lethalweapon3

THE Big O was a rookie (and, O, what a rookie he was) in 1961, when the Cincinnati Royals outlasted the Hawks (of St. Louis) in OT, 129-128. That was the outset of 80 consecutive games of triple-digit scoring for the Royals, carrying into the following November, That set an NBA record that would stand for almost two decades, long after the Royals skipped town, until the Spurs went wild (The Iceman doc on NBATV was good, btw) in 1978-79, San Antonio pushing their short-lived record to 129 games. What The Streak didn't usher in, though, were winning ways. Cincy was 7-8 before the streak started, and ended the season 33-46. They were just 9-8 when the same team that cooled their jets in 1961, the Syracuse Nationals, did it again by holding them to 99 points in 1962. By my calculation, that record run of offense netted them just a 35-46 mark over 81 games. There wasn't enough Big D to accommodate THE Big O. Cincy finished 1960-61 8th out of 8 teams in D-Rating. By 1961-62's end? Progress! They finished 8th out of 9 teams. What the coach did was make the top-ranked offense around Robertson even more efficient, and the '62 Royals went on a 30-25 close to surge into the NBA Playoffs. They scored at least 107 points in four games versus a 37-43 Pistons underdog that had lost leading scorer Gene Shue at season's end. Detroit still outscored Cincy, three games to one, to advance. The defense didn't improve until 1963-64 when they changed coaches and, after many years trying to draft and sign Jerry Lucas out of high school, Cincy finally got the Buckeye to come on board. Incidentally, the other big star on Ohio's NBA team of the time was Wayne Embry, who in retirement would become a small-t trailblazing GM for teams like the Bucks, the Cavs and, eventually, the Raptors. By scoring at least 100 today in Toronto and tomorrow in Cleveland, the Hawks (of Atlanta) can move up the board past the Royals and into a tie with the 2019-20 Bucks, at 82 games. I could cut the anticipation with a butter knife right now. O yeah. ~lw3

“I’m the Global Ambassador, and the team told me to quit jinxing them by wearing their gear, so I had to go with this fit...” “Drizzy, were you also asked to run off with the game ball tonight if Trae drops a 60-piece?” Hotty Toddy? Psh, who has time for that, when we’ve got Tiddy Bitty? Tidbits ahead of our Atlanta Hawks’ rematch with the Toronto Raptors (7:30 pm Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, SportsNet Up Therr) in Canada, ahead of their confab in Cleveland tomorrow. TOMORROW? IT’S ONLY THREE DAYS AWAY – My constant bleating about the schedule screwjobs at seemingly every turn comes across as a handy excuse for the Hawks’ lackluster (to be nice) defensive results (70+ point halves for opponents are now de rigueur). I find it to be more of an exacerbation, as it must be tough to iron out our many defensive wrinkles, and insert some creative offensive ones, literally on the fly. As the Hawks (9-14) scramble to sort through their holiday shopping while heading south for a Saturday game in picturesque Northeast Ohio, the Raptors (10-14) stay put. After tonight, they won’t tip off again until it’s simultaneous, on Monday, with Detroit likely trying to end their record-shattering misery versus Saddiq Bey in Atlanta. MORE CHEESE, TO PAIR WITH THAT WHINE – Toronto, continuing their homestand at Scotiabank Arena with the Hornets and Nuggets next week, won’t have to navigate a SEGABABA until December 23, returning home once more from a nearby division rival to host (maybe?) John Collins and the Jazz. Wouldn’t ya know it, though, Atlanta gets to enjoy another SEGABABA on that day, too! The Hawks will saunter back from Miami just in time to meet up with (probably!) Ja Morant and the Grizzlies. Both clubs, mercifully for their fanbases, will be home for Christmas. But only in Atlanta’s dreams will they get to enjoy the entire day there, as they’re off to play in Chicago the next night. Toronto, naturally, gets three days off from that Jazz game before they visit Jordan Poole in the DMV, and they will have gone from November 11 through New Year’s Day without having to play basketball beyond the Eastern Time Zone. I HAVE ONE THING TO SAY. YOU BETTA WIN… -- We’re not in Must Win territory just yet, but these upcoming weekend contests fit neatly within the You Betta Win classification. The Hawks don’t want to be looking down the barrel of an eight-game skid, their first since Christmastime in 2019 with Lloyd Pierce (‘twas good seeing you on TV, LP!) and his shiny-headed accomplice, Raptors legend Vince Carter, on Monday in front of tens of ornery State Farm Arena seatholders. And ain’t no fun when Monty Williams’ Pistons got the gun ((insert unnecessary Ja joke here)). Patron saint of hopeless causes? Thank you, St. Jude, for letting us escape sad-sack San Antonio with that Dub a half-month ago. YEAH, YOU BETTA WIN, TOO – Even after dusting off the Hawks on Wednesday in that 135-128 victory, the Raps know they can’t afford to trick off many more games at Scotiabank. When this homestand ends, Toronto faces a stretch of 10 road contests in 12 games, finally heading out west-West after visiting Memphis on January 3. They’re 3-8 on the road after dropping their last four. When that road trip ends they return home to host Boston, one of the intra-division Atlantic opponents (0-7) they have yet to beat. AWW, SHOOT – It’s taken a minute to crawl fully out from his early-season shooting rut, but literally anything from a sentient Trae Young (last 5 not-all-complete games: 32.2 PPG, 47.5 FG%, 35.6 3FG%) will be enough to scooch his field goal accuracy (41.8 FG%) ahead of the career-low (41.7 FG%) from his rookie season. Most encouraging of late has been his ability to find buckets from inside the arc (career-low 46.1 2FG%, below last year’s 47.6%; 54.7 2FG% in last 5 games), rather than feeling obligated to just shoot it from Sherbrooke. My one nit-picky thing is needing Young (87.2 FT%, lowest since his sophomore campaign) to place the importance of getting over the 90 FT% hump, as he did in his last All-Star season of 2021-22, above the value of earning whistles just for whistles’ sake. DO YOU FEEL LUCKY? – Clint Capela’s shot-blocking is getting back to his peak (Hawks-tenure) form from 2020-21. And who is going to complain about his free throw marksmanship lately (78.6 FT% last 5 games)? It’s the other aspects of his on-court impact that seem to be petering out. His low-scale 4-for-6 FGs effort back on December 6 in Brooklyn was the only time in the last 5 games that Capela (56.7 FG%, lowest since his 12-game rookie year) exceeded 60 percent shooting from the floor. His near flip-a-coin shooting is one key reason over Atlanta’s current 1-7 stretch (again: thanks, Wemby!) that he has registered a plus/minus of +1 or worse in all but two games (minus-17 @ TOR on Wednesday; minus-24 in his last visit to Cleveland in November). LIFE’S A BOWL OF PICKED CHERRIES – While still compiling double-doubles with ease, Capela’s now more likely to be snaring offensive caroms than defensive ones (last-12-game averages: 6.1 O-Rebs, 4.8 D-Rebs), and what was once his steady 2:1 defense-to-offense rebounding ratio is virtually 1:1 this season. Bball-ref cites him as the league leader with a 22.0 Total Reb% (NBA.com recipe has him tied with Nikola Jokic at 19.1%, highest among NBA starters), FWIW. But that bball-ref value includes a 24.4 D-Reb%, lowest since his first full season in 2015-16. To be fair, Clint’s teammates aren’t exactly leaving a lot of D-Reb opportunities, short, long or otherwise, up to chance (2nd-lowest D-Reb chances in NBA, roughly 1.0 per game ahead of POR). But it could also be that our near-historic defensive woes are centered upon our center’s fixation with cleaning up his and his teammate’s misses, catching him unable to recover when the action, as we like to say, is going the other way (ATL NBA-worst 16.6 opponent fastbreak points per-48). MATTHEWS-ELAH – I empathize with Quin Snyder’s interest in keeping some veteran defensive aptitude on the court, every which way but loose (enough with the Clint references, I got it). Aside from the occasional steal, though, I think even Paris Hilton would concur that the early returns for Wesley Matthews’ elevated playing time (3-for-21 FGs in last 7 games; negative Plus/Minus in past 5 games, minus-11 or worse in 3 of them) are Not Hot. If one must one-T, two-T, red-T, blue-T at this stage, lacking depth at the 3-spot, I’d rather prioritize the younger one-T Mathews, two-R Garrison, as our charge-sponging, dam-plugging starter. TURNING HEAL – The Raptors have just about cleaned out their injury/illness list, with both Chris Boucher (Active, bruised quad) and Otto Porter (Active, bruised foot) wiped clean from the way-too-early report as of this morning. No changes on the Hawks’ end with De’Andre Hunter (sore knee) Questionable and both Jalen Johnson (fractured wrist) and AJ Griffin (mind ya business) Out. Like JJ, Kobe Bufkin (broke thumb) has a way to go before we get an injury update, but we ought to be hearing something soon from our Emory Healthcare friends regarding Mo Gueye’s strained back. Speaking of Mo, here’s some ‘mo… HOW DO YOU ‘DOU? – Did you know Mouhamed Gueye, and Mouhamadou Gueye, are two totally distinct, long, human beans, each with Senegalese roots, playing professional basketball for a living? “My family is kind of a basketball family,” Mo, the 21-year-old Prolific Prep prospect turned guaranteed-contract Hawks rookie, told Prospective Insight back in the summer of 2022, as the longtime soccer fan was playing organized hoops for the first time in his life. “I’ve got cousins who play for the national team. I’ve got cousins who play in Europe and stuff.” Through my cursory Wiki-research, though, I can’t find proof that any of those cuzzos include Mouhamadou, one of the few bright spots (including bench man Justise Winslow???) on a repugnant Raptors 905 G-League squad. To me, this is like hearing somebody page for Mr. Bobby Dobalina while Bob sits quietly in the corner sipping his tea, it’s mind-boggling! Just last night, Mou (as I’ll call him) led 905 with 20 points, nine boards and six blocks, all in a losing effort as they fell to 2-12 in the G-League Showcase standings (get it together, Gradey Asterisk, you’re embarrassing me). HOLIDAY GREETINGS AND GUEYE HAPPY MEETINGS – Mou is four years older than Mo, an inch shorter, but the same listed weight. He was born in Staten Island to Senegalese parents, the father having moved there way back in the late 1980s. If these two Gueyes somehow haven’t crossed paths, we’ve got to get our healing Mo down to the Skyhawks for some G-League action once the pre-Christmas Showcase Cup ends. If they have met, and/or they already know they’re related, I could use some confirmation from Senegalese sources in the know. Where are you when I need you, Gorgui Dieng? This Enquiring mind wants to know! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Trae's a yea, while Dre is no-play. ~lw3

Trae and Dejounte teamed up to end Toronto's season-long six-game homestand with a 114-103 victory last January, knotting up the all-time head-to-head series once again, at 51-51. Along with Boucher, Otto Porter remains Questionable due to a bruised foot. Second-year backup big Christian Koloko (Out) came down with one of these annoying respiratory illnesses floating about, and he hasn't been able to shake free of it all season long. De'Andre (sore knee, which answers the quad tendon question) remains Questionable as of this morning's Boo-Boo Report. Trae Young is usually fine so long as he isn't goaded into fussing with the refs, and he's Probable despite a sore shoulder. Two-way players Seth Lundy and Trent Forrest appears to have made the road trip. ~lw3

“Actually, no, I’m not THAT Darko, you’re thinking of… Masai! They will build you a statue, man. Relax!” As Atlanta Hawks fans, we should all know less about the Toronto Raptors. Thanks to a fruitless but highly speculative offseason, centered largely around Raptors big Pascal Siakam, both teams have been rosterbated to death since the last postseason ended. Up until now, the interest in a two-team trade was not mutual. They got screamed out of the Play-In by the Bulls, and Masai Ujiri allowed their championship coach Nick Nurse to bail, eventually to division rival Philadelphia. Yet Toronto still thought too highly of themselves to be engaging in talks with lowly rivals like Landry Fields’ Atlanta Hawks. Champions, after all, only negotiate with champions. Ujiri will give up draft capital to say he dealt with teams with a championship pedigree, like the Spurs – anybody seen Thad Young lately? He’ll go after players on the periphery of title-bearing teams like the Warriors – where have you gone, Otto Porter? You want Kyle Lowry, Miami? We’ll take Precious Achiuwa off your hands. But the Hawks calling us? Tuh. Now there is fanbase pressure on not only the Hawks (9-13) but the Raptors (9-14), each losers of four straight, to shake things up on the floor, specifically along the starting lineups. Depending on how things go, or don’t go, during Atlanta’s three-day, two-game stay in Ontario that kicks off the Raps’ four-game Scotiabank Arena homestand tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, SportsNet in TOR), I suspect one of these teams will find themselves more receptive to the exclamations of season ticket-holder consensus. What to do with the Raptors’ starting five? Scottie Barnes, 2022’s ROY, has pulled about even with 2023 All-Star Siakam as the main go-to guy, and even leads the team with 9.0 RPG and 1.2 BPG. Once deemed essential only for defensive purposes, OG Anunoby leads the team in three-point attempts, and makes (team-high 39.4 3FG%). Center Jakob Poeltl doesn’t blow many bunnies (72.4 FG%, 2nd in NBA, 1-for-2 FGs outside the paint). So for a shakeup, prior to any Siakam trade, that leaves our old hookah-smoking pal Dennis Schröder (11 points shy of 10,000 for his career). The Menace is blowing past his Hawks-era peak with a career-best 7.0 APG (10th in NBA). Couple that with a career-low 1.7 TOs/game, and 15.1 PPG being his highest since 2021, and there should be no question that he deserves to be a mainstay along first-year head coach Darko Rajakovic’s top line. Yet questions persist as to whether Dennis’ defense, or lack thereof, is dragging the Raptors down. While not getting ridden into the ground as Nurse did in his final season there, the starters together have taken a large share of the total lineup minutes (over 270, as per bball-ref) and are presently at a negative-3.8 points per 100 possessions. (Atlanta’s most used 5-Man combo, 171 minutes at minus-4.6 per 100, was back when Jalen Johnson was healthy. With Bey subbed in, for 142 minutes, they’re at +1.4). While his shooting has been an uptick over last year’s messy season with the Lakers, Schröder (42.0 FG%, incl. 33.9% on threes) could probably stand to jack up shots a little less, and spread the wealth even more. Much like Daniel Theis had to learn the hard way, once the 2023 FIBA World Cup champion figures out that, here in North America, he’s Otis, and nobody is here to see him, things will go much smoother. Still, what are you gonna do? Make longtime Raptor hanger-on Malachi Flynn your new starter at the point? Garrett Temple? Sorry, but no. Ultimately, there haven’t been enough reliable three-point threats (NBA-low 33.4 team 3FG%), particularly any perimeter punch from the reserves (31.7 bench 3FG%). My foolish preseason pick for Rookie of the Year runner-up, Gradey Asterisk, has been Raptors 905 level all season long (28.1 FG%), and he was only recently recalled up from Mississauga. Just about as bad has been Gary Trent, Jr. (38.2 FG%), and he has been the top recipient in playing time off Toronto’s bench. Free throw shooting has been quite the adventure (73.5 team FT%, 29th in NBA), something that hasn’t been a problem in Atlanta (83.8 team FT%, 3rd in NBA) aside from clutch moments in games. Further, Mr. P’s rim protection has never been all that spicy, but it is really low on the Scoville scale of late (career-low 0.2 BPG), relegating a team that was top-ten in blocks last season to bottom-seven so far. It’s enough to make a GM, like Toronto’s Bobby Webster, give a guy like Bogdan Bogdanovic (NBA-high 17.1 bench PPG, his 40-point night vs. DEN pulling him just ahead of Timmy Hardaway. and NBA-high 1.5 bench SPG) a second take. Same for a looks-the-part forward like De’Andre Hunter (questionable, sore knee; 89.9 FT%, last 8 games: 18.6 PPG, 40.0 3FG%), who hasn’t missed a charity shot in his last 11 games. If Siakam doesn’t feel much like guarding inside and help-defending these days, maybe an Onyeka Okongwu can. Or perhaps a Clint Capela, shifting to a sixth-man role behind Poeltl. Either scenario’s an upgrade over Achiuwa, or Chris “turn sideways and you might miss me” Boucher (questionable, contused quad). Ujiri wants winners, and he only wants to deal with winners to say he went out and got winners. Fields would do well to negotiate first with a ring-bearing third-wheel, be it Draymond’s flailing Warriors, or the Lakers, and have them be the ones to reel the Raps in on a multi-team deal that suits all parties. If the Raptors at least split this pair of games to stem their skid, Ujiri can play coy with teams like the Hawks for a little longer, at least up until the Trade Deadline. After all, they still have a winning record versus everybody outside of their treacherous Atlantic Division, where Monday’s loss in New York dropped them to 0-7. (Knicks, I think your super-double-secret proprietary data is safe. Chill.) If Toronto comes up empty against Atlanta, with the last non-division opponent that beat them, Charlotte, coming into town seeking a double-scoop of victory on Monday? If the Raps face a five-game home losing streak, with Denver following suit to maybe make it six? Webster may soon be spending the weekend encouraging Ujiri to finally take Landry’s call off hold. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Indeed, De'Andre has been downgraded in the 5:30 Report to Out. ~lw3

Denver's loss to the Rockets last weekend was their first of the season at Ball Arena. They're 5-8 away from home, 6-8 overall after starting out 8-1. Despite leading the NBA West at 53-29 last season, the Nuggets lost four straight in mid-March, and lost three in a row twice. The first 3-game losing streak kicked off last December with the loss at State Farm Arena. Per GameNotes, Trae's AAU patna MPJ is two triples away from 500, which will make him the 10th Nugget tp reach 500 threes. His current backcourt patna Dejounte sits two threes away from 400. Bogi's streak of 2+ 3FGs is at an NBA season-high 16 games and, hopefully, counting. He'd have a way to go to catch Kahl, I imagine, but Bogi's 17-straight in 2021 ranks second in franchise history. The Hawks will try to make it four seasons in a row where they've beaten a defending champ at least once at The Farm. ~lw3

Dre replaces Trae on the Hawks' side of the Boo-Boo Report, listed as Questionable due to a sore quad tendon. i'm not About to Judge who miGht see elevated minutes in his absence, but theRe are a paIr of spiFFy mat(t)hewses avaIlable at coach quiN's disposal. Jamal remains Probable after spraining his ankle kicking at his referee wooden dummy. All 3 two-way Nuggets are on G-League duty with Grand Rapids. ~lw3

FINE THIS MAN! ~lw3

“You can’t be out here screwing up the ends of MY games! Who do you think I am, Trae Young?” The Kings. The Suns. The Jazz. The Clippers. The Nets. The Pacers. The Hornets. The Magic. The Grizzlies. The Timberwolves. The Pelicans. I think that’s The List. The number of current NBA franchises that have yet to host a championship parade and hoist a trophy before its adoring fans after winning an NBA Finals, since the Atlanta Hawks first arrived in Georgia from Missouri in the spring of 1968, remains a sizable list. For now. Go back as far as 15 years ago, though. The Mavs. The Cavs. The Raps. They were on once stuck on this ignoble list, too. Once representative of half this league, thanks to parity, the Draft Lottery, and “player empowerment” tethered to free agency, The List is dwindling at a pace like that of the Greenland ice sheet. Drip. Drip. Counting teams since the 1968-69 season tipped off that even made it to the end-of-season championship series? That drip starts sounding like a dribble, and not the basketball variety. As of this past spring, the Nuggets are off The List. Denver enters tonight’s game at State Farm Arena (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Altitude Sports in DEN now that there’s no more petty blackouts) knowing they’ve finally got that dirt off their shoulders. Like the Raptors, the Nuggs went 1-0 with just their first Finals try. Given the gifts this former ABA franchise received at Atlanta’s expense many moons ago, it’s a bit amazing they didn’t Git ‘er Done a whole lot sooner. “I expect to negotiate extensively with both of them,” assured Hawks and Omni Group owner John Wilcox, when queried by the Atlanta (not yet Journal-) Constitution. “I expect to sign both of them. I have been negotiating contracts for 22 years, and I assume they will give me an opening figure which they don’t expect to sign for. And, we’ll go from there.” “We wouldn’t have drafted them if we couldn’t afford to sign them,” Wilcox insisted to the A(not yet J)C. “Actually, we can’t afford not to.” NARRATOR: “Wilcox, in fact, did not sign both of them. The NBA’s middling Hawks, in the end, could not sign either of them. The Nuggets, arguably the ABA’s best team, signed both of them. Unable to afford losing them both, Wilcox would soon leave the Omni Group to run a local courier service.” “Them,” as you likely figured out, was the third-overall pick in the 1975 NBA Draft, HBCU legend Marvin Webster, and the first-overall pick, NC State phenom David Thompson, the latter part of the haul received by Atlanta in exchange for handing a disgruntled Pete Maravich to the Jazz of New Orleans. Within a couple weeks of the Hawks making those picks, the Nuggets used a bonus compensatory pick (enjoy Bad News Barnes, you Spirits of St. Louis!) to take Webster off the ABA draft board. Then the Virginia Squires, known for giving away Julius Erving and other young prospects, took the similarly high-flying Thompson first-overall with the intention of dealing him to Denver. Wilcox couldn’t shed the perception that the hefty fine Atlanta was levied for signing Dr. J in 1972, afoul of NBA rules, made the Hawks unable to pay the blue-chippers their worth, and unable to have the residual money to build an insta-contender around Cotton Fitzsimmons’ 31-51 collective. Webster signed with the Nuggets shortly after the ABA draft. Thompson followed suit a month later, his half-million annual salary blowing away what was once Atlanta and Pistol Pete’s record for a rookie deal. Hawks fans came away feeling empty-handed after the promise of the 1974 Maravich trade fell through. In a more kinder cut, one of the Jazz draft picks Atlanta received had to be handed over to Milwaukee as part of the punishment for illicitly signing Erving. Milwaukee would use that pick to sign future Nuggets legend Alex English. Adding Webster, Thompson, and another ABA giveaway, Dan Issel, to Bobby Jones and coach Larry Brown’s 65-game winners of the prior season, the Nuggets reached the ABA Finals in 1976, falling to a very-near-future 76er and Jones teammate, Erving, and the New York Nets in an upset. The Nuggets could never get off the ABA list, because the ABA folded shortly thereafter. But they and three other teams were allowed to move into the senior league. A way-too-merciful NBA allowed those teams to remain virtually intact, rather than pool the players, many of whom spurned the NBA in the first place, into a draft-style auction. An eventual beneficiary of this? Your friend and mine, Lenny Wilkens. Seattle acquired Webster and Paul Silas in a 1977 offseason trade. Within a year, Webster nearly helped the Sonics keep Washington’s Wizlets on The List with his heroics in the 1978 Finals. Lenny wouldn’t need Webster, who left for the Knicks in the ensuing offseason, to make 1979 the reason the Thunder aren’t on The List. But Wilkens still wasn’t done. He already coached up Thompson to victory, and an MVP trophy, in the 1978 All-Star Game. By the time a drug-weathered Thompson’s tenure ended in Denver (after all, Alex English is the new star!) in 1982, Seattle, and Wilkens, were receiving him with open arms. The 1980s Nuggets became known as coach Doug Moe’s high-scoring squad who couldn’t stop anybody. Nine straight postseasons, with five first-round bounces and one WCF to show for it. Atlanta, meanwhile, seemed so close to figuring things out. If only one of the team’s heavily-scouted and drafted international players would pan out. Beginning with Marty Blake’s back-draft selections in the 1970s, the Hawks were the most dedicated pioneers of the practice of traveling across the Baltic Sea, scouring for hoop talent that might make a splash in The States. Get your hooks in, the prevailing thought went, before the colleges do. Sure, they already look like professors, but still… We crawled, with Manuel Raga and Dino Meneghin, and we stumbled, with Arvydas Sabonis and Alexander Volkov, so teams like the Nuggets could one day fly with a doughy 285-pound Latvian, a second-round shot-in-the-dark, molded into a five-time All-Star, two-time MVP and, now, reigning Finals MVP and List-erasing NBA champion. As downtrodden as the Doug Moe-style Hawks (9-12) seem of late, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets (14-9) are similarly disinterested in dropping a fourth-consecutive contest. Jamal Murray (probable for tonight, sprained ankle; thrown out after a last-minute meltdown in Friday’s 114-106 home loss vs. HOU) has appeared in just three of Denver’s past five games, after missing 11 straight due to a hammy strain. The resultant dependence on Jokic (career-high 28.4 PPG, NBA-high 13.0 RPG, 9.6 APG) to make, initiate, and create, for Denver’s plodding offense is straining. The reigning champs depleted their depth in the offseason, turning keys over to back-bench youth, like Peyton Watson, Christian Braun and Zeke Nnaji, and plug-in vet Justin Holiday. The results have lately been like last week’s in Sacramento for Jokic: 36 points on 13-for-23 shooting, 13 rebounds, 14 assists, Haliburt0n turnovers. And an L. Nikola’s teammates combined to shoot 5-for-21 on treys, no match for the teammates of Domantas Sabonis (don’t remind me about him slipping through our grasp) going 15-for-31. We see you, Kevin Huerter. The probable play of Murray (career-highs of 41.8 3FG%, 6.7 APG) will aid Denver in stretching the floor more effectively for Jokic’s benefit. Where he doesn’t help is on the defensive end, where the Nuggets get a little too hack-happy. They’ve been fouled 18.9 times per game, leading to just 19.8 FTAs/game (3rd-lowest in NBA), while opponents’ 19.2 drawn fouls grant them 23.6 foul shots nightly. Murray (90.0 FT%) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (93.0 FT%; 4 FTAs in past 5 games) could stand to penetrate the paint a bit more effectively, to even things out. Trae Young’s wallet is $25K lighter after the close of Atlanta’s last home loss, but the good news is he had enough cash left to spring for some Dimetapp. So illness won’t be a reason to miss today’s Denver game, not like his You’re Not The Boss of Me Now tantrum led him to skip out on last season’s visit by the Nuggets. But without Young, not only did Dejounte show everyone he was the best Murray on the floor (34 points, 8 assists, 1 TO) in their spirited 117-109 win last December 2nd, but Nate McMillan’s Hawks got a breakout performance from AJ Griffin (24 points on 11-for-16 FGs, 3 steals) to secure the victory. You all remember AJ, don’t you? Bagel-for-13 in 27 minutes of play during the Hawks’ road trip in Boston and Cleveland, Griffin has been DNP-CD’d in the four games since. One can only assume Griffin is deep in the lab with the Hawks’ player development team in Brookhaven, on elements beyond just shooting mechanics. But Atlanta can certainly afford to allow the 16th pick of 2022’s Draft (9.2 MPG in of ATL’s 11 games) to cut his teeth with a bit more consistency than Denver’s 22nd pick, the playoff-steeled Braun (20.3 MPG, played in all 23 DEN games) and dogged defender Watson, the last pick of that year’s opening round (15.6 MPG in 21 appearances), drawing effusive praise with each passing game from bloody turnip Michael Malone. If we ever, as a franchise, are to get off The List, then player development schemes for Atlanta’s draft picks have to pay major, award-winning dividends for the Hawks, and not the IST champion Lakers, or the Kings, or… Hey, we sure did poach Dikembe Mutombo that one time. Deke and Lenny, what a pair! Oh, and how could anyone forget us stealing away LaPhonso Ellis? Take that, Denver! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

"A-choo!" ~tra3

Philly PD never even tried to bring poor HitchBOT's killer to justice, so I'm inclined to take the aloof Kelly Oubre at his word when he insists his Schwinn got sideswiped about a mile down the road in Center City. He returned against the Wizards and eventually led the way in bench scoring (12 points) after a rough opening half. That clears the Sixers' side of the Boo-Boo Report, as their two-way players are on G-League duty. Trae's illness (still listed as Questionable) remains the only new smudge on the Hawks' side. Despite dropping three of their past four away games, Atlanta's six road wins remains tied with a bunch of teams for second-most in the NBA East (MIA is up to 7-6 after throttling the Raps in Toronto on Wednesday). FWIW, Philly is 6-4 away from home, but like most of these teams, they are break-even or better as hosts (ATL 3-6). Anything more than 99 points tonight moves the Hawks into a tie with both the Sixers and Knicks of 1966-67 for the 7th-longest triple-digit team scoring streak in league history. Where the 100+ points-allowed streak ranks all-time, obviously, is unreported. The Hawks somehow lead the all-time H2H versus the Syracuse Nats/76ers franchise, 179-174, and the Sixers will need more than their current four-game winning streak against Atlanta in order to pull even. ~lw3

“Good thinking outside the box, Hunt! We really do have to scare these shooters out of the corners. But I checked with the officials and, sadly, Sheisty masks are no longer allowed in this town.” One can always count on the NBA to create some strange Hollywood bedfellows. Atlanta native and AUC legend Spike Lee became THE Knicks superfan. Raised up from the ATL into stratospheric superstardom (and a completed residency not far from the Stratosphere), Usher invested into co-ownership with the Cavaliers, and he didn’t even bail out after LeBron first did. Meanwhile, the official Spirit of the Atlanta Hawks (a title has been, um, vacated for a while now) is brought to you by Philadelphia’s Own, Kevin Hart. No, it’s not a joke, although my current profile pic over there on the left kinda is. The Philly-based comedian, the one who would first request a stepladder before ever considering slapping his Headliner buddy Chris Rock, was all up in State Farm Arena’s business at the NBA season’s start. Laid back, with his mind on his newfound money, and vice versa. Hart could be found hanging out near courtside with Harry the Mascot while sipping on his Gran Coramino tequila. The bar inside the arena’s Delta Sky360 Club is now named after the brand, its name prominently displayed on the back of a Hawks jersey as Hart cheesed it up for promos in Atlanta’s locker room. Followers of this liquor brand might win his courtside seats in a sweepstakes his venture plans to hold down on The Farm. You see, the way this Koonin and The Gang partnership was set up was, it “marries two of my biggest passions: sports and tequila,” said the Ride Along star. “Last year, I made State Farm Arena a stop on my comedy tour, but this year, I wanted to find a way to connect with the Hawks and venue long term. To build anticipation for this basketball season, my tequila brand signed a sponsorship deal that bonds the Hawks and Gran Coramino together. I am excited for Hawks fans to become fans of my tequila once they have the chance to try it out!” Thankfully, It’s Just The Hawks, so nobody in the larger NBA soundscape really noticed enough to pretend to care. Hardly any Sixer fans reacted like a Home Alone actress in a holiday cashback ad: “Kevin!” Further, I can’t blame Hart for pursuing this latest Crown Royal-style bag from a not-Philly sporting club. Much like Usher’s people probably couldn’t get a word in edgewise with The Notorious A$G back in the day, the Sixers still seem to suffer from frosty business relations. I am, of course, once again, talking about the poor waifs over at Wells Fargo (and not about The Hardache; that’s so last month). You’ll see the bank name displayed on the court as the Hawks and 76ers tip off tonight (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Philly). But that’s solely because the home team would rather not drag out its longstanding grudge with the arena sponsor, and their army of lawyers, in courts with hardwood gavels. Philly’s gameday media notes, and all official PR issued by the team, still refer to the team’s home venue derisively as, “The Center.” This is going on eight years after the Sixers first tried to scrub the arena sponsor’s imagery off the court, or at best make it faintly visible. The NHL Flyers’ and arena’s owners relinquished ownership of the Sixers to Josh Harris way back in 2011. The multi-pro-team owner’s people couldn’t hammer out an agreement to make the stagecoach-branded conglomerate their official banking partner. So they inked a 2015 “official” partnership with a local family-owned bank, instead, and have hardly found reason to mention either of them in the years since. The team’s media guide greets PDF viewers with, “Welcome. The Philadelphia 76ers would like to welcome all members of the media to the 2023-24 season, our 28th season in The Center and our 60th in the City of Brotherly Love.” The guide mentions “Wells Fargo Arena,” home to the unaffiliated G-League Iowa Wolves, about as often as it is forced to reference “Wells Fargo Center.” As an essential element of Philadelphian culture, the moment they decide to hold a grudge, you are left with no choice but to pry it from their cold, dead hands. How brotherly. Harris’ Sixers, in the process of politicking for a move to Kelly Oubre’s Center City and away from their longtime home off South Broad, are also in a PR pickleball with Comcast Spectacor, the arena owners. A former Ticketmaster and MSG CEO, aligned with Harris’ push for the new venue, squabbled over trying to book The Eagles (the group that Don Henley QBs) at The Center, and threatens to never work with the guys running the old building again. “Take my name out your [redacted] mouth!”, the Sixers basically shouted while clapping back at Comcast. Sixer fans look past these passive-aggressive disputes among billionaires as easily as they do the basketball team that has gone 5-6 after an impressive 8-1 start. Sure, they fell to Boston last week, for the second-straight time. But they lost only by seven points, and Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were each out with illnesses! Embiid (NBA-high 33.1 PPG, on track to lead the league for a third-straight year) was out sick when they lost in New Orleans, too. Yes, they needed almost all 50 points from Joel just to fend off the Wizards in D.C. on Wednesday, but that WAS a 50-piece. MVP! Coach Nick Nurse’s offense currently stands at 16th in the league in 2FG%, 9th in 3FG%, 5th in O-Reb%, 20th in assist%, 9th-lowest TO%. Not much of that is terribly impressive. What is, though, is the Sixers ranking second in offensive efficiency (120.1 O-Rating), regardless. They distinguish themselves from the Hawks’ offense (5th in O-Rating, at 118.2) because the field goal attempts they generate are low on degrees-of-difficulty, and high on the capabilities of those taking shots. It also helps that they know who can draw trips to the free throw line, and how confidently those players shoot from there. Philadelphia ranks 2nd in FTAs, and 1st in FT%, by making sure that the lion’s share of those visits are allocated to Embiid (87.6 FT%, up from his MVP season career-high of 85.5%), Maxey (90.3 FT%), and Tobias Harris (88.6 FT%). Joel’s 3.8 TOs/game threatens to surpass his rookie-season high, yet his 6.6 APG would blow away his career-best averages of 4.2. That’s a credit to Nurse, and the array of Embiid’s current teammates in proper position to score off his forays toward the rim (PHI 3rd in Roll-Man frequency and Roll-Man PPG), rather than choking away what remains of the shot clock (sorry, James). Like most teams, the 76ers also stand apart from Atlanta on defense, but the disparity isn’t as clear as the defensive ratings suggest, as demonstrated by the 126 points Philly allowed the languishing Wizards. Only the Hawks (16.1) allow more PPG off opponents cutting to the hoop than the Sixers (13.6). But while cutters are hitting baskets at a whopping 74.4 percent clip against the Hawks, Philly’s 66.1 percent is closer to league average. At least Kevin Hart made moves in the offseason to, as he put it, build anticipation for the Hawks’ basketball season. Landry Fields and Swiss Family Ressler stashed the back of the roster with future coaching assistants and unutilized rookies, then left it to Quin Snyder to figure a way to make the young returnees useful in his rotations. So far, so good with the injured Jalen Johnson, and Saddiq Bey, the plug-in starter who nearly saved the Hawks’ bacon late in Wednesday’s 114-113 home loss to Brooklyn. Yet AJ Griffin (DNP-M.I.A. last 3 games) and Onyeka Okongwu, once young Model Ts of efficiency, are on the cusp of devolving into Edsels under Snyder’s watch, and it's unclear when the injured 2023 Draft class will be able to leave the garage. When there aren’t enough contributors emerging as a threat on offense, or as a reliable defensive stopper, the outcomes of winnable Hawks games are too often left to The Little Engine That Could, Trae Young (questionable for tonight, illness) and the mercy of referee whistles. Fortunately for Hawks fans, Coach Quin feigned proper outrage at the (even more proper) no-call that concluded the Nets game. Visibly and audibly showing he has Trae’s back virtually guarantees that, this season, Young will be on the court when the Nuggets come to town next week. Even if Trae is a no-go tonight, Atlanta (9-11) needs quality bench production beyond Bogi Bogdanovic to keep up with Philadelphia (4.5 bench-player Net Rating, 2nd in NBA). Leaning too heavily on Dejounte Murray (team-worst minus-18, 5-for-16 FGs, one rebound, 3 assists, 3 TOs in ATL’s 126-116 loss vs. PHI on Nov. 17; one dime short on his 2nd ATL triple-double but 5-for-16 FGs vs. BRK) and the starting unit will prove fruitless for the Hawks, especially if the Mat(t)hewses are among the top reserve options. As the NBA calendar turns, beginning next week, to permit a higher volume of players to churn through trade hoppers, my one suggestion to Fields, and Atlanta's player-personnel brass, is to enjoy a sip or two of Philly Kev’s Gran Coramino during the boardroom meetings. Something has to pass for The Spirit of the Hawks these days, so that'll do. But please, Landry, Think Responsibly. Happy Hanukkah. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Another key returnee for Brooklyn is backup guard Dennis Smith, who had 10 points, 6 assists and 11 boards in the win over Orlando. Depth remains a bit of an issue. Beyond Gameboy Simmons (the nerve of that guy's back), second-string wing Lonnie Walker has been out with a strained hammy. Noah Clowney and Dariq Whitehead are joined with all the two-way players on Long Island G-League Duty. Nothing new on the Hawks' side of the Boo-Boo Report. The last three home games versus Brooklyn have been decided by three points or fewer. Correction: by two points or fewer. ~lw3

“Don’t let that Clowney kid clown you, Trent. Cheer up! Hey, maybe they'll let more teams like ours get in next year!” “We ain’t texting about the IST, Bogi.” Yay! More scheduling fun. Hawks fans were treated to quite the scoring duel back on Thanksgiving Eve. The Brooklyn Nets’ Mikal Bridges put up a career-high 45 points, only to watch Trae Young go nearly bucket-for-bucket with his run-of-the-mill 43 points. Despite the usual end-of-regulation shenanigans, the home team prevailed in overtime, 147-145. The night before that contest, the Nets were in a posh Atlanta hotel, on their second rest day, as the Hawks were down the street in the middle of a 157-152 (no OT needed) barnburner with the Pacers. After losing to the Hawks, Brooklyn would get two more off-days, returning to NYC ahead of a five-game homestand where only some slippage against the Hornets kept the Nets from going 5-0. Atlanta, meanwhile, would hit the road for five games, an excursion from Georgia to D.C. to Massachusetts to Ohio to Texas to Wisconsin. They’d come away with Ws over a pair of sad-sack teams before finally returning to State Farm Arena. Tonight, in Atlanta (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in The BK), is the first away game for the Nets (10-9, 3-4 on road) since they played the Hawks here two Wednesdays ago, following their extended stay earlier that week that included practice in our Brookhaven facility. Coach Jacque Vaughn’s crew hasn’t played NBA games anywhere other than The Highlight (For Everybody) Factory, or Barclays Center, since November 16. The Nets last played a second consecutive road game on November 3, in Chicago. They won’t face that scenario again until tipping off the second game of their first Western Conference road trip, on December 13. I ain’t mad, tho! The Hawks (9-9) are fully capable of beating themselves without any help from the good people of Secaucus, New Jersey, some of whom shoehorned a pair of games this week for each of the league’s IST also-rans. It is almost as if the folks high up in the skyscraping Olympic Tower along New York’s Fifth Avenue make overseeing Atlanta’s opponent schedule their personal Manhattan project. You already know about the East-leading Celtics in late March, where they’ll arrive in Atlanta on a Saturday night, play the Hawks on Monday night, then have enough time to re-trace the entire Keith Lee restaurant tour before playing the Hawks again on Thursday night. They’ll then get another day off before playing New Orleans on a Saturday. In between those Boston skirmishes, Atlanta gets to host Portland on the first night of a back-to-back. Just leaning on Law of Averages and What Goes Around logic, there has got to be some schedule advantages baked into the Hawks’ itineraries somewhere. Still, look at this sweet deal the league currently has set up for Boston. The bad news for the Celtics, thanks to The Tyrese Haliburton Experience, is they won’t be headed to Vegas anytime soon. The good news for them? After losing this week in Indianapolis, they don’t have to go anywhere else aside from Beantown, either. As the C’s play-by-play announcer Sean Grande noted, from November 26 when they beat the Hawks at home through December 17, that team has played and will play a total of nine games, eight of them at the Gahden, and the IST loss in Indy being the exception. If there’s anyone in the NBA who could use even more of a scheduling crutch than the Nets, it’s… the Celtics. So, yeah, I am sorry. I’ve got myself into such a bitter lather that I can hardly get into Xs and Os about tonight’s affair. While he struggled in that November 22 game, it was the last full game where Hawks fans could witness the play of a Most Improved Player candidate in Jalen Johnson. They’ll get to see one tonight, on the other team, that was unavailable for the last Nets-Hawks tête-à-tête. Returning from an ankle sprain, Brooklyn guard Cam Thomas came in off the bench, in an otherwise disappointing 129-128 home loss versus LaMelo-less Charlotte, and contributed 26 points off the bench. Vaughn inserted Thomas back into the starting lineup in place of Dorian Finney-Smith (DNP vs. ORL, sore knee, available @ ATL). With his 20 points tacked onto Bridges’ 42, and four Nets starters going 13-for-28 on threes, Brooklyn closed their homestand on Saturday by finally cooling the Magic’s jets. Thomas being a living, breathing bucket is hardly a revelation. But Vaughn takes pains to let people know, despite the elevated scoring commensurate with starter’s minutes, that Thomas (season-high 5 assists, 7 rebounds vs. ORL) is rounding out his game in ways attributing to their club’s meager success. “He can play-make. He’s more than a scorer,” Vaughn told the New York Post after the resounding 129-101 victory where the Nets held Orlando to just 22 first-quarter points (outscored in that frame by Mikal’s 26) and 16 fourth-quarter points. “He’s really taken a step on the defensive end of the floor, which makes me extremely happy as a coach that he wants to defend. He’s gotten better at defending.” Those accolades echo over at coach Quin Snyder’s locker room, where playmaking ace Trae Young earns nightly Es for Effort on defense. But unlike Bridges, DFS and the rim-plugging Nic Claxton supporting Thomas with a dogged approach to rebounding (9th in team D-Reb%; ATL ranks 24th) and guarding the perimeter (36.0 opponent 3FG%, 10th-lowest in NBA, ATL ranks 7th-highest) even without the availability of Ben Simmons, the so-called supporting cast around Trae (last nine games: 29.7 PPG, 11.1 APG, 39.8 3FG%, ATL 3-6) have been defensive-minded only in a nominal, on-paper sense. The pandemic took away any ability to tease Nets fans with a photo of Saddiq Bey, at Barclays Center, in a 2020 Draft Night baseball cap. It wouldn’t be quite as fun as showing Sixers fans 2018-era Bridges, as The One That Got Away. But Bey (+4.0 Net Rating on the season, 3rd on ATL) could bear greater utility to Atlanta beyond just today’s game versus the team that draft-and-traded him. Having returned to Atlanta’s starting lineup until at least Johnson returns, Saddiq has demonstrated himself, through most metrics and eye tests, to be a better passer, shooter, and rebounder than De’Andre Hunter (-0.8 Net Rating, ahead only of Clint Capela’s -1.2 among ATL regulars), granted similar nightly floor time but significantly less usage. Once Jalen returns, it may be time to consider deploying Hunter as the on-ball defender who enters games in tandem with sixth-man Bogi Bogdanovic, helping Bogi hold back opposing offenses more often than he currently does Young. Were the exploits from the last Brooklyn contest (25 points, 2 blocks, 7-for-7 FTs and a career-high 11 rebounds vs. BRK last month) closer to the norm for Dre (last 2 games: 12.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 6-for-18 FGs, 2 combined assists and 5 TOs), Atlanta would likely have more victorious results and better winning margins. It is worth the Hawks’ staff considering, instead of Hunter being the reason opponents aren’t exceeding 150 points on the daily, that perhaps he is one of the reasons Atlanta isn’t doing that, too. A similar argument can be made for Capela, with whom Snyder has finally begun experimenting in twin-tower frontcourt matchups. The depth behind Onyeka Okongwu, however, isn’t there, unless a plan to ramp up playing time for Bruno Fernando after his brief Skyhawks stint is in the works. As with Bey, what needs to ramp up is Okongwu’s usage (13.1 usage%, lowest among regulars, just ahead of Bey’s 14.5%) within the Hawks’ high-paced schemes. “Whatever it takes for me to be on the court longer, I’ll do it,” Onyeka shared with the AJC’s Lauren Williams. Okongwu could not only be on the court, but could pay dividends for the team if Capela eventually transitions to become Bogi’s (and Ko-B’s) main rim-stopper and rim-runner. I’ll stop there for now. No idea why I’m so grumpy. It’s not as if I’M someone who constantly has to keep my travel bags packed for weeks on end. Looking at you, Secaucus. Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

Same stuff, different day for the Hawks' side of the Boo-Boo Report. Villa Rican forward Jae Crowder remains Out after mid-November surgery to address groin and abdominal tears. Speedy rookie Andre Jackson has been dealing with back spasms and is listed as Questionable, although he did make it to the third quarter of Thursday's game in Chicago. Milwaukee's October loss to the Hawks is their sole defeat thus far at Fiserv (8-1 at home), where they've won their past seven. Atlanta's victory also pulled the all-time series head-to-head into a 117-117 deadlock. Try to keep Dame (8.4 FTs/game. 2nd in NBA) off the free throw line, but also don't let him sink 15 threes tonight. That would move Lillard into 5th all-time in made three pointers with former Buck/Hawk Kyle Korver (2.450 3FGs). 15 assists from Lillard would move the NBA75'er into the Top-60 in all-time dimes dropped, ahead of Jeff "Hi Kids!" Hornacek. At the risk of a jinx, the Hawks (75) are 8 games away from surpassing Coach Bud and the Bucks' Feb. 2019 - Feb. 2020 streak of triple-digit scoring tallies (83). First place, appropriately, is damn-the-torpedoes Doug Moe's 1981-1982 Nuggets (136). ~lw3

“What's this? An endless loop of Hawks late-game inbound replays? Do you expect me to talk?” Jason Kidd needs somebody to write some positive [redacted], so I’ll give it a shot. Kidd inherited Giannis Antetokounmpo when Larry Drew got the heave-ho in Milwaukee. In so doing, the new Bucks owners’ handpicked head coach declared their big bag-o’-bones the team’s newest… point guard. He’ll teach the Greek Freak everything he knows, the soon-to-be Hall of Famer thought to himself. Within a season, Kidd declared Giannis was the Bucks’ newest… shooting guard. Not much about Antetokounmpo screamed, “long-range shooting superstar” (hang in there, coach, I’m getting there). But the potential of allowing him to drive from the perimeter to create offense, particularly with the space generated from defenders willfully sagging, was too enticing an experiment not to conduct. Next, bearing some gristle on those bony shoulders after some time in the weight room, Giannis would move into the frontcourt as Milwaukee’s newest… small forward (fare thee well, Jabari Parker). It would be enough to earn the Bucks’ franchise-face his first All-Star appearance in the midst of his fourth pro season and, at season’s end, Most Improved Player honors. Sharing the wing with supersized sniper Khris Middleton wouldn’t hurt, either. But by the end of the 2016-17 season, they were all still waiting to enjoy their first opening-round playoff series victory. Same, by the end of 2018, although by mid-season, Kidd was pushed out to help ownership woo Atlanta’s Mike Budenholzer from the transfer portal. Interim coach Joe Prunty took the girthier Giannis and plugged him into a power forward role, where the latter would average double-digit rebounds for the first time in his career. The next season, Bud and incoming stretchy center Brook Lopez helped max out Giannis’ potential at the 4-spot by uncluttering the paint. Antetokounmpo would exceed 60 percent on two-point shots along the way to the first of two straight league MVP awards, and his burgeoning defensive prowess would be rewarded in 2020 with DPOY as well. By 2019, Milwaukee reached the conference finals. By 2021, Giannis earns his first NBA ring, and Finals MVP. Unfortunately for him, his particular skillset couldn’t compensate for injuries and gradual slippage by his co-star, Middleton, and no one else on the Bucks could, either. After missing out on the conference finals in 2022, then the second-round in 2023, Budenholzer hits the skids. Now, Adrian Griffin takes charge. And with that, Atlanta Hawks fans, I’d like to formally introduce to you and the NBA to Mr. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the once and future Milwaukee Bucks… center. As Prunty, now an assistant under Griffin for the Bucks (13-6, incl. 8-2 over last 10 games), is aware, Giannis has been trotted out as a mismatch creator and a dynamic, disruptive force, consistently, at every position on the NBA floor, except one. Well, technically, five. He gets to enjoy his final year in his twenties beginning four days from now, and I suspect the evolution under Griffin’s watch has already begun. Kidd did all he could to maximize Antetokounmpo’s ball-handling and floor-directing skills, which proved to be of benefit to him long-term (is that positive enough for you, Jase?). But the guy averaging a career-high 4.1 TOs/game, to “just” 4.7 APG (down from 5.7 last season, lowest since 2015-16), does not a point guard or even point-forward make. Besides, that’s why Damian Lillard is here. Bobby Portis is Avis, he tries hard. But he need not be slinging his wingspan around as a backup at the 5-spot any more than Giannis at this point. Unlike his arms, Brook Lopez’s tooth is growing long. While he is protecting the rim as best he can (2.7 BPG, eclipsing last year’s career-high of 2.5), corralling defensive boards and getting back in transition (MIL 5th-most opponent fastbreak points per-36; ATL 3rd) are no longer his strong suits. That was made evident on Thursday, as the Bulls wouldn’t need a pregame players-only meeting to dominate the glass in a 120-113 OT win over the Bucks in Chicago. Giannis led the way with 14 rebounds for Milwaukee (incl. 6 of their 9 O-Rebs). Yet Lopez and Portis found themselves outworked by Nikola Vucevic (29-and-10) and Andre Drummond (10-and-14 in 13.5 bench minutes), and Bropez couldn’t get stretch an arm out far enough to dissuade Alex Caruso from sinking a game-tying fadeaway three at the close of regulation. Chicago also didn’t need either the injured Zach LaVine nor last-minute scratch DeMar DeRozan to blitz the Bucks 20-11 on the fastbreak. Milwaukee’s reservations have long been to protect Giannis from getting into foul trouble by placing him as far away from the pivot spot as possible. But Griffin will find that Giannis can create more havoc for opponents from the dunker’s spot these days. Perhaps contracting defenses enough to help Lillard (41.8 FG%, down from 46.3% w/ POR last season; 32.9 3FG%) and Middleton (31.6 3FG%; 31.5% in 33 games last season) find their range more consistently. Also, cutting down on his floor mileage (2.44, compared to Nikola Jokic’s 2.31, and Joel Embiid’s 2.25, per Second Spectrum), could pay dividends over 82 games. As it stands, Antetokounmpo is the sole NBA player averaging over 29 PPG and 10 RPG while shooting over 50 percent from the field. That latter value actually exceeds 60 percent right now, and that’s largely because Coach AG is compelling GA (7.3 feet average shot distance, lowest since 7.2 in 2014-15, as per bball-ref) to abdicate settling for three-pointers (10.0% of his FGAs, lowest proportion since 2014-15, incl. zero corner 3FGAs to date) he shouldn’t have to make. Giannis is averaging 1.3 SPG and 1.4 BPG right now, without having full-time duties at center. It used to be just voter fatigue, in recent seasons, holding him back from getting looks from a plurality of MVP voters. Now, unless you’re a super-soaking scorer at the other positions, you must be a dominant center, a la Embiid or Jokic, to stand out and draw the positive pub. Despite the uniqueness of Antetokounmpo’s production thus far, it’s Jokic and Embiid once again getting the MVP attention; NBA.com’s Michael Wright has only now moved Giannis up into the fifth rung of his MVP ladder, with the usual suspects at 1 and 2, and Giannis looking up at Luka and SGA in a tie for third place. Embiid has been blessed with the breakout performance of his co-star, Tyrese Maxey, Jokic to a lesser extent by the consistent fullcourt offense of Michael Porter, Jr. Yet neither the Nuggets nor Sixers have demonstrably better records than the Bucks, and Antetokounmpo has had to endure the acclimation of new second-banana Lillard and former Jazz-Laker sixth-man Malik Beasley to his starting lineup. Lillard and Beasley have given the Bucks’ offense some respectability, but at the expense of the once-vaunted team defense (115.0 D-Rating, 20th in NBA, down from 4th last season). The departure of key role players, in the process of making moves to acquire Lillard, is also pressing back-of-the-line Bucks (MarJon Beauchamp, Andre Jackson, A.J. Green, and elder statesmen Pat Connaughton and Cam Payne) into prime-time plays they may not yet be fully ready for. While the Bucks were struggling with the shorthanded Bulls, the Hawks needed a full 40 minutes of The Reign of Trae-ror just to keep the Spurs from notching a first victory in its past 13 games. A far more impressive Hawks victory came back in late October, here at Fiserv Forum. Atlanta throttled Dame Nickel and all of Milwaukee’s backcourt contributors, particularly in the first half, and Trae Young’s 20 points led a balanced scoring effort (8 Hawks in double-digits, plus a pair of AJ Griffin threes in front of his Paw-paw), leaving Buck defenders not knowing where to turn. The Hawks’ 127-110 victory, their first of the season back on October 29, set the bar for what coach Quin Snyder’s 9-9 club could look like when they bother to dig in defensively (season-high 15 steals; 14 in the win @SAS) and spread the offensive wealth (season-high 32 assists). A repeat performance tonight (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Wisconsin) is a bit of an ask to close out this five-game road swing. But it can help Atlanta if they keep a defender near Giannis whenever he gets his touches outside the paint, allowing him to occasionally forget his ideal position. Speaking of centers, an advisory word to Tim McMahon: go scribble something nice about the Mavs’ teenaged center Dereck Lively’s stats. That ought to cheer Coach Kidd up, for a minute or two. “Hey, coach, how’s THIS for data?” Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

(^No McBuckets, though, so, there's that.) ~lw3

Right on cue, in Lottoland. Make room, Wemby! https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2023/11/and-ones-collier-mock-draft-in-season-tournament-ferrell.html ~lw3

It's the third back-to-back this month for the Spurs, who are 0-4 in the first two sets, including a 152-111 loss traveling to Indiana the day after a seven-point home loss to Toronto. They'll catch a break when the calendar turns to December, as their next B2B are a pair of games at Portland at the end of the month. No changes to the Boo-Boo Report on the Hawks' side of the ledger, as of 12:30 PM Eastern. Sochan for now remains Probable while Wemby remains Questionable. G-League star and Summer League standout Dominick Barlow is the sole two-way player available for the Spurs. In case these high-paced clubs get a little frisky, according to Spurs' GameNotes, the high-watermark in the second half was 87 Hawks points back in November 1979, racking up the most points, FGs and assists in a second-half by any Spurs opponent. Atlanta actually bothered to win that game, too, John Drew outdueling George Gervin, 40-39, to help the Hawks win, 143-120. Good work, Hubie! ~lw3

The Old Man and The C Somewhere not far from Bucket of Blood Street, Mike Budenholzer is relaxing at his humble Holbrook, Arizona abode. Probably, the former NBA championship coach is a little less than amused over Adrian Griffin’s Bucks locking down the IST top-seed in the NBA East without him. Mere months after his not-a-failure postseason came to an abrupt end, though, Milwaukee’s deposed head coach can take solace in watching two of his prior employers running in mud. Coach Bud is just biding his time, and it’s likely he isn’t answering any calls. Not until one rings from the 210 area code, with “Coach Pop” in the descriptor on his cellie. I used to theorize, loudly, that Gregg Popovich was Budenholzer’s seat warmer, until Popovich came down from the highs of putting Timmy, Manu and Tony in rocking chairs and rafters. Further, once Bud tired of his odyssey practicing head-honcho with the Atlanta Hawks. As we know, some not-so-funny things happened along the merry path to the Hawks’ rebuild, and Bud’s detour landed him an upgrade, from the likes of Al Horford and Dwight Howard and Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder, to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday. Now his gold-ball coaching in 2021 has earned him some desirable PTO in 2023. There are several NBA orgs, right this minute, that would love for Bud to return their calls. Alas, I resume arguing, he’s holding out for one. A few months after a fresh-faced Budenholzer shocked San Antonio by accepting his pal Danny Ferry and Atlanta Sprit Group’s offer in the summer of 2013, bringing their D-League coach Quin Snyder along as his trusty lead assistant, the processing 76ers couldn’t wait to pluck another promising prospect from the Pop-lar coaching tree. The terminally affable Brett Brown surfed his way through seven seasons in Philly, until a first-round Bubble sweep at the hands of their despised Celtic rivals finally did him in. Rather than hop back on the horse somewhere else, Brown took two years Outside The NBA. Can you guess where Brett Brown is today? You can see him tonight as the Hawks and Spurs face off (8 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Southwest in SATX). He’ll be sitting right by ol’ Coach Pop. Right back where he belongs. You cannot convince me otherwise, Popovich is bringing the band back together. Old Edition! Ferry? He’s been Zooming in as a consultant for Spurs, Inc. since 2020 and, unlike some teams, they know how to keep opinions about basketball players, fan demographics, and continental origins in-house. Whenever Pop persuades his buddy Bud to eventually take the reins, they’ll know the Spurs already got at least one New Kid on the Low Block. Poor Jabari Smith, Houston’s top lotto prize from 2022, found himself caught up in Victor Wembanyama’s torture chamber, at both ends of the floor. Multiple shots blocked on the same possession, blow-bys, acrobatic and-ones, dipsy-doo-dunk-a-roos. Smith’s Rockets nearly prevailed anyway, but for a tough mid-ranger from the rangy 7-foot-4 Spurs rookie that forced overtime. The 126-122 win over their in-state rivals, led by 2023’s #1 overall pick, had Spurs Country abuzz in a frenzy. The future… is already here! That victory came on October 27. Well over a month later, fans of the Spurs (3-14, last in NBA West, 12 straight Ls) are parched, desperate to imbibe just the second home win on the young season. The Hawks (8-9, 11th in NBA East) need to do what they can to make those fans wait, at least, until the Bulls saunter into town eight days from now. San Antonio isn’t the only team that knows they can rest players against Atlanta and still have a decent shot at victory. With a trip to New Orleans for a game tomorrow pending, Wemby’s conveniently listed as questionable with a tight hip. Jeremy Sochan is probable, despite a reportedly sore knee. When you see a team, like the Hawks in Cleveland, loft 8 more shots (incl. 8 more 3FGAs), get granted 7 more free throw attempts, and even commit six fewer turnovers, yet still get doubled up on paint points (64-32) along the way to getting blown out by 23, you’d be tempted to put your prized unicorn in mothballs, too. When a team like Atlanta is competing as if they, not Boston, are down two starters, you, too, would be eager to give your Dalano Blanton-level reserves some time to shine. Wemby’s highlight-worthy exploits aside, the Spurs cannot shoot (55.3 team TS%, 25th in NBA), their professed stars struggle to create their own offense (NBA-high 69.5 assist percentage; 106.3 O-Reb, 3rd-worst in NBA), and, by Popovich’s and formerly Budenholzer’s design (26.5 team O-Reb%, 24th in NBA), they are religious about prioritizing transition defense over hunting for second-chance points. Further, if Wemby (2.6 BPG, 1.3 SPG) isn’t making fans ooh-la-la with swats and steals, and Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins can’t bail him out by boxing out, they can’t seem to get stops (119.0 D-Rating, 27th in NBA; only team with a double-digit negative Net Rating at minus-12.7), particularly when it comes down to closing out on perimeter shooters (39.8 opponent 3FG%, 2nd-highest in NBA, incl. 43.6% from corners). Especially when you’re playing the rudder-less Hawks, though, why would any of this make Coach Pop complain? Besides, it’s not as if anybody these days pays him any mind. Kawhi Leonard received the kind of frosty reception from the Frost Bank Center crowd last week once reserved for Zaza Pachulia. Protecting his former pupil, Coach Pop couldn’t resist grabbing the scorer’s table microphone to yell at the cloud, er, crowd. “Can we stop all the bull and let these guys play?”, Popovich groveled, eliciting even more jeers as Kawhi took his free throws. “It’s got no class! That’s not who we are!” Perhaps he forgot to add, “This isn’t Dallas!” The thing is, the fans are getting a bit restless, while Popovich turns grumpy-cat about literally every other issue on the planet aside from his roster construction. Why else would he announce at the start of the season that he’s turning point guard duties over to Sochan, which was news not only to Tre Jones (team-high 5.1 APG, zero starts) but to Sochan himself? “I don’t think he understood, or maybe I didn’t do a good enough job of relaying to him, all the responsibilities therein,” shrugged Pop about Sochan (last five starts: 3.6 APG, 2.0 TOs/game) to the Express-News over the weekend. Indeed, the local paper titled the article, “What’s the Point?” That’s precisely Pop’s point. The days of impatience ended for Popovich, then in his late 40s as the then GM of the 3-15 Spurs, shortly after he shoved Bob Hill off the team bus, telling Dominique Wilkins and the San Antonio players that, look at him, he’s the captain now. Lottery prize Tim Duncan arrived just in time for former lotto-prize David Robinson’s return from a season-ending injury. The rest was history, up until now. With their new meal ticket in tow, San Antonio can simply cruise through the first half of seasons until a bottom-four lotto-spot is secure, then drill down on actually winning games. Former Austin Spurs GM Snyder’s Hawks learned this the hard way last season, when the 14-47 Spurs went on a 8-13 tear, Johnson and Devin Vassell matching each other’s 29 points in a 126-118 win last March that spoiled what was billed to be Dejounte Murray’s triumphant return to South Texas. The pride of Peachtree Ridge, Vassell's recent return from injury (last 3 games: 20.3 PPG, 40.0% on 8.3 3FGAs/game) has at least narrowed the losing margins of late. Pop’s Spurs also have a top-6-protected pick from Toronto (thanks, NBA FG% leader Jakob Poeltl!) likely heading their way next summer. But for LaMelo Ball’s untimely injury du jour, they might have been able to tack on a lotto-protected pick from Charlotte via Atlanta. That and some future picks could come courtesy of the Hawks’ 2022 acquisition of Murray (last 3 games: 30.7 MPG, 10.0 PPG, 31.8 2FG%, 21.1 3FG%, 4-for-4 FTs; 4 assists and 6 TOs in last two losses), who, like Coach Bud, knows how to get his money’s worth when taking the initiative to physically chide a referee. With so much draft capital, the Spurs could choose to double their pleasure and go Twin Eiffel Tower with 7-foot-1 Frenchman Alexandre Sarr next season. They could replace any of the Spurs clogging the other forward spot with Zaccahrie Risacher. Perhaps Sochan’s dithering is really a ploy to keep the seat warm for either of the genuine ATL-trained point guards, Isaiah Collier or Stephon Castle, at the top of most draft boards. In any case, Popovich is stacking the deck to make his eventual plea to Budenholzer, finally offering up a team worthy of building from the ground up without being weighted down by inherited hand-me-down vet contracts, irresistible. Heck, at this pace, maybe Coach Quin will be freed up in a year or so, too. Whereupon Pop can shift to the front office as a shadow coach, as R.C. Buford currently does as shadow-GM behind Brian Wright, and just ride it out. The hand-wringing win-now Spurs fans are simply left to grin and bear it. What else are you gonna do, Spurs faithful, fire all these guys? You got H-E-B money? C’mon, Coach Bud, you know you’re enjoying all this a little, from afar. There’s no need to hide it. Go ahead and show off that winning smirk! Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3

I kept on forgetting that we're not off all that week. ~lw3

"MMMDROP!" A reminder for the Hawks to be careful running out of bounds. What in the Vanderbilt is this? https://sports.yahoo.com/miami-calls-league-complain-raised-161712993.html ~lw3

Dean Wade and Ty Jerome have been out with matching right ankle sprains. Jerome's injury plus Ricky Rubio's personal leave has pressed Bickerstaff into playing the undrafted two-way guard Craig Porter, Jr. The Wichita State product has been a bit of a Shocker with double-digit scoring in his last five games, and even started in place of Mitchell in last week's blowout loss to the heat. Nothing new on the Hawks' front in the Boo-Boo Report, after Jalen and the rooks. Trent Forrest remains the sole two-way player presently with the big club. ~lw3

“Congrats, D.J.! I just found out, we both passed T.I. in the race for Daddy of the Year!” Our Atlanta Hawks tricked off the games they needed to win, earlier in the season, when their rotations were at relatively superior health to their opponents, and whenever they had any semblance of a homestand. With that sun setting, and the In-Season Tournament Group Play coming to a close tonight against the Cavaliers in Cleveland (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Ohio), Trae Young’s Hawks can now revert to doing what they do at their letter-best. That Mission Possible, should they choose to accept it: playing the spoiler. The Cavs (9-8; 5-2 over last seven) got Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell back together over the weekend, and after Jarrett Allen missed the first five games, coach JB Bickerstaff has his preferred starting lineup together, tonight, for just the eighth time. While the IST Knockout Rounds are a virtual impossibility for Atlanta (8-8; 1-2 in IST play), Cleveland (+6 through 3 IST games, behind NYK +18, MIA +11, BRK +8; BOS at 0 but hosts CHI) understands they need to win at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, and win big, in order to finish 3-1 and advance. The challenge for the Cavs, beyond dealing with Trae (last 4 games: 50.0 2FG%, 50.0 3FG%, 35.0 PPG, 8.5 APG, 1.8 SPG) and a Hawks offense that loves, if nothing else, to run up the court and strike fast, is that running up a score is a tall order. They held the Raptors to 105 points on Sunday, in the middle of their five-game homestand, and only held on to win by three. They weren’t so fortunate last Wednesday, absent Mitchell, Dean Wade, and Isaac Okoro, when Jimmy’s heat swung by and held them to 36 buckets, 10 free throws, and 96 points. Cleveland (110.6 O-Rating, 24th in NBA; minus-2.0 Net Rating) has been a bit of an inverse of Atlanta (117.1 D-Rating, 24th in NBA; plus-2.3 Net Rating) to this point. They haven’t compiled any losses to bad teams, and the season-sweep of the Warriors, a recent home win over the Nuggets, and an OT road win at Philly are feathers in their cap. But their defensive aptitude, specifically in the frontcourt, hasn’t been enough on many nights to overcome an inefficient offense. Bickerstaff needs more than Garland (9.4 TO% on drives, highest among players with 10+ drives/game) burrowing his way to the hoop, or Mitchell (0.5 points per off-screen possession, lowest among players with 1.0+ possessions per game) and Garland (20.8 TO% as P&R ball-handler, lowest among players averaging 7+ possessions per game) pounding the rock into pumice. Cleveland, like Atlanta, needs to lean a little more on their respective Trojan Man. It’s a stretch, to be sure. For Evan Mobley (9th in RPG w/ 10.4, 12th in BPG), his scoring, passing, and offensive glass-crashing have elevated a smidgen over his first two seasons in the league. To the limited extent that he gets to the free throw line, he’s shooting those better, too. But everyone is waiting for an All-Star to crack out of his 1st-Team All-Defensive shell, and it won’t come to pass for Mobley (12.1 shots/game, up from 12.0 last season; 3.5 FTAs/game, down from 3.8) if he isn’t seeking out mismatches and demanding the ball on the block with greater frequency. His fellow Cali prep standout and ex-USC teammate grew an inch or two over the summer, added some pounds to his frame, and hides even more. Three seasons and change into his NBA journey, Onyeka Okongwu has been the inverse of De’Andre Hunter when it comes to their draft classes. You must descend to the 12th pick, Tyrese Haliburton, to find a 2020 lottery pick that has compiled as many Win Shares as #6 pick Okongwu (19th pick Saddiq Bey ranks right behind him, and ahead of the cursed LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards). No one in the draft, among 60 picks, registers a more efficient per-48 Win Share tally than Gwu Tang, including Messrs. Haliburton, and Maxey, and Bane, and Quickley. What he can do, he does proficiently, just not sufficiently. Even with a depleted bench brought about by Jalen Johnson’s sudden absence and Bey’s re-ascension to the starting five, Onyeka runs up and down Boston’s parquet floor for 27 minutes and contributes two shots (made ‘em both, so, good) for four points, three D-Rebs, two steals, a block, and fewer free throws than you’ll find partridges in a pear tree. The Shmedium O (The ShmOO is already taken), now the same dimensions as the block-hunting Allen, hair notwithstanding, has used his newfound head-to-toe length to occasionally up-periscope for three, and not much more (last 10 games: 6.9 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 51.9 FG%, 1.4 FTAs/game). Slightly poison-pilled by his recent four-year, $62 million contract extension, the Hawks need to palpably upgrade Okongwu’s value to the team on the court. Inert performances as exhibited in Sunday’s 113-103 loss in Beantown won’t help coach Quin Snyder’s club wage through a very home-unfriendly schedule between now and mid-January. A silver lining in Atlanta’s playbook is that Johnson’s injury would have been more untimely had it occurred after the eight-day IST Break that the Hawks “earned”. During that off-time, the Hawks can work to help the soon-to-be-23-year-old Okongwu blend as well with his other teammates as he did so resoundingly in lineups alongside Jalen (+15.8 net points as a 2-Man lineup). But there’s no need for him to wait. Onyeka can assume some of the verve displayed by Johnson in drawing contact in the paint, rolling to the hoop off picks, and sparking fastbreaks after securing the defensive boards. And Okongwu (career-best 21 points, plus 9 boards and 3 blocks, off the bench in a win vs. CLE on Mar. 23) can do all of these things, with greater relentlessness, tonight to help spoil Mobley and the Cavs’ hopes for an IST berth. It has been a minute since we’ve seen a highly-drafted player out of USC truly fulfill his potential, and neither Cleveland nor Atlanta should have to wait and see what Bronny does in the Pac-2, or the B1G, before it happens. Mmm-hmm-hmmmm... Let’s Go Hawks! ~lw3