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lethalweapon3

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Blog Entries posted by lethalweapon3

  1. lethalweapon3
    “I need an Around-the-Way Guard…”

    Two Weeks Notice.

    Effectively, that’s what the top-seeded Indiana Pacers were served during the Atlanta Hawks’ last trip to Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the site of tonight’s Game 1 matchup (7:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, ESPN).

    Up until then, the Pacers were teetering on the edge of a mutinous implosion. Paul George struggled to find his jumper (39.6 FG% post-All-Star-Break), while a benched Roy Hibbert was back to sulking on the sideline and moping in the locker room, David West feuded with the refs, and Lance Stephenson and George Hill had to be separated. But despite heading toward a 12-13 finish to the season, most fans still viewed this Pacers team through a lens that showed them tearing up the league with a 16-1 start.

    Through March and into the first week of April, all the Indiana Infighting looked merely like something that might imperil their fateful chance at defeating the defending champion Miami HEAT in the Conference Finals and clinching their first trip to the NBA Finals since Larry Bird and Rick Carlisle led the charge in 2000.

    Then, on a Sunday evening, fresh off of two months of struggling basketball, the Atlanta Hawks dropped by the Fieldhouse and issued Indiana a warrant. It came in the form of a 107-88 shellacking that wasn’t even that close, a 55-23 halftime lead that resulted in Atlanta’s biggest margin of victory against an above-.500 team all season. On April 6, the message to Indiana was never more clear. Clean up your act. Because we might be back. You have two weeks to get your crap together. Figure out how to execute, or else we might be the ones doing the executing.

    It would seem like tough talk from a team like Atlanta that scooted into the final spot of a weak Eastern Conference playoff pool, finishing the season with a losing 38-44 record, their worst in six seasons. Despite a subsequent loss in Miami, Indiana indeed seemed to right the ship in time to reclaim the East’s top spot from the HEAT, including a satisfying home win against Oklahoma City (Hibbert’s listless 0-for-9 performance notwithstanding).

    But Head Coach Frank Vogel has his work cut out for him in figuring out how to consistently stifle a Hawks team that lit up the scoreboard on his Pacers with greater ease than anyone else in the Eastern Conference (104.6 points and 27.3 assists per 100 possessions, 48.2 team FG%). Conversely, only the trying-to-tank 76ers scored less often against the Hawks than Indiana did (97.3 points per 100 possessions).

    Indiana has spent the last few days trying to impress upon the public that the reported internal consternation was merely a conjuring of the media. The real problem, the players and coaches insist, was a lack of rest time between games (on the season, the Hawks had 21 back-to-backs, the Pacers 20), a problem that will magically disappear now that there’s a one-or-two-day interim period going forward. Were the Pacers just playing Postseason Possum this time? It remains to be seen whether that’s the truth or just talking points.

    The Pacers have each of their top five starters back from 2012-13, but they can’t roll out the same game plan they had last year, when they solved their Philips Arena hex to take the series against Larry Drew’s Hawks 4-2 in the opening round. Three of Atlanta’s top four playoff scorers, six of the Hawks’ top eight, are not with this year’s entry. Paul Millsap won’t be lofting threes as inefficiently and out-of-rhythm as professional gremlin Josh Smith did. Ivan Johnson won’t be around getting easily trolled by Indiana’s physical play. Roy Hibbert won’t be pushing Al Horford out of the paint. And the returning Hawks from last year’s series (Jeff Teague, Kyle Korver, Mike Scott, and Shelvin Mack, a combined 36.9 FG% and 34.0 3FG% in the 2013 series) have grown far more comfortable in the flow of Budenholzer’s offensive gameplans.

    With Atlanta’s centers setting screens and hanging out from the elbows out, Millsap has been tag-teamed mercilessly by West (Millsap 4-for-15 shooting, as per SportVu tracking stats) and Hibbert (Millsap 1-for-7 shooting). Yet he still found ways to contribute by other means, his 37 total rebounds the most against any team the Hawks played on four occasions this season. Millsap’s defensive rating against the Pacers (97.1 points per 100 possessions) was the best against any East playoff team this season aside from Charlotte.

    According to SportVu stats, Jeff Teague has shot just 5-for-14 when he’s defended by his fellow Indy native Hill. But Teague figured out that he has little problem getting by Hill (and even Paul George) and producing offense, for himself and others, off of drives in the paint. Stephenson’s and George's occupations with Korver (10-for-20 3FGs, 64.7 FG% vs. Indiana) and the Pacer bigs packing the paint to deal with Millsap opens things up for Teague (25 points on 9-for-17 FGs on April 6) when he gets penetration. The situation for the Pacers gets all the more dire when they have to rely on the bench guards (C.J. Watson, Evan Turner and Donald Sloan, in particular) and guys like Luis Scola upfront to keep Hawk guards away from the rim. Predictably, Andrew Bynum won’t be available for this series.

    Indiana needs an attitude adjustment (the “small-a” version) in the worst way. For the Pacers to seize a dominant foothold on this series, several other things must change quickly. One of Hibbert or West must trust the other’s defense of Millsap down low and come out to defend Pero Antić (3-for-4 3FGs, 7-for-8 FGs on April 6).

    Hibbert struggled offensively at the outset of last year’s series until he figured out how to effectively score on jump-hooks around the rim. The dump-ins to Hibbert and West have to come early and often, as it will draw Korver and DeMarre Carroll in to help, putting that wing duo at risk of foul trouble and granting leading-scorer George (40.2 FG% from 10-to-16 feet) more room to roam from mid-range. Ultimately, to rev up Indiana’s offensive engines, it is up to Hill to get the ball to spots where his teammates are most effective.

    To keep his starters fresh throughout this series Vogel will have to figure out a combination of reserves that can slow down Atlanta’s backups, particularly Lou Williams (49.0 FG%, 60.7 2FG%, 92.9 FT% in April), Mike Scott (53.8 FG%, 63.4 2FG% in April; 53.1 FG% vs. Indiana), Elton Brand (58.7 FG% in April; 53.8 FG% vs. Indiana), and Shelvin Mack (5.3 APG vs. Indiana). Atlanta’s reserves have outscored Indiana’s by 9.3 PPG this season, a gap that would be even wider had Vogel not chosen to empty the bench during Atlanta’s April 6 blowout.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  2. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Bucks

    By lethalweapon3,

    "Déjà Drew"?


    You’ll forgive Milwaukee Bucks fans if they’re paying even less attention than Atlanta Hawks fans to tonight’s matchup at BMO Harris Bradley Center (8 PM Eastern, SportSouth, Fox Sports Wisconsin).

    There will probably be fewer attendees for this one than participants in Ekpe Udoh’s Book Club. But each Buck fan will have one eye darting at the sudden changes in the owner’s box, and the other aimed toward the goings-on over in Durham, North Carolina.

    Today, Kohl and the Gang reached a half-billion-buck deal with a pair of filthy-rich hedge funders who have pinkie-swore they’ll never pack up this franchise and ship them out of America’s Dairyland. Now that they’ve fought off the Sixers’ 26-game losing streak and stumbled their way to the worst record (15-66, 2-16 in their past 18 games) in franchise history, Milwaukee’s also looking for any inkling from Jabari Parker that he’ll declare and deepen the talent pool for the NBA draft this summer.

    As you’ve probably heard by now, this year’s Bucks are just the third team in NBA history to get through an entire season without a single back-to-back pair of victories. They join the 1986-87 Clippers and our lovable Hawks from 2004-05 in NBA infamy. Who’s the common thread on all three of those teams? Larry Drew, who played for the Clips, was an assistant for the Hawks, and now wears out the chewing gum on the sidelines in Brew City.

    For sure, Larry drew the short straw when it came to available coaching gigs last summer (Mo Cheeks might disagree). But this year’s collapse shouldn’t necessarily mean his job is in any jeopardy. Aside from the draft, management struck out on so many fronts over the past year: Larry Sanders, Caron Butler, O.J. Mayo, Ersan Ilyasova, Carlos Delfino, Gary Neal, and Luke Ridnour all lived out, or played out, their worst-case scenarios on GM John Hammond’s watch.

    Unaccustomed to leaning on inexperienced youngsters to keep his teams competitive, Drew has been compelled to turn to a band of green players exhibiting varied levels of will and skill (most notably, Brandon Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, John Henson, Jeff Adreian, Chris Wright, Miroslav Raduljica, and the injured Nate Wolters). Each of these guys have shown enough flashes of promise to give Drew something to show off to his new ownership tandem. In his silver-lining shpiel, Drew can tack on a bit of a garbage-time renaissance from ex-Bobcat guard Ramon Sessions (16.2 PPG, 4.7 APG, 5.2 FTs per game, 46.3 FG%, 83.9 FT% since the deadline trade to Milwaukee).

    Even with new owners coming to town, LD will probably get to see through at least one of his two remaining years under contract. Surely, Zaza Pachulia doesn’t want to be left hanging. Georgia’s favorite Georgian signed an offer he couldn’t refuse last summer to join Drew up north. But he couldn’t possibly have imagined starting at center for 43 games this season (would’ve been even more, had he not missed two months with a re-aggravated foot injury).

    The puff-puff-passing Larry Sanders’ throwaway season made this extra floor time essential from Z-Pac, who’s also sporting stitches over his eye after getting gashed two weeks ago in Chicago. On a team shooting 43.7 percent from the field (26th in NBA), the man who ranks in the top 20 all-time in NBA offensive rebounding percentage has become a literal utility.

    With a playoff series against the top-seeded Indiana Pacers looming around the corner, the Hawks have two overriding goals in mind while playing the NBA’s worst team tonight. Execute on both ends, and don’t get hurt. Aside from Paul Millsap, pretty much everyone on the roster will get a chance at some floor burn tonight.

    Knight and Sessions could serve as nice warm-up competition for Jeff Teague, who missed the 112-87 beatdown of the Bucks on January 25 with an ankle sprain. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week may get a brief chance to show Milwaukeeans what they’ve been missing since Danny Ferry matched the Bucks’ contract offer last July.

    Tonight will be an even better opportunity for Dennis Schröder (8 points, 5 assists and no turnovers in a 102-97 defeat of the Bucks on March 13) and the Hawks’ reserve guards and wings to make amends after bailing out the Bobcats on Monday night. They allowed ex-Bucks Ridnour, Gary Neal, and Chris Douglas-Roberts to wither away a cushy 15-point fourth-quarter lead right down to the closing second.

    The second-unit has to be able to demonstrate an ability to hold, and occasionally expand, hard-earned leads. The more effective of the bunch will likely be among the first off Budenholzer’s bench when Game 1 kicks off this weekend in Indianapolis.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  3. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Bobcats

    By lethalweapon3,

    He goes hard in the... yeah, you know. "Cover the Earth!"


    Surely you remember that hapless kid, back in the day, who was a pushover patsy in the sandlot and a boundless source for extra lunch money? What’s that? “Sounds like a personal problem,” you say? Fine then, never mind.

    But you do recall those Charlotte Bobcats, don’t you? The ones formerly led by Meddling Michael in the player personnel office? The guys that took Sean May and Adam Morrison in the lottery? The team that finally clawed their way into the playoffs, then promptly undertook a fire sale the next season? The team that drafted Tobias Harris, then traded him, and their leading scorer, for Bismack Biyombo? The franchise that spectacularly tanked their way to the worst record in NBA history… and got Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for their troubles?

    No matter how wretched the Hawks got during the Al Horford Era, they could always count on their ne’er-do-well cousins up I-85 to know their role as Atlanta’s underlings and play it well. That’s especially been true in recent years, as the Cats have lost eleven straight to the Hawks over the past three seasons.

    Well, I hope you’ve had your fun, Hawks. Because, those Bad News Bobcats? Well, they’ve been drinking milk, and getting stronger! They’ve been like Cam Newton’s scheming young protégé, just loosening up their arms this whole time. And take a look at them now, all big and strong (strong as you are, for whatever that’s worth) and clinging to their first playoff spot in ages as if it were some voluptuous senior prom queen. Hercules! Hercules!

    Much like Atlanta, Charlotte (41-39) has slipped up just once in their past six games. While Charlotte gets a completely new makeover next season, re-clad in purple-and-teal as the Hornets, the Bobcats are eager to validate their evolution out of longtime-laughingstock status with a victory tonight at the Highlight Factory (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, FoxSports South in CLT).

    The Hawks (37-43) almost got served their homecourt comeuppance back on December 28, before Pero Antić heard his inner Mister Miyagi and sunk his only shot of the game, a one-legged corner three with seconds remaining in regulation. Ten straight free throws from Lou Williams in the extra frame sealed the deal and kept Charlotte winless in Atlanta ever since Stephen Jackson’s buzzer-beater back in February 2011. On St. Patty’s Day in Carolina, a paltry 31 second-half points doomed the Bobcats’ chances at ending the streak, as there was no defensive answer for Paul Millsap (28 points, 12-for-20 shooting).

    A win tonight would not only grant the Cats their second winning season in their ten seasons of existence, it might earn them a more advantageous playoff position in the first-round. Washington is one game ahead of them in the standings with two games to play. If the 2-seed and 3-seed spots hold up, the 6-seed would face an inexperienced Toronto Raptors squad, leaving the 7-seed to deal with the defending NBA champion Miami HEAT. The Bobcats own the tiebreaker with the Wizards, if it comes to that.

    Atlanta, meanwhile, has nothing of significance associated with a victory tonight, save for a petty chance to remind the Bobcats once more who the older brother is in this division, while possibly dooming them to a tougher first-round matchup. The Hawks are the sole Eastern Conference team that knows its exact playoff seed, waiting to see how Miami and the Pacers shake out.
    Accordingly, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer intends to grant Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and DeMarre Carroll some well-earned rest on the pine. Don’t be surprised to see other vets like starters Jeff Teague, Lou Williams, and Antić to get a short hook as well, along with Twyman-Stokes nominee Elton Brand later in the game.

    At the outset, this game will likely feature two candidates for Conference Player of the Week. Teague (20.3 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 TO/G, 50.9 FG%, 91.8 FT% last four games) will go up against the improving Kemba Walker (likely to play despite missing some action last week with a groin strain). Teague (35.2 assist percentage, 2nd in NBA East), whose assertiveness arrived just in time for the Hawks to beat three top-seeded teams in the past eight days, may be one of the few candidates to keep Al Jefferson (27.0 PPG, 13.3 RPG last three games) from winning his third Conference Player award in the past five weeks. (UPDATE: Oh, lookie there! Way to go, Jeffrey DeMarco! Make sure Lil' Bro gets to touch the trophy.)

    With few top-line forwards in the game for Atlanta, look for attempts at big games from Josh McRoberts and Gerald Henderson, both of whom have been wildly inconsistent. Ex-Hawk Anthony Tolliver (41.7 3FG%, 13th in NBA) may be rediscovering his long-range shooting stroke (11.7 PPG, 10-for-17 on threes last three games) after an awful month of March. Kidd-Gilchrist remains an offensive threat only insofar as when he gets angles to the rim (25.3 FG% away from the rim).

    Although Teague will start, Dennis Schröder and Shelvin Mack will get ample opportunities to continue keeping Walker (28.6 FG% in last 3 games vs. Atlanta, including 7-for-35 on 2FGs) under wraps. SMack remains a decent ballhandling option (1.3 TOs per game in March/April), but his poor shot selection (36.7 FG%, 30.6 3FG% since March; 0-for-6 vs. Miami) and inability to draw trips to the line (1.0 FTAs per game, 95.0 FT%) have lately resulted in de facto wasted possessions for the Hawks.

    German Chocolate will be the likely offering from Budenholzer in the second half. Schröder rested against Miami and contributed four dimes in 12 productive minutes versus Brooklyn. Clifford would like to counter with veteran trade-deadline acquisition Luke Ridnour. The force hasn’t been with this Luke in quite some time, and Schröder can make hay for his team by persistently beating Ridnour off the dribble.

    George is possibly the only surnamed “Jefferson” that has taken more adversaries to the cleaners than Al, who is about as sure-handed an offensive talent as the league has to offer. “El Jefe” has stepped up his veteran leadership for rookie Head Coach Steve Clifford, ranking 5th in the NBA in total field goals and 7th in rebounds per game while steadily improving his offensive output (26.5 PPG in April, up from 15.8 in October/November).

    The Other Big Al (with apologies to Mr. Harrington) joins All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge as the only NBA players ranked in the top ten for usage (29.4%, 6th in NBA) and turnover percentage (7.6%, 7th lowest in NBA). He has proven himself an ideal fit for a franchise trademarked by wayward shooting and reckless ballhandling in seasons past, elements now corralled under Clifford’s low-paced (94.9 possessions per-48, 10th lowest in NBA), low-risk system.

    Not known for his defensive acumen, Jefferson’s career-high 8.6 defensive RPG has him enjoying his career-lowest defensive rating on a team that ranks sixth in the league (101.3 opponent points per 100 possessions). While his former frontcourt mate Millsap received All-Star accolades, look for some All-NBA Third Team votes coming Jefferson’s way.

    The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Month as well, Jefferson is an ideal late-season matchup for starter Mike Scott tonight, specifically when Clifford goes big and plays Jefferson at the 4-spot. Scott gives up some 30 pounds to Jefferson, but secured some tough rebounds amidst the trees against Miami, in perhaps his most effective outing in the two months since his jumpshooting accuracy went south (20-for-42 on 3FGs in February, 10-for-55 in March/April). For the truly desperate viewers, rookie second-rounder Mike Muscala against last year’s #4-overall pick Cody Zeller (and/or Biyombo) should be fun to watch.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  4. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - HEAT

    By lethalweapon3,

    “If you like your jersey, you can keep it.”


    Playoff positioning is on the line once again at the Highlight Factory, this time for both teams on the floor. The Atlanta Hawks can cement their claim on the final playoff spot in the East, and maybe build some momentum against a first-round opponent, with another victory at Philips Arena against the Miami HEAT (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, SUN Sports Network).

    It’s Hip Hop Night and already, the HEAT got what the Hawks need. Miami (54-25) traded places at the top of the conference with a victory back home against the Indiana Pacers. Indy, though, holds a tiebreaker with a superior in-conference record (37-14) to Miami (34-15). Another loss for the defending NBA champs tonight would not only drop them back into a tie, it could cede an eventual conference title game to the Pacers’ homecourt.

    So, the HEAT will need all hands on deck to secure a win tonight. You heard that, Dwyane Wade? Flash has been far from feeling like a grandmaster lately. He’s been saddled with hamstring and Achilles issues since March 26 and has been rested for nine straight games. Head Coach Erik Spoelstra would prefer his franchise pillar to be as close to 100 percent as possible when the playoffs start. But with a possible Conference Finals Game 7 site hanging in the balance, he can’t afford any slip-ups in the forthcoming road games at Atlanta (36-43) and Washington.

    In Wade’s place, Jonesboro’s Toney Douglas has been starting in the backcourt for 12 of the past 13 games alongside Mario Chalmers. A mid-season acquisition (Miami sent Joel Anthony, two future draft picks, and cash to the Celtics as part of a three-way trade), Douglas has provided defensive pressure but not much else (4.8 PPG, 2.5 APG, 41.7 FG%, 26.9 3FG%) in the starter’s role, although the deal that brought him to Miami will bring the HEAT salary cap relief this summer. Douglas’ presence also keeps sharpshooter Ray Allen (2.4 3FGs/game, 12.9 PPG, 41.4 3FG% last 12 games) coming off the bench as fresh as Doug E.

    Also out of action since March 26 has been season-long experiment Greg Oden, ushering Miami mainstay Udonis Haslem (60.3 FG% as a starter; 38.3 FG% as a reserve) back to the top line. Having a second big keeps Chris Bosh from having to log heavy minutes at the 5-spot, and allows likely MVP runner-up LeBron James to shift to the small forward role.

    Dealing with insignificant contributions from the centers, uneven performances from Bosh, the excused absences from Wade, and a decline in three-point production (36.7 team 3FG%, down from 39.2% last year), James has become more of a do-everything player than even in his previous MVP seasons. In addition to being Miami’s top scorer (career-high 56.9 FG% and 62.4 2FG%), rebounder, and passer, he’s becoming their most likely three-point shooter (1.5 3FGs per game, slightly behind Allen) and turnover-creator (1.6 SPG, a shade behind Chalmers). He has been able to leave the rim-protection to Bosh and Chris Andersen, as his 0.3 BPG is a career-low.

    Rebounding has been a problem all-season long for the HEAT (last in NBA for offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds per-48), although the issues have been tempered by a snail’s pace (93.2 possessions per-48, 27th in NBA) and smart shot-selection (50.3 FG%, only NBA team shooting above 50%). The absence of boards becomes more pronounced whenever the HEAT take their show on the road, getting outrebounded by an average of over five per game.

    With insufficient second-chance opportunities, a bad shooting night eventually spells doom for Miami (3-10 when shooting below 45 percent). DeMarre Carroll and Elton Brand can help the Hawks’ cause by forcing tough shots from James and Bosh, and helping the Hawks win the rebounding battles.

    Carroll was a DNP-CD last season in a win-or-go-home regular season finale, when Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and the Jazz lost in Memphis. Jefferson’s Charlotte Bobcats are already set for the postseason, and Millsap and Carroll remain eager to join them as soon as possible. Conceivably, Atlanta could wait until Wednesday in Milwaukee to try and nail down the final playoff spot. But they know they can leave a far more impressive mark by taking out the East’s top two teams in the space of a week.

    Last night, they also managed to beat a shorthanded Nets team that hadn’t lost in Brooklyn in over two months. That was despite a sloppy start and wayward team shooting from the perimeter (1-for-19 3FGs, fewest threes made in almost three years). Escaping with the win and adhering to the Law of Averages should have the Hawks’ shooters coming into tonight’s game feeling confident. But Atlanta’s guards will be challenged along the perimeter by the roving Chalmers and Douglas. Meanwhile, Shane Battier will work through screens to keep up with Kyle Korver, whose mini-Threak concluded last night after 13 games.

    Even if the iron remains a little unkind for Atlanta, having James and Bosh treading out to defend perimeter shooters will spread Miami’s defense thin and allow Millsap and Pero Antić ample opportunities to get putbacks and extend possessions (14.4 Miami opponent second-chance points per 100 possessions, 4th most in NBA).

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  5. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Nets

    By lethalweapon3,

    This game was supposed to mean so much more! *sniff*

    It would have been so awesome if it were tonight’s hosts for the Atlanta Hawks, the Brooklyn Nets (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, YES Network), and not just Brooklyn’s division foes across the East River, playing for their postseason lives. Alas, while the New York Knicks continued to sputter all season long, the Nets (43-35) bounced back strongly from internal strife and a season-ending injury to Brook Lopez to post the best record in the Eastern Conference (33-14) since January 1.

    Atlanta has a couple opportunities this weekend to build confidence as a probable 8th seed. First, they could double their road record versus winning teams (1-21, the sole win in their last outing against Indiana) with a victory against a Nets team that hasn’t lost at the Barclays Center since January 31 (15 straight home wins). They could then return to Atlanta and pull off their second-consecutive home win against possible first-round opponents, the defending NBA champion Miami HEAT, on Saturday.

    The Nets are all but certain to go into the postseason as the East’s 5th seed. As such, Head Coach Jason Kidd is eager to rest players dealing with lingering ailments and injuries. Andray Blatche has been dealing with the flu, Shaun Livingston (toe) is already declared out, and Paul Pierce (hip pointer) remains questionable to appear. Alan Anderson will likely fill in the starting 2-spot for defensive purposes, while trade-deadline acquisition Marcus Thornton (shipped by Sacramento for Jason Terry and Reggie Evans) has been more than adequate when Brooklyn needs an offensive infusion.
    Kevin Garnett has returned to the rotation after missing more than a month due to back spasms, although J-Kidd is slowly increasing, while monitoring, his floor time.

    Of course, it hasn’t really mattered who has been available for the Nets ever since a buzzer-beater from Joe Moneybags plundered the Thunder back on January 2 and turned their entire season around. I posited in the now-dormant Netswatch thread that Joe puts on his cape only when there’s an individual accolade or personal goal to chase. His torrid January performances ceased right after the coaches voted him into the All-Star Game, but since the All-Star Break and particularly since mid-March, he’s played like a man who knows an All-NBA 3rd Team nod is within reach. In his last 15 games, Joe has poured in 19.3 points per game while shooting 52.9 FG% and 44.6 3FG%.

    Young bigs Mirza Teletovic and Mason Plumlee have stood in the gaps created by the absences of Garnett and Andrei Kirilenko and the trade of Evans. Teletovic has sunk five or more three-pointers on eight occasions this season, including sinking five of his 12 three-point attempts during the Nets’ loss in Orlando on Wednesday. Plumlee has averaged 13.3 PPG on 79.3 FG% in his last three games, which included a game-sealing block of LeBron James in Miami that, coupled with Indiana’s issues, left King LeBron with Bitter Beer Face when postgame media asked whether Brooklyn is their biggest threat for a return to the Finals.

    Heading toward the playoffs, which of these two teams has a higher in-conference record? It’s a trick question, really, as both teams come in with a 25-23 record. Atlanta’s is perhaps more impressive given they have three other playoff teams in its division, while Brooklyn’s division has just one other Top-8 team.

    On Wednesday, Jeff Teague took over at critical junctures to boost the Hawks past Rajon Rondo and the Celtics, avoiding a disastrous mid-week home sweep. Against the Nets, he’ll get a chance to show off his rediscovered jumpshot and finishing ability (20.0 PPG, 53.1 FG%, and 44.4 3FG% last five games; also 7.8 APG and 2.6 TO/G) as little brother Marquis watches on. Deron Williams will get some rest today as J-Kidd goes with Mexico's first NBA guard, Jorge Gutierrez (per-36: 8.7 PPG, 4.7 APG, 1.8 SPG), as the starter. Jeff and the Hawks’ lead guards must dictate the pace-of-play and continue creating open looks for teammates. They’ll have to do those things while taking care of the ball against a Nets team that thrives on a slow-tempo offense (93.6 possessions per 48 minutes, 6th lowest pace in NBA) and an opportunistic defense (14.9 opponent turnover percentage, 3rd best in NBA).

    DeMarre Carroll has struggled of late with his outside shot (1-for-10 3FGs), but getting him or Lou Williams going from long-range alongside Kyle Korver can help open up the middle for Paul Millsap (19.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 46.6 FG% in last 20 games) and Elton Brand (old-school 13-and-13, plus 3 steals against Boston on Wednesday). If Pero Antić (ankle) can play tonight, he can be useful in offsetting Teletovic’s three-point production off the bench.

    Head Coach Mike Budenholzer would love to rest his starters sooner rather than later, no one moreso than Millsap, who has been treated in similar fashion to Waffle House has browns by recent opponents. But he can’t sit these guys until the 8th seed is locked down. If Carmelo can’t provide heroics tonight in Toronto, a win tonight on the herringbone floor would seal up that final playoff spot and allow us to enjoy the exploits of Mike Muscala the rest of the way.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  6. lethalweapon3
    Never gets old, does it?


    So, does anybody want to win a game around here? That’s the question two new coaches are likely asking of their teams tonight, as the Boston Celtics pay the Atlanta Hawks a visit (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN Northeast).

    Before burying their positive momentum toward the postseason in a barrage of missed three-point shots last night versus the Smoove-less Pistons, the Hawks’ most disappointing defeats at the Highlight Factory came in November, with losses to the Magic and these same Celtics (minus Rajon Rondo).

    Head Coach Mike Budenholzer noted there was a notable lack of focus and effort, for a team that needs both, from the beginning of the Pistons game. For Budenholzer, the three-point shots are an avowed and crucial element of what he is trying to implement. With five games to go, this team (25.9 3FGA per game) has already jacked up 97 more of them than the record volume attained last year under Larry Drew (23.2 3FGA per game). Players from Paul Millsap (113 3FGAs in his prior seven seasons, 206 this season and counting) to DeMarre Carroll to Mike Scott (1 three-point attempt in 40 appearances last season, 184 this season) have committed to expanding their range for the sake of making Budenholzer’s “Hawks Cycle” system functional.

    But there are other components Budenholzer wants to see on the floor as well -- among them, playing with pace, protecting the rock, helping teammates box out and securing the rebound. And there were too many instances in last night’s loss where those activities were imperceptible to the naked eye. It seems as if, to get this team to play with the full-court focus Budenholzer demands, somebody absolutely has to pop a couple threes just to get the party started.

    The Hawks flustered the Pacers into submission, in part, by going 5-for-9 on triples in the first quarter on Sunday night. Against Detroit (1-for-8 in the first quarter), they wouldn’t see their fifth made three-pointer until midway through the third quarter. That shot preceded Atlanta’s last surge for a four-point lead. Alas, there were too many turnovers, wasted possessions, and Piston putbacks at the start and end of the game for Atlanta to keep up. After the Hawks took a 71-67 lead, Detroit scored five of their next six buckets within ten feet of the rim to seize the lead back for the last time.

    Atlanta’s 26 missed threes versus Detroit tied the season-high last month at Golden State. Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll were instrumental to the 14-point third-quarter swing to put the Hawks on top, but otherwise were atrocious with shooting (combined 6-for-26, including 4-for-17 from three-point-land) and helping the bigs on the defensive glass, particularly in the first and final quarters.

    Atlanta’s been putrid from long-range on two occasions this season against the Celtics (5-for-20 and dominated late in the final quarter of the November loss; 5-for-29 but were carried by Millsap in a late one-point win on New Year’s Eve). So the Hawks know they have to do other things especially well when there’s a power outage along the perimeter.

    While Budenholzer is trying to get his squad to play with focus, Boston Head Coach Brad Stevens would be happy getting his Celtics (23-47, losers of their last eight and 13 of their last 14) to just play. Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley, and Kris Humphries are all dealing with nagging injuries, and at least the tanking fans of the world believe Boston would be best suited if they get rested for the balance of the season. Stevens will have none of that, adding, “I talked about it the other day, you find out a lot about people with five games left in a season when you're on an eight-game losing streak.”

    Stevens would absolutely like to find out a lot about these players over the next five games, particularly free agents like Bradley (career-high 14.2 PPG) and Humphries, and who meshes well in the starting lineup with franchise point guard Rajon Rondo. Rondo is usually playing only the first of back-to-back games, and should be activated tonight. The jury is out on Jeff Green’s ability to be an alpha-dog (career-high 16.7 PPG, career-low 40.8 FG%), but Carroll and Millsap keeping him at bay (33.5 FG% away from the rim) will make this game an uphill battle for Boston.

    Sullinger and Bradley wasn’t available for the last meeting with the Hawks in Boston, on February 26. But Atlanta had no centers save Elton Brand, and the Hawks had no answer for the two-pronged guard attack of Rondo (season-high 22 points, 11 assists) and mid-season acquisition Jerryd Bayless (season-high 29 points). Similar to last night, Atlanta couldn’t keep any Celtics away from the offensive glass (37.8 team offensive rebounding percentage).

    Pero Antić (three defensive boards last night) must be more imposing as a rim defender and spark the Hawks’ transition game. The Hawks in transition will be buoyed by the availability of Lou Williams (hamstring), who was a scratch for last night’s game.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  7. lethalweapon3
    Thanks to Josh Smith, Detroit's whole season just kind of bobbled away...


    So, you like tanking, you say? Well then, tonight’s opponents for the Atlanta Hawks, the Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM Eastern, NO LOCAL TV), are your kind of team.

    Sure, the playoffs are officially a lost cause in Motown for the fifth-straight year, likely the death knell for Joe Dumars’ worn-out-his-welcome tenure as general manager. But the Pistons still have something very important to (not) play for.

    This year’s pick in the much-ballyhooed NBA Draft would be handed to Charlotte as a result of a legendary “Dumars Special,” the Corey Maggette-Ben Gordon swap… but it’s Top-8 Protected. The Pistons sit exactly in the 8th spot for the draft, now 2.5 games “ahead” of Dion Waiters’ Cleveland Cavs, with five games to go.

    Suffice to say, the Pistons want that draft pick, or at least the heightened odds of moving into the Top 3. Meanwhile, the Hawks want Detroit, and not their division-rival Charlotte Horcats, to have that #8 (or higher) pick. Atlanta also purportedly desires a trip to the postseason, as evidenced by their trouncing of the stumbling Pacers in Indy on Sunday, and back-to-back defeats of the Pistons and Celtics at home can go a long way toward sealing the deal.

    So, this should all add up to an Easy-Bake Hawks win tonight, right? Right?

    Well, not so fast! The Pistons still have a troll up their sleeve. Josh Smith has long been that dude who insists on making his life’s mission something people would really rather he not do.

    The first sign for Pistons fans that Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark came way back in November, when Smoove strutted into the Highlight Factory for his triumphant return and came away with no three-pointers (although he tried... 0-for-4) and 11 points on 5-for-15 shooting. Two nights later, at The Mausoleum at Auburn Hills, Detroit’s leading scorer was forced to come off the bench, then received a Hibbertesque early hook courtesy of former coach Mo Cheeks after going 0-for-7 from the field.

    With Atlanta amidst a freefall and missing an injured Jeff Teague (18.0 PPG and 8.0 APG vs. Detroit in November) on the road, Smith (17 points, 10 rebounds) finally notched his first victory against his old team in February, despite his own team giving up 63 points in the first half. Deep down, though, you know he’d love just one more shot to show the folks in his old stomping grounds what they’ve been missing, maybe imperiling Atlanta’s postseason hopes in the process. Implications for his own team be damned.

    Interim Head Coach John Loyer (7-20) took over for Cheeks (21-29) in early February and promptly short-circuited the experiment of rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at the starting 2-spot, replacing him with Kyle Singler (91.8 FT% post-All-Star-Break, don’t foul that guy). A Georgia native, KCP would like a shot at redemption after going 1-for-9 during his last visit to Atlanta. Former Georgia Tech star Will Bynum (7 assists in 23 minutes vs. Atlanta on February 21) and future unrestricted free agent Rodney Stuckey (15.7 PPG and 48.6 FG% in 3 games vs. the Hawks this season) also hope to join Caldwell-Pope off the bench, striving to bedevil the Hawks’ defense. If Bynum cannot play with his sore left foot, look for last year's Final Four star Peyton Siva to get a boost of end-of-season minutes, especially against rested Atlanta rookie Dennis Schröder.

    In Michigan, lawmakers are ardently debating whether to make the blueberry, or the cherry, the official state fruit. Andre Drummond is clearly stumping for the latter, as he has been cherry-picking the basket with jubilee all season long. The proud UConn Husky is easily outpacing all NBA players with 5.3 offensive boards per game. According to MLive, he’s the first player to reach 400 offensive rebounds in a season since Jayson Williams and Dennis Rodman back in 1998. During the 21st century, the standard-bearer for O-boards in a season had been our very own Elton Brand, who snagged 396 of them with the 2001-02 Clippers.

    If you are to reach such a lofty pinnacle as Drummond, though, it helps to have a bevy of Chuck McChuckersons on your team. With their top two scorers in Smith (career-low 41.9 FG%, career-high 3.4 3FGAs per game) and Brandon Jennings (37.6 FG%, lowest since rookie season; career-low 16.5 points per-36) “leading” the way, Detroit takes the fourth-most field goal attempts in the Association but shoots just 44.8 FG%, including 32.0 3FG% (29th in NBA). With everyone among the Pistons’ top 10 scorers aside from Drummond (62.4 FG%, on a lot of putbacks, 2nd in NBA) and restricted free-agent-to-be Greg Monroe (50.2 FG%) shooting below 45%, there are enough bricks produced this season to rebuild Ponce City Market.

    From a distance, it would seem Drummond would be better served letting Greg Monroe (3.1 offensive RPG) vie for the majority of offensive rebounds. That would allow Drummond to focus more on the defensive end of the floor, where he’s no slouch, either (1.2 SPG, 1.6 BPG, 7.7 defensive RPG). Piston opponents that manage to beat Drummond to the ball can often get down the floor in transition against the defensively disinterested Jennings, Singler, and Monroe, leaving it to Smith and Drummond to chase people down. Thus, despite Dre’s defensive prowess, as a team Detroit gives up 17.6 baskets in the restricted area (5th most in NBA) and 44 points-in-the-paint (3rd most in the East).

    When Drummond does go for the offensive rebound, it’s like a hot potato he has to do something with quickly (tip-in, putback, or pass out) before he gets hacked. He has the team’s highest free throw rate (40.3 FTAs per 100 FGA) but his accuracy from the stripe (41.8 FT%, 2nd lowest in NBA; 40.3% on the road) makes Josh (53.2 FT%, 8th worst in NBA) look like Chauncey Billups.

    It’s safe to say Atlanta’s team-rebounding effort needs to be on point throughout tonight’s affair. Pero Antić may have rediscovered his longball (3-for-4 on threes vs. Indiana on Sunday), but he also provided decent interior play to befuddle Indiana’s bigs on the way to his career-high 18 points. Paul Millsap (20.8 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 57.1 FG% last 4 games; 23 points on February 21 vs. Detroit) trudged through the back end of the Hawks’ big victory in Indiana while hampered by a bruised thumb. He’s fairly certain to give it a go tonight, and we'll see if the injury continues to affect his shot.

    But Atlanta’s offense will need balanced scoring from off the bench, with Lou Williams (14.1 PPG in his last 7 games) sitting to rest a sore hammy. The Pistons will need to find somebody to do something with Mike Scott (20 points on February 21, 51.6 FG% thru 3 games vs. Detroit), but they can’t forget about Shelvin Mack, either (21 points and 8 assists, starting in place of Teague on February 21).

    Teague should have little problem continuing to get around opponents for drives, but he and the Hawks' point guards will face much more on-ball pressure from Jennings than they did on Sunday from George Hill. Detroit's 8.4 SPG ranks 7th in the league, and their 18.3 PPG off turnovers ranks 6th. Each of the Pistons' top nine players average at least one steal per 36 minutes. A sloppy game works in Detroit's favor, or at least Josh Smith's.

    Aside from Singler, there’s another Kyle on the floor who Detroit may not want to foul. Kyle Korver (93.1 FT%) has missed all of six freebies all season. He’s been in a drought with no attempts in the past three games, but he did average 3.7 FTAs during Atlanta’s last six-game winning streak. Atlanta has a record of 18-7 when he gets at least two attempts in a game, 10-3 when he takes three or more.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  8. lethalweapon3
    Tell us the story about The One-Seed That Got Away!





    If the postseason was based purely on locker-room levity, the Atlanta Hawks would stroll into today’s meeting with the Indiana Pacers (6:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth and FSN Indiana locally, NBATV nationally) looking like the probable 2-seed. The Pacers would probably be the team that has to play their way in.

    After earning league-wide accolades with a 40-12 start before the All-Star Break, Indiana has been downright pedestrian ever since (13-12), especially on the road. After believing they may have righted their ship with a home win against defending champ Miami on March 26, the Pacers have dropped four of their last five, including a double-digit loss in Cleveland (absent Kyrie Irving) last week.

    The downturn in Naptown has been accompanied by more finger-pointing than you’d find at a John Travolta dance party. Most Improved Player candidate Lance Stephenson’s composure evaporates way too easily, and he seems overly occupied with getting his triple-double magic back (none since January). David West is whining on the court, while Roy Hibbert is moping off of it in the locker room pressers, the All-Star center with five assists in his last eight games complaining about “some selfish dudes in here”.

    When he’s not busy arguing with Stephenson, George Hill has looked hopelessly lost at times, while former MVP contender Paul George’s offensive efficiency has fallen off (39.9 FG% post-All-Star-Break). Becnh production has plummeted, too, as no one seems to know what to make of trade-deadline acquisition Evan Turner on the court. Head Coach Frank Vogel has a lot of loose ends and frayed nerves to knit together as the postseason looms.

    While turmoil simmers anew with every loss for Indiana, Atlanta’s devil-may-care attitude has survived one brutal losing string after another for the past two months. Players have been speaking collectively about what’s needed to finish out the regular season, with statements focused more on “we” than “them”.

    The Hawks (33-42) have just a one-game lead on the Knicks for the final spot in the East’s Not-So-Elite Eight. They slid back into the advantageous playoff position by dispatching “Kyrie’s Camp” in ATL on Friday night, as the Knicks stumbled at the close of their home game with the Wizards. Now that the Knicks lost today in Miami (this just in: J.R. Smith just attempted another three), they’ll stew until Friday, hoping their backs won’t be against the wall by then.

    Atlanta’s win over the Cavs was largely attributable to strong bench scoring, including Mike “The Lost Hodgetwin” Scott rediscovering his shot (12-for-13 FGs, just 5-for-17 in his previous 4 games) and Lou Williams (16 points; sixth double-digit scoring effort in last seven games) joining Jeff Teague as one pair of Hawks guards capable of creating their own offense off the dribble. Atlanta needs continued balance from their bench contributors going forward.

    Finally playing with some sense of urgency against Cleveland, Atlanta committed to team rebounding at the defensive end for long stretches, with all ten Hawk contributors notching at least one board. Head Coach Mike Budenholzer will need that same focused commitment again today, as securing rebounds will be a tall order against the Pacers (44.9 team RPG, first among East playoff teams).

    A team that has struggled mightily from the field lately (39.7 team FG%, 87.2 PPG in the last 12 games), Indy will be eager to crash the offensive boards and draw trips to the free throw line (78.3 team FT%, tops among East playoff teams) to shore up their offensive output. In Atlanta’s sole victory against Indiana on January 8, the Pacers took a season-low 9 free throw attempts.

    While shooting a blistering 58.5% from the field, the 35 assists the Hawks collected were the most since January 31. The quality of offensive execution will be crucial today against George (1.9 SPG, 4th in NBA; league-leader in defensive win shares) and Stephenson. Indiana has ceded more than 25 assists on just seven occasions this season, but three of those were to Atlanta. In the Hawks two head-to-head losses in February, Atlanta’s 18 and 22 turnovers offset 26 assists in each game. In the Hawks’ January 8 victory, Indiana gave up a season-high 27 assists while Atlanta committed just 10 turnovers.

    The whole point of contention as a playoff underdog is demonstrating you can win a game against a decent opponent on the road. Having gone 0-21 in away games this season against teams currently at .500-or-above, Atlanta gets its two final warmup acts this week, at Indiana today and in Brooklyn on Friday night.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  9. lethalweapon3
    Who will pick the Hawks' playoff hopes up off the ground?


    The Cleveland Cavaliers got the wake-up call for their postseason hopes back in December. Now, they’ll come into tonight’s game with the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports Ohio) carrying a wet blanket, hoping to return the favor.

    They’re not necessarily done dreaming of a four-day, all-expenses-paid trip to South Beach, either. At 31-45, the Cavs sit just two games behind the Hawks and Knicks in the race for the “What Are You Doing Here?” Invitational. They’re riding on a 6-1 surge thanks to the red-hot play of Dion Waiters.

    Returned to Head Coach Mike Brown’s starting lineup for the first time since mid-November, after Kyrie Irving’s biceps injury and C.J. Miles’ ankle sprain a couple weeks ago, Waiters’ recent opponents were being served buckets (last 8 starts: 23.1 PPG, 52.7 2FG%). For the home stretch, Brown is going to try and greenlight Irving and Waiters as much as possible, hoping they’ll stay defensively focused and not ceding as many points to their opponents.

    Irving poured 40 points in double-OT against the Hawks in Cleveland on December 26, but will vividly recall getting upstaged by Jeff Teague’s career-high 34 points, including the game-winning 20-foot buzzer-beater. Kyrie will be looking to avenge that loss tonight.

    That was the first game where Cleveland figured out relying on Earl Clark to start at the 3-spot wasn’t going to cut it. Luol Deng’s final appearance in a Bulls jersey was against the Hawks (17 points and 11 rebounds) before getting swapped to his division rival in early January. The Man from Sudan has struggled to establish consistency (14.6 PPG and 42.3 FG% in Cleveland, down from 19.0 PPG and 49.0 FG% in Chicago; two double-doubles since the trade) with all the moving parts in Brown’s lineup. But the two-time All-Star does provide the defensive shutdown skills Brown desires at the wing. A strong performance down the stretch will help the 28-year-old boost his free agency value in this offseason.

    Atlanta’s 127-125 win on December 26 was the game where it became clear that Cleveland’s gambit to acquire and nurture Andrew Bynum really wasn’t gonna work out. It was also the game where Atlanta’s contention hopes were crippled during the first OT period by Al Horford’s matching pec-tear at the claws of Anderson Varejao. Oft-injured himself, the Brazilian has been bothered by a shoulder sprain.

    If Andy V's a last-minute scratch, that would leave the responsibilities in the middle to trade-deadline acquisition Spencer Hawes (4-for-7 on threes, 20 points in Wednesday’s win at Orlando) and short-leashed second-year pro Tyler Zeller. Cleveland’s ability to remain in contention for the final playoff spot will depend on Irving’s ability to master the pick-and-pop game with Hawes. The Hawks have to make it an imperative to keep Tristan Thompson (3.3 offensive RPG, 6th in NBA), Varejao, and Hawes boxed out. Cleveland's 12.1 offensive boards per game ranks 5th in the NBA.

    Going down the home stretch, with the stakes of a postseason appearance on the line, the Cavs have Kyrie (7-for-8 FGs, 17 points and 8 assists at Orlando) back to make the big offensive plays needed to close out games. The Knicks, naturally, have Melo. Who is going to be That Guy for the Hawks at crunch time? Logic says it has to be All-Star Paul Millsap (25.0 PPG and 14.0 RPG, 53.1 FG% in past two games). But he’ll need Jeff Teague and the Hawks’ wings to spread the Cavs defense out, allowing him to go to town inside and draw trips to the free throw line against Hawes, Tristan Thompson and the Cavs’ bigs.

    When Teague and the Hawks’ guards penetrate and the lane clogs (Cleveland: 23.9 opponent at-rim FGAs, fewest in NBA East), they’ll want to find Millsap (and Mike Scott) for quick finishes around the rim (62.9 opponent at-rim FG%, most in NBA East). These were the kinds of quick-finish plays in the paint tailor-made for Horford. But Elton Brand is not exactly quick, while Pero Antić (27.0 FG% last six games) has struggled to finish, so this might be the type of game to get rookie Mike Muscala going inside.

    Based on SportVu stats, the Hawks score 10.7 PPG on Teague drives (6th most in NBA). But he’ll need Shelvin Mack, Dennis Schröder, and Lou Williams to stick to the gameplan and collectively counter Irving (7.7 team PPG on drives), Waiters (7.2 team PPG on drives), and Jarrett Jack.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  10. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Bulls

    By lethalweapon3,

    "I'm Mike D, and I get respect..."


    “Playoffs, ho!” The Atlanta Hawks truly mean that, in the most nautical sense possible.

    It’s likely that only a few thousand stragglers will warm the seats of the Highlight Factory for this mid-week clash between the Hawks and the Chicago Bulls (7:30 PM Eastern, CSN Chicago). But there will be tens of thousands of people 860 miles away in Manhattan with a close eye on the goings-on here. The Madison Square Garden faithful hope a Bulls victory in Atlanta (32-41) will arrive just in the Knick of time, as their own team tries to catch up with the Hawks by way of a big home win against Brooklyn.

    Chicago (42-32) has won four of their last five, now seated in a tie with 3rd-seeded Toronto in the standings. That 3-seed may be the sweet spot in the East right now. There could be a home series against unripe Washington or Charlotte in the first round, then perhaps bickering Indiana in the second one. Comparatively, the 4-seed is likely going to have to wrangle with red-hot Brooklyn in the first round and the defending champs in the second. The Bulls (particularly D.J. Augustin, I imagine) would love to hand their current 4-seed over to the Raptors.

    Despite the third-best in-conference record among Eastern teams (30-15, one game behind the HEAT), the Bulls have a tepid record in away games (18-18), and would like to finish the season above-.500 outside of the United Center.

    One of those road victories came on February 25 in the ATL. Each team deployed just seven players for significant minutes, but the Bulls had the upperhand upfront as the Hawks came in without Paul Millsap, Pero Antić, or Goose Ayón. Saying more about Atlanta’s issues maintaining quality frontcourt depth than Elton Brand’s play, the Hawks are 1-10 when the yeoman logs more than 24 minutes. Brand did the best he could (13 rebounds in 42 minutes), but ultimately Joakim Noah, Dunleavy, and Taj Gibson (4 offensive rebounds each) were too much for he, DeMarre Carroll, and Mike Scott to keep off the glass.

    Kyle Korver did his best to match Mike Dunleavy shot-for-shot (each 4-for-9 on threes). Meanwhile, Jeff Teague and Shelvin Mack had little trouble making shots (43 points combined, 18-for-34 shooting) with the Bulls’ Jimmy Butler sidelined and unable to provide help for Augustin and Kirk Hinrich. The short-handed Hawks exceeded 100 points against Chi-Town for the first time in over two years.

    Unfortunately, the foul-shot disparity (29-16 in favor of the Bulls) and a lack of fundamentals in crunch-time was too much to overcome for Atlanta in Chicago’s 107-103 win, their fourth straight in the series. After nailing a three-pointer to give the Hawks their final lead, Carroll fouled Hinrich at the 3-point line, allowing Captain Kirk to seize the lead back. The Bulls clamped down defensively, and a trio of Hawk turnovers in the closing minute (including two Teague miscues in the last 30 seconds) sealed the deal.

    While we bellyache over the early-season loss of Al Horford and an assortment of untimely injuries over the course of the season, Chicago has succeeded despite losing its two All-Star-caliber leading scorers, one (Derrick Rose) just ten games into his season, the other (Luol Deng) intentionally in January by trade. The team’s top active scorer is Augustin (14.3 PPG; 89.6 FT%, 2nd in NBA), who only arrived as a band-aid pickup in mid-December once the Raptors voluntarily discarded him.

    This past Sunday, Augustin’s 10-for-10 shooting from the line propelled him to a career-high 33 points on the first night of a two-day, home-and-home sweep of the Celtics. Atlanta’s guards have to force Augustin (41.7 FG%), Butler (39.6 FG%; 5.1 FTAs per game) and Hinrich (38.3 FG%) into tough shots and avoid contact, as it is at the charity stripe where these guys do their true damage.

    Joakim Noah insists he could do without Bulls fans’ chants of “MVP!”, but they recognize his critical role in keeping the Bulls afloat all season. You can count Head Coach Tom Thibodeau in on the mantra, too, at least as it pertains to Team MVP. “What he’s meant to our team over the course of the season — we faced a lot of adversity,” Thibs told the Chicago Tribune this week. “He helped lift the team up and he’s improved, I think, significantly offensively.”

    Besides being their defensive anchor and top glass-crasher, Noah has upped his scoring efficiency (51.1 FG% and 75.3 FT% post-Break; 46.8 FG% and 71.8 FT% pre-Break) while solidifying his renown as the league’s premier passer from the post. His 7.5 APG average in March surpassed that of all but eight NBA point guards. Chicago is 11-3 when he registers eight or more dimes in a game.

    With Millsap back in the fold, DeMarre Carroll can return to his energetic swingman role against Chicago, but he and Korver will be needed to help keep the rebounding battle even. Barring an unlikely playoff matchup, today will be the Philips Arena finale for Carlos Boozer (14.2 career PPG vs. Atlanta, lowest against any NBA team) in a Bulls uni. Damocles’ amnesty sword hangs heavy over the power forward due $16.8 million next year, as Nikola Mirotic looks ready to sail across the Atlantic to replace him. Further, the Bulls’ ability to entice a star-quality player in the offseason hinges on their ability to free up cap space.

    Mostly out of a combination of courtesy and luxury, Booz is a starter but not a finisher (10.5 FGAs per game in first and third quarters; 2.6 in second and fourth quarters), as Thibs leans toward Sixth-Man award candidate Gibson to put games away. When Boozer is in the game, the Hawks’ forwards must collaborate to keep the one-time Bigen model outside the paint (37.1 FG% away from the rim), minimizing his impact to that of a mere defensive-rebounding role player.

    Opponents have a hard time getting much inside scoring against the Bulls (39.1 opponent points-in-the-paint per 100 possessions, 2nd fewest in NBA). But Carroll and the Hawks’ guards can raise that tally (and their free throw shots) by pressuring the ballhandlers into turnovers and bad shots, then attacking the rim quickly, forcing the Bulls to try and make stops in transition. Atlanta’s 14.4 fastbreak points per 100 possessions ranks second among the East’s Top 8 teams.

    On offense, Millsap (33.3% on 2FGs vs. Chicago this season, but 3-for-6 on threes at Chicago on February 11) might be tempted to dig the longball whenever his man elects to pack the painted area or help stymie Korver. But he’ll need to be sure there’s a big at-the-ready to contest Noah and Nazr Mohammed for the rebounds if he misses. “Perimeter Pero” Antić (last 15 games: 28.9 3FG%, 63 percent of his shots were threes) must recognize his patented shot-fakes are of little worth when his shots aren’t a threat to anybody. He cannot afford to leave Noah operating unchecked as an interior help defender in space, and can’t afford to allow Noah to beat him down to the other end of the floor after the Bulls rebound.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  11. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - 76ers

    By lethalweapon3,

    “That was FUN! Say, why don’t we all get together and do this again sometime? What are y'all's names, again?”


    “Who He Play For?” I had a little fun with some associates recently, armed with a list of names from the Clark Atlanta University Panthers men’s hoops team and people who have suited up this season for the Philadelphia 76ers, the opponents for tonight’s alleged NBA game against the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN Philly). Only the hardest-core NBA aficionados had any earthly idea who was on which team without resorting to hunches. Lorenzo Brown? Derek Harper? Casper Ware? Brandon Davies? Kevin James? James Arnold? James Anderson? Dwayne Bingham? DeWayne Dedmon? Darius Morris? Darius Bonner?

    Of course, as The Rock might advise, it matters not what your name is if you can’t defeat this bunch of NBA jobber jabronis. The Hawks can thank Josh Smith for many things this season, and on Saturday night his Pistons saved the faltering Hawks from the prospect of becoming The Losing Team That Lost to Some Losers to End the Losingest Losing Streak in Recorded Professional Sports History. Brandon Jennings got Pistoff over a call not even against him, and elected to hit up Geno’s early. His teammates went on to absorb a pummeling not seen in the City of Brotherly Shove since the days of ECW Arena, a 123-98 tankerrific thrashing at the hands of the Sixers.

    The Philly Phaithphul aren’t exactly certain whether they want their Sixers to be Jabronis for Jabari, Embarrassing for Embiid, or Winless for Wiggins, but in any case, they see no need for the team to overextend themselves and lessen their lottery-ball fortunes. The team itself though, might disagree. For all its losing efforts since January, Philly still sits two games “in front” of Larry Drew’s Bucks, and a few hard-earned victories won’t endanger switching spots with the Magic, Jazz, or Celtics.

    So, with the monkey ejected from Philly’s back, and the Stephen A. Smiths of the world having skipped town, what’s to keep them from going on a little streak? Good question, particularly against a Hawks team that is unintentionally fumbling away its postseason chances, Mike Woodson’s Knicks nipping at their talons at just one game behind in the Leastern Conference.

    After all, it was Atlanta, behind Mike Scott and ex-Sixer Elton Brand (18 points apiece off the bench in a 125-99 win), that got this whole march to infamy going for Philly way back on January 31. Rather than playing the slumpbuster role again, why wouldn’t Head Coach Brett Brown encourage his youthful Sixers (no player above age 25 on the roster) to exact a spirited measure of payback against his former fellow Spurs assistant?

    During Atlanta’s current slide, we’ve learned that even those Clark Atlanta Panthers could probably give the Hawks a good run without a healthy Kyle Korver (back spams) on the floor. After missing each of the last six Hawks losses, the former 76er practiced today and is considered likely to return to the lineup tonight alongside DeMarre Carroll (tummy virus) who was a scratch in Saturday night’s loss to the Wizards.

    Among the things Brett Brown’s squad has going for them is a breakneck pace where his team is directed to get to the rim (NBA-leading 35.8 restricted-area field goal attempts per game; 56.1 restricted-area FG%, 28th in NBA) and do it quickly (league-leading pace of 102 possessions per 48 minutes).

    The Sixers will also keep the Benny Hill-style back-and-forth going by mastering the art of the steal (NBA-high 9.3 SPG). Led by good-soldier Thaddeus Young (2.2 SPG; 29 points and 5 steals vs. Atlanta on January 31), Philadelphia ranks 3rd in the league with 49.4 points-in-the-paint per game, and fifth in the NBA with 17.4 fast break points. A sloppily-played game on both ends works to Philadelphia's advantage.

    Unfortunately, they have no reliable shooters on the floor (50.4 FG% in-the-paint, last in NBA; 37.2 FG% on mid-range twos, 25th in NBA; 31.0 team 3FG%, last in NBA), and few reliable rebounders to sop up all the missed shots and extend possessions. They're relying on guys like Jarvis Varnado and Davies to help out starter Henry Sims (15.6 PPG, 9.6 RPG last five games) at the 5-spot, with Byron Mullens (ankle) and Arnett Moultrie (munchies) unavailable to chip in tonight. After the team’s February fire sale, the team’s most efficient rebounder is rookie point guard Michael Carter-Williams (8.4 RPG, 6.3 APG), not the worst thing in the world given his advantageous 6-foot-6 height, but certainly not a factor conducive to winning basketball.

    To end their slide and make this contest as painless as it should be, Paul Millsap (35.2 FG% and 25.0 3FG% in his last five games) must control the action on the low block and avoid the easy strips from Young. Anytime the Sixers reach, the Hawks guards must be ready to teach. Jeff Teague and former Sixers Lou Williams and Shelvin Mack must take advantage of Philly’s persistent gambles by driving inside and finding the open man for decisive shots.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  12. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Wizards

    By lethalweapon3,

    All right now, Dandy Randy... let's not get cocky...





    Is some more Capitol Punishment in store for the Atlanta Hawks?

    On Friday night, tonight’s host, the Washington Wizards (37-35, 6th seed in Eastern Conference), took an Indiana Pacers team (that leads the East and was smelling themselves a bit after besting the defending champion Miami Heat) and waxed them in a wire-to-wire 91-78 victory at the Verizon Center. They held the Pacers to 35.4 FG%, their best defensive effort of the year.

    Up until now, the Wizards have been less than impressive at the Phone Booth, last night’s big win raising their record to just 18-17 at home. Still within four games of the Toronto Raptors with ten games to play, a first-round home series for Head Coach Randy Wittman’s crew is not out of the question. But home-court advantage will be out-of-reach if they don’t take care of business in their remaining seven home games, especially against floundering teams like the Hawks (31-40, losers in their last five).

    Atlanta has been taking the Alfred E. Neuman approach to their latest string of suckitude, but the lack of anxiety in Head Coach Mike Budenholzer’s locker room continues to display itself on the floor, especially when they’re getting outclassed in the second half. They recognize they’re pretty much sunk without either of floor-spreading Kyle Korver (back spams) or primary defensive option DeMarre Carroll (undisclosed illness, gametime decision) in the mix. Perhaps for the sake of competitive strategery, the Hawks left open the possibility that Korver, left back home in ATL, may still pull a Terry Taylor and fly into the fray at the last minute to help save his teammates-in-dire-straits. But nobody’s fooled by the prospect of that happening.

    They will have Macedonian lamppost Pero Antić (ankle sprain) available up front. But his persistent concerns of re-re-aggravating his ankle seems to have stunted the big man’s interests in scoring in the paint. In the last three games, his effective field goal percentage was a paltry 29.4%, down from 58.4% in his prior nine games since returning from his stress-fractured ankle. 65.4% of his shots are from three-point range since the All-Star break (32.8 3FG%), up from 56.3% before his injury in January (36.7 3FG%).

    Antić can help Jeff Teague and the Hawks backcourt’s cause by rolling to the basket, rather than hanging around the edge for the pops and shot fakes, and take advantage of the Wizards’ inferior interior, which has been missing Nene for the past month. The Brazilian big man’s MCL sprain was supposed to plummet the Wizards’ postseason hopes, but Wittman has been able to hold this team together with a patchwork of Trevor Booker (52.7 FG% and 2.1 offensive RPG since starting at power forward), late-season pickup Drew Gooden, and Al Harrington.

    Drew, in particular, has been Gooden Plenty off the bench with double-digit scoring in eight of his last 12 games. Mike Scott must measurably outpace the Wizards’ reserves for the Hawks to have a chance in this contest.

    John Wall did most of the heavy lifting on offense last night versus Indiana, managing 20 points and 8 assists without getting much complementary production out of Trevor Ariza or Bradley Beal (combined 4-for-25 FGs). Wall’s improved range (35.7 3FG%) has elevated him to become a consistent 20+ PPG scorer, making the backcourt pairing with Beal (41.3 3FG%, just 40.1 2FG%) less two-dimensional in their second season together.

    Beal has been hampered recently by a hip-pointer, but logged 35 minutes last night while shooting. Tonight, look for the Wizards to use more of backups Andre Miller (11 minutes last night off the bench), still smoldering since his frustrating final months in Denver, and Martell Webster (8-for-17 on three-pointers vs. Atlanta this season). If Carroll isn't around, Atlanta will need someone capable of going out and contesting three-point shots at the corners (Beal, Ariza, Webster), while Teague closes out on Wall and keeps him honest above-the-break.

    Without bigs able to stretch the floor and limited artillery options along the perimeter, Washington shoots the most mid-range two-point shots (27.4 per game) in the league. Those shot selections will suit the Hawks just fine, as the Wizards connect on just 37.5% of those shots (22nd in NBA). What will be critical is for Elton Brand (20 points and 11 boards vs. Washington on February 19), Paul Millsap and Antić to keep Marcin Gortat and Washington’s power forward corps off the offensive glass, then setting up Teague (10-for-18 FGs versus Portland on Thursday) and Lou Williams (10-for-18 on 2FGs last four games) for outlets and scores in transition.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  13. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Blazers

    By lethalweapon3,

    "'No days off. Or No playoffs.' Okay, that's one bar..."

    The Portland Trail Blazers are in Atlanta to take on our half-baked Hawks (7:30 PM, SportSouth, CSN Northwest), and looking forward to being the latest team to stop their own three-game slide.

    Portland has dropped eight of their last 11 games, the last seven without All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge (back contusion). During their trek across the Dirty South, they got throttled in Charlotte by 30 points, and on Monday got sunk by the lumbering Miami HEAT in the closing seconds on a LeBron layup. Then on Tuesday, they lost on the road to a Magic team that had previously lost nine in a row.

    As a result, the Blazers (45-27) have gone from a playoff lock and possible 4-seed to an unwilling participant in the game of Western Conference Musical Chairs. As it stands, they’re two games ahead of Dallas for the 9th seed, Golden State, Memphis, and Phoenix wedged in between. But when the music stops…?

    You’ll hear no cries from the Blazers fans to see their team tank, because their would-be draft pick (Top-12 protected) will go to Charlotte if they fail to get into the playoffs. Either way, Blazers and ex-Hawks Head Coach Terry Stotts is all but assured of a new contract this summer, given the way this team has transformed under his watch.

    Portland will be thrilled to have Aldridge return tonight, but they will likely limit his minutes and bring him along slowly as he’s still dealing with some soreness. Distance makes the heart grow fonder, and perhaps the most endeared Blazer to Portland fans is second-year center Joel Freeland, who sprained his MCL a month-and-a-half ago and has yet to return. Aldridge’s and Freeland’s absences further thinned their defensively-deficient frontline, causing them to rely more on Thomas Robinson and Meyers Leonard than they would like. There’s also a report that guard Mo Williams will try to go tonight despite a sore knee.

    As for the Hawks? Well…

    Pero Antić had a very Hawksian moment went he tripped over a coach after sinking one of the rare three-pointers in last night’s debacle in Minnesota (7-for-28 team 3FG), tweaking his ankle. Perhaps the hoops gods were trying to tell Antić (1-for-4 3FGs in 16 minutes last night, 4-for-22 his last five games) something about his shot selection of late. His status remains a cloudy gametime decision for tonight, along with Kyle Korver.

    It appears that without Korver screenin’ outta control and providing some measure of defensive help along the way, Head Coach Mike Budenholzer runs completely out of tricks to pull by the second half of games during Atlanta’s latest swoon. Atlanta’s opponents have rung up 60.5 PPG in second halves of the last four games, fire-roasting the Hawks by an average of 14.7 second-half points in the last three.

    The beatings will continue if they intend to play the way they did up in Rip City three weeks ago, the 102-78 game that concluded Korver’s (previous) legendary Threak. Atlanta shot a season-low 33.3 FG% and an Antician 4-for-27 on the night from three-point range, as the team had to rely on Cartier Martin to provide the garbage-time offense. Portland hardly needed Aldridge (1-for-13 FGs) to show up at all.

    Without Korver to chase around and Antić at least ineffective from the perimeter if he plays at all, Nicolas Batum (career-high 18 defensive rebounds on March 5) and Wesley Matthews will find themselves freed up to expend more energy on the offensive end. Matthews in particular wants an opportunity to fix his broken jumper. Since the All-Star Break, Matthews is shooting 39.6 FG% and 35.7 3FG%, down significantly from 45.9 FG% and 41.0 3FG% pre-Break.

    Jeff Teague did his best Claude Rains impersonation in Minnesota (0-for-5 FGs and no FTs in 19 minutes), and the Hawks’ so-called “lead” guards largely left it to teammates to get the offense going. The result was a brutal 25 turnovers (2nd most this season, most in a game since mid-December), 17 by Minnesota steals. Against a soft Timberwolves interior, the Hawks failed to get shots inside (eight attempts within 5 feet in the second-half). When the Wolves started taking their offense outside (9-for-18 3FGs in the second half, after 0-for-4 in the first), the Hawks tried to keep up and only went 2-for-14.

    To keep doing the same thing over and over again (#3BallThursday!)and getting the same result, they can try avoiding the defensively-limited Robin Lopez and the hobbled Aldridge in the paint, and just hang out on the perimeter like Daft Punk hoping to get lucky. In part due to defensive pressure at the wing spots, Blazer foes shoot the fewest three-point attempts (18.0 3FGA per game), but take the most two-pointers (69.7 2FGAs per game), while Portland is the only NBA team stealing the ball less than six times per game (5.5 SPG). Stotts’ gang would love nothing more than to compete with Atlanta in a contested-three battle and scoop up all the rebounds from missed shots (NBA-high 46.3 RPG).

    Teague should be nothing if not well-rested after getting a short hook last night, and should be better able to attack the basket and set up Paul Millsap and Mike Scott around the rim. On defense, Aldridge will be quite satisfied settling for his signature mid-range jumper, so Millsap has to properly defend that shot (no fouling!) and depend on his teammates to box out and secure rebounds.

    Meanwhile, Teague cannot afford to have Damian Lillard dictate the pace of the action the way Ricky Rubio (10 assists, 2 turnovers, 6 steals) was able to last night. Lillard is not a pass-first pass-last PG like Rubio, but his Blazers are 11-2 when he manages at least 8 assists. You do want Lillard to play hero-ball and settle for shots at the end of the clock, as he has averaged 20.8 PPG but shot just 33.9 FG% and 20.9 3FG% in the past six games. Don’t bail out Lillard with trips to the free throw line.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  14. lethalweapon3
    "No Playoffs Again? This is Hard to Swallow. A Hot Mess Grande..."


    Are you gonna make it after all?

    That question applies not just to the Atlanta Hawks but their hosts tonight, the Minnesota Timberwolves (8:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports North). Both teams come into tonight’s action having dropped three straight. But unlike the Hawks, who have the Knicks jogging in mud to chase them for the final spot in the East, the T’Wolves (34-35) have frittered away almost any chance they have to catch the far superior 8-seeds out West and make their first playoff appearance since 2004.

    With a home-game attendance percentage (76.8% of capacity) equivalent to the Hawks’, Minny has already zoned out a large percentage of their own fans. Have they already spaced out Kevin Love, too? Boasting career-highs in scoring (26.2 PPG; 2.5 3FGM per game; 50.4 FG%) and assists (4.2 APG), he hasn’t let up at all lately (28.6 PPG, 41.0 3FG%, 5.3 APG post-All-Star-break). Yet the prospect of the three-time All-Star and league’s double-double leader someday getting enshrined as the greatest NBA player never to make the playoffs is becoming very real.

    Love, who will likely get his 400th career double-double tonight, can opt out of his contract in 2015. On the heels of this disappointing season, and all but four players under guaranteed contracts, the Wolves’ brass must either enact a major shake-up this summer to appease Love, or wait for an inevitable one the following summer when Love bails.

    That shakeup is likely to start on the sideline. Head Coach Rick Adelman hasn’t been able to move the meter at all since Ricky Rubio tore his ACL in March 2012, the Wolves’ record 71-105 since then. Not having led a team to the postseason since 2009, Adelman is in his 23rd season and looks to be completely out of answers. The novelty of having a son who played with Love in high school doesn’t seem to be compelling enough to salvage his job.

    Love will likely to go into tonight’s contest once again without his partner-in-crime in the paint.Center Nikola Pekovic has been struggling to stay on the floor due to persistent ankle bursitis. The Wolves had to play without Pek back on February 1, when the Hawks pulled away in the third quarter, notching their final victory before the freefall that dropped them comfortably below .500. Typical of his season, Love had a monster game (43 points, 19 rebounds) in a losing effort. Ronny Turiaf filled in at center in that game, blocking five shots, but he’s missed the past month with a bruised knee.

    Adelman has been reticent to playing his rookies, forward Shabazz Muhammad and center Gorgui Dieng each getting well under ten minutes per game on average. But now that he’s been forced to lean on his third-stringer at center, the fashionable Dieng (doing ads already for Nordstrom) is proving himself well-suited for the task.

    In his first five starts of his NBA career, he’s averaging 12.2 PPG and 13.8 RPG (4.8 offensive), plus over one block and one steal (less than one turnover), while shooting 56.1 FG%. Before this, Dieng exceeded 15 minutes just once in 42 appearances. Since swatting five Kings shots in his NBA starter-debut on March 16, though, he’s rejected just one shot in his past four games, none in his past three.
    Dieng is one genie Adelman will have a hard time stuffing back in the bottle, but his presence is a relief for Love, who seems to be Option A and/or B for just about everything the T’Wolves do.

    The power outage from the perimeter continues for Atlanta as Kyle Korver (team-high 24 points and 3 three-pointers on February 1 vs. Minnesota) continues to deal with back spasms back home. Shooting just 8-for-23 in the home loss to Phoenix on Monday actually improved their three-point shooting of late (29.3 3FG% in the past 3 games). If Adelman intends to end their losing streak tonight, he’ll peel one of his wing defenders off the three-point line to help Love deal with Paul Millsap. Minnesota gives up scores at the restricted area at a league-high 65.4 opponent FG%.

    Love will try to goad Millsap, Mike Scott and Pero Antić (combined 1-for-9 on 3FGs in Monday’s loss vs. Phoenix) to hang out at the 3-point line to try and keep up with his occasional marksmanship, making life simpler in the interior for Dieng. They can keep up, but only by working around Love and drawing fouls on the way to the rim.

    Human demolition derby car DeMarre Carroll will have to avoid foul trouble while playing solid defense against Kevin Martin, who is again finding his offense (19.3 PPG, just 42.6 FG%) by drawing fouls and capitalizing on his 89.3 FT%. Martin is hardly a threat on the other end, so the Hawks’ guards need to look for Carroll to get open.

    In the halfcourt, Jeff Teague, Shelvin Mack, Dennis Schröder and/or Lou Williams (17 points vs. Phoenix off the bench) should collude to keep the ball on the other side of the floor from theft-maven Ricky Rubio (2.4 SPG, second in NBA). A two-man game featuring the forwards posting up on Martin and Love should prove fruitful enough to draw Rubio's help. Whichever player he’s covering should try cutting toward the hoop when Rubio starts roving to the strong side looking for the pickoff.

    On defense, all of Atlanta's guards have to do a better job (than they did versus Phoenix) recovering on the pick-and-roll, and keep Rubio (8.5 APG) from finding easy outlets to his T'Wolf teammates from the paint.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  15. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Suns

    By lethalweapon3,

    "Whaddya mean by, 'All This Will Be Yours', Steve?"


    Here come the Suns. And I say… is it all right?

    As the 9th-seed in the Western Conference (41-29, just a half-game behind Dallas and Memphis), the Phoenix Suns are hungry to make a surprise playoff appearance one year after finishing dead last in the West. They pay a visit to the Highlight Factory (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports Arizona) to face an Atlanta Hawks team that strives to… well, it’s hard to tell exactly what they’re hoping for these days.

    The Hawks’ fourth-quarter play of late belies their insistence on doing what it takes to clinch a playoff berth in the dingy Eastern Conference. Leading by two points through three quarters at home against New Orleans on Friday, they scored 34 points in the final stanza, which would have been quite the impressive number were it not for the 42 they gave away at the other end. The mere 34 combined points Atlanta ceded to the Raptors yesterday afternoon in the first and third quarters mattered not, as they were outscored 36-15 in the closing act, after leading by ten.

    Now, they come home to deal with a Suns team that has won three straight and feeling pretty good one night after storming back from 22 points down to win in Minnesota, in what was essentially a play-in home game for the T’Wolves. Like the Raptors, Phoenix was down ten through three quarters before rising from the ashes. If the Hawks manage to build another second-half lead, will they be able to find the accelerator for the home stretch, or will be they just be satisfied with cruise control?

    Three weeks ago in Arizona, Atlanta’s defense melted in the first half against a blistering Suns offense that put up 79 points without the services of star guard Eric Bledsoe. The Hawks were without starters Paul Millsap and Pero Antić. Jeff Teague outpointed Goran Dragic with 29 points plus 9 assists, while Mike Scott filled in admirably in Millsap’s absence with 20 points. Kyle Korver was en fuego, going 6-for-7 on threes, and even Lou Williams got into the act with 15 points in his last double-digit effort. Yet the Hawks’ defense had no answers for starter Gerald Green (33 points, 5-for-8 3FGs, 10-for-10 on free throws) or the Morris Twins (a combined 39 points and 17 rebounds for Markieff and Marcus) off the bench.

    Bledsoe (15.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 41.0 FG% in his last seven games) is now back, and the Suns are 5-1 since he returned to the starting lineup. Alongside the tenacious Dragic, Bledsoe gives Head Coach Jeff Hornacek a backcourt combo not unlike his own days in Phoenix when he paired up with Kevin Johnson. As a bonus, with Bledsoe back, Green returns to a reserve role to bolster the Suns’ bench scoring. The non-starters rang up 61 points last night, more than triple Minnesota’s bench output. By comparison, the Hawks’ bench mustered just 45 points in their past two games combined.

    Avoiding a third-straight loss will be tough now that Kyle Kloser is out for a third consecutive night with back spasm issues. Without him, DeMarre Carroll needs someone able to help force tough shots from P.J. Tucker (19 points vs. Minnesota) and Gerald Green off the bench, and otherwise disrupt the flow of Phoenix’s offensive attack. That may require Head Coach Mike Budenholzer to lean on Mike Scott to play a more active and focused role defensively. Shelvin Mack (2 steals vs. Toronto, first in seven games) must also help create turnovers and produce points off of them.

    Carroll (team-high 17 points, mostly in the first half) and the Hawks also need someone off the bench to bring some offensive punch and take the pressure off of him, Teague, and Millsap. Dennis Schröder, Lou Williams, and Cartier Martin must be ready for the greenlight. Williams (31.4 free throws per 100 field goal attempts, 4th on the team; 83.7 FT%) can help his own cause by working his way inside and piling up points from the free throw line.

    Center Pero Antić was not used much on the interior against Toronto’s foul-heavy defense, and his overreliance on a wayward long-range shot (0-for-5 on threes) kept the Raptors from having to lean too heavily on their frontcourt subs. Meanwhile, the Wolves were basically done in against the Suns last night after Kevin Love got a little too happy with the three-point line (8-for-15 2FGs, 11-for-11 FTs, 3-for-10 3FGs).

    The Suns’ defense at the 5-spot consists basically of Miles Plumlee (top 15 in NBA for rebounding percentage and block percentage), Markieff Morris, and Pray for Rain. Especially when Plumlee is not in the game, there is no logical reason to be settling for three-point shots, specifically the Hawks’ bigs, and particularly considering how bad the Hawks have shot as a team (13-for-48 on 3FGs) in their last two outings.

    This could be a good time for Budenholzer to give Mike Muscala some meaningful minutes and rest Elton Brand. The Hawks need their bigs to crash the offensive boards against a Phoenix team that gives up 14.6 second-chance points per 100 possessions (4th most in NBA) and 46.8 points-in-the-paint per-100 (3rd most in NBA).

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  16. lethalweapon3
    “Sure, you can have ‘em. Jeff Teague shook me out of these.”


    The Kings. The Bobcats. The Knicks. The Pistons. The Cavs. The Celtics. The Magic. The Bucks. The Sixers. The Jazz. The Bobcats again.

    The Atlanta Hawks have had a particularly underwhelming season on the road, an 11-24 mark that’s currently as bad as Cleveland’s. For a team that professes to want to make the playoffs as a low-seed, and do a little something once they get there, it behooves them to demonstrate they can beat a team with a winning record, in their house, sometime soon.

    Just a day-and-a-half after succumbing to the LBX (The Luke Babbitt Experience), the Hawks will get another chance to defeat a team above-.500 (0-17 so far) with a trip north of the border to face the Toronto Raptors (1:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, SportsNet). Atlanta needed overtime, Paul Millsap’s first-ever triple-double and 11-for-11 on free throws plus career-high scoring from Jeff Teague just to beat the Raps in ATL on Tuesday evening.

    The degree-of-difficulty for today’s game is heightened in part because of the return of Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas. JV left the Tuesday game with a back sprain after putting up 16 points in just 20 minutes, but is healthy and put in 45 minutes against the OKC Durants on Friday.

    The road to a decent road victory is also bumpier without the services of Kyle Korver, who remains home while dealing with back spasms. The need for opposing defenses to respect Atlanta’s ball movement is predicated primarily on the threat that out there, somewhere, Korver is about to bust a triple on their heads. Kyle “only” shot 3-for-8 on threes against the Raptors on Tuesday (one of them to give the Hawks their final lead in regulation), but his teammates were a mere 8-for-26. That was foreshadowing for Friday night’s action at Philips, when the Korver-less Hawks were just 8-for-28 from downtown against the Pelicans, and outdone by a rusty Babbitt in crunch time.

    Korver’s ability to help on the other end of the floor was missing as well on Friday. Mike Budenholzer has to find someone on the bench (Mike Scott?) willing to fight for loose balls, strip opponents in the restricted area, and deflect cross-court passes. Without those elements in Atlanta’s defensive approach, DeMarre Carroll (2-for-10 against the NOPes, team high 7 rebounds and 4 steals) will again be heavily overtaxed today against DeMar Derozan and Terrence Ross.

    The overtime loss to the Hawks is already a distant memory after the double-overtime Friday night affair that featured Kevin Durant draining shots from the CN Tower, out-rebounding everybody, out-assisting everybody, replacing light bulbs and cleaning gutters.

    Amir Johnson (25 points and 12 rebounds vs. OKC; 56.2 FG%, 5th in NBA) did all he could to keep the Raptors in it, and he’ll be aiming for his third double-double in four games today… that is, if he can keep from fouling out (3.6 personal fouls per game, 2nd in NBA). Paul Millsap banging away in the paint can make that last part difficult, while Jeff Teague needs to go at him and Valanciunas in the paint at every opportunity.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  17. lethalweapon3
    "Ain't no paddles involved in this, right?"


    Another barn-burner is in store for all you rabid hoop fans out there, as the 12th-seeded Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafay… huh, what? Oh, there’s some OTHER basketball being played today? Cool!

    The New Orleans Pelicans are situated in the West Region, but for much of the season they have feasted on the East. Back when they defeated tonight’s opponent, the Atlanta Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports NOLA) at Smoothie King Center on February 5, they raised their record to 13-5 against Eastern Conference foes, keeping them within a stone’s throw of playoff contention. But during the 6-13 swoon that followed, N’Awlins (27-40) won just 3 of their next 9 against Eastern teams, prevailing twice against the Bucks and at home last Sunday to the Celtics in overtime.

    Tonight is the final road visit to an Eastern club for the Pelicans, who still have the East to thank for more than half of their victories. The Hawks (31-35), meanwhile, are hoping to be a 7-seed in the East by night’s end.

    Head Coach Monty Williams’ troops already had to deal with Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith having to check out for the season due to injuries in January. Then, Jrue Holiday, their biggest offseason addition, underwent lower-leg surgery in February, having to miss the balance of the season.

    Now, they are in a precarious situation in the standings. They’re on the verge of mathematical elimination in the wild-and-woolly West (12.5 games behind Dallas, with 15 to go), and they’re not quite losing enough to avoid giving Philadelphia a second possible bite at the lottery apple. Thanks to the Holiday trade, the pick they own for this year’s draft is only Top-5 protected. So the Pelicans will have to be caught by the Lakers (fat chance) and/or hit it big in the lottery if they want a chance to use that pick.

    One thing they do have going for them is All-Star and former #1-overall pick Anthony Davis, who missed Wednesday’s home loss to the Raptors with a respiratory infection, but is probable to return tonight. SB Nation Pelicans writer David Fisher checked out seasons of major NBA players (min. 2000 minutes) that started the season out at age 20. Based on per-48 win shares, AD’s injury-abbreviated season is eclipsing names like LeBron, Shaq, CP3, and Magic in terms of efficiency. Against the Celtics on Sunday, Davis became the youngest NBA player to put up 40-and-20 in a game since Shaq back in 1993.

    In the Big Easy, Davis’ swift return will be a sight for sore eyebrows. Toronto had little resistance around the Pelicans’ hoop on Wednesday, registering 22 offensive rebounds with Tyler Hansbrough replacing the injured Jonas Valanciunas. Having Davis back at power forward to pair with ((insert tall stiff here)) at center gives the top shotblocking team in the NBA (6.4 team BPG) the ability to compel opposing point guards and forwards to think twice before making forays into the paint.

    That may work out just fine for the Hawks, however. Only Portland, the Clippers, and Miami take more three-point shots from the corners than Atlanta, and they’ll take on a Pelicans team that gives up the fourth-most corner threes (NBA-high 49.4 opponent 3FG% from the right corner; next highest team only at 43.9 3FG%). The Hawks will want to minimize contested shots taken above-the-break against New Orleans (33.4 opponent 3FG%, 3rd lowest in NBA).

    Unlike Davis’ giddier days in UK locker-rooms, he’ll be the one dishing out punishment if he’s left unaccounted for around the rim. Pero Antić, Paul Millsap, and Mike Scott have to mix it up inside to keep the Pelicans’ interior D honest and box out effectively at the other end (Greg Steimsma’s six O-boards in last month’s game nearly matched the Hawks’ output). But the trio’s ability to occasionally step outside and hit shots can keep them above par against Davis and company (Greg Steimsma, Alexis Ajinca, or rookie Jeff Withey). Millsap and Scott were a combined 7-for-14 from deep in the last matchup, and Millsap’s 26 points and 10 boards nearly matched Davis’ 27-and-10.

    Atlanta had to fend off DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross in their last contest, and they’ll have to do a similar job containing the Pelicans’ swingmen tonight. After coming off the bench for much of this season, Tyreke Evans (22.3 PPG, 6.1 APG, 6.0 RPG, and 54.2 FG% in his last 8 games) has been starting lately and finding his groove at small forward. Evans missed the last game against the Hawks due to rib soreness. Eric Gordon (45.4 FG%, 41.8 3FG%, 80.9 FT% post-All-Star-break) is most helpful on offense when he’s drawing fouls and getting to the line, but needs to do more defensively (nine steals in his last 14 games; one in his last five) than simply funneling his man into the wind turbines waiting inside.

    Al-Farouq Aminu is vital for the Pelicans’ defense, but also found his jumpshot working for him against Toronto on Wednesday, on the way to a season-high 19 points (7-for-8 shooting) and 10 rebounds coming off the bench. Atlanta’s Kyle Korver remains among the NBA’s top 5 players in career three-point accuracy (42.56 3FG%), and the guy standing in the way of Kyle moving up a notch is former Hawk Anthony Morrow (42.61 career 3FG%). Ammo (31.8 3FG% in March) hit two of his three three-point attempts against the Hawks last month, but also added ten additional points and five rebounds to lead the Pelicans’ reserves.

    Brian Roberts has shed his hairdo homage to Original Aunt Viv from Fresh Prince, and also any sense that the proud Dayton Flyer wasn’t ready for primetime NBA action. He tied his then-season-high with 19 points during the Pelicans’ victory over the Hawks in NOLA last month.

    Jeff Teague peppered the Pellies with 13 assists in February, but struggled from the field, and made critical mistakes down the stretch while Roberts’ eight points in the closing six minutes helped his team pull away. On the heels of his season-high 34 points (and a season-high 4 steals) against the Raptors, Teague will need to again find his shot and outpoint Roberts, while creating openings inside for quick shots by his teammates.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  18. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Raptors

    By lethalweapon3,

    "Really, Masai? Really?"


    I ask you... which is the best Toronto Raptors team ever? Butch Carter’s 2000 Raptors, with Vince Carter and T-Mac, plus Doug Christie? The 2001 Raptors, led by Lenny Wilkens and featuring "Half-Man, Half-Amazing," Alvin Williams, Oakley and A-Davis? Or the 2007 Raptors, with Bosh and Bargs, T.J. Ford and Sam Mitchell leading the way?

    Think fast. Because the 2014 edition of the Toronto Raptors are very close to being better than any of the others.

    A winning record the rest of the way is likely to lock up just the second Atlantic Division title in the Dinos’ 18 years of existence. And despite losing to Phoenix at home on Sunday, a win tonight against the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena (7:30 PM Eastern, NBATV for the non-locals, SportSouth in the ATL and Sportsnet up north) would have these Raptors (37-28) once again boasting a mark that’s better than any team from Toronto’s star-crossed past. With a 3-or-4-seed, they'd have the inside track to make their first conference semifinals appearance since Vince's Chapel Hill graduation year of 2001.

    No one, aside from maybe their new GM Masai Ujiri, foresaw such achievements before the season, especially a division title in an Atlantic where the Knicks and Nets seemed certain to rule the roost. These accomplishments, and even a playoff berth, certainly didn’t seem probable when Rudy Gay led the way through a 6-12 start, including five straight losses before Ujiri dealt him to Sacramento in December.

    At the time of the Gay trade, right after dispatching reserve point guard D.J. Augustin, Ujiri joined Frankie Muniz's Malcolm in expressing displeasure with the prospect of being helplessly situated in the middle. “The one thing I can say is that we will not be trapped in the middle. . . . We will not be stuck in no-man’s land.” Most of the free world deciphered those words to conclude The Tank Job was in full gear. Besides, where is Andrew Wiggins from, again?

    Well, "au contraire, mon frère!" Instead, Ujiri expected the freeing up of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry would improve the offensive flow with Gay out of the picture, that young upstarts Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross could get more productive time on the floor, that Head Coach Duane Casey could more effectively implement defensive sets, and the team could benefit from better depth at several positions. And it looks as though his hunches were largely right.

    Toronto has gone 31-16 since bidding adieu to Gay, victors in 11 of their last 15. DeRozan (31 points in each game versus Atlanta this season) reached All-Star status and has smartly been attacking the rim even more and drawing trips to the line since the All-Star break (3.1 three-point attempts per game pre-Break, 1.8 post-Break). A veritable disaster in November and target of trade rumors in December, Lowry probably should have made the ASG with DeRozan. Plus, Lowry is playing his most prolific offensive basketball this month (19.3 PPG, 9.1 APG, 6.0 RPG in March).

    Hitting 48.6 percent of his three-point shots this month, high-flyer Terrence Ross is showing that perhaps he was in the wrong contest on All-Star Weekend. He’s helped create a dangerous inside-outside pairing with DeRozan at the wing spots. Although struggling with inconsistency (game-to-game, and in-game) and fouling too much, Valanciunas (66.1 FG% in March) is showing glimpses of that steady-double-double potential they’re expecting of their young center.

    Unfortunately hobbled by a sprained knee and sore elbow lately, forward Patrick Patterson offered greater flexibility for Casey behind Valanciunas and Amir Johnson (14.4 PPG, 63.9 FG%, and 2.3 APG in March), relieving unnecessary stress on Tyler Hansbrough. Since getting included in the trade from Sacramento along with Patterson, Greivis Vasquez may never come close to his contract-year numbers in New Orleans, but he simply has to get out of bed to surpass what Toronto was getting out of Augustin. The dual-point-guard option of Lowry and Vasquez worked well for Toronto in their win versus Memphis last Friday.

    Defensively for Toronto, opponents’ 97.2 PPG is the fifth-lowest in the league. They’re above-average in generating turnovers (14.6 per game, slightly more than Atlanta), but less than half of those come from Raptor steals (7.1 SPG). That might suggest Casey’s crew is committed to sound man-to-man defense, inducing bad shots and turnovers via stuff like offensive fouls, three-second violations, and fumbles out-of-bounds. They’re also likely to foul before their foes can put up any chippies in the paint, forcing opponents to earn their two points from the free throw line.

    The challenge for the Raps is they still run about seven-deep talent-wise, six-deep with Pat-Pat unavailable. That problem became evident against the Suns, when Casey had to lean on Vasquez, Hansbrough, Steve Novak, Chuck Hayes, and John Salmons to come off the bench and keep his starters from fouling out. That quintet contributed just 11 of the Raps’ offensive total in the 121-113 loss, no match for Suns reserves Gerald Green (28 points) and the Morris Twins (26 combined points). Casey may want to deploy new acquisition Nando de Colo (acquired for Austin Daye), who has played well in spurts with the Spurs against Atlanta.

    The Hawks have won four in a row and are well removed from their 104-83 can-opening loss in Toronto last month (Atlanta’s leading scorer and rebounder? Gustavo Ayón, of course!) They went into that game without DeMarre Carroll or Pero Antić, two key components to their momentary turnaround. Ayón went 9-for-11 while the rest of the team shot 21-for-67, and everyone struggled on defense.

    Less than essential for handling Michael Kidd-Gilchrist last night, Carroll's defensive energy will be needed tonight to keep DeRozan in check. Despite nine defensive boards last night in Charlotte, Kyle Korver will be needed more along the perimeter tonight to deal with Ross.

    To stretch that winning streak to five, Jeff Teague (4-for-14 versus Charlotte, but 9 assists in 29 minutes) needs to force the action and beat Lowry and/or Vasquez off the dribble. Even if the Teaguedrops in the paint aren’t falling, it’s likely to draw a Raptor big over and open up Paul Millsap (20.7 PPG last eight games) for putbacks, or at least a few trips to the free throw line for Teague (85.0 FT% against Eastern Conference opponents, 92.9 FT% against Toronto this season, and 89.1 FT% at home). Smart screens from Elton Brand and Antić should help open things up for Atlanta’s point guards to do work and strain Toronto’s resources on the interior.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  19. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Bobcats

    By lethalweapon3,

    "What? Who... me, on a .500 team? That's a stretch."


    Remember those Charlotte Bobcats? Those guys that were pushovers, that tanked their way into the worst single-season record in NBA history just two seasons ago? The team loaded with draft picks that never quite seem to pull it together, and a dumpster fire of veteran castaways? The team always got in its own way trying to play defense? The team that could only beat the Hawks only once in a blue moon?

    Yeah, forget all you remember, because these aren’t those same Bobcats.

    The 2009-10 Cats were going through the motions until they caught fire in March, going 16-7 to end the season above .500 (44-38) and earning the franchise’s sole playoff bid. Then His Errness got a hold of the roster, and Charlotte hasn’t been the same since the dismantling began.

    Finally, MJ turned over decision-making control to management, and it is finally paying dividends. The Bobcats have won six of their last seven, and have an opportunity to reach the .500 mark for the first time since Larry Brown looked like he would finally put down the Help Wanted ads.

    Coming into tonight’s action (7:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, FoxSportsSouth in the Carolinas), the Atlanta Hawks have pulled off 11 consecutive victories over their once-hapless cousins in the Southeast Division. It won’t be easy to secure number 12, especially given the playoff implications (several teams want that #6 seed), and the red-hot play of the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Charlotte’s Al Jefferson.

    In vanquishing the Nuggets, Bucks, Wolves, and T’Wolves, Jefferson averaged 24.3 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 1.3 BPG. He’s the reliable, low-turnover workhorse Charlotte expected when they signed the free agent this past summer, plus he’s committing to playing better team defense for rookie Head Coach Steve Clifford, allowing a career-low 101.8 points per 100 possessions on the floor. Charlotte’s 77.2 defensive rebounding percentage leads the league.

    Without Elton Brand moving him off the low block, Jefferson can have a field day against an Atlanta team that was outrebounded by Denver 54-38 on Saturday and hasn’t recorded double-digit offensive boards in the last four games. His 24 points and 23 rebounds back in December had the Hawks on the ropes until they were saved by Pero Antić’s Captain Morganesque three-pointer.

    He’s joined in enhanced commitment to full court play by another Player of the Week award winner, point guard Kemba Walker, who won the hardware at the end of February when the Cats ran off four straight wins. Much like John Wall, Walker (7.6 APG post-All-Star-break) came into the league with much fanfare. Now in his third season, he would like to achieve the accolades that come with being in the upper pantheon of star point guards.

    Kemba’s got some better options backing him up with Luke Ridnour and Gary Neal, the latter averaging 18.7 PPG off the bench in his last three games. Neal has to feel liberated after leaving the Spurs for a free agent payday in Milwaukee, only to watch the Bucks crumble around him. He and Ridnour were granted a lifeline (traded for Ramon Sessions and Jeff Adreian), and now get a chance to help a dormant franchise reach the postseason.

    Charlotte doesn’t turn the ball over much anymore, but they don’t create many transition opportunities either (6.2 SPG, 29th in NBA; 11.9 opponent TO/game, last in NBA). Jeff Teague and Shelvin Mack should have little problem with dribble-penetration (watch out for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, though) while Paul Millsap should find ample opportunities to work his way around McRoberts and Jefferson. There is little need to sit back and settle for three-pointers against a Bobcats team waiting to sponge up all the misses.

    The stumbling, bumbling Cats of years’ past aren’t around anymore. Thanks to Jefferson’s game and Walker’s improving ball-control, Charlotte’s 13.0 turnovers per game are the 3rd fewest in the league. So defensive rebounding will be critical, as will closing out on shooters like our old friend Anthony Tolliver (41.0 3FG%) and glue-guy Josh McRoberts, as well as drivers like Walker and Gerald Henderson.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  20. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Nuggets

    By lethalweapon3,

    “Now, I want you all to sign up early. Don't wait until THIS young man here breaks your ankles.”






    The Denver Nuggets have flown into town, and for the Atlanta Hawks’ sake, let’s all hope their arms are tired.

    The Nuggs (29-36, 11th in West) come into tonight’s action feeling mile-high, just hours after having dusted the suddenly-bumbling Miami HEAT on their own floor. Running through a five-game road gauntlet over the course of seven days, including three games in the last four, rookie Head Coach Brian Shaw’s charges endured a month-long stretch that was almost as mountain-rocky as Atlanta’s.

    Going into Wednesday’s game in Orlando, Denver had lost eight of their previous ten and ten of their prior 13 matchups. After taking out the Magic and now the HEAT, Denver’s can turn its half-empty road trip into a half-full one with a victory tonight.

    Up to this point, not a whole lot has been working out for Shaw, following up a Denver mainstay and last season’s NBA Coach of the Year while handed a roster of defensively-flawed players not of his own choosing. Hopes were still high back in early November, when his team fended off the Hawks at the Pepsi Center for his first coaching victory.

    JaVale McGee looked as though he might be finally turning the corner as a reliable NBA starting center. Playing for a guy he played against for four seasons, surly veteran Andre Miller looked like he might be willing to get with Shaw’s program, coming off the bench alongside hyperactive free agent acquisition Nate Robinson. Evan Fournier is hitting shots. Another free agent pickup, J.J. Hickson was sought to provide an offensive spark and hopefully improve on the other end. Jordan Hamilton was starting at small forward, sure, but just wait until Danilo Gallinari comes back!

    As the season wore on, it became clear Gallo wasn’t recovering. Energetic forward Kenneth Faried suffered through crises of confidence, and franchise-face Ty Lawson (career-high 18.5 PPG and 9.0 APG) had a hard time finding his shot (career-lows of 43.9 FG% and 36.0 3FG%), now with defenses keying in on him and denying his drives.

    Fournier remained inconsistent as a shooter. Hickson struggled defensively and lost his starting gig in favor of Timofey Mozgov. Young frontcourt reserves Anthony Randolph and Darrell Arthur not only haven’t improved, they’ve regressed. Miller got DNP-CD’d probably for the first time since the Reagan Administration and eventually went AWOL on Shaw. Five games in, McGee (tibia) was lost for the season, joined within a few months on the IR by Robinson (knee).

    And then there were the streaks. A seven-game winning streak in November was followed by a string of eight straight losses in December, five wins in a row in January, and losing strings of five and six games beginning in February.

    Faried (21.5 PPG, 10.1 RPG, 63.9 FG% in March) has regained his confidence after the All-Star Break, routinely deploying a jump-hook shot in the paint and beating his opponents down the court for dunks in transition. Team morale has improved since the trade deadline, when Miller was shipped off to Washington and Aaron Brooks was unearthed from Houston’s depth chart to replace him. Ty Lawson’s two highest-scoring games (30 and 31 points) have come in the past two weeks, and he’ll be sought out to up his volume (21.4 PPG and 10.6 APG, 47.1 FG%, 45.2 3FG% post-All-Star-Break) after putting up just seven field goal attempts in Miami last night.

    Fans of tanking in Denver aren’t quite sure what to root for. As a hybrid result of the Carmelo Anthony and Andre Iguodala trades, the Nuggets get the higher of the picks held by themselves and the New York Knicks, the Magic taking the lower pick. With Melo’s Knicks suddenly under Zen-inspired play and winning six-in-a-row, plus the Nuggets hopelessly mired among the worst of the West (9 games behind 8-seed Memphis, with 17 games left), the prospect of a new winning streak has some Nuggets fans feeling some kind of way and reaching for the motion sickness pills once again. I think it’s safe to say Magic fans are pulling for the Hawks (29-36) tonight, as they’d like both the Nuggs and Knicks to get back to losing again.

    Denver’s still got some players, but they hack a lot. They lead the league with 23.0 personal fouls per game, leading to 20.4 made free throws per game for their opponents (most in NBA). New daddy Lou Williams can get his game back in stride by getting inside and drawing trips to the charity stripe. Jeff Teague, Paul Millsap, Elton Brand and the struggling Mike Scott (0-for-5 vs. Milwaukee and shooting way too many threes) can also do damage by mixing it up inside and going for And-1s.

    Denver also draws plenty of fouls as well with their high pace-of-play (100.2 possessions per 48 minutes, 3rd in NBA) and persistence in attacking and crashing the rim. But unlike the Hawks (78.1 FT%, 5th in NBA), the Nuggets don’t help their own cause (71.9 FT%). The Hawks’ refreshed frontline has to commit to minimizing easy buckets in the paint, stripping the ball when it’s pushed inside and forcing the Nuggets to earn their keep at the free throw line.

    Wilson Chandler will be on Kyle Korver duty, after Korver shot 10-for-12 in his last three games from downtown. Denver has been surprisingly effective at stopping three-point shooters (34.3 opponent 3FG%, 4th lowest in NBA), but they really don’t have the defenders at the wing spots to shoo Korver and DeMarre Carroll off the three-point line, and Mozgov isn’t wasting time coming out for Pero Antić. If Hickson and Faried are deployed to help at the perimeter, opportunities should open up on the interior for Atlanta.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  21. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Bucks

    By lethalweapon3,

    "Prince's 1979 self-titled album? Yeah, I'm a big fan."


    Following a horrendous road trip, the Atlanta Hawks return to the comfier confines of Philips Arena and are likely to kiss the floor when they arrive. Zaza Pachulia and Head Coach Larry Drew of the Milwaukee Bucks may very well join the Hawks in the floor-smooching festivities tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, FoxSports Wisconsin).

    A rousing ovation is likely for one of the most endeared Atlanta Hawks of the past decade. More than a few golf claps will also be in order for the last coach to lug the Hawks (27-35) into the NBA postseason.

    The Republic of Georgia native happily remains a State of Georgia resident. Zaza still maintains a home and many of his business affairs here in the 404. Pachulia will get to soak in some pregame cheers as a Bucks starter, but this was certainly not the role he signed up for when he joined Drew in Milwaukee this summer. This ain’t exactly the way Larry drew things up, either.

    For the Bucks (13-51), their ability to contend this season was based on a lot of “ifs”. If contract-extended Larry Sanders could maintain his professional composure, if free agent pickup O.J. Mayo was inspired to become a consistent scorer, if Ersan Ilyasova could be an efficient shooter, if offseason acquisition Brandon Knight could improve by leaps and bounds, if Carlos Delfino could contribute in a meaningful way, if veterans Caron Butler, Gary Neal, and Luke Ridnour could stay patient while youngsters Knight, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nate Wolters, John Henson, and Khris Middleton all cut their teeth and work their way into Drew’s rotation…

    Well, that all de-escalated quickly. Now, they’re the worst team in the league, still two games behind a Philadelphia 76ers team that has dropped 18 in a row, and playing their third game in four nights today.

    Sanders got about a month-and-a-half of hoops action following the embarrassment of the nightclub incident. One game after dropping 25 and 15, he broke a bone in his eye socket, and will be out indefinitely. Without Sanders for much of the year, Pachulia has been pressed into heavy minutes, leading to a broken foot that sidelined him for a couple months. Delfino was declared done for the season from the start, after undergoing preseason foot surgery.

    Wisconsin native Butler got downright petulant with his minutes dwindling, and now he’s on the outs along with Neal and Ridnour. Mayo lost his starting gig in mid-December, essentially handed by Drew to rookie second-rounder Nate Wolters, and hasn’t earned it back. Ilyasova was probably the worst-shooting NBA starter prior to the All-Star Break. As the losses pile up without any “sense of urgency”, LD is trying to ensure his initials won’t stand for “Lame Duck”, seeking the optimal starting lineup to help the Bucks win back-to-back games at least once this season.

    The concept of tanking brings forth its own set of unique challenges for GM Jon Hammond in Brewtown. If their top pick morphs into a can’t-miss forward, what does that do to the development plans for the Greek Freak, Antetokounmpo, or Middleton or Henson? If the injured Joel Embiid falls into their lap with a top pick, is he the next Kenyon Martin in the making? And what trade value would the moody Sanders, recipient of an $8 million raise next season, hold if Embiid can’t play alongside him? Would the Bucks dare to reach for a steadier point guard, and compel Knight to come off the bench? All in all, it’s hard to tell if the guys on the floor for Milwaukee are part of the team’s immediate future, or if they’re merely showcasing themselves for their next employer.

    There are silver linings to be found, if you dig deep for them. Ilyasova (starting tonight after missing Tuesday’s loss due to a sore right ankle) has recovered from early-season back issues and has improved immensely since the All-Star Break. Although his long-range jumper is still broken, he’s averaging 14.4 PPG and 7.6 RPG while shooting 51% from the floor since the break -- 16 PPG, 8 RPG, and 53.7 FG% this month.

    While Mayo has been occupied with serving up throat punches to random stiffs, Knight has emerged as the scorer the Bucks thought they were getting out of Mayo, averaging 20.1 PPG and 5.2 APG (44.9 FG%) since the break and blending better in the backcourt alongside Wolters (41.0 FG% and 18.4 3FG% pre-break; 50.4 FG% and 41.2 3FG% post-break).

    Middleton can occasionally get hot from deep, and seems to have locked down a starting spot while shooting 50.0 3FG% in his last ten games. Antetokounmpo is good for the occasional highlight to keep Bucks fans awake. Zaza is known to get fancy with the rock when it fancies him, and dished out a career-high 10 assists during the loss at Minnesota on Tuesday night, the Bucks shooting 52.7 FG% in the game.

    All of that would be encouraging if the Bucks could figure out how to stop anybody. The only team with a worse defensive rating than Milwaukee (107.7 opponent points per 100 possessions, 29th in NBA)? The last opponent the Hawks barely vanquished, the Utah Jazz (108.0 defensive rating). Atlanta actually has a worse per-game average (102.6, 2nd worst in the East) than Milwaukee (102.5), but that’s because the Hawks play at a significantly higher pace than the Bucks (94.3 possessions per 48 minutes, 24th in NBA).

    With the athletes they do have on the roster, it is a wonder that the Bucks show little exuberance (Larry would say, "energy") in securing defensive boards (71.2 defensive rebounding percentage, 29th in NBA) or going after the ball when it's on the floor (6.9 steals per 100 possessions, 28th in NBA).

    If Bucks assistant Nick Van Exel is doing his job, Knight should have a pretty detailed scouting report on how to play Nick’s former protégé, Jeff Teague. Teague sat out the January 25th laugher in Milwaukee with an ankle sprain. Knight had 27 points, but was essentially picked apart on defense against Shelvin Mack and the recently-invisible Lou Williams (combined 27 points, 9 assists, 3 TOs).

    Despite Danny Ferry's recent comments about the Hawks consequentially playing "too small" in explaining LouWill's benchings lately, he may get back into the mix tonight. (UPDATE: Lou's out tonight, it appears for personal reasons, as per C-Viv). He is hopefully rested enough The Hawks will need another sound performance from Mack to match up against drive-first point guard Ramon Sessions, acquired by the Bucks at the trade deadline along with Jeff Adreian for Neal and Ridnour.

    The Hawks will be emboldened to know that the lackadaisical defense by Milwaukee on opposing passers isn’t balanced by pressure on shooters, either. Bucks’ opponents shoot an NBA-high 38.6 percent from three-point range, including 41.9 percent from the corners. Atlanta hit half of their 26 shots on the Bucks on January 25, and made 25 of a whopping 57 three-point shots in their last two games against Utah and the Clippers.

    In his grand return, Zaza deserves an honorary double-double by putting back at least ten of his own missed layups, and his matchups with his Euro-replacement Pero Antić should be fun to watch. If Atlanta can keep every Buck besides Zaza from getting rebounds, and keep Zaza from turning into Al Jefferson out there, they’ll be able to keep Milwaukee at arm’s length. The Bucks are 1-30 when they tally 40 or fewer rebounds in a game.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  22. lethalweapon3

    Hawks - Jazz

    By lethalweapon3,

    "Don't sleep on my game."


    Can the Atlanta Hawks stop their months-long skid in Salt Lake City against the Utah Jazz (9:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth, ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain), a club that needed a strong second half just to beat the lowly Philadelphia 76ers and end their own five-game road-trip losing streak? A lot will depend on how focused a pair of former Jazzmen are on the court.

    Paul Millsap and DeMarre Carroll are still well-lauded for their tenures in SLC. Drafted in the second round by Utah in 2006, Millsap participated in five playoff years with the Jazz and resides among the franchise’s top-ten in rebounds, steals, blocks, and field-goal percentage. Carroll came of age last season to become a fan favorite.

    While they’ll both receive pregame cheers and accolades from the appreciative Delta Center crows, both Hawks will be needed to pile up the points against a Utah team that ranks at the bottom of the league in scoring (94.5 PPG, 28th in NBA) and defensive efficiency (107.7 opponent points per 100 possessions, worst in NBA, 12.0 opponent turnovers per game, 2nd fewest in NBA).

    The low-pressure Jazz defense seems ready-made for Mike Budenholzer’s ball-movement-or-bust offense. After getting worn down the entire road trip against Rajon Rondo, Goran Dragic, Damian Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Chris Paul, and after falling short at against the Clippers in the clutch, Jeff Teague will need to end his trip on a high note by corraling Rookie of the Year candidate Trey Burke.

    Burke does a sound job controlling the ball for a first-year lead guard (5.4 APG, 1.8 TO/G), but struggles to make any measurable impact defensively or make anything other than layups on the other end (34.4 FG% on jumpers; 16-for-51 shooting in March).

    There’s an ex-Hawk player in Utah that has something to prove as well. And that’s not ducking our old pal Marvin Williams, who seems to have found a home as a glue-guy D-and-3 veteran despite a broken jumpshot lately (29.8 FG% last 7 games).

    Ever since the legendary Jerry Sloan called it quits, Ty Corbin has been running this show, for three-and-a-half seasons. At the start of the year, with Millsap, Carroll and Al Jefferson gone, he was handed a bunch of green players waiting to turn the corner and retreads waiting to retire. Then he had to deal with critical injuries right out of the gate. Still, Corbin needs to demonstrate that he is the coach for this franchise’s future going forward, and wins over stumbling teams like the Hawks can only help his cause.

    Corbin will need a strong defensive effort on Millsap from South Atlanta High’s Derrick Favors (15 points, 14 boards, 3 blocks vs. Philly on Saturday night). Despite the tantalizing prospect of pairing him together with Enes Kanter, the latter has been ineffective defensively and now only gets spot duty as an offensive banger off the bench (5.0 offensive rebounds per game in last four games). Elton Brand and Pero Antić should have a field day schooling these two yung’uns from the high post.

    Conversely, Atlanta will need to find a way to cool off Alec Burks (18.7 PPG, 62.1 FG%, 6-for-9 on threes last three games) and contract-year leading scorer Gordon Hayward (18.3 PPG last 7 games).

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  23. lethalweapon3
    "This comes with ankle insurance!"


    The beatings will continue. But, does morale need to improve?

    After just five double-digit losses on the season going into February, our Atlanta Hawks have dropped seven of their last ten deficits by ten or more points, including last night’s collapse at Golden State.

    Even with the playing field leveled somewhat by opponents’ misfortunes, the Hawks’ defensive ineptitude has the team failing to capitalize. LaMarcus Aldridge had a rare night struggling from the field on Wednesday. But Blazers were freed up like Lil Boosie all along the perimeter, and offset Aldridge’s lost production with a barrage of open three-point shots. Klay Thompson exits last night with a back injury, and the remaining Warriors shot just 6-for-19 from 3-point range, but the Hawks got gashed in the paint by Jermaine O’Neal and David Lee while shooting just 8-for-34 on threes themselves.

    Atlanta is on pace to drop 10 straight away games for the first time since losing their last 13 road games under Mike Woodson back in 2007. Yet there are no signs of finger-pointing, no dissension within the ranks among Budenholzer’s Bunch. It may be that the team is reading its static position in the standings and the “nice try” platitudes in the press clippings, and no one cares enough to find a panic button to push.

    With no need to secure an All-Star trip or sustain any NBA records, the “sense of urgency” once preached by Larry Drew no longer reverberates in the locker room. Competitiveness has given way to complacency with the Hawks, but it appears they understand composure will be the key to assessing how victorious this team can be once their treacherous road tour concludes.

    Things will get no easier tonight (10:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, PRIME) against a rested Los Angeles Clippers team that’s won six straight, including an epic serving of comeuppance on their longtime tenant mate Lakers on Thursday night.

    Jamal Crawford (19.0 PPG, second in team scoring) has been starting in place of the injured J.J. Redick, but he had to miss the past three games and remains questionable for tonight with a calf strain. Yet Darren Collison stepped up and delivered 24 of the Clips’ NBA-season-high 142 points on the Lakers. Former Hawk Willie Green has struggled mightily with his shot but may get a call to start if Crawford’s a late scratch.

    The Clips (43-20) are 8-2 and have averaged 117.3 PPG in ten games since Chris Paul (11.0 APG, 1st in NBA; 10.5 APG since February 1) returned from a month-long shoulder injury. They now average a league-leading 107.7 PPG, a value that doesn’t bode well for a oil-leaking Hawk defense (110.3 opponent PPG in Atlanta’s last ten games).

    L.A. shored up their backup forward positions, dispatching Antawn Jamison (to the Hawks) and sending Byron Mullens out to pasture while making room for buyout targets Danny Granger and Glen Davis. Each player is being acclimated slowly but may get significant minutes tonight if Blake Griffin (24.1 PPG, 6th in NBA) and DeAndre Jordan (66.1 FG% and 14.0 RPG, 1st in NBA) need a spell. Atlanta will need another footloose performance from Mike Scott and more elbow shots from Elton Brand to outperform Granger and Davis.

    To keep themselves off of the wrong side of SportsCenter highlights and Twitter hashtags, the Hawks will need to shield Griffin 24-7 (DeMarre Carroll in the fullcourt, Paul Millsap in the halfcourt) and keep him moving laterally rather than rolling full-steam ahead toward the basket. Both players must commit fouls judiciously.

    Ex-Hawk point guards Rivers and Tyronn Lue have had ample time to gameplan for Jeff Teague. He will need effective screens to free himself up from his Demon Deacon alum Paul (2.4 SPG, 1st in NBA), who is seeking an All-Defensive 1st Team selection for the third-straight season, and make quick and decisive maneuvers with the basketball.

    Matt Barnes was unavailable when the Hawks beat the Clippers in December. Today, he'll be latched onto Kyle Korver (23 points vs. LAC on December 4, 6-of-9 on threes, tying the NBA consecutive-game record). With Korver heavily occupied, a big offensive night from Carroll and Pero Antić could stretch the defense and benefit both Millsap (25 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 blocks on December 4; who needs to keep Griffin busy defensively) and Teague finding points in the paint against Jordan (2.4 BPG, 6th in NBA). Re-establishing accuracy on deep shots will be a tall order against the league's best team defensively against the three-pointer (32.6 opponent 3FG%).

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  24. lethalweapon3
    Full Squad?


    It won’t have the same affect on the Atlanta Hawks as it has on tonight’s opponents, the Golden State Warriors (10:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN Bay Area), but the Hawks may be as close to full strength as they’ve been in awhile with the return of All-Star Paul Millsap (bruised knee) to the starting lineup. Atlanta will need all hands on deck to have any chance of tripping up G-State and snipping their latest losing string in front of the 67th consecutive sold-out audience at Oracle Arena.

    Getting Pero Antić back up to full speed and platooning him with Elton Brand, alongside a rejuvenated DeMarre Carroll and Millsap, will go a long way toward restoring the competitive spirit that has been slip-sliding away for the better part of a month. Besides injuries, the Hawks are wrestling with complacency during a road trip where they’re facing one hungry team after another.

    As Atlanta runs repeatedly beak-first into a tanking firewall in the Eastern Conference standings, they’ve faced a Celtics team that needs the Hawks and Nets to lose, a Suns team hustling to avoid dropping out of the postseason with the Grizzlies right on their heels, and a Blazers team that would really like to open the first round at home.

    As show-stopper entertaining as they can be, the Warriors are in the same boat as Phoenix, and with the 9-seed just three games behind they can’t afford any more slip-ups on what is already a subpar 18-10 home record. Atlanta is the first of nine home contests over an 11-game stretch for the Dubs, the next two visiting teams eager to overtake them in the Western Conference standings (Phoenix and Dallas).

    After the Warriors, the Hawks go to Staples Center the next night, facing a rested Clippers squad that just knocked the taste out of the Lakers’ mouths on Thursday night and seems ready to make their final charge up to the top of the West. Atlanta has very few wins away from Philips Arena, but only one of them is against a projected playoff team, and that was a win in Charlotte way back on November 11.

    Kyle Korver’s Threak came to a halt as the Hawks laid their customary egg before a national audience in Portland on Wednesday. The new guy holding the belt? Why, none other than Warriors All-Star guard Stephen Curry (50 straight games in a row, and counting). The league-leader in threes made (3.3 per game) and attempted, Curry (23.8 PPG, 8.7 APG, 41.4 3FG%) is likely to play despite soreness in his leg. He was 0-for-4 against the Hawks in Atlanta on January 3, before his sole triple of the game with just five minutes remaining closed the gap to six, setting the stage for Andre Iguodala’s eventual buzzer-crusher.

    Head Coach Mark Jackson is laying his defensive imprint (99.2 points allowed per 100 possessions, 3rd best in NBA) on a franchise not very accustomed to such effort. Yet he knows his team’s championship dreams rest on having a spry Curry and Bogut in April. If the W’s can build an early lead, look for a Jackson to serve up a heaping of our old friend Jordan Crawford (15 points over 20 minutes, in his triumphant return to Boston on Wednesday; 7.5 APG, 6-for-24 shooting and 1-for-12 on threes vs. Atlanta this season) to give Curry’s legs some rest and preserve point guard Steve Blake, their latest veteran pickup.

    Tonight, Jackson is likely to lean more on Curry's Splash Brother Klay Thompson (behind only Curry, Korver, and Damian Lillard in threes made) to do the heavy-lifting on offense. Thompson will be looking to bounce back after going just 1-for-8 from deep against the Celtics on Wednesday. Look for DeMarre Carroll to get switched over from Iguodala or Harrison Barnes to deal with Thompson.

    Jackson is also carefully watching Bogut’s and David Lee’s minutes (each under 25 minutes in four of their last five games), divvying up reserve time between Marreese Speights and the surprisingly still-good Jermaine O’Neal. If Millsap is close to 100 percent, he and Lee should cancel each other out, especially if their guards on feeding them well on pick-and-rolls and on the low block. Reliant on Iguodala to roam the middle on defense, Bogut is unlikely to evacuate the paint unless Antić can provide some Al-proximation with his long-range jumper.

    After a stellar offensive performance in the prior four games, Jeff Teague took his foot off the pedal against Portland and the Hawks got run over. To stay competitive in this game, he and the Hawks backcourt must apply consistent defensive pressure. The Warriors turn the ball over 15.2 times per game (4th most in NBA), led by Curry (3.9 TOs/game, most in NBA). Opponents’ 17.3 points per game off turnovers rank third among possible playoff teams.

    In 20 games where Teague snares at least two steals, his scoring average jumps to 19.5 PPG, and the Hawks (10-10) only lost one of those games by double digits. In the 18 games where Jeff doesn’t register a single steal, his scoring drops to 14.1 PPG, and the Hawks lost all but five of them, including four double-digit losses (like Wednesday’s 24-point trouncing in Portland).

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
  25. lethalweapon3
    Are you ready for another wild round of pinball-scoring basketball? Strap yourself in!

    The Atlanta Hawks take their wobbly, hobbling expedition into Oregon, facing the Portland Trail Blazers (10:30 PM Eastern, ESPN, NO LOCAL TV) tonight. If you discovered that 140-point halves are to your liking after the nets burned with the fire of a thousand Suns’ baskets on Sunday, then you’re likely to be in for another treat from Budenholzer’s Bunch today. Indeed, when it comes to cumulative scoring, The Dream of the 300s is Alive in Portland!

    The Phoenix Suns’ offensive efficiency (106.7 points per 100 possessions, 8th in NBA) was boosted greatly on Sunday, but it still pales in comparison to Portland’s (108.8 points per 100 possessions, 3rd in NBA). As a team, the Suns’ effective field-goal percentage (51.5 eFG%) likely leapfrogged that of the Trail Blazers (50.5 eFG%), thanks to the flame-roasted Hawks defense.

    All-star second-year guard and SLAM Magazine cover boy Damien Lillard (21.2 PPG, 40.3 3FG%) is fending off a stomach bug, but it’s likely he’ll plop-and-fizz a few Alka Seltzers so he won’t miss a chance to pad his stats against Atlanta. With the shrewd offseason additions of reserves Mo Williams and Earl Watson, Lillard has been granted flexibility that he didn’t have in his rookie year: to shift to a de facto shooting-guard role whenever the occasion calls.

    Lillard’s Blazer teammates know they had better collect their dimes from him early, before he shifts into Lillard the Killer mode later in the game. SLAM notes that Lillard’s personal trainer feeds him clips of Bruce Lee as motivation to dominate opponents through mind-control, so it’s no surprise to find Lillard out there numb-chucking in the clutch. He leads the NBA with 2.4 three-point attempts per game (38.1 3FG%) in the fourth quarters, averaging just 1.0 of his 5.6 assists per game in that stanza while scoring 6.0 PPG (6th most in NBA).

    The Blazers (41-19) are just a few weeks away from posting a win tally that surpasses last season’s cumulative losses (33-49 last season), and Head Coach Terry Stotts’ club is pleased-as-punch. The thing that trips up this crew is interior defense, contributing to Portland giving up the fifth-most points per game in the league (103.0 opponent PPG; 104.7 opponent points per 100 possessions, 2nd most among playoff-seeded teams).

    They play at a moderately high pace (98.04 estimated possessions per 48 minutes, 8th highest in NBA, a shade below Phoenix) that may be too fast and too furious for their bigs to keep up for 48 minutes. Only the trying-to-tank 76ers and the Jazz give up (marginally) more buckets in the paint than the Blazers (23.2 opponent field goals made per game, 3rd most in NBA).

    Depth behind All-Star and All-NBA candidate LaMarcus Aldridge (career-highs of 23.7 PPG and 11.2 RPG; 18.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG in his last four appearances), and center Robin Lopez may be particularly thin tonight. Backup center Joel Freeland remains out with an MCL sprain, while second-year forward Thomas Robinson (team-leading 12.6 rebounds per-36) sprained his patellar tendon against the Lakers and is questionable to appear tonight. To his credit, Lopez's opponents shoot just 42.5 FG% at-the-rim according to SportVu stats, second only to Roy Hibbert among players defending at least at-rim five shots per game.

    For a minute there, the Blazers thought they had this whole defense thing figured out. After keeping their prior five opponents below 100 points, all wins, their bugaboo tripped them up on Monday night, a disappointing home loss where they coughed up 107 points to the hapless L.A. Lakers. Portland is 17-0 when they hold opponents below 98 points, and 2-7 in non-overtime games when the other team scores more than 110 points.

    Portland also is willing to rely on forcing bad shots, either mid-range or challenged in-the-paint using their length, and then collectively converging and crashing the glass like mad (33.7 defensive rebounds per game, 5th most in NBA). They create just 12.2 turnovers per game, including a mere 5.6 steals per game, and 11.1 per 100 possessions (all fewest in NBA). It’s a bit of a waste with athletic players like Nicolas Batum (career-high 6.7 RPG; 31 boards in the past two games) and Wesley Matthews, Jr. (career-high 16.0 PPG) available at the wing spots that they’re not creating more fastbreak points in transition (11.2 fastbreak PPG, 9th fewest in NBA).

    Essentially, Portland does the same thing on offense as they do to their opponents: crash the boards with hair-on-fire ferocity (12.7 offensive rebounds per game, 3rd in NBA) whenever they don’t get the shot they want during their own possessions.

    The shots they do want mostly belong to Aldridge, who will pick-and-pop you to death from the elbows if you leave him open. It's like "Apple Pie a la Moda Center" for LMA, who takes 1.5 more shots per game from 15-19 feet out (7.3 attempts) than any other NBA player during home games.

    In exchange for the Blazers leaving their defensive middle as wide open as Crater Lake (46.3 opponent points-in-the-paint and 87.7 opponent FGA per game, 3rd most in NBA, 3rd most in NBA), their opponents get few opportunities to loft shots from the perimeter (17.6 opponent 3FGA, fewest in NBA). Portland winds up taking a net 7.4 more treys per game than their foes. They’ll need to jack up a ton of triples, though, to outpace Atlanta (25.1 3FGAs per game, 2nd most in NBA). Batum and Matthews will tag-team to try and end The Threak, but that should leave gaps open in the middle for drive-bys from Jeff Teague (27.3 PPG) and other Hawks hanging out around the arc.

    Ultimately, Stotts’ crew is satisfied with the notion that the best defense is a darn-good offense. If you squint real hard at the Blazers, you might catch a glimpse of what the A$G thought they were getting when they issued the doomed-from-the-start “Playoff Guarantee” back in 2002. Peripheral All-Star forwards? Volume-shooting lead guard? Occasionally woeful defensive intensity, reliant on a single shot-blocker? Check, check, check. Their biggest offseason free agent signing in 2002, current Hawks assistant Darvin Ham put in plenty of garbage-time minutes coming off the bench for Stotts, who relieved Lon Kruger just 28 games into the season.

    With most attention directed toward the Academy Awards, the Hawks (26-32) were a rightful nominee for Best Performance by a Basketball Team in a Supporting Role on Sunday, putting up 120 points in Phoenix only to give up a season-high 129 at the other end. That included a whopping 79 Suns points in the first-half.

    Hawk forwards were easily stretched thin on defense against the Suns, having to help out with rebounding under the basket while simultaneously chasing in vain after wide-open shooters on the perimeter, all the while running themselves ragged through screens at the other end. Not one Hawk player achieved more than 6 rebounds on the night, largely because there were precious few missed shots coming their way from Phoenix (15-for-24 on threes, 55.0 FG% and 86.7 FT%).

    Korver (18 points, 6-for-7 on threes vs. Phoenix), DeMarre Carroll, and Mike Scott (20 points, 8-for-18 shooting on Sunday) should get some relief upfront tonight, even without Paul Millsap (still out with a knee contusion). Pero Antić should finally be available for this contest, while newcomer Mike Muscala now has one high-paced NBA game under his belt.

    Their defensive rebounding contributions will be a salve against Portland, the NBA’s top team for second-chance points (17.0 second-chance PPG). They’ll also need to avoid getting into foul trouble against the league’s most efficient foul-shooting team (82.3 FT%, best in NBA), each of the Blazers’ top six scorers shooting above 80 percent from the charity stripe.

    Interestingly, in the fourth quarters it hasn’t been Teague that’s been the most reliable Hawk playmaking guard. Shelvin Mack’s 1.5 fourth-quarter APGs leads the team and has him ranked just ahead of such dignitaries as Ty Lawson, Mike Conley, and John Wall (1.4 APG each), in addition to Teague (1.3).

    A starter for four straight games until Sunday (11 points, 0 assists in 17 minutes vs. the Suns, ending a 39-game assist streak), Mack has to avoid the siren songs of open jumpers and isolation plays that stagnated the Hawks in the second quarter against Phoenix, focusing instead on setting up Teague and his teammates for more effective shot opportunities. He and Teague will need a sound gameplan against Portland’s dual-point-guard matchups featuring Lillard.

    Go Hawks!

    ~lw3
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