benhillboy

It was a modern miracle the Warriors won the chip two years ago.  Even casuals know how awful Jordan Poole is.  Kevon Looney bruh?  He couldn’t suit up for the Hawks.  Wiggins is back to his old “I just play basketball cause I’m big af” self and sorry to say my boy Klay is cooked to a golden brown.  He owes Steph and Draymond a nice chunk of that dreadful contract he’s on now.  That man shot 3 airballs last night.  Doesn’t help that outside of Podziemski they’ve drafted horribly as well since Wiseman.

I’m loving the way Trae is getting off the ball when the blitzes come.  He always made the right type of pass, but now the timing is a little sharper: both early when he notices a void on the weak side and late when his teammates are tardy coming to the ball.  He’s making great decisions on when to dribble through them too.  If the double isn’t solid it’s basically a set of cones to him.

I seen Trae play over 350 times.  First time last night where I seen him post up at the three point line .  It was only for a couple seconds but it was Brunson-like.  I think the Hawks scored on the possession so it worked.

Also loving JJ’s confidence in the short mid range area.  That boy got pushes and turn arounds for that ass.  I always vouch for OO, regardless of scheme this great 4 game stretch shouldn’t be followed by 4 lackluster ones.  And put that boy in the three point shooting contest but just the corners

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

@benhillboy, get a message to the Heet.  We need them to tenderize the Clippers a bit today.  No injuries, just enough to make em sit the 2nd of their b2b.  Mmkay, thanks. 

Zubac is out so they have a much better chance at mucking it up.  Actually winning the game, eh.  Kawhi been back on his Finals MVP sh*t.

On 1/29/2024 at 6:14 PM, AHF said:

He isn't a great defender but it is wonderful to see how improved he is this season.  The charges tell the biggest story even more than the steals.  Fantastic stuff.

I never thought I’d see the day when he’s tied for 6th league-wide in offensive fouls drawn.  He’s tied with some bona fide stoppers in Okogie and Suggs.  We might be what, 2 games worse without him stepping up tremendously in that area.  I always said his quickness can pay some real dividends on that end, but now he’s meshing it with scouting by anticipating guys’ moves and some toughness.
 

Brunson leading the league at 54 offensives drawn, over double Traes!  That’s crazy, that kid is on automatic.
 

Trae leading the league in points generated from assists by 30 over Hali.  I think Trae throws an errant pass to an open three point shooter maybe once or twice a season.  All the rest of them sh*ts be on a needle head.

On the not so good front, 16 more bad pass turnovers than Luka for the league lead.  Most of ‘em broken up lobs for sure.

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

As @cam1218 so adroitly pointed out, GT beats UNC often enough here in Atlanta.  Man, these low blows keep adding up. 

But I get it.  Hurt people hurt people, right hillbilly?  I know the sandpaper water-slide the heet have been on can't feel good on the ol' toukas. 

In all seriousness, they gon trade Herro finally? 

Should’ve done it this summer for what they’ve desperately needed for so long: an actual C that can move Bam to PF.  That ship sailed long ago tho.
 

When I saw they gave up a first for Rozier, one of my more hated players, my mouth hit the floor.  This fool at -76 in 4 games: heat ball is far too advanced for him.  They hate playing with him already while we’ve seen OG and Siakam fit seamlessly into complex defensive and offensive schemes respectively.  I don’t know what the hell Pat was thinking.  Spo will wiggle them out of this free fall somehow by getting the minutes distribution back in order.  Jimmy’s defensive metrics and tape is the worst of his whole career: he needs to buck the hell up and realize the East is getting better every damn day, no more coasting and turning it on in the playoffs.  34 years old and oft-hobbled I still expect him to lead on that end.

Per BB Ref the Hawks have a 25% chance at the 10 seed and 55% chance of missing out.  Sheesh.

I’m the biggest fatalist here about the current build and I’m more confident than that.  These boys pile up too many damn double doubles to miss a play in.  But they do give up the second most points in the Association so there’s that.

12 minutes ago, hylndr11 said:

what was this defense lakers were playing tonight, it was hilarious , we are not going to get that very often.  

They gonna get my boy Ham outta there by this summer for sure.  I was surprised he got the opportunity tho.  He’s best as an assistant no question.  None of his role players develop, the exact opposite of when Bud developed a gang of mfers.

2 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

1 corner 3

Yeek!

9 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

As long as the play in exist, there are no make or break games. 

Single games naw.  But stretches, certainly.  Especially when you’re facing teams directly above or below.

8 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

I counted 3 on the video box score.

Made all 3

Any from my beloved corner?

When he’s wide open they’re really like free throws.

Bruh when the last time GT beat North Carolina?  They giving Vince a hard time now lol. 

On 1/23/2024 at 10:07 PM, kg01 said:

1. I can't stand this fake-a** Ernie Johnson they put on TNT Tuesday.  Hate him.  He's like Malika Andrews, being force-fed to us.  Yuk.

2. Can we stop with the sneakers with suit thing?  We get it.  It's not clever anymore.  Get over yourself.

3. If you have to fire a coach not only in the 1st year but before the freaking allstar break, you need to be fired too.

4. How many chances we gonna give GLLLLenn off his one actual successful season? 

I’m looking at this fool now.  With so much social media you would think style memos would spread more quickly.  I never done fashion trends outside of the 1,000 hip hop brands of the late 90s but you would think the sneaker and suits thing would’ve been played years ago.  I thought skinny jeans would be a one year phenomenon, unfortunately they’re here to stay

8 minutes ago, RedDawg#8 said:

Great win, I had a hot phone date but kept the game on in the background.

We have a lot of areas of improvement, even in a win. Lakers are just as dysfunctional as is but a win is a win, and beating Lebron is never easy.

Happy to see Kobe and AJ out there. One would believe that they would get more minutes with how much we struggle this season. But hopefully they are promoted next season to the rotation.

Go Hawks!

Never heard the phrase “hot phone date” in my life.  First time for everything

Flashback to the phone chat days listening for the sluttiest messages.  You know what I’m talking about @kg01

This next 5 game stretch could make or break the season: Phoenix, Warriors, Clippers, Celtics, and Sixers.  After that it’s a nice soft spot for the next three weeks.  Gotta get there with a pulse still.  They failed the soft spot in the schedule in mid December.

18 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

The Play-In keeps teams from flat out tanking.

Without the play-in, this team would've been blown up by now.

I don’t like expanding the field but that is a great benefit from the new format.  Every team in the West tries to play competitive ball and can hit you on any given night with SA and Wembanyama improving quickly.  Can’t say the same about the bottom of the East but hey.  I wasn’t convinced someone had to win that Wizards vs Pistons game yesterday until it actually happened

I couldn’t see the game but the box score looks nice and chunky: everyone in the + with Bey and DJ leading at +19.  Stat sheet filled up like a mf outside of blocks.  DJ was one assist away from yet another game with 4 double doubles.  
 

The team offense goes up a whole level if Trae is getting consistent catch and shoot looks, I did manage to catch one nice sequence on a side to side swing where he was wide open and connected.

The Lakers are ass for sure.  How they’re six games better than the Hawks I have no idea.  They got old ass LeBron, fragile ass AD, Reeves who can do a few things well (apparently rebounding ain’t one), and the rest full-fledged bums who can only do one thing well.
 

Dre finally decided to come back eh?  Let’s try to suit up for all the rest of em my guy so we can have some semblance of perimeter defensive continuity.

1 hour ago, kg01 said:

Not to add to dies-o's anti-Snyder fever dream but am I the only one that cringes when we dribble to a player to hand him the ball then kinda loiter next to him.  Thereby allowing one guy to basically defend 2 of our players?  Bogi does this a lot.  I be like, 'what spacing is this?  MOVE, man!' 

And not to pile on, @benhillboy ... well, maybe you haven't seem my other post yet.  Trust me, it'll feel like piling on once you see it ... but lol at the idea that Simmons is 'back' and gonna spur anything resembling winning for more than a couple games at most.  Cmon, man.  Hawks got 99 problems but the Nets ain't one. 

It’s fair to question if he stays available.  But if he does he fits very well with that squad as Cam Thomas has emerged.  
 

I totally understand the concerns with him between the ears but he’s a far more impactful player than most fans give him credit for.  All the Nets need from him is to hit the glass, push, defend, and make plus passes.  He’s near elite in all facets when he’s right.  Pressure is his main enemy, he doesn’t have any in Brooklyn.

Playing at the 5th fastest pace with this defense is dumb.  The end.

I’m watching the Nets now.  With Simmons back and an easier schedule going forward it’s a real possibility the Hawks could miss the play-in.  They have to hope the heat continue their free fall, which will probably happen with Rozier in the fold who’s a terminal disease to their style of play.  Magic have the easiest remaining schedule in the East.  Hawks must win their two remaining games versus the Bulls.

The Hawks now has the highest offensive rating when Bey is on the floor (120.7) and the largest drop off when he’s off (-8.7).   He’s second in minutes played.  
 

His ideal role would be fighting for rotation minutes with a Pacers-level team but he’s done quite an admirable job with the cards he’s been dealt here.

This is a must-win for the Hawks if there ever was one for obvious reasons:  Raptors are significantly hobbled and immediately behind the Hawks in the standings.  Not so obvious is the Hawks will he moderate to heavy underdogs in their next 6 games

2 hours ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

People will still blame Trae. Thats the default response to everything.

Trae should've picked up Luka full court for all 4 quarters.

I would never blame Trae for anything knowing what he is and isn’t capable of, as the head-to-head record versus his contemporaries gets even worse.  
 

I highlighted years ago how guys like Smart, Brogdon, and Lowry dominated matchups against him per +/- and wins because they can be an extension of good coaching on the floor or even a combatant to questionable coaching.  Trae simply wasn’t built to provide the integral intangibles you need from a lead guy to straighten sh*t out when it goes left.  I go in expecting nothing when he faces dudes like Brunson, Luka, Hali, and SGA for at least another 5 years as their teams attract FAs and draft better.

Fun fact, he and your boy Bruno virtually have the same true shooting added

Yall gotta admit, Nate for all his warts has been the best motivator and deployer of Trae in his career for that initial 40 game stretch and into the postseason.  And he ran the guy off smh.

2 hours ago, NBASupes said:

disgusting 

 

Hawks don’t apply any pressure on passers and are totally disconnected from a communication standpoint.  A gang of cut baskets, coast to coast layups, open threes, and dribble drive layups will usually result.  That’s literally everything the opposing offense wants smh.

I’ve never watched a defense this bad on a nightly basis but it is almost fascinating.   I didn’t watch the Lon Kruger era but I imagine this is what it was like.  Sh*t is disheartening, especially when Trae is finally giving real effort on that end.

Quinn needs smart players to bolster him up like Conley, O’Neal, Ingles, Hayward, Mitchell.  He just doesn’t have it here.  I’d rate Bogi and Clint as intelligent players but they’re both elite BU level, Jalen has a nice feel.  
 

Not absolving him at all, he’s mediocre as it gets. This team’s fall off from last season is just a malaise of guys not wanting to play with each other anymore, spearheaded by Clint who desperately needs to go BU for an actual cohesive squad who needs some size and vet presence.