Does Atlanta have a legitimate shot at beating Orlando in playoffs

[Guest]

Michael Wilbon, ESPN: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/37728/espn-michael-wilbon

Last year I'd have said no chance. This year the Hawks are 3-1 against orlando in the regular season. The Hawks have a better, deeper, more athletic roster...The Hawks ought to feel they can beat Orlando...but I can't trust the Hawks to do anything. Not mentally or physically tough enough for real post-season play...

Chris Sheridan, ESPN: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/chat/_/id/37730/nba-with-chris-sheridan

No. I will take Magic in 4.

Thoughts?

[frosgrim]

I think we have a puncher's chance, but a lot of things will have to go right. These items are based on what we've seen from both teams over the past few seasons:

.

First, the Hawks can't have a blow-out games 1 and 2. That is a blow out in either direction. Orlando puts one on us, then the Hawks will fold. At the same time, we blow the Magic out, and the team will get complacent.

Second, everyone on the team has to be on the same page. No more me-ball that the whole team is playing right now. Play within the flow of the offense and help each other on defense. Playing this way will frustrate Howard, who will start getting in foul trouble.

Lastly, REBOUND. If this team rebounds, it wins. When it gets abused on the glass it losses. Simple enough, but that is the reality of basketball.

As for the responses by Wilbon and Sheridon, I completely get where they are coming from. The Hawks are seen as a soft team for good reason. Soft teams don't usually go far in the post-season. The one factor that isn't being accounted for is that Orlando is a little soft as well. They aren't very good defensively, and they have some real cream-puffs on roster (like Areanas and Hedo).

[spotatl]

If I had to bet between the Hawks getting swept and the Hawks advancing I'd bet on the hawks getting swept.

[HalfHawk]

I think it's at least fair to say we won't be swept this time around...

[NineOhTheRino]

I'd be shock if this thing makes it pass 5 games. This Orlando team is garbage! No excuses.

[pimp]

Regular season record vs Orlando doesn't mean anything.The

playoffs are a different level.

I remember in the 90s when we faced the Charlotte Hornets

in the first round.The Hawks won the regular season series

4-0 by an average of 20 ppg.Anthony Mason said the Hornets

would win because the "hawks have no heart", and he was proven

to be right as the hawks lost the 5 games series 1-3

That was when I stop caring about the regular season record ,

and started viewing the playoff new season. where what happened before

doesn't matter

You could look at the Hawks/Celtics playoffs as another example.

Celtics were 3-0 vs us in the regular season , and we

took them to 7 games , when everyone predicted a Celtic

sweep.

[Ike750]

i agree with yu hawks in 5 or 6. sheridan pee wee herman looking self just dont like hawks

[pimp]

I'd be shock if this thing makes it pass 5 games. This Orlando team is garbage! No excuses.

Really??

Were you shocked when we were down 3-2 to A Bucks team that

was missing 2 starters?Were you shocked that it took 7 games

to beat a one-maned Heat team?

One thing I have learned after 20+ years of being a Hawks

fan is, that nothing ever comes easy for the Hawks.

[APE]

i agree with yu hawks in 5 or 6. sheridan pee wee herman looking self just dont like hawks

He predicted last years' Bucks series to go to 7 games.

It wouldn't do us too much harm if he's right again.

[macdaddy]

Wilbon is right. Who knows what you'll get with the Hawks. Sheridan is dumb though. There isn't a ton of difference between us and them outside of Dwight who has shown an inability to keep his head in the game this season. We're both decent but not exceptional. One team has to be significantly better than the other to sweep a 7 game series.

[MaceCase]

The roster was built specifically to do battle with the Magic over the summer no matter how shortsighted I believed it was. Luck would have it that that is the matchup we will face in the 1st round so I like our chances. The Magic didn't help themselves either by making a roster that is easier for us to matchup with.

Kirk offers more resistance against Jameer.

Richardson is only a threat off the ball and that requires a pass first PG which Jameer and Gil are not. Joe struggles with wings that can create their own shot which Richardson is not.

Hedo is not an athletic or agile enough SF to bother Josh on the perimeter cover.

Bass doesn't spread the floor as well as Shard so Al is always closer for help defense and to secure defensive rebounds.

We can go single coverage on Dwight now with JaCo, Zaz and Etan to offer tough playoff fouls.

Gil is a nonfactor off the bench and is far less reliable than Jamal.

Marvin can guard and go after Redick and Anderson off the bench.

Dwight can go off all he wants but we are now better equipped to not allow the remaining Magic to go off for 40 3s which is a huge chunk of their offense's success. This is something that everyone is overlooking about the upcoming playoff showdown, it's not just about the regular season record it's about the matchups. The Hawks used to be the perfect matchup for the Magic because they could abuse our lack of size with Dwight in the post, abuse our sagging defense to offset the lack of size and perimeter defense by getting the open 3s that they want, abuse our switching defense that left Dwight loose on pick and roles, and abuse our transition defense which was non existent because everyone was crashing the offensive boards. That is no longer the case and the real deciding factor for the Hawks will be which of the offenses show up, the dynamic movement one or the stationary jumper one.

[Blunt91]

I could see a motivated Hawks team making it a 6 game series before getting bounced. That in itself would be some what of a victory for this team.

Edited April 4, 2011 by Blunt91

[Joker]

The Magic issue is their defense gotten a lot worst since the trade and their offense is questionable at times. Gilbert hasn't been up to form but I am one willing to at least wait till the off-season to get in shape. We all seen what getting in shape did for Collins. Gilbert plays a position, you have to be in shape for. I would hold all trades unless it helps them like Steve Nash if I was Orlando till Feb and I know if Dwight is staying or going for a fact. New Orleans on the other hand would be wise to trade CP3 in the off-season. Atlanta should be very active this off-season trying to land one of those two players and improving the roster. Jamal is a MUST to bring back.

As for this series. The Hawks could and should win but will that is always a question. I just don't see Orlando being any good outside of Howard. They remind me of the Miami Heat with D. Wade a couple years ago but D. Wade was upgraded to Dwight Howard. The Hawks offensively aren't special but at least they won't be exposed more than they have this season. It's not like Woody's Hawks which was easy to expose. Who knows? Hawks could sweep them and they also could be swept.

Edited April 4, 2011 by nbasuperstar40

[TomSelleck]

At the least I could see it going 6 games, maybe with the Hawks even winning. Not because the Hawks are any better than last year, but because Orlando is a lot worse.

Edited April 4, 2011 by TomSelleck

[terrell]

The roster was built specifically to do battle with the Magic over the summer no matter how shortsighted I believed it was. Luck would have it that that is the matchup we will face in the 1st round so I like our chances. The Magic didn't help themselves either by making a roster that is easier for us to matchup with.

Kirk offers more resistance against Jameer.

Richardson is only a threat off the ball and that requires a pass first PG which Jameer and Gil are not. Joe struggles with wings that can create their own shot which Richardson is not.

Hedo is not an athletic or agile enough SF to bother Josh on the perimeter cover.

Bass doesn't spread the floor as well as Shard so Al is always closer for help defense and to secure defensive rebounds.

We can go single coverage on Dwight now with JaCo, Zaz and Etan to offer tough playoff fouls.

Gil is a nonfactor off the bench and is far less reliable than Jamal.

Marvin can guard and go after Redick and Anderson off the bench.

Dwight can go off all he wants but we are now better equipped to not allow the remaining Magic to go off for 40 3s which is a huge chunk of their offense's success. This is something that everyone is overlooking about the upcoming playoff showdown, it's not just about the regular season record it's about the matchups. The Hawks used to be the perfect matchup for the Magic because they could abuse our lack of size with Dwight in the post, abuse our sagging defense to offset the lack of size and perimeter defense by getting the open 3s that they want, abuse our switching defense that left Dwight loose on pick and roles, and abuse our transition defense which was non existent because everyone was crashing the offensive boards. That is no longer the case and the real deciding factor for the Hawks will be which of the offenses show up, the dynamic movement one or the stationary jumper one.

You make it sound so easy. lol. And btw, we had Collins last year, albeit he was a tad out of shape, but old stubborn butt refused to use him. Who knows? Maybe He coulda made a difference last year.

[MaceCase]

You make it sound so easy. lol. And btw, we had Collins last year, albeit he was a tad out of shape, but old stubborn butt refused to use him. Who knows? Maybe He coulda made a difference last year.

That's my point, it's not just the personnel but also the scheme that has been modified for the team. Defensively we have an answer for the Magic but what remains to be seen is if we can score consistently and efficiently enough to make it matter.

[BrazilianHawk]

I think the series goes to 7.

Smoove's and Chuckford's play will dictate what happens to the Hawks come playoff time.