Hawks at Nuggets

[benhillboy]

Not a fan of all this trade deadline speculation. We all know the Hawks aren't doing anything of note anyway. All I care about is the actual playing of basketball, so I'm looking forward to this matchup. The Nuggets are 9-1 against the East and have handled us in the last few meetings. Galinari is back, so I think they're pretty healthy. Not sure about our guys. I'm sure Leathal will give the rundown on who's in or out for us.

Edited March 13, 2012 by benhillboy

[arhawkfan]

JJ goes for 40 tonight just for you Ben.... I couldn't resist I hope for a good game and this would be a very good win for us.

[benhillboy]

JJ goes for 40 tonight just for you Ben.... I couldn't resist I hope for a good game and this would be a very good win for us.

Would love to see it, but Joe is quite incapable of that type of night. How many 40 point games does he have in his career, 1? 2? Players with less than half his career span have had more explosive nights than he could ever dream of (DeRon, Jennings to name a few).

Edited March 13, 2012 by benhillboy

[Admin]

Would love to see it, but Joe is quite incapable of that type of night. How many 40 point games does he have in his career, 1? 2? Players with less than half his career span have had more explosive nights than he could ever dream of (DeRon, Jennings to name a few).

He only has 2 games with the Hawks where he has gone over 40, but he had a game earlier this year where he most likely would have gotten 40 after getting to 30 in the 3rd quarter of a blowout win. But with the team that we have Joe isn't likely to get that many shot attempts that it takes to get 40 points and I'm glad that we have that type of balanced offense.

[benhillboy]

He only has 2 games with the Hawks where he has gone over 40, but he had a game earlier this year where he most likely would have gotten 40 after getting to 30 in the 3rd quarter of a blowout win. But with the team that we have Joe isn't likely to get that many shot attempts that it takes to get 40 points and I'm glad that we have that type of balanced offense.

I'd take the Thunder 3 dropping 30 apiece, 2 for 40, or 1 for 50 over your "balanced" Hawks attack any day, Dol. It would likely get us to I don't know, maybe a Conference Finals and sell-out crowds?

Edited March 13, 2012 by benhillboy

[Admin]

I'd take the Thunder 3 dropping 30 apiece over your "balanced" Hawks attack any day, Dol.

Well hell who wouldn't love to have 3 players like Westbrook, Durant and Harden? The problem is that we don't have anyone on roster with the scoring ability of Durant or Westbrook and nobody that comes off our bench who can score like Harden. But even with that thunderous ability to put up points they still haven't gotten any more championships than Atlanta has in the same time period and in their conference finals appearance only won a single game so it's not like they're blowing our doors off with their success.

[benhillboy]

Well hell who wouldn't love to have 3 players like Westbrook, Durant and Harden? The problem is that we don't have anyone on roster with the scoring ability of Durant or Westbrook and nobody that comes off our bench who can score like Harden. But even with that thunderous ability to put up points they still haven't gotten any more championships than Atlanta has in the same time period and in their conference finals appearance only won a single game so it's not like they're blowing our doors off with their success.

I would say they're blowing our doors off. Theyre younger, have twice the fan support, in better contract and cap situations, a much more attractive Free Agent destination, and they're ceiling is wildly higher than ours considering they really don't even know what they're doing yet and reached a Conference Finals, a pipe dream with Joe.

Edited March 13, 2012 by benhillboy

[Admin]

I would say they're blowing our doors off. Theyre younger, have twice the fan support, and they're ceiling is wildly higher than ours considering they really don't even know what they're doing yet and reached a Conference Finals, a pipe dream with Joe.

You put these SAME Atlanta Hawks in OKC and they'd have the same fan support. Yes their ceiling is higher than ours but so far they haven't done much more than us and until they do they're nothing more than potential.

[Buzzard]

Here is to hoping that our new offensive balance shows up tonight while still playing great D! On the road against a well coached team with solid talent, this will be a good test to say the least.

[benhillboy]

I expect a barnburner as well. I knew they were 1st in points scored, could've figured they were 2nd in team assists, but I had no idea they were 4th in rebounding. I love that they're proving that Professional Basketball Teams would be better off without Carmelo. If a "superstar" is forcing a trade before he leaves for nothing and some dumb franchise puts multiple good, team players up for him, by all means Pull the Trigger!!!! All they've done is win considerably more games than the Knicks since.

Edited March 13, 2012 by benhillboy

[Buzzard]

You put these SAME Atlanta Hawks in OKC and they'd have the same fan support. Yes their ceiling is higher than ours but so far they haven't done much more than us and until they do they're nothing more than potential.

You can't really believe that. They are #1 in the West and you have to dig down to the West 13th seed before you find a team that is under .500 against the East. I would say that is a lot more talent there than potential lmao

[phoostal]

Damp goes for 25pts 20 boards 13 blocks Hawks win 234 to 27. All around good game for the Hawks.

[Admin]

You can't really believe that. They are #1 in the West and you have to dig down to the West 13th seed before you find a team that is under .500 against the East. I would say that is a lot more talent there than potential lmao

Which part do you think I really shouldn't believe? I believe that you could put the Bobcats in OKC and the fans would still sell the place out, because that's the type of fans they have there. It doesn't hurt that OKC has great players and a great team, but they'd still have a ton of fan support even if they weren't nearly this good.

And yes I know they're good, I know they're talented, I know they have a lot of potential, but so far they have 1 conference finals appearance with 1 conference finals game victory. They're probably going to win more than that but who knows? The 80's era Hawks had some incredible teams and they never made it to the dance so who's to say that the Thunder will ever realize their potential in the playoffs?

[Buzzard]

Which part do you think I really shouldn't believe? I believe that you could put the Bobcats in OKC and the fans would still sell the place out, because that's the type of fans they have there. It doesn't hurt that OKC has great players and a great team, but they'd still have a ton of fan support even if they weren't nearly this good.

And yes I know they're good, I know they're talented, I know they have a lot of potential, but so far they have 1 conference finals appearance with 1 conference finals game victory. They're probably going to win more than that but who knows? The 80's era Hawks had some incredible teams and they never made it to the dance so who's to say that the Thunder will ever realize their potential in the playoffs?

I am not talking about their fan base. Just their talent being so much better than ours overall. #1 in the west and we are fighting like hell to make #3 in the much weaker east, even when healthy like last season...

[Admin]

Granted both teams have slightly different rosters this year vs last year but I'd expect similar individual results for most of the players and I don't expect a victory from us tonight, although I'd be thrilled to get one!

Hawks vs Nuggets Last Year

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="tablehead"> <tbody> <tr class="colhead"> <td> PLAYER</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;" title="Games played"> GP</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Games started"> GS</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Minutes per game"> MIN</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Points per game"> PPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Offensive Rebounds per game"> OFFR</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Defensive Rebounds per game"> DEFR</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Rebounds per game"> RPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Assists per game"> APG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Steals per game"> SPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Blocks per game"> BPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Turnovers per game"> TPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Fouls per game"> FPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Assist to turnover ratio"> A/TO</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Player Efficiency Rating"> PER</td> </tr> <tr class=oddrow player-46-1007"> <td> Joe Johnson, SG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 37.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 17.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-3213"> <td> Al Horford, C</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 37.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 14.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 8.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 11.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-165"> <td> Jamal Crawford, G</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 32.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 12.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-2016"> <td> Zaza Pachulia, C</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 27.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 11.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 8.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-2411"> <td> Josh Smith, PF</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 24.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 11.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 7.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-2797"> <td> Marvin Williams, SF</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 29.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 11.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-1981"> <td> Kirk Hinrich, G^†</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 25.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 9.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-4015"> <td> Jeff Teague, PG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 27.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 5.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-2197"> <td> Josh Powell, C</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-2506"> <td> Damien Wilkins, SF</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 11.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="total"> <td> Totals</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 88.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 9.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 30.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 39.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 19.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 4.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 9.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 17.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

Nuggets vs Hawks Last Year

<table cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" class="tablehead"> <tbody> <tr class="colhead"> <td> PLAYER</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;" title="Games played"> GP</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Games started"> GS</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Minutes per game"> MIN</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Points per game"> PPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Offensive Rebounds per game"> OFFR</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Defensive Rebounds per game"> DEFR</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Rebounds per game"> RPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Assists per game"> APG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Steals per game"> SPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Blocks per game"> BPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Turnovers per game"> TPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Fouls per game"> FPG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Assist to turnover ratio"> A/TO</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;" title="Player Efficiency Rating"> PER</td> </tr> <tr class=oddrow player-46-2444"> <td> J.R. Smith, SG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 23.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 17.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 4.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 4.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-1713"> <td> Nene Hilario, C</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 35.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 16.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-3194"> <td> Wilson Chandler, SF^†</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 33.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 14.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 7.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.8</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-515"> <td> Kenyon Martin, PF</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 33.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 13.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 8.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 9.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-2753"> <td> Raymond Felton, PG^†</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 29.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 12.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 4.3</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-3187"> <td> Arron Afflalo, SG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 32.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 11.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 4.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-4000"> <td> Ty Lawson, PG</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 25.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 7.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 6.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-308"> <td> Al Harrington, PF</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 10.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 6.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-1135"> <td> Chris Andersen, C</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 14.5</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 3.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 3.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-3444"> <td> Kosta Koufos, C^†</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="oddrow player-46-4298"> <td> Timofey Mozgov, C^†</td> <td align=right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="evenrow player-46-4312"> <td> Gary Forbes, F</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.0</td> <td align="right" class="sortcell" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 1.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 0.0</td> </tr> <tr class="total"> <td> Totals</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 101.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 7.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 36.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 43.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 24.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.00</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 5.50</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 9.0</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 15.5</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> 2.7</td> <td align="right" style="text-align:right;"> --</td> </tr> </tbody></table>

I am not talking about their fan base. Just their talent being so much better than ours overall. #1 in the west and we are fighting like hell to make #3 in the much weaker east, even when healthy like last season...

I'm not saying that we're as good as they are, although I will say that we beat them without Joe and Al THIS YEAR.

[Watchman]

Damp goes for 25pts 20 boards 13 blocks Hawks win 234 to 27. All around good game for the Hawks.

Damp for MVP!

[PureGreatness]

Man It's fun to watch Josh Smith and these hawks on road especially on the West Coast. I expect Smoove to lead us in scoring this game.

[Admin]

Oh good the Nuggets are nearing full strength and will have Rudy Fernandez back tonight!

[lethalweapon3]

It could be my reminiscing about the thin mountain air and days of Doug Moe, but the thought of the Nuggets as a run-and-gun offensive machine trying to trump your twos with their threes is a notion I really need to get over.

Denver is a top-ten 3-point shooting team (20.6 per game, 7^th in NBA), but a misfiring bottom-ten in making those baskets (32.3 percent, ranked 22^nd). Guys like Andre Miller (25.4%) and Corey Brewer (30.5%) have never been much of a deep threat, but guys like Danilo Gallinari (30.7%) and Ty Lawson (31.8%) sure used to be. As of now, the leading 3-point converter is our old friend Al Harrington (1.4 per game, at a Harringtonian 30.9%), who hopes to be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year at season’s end.

The Nuggets get their points by keeping the pace high (1^st in the NBA in Pace), while banging down low and getting to the line (1^st in FTAs per game). Stocked upfront with Nene, Harrington, Gallinari, hyper-rookie Kenneth Faried, highlight-helper Timofey Mozgov, the Birdman Chris Andersen, and the injured Kosta Koufos (knee), their defensive rebounding (4^th in the NBA) gives them ample possessions. They manage to get 7.5 more free throw attempts per game than their opponents (the next highest among NBA teams is the Thunder, with 4.7). They are the only team in the NBA taking more than 30 shots right at the rim (less than three feet) per game, and they pass up on opportunities for long-range twos (12.5 FGAs between 16-23 feet, lowest in the NBA).

All told, there is little mystery as to how the Nuggets want to attack. The Hawks will need to double-team in the paint, disrupt short passes and play modest (hands-down-man-down) defense at the perimeter. On offense, they need to work the clock, not get sloppy with the ball, and find the open shooter. Opponent assist rates are higher for the Nuggets than they are for any team in the West other than the Kings, so this should be another opportunity for Jeff Teague to hone his passing chops, and for Kirk Hinrich to be showcased.

Gallo has struggled in limited action since his return from an injured ankle. He’s just 5-for-25 during the last four games of this homestand, including Bagel-for-5 over 21 minutes in a three-point loss to Memphis on Sunday, his first start since returning. Nene (4-for-13 vs. Memphis; 44% shooting and 3.5 TOs per game during the homestand) has also struggled in a return from a strained calf muscle. Fortunately for them, like the Sixers, Denver can afford to spread their offense around, with 9 players on the roster capable of dropping 10 or more points on you before you know it. Included in the mix is Rudy Fernandez, who should be returning from a strained back injury, and Mozgov, coming back from an ankle sprain. Led by Harrington and Miller, the bench can prove more dangerous than the starters. 51 of their 94 points against Memphis on Sunday came from the reserves.

An active Hawks team should be able to win the turnover battle (4^th fewest in the NBA) against the Nuggets (3^rd most). They held the highest-scoring team in the league (Sacramento) to 99 points and hope to keep their 12-game string of allowing opponents less-than-100 points alive tonight.

Proving he was not, in fact, raised by a pack of wolves, Ivan Johnson will continue to be out to address a family matter. No Willie Green (bad back) tonight either. Not-So-Grumpy Old Men Tracy McGrady and Jerry Stackhouse will probably be gametime decisions.

Aside: speaking of Mr. McGroupon, er, McGrady:

http://www.technewsx.com/2012/03/13/slam-dunk-or-rimshot-nba-star-tracy-mcgrady-launches-his-own-daily-deal-site/#25

http://www.youtube.com/user/tmacsdeals

Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Admin]

Awesome job as always L-Dub! We really need to get you writing these game previews in a more official capacity for Hawksquawk