lethalweapon3

Might as well get a thread going! The inaugural Major League Soccer regular season for Atlanta United FC kicks off tomorrow evening, over here at sold-out Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium, versus the New York Red Bulls (7:30 PM Eastern, FS1 nationally, 92.9 FM in ATL). In the NBA offseason, my sports dollar historically gets split up between the WNBA Dream and the Atlanta Silverbacks, a formerly professional soccer club playing a few levels down from the top-tier MLS. While I've watched a lot of local soccer, it's always been just for casual summertime fun, without really learning much more about the sport itself. I'm hoping my immersion will become more serious with the MLS in town. I've already read more about "Tifo"s and 4-2-3-1 formations and "tiki-taka" than I ever thought I'd care to know. I'm hoping a few vastly more knowledgeable Squawkers will chime in during the course of this season. Around many parts of town, you'll find there's a huge build-up of support for #ATLUTD; flags flying from homes and gardens, merchandise from the Atlantic Station team store flying off the shelves. Naturally, the excitement dies down once an expansion team starts losing LOTS of games. However, there are quite a few prognosticators comfortable with the notion that this outfit is not only going to compete well in its first year together, but even has a chance to make the MLS playoffs. It's not unprecedented; the Chicago Fire was the MLS Cup and the US Open Cup in its first year of operation back in 1998. Stuff to Know: * It's Arthur Blank's foray into a whole other brand of football. The Falcons owner championed the expansion of MLS Soccer to the ATL, originally in 2008, but more earnestly in 2012, when local momentum built to construct a multi-purpose stadium suitable for both pro football and pro soccer. * The team's Training Ground and headquarters is slated to open next month, in Marietta. * Along with Atlanta United, Minnesota United will expand the MLS to 22 clubs this season. Atlanta will compete in the MLS Eastern Conference alongside the Red Bulls, NYC FC, Chicago, Columbus, D.C. United, Montreal, New England, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Toronto. Their regular season schedule runs through mid-October. [ https://www.atlutd.com/schedule ] * When not airing nationally, Fox Sports South/Fox Sports Southeast will carry many ATLUTD games. Spanish-language broadcasters Univision Deportes and Unimas will air a handful of games during the season as well. 92.9 FM is aiming to become the flagship radio station, but is running a 3-hour pregame show in the interim. [ http://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/2017/2/21/14684738/atlanta-united-tv-schedule-2017-time-full ] * British-born, US-collegiate former All-American star Darren Eales serves as the team's President. He was previously an executive with the London-area side Tottenham Hotspur FC. * The "Technical Director" (GM) of the team is Carlos Bocanegra, a former MLS Rookie of the Year and two-time MLS Defender of the Year winner as a player. He was also a six-time captain of the USA Men's Soccer team. * Former Argentine midfielder Gerardo "Tata" Martino is the Head Coach. He briefly managed FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi's Argentinian national team, which reached the final of 2015 and 2016's Copa America tournaments before losing on penalty kicks. * Team captain is defender Michael Parkhurst, a former Wake Forest star who was the 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year and 2007 MLS Defender of the Year. Before getting traded, Parkhurst previously played for Columbus, where he was an All-Star back in 2014. * Starting at goalkeeper is Alec Kann, a Decatur product. I got to see him a couple years back when he was with the Charlotte Eagles in the USL. He broke into MLS with Chicago in 2013, and was acquired via the MLS Expansion Draft from Sporting Kansas City. * MLS announced this week they will expand team rosters from 28 to 30, allowing teams to designate two spots for homegrown talents, like Locust Grove's 16-year-old Chris Goslin [pictured up top] who come up through the team's youth system. * Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host its first MLS event on July 30, with Atlanta United facing off with Orlando City SC. Its estimated capacity of 40,000 doubles that of most MLS clubs. In the meantime, fans are encouraged to park at Atlantic Station (off 17th Street) and catch a free gameday shuttle over to nearby Bobby Dodd (off 10th Street), which hosts the team's first 8 home games. [ http://atlanticstation.com/2017/02/16/atlanta-united-game-day-shuttle/ ] * No sport has fan clubs as dedicated and fervent as those in pro soccer, and ATLUTD has several. Most prominent is @curtmcgirt's Terminus Legion, who have a strong presence at soccer games all over the area. Other fan clubs include Resurgence, Faction, and my favorite name by far, Footie Mob. [ http://terminuslegion.com/ ] [ https://footiemob.club/ ] * The easiest way for me to catch up on the team's ongoing activities and news is through SB Nation's dedicated team site, Dirty South Soccer. [ http://www.dirtysouthsoccer.com/ ] Here's a taste of what some experts are saying about this club's prospects in its first season: http://the18.com/soccer-news/atlanta-united-most-exciting-team-mls-history-hector-villalba-miguel-almiron-josef-martinez-young-talent-players-roster http://americansoccernow.com/articles/toronto-is-tops-with-both-new-york-teams-in-the-mix http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/gallery/mls-eastern-conference-predictions-who-will-make-the-playoffs-030317 ~lw3

^Really not feeling like whitelisting the LA Times right now, so here's a SB Nation summary instead: http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/2017/3/3/14809120/la-lakers-court-jim-and-johnny-buss-jeanie-buss-remove-lakers-president-and-controlling-owner-battle (via the LA Times linked previously): They should just conduct a dance-off on the 110 Freeway Ramp, and let the stalled traffic decide between them. ~lw3

Everything in that town deserves a Hollywood ending. ~lw3

“It’s so nice to get in a few practice swings before each shot now!” After once more prying victory from the jaws of defeat on Wednesday, the Atlanta Hawks’ six-game homestand continues in what could potentially be a victory C.I.G.A.R. (Champs, Indy, G-State, Atkinson’s crew, Raps); their first toke comes courtesy of the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL; ESPN). There are ample reasons why it behooves Atlanta to begin playing their best stretch of fullcourt, 48-minute hoops this season. It’s official: the Hawks are mathematically eliminated from clinching last place in the East. Putting the next group of conference bottom-dwellers out-of-reach, though, will take considerably more work. But with a decent homestand performance, sewing up a tenth-consecutive playoff spot could go from a duty to a formality very quickly. Lakers, Nyets, Nyets again, Knicks (by 1). That is the full set of road victories by the Toronto Raptors (out of 13 games). The first three wins came with a healthy Kyle Lowry, the All-Star point guard who is out for at least four more weeks with wrist surgery. After amassing a whopping total of three assists in the first three quarters of Wednesday’s home loss to Washington, the Raps embark on a five-game road swing tonight in D.C. Their trek continues next week in ATL. If the Hawks take care of business during this homestand, Watch for Falling Raptors! The division-leading Wizards have won 20 of their last 22 at home, which is great for them, because after this weekend’s games, there are just six Verizon Center contests remaining. 11-15 in away games, Washington must keep their recent winning ways going on the road, including two long West Coast swings. If Atlanta steps up their own play against their daunting March slate of opponents, by the time the two teams meet again in a few weeks, they could be trading places. One of Atlanta’s signature wins this season came way back in November at the Q. Along the way to a 110-106 victory, Dennis Schröder, Kent Bazemore, and Paul Millsap (74 combined points on 55.6 FG%, 9-for-16 3FGs) virtually matched Cleveland’s Big 3 (76 total points on 42.6 FG%, 3-for-16 FGs) bucket-for-bucket. Long accustomed to having his way with the Hawks, Tristan Thompson (no shots, 2 rebounds in 25 minutes; 3.7 O-Rebs per game, 4th in NBA) was stymied by Dwight Howard (17 rebounds, 3 blocks in 27 minutes) at every turn. At the same time, Thabo Sefolosha, Taurean Prince and Tim Hardaway, Jr. did a sound job of giving J.R. Smith (2-for-13 FGs) mostly heroball looks from the perimeter. Atlanta has done some fine-tuning to their lineup since that game. In anticipation of another championship-quality stretch run, Cleveland is adjusting to a major makeover among its supporting cast. Not making that November trip to Cleveland was Kyle Korver, who remained in the ATL to celebrate the arrival of a third K-baby for the Korver clan. Smith’s thumb surgery in December ushered in what Cavs assistant Larry Drew once frequently described as a “sense of urgency,” hastened further by a 2-6 stretch in January, and Kevin Love’s arthroscopic knee surgery last month. LeBron James banged his shoe on the table demanding more “playmakers”, however ambiguously and ironically, on what was already the NBA’s highest-salaried team. The first “playmaker” to arrive in Believeland was Korver. Kyle was sincerely disenchanted with having to leave the NBA home where his career had late-bloomed, but came to understand how easily he would get open shots as a Cavalier, without having to run half-marathons across the court every night. After just one contribution of 20-or-more points through December (and once, back in November, of the prior season; two since January of the season before that) with the Hawks, the “Kahlvalier” logged four 20-plus-scoring affairs in February, burying 58.9 percent of his threes that month. Ponce de Leon couldn’t possibly find as many Fountains of Youth as the reinvigorated Korver (21-game Threak) has during his noteworthy career. His essential challenge going forward is to simply keep his shooting arm from falling off. Still, more griping from The King begat Miami’s scuttled Derrick Williams (55.8 FG% through 8 games with CLE). Even he wasn’t D-Will enough for LeBron, so the Cavs pulled Dallas’ discarded point guard Deron Williams into the fold, soon to be followed by ex-Maverick teammate Andrew Bogut. The center won’t dress for tonight’s game, though, as he works to pass his physical. Both D-Wills were pressed into duty immediately, including James tossing a potential game-winning three pointer cross-court to Derrick with seconds to spare on Wednesday. Williams’ miss cemented Boston’s 103-99 victory, a Cavs loss made possible by an off-night from Korver (1-for-7 FGs) and most of Cleveland’s supporting cast. When it comes to LeBron’s “playmakers,” the Cavs’ centripetal, and not gravitational, presence has remained Kyrie Irving, whose offensive game has been out… oh, my mistake… “off” of this world lately. “World B. Flat” still struggles on the defensive end, but has cut down on his ballhandling turnovers (career-low 11.0 TO% on the season) while averaging 7.1 APG to accompany his 25.4 PPG (93.3 FT%) in February. Cleveland’s ticket to the 2016 conference finals was punched on this floor last May, thanks in large part to the injured Love and his replacement starter Channing Frye. There is no mystery (to Hawks fans, at least) as to the Cavs’ modus operandi tonight. After coach Tyronn Lue finds some Pepto-Bismol (he missed this morning’s shootaround while a bit under the weather), he will want his team to force the ball inside on drives and post-ups by James (Eastern Conference Player of the Month, for the 34th time in the past 74 possible months; 12.0 RPG and 10.3 APG since the All-Star Break) and Irving, dare Howard into shying away from his man, and test Atlanta’s ability to eschew paint help and keep defenders at home on the Cavs’ willing shooters. Each of Cleveland’s six most-frequent shooters, among the active players alone, shoot at least 37.5 3FG%. Athletic wings staying in front of both Irving and James will be key for Atlanta (103.2 D-Rating; 5th in NBA, 1st in East) in thwarting the stars’ ability to supplement the Cavs offense (110.9 O-Rating; 3rd in NBA, 1st in East) with runout scores in transition. Despite the Hawks victory, Cleveland’s 25 points off 19 Atlanta turnovers remains a season-high for that club, Atlanta being outscored 15-2 on the fastbreak. The Hawks must again learn to live with LeBron’s and Kyrie’s highlight-reel halfcourt forays, and box out to secure rebounds off missed interior shots. The pair was 20-for-40 from the field in Wednesday’s loss to Boston, while their teammates were a collective 17-for-51. Cleveland’s non-Big-3, which included Korver-trade acquisition Mike Dunleavy, Jr. (inactive tonight), went 11-for-38 from the floor and were granted just two free throw attempts by the Hawks in the November game. It’s a big night for fans of the 70s, as the late, great Pete Maravich will have his jersey number ascending to the arena rafters tonight. Twice an All-Star while with the Hawks, the Pistol’s 24.3 PPG over four uber-hyped NBA seasons still ranks second only to Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta-era history, and his 5.6 APG ranks fourth. His trade to New Orleans might have panned out for the Hawks, if only the shaky ownership at the time wasn’t outbid by the ABA for #1 NBA pick David Thompson, and if the latter, like the former, didn’t succumb to the ravages of drug addiction. He’s no Pistol on the court, but Schröder (Hawks franchise-leading 33.9 assist percentage; 26.7 usage%, 3rd in team history) isn’t exactly a Peashooter, either. Dennis could have a banner-worthy Hawk career himself, if he brings the two-way intensity to the table that was evident during Atlanta’s victory over Isaiah Thomas’ Celtics, and in the opening half against reigning Rookie of the Month Yogi Ferrell’s Mavericks. Atlanta’s 56.3 FG% versus Dallas represented a season-best, a value that could have stayed in the 70s, too, but for a sloppy second half by the Hawks. The listlessness that defined the second-half versus Dallas by not only Schröder (five of his seven TOs) but the whole team would do Atlanta no favors against a hungry Cavs squad in front of a primetime Friday Night audience. Millsap has had several half-baked first-halves (30.0 1st half FG% in last six games; 51.5 2nd half FG%) recently. For both he and sixth-man Hardaway (last six games: 34.4 1st half FG%, team-high 8.5 2nd half PPG on 47.5 FG%), coming out of the gate at least lukewarm from the field will draw defensive attention away from their teammates and enhance the Hawks’ offensive floor balance. Tristan Thompson would have to vacate the middle to help Frye and Derrick Williams, while Iman Shumpert would have to stray away from Schröder more often. James’ focus on the Hawks’ big men may especially help Bazemore (25 points, 4-for-6 3FGs vs. CLE on Nov. 8; 40.5 3FG% last 20 games) enjoy another solid outing against the Cavs. Recent acquisition Ersan Ilyasova (team-high 18 points, 6-for-7 FGs, at least four forced DAL TOs on Wednesday) has the potential to provide at least as positive a boost for the Hawks in the postseason as Frye provided for the Cavs in 2016. Hawks fans found themselves shorted on several recent “High Voltage” Fridays (121-85 loss to the Pistons in December, 112-86 loss to the Wizards in January, 108-90 loss to the heat last week). The Hawks must bring the energy from the outset tonight against the class of the LeBronference. Otherwise, fans may clamor to permanently retire the throwback jerseys, right along with Pistol Pete's. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

(and he rebounds, too!) ~lw3

“Vobble, Baby! Vobble, Baby! Vobble, Baby! Vobble…” Beez in the Trap! It won’t take any more Nicki Minaj slander to for Atlanta Hawks fans to understand that tonight’s meeting with the Dallas Mavericks at Philips Arena (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Southwest in DFW) is the quintessential “trap game”. When our Hawks last left American Airlines Center on January 7, they played at a tempo more amenable to the Mavericks’ style of play, but still stifled their perimeter offense (25.0 3FG%) along the way to a smooth 97-82 win. So, coming off a big win in Boston on Monday, it’s likely Atlanta thinks it has (again) turned the corner, and can now just stroll down the street, unencumbered by a Dallas squad missing swingman shooter Wesley Matthews (hip). Well, not so fast, my fine feathered friends! Dallas fell to 11-26 with that loss to the Hawks. But within a week, the Mavs would embark on a 13-8 run that elevated them completely out of the Western Conference basement. Now just 2.5 games out of that 8-seed in the West, Rick Carlisle’s club is perfectly happy competing and letting the chips fall where they may. Up until that point, the Mavs seemed a bit lost in terms of direction. Slow and aging starters around a free agent pickup in forward Harrison Barnes (career-high 20.1 PPG) who is still getting a feel for the ropes, supported by a relatively clueless supporting cast off the bench, was the recipe for a rudderless campaign. Then, point guard Yogi Ferrell came along, and pairing him with That Other Curry, Seth (last 3 games: 24.3 PPG, 61.1 3FG%, 4.0 APG; 29 points on 5-for-7 3FGs in win vs. MIA on Monday), allowed the Mavs’ offensive uptick to commence in earnest. One trivial note: despite having a middle name of Duane, and growing up in Indiana, Yogi is completely unrelated to former Hawks player, sportscaster and ex-Pacer Duane Ferrell. Kevin Duane Ferrell, Jr. is doing more than just distinguishing himself from his father by using a cartoonish first name. Yogi has stood out enough over just 13 games (4.8 APG, 1.8 TOs/game, 41.0 3FG%), that the Mavs’ brass had no qualms about cutting ties with Metroplex native Deron Williams, who now gets to be that coveted playmaker LeBron has been whining about. Keeping the youth movement in a positive direction, the team also moved their intractable center Andrew Bogut, and the disappointing second-year pro Justin Anderson, in a deal with Philadelphia for the formerly sandbagged Nerlens Noel. Noel’s exploits with compiling steals and blocks in games had disappeared, once the 76ers turned the pivot over to Joel Embiid. Now, the Mavs hope to make prominent use out of what Donnie Nelson calls the “Tyson Chandler Starter Kit.” These moves serve Dallas well in keeping the Dirk Nowitzki Farewell Tour extended for another season or two. Noel will eventually allow Dirk (13.6 PPG, lowest since rookie season in 1998-99; 38.6 3FG%; career-high 25.9 D-Reb%) to shift away from center and back to a stretchy power forward, while moving Barnes into the small forward spot that he played frequently at Golden State. Carlisle’s Commandment is to press, press, press opponents from halfcourt to the three-point line, shooing them off from taking contested shots and forcing them into mistakes once they put the ball on the floor. Opponents shoot 38.5 3FG% against Dallas (2nd-highest in NBA), but open looks are surprisingly few and far between (24.5 opponent 3FGAs/game, 4th-fewest in NBA). The Mavs’ 15.3 opponent TO% is the best in the league, but their 7.8 steals-per-48 is just average (15th in NBA). Instead, they’ll force all the other kinds of mistakes out of their foes: traveling, double-dribbles, offensive fouls, 3-second violations, and the like. The slow tempo accommodates Nowitzki, while the dogged defensive efforts around him keep him from having to do too much at the rim. The defense has been just sound enough to allow the Mavs time to find their individual comfort zones on the offensive end. To keep the perimeter defense sound, Matthews’ absence pushes Dorian Finney-Smith back to the starting unit. Noel was supposed to start, but a bout of Schröder’s Disease had him late for the team plane, thus keeping him a reserve for now. Dallas leaves the offensive rebounding chances alone (18.3 O-Reb%, last in NBA), likely suggesting that a rested Dwight Howard (17 points and 12 rebounds in less than three quarters @ BOS on Monday; 38 double-doubles, most by any NBA player age 30+) and Paul Millsap (10 D-Rebs plus 2 steals @ BOS) should have a field day around the rim, with only Noel likely to try changing that outcome. No longer a team with a running identity (11.7 fastbreak points per-48, 21st in NBA) Atlanta needs to push the pace when they can. But when setting up in halfcourt, the key for Dennis Schröder and company is to emphasize motion (more cuts, less drives) while keeping the ball off the floor as much as rationally possible. On the defensive end, let’s pressure Dallas’ relatively new guards and make it clear that it’s the Mavs, not the Hawks, who are stuck in the trap game. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

Pulling for the missus and the family! ~lw3

Shifting sands, I know. Nonetheless, as of today... EASTERN CONFERENCE RECORDS vs CURRENT ABOVE-.500 NBA TEAMS HAWX 12-10 (.545) CAVZ 13-11 (.542) BULZ 14-13 (.519) WIZZ 12-14 (.462) RAPZ 11-14 (.440) PACRZ 11-14 (.440) CELTZ 12-16 (.429) Only 22 games though, so the upcoming stretch after the Dallas trap game will be particularly crucial. ~lw3

"Help Me... Help You." ~ds17

One more tidbit... Second half... Celtics starters of Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley (minutes-restricted), Jae Crowder, Amir Johnson, and Al Horford... ONE made field goal between them all. ~lw3

^Needs to be silhouetted. ~lw3

In addition to Dwight's "ejection" (not the technical, just the ejection) being pretend-rescinded, I couldn't count last night. That tech was only his 11th unrescinded tech, meaning he'll be available to play versus Dallas on Wednesday. Five more before any suspensions kick in. ~lw3

~lw3

"Excuse me, Celtics... you guys, I'm sorry, no... There's a mistake... Atlanta Hawks, YOU were the team that won by 16 tonight." ~lw3

@Spud2Nique I think you asked about the previous record, it was Havlicek 1971-72. ~lw3

On the greener side of the grass: ~lw3

“You’ve got a ways to go to become as famous as me, kid!” In July 1776, George Washington dispatched a messenger to travel from Philadelphia to Boston, and along the way, the messenger parked his horse at a tavern in Worcester. There, the messenger met a young lad who impressed him with his oratory skills and experience in the newspaper publishing biz. It didn’t take much prodding before the messenger allowed the gentleman to gather the local tavern patrons around. And on that day, the newly-scripted Declaration of Independence was read aloud, for the first time anywhere in New England, in enthralling fashion, by one Isaiah Thomas. That “I.T.” was a mere 26 years of age, and by the time he reached his powder-wigged eighties, Thomas would have established a publishing empire, everything from almanacs to journals to Bibles. Before even this, he reported the first accounts of Revolutionary War battles at Lexington and Concord. He wrote the first extensive book on the history of American publishing. And he founded the American Antiquarian Society (AAS), the oldest historical society focused on national history in the United States. That society hangs an 1818 portrait of Isaiah prominently in its Worcester library, and a detailed plaque of his achievements lie with him in a nearby cemetery. These days, an AAS-hired actor dressed as Isaiah Thomas goes around Worcester schools to teach history to fifth-graders. You can see why this Isaiah Thomas is the Most Famous Isaiah Thomas in Massachusetts, and why a modern-day Isaiah, he of the Atlanta Hawks’ opposing hosts tonight, the Boston Celtics (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL; You Don’t Wanna Know in BOS), has a lot of work cut out if he ever intends to take over that mantle. Without glancing at Wikipedia, the most famous Dennis Schröder in world history probably resides in Georgia. But to keep “famous” from turning into “infamous” (like another Isaiah who once played around these parts), Dennis has a lot of maturing to do. Yes, it is March 2017, and we are still out here talking about people’s moms. Schröder was pressed by the Boston media to deny Isaiah Thomas’ denial, from over a month ago, that Mutter Schro had some disparaging references directed at her through her progeny. This ain’t exactly the Lincoln-Douglas Debates here. Dennis (from Jan. 13 to today: 43.1 FG%, 28.8 3FG%, 6.4 APG, 3.0 TOs/game) remains the Hawks’ future. But he is incapable of excelling in the present while dwelling on the past. The same cannot be said of Thomas (29.7 PPG, 2nd in NBA; 91.1 FT%, 3rd in NBA; career-high 38.5 3FG% and 52.4 3FG%), the All-Star guard who practically bathes in his own history. Did you know Isaiah was the last player selected when he was drafted in 2011? Did you know how he was disregarded by the brilliant minds in Sacramento? Do you know how hard he has to work every day just to make a name for himself in this league, given his diminutive size? Why, of course you knew. He probably just reminded you himself. Dennis couldn’t resist digging up the Five Fingers to the Face question asked by Thomas way back during Game 3 of the 2016 Eastern Conference semifinals, as an example of how “not professional” Thomas can be as a player. He tried to drag Thabo Sefolosha into the discussion as a witness to Thomas’ unbearable atrocities. Sefolosha, to his credit, backed Schröder but claimed Veteran’s Amnesia about the January beef. Guess who’s going to win the war of words in the public eye? Hint: it’s not the homie who shot 2-for-11 and registered three assists in 22 minutes at home on national television against a vaunted foe. Not the dude who got benched in that whole fourth quarter (and the end of the third), leaving Kent Bazemore and Malcolm Delaney exposed for Thomas’ late-game and last-second heroics to escape Philips Arena with a 103-101 Celtics victory. It won’t be the feller whose team has gone 10-10, riding a three-game blowout losing streak, since the two teams last tipped off, his opponent tonight having gone 14-6 in that same span. And it sure won’t be the guy who makes First to Leave, Last to Arrive his mantra, making his lack of punctuality the one current topic about the Hawks that’s remotely interesting to the general public. Schröder’s recent benchings don’t quite beckon the antacids Hawks fans popped over that other hoopster named Isaiah, a future-star hopeful who smoked his way through 60 games before getting waived back at the turn of the millennium, ostensibly for arriving late to games. But these lapses are concerning enough to raise alarm bells about the focus and direction of the whole Basketball Club. Mike Budenholzer remains resolute that his team only needs the likes of Malcolm Delaney, plus some patchwork from Bazemore, Junior Hardaway, recently-released Lamar Patterson and/or rookie DeAndre’ Bembry, to back up Schröder (8 assists and 1 TO, but 4-for-17 FGs off the bench vs. ORL on Saturday) whenever his lead guard doesn’t have his head where it needs to be. The dearth of movement on offense and the lack of enhanced perimeter closeouts on defense (12.8 opponent 3FGs per game in February, 2nd-most in NBA) belie Coach Bud’s assertions. On this team, barring some surprise roster addition, the best alternative to a poor Dennis Schröder is a laser-focused Dennis Schröder. Beyond the player himself, it is on this coaching staff to get his head screwed on straight, and keep it there, if the Hawks seriously intend to become what they claim they could be by season’s end. Al Horford (6 assists, 1 TO @ ATL on Jan. 13) isn’t around Atlanta to direct traffic anymore. The “center” is scoring and rebounding less (14.2 PPG, 6.6 APG) in his first season in Beantown than he did in any full season since 2008-09 with the Hawks. But with the knowledge that Jeff Teague was on the outs, and given his familiarity with Schröder’s resolve after several seasons together, he is probably thrilled about the decision he made to hop onto Thomas’ bandwagon this past summer. Because of his ability to set up his teammates efficiently (career-high 4.9 APG, NBA-high among centers; 1.7 TOs/game), you get zero complaints from Chowderheads about the Son of Tito and his accompanying $26.5 million price tag. Horford’s Atlanta counterpart, Dwight Howard (6.7 assist%, lowest since playing with Kobe in 2012-13) has struggled with the concept of moving the ball unless it’s an outlet pass. The essence of Budball is neutered not only when the guards are more focused on gazes, shimmies, and Yo Momma slights, but also when the center is almost exclusively receiving the ball in the paint for lob attempts and hurried shots before the hacks arrive. Dwight (3 assists in past 7 games) is averaging 40.5 passes per game, as per SportVu data, which ranks 11th in the league among centers. But of the 12 pivots averaging over 40 passes dished out, only the recently injured Joakim Noah (23.4) receives fewer passes from teammates than Howard (25.4 per game), Utah’s Rudy Gobert (29.9) the only other member of that group receiving the rock less than 30 times. The inactivity in feeding the post, by Schröder and his motley crew of fellow ballhandlers, and setting up for kickouts, engenders a predictable, stifling, dull offensive approach for Atlanta (February: 100.3 O-Rating, 28th in NBA; 1.35 assist/TO, 24th in NBA) that opponents love to exploit. If your center is fully engaged in a vibrant offense, he doesn’t become single-minded on the floor, unlikely to commit four fouls in the first half of play. The Celtics have played well enough for GM Danny Ainge to sit on his plum stash of future draft picks through the trade deadline, allowing coach Brad Stevens to continue to build on the team chemistry with the current roster. Coach Bud’s Hawks, conversely, have been shuffling in a cavalcade of rookies and recent arrivals into his rotations, while even core players (Schröder, Millsap and Howard, specifically) are still working through the kinks among themselves. There will be little time for Atlanta to sort things out. After facing Thomas, and hosting Dallas on Wednesday, the upcoming homestand proceeds with names like Kyrie, Teague, Curry, and Lowry swinging by Philips Arena, in short order. Dennis hopes to become a heralded All-star name, like the aforementioned, at some point down the road. But to get there anytime soon, his team needs victories, versus good and bad teams alike. To get them, The Menace needs to take control of his actions and mindset, on and off the court. When you show up late to buses and practices, you give away any right to expound upon who is and isn’t a “professional” in your line of work. There is no more time to get roiled about opponent’s misdeeds and ill words. For Dennis and the Hawks, it is past time to show up (on time!) and show out, beginning tonight at TD Garden. It would be a shame if, decades from now, some techno-pop DJ wizard from Wurzburg turns Atlanta’s point guard into “That other Dennis Schröder.” Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

“No, seriously, this is the farthest I could get distance myself from Rob.” ((Would-be gamethread, it was gonna be Schröder'd anyway because I was stuck at the movies. ~lw3)) “We tried. What we tried wasn’t working. So now, we’re just going through the motions until it’s over.” The above could apply to the Atlanta Hawks’ occasional approach to playing games, to swinging deals and making roster moves through the trade deadline, or to competing in the Eastern Conference. It could just as easily apply to the Orlando Magic’s approach to this whole season. 21-win Magic in the air! There were no designs on having the fourth-worst record in the NBA when the season got started for the Magic. Now, with Dwight Howard and his Atlanta Hawks back in town (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Florida in ORL), it’s hard for Orlando to lay out a blueprint to fans for what comes next. Tank mode? That’s what the prior four seasons were for. Out of five lottery picks (three among the top-five), only Dunk Contest flop Aaron Gordon and Mario Hezonja remain standing down in the Tragic Kingdom. Two plum talents were shipped to OKC for Serge Ibaka, who in turn was shipped this month to Toronto in exchange for Terrence Ross and a late first-rounder. The fifth lotto draftee, Dario Saric, was shipped (back) to Philadelphia along with a 2017 swap option back on Draft Night 2014 for Elfrid Payton. Saric’s career-night came at Payton and the Magic’s expense just a couple weeks ago, the rookie registering a career-high 24 points plus eight boards to help the Sixers eke out a 112-111 comeback win. And with Ersan Ilyasova out of the way, Saric will be given even more time to shine in Philly. Even the second-rounder Orlando threw into the Saric deal (which became the Knicks’ rookie center Willy Hernangomez) is showing more upside than Payton. Now in his third season, Elf’s scoring is naturally up, but his assist-making (career-low 5.6 APG) and perimeter shooting (26.6 3FG%) has managed to be almost as bad than it was in prior seasons. Forced out to the wing while Ibaka was here, Gordon (28.9 3FG%) has been only marginally better, even though perimeter shooting has never been his forte. His free throw shooting has unacceptably plummeted (career-low 64.7 FT%), making it harder to justify him as a banger or a slasher in the paint. But he’ll be shoe-horned back into the starting 4-spot with Ibaka gone, as the Magic try to make use out of Ross (4-for-17 FGs in his Magic debut on Thursday) and Evan Fournier at the wing positions. So where does Orlando (21-38) go from here? Tanking for tanking’s sake won’t helped the Magic due to the risk of continued blown decision-making from the front office. And it won’t help the beleaguered Frank Vogel, who instantly becomes a lame duck coach the minute Orlando’s top brass finally elects to do away with GM Rob Hennigan (team president Alex Martins vows not to shake up things until at least after the season ends). Vogel’s best bet is to allow the young core of Gordon, Payton, Nikola Vucevic (team-high 25 points but 8-for-20 FGs vs. POR on Thursday) and Hezonja (4-for-5 FGs vs. POR) to sink-or-swim together, with the occasional spark from Ross, and hope there is enough defensive support to pull off a few wins and give Magic fans a sliver of hope going into next season. That murky future doesn’t really include any of Fournier, Bismack Biyombo, D.J. Augustin, C.J. Watson, or Jeff Green, yet only Green’s contract comes off the books this summer. Counter-intuitive to the urge to go young, Vogel also needs to keep his vets productive enough to maximize their off-season trade values and further relieve what is, presently, the ninth-biggest salary load in the NBA. The maddening schism between playing-to-win and losing with a young core played out for Orlando in Thursday’s home loss to the Blazers. Orlando built up a 14-point lead early in the second half, only to have it evaporate due to a 35-17 disadvantage in the fourth quarter. Payton and Augustin could do little to keep the Blazers’ Damian Lillard (17 4th-quarter points) in check. The Magic guards should have continued trouble tonight dealing with Dennis Schröder, who found himself getting additional rest after being suspended mere hours before last night’s abomination against the heat. The Menace’s offensive efficiency against Orlando is the second-highest (min. 2 games played) versus any Eastern Conference foe this season, averaging a season-best 10.0 APG (3.0 TOs/game) to go along with 18.0 PPG in three meetings with the Magic. His five steals are also the most against any NBA club thus far. Thanks largely to Schröder, Atlanta exhibited some rare mastery of a lower-ranked team during their last matchup at Philips Arena earlier this month, a 113-86 Hawks victory. Howard and Paul Millsap flustered Orlando’s front line, a reversal of fortune from the December game at Philips when the Magic seemed to get any shot they desired. In the February game, Atlanta outrebounded Orlando, 48-33, including a 10-7 offensive rebounding edge despite the Magic missing 14 more field goals in the game. Keeping the Magic cool from outside will be crucial to putting them away decisively again. Orlando was a blistering 15-for-34 on threes in their December victory against the Hawks, but just 16-for-55 in their last two contests with Atlanta combined. Properly contesting Ross and Fournier without fouling will go a long way to avoiding a repeat of Friday night, where the Hawks (32-25) held Miami to 23-for-62 shooting on two-pointers, and 13 free throw attempts, but was still run out of their own building in a 108-90 loss. Orlando’s next most frequent perimeter shooter, Jodie Meeks (40.4 3FG%) remains sidelined with a sprained thumb, and no one else aside from Augustin (36.4 3FG%) or Damjan Rudez (35.2 3FG%) makes more than 34 percent of their shots, contested or otherwise. The Magic are 6-31 (one win since January 1) when shooting below 35 percent on threes. Orlando ranks 23rd in O-Reb%, and that is inclusive of Ibaka’s contributions. His replacement, Ross scores in bunches, but is usually a binary-code contributor in other categories. Continuing to box out Vooch, Biyombo, and Gordon (5 O-Rebs vs. POR on Thursday) ought to minimize the Magic’s extra-chance opportunities. So, of course, Hawks fans should expect the opposite of what Mike Budenholzer’s team needs to do to stay competitive and defeat the teams they need to beat. Coach Bud always projects the persona of being smarter than the average bear, but he has few answers when his team starts playing like Boo-Boo. The work it takes to keep Coach Bud’s team middle-of-the-pack is enviable to clubs like Orlando, but smoke-and-mirrors is never fun when his own team is choking from the smoke. We’ll simply have to wait and see if Schröder’s return is enough for Atlanta to put off their inevitable 16th double-digit defeat of the season for another day. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

“Y’all still got a roster spot open? Just asking for my brother Zoran.” And down the stretch they crawl! The Southeast Division banner remains up for grabs, and the red-hot Washington Wizards and the Atlanta Hawks are making moves in the chase for that top spot and, perchance, a first-round homecourt seed. But now, there’s a third team coming around the outside, looking to do more than just show. It’s the hard-charging Miami heat, who are in the house tonight at Philips Arena (8:00 PM Eastern, 1:00 AM if you’re Dennis Schröder; Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Sun in MIA). Are you constantly worried about Losing Something For Nothing? Imagine being hardly three seasons removed from having LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in your stead, and having a handful of exceptions and cap space to show for that. Coach Spo has made the most of a rough situation even while his team riddled with constant injuries to role players. Just the idea of postseason play was laughable back in mid-January, when the heat were palling around with Brooklyn in the basement of the East. Then came a fiery 14-2 stretch that has Erik Spoelstra’s club within 2.5 games of the 8-seed. Yes, those two defeats came at the hands of the 76ers and Magic. But any notion that their recent 13-game winning streak was an oddly long blip was quashed when they walked into Houston and grounded the Rockets before going into the All-Star Break. The Hawks (32-24) know how good the heat (25-32) can become, even without guard Josh Richardson (foot sprain), the starting 2-guard who rejoins the lineup tonight after a 19-game absence. Richardson’s departure allowed Dion Waiters to step in and do Dion Waiters things (21.0 PPG, 5.1 APG, 46.6 3FG% since the win streak began on Jan. 17). Waiters is just one of four heat players nailing threes at a minimum 40-percent clip since mid-January, including lead guard Goran Dragic (48.4 3FG%), hired-gun Wayne Ellington (40.0%), and the stretchy Luke Babbitt (44.4%). Richardson’s replacement in the lineup, Rodney McGruder (38.8 3FG%) isn’t all that far behind. The Hawks have to figure out how to close out opponents like Miami properly around the perimeter, and the return of (a hopefully healthy) Thabo Sefolosha to the lineup should help in that regard. Atlanta foes shoot 42.1 3FG% from the right corner, 37.8 3FG% from the left side. The only playoff team that allows teams higher corner shot percentages, Denver, is a half-game away from falling to 9th out West. Since Sefolosha aggravated his groin injury back on January, the left-corner defense has been great (NBA-best 21.3 opponent 3FG%), but the right-corner D has sagged (47.3 opponent 3FG%, 3rd-worst in NBA). Being able to mix Sefolosha’s minutes in with rookie wings Taurean Prince and DeAndre’ Bembry will make things easier on coach Mike Budenholzer to provide fuller halfcourt coverage. His Hawks are 7-19 when opponents nail more than 37 percent on triples, a gaudy 25-4 otherwise. The heat barely cleared the bar by shooting 37.5% on threes during their 116-93 drubbing of the Hawks down in Miami on February 1. But Atlanta was much worse, shooting 26.9% from deep to stretch their two-game malaise versus Miami to 11-for-45 3FGs on the season. Compounding matters were virtual no-show efforts (irony alert) from Schröder (12 points, 2 assists, 4 TOs, one rebound in 26 minutes), Dwight Howard (2-for-6 FGs in 25 minutes), and Paul Millsap (9 points, 4-for-9 2FGs in 24 minutes), each of whom must elevate their production when their teammates are cold. As was the case in Miami’s recent win over Atlanta, Hassan Whiteside (18 points, 18 rebounds) stepped up in the heat’s last game in Houston (23 points, 14 rebounds and 5 blocks). He’s continually sore about the laurels thrown at higher-regarded and not-more-accomplished bigs like Porzingis, Antetokounmpo, and Embiid. He’s also sore from his semi-flop, courtesy of Prince’s foul late in the February 1 contest, that left him singing like Snow Patrol: “If I just lay here…” The ensuing reaction from Whiteside’s sell cost Number One Super Guy James Johnson a fine, one which Hassan vowed to repay. He’d love another go at “fake tough guy” Prince, but his bigger priority should be to again outshine Howard, who schooled the young big man the last time these teams faced off on this floor (23 points, 17 boards, 4 assists). That game resulted in a 103-95 win for the Hawks on December 7, a margin that only grew close because of a fourth-quarter spurt from sixth-man guard Tyler Johnson (27 points, 5 assists vs. ATL on Dec. 7). Tonight, Dragic and Johnson will try to exploit a Hawks team that is suddenly short on experienced ballhandlers. Traveling to Germany without his visa, Dennis had to deal with some overseas shenanigans trying to return, causing him to miss yesterday’s practice and compelling the Hawks to suspend him for tonight’s game. The suspension gives Malcolm Delaney his first start tonight. Starters Kent Bazemore and Tim Hardaway, Jr. will offer some support, and the returning Lama Patterson (signed for the balance of the season, along with Ryan Kelly) will be available. But the onus is on Delaney to provide significant, productive minutes at the point. Delaney has thus far been unable to balance the need to provide an occasional offensive spark with the ability to set up teammates. Tonight, he’ll be charged with doing both. In ten games where he has scored in double digits, Malcolm has totaled 18 assists and 16 turnovers. In the other 46 games (4.6 PPG), he has averaged 2.9 assists and 1.3 TOs. Backed by his team’s unwavering commitment, Schröder has coasted at times during the season, but Coach Bud has had few recourses to this point. The team is in search of a veteran to help back these two point guards up, but hopefully the reasons why won’t become painfully obvious tonight. Delaney will get some help with a new perimeter shot-maker on the roster. How do you rid yourself of two players and improve your depth at forward at the same time? Mike Scott and Tiago Splitter are gone, and Ersan Ilyasova adequately takes their place. Previously Philly’s leading scorer not named Embiid (career-best 14.3 PPG), Ilyasova’s jumper has cooled (23.4 February 3FG%) in recent weeks, but not so much that he wouldn’t be a welcome addition to the Hawks roster behind Millsap. Getting spot-up shots from Ilyasova and fellow bench-mate Mike Dunleavy, Jr. should stretch the floor and boost the Hawks’ woeful bench production, assuming each of the team’s bigs and ballhandlers make efforts to draw defenders inward and find them open. Drawing early foul trouble out of Whiteside will be the body blow that pulls his fellow heat defenders off the three-point line and sets up Atlanta for better-quality looks later in the game. On this High Voltage Friday, up against an amped Miami squad, the Hawks can ill afford another power outage to start this stretch run toward the postseason. Which Hawks will step up and electrify this crowd tonight? Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3 View full record

"Just your annual reminder that I'm still here around the office if y'all need anything from me!" ~r1cksund

Wasn't Scottie The O.P. (Original Photobomber)? ~lw3

If it doesn't convey by 2021, they send us a chimichanga. ~lw3

No more Cenk Akyol jokes? Doggone it. Vegas odds at 15:1 we get his rights back down the road. Alain Digbeu is ours for life. ~lw3

I'll always be grateful for the spat with George Hill that came ohhh so close to getting Paul George suspended for Game 7. ~lw3

For the TJones fans (both of ya) here comes your chance! ~lw3