game for the Clips. The only NBA team that has played more road games so far is the last team that won here at The Farm, Charlotte (28). Atlanta has 26 under its belt already, before heading out for five more. ~lw3

“The trash gets picked up at my alma mater. Aye, I’m just saying!” Right this moment, whatever it is that passes for Atlanta United FC is pooting the round football ‘round the grassy pitch in Chattanooga, in its first preseason scrimmage. In a couple days, women’s hoop free agents will be signing contracts in earnest, including hopefully a couple good ones to join forces with Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and the Dream. Next week, ATL-area coaches of oblong football, representing the Falcons, will be coaching up collegiate All-Star teams in Mobile and Las Vegas, with the home team’s scouts paying rapt attention to the draft prospects. As for a similarly-sized ball, Rugby ATL unveiled new colors and branding that they look to roll out as the Major League Rugby preseason snaps off next Saturday in DeKalb County. In a couple more weeks, pitchers and catchers for the perpetual National League East champions will soon be reporting for training down in Southwest Florida. The Dawgs? They’re busy getting bottle service, while retrieving parade confetti from their hair. Prepping for midterms, too, to be sure. While I say this every year, it bears repeating that ‘tis the season when Atlanta’s sports glare is directed exclusively toward the one major pro team in town currently playing as it counts. Some seasons, our Atlanta Hawks are steeled by the warmth, while in other years, they wilt under the heat lamp. Fans assembling at State Farm Arena today will get a rare upfront glimpse of how this team is faring in their quest to form a More Perfect Basketball Club, absent any sudden new additions. The Clippers are in town (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS SoCal in LAX) on the front end of a road back-to-back set that continues tomorrow in Cleveland. Paul George might play. Kawhi Leonard might play. Or not. In any case, Ty Lue’s and Larry Drew’s team has regained its footing of late. LA (27-24) wants not only to make amends for the 112-108 home loss to the Hawks back on January 8, their sixth-straight, that dropped them to .500, but also the past two back-to-back sweeps they suffered in their schedule this month (at DEN – at MIN, vs. PHI – at UTA, all double-digit losses). Leonard (29 points vs. ATL on Jan. 8, but just 9-for-23 FGs) sat on the back half of each of those losing pairs. Same with George, although his early hamstring injury and exit during the 31-point loss to Denver was the reason he was inactive against the T’Wolves and versus Atlanta as well. It stands to reason Kawhi and PG are likely to be available to try extending the Clips’ current win streak to five games, which will be great news for any fans that traveled 4,400 miles to see either of them in person. Since the last back-to-back Ls, LA got better with friendly wins over the Spurs and defenseless Mavs, while outlasting LeBron’s 46 points by throttling his Laker mates in a “road” win over the cross-court rivals. With both stars sharing the stage, the Clippers (NBA-low 92.9 Pace, NBA-bests of 138.5 O-Rating, 66.8 eFG% and +20.5 Net Rating over last four games) have been meticulously exploiting their invisible sixth-man on the court – Lue’s five-out schemes – to bewilder opponents with sag-heavy bigs and improve what had been woeful offensive output. Leaning more on Nicolas Batum, Robert Covington (out, personal reasons) and, when healthy, Marcus Morris (questionable, bruised rib, missed Thursday’s 38-point win @ SAS) has helped grant center Ivica Zubac (17 points and 18 rebounds vs. ATL, in a month-high 38 minutes) a needed breather. When Zubac is off the floor, Atlanta will need foul-free minutes from Onyeka Okongwu and John Collins to meet the stretchy bigs, as well as stout backcourt and wing defense to keep Reggie Jackson (now a bench scorer, in favor of starting guard Terance Mann), George and Leonard from collapsing the Hawks with their pernicious dribble-drives. Having De’Andre Hunter (active, DNP past 2 games, asthma) back just to breathe on LA’s star wings will go a long way toward helping Nate McMillan field competitive lineups. Productive defensive outings from young forwards Jalen Johnson and AJ Griffin will be needed to slow Clipper rolls and cuts to the basket, and limit the exploitation of Trae Young and Bogi Bogdanovic, who should each be mindful there will be ample Clipper outlet and swing passes worthy of deflection coming their way. The Hawks won’t be in town much longer, after the final buzzer today. As this game is the first of LA’s six-game Eastern Conference excursion (Thursday’s win vs. SAS the sole home game in a run of 11 games for LAC), Atlanta (25-24) extends their stretch of nine-straight NBA West opponents by returning to the road for the next five games, including the seemingly annual Utah-Denver back-to-back. As of now, competing for the Atlanta sports-fan attendee’s dollar are the Hawks, who fumbled away their last home game against Charlotte, and the “pro” teams up in Gwinnett. Specifically, the winless Georgia Swarm of the National Lacrosse League, and the Atlanta Gladiators, the latter presently fighting to keep pace with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in the East Coast Hockey League. Please, Hawks. Don’t make Atlanta fans have to choose. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

A sight to behold! ~lw3

Hawks getting back on defense: "Hey, Ousmane is this?" Kenrich Williams is at his most dangerous when he is standing completely still. ~lw3

"Big Mac Filet-o-Fish Quarter Pounder French Fries Icy Coke Thick Shakes Sundaes and Apple Pies!" ~lw3

So the real reason Muskie's getting baited out there is because the Thunder lost Aleksej Pokusevski to a non-displaced tibia fracture at the end of last month. That and starter Jeremiah Robinson-Earl's unavailability due to an ankle sprain has them leaning heavily on the JaWilliamses, Josh Giddey, and Kenrich Williams to help Muscala hold the fort. The Hawks would do well to overwhelm the Thunder inside, but future Primatene Mist spokesman DeAndre Hunter (asthma) and Onyeka Okongwu (tight hammy) remain questionable on the Boo-Boo Report ahead of today's game. Bogi Bogdanovic's 4-for-6 opening half helped the Hawks keep the Thunder at bay, but only for awhile during the eventual 121-114 loss. He ended his first healthy month of this season at 40.4 3FG%, but January's 28.1 3FG% has him bumping against his NBA-career-low for three-point marksmanship. He'll need to turn things around soon to help take the Heroball pressure off Dejountrae. ~lw3

Elon’s just letting everybody sneak back on Twitter! The San Miguel Beermen have been just one big man away from winning the celebrated Grand Slam of championship cups in the Philippine Basketball Association. By now, that man could have been Mike Muscala. In my estimation, his fate’s at least a couple years past due. Nevertheless, the Oklahoma City Thunder, of North America’s National Basketball Association, simply won’t let Money Mike leave the prairie. Not of his own accord. The former Atlanta Hawks backup, Muscala was shipped to the Lakers as part of the Thunder’s 2018 deal for Dennis Schröder, as the Hawks were kickstarting the brave, new Trae Young era. He wound his way to OKC the next summer, one thought at the time, to round up his modest NBA career. Moose got a two-year deal, opted back in for 2020-21, and that was supposed to be it, as far as the then-30-year-old’s NBA tenure was concerned. Cue the music, and Porky Pig. But, no, folks, that wasn’t all! Thunder exec Sam Presti brought him back for 2021-22. A two-year deal, with a team option. Predictably, on the heels of a pleasant tank job, OKC opted out of Muskie’s contract last summer. Lo and behold, rather unpredictably, they still weren’t through with him. Presti inked Muscala to another contract with a second-year team option, saving a roster spot for him well before his team knew they’d lose their prize-pick big man for the season. Would-be rookie sensation Chet Holmgren suffered a Lisfranc injury weeks later, while running the floor with Dejounte Murray and Paolo Banchero at Jamal Crawford’s Slippery in Seattle Pro-Am. It looked like Muscala would get SOME meaningful floor time this season, after all. Still, what fresh hell is this? Moose is starting basketball games, now? In the N, not P, BA? In 2023, Anno Dominique? After being tasked with zero starts in his prior two seasons with the Thunder, Muscala is up to four starts in this campaign, notably, three this month. Perhaps there will be another in store tonight (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Oklahoma), since OKC’s 3-0 this month when Mike shares the starting stage with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company. This development defies my comprehension. Then again, this unreliable narrator was also a fella who thought “Daigneault” was French for “seat-warmer”. At 8-3 this month, and 5-1 here at Paycom Center since the Christmas break, Mark Daigneault has the Thunder (23-24) punching well above their weight. They’re not just Rolling Thunder at home, either. One night after dusting the 76ers in Philly two weeks ago, OKC traveled to Chicago and turned on the after-burners on a Bulls team that thought it was safe to DNP DeMar DeRozan. By comparison, the Hawks traveled to Chicago on Monday, and they traveled, fumbled, and stumbled some more (19 team TOs) as they let the slow-starting Bulls traipse away in the final frame. Having already snacked on a John Collins- and DeAndre Hunter-less Hawks team in the ATL just last month, OKC is poised to pass Atlanta (24-24) at the .500 mark, tonight, unless Young (41 points and 8 assists @ OKC last March) has something to say about that in this return to his home state. The Thundersonics (70-70) are one of three active franchises (the Blazers, the Raptors) that can scooch ahead of the Hawks in their all-time, even-steven head-to-head record with their next win. Far more important to Daigneault, he can match last year’s win tally tonight, with 34 games to spare. While the Thunder enter today’s game as an 11-seed, in the congested NBA West, they are also a mere 2.5 games out of fourth. Anything resembling a Play-In spot, or better, for OKC given the unavailability of Holmgren and Presti’s plans to have the Thunder remain a lower-tier-salaried team, ought to render Daigneault worthy of Coach of the Year honors. They have certainly done enough, to this point, to jot down SGA (30.7 PPG, 2nd in NBA West) as a 2023 All-Star in non-erasable ink. As for the player who (thanks to Tyrese Haliburton’s untimely injury) once again leads the NBA in total assists, while tied for third in total points, I’m perfectly fine with the prospect of Trae getting the snub. That would not be so much as penance served for the Hawks’ months-long malaise. More because I personally can do without enduring Young again being a last-player-standing in the captains’ All-Star draft, this time live before a studio audience of nearly 19,000. Let Gilgeous-Alexander, the scoring guard who thrives on drives rather than threes and dimes, be among the final players left exposed by LeBron and the Freak. Further, I have an affinity for watching worthy Hawk players, rookie/sophomores or otherwise, play the back half of a season after they’ve been given the cold shoulder. We’ll recall that the greatest postseason in Atlanta basketball history, to date, occurred months after 2020 All-Star Ice Trae was left to cool his jets while the 2021 midseason classic was underway. Afterwards, his boxscore numbers didn’t go up, nor did his efficiencies, to any significant degree. But Young (9.8 Iso TO% this season, highest among NBA guards with more than 3 Iso possessions/game) looked to jack up shots less and distributed more, eventually allowing a healthier team around him to improve by leaps and bounds ahead of his first, wildly successful playoff push. It must be pleasant to be a guy like Muscala, unconcerned with such trivial matters, fully able to lock down his All-Star Break travel plans annually. While being a 6-foot-10 flexible big with an occasionally trusty jumper (41.6 FG%, 36.3 3FG%, incl. 38.7% over last 9 January games) can carry you a long way, in this day and age, being the old-head mentor on a young team, familiar with the coach’s system and willing to accept perpetual vet-min-level deals, carries you even further. However, Moose probably has plenty of reason to be concerned, in the weeks to come. OKC already knows who next year’s rookie star is likely to be – namely, Holmgren. This allows the Thunder to continue burrowing ahead with the cast they have, granting OKC a swifter crack at the postseason than anyone originally planned. Might Presti dare to upgrade the roster, making calls instead of just taking them, Muscala’s $3.5 million annual salary would surely be in the mix of discussions. There’s little wonder why Muscala is getting this pre-Trade Deadline showcase. He would not mind getting dealt to a surefire Finals contender that has designs on him sticking around as an emergency big off the bench. What he would not like is the possibility of getting traded to a team that plans to have The Talk, some GM glad-handing him for his man-hours of service before letting his contract hit the waiver wire. Undoubtedly, if there is a playoff series in Mike’s near-future, he’d much rather see things through this season with his current teammates, wherever it leads, than have to consider cracking open a Manila travel guide. Sorry, Moose. It seems the Thunder just don’t know how to quit you. Then again, on second glance, maybe they do. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Hawks Game Notes points out that John Collins' next basket will move him firmly into 25th all-time in the franchise scoring list, recycling his way past the Plastic Man. ~lw3

We'll need that Biggie Bag of Bogi, as the reactivated Bogdanovic swaps places with Onyeka Okongwu (questionable, tight hammy) on today's pregame Boo-Boo Report. Fortune Favors the bold but not Derrick, as his 10-day deal expired without a reported renewal. The Bulls' Goran Dragic was added as questionable with the please-call-it-anything-but-COVID illness, while Javonte Green remains out (knee surgery) along with Lonzo. ~lw3

~lw3

“Introducing our new team enforcer! Oh, and Shannon, you’ll be the inbounder, too!” There will be no rest for the wary. That was the case for our Atlanta Hawks over the weekend. On the second night of a back-to-back home set, they found themselves getting walked down in the second half by a hobbled, shorthanded, substandard, but ultimately rested opponent from Charlotte, the Hornets granted a pair of off-days before buzzing into State Farm Arena. The Hawks tried to be too careful, second-guessing themselves and each other as the time to inbound a game-salvaging play ticked away. The curtain drew to close as Atlanta’s borderline All-Star guard and his comedy-duo coach were caught feverishly hashing out Who Was Supposed to be On First. No rest for the wary. That will be the case again, soon, when the Hawks visit a red-hot Oklahoma City team, on Wednesday. The Thunder last played on Sunday night at Denver, ending the Nuggets’ nine-game win streak. And “No rest” will be the case tonight, versus a Bulls team in Chicago (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Chicago, NBATV) that suddenly has the look of a group that enjoyed their extended stay at a Holiday Inn Express, in Dominique Wilkins’ old European stomping grounds. Three, count ‘em, three off days allowed Billy Donovan’s troops to recuperate from jet lag ahead of this home-sort-of-road back-to-back that continues tomorrow in Indiana. In the meantime, much like the Hornets, Chicago (21-24) has been having a ball, even without a Ball available to play. That Lonzo’s status has been more touch than go for over a calendar year isn’t dampening the spirits on the team, which had three, count ‘em, three off-days after they trounced a reasonably intact Warriors team, at home (their first win over GSW since 2017, led by a career-best 43 points from Nikola Vucevic). This, before crossing the Atlantic to make Plaster of Paris out of the Pistons. In that time, they’ve been able to kick back on their charter flight, pop some Orville Redenbacher, and scout out the Hawks, certainly with some amusement and familiarity as Atlanta squandered yet another last-dash chance at victory in its home gym. It is difficult to point a finger at the referees for screwjobbing the Hawks in crunch time on Saturday. Not after Atlanta’s lead scorers, defenders, and head coach all did their parts in twisting the driver clockwise. Gordon Hayward hopping fresh off the gurney to beat various and sundry defenders down the floor in a third-quarter fastbreak, as the Hornets were closing a 19-point gap to low single digits, was just the latest Hawks Harbinger of bad defense to come. Jalen Johnson was only available to be screwed over, for his probably-would-be-game-saving block of Scary Terry’s jumper, because the typically Jalen-averse Nate McMillan mismanaged hack-happy John Collins’ minutes in the fourth quarter again, rendering the latter unavailable for much of Charlotte’s claw-back. The team’s best passer, as McMillan shared, is the one best suited to inbound the ball when the game’s outcome is up for grabs. Unfortunately, the Basketball Club must have traded away last season’s best passer, Kevin Huerter, to keep ownership from grumbling about luxury taxes. Alas, 6-foot-1 Trae Young, you’ll have to stand in the gap, as we all count to five together. Please be sure, Trae, to give Nate our kindest regards along the way to the showers. Regrettably, the derpitude on display by Atlanta rings a bit too familiar with the way the Hawks let Ayo Dosunmu and the Bulls dip from the Are We High? Factory with a W last month. Bogi Bogdanovic’s basket put the Hawks up eight with five minutes to play. Yet the Hawks repeatedly failing to contest either of Zach LaVine’s or DeMar DeRozan’s predictable mid-range jumpers, led to another madcap final minute. Overtime once again looked assured for Atlanta, but Collins couldn’t snare the missed corner three attempt, paving the way for Dosunmu’s payback putback at the buzzer. Since then, it has been Easy Street for the men of the Near West Side. Moods were previously dour when Chicago slipped to 11-18, even more as the team realized Lonzo wasn’t coming through that door anytime soon without a leg cast. But Ayo’s miracle shot helped make the conclusion to their December road trip a winning one, kickstarting a modest 10-6 stretch. Donovan’s Bulls haven’t won more than three in a row all season, a feat they’d like to cross off this season’s bucket list with victories today and tomorrow. But on the brighter side, they have yet to lose more than four in a row. Currently ranked tenth in the NBA East, Chicago might eventually conjure up a Play-In berth, they might not. But tanking isn’t much of an option, anyway, not with the Top-4-protected pick likely headed to Orlando as part of 2021’s Vucevic deal. They’ve just found themselves sailing on even keel, playing hard, gracious for every opportunity they get to pop the balloons of rival teams whose heads get overinflated by occasional short-term success. Speaking of which, Atlanta (24-23) still has a spiffy little four-game road winning streak going. It’d be a shame if something happened to it, no? Just don’t tell Young or Dejounte Murray (minus-22 in the second-half vs. CHA), who were more than happy to let anyone know that their five-game-anywhere streak, after the resounding (second half) against New York the eve before, was a sign that everything had been sorted out by our Half-Baked Hawks. Everybody blows leads these days, a testament to the excellence of coaching staffs capable of pushing players to perform and adjust at high paces. New Orleans was up 16 points last night. Golden State was up 17 points early, and 13 late. Portland enjoyed a 45-13 second quarter, wiping out a 14 point first-quarter deficit, and was up 25 at halftime. All wound up on the losing end at the final horns. Phoenix was up 29 and found itself hanging on for dear life by the end. New York erased a 15-point deficit by the fourth quarter before gracefully petering out. All of that was last night’s action, alone. Still, Saturday’s 19-point meltdown showed Atlanta still has plenty of internal listening, trust-building and personal introspection ahead of it, before anyone can count on a club that should be capable of countering and fending off charges from teams the caliber of the LaMelo-less Hornets, particularly in front of a decidedly friendly home crowd. No matter how the team responds in the opening half, can the Hawks get through this game, when momentum is on their side, without getting caught smelling themselves and thinking things are sweet? Dejountrae might think they’re producing honey, but there’s another scent that just draws flies, and these Bulls know it better than anyone. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

As a heads-up for attendees, the Peachtree Center area is shut down after rabble-rousers hanging around with this afternoon's Stop Cop City protestors (originally at Underground) damaged property around International Blvd before dispersing. You'll see it on the news soon enough. Things may have calmed, but just keep an eye out for any troublemakers outside the arena/Centennial Olympic Park and stay clear of them. ~lw3

https://www.si.com/nba/hornets/news/steve-clifford-player-development ~c0achcl1ff

Bogi will rest his knee tonight, on the injury management tip. Perchance a little more of the AJ Griffin Show this evening? No updates on LaMelo and Cody, each still listed as Doubtful. General Hospital is still Probable. ~lw3

“Hey, Victor! We don't do French Toast around here! You better eat your Wheaties.” I need The Association to commit Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan to a pinky swear. Victor Wembanyama may, in fact, land in The Queen City. Still, His Errness needs to sign a promissory note that he, personally, will not go out of his way to ruin him. Yes, I know, Kwame Brown squashed all the gossip about what Wizard MJ did to the former South Georgia prep-school standout back in the day. Listen to his back-and-forth piefights with players-turned-podcasters, and the occasional meandering hot-take rant that no one asked for, and I do wonder if all this blatant, latent hostility toward the league could have been averted, had Kwame not fallen under the brooding, soon-to-be retiring Jordan’s spell with 2001’s first-overall pick. The once high-flying MJ might need a stepladder, these days, to slap the 7-foot-2 Frenchman upside sa tête whenever the latter makes a rookie mistake. In order to keep Wemby several tiers away, at no more than check-signing distance, Jordan will need to firm up his managerial and coaching staffs. (Pro tip: keep the MJ kids out.) Jordan has insisted that a team under his watch will not tank for tanking’s sake. But the fate of the Hornets, coming into today’s action with the Hawks in Atlanta (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast in ATL and CLT, 92.9 FM in ATL) without the services of LaMelo Ball (doubtful, sprained ankle, sore wrist), seems to be taking care of itself. Congratulations are in order to Steve Clifford, perhaps the one NBA coach racing Atlanta’s Nate McMillan hardest for the exit at season’s end. Wednesday’s tanktastic 122-117 victory in Houston brought Coach Cliff the mantle of the Hornets’ all-time winningest head coach. Thus making this the last time you’ll need to recall the days of Allan Bristow. Not even Kenny Atkinson would have envisioned the setbacks that have befallen the Bugs (12-34; 5 home wins, 7 road wins) since Clifford bailed out his former employer by taking the head coach job this past offseason. They started out halfway decent with a 3-3 record, highlighted by a resounding 126-109 win back on October 23, giving host Atlanta the first of many black marks. But then the Hornets dropped seven straight games. Ball would return, only to go out again and miss another 12 games. Charlotte would again hold serve during that stretch at 3-3 before double-faulting the next six. Ball (NBA-high 78 made 3FGs since Dec. 14) would return again, but the Hornets again failed to gain traction, and losing players like Kelly Oubre (out, torn hand ligament) and Cody Martin (doubtful, sore knee) to injuries only seem to grease the skids. It’s hard to tell whether “GH” stands for General Hospital or Gordon Hayward (sore hammy), but the oft-injured forward is upgraded to probable to play today. Young potential talents James Bouknight, Kai Jones and Theo Maledon are spending more time with G-League Greensboro lately. And you won’t be surprised that Clifford was reluctant to push rookie center Mark Williams (13.4 MPG, season high 17 points and 5 blocks @ HOU; taken one pick ahead of AJ Griffin, who has 27 more games and over 650 more minutes under his drawstrings) up the depth chart until very recently. Victory for the Hornets these days now is tied to whether recent full-time starter Jalen McDaniels (49.4 FG% and 1.8 SPG in past 8 games, career-high 26 points and five 3FGs vs. BOS on Jan. 16) and P.J. Washington (3 steals and 3 blocks @ HOU, career-high 15.2 PPG) can provide enough of a two-way spark. Also, whether there is a hot hand to be found between the palms of Terry Rozier (career-high 21.0 PPG and 5.3 APG; season-high 39 points in a win @ MIL on Jan. 6) and Dennis Smith, and if there is someone on the floor capable of finding it. Also, if Charlotte’s eldest statesman, Mason Plumlee (career-highs of 11.5 PPG, 9.8 RPG) can snare enough boards to keep the Hornets close. In a sports town where Rae Carruth happened, restricted free agent Miles Bridges’ sudden return following his no-contest plea deal would not likely be received well. The team has been unable to fully account for Bridges’ frontcourt production from last season, when Charlotte reached the Play-In, and there is not enough experienced talent on the floor, firing on all cylinders, to keep the Hornets (NBA-low 32.8 team 3FG%) viable for any stretches in the schedule. There may be even less talent to go around in the coming days, as Mitch Kupchak puts MJ’s no-tanking no-way no-how mantra to the test. Kupchak’s contract was extended for multiple seasons last May, prior to the coaching-hire debacle and the whisper-quiet offseason. Mitch’s ability to see the contract through may hinge on how he remolds the roster around Ball and whosoever gets entrapped as a top-notch newbie in Charlottery’s web. But enough for now about the immediate future. More immediate is today’s game, where Atlanta’s team woke up to find themselves 0.5 game behind the desirable 6-seed, and the same distance from getting back to First Place Hawks in the Dirty South Division. The prime objective for the Hawks? Despite maintaining a high pace of play on the State Farm Arena court, do whatever it takes to avoid allowing 70 points in the first half. Or, heck, 80 points. Don’t guffaw. Charlotte, with Ball, was in Milwaukee just over two weeks ago, and hung 84 points on Mike Budenholzer’s vaunted defense in the first half (21 assists, 2 team TOs), including 51 in the opening quarter. LaMelo chipped in with 19 points (6 3FGs) and 7 assists in that half, but Rozier and Washington combined for 38 points, all on field goals, while Mase in the Middle contributed four O-Rebs and five dimes. Blowing the doors off of Giannis and company to the tune of 138-109, the Hornets did have LaMelo, which is unlikely today. But they didn’t have Hayward, whose career-high of 44 victorious points came as a Hornet here in Atlanta two Januarys ago. As we well know by now, Cliffy Ball peaks when the Hornets can keep the turnover proportions low (4-2 when team TO% <= 8.0 %), as was the case in the wins at Milwaukee and Houston. It’s enhanced when they find open looks to their liking or, failing that, crush the offensive glass, as occurred in October’s win here (3-2 when O-Reb% exceeds 32.0%). Games where it all comes together is rare, but when they do, this team won’t look like a lotto squad at all. Including December’s 125-106 victory in Charlotte, the Hawks raised their record to 11-0 when shooting above 50 percent from the field. But the team fans will want to see is the one that is 14-0 when opponents’ eFG% falls below 50 percent. Doing some homework and ushering Hornet guards to their colder spots on the floor, shooing the forwards off the three-point line and settling for midrange shots, and cross-court defenders boxing out properly should be enough to keep the Bugs at bay. The Hornets will be a transformed team no matter which diaper dandy falls in their lap this summer. Or, at least, they had better be. For fans of a team that last won a playoff series in 2002, before high-tailing it to New Orleans, prominence has been a long time in coming. But if the big bleu-chipper indeed turns out to be Wemby? Good luck to the garçon in trying not to become Kwame Part Deux. Nobody wants to see a scenario where a miffed and meddling Mike needs the next probable #1 pick to excuse his French. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Another day, another opportunity for an injury upgrade! ~lw3

“Now, you listen up, Julius Randle. Don’t you dare come into my city and spoil our team’s winning streak!” Are the New York Knicks hurtling back to Earth? This Atlanta Hawks fan certainly hopes that’s the case. The Knicks and Hawks seemed to be trading places when last they met at Madison Square Garden. New York throttled an Atlanta team awash in off-court controversy while missing forwards De’Andre Hunter and John Collins. Along the way to a 113-89 loss, the Hawks shot just 37.6 percent on the floor (6-for-36 on threes, incl. Bogdan Bogdanovic’s 10-shot bagel), their worst showing of the season before similarly poor output the following week in Memphis. Now the scene turns to State Farm Arena (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, MSG Network in NYC). The Hawks (23-22), coming together as a healthier unit, are back above .500 for the first-time since the pre-Christmas Break tune-up with Detroit had them at 17-16. That’s thanks to a pair of high-profile victories this week over Miami and Dallas. The Knicks were initiating an eight-game win streak when they sandblasted the Hawks back on December 7. Then New York lost five straight, but recovered to prevail in seven of their next eight games. Yet they’ve lost two games this week versus subpar teams they defeated mere days before. Brunsanity! Landry Fields won’t need to offer Jalen Brunson his couch anytime soon. Jalen had up-and-down production until the Christmas Day game versus Philly, but since then has gone on a tear (last 10 games: 30.8 PPG, 5.7 APG, 5.2 RPG, 48.1 3FG%). It’s just in time to firm up the Knick’s spot in the hopper, along with Trae and Tyrese (yes, Wally. Sorry.) for the players’ and media’s final All-Star guard spots in the NBA East. Brunson is simply taking more command of the offense. While Jalen exceeded 20 field goal attempts in just one of his first 16 games with the Knicks, he has taken between 20 to 30 shots in six of the last eight contests, with no less than 17 in the others. His efficiency hasn’t waned as a shooter, which is great news for New York as high shot-volume forwards Julius Randle (last 10 games: 41.1 FG%, 29.9 3FG%, 71.1 FT%) and R.J. Barrett (last 5 games: 43.3 FG%, 25.0 3FG%, 72.7 FT%) leave plenty of points on the table. Randle enjoyed his season-high 42 points against the carcass of the Pistons in Detroit on Sunday. But in the last two home losses to the Raptors and Wizards this week, he looked more like Julius Erring (35.1 FG%, 1-for-11 on threes) in combining for 35 points. It’s a harbinger of a regression to Randle’s nightmarish follow-up to his Most Improved Player season, something Tom Thibodeau will want to impede if the Knicks (25-21; 11-13 at MSG but 14-8 on the road) are to regain their stay in No-Play-Ins territory. Julius has had a renaissance as a rebounder (career-high 10.7 RPG, incl. 14.5 RPG in last 12 games), and more of that will be needed now with starting center Mitchell Robinson (surgery on fractured thumb) out of the lineup for several weeks. Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein’s offensive rebounding keeps the Knicks (NBA-highs of 46.0 O-Reb chance% and 17.6 second-chance points per-48; 55.9 TS%, 27th in NBA) in games they would normally shoot their way out of, setting up Brunson (4.7 clutch-scenario PPG, 3rd in NBA) to close things out. Randle will spend more time living in the offensive paint, but Robinson’s absence will press Thibs to press Obi Toppin (10.7 MPG in his recent return from injury) into more productive time on the floor. Toppin’s .125 per-48 Win Shares ranks 5th among 2020’s first-rounders, the draft class looking up currently at Atlanta’s current starting center, Onyeka Okongwu (.175 WS/48). Like Atlanta (55.4% of buckets assisted, 29th in NBA; 12.5 TO%, 2nd-best in NBA), New York (NBA-low 54.2% of FGs assisted; 13.1 TO%, 4th-best in NBA) is a low-assist, low-turnover club that relies a bunch on isolation possessions with only modest results, particularly when they don’t sink contested shots nor earn trips to the free throw line. Even a season-high 35 Knick free throw shots against Toronto, and season-highs of 20 O-Rebs against the Raps and Wiz each, weren’t enough to make up for some awful bricklaying (combined 16-for-57 3FGs the last two games). Atlanta has only shot worse than 43 percent in winning fashion once this season, and that was back on November 2 at MSG (41.1 FG%, same as NYK, but on 17 more shots thanks in part to nine fewer TOs), when Dejounte Murray took over the arena and left miffed Manhattanites calling the Mayor’s Office once more. Murray’s big-play and big-shot heroics will hopefully be in long supply this evening, particularly if Trae Young (questionable, sore ankle; up to 32.7 clutch FG% after his late-game floater sunk Dallas on Wednesday) and Bogdanovic (questionable, sore knee) aren’t close to 100 percent on the floor. But the difference makers for Atlanta will be the bigs, who must find ways to contain the drive-happy, board-crashing Knicks without soaking up momentum-sapping early third, fourth, and fifth fouls. If Nate McMillan is so inclined, today is a good day to unfurl the pride of South Atlanta High, Derrick Favors, if for no better reason to draw some referee whistles in his direction before his ten-day deal expires. Favors hasn’t played a regular-season game in almost a calendar year, but his last decent game came against these Knicks, going 5-for-6 from the field in helping OKC pull off an overtime win at MSG last February. Atlanta has plenty of work to do going forward, but it would be all the more encouraging to build on their recent victories with back-to-back home wins this weekend over the Knicks and Hornets. While we may not hear it much today, Hawks PA announcer Big Tigger’s favorite exclaim will hopefully be the theme for New York and Atlanta’s momentum for the balance of this season: “It’s Going the Other Way!” Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

"NEXT TIME, ON ALLAS..." ~wh0sh0tjr