REHawksFan

What would be completely awesome is if they take away Trae's scoring only to watch him carve them up facilitating Bogie, Gallo, JC, and Clint all night long. They completely ignore the fact that the Hawks have FAR more weapons than just Trae. Beating them with the rest of the team would be really satisfying.

THIS has been my biggest takeaway from all the media / fan stuff since Sunday. It's kinda crazy to think they've gone off the deep end after just ONE game. IF the hawks can find a way to win tonight and IF Trae leads them, oh man, the tears and outrage will be epic.

Knicks do not have a single player that can stay in front of Trae. My worry is that they clog the lane to take away the floater and the lob and try to bait him and the whole team into being jump shooters only. IF they do that and the team isn't hitting, I could see us getting behind.

Not gonna lie. I'm expecting the series to come to ATL 1-1. This is the game where NYK are going to ball out and play really really well, imo. I can see them getting off to a hot start, Hawks struggling a little with new defense on Trae, not hitting shots early, and then never really getting back into the game. Knicks by 8-10 imo. That's what I'm expecting. Now I need Trae to tell me to shut the F up and go out and LEAD this team to a HUGE victory!!

Living RENT FREE in all their heads. The absolutely amazing thing to me is all this has happened AFTER ONE GAME. I mean, really?? I could see it after a series or something. But good grief. You'd think these idiots had never seen a playoff SERIES before. The insecurity is hilarious.

Posted this in the Tears thread but it fits better here. Marcus Thompson II 3h ago 14 Trae Young didn’t get his nickname by accident. He’s Ice Trae for a reason. Because he’s cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. Oh hell, there he go again, talking that … The Atlanta Hawks star might be listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, but he for sure has Big Boi energy. Sunday, when he teardropped a dagger in New York’s heart in Game 1 and turned the diehards in Madison Square Garden into church mice, a new kind of star was born. Trae Young the villain. The timing is perfect, too, with the revitalization of the Knicks. And, in hindsight, this makes so much sense. He is an ideal antagonist. He’s wired to wear the black hat — only figuratively, though, because why cover his trademark fro. Young was so built for this. The pressure of performing, the heart to take on odds, the ability to produce, the thick skin and sharp tongue — all the things needed to make a good basketball villain, he’s got them. It doesn’t mean he won’t have bad games, or that he doesn’t have flaws to exploit, or that his team will prevail. It does mean you better not let him beat you. Oh, you better not. Because he’s the opponent who will make you despise him if he wins. Clearly, New York mayor Bill de Blasio didn’t recognize what was being born on the floor of The Garden. He watched Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau sub in Frank Ntilikina to serve as some kind of Trae Young stopper in the final seconds. He watched a renowned shooter pass on the chance for the hero jumper and instead thwarted Thibodeau’s strategy, driving right around Ntilikina. In Atlanta terms, Young chose to bend corners like he was a curve, he struck a nerve, and now you ’bout to see this southern playa serve. Floater. Ballgame. And Young strutted on the iconic hardwood like he deserved. Under the same roof where Michael Jordan stood over Patrick Ewing and Xavier McDaniel screaming. In the same arena where Reggie Miller taunted Spike Lee with the choke sign. On the same court where Kobe Bryant drove baseline, double-clutched a reverse dunk with Latrell Sprewell all over him, and soaked up the adulation from the road crowd. At the Mecca of Basketball. That’s where Trae Young told the crowd to shut up. How fun is this? This level of competitive banter is old school. And it’s here because Young is perfectly fine not playing it safe. It takes a certain amount of audacity and confidence to put yourself on the hook like this. To be willing to play with the stakes of potential ridicule if you fail. Those guys are a different breed, and Young isn’t scared at all. He invites it. This guy keeps screenshots of tweets throwing shade at him in his phone as emergency fodder when he needs extra motivation. He doesn’t need an ounce of enmity to point at the spot on the floor when he drills one from deep, flexing his range. Or to punctuate highlights with his signature shiver, a reminder that Ice Trae is in the building. The guy is cold. And de Blasio decided to further inflame this guy? Young’s father, Rayford, was just as surprised. The Knicks have to win this series now. It’s a common mistake, actually. Many have sized up Young and dismissed him. He isn’t bear-sized, so it’s not inherent to know poking is a bad idea. But all of his basketball life, Young has been rebutting slights, discrediting stereotypes and hushing crowds. Imagine how many courts he walked on and they tried him because of his slight build. Imagine how many players felt like they had some kind of power over him because they could overpower him. Imagine how much he’s heard the Steph Curry comparisons, or how the Hawks blew it by choosing him over Luka Doncic. Young is here, on this stage, because he rejects those premises. His drive is fueled by his insatiable appetite for making a mockery of his haters. Like many villains, his cold-bloodedness is born of a grudge. He hears the crowd taunts — whether at Madison Square Garden, or Oklahoma, or Norman North High School — and doesn’t bother acting like they don’t matter. He instead prefers to fill the stands with regret. And remember, he doesn’t just want any old apology. He wants one as loud as the disrespect was. Wednesday night, he’ll be back in the Garden for Game 2. Knicks fans will assuredly have more smoke for him. So will the Knicks. Dominique Wilkins suggested to The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz that it’s best for the Knicks to play some Al Green or Luther Vandross to calm Young down. But that’s not playoff basketball. And it’s too late anyway. Young, all too willingly, responded to the ire from the crowd and made himself the enemy of the Knicks faithful. So he’s going to have to try and shut them up again. He knows that, for sure. Something about how comfortable he looked in his first playoff game, on hallowed ground, makes you think he’s game for more back and forth. He felt too familiar with the moment for a guy who’d never been in it. He certainly won’t be ducking. Which means we all could be in for a treat. The Knicks vs. the Hawks. Ice Trae vs. Madison Square Garden. The modern game with a throwback edge. A bonafide, qualified NBA villain might be growing up right before our eyes. We can only hope Young leans in. https://theathletic.com/2613038/2021/05/26/thompson-trae-young-the-perfect-villain-on-the-perfect-stage/

From the Athetic... Trae Young didn’t get his nickname by accident. He’s Ice Trae for a reason. Because he’s cooler than a polar bear’s toenails. Oh hell, there he go again, talking that … The Atlanta Hawks star might be listed at 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, but he for sure has Big Boi energy. Sunday, when he teardropped a dagger in New York’s heart in Game 1 and turned the diehards in Madison Square Garden into church mice, a new kind of star was born. Trae Young the villain. The timing is perfect, too, with the revitalization of the Knicks. And, in hindsight, this makes so much sense. He is an ideal antagonist. He’s wired to wear the black hat — only figuratively, though, because why cover his trademark fro. Young was so built for this. The pressure of performing, the heart to take on odds, the ability to produce, the thick skin and sharp tongue — all the things needed to make a good basketball villain, he’s got them. It doesn’t mean he won’t have bad games, or that he doesn’t have flaws to exploit, or that his team will prevail. It does mean you better not let him beat you. Oh, you better not. Because he’s the opponent who will make you despise him if he wins. Clearly, New York mayor Bill de Blasio didn’t recognize what was being born on the floor of The Garden. He watched Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau sub in Frank Ntilikina to serve as some kind of Trae Young stopper in the final seconds. He watched a renowned shooter pass on the chance for the hero jumper and instead thwarted Thibodeau’s strategy, driving right around Ntilikina. In Atlanta terms, Young chose to bend corners like he was a curve, he struck a nerve, and now you ’bout to see this southern playa serve. Floater. Ballgame. And Young strutted on the iconic hardwood like he deserved. Under the same roof where Michael Jordan stood over Patrick Ewing and Xavier McDaniel screaming. In the same arena where Reggie Miller taunted Spike Lee with the choke sign. On the same court where Kobe Bryant drove baseline, double-clutched a reverse dunk with Latrell Sprewell all over him, and soaked up the adulation from the road crowd. At the Mecca of Basketball. That’s where Trae Young told the crowd to shut up. How fun is this? This level of competitive banter is old school. And it’s here because Young is perfectly fine not playing it safe. It takes a certain amount of audacity and confidence to put yourself on the hook like this. To be willing to play with the stakes of potential ridicule if you fail. Those guys are a different breed, and Young isn’t scared at all. He invites it. This guy keeps screenshots of tweets throwing shade at him in his phone as emergency fodder when he needs extra motivation. He doesn’t need an ounce of enmity to point at the spot on the floor when he drills one from deep, flexing his range. Or to punctuate highlights with his signature shiver, a reminder that Ice Trae is in the building. The guy is cold. And de Blasio decided to further inflame this guy? Young’s father, Rayford, was just as surprised. The Knicks have to win this series now. It’s a common mistake, actually. Many have sized up Young and dismissed him. He isn’t bear-sized, so it’s not inherent to know poking is a bad idea. But all of his basketball life, Young has been rebutting slights, discrediting stereotypes and hushing crowds. Imagine how many courts he walked on and they tried him because of his slight build. Imagine how many players felt like they had some kind of power over him because they could overpower him. Imagine how much he’s heard the Steph Curry comparisons, or how the Hawks blew it by choosing him over Luka Doncic. Young is here, on this stage, because he rejects those premises. His drive is fueled by his insatiable appetite for making a mockery of his haters. Like many villains, his cold-bloodedness is born of a grudge. He hears the crowd taunts — whether at Madison Square Garden, or Oklahoma, or Norman North High School — and doesn’t bother acting like they don’t matter. He instead prefers to fill the stands with regret. And remember, he doesn’t just want any old apology. He wants one as loud as the disrespect was. Wednesday night, he’ll be back in the Garden for Game 2. Knicks fans will assuredly have more smoke for him. So will the Knicks. Dominique Wilkins suggested to The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz that it’s best for the Knicks to play some Al Green or Luther Vandross to calm Young down. But that’s not playoff basketball. And it’s too late anyway. Young, all too willingly, responded to the ire from the crowd and made himself the enemy of the Knicks faithful. So he’s going to have to try and shut them up again. He knows that, for sure. Something about how comfortable he looked in his first playoff game, on hallowed ground, makes you think he’s game for more back and forth. He felt too familiar with the moment for a guy who’d never been in it. He certainly won’t be ducking. Which means we all could be in for a treat. The Knicks vs. the Hawks. Ice Trae vs. Madison Square Garden. The modern game with a throwback edge. A bonafide, qualified NBA villain might be growing up right before our eyes. We can only hope Young leans in. https://theathletic.com/2613038/2021/05/26/thompson-trae-young-the-perfect-villain-on-the-perfect-stage/

Perfect opportunity to man up and admit you were wrong on Trae but you say nah and keep putting your head in the sand looking foolish. SMH

Hope so. I'd prefer he didn't come back east.

Where will Kawhi play next year? Will he opt out and move on or stay in LAC? Would he join the Knicks and play for Thibs? I kinda doubt it, but who knows. How about heading to Dallas to join up with Luka? Going to be a fun summer me thinks.

People underestimate Trae's passing ability and his vision. As if playing off him to encourage him to shoot bombs is going to make him forget his teammates. Nah. He can find them and they have already shown they can let Bogie or Kevin bring it up and then get it to Trae off screens so he's initiating the offense while NYK are rotating or just not set.

LP apparently. But honestly, it's a non-story. He didn't even reveal anything. Any schlub in a bar could have come up with that analysis. If that's the best he has on defending Trae it's no wonder he's out of coaching. Overall, he was very complementary of Trae and the Hawks and said they would win the series. No sure where the rub is here.

I agree, they absolutely could. But just looking at the way the series has gone even in just one game, it strikes me as everything surrounding the Hawks is a quiet confidence whereas everything surrounding the Knicks is unsubstantiated, built-up hype. The majority of media predict Knicks in 6 (hype). The fans chanting at Trae (hype). The mayor calling out bogus, unmerited foul hunting on Trae (hype). Randle making comments before the series started (hype). Yes, the Knicks are a good team, but we all know the Hawks have the better roster and are the better team. We've even seen a few of the folks in the media that don't give a damn about whether they ruffle feathers say so. That doesn't mean the Hawks will win the series, but the approach of the two sides seams different. Maybe it changes if the Knicks turn this into a long series, but for now, it just seems like all the noise is surrounding the Knicks or them complaining about Trae. I'm just saying I think it will serve to focus the Hawks and really rally around each other. Could be bad news for the Knicks.

Complete clown show. From the mayor to the fans. The funny thing is they don't even realize they aren't doing their team any favors acting like petulant children. Whining about fouls, screaming obscenities....all they doing is ensuring they get the absolute best from Trae and the Hawks. Bunch of damn fools. I bet Thibs wishes they'd all just shut the hell up.

I actually really liked that type of analysis. I don't think some of what they suggest will work, but at least it wasn't all "Trae just gets bogus fouls, blah blah blah"

So only one incorrect non-call on the report. Everything else was good. I'm surprised the Taj / JC collision didn't merit a foul but it was kinda hard to see I guess.

Interestingly, in regards to SAS, I haven't found him to been nearly as obnoxious as Bayless on the Trae issue. It's probably because he actually thinks Trae is a legit player and the Hawks are a young, up and coming team. So he hasn't irked me the way Bayless does who just casts the Hawks and Trae aside as if they were last night's garbage. I don't listen to SAS regularly for the reasons you cited though. I've just paid attention once the playoffs started. Listening to his tears over the Knicks and adulation for Trae was fun. Will be more fun if the Hawks continue to take care of business.

Bayless is insufferable.

The Hawks were the better team coming into the series and they were the better team last night. Not sure it's being cocky to acknowledge that. Both teams can play better than they did last night but the Hawks ha e more options and more weapons.

I watched the Stephen A - Kendrick Perkins clip from last week where Perk said Hawks would win the series and Trae would be the best player in the series. Said Hawks were just the better team. Stephen A went off on him for that. Anxious to see the follow up from these two after Game 1. Should be fun.

Don't get me wrong, I think JC was solid. Played a good game and had his moments. But I think he could be more of a factor for the entirety of the game. The Hawks have room to feature him more if they want to. So the point is that the Hawks can get more production from several guys and they still won by 2.

You have to wonder if these clowns took time away from looking stupid perpetuating a narrative to actually watch the game. There was ZERO foul baiting and FTs played such a minor role in Trae's overall game that it's actually a non-story. T

It's funny reading / hearing all the "Randle struggled and we only lost by 2 so we good" takes while completely ignoring the fact that Bogie, Gallo, and Kevin all missed multiple WIDE OPEN 3's early in the game. Gallo is a 40% guy and went 1-7 on 3. JC didn't do anything special or get involved at the level he usually does. They also acting like Burks - a dude who avgs 12.7 on the season - is going to just put up 28 every game. LOL. Whatever helps you sleep at night I guess.

I thought Greg was fair but the PBP guy was obnoxious.

Great win. So very happy for my superstar FINALLY getting the respect he deserves (even from some of our own fans). But can I just say that Bogie has some giant, no gargantuan, stones to hit those late 3s. Goodness he's a stone cold killer.