Hawks vs Cavaliers (@ 3:00pm)

[willthepureshooter]

Looks like this game will mark the return of Jason Collins. Let's see if Joe and Josh can continue there high scoring onslaught against the scrappy Cavs. Hawks win 102-79!! Go Hawks!!

[lethalweapon3]

Welcome back, Donald Sloan! The momentary Hawk keeps finding his way onto NBA rosters, joining the Cavaliers on Friday after a cup of tea with New Orleans. He may not get much time on Sunday but, with Ramon Sessions now in Tinseltown, he has a chance to become the primary backup at point guard, behind super-rookie Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs relied just as much on Sessions for setting up the offense (5.2 assists and 2.0 turnovers over 24.5 minutes per game) as they did on Irving (5.4 assists and 3.0 turnovers in almost 31 minutes per). With Sessions gone, those responsibilities fall squarely on Kyrie. It will be interesting to compare his progress post-Sessions to that of John Wall’s rookie voyage once Kirk Hinrich got traded. I expect his stats to propel upward in all departments, good and bad.

What? No threads wondering aloud about Jason Kapono? He was waived by the Cavs after being traded in the Sessions deal. Luke Walton suggests he’s healthy and eager to make major contributions now that he is out of the Laker doghouse and help the Cavs make a run for the postseason. Good luck with that!

Manny Harris has also returned to Cleveland, after signing on for the rest of the season, and will play behind Anthony Parker as Boobie Gibson moves to the main backup point guard spot.

Besides Irving, the other rookie looking to make strides will be Tristan Thompson. Lord Byron is finally turning to Thompson to break into the starting lineup, but at center, where Scott’s season-long frustrations with Ryan Hollins finally surpassed his insistence on being patient with Thompson’s development. As a reserve, the Canadian is struggling mightily at power forward (11-for-42 on field goals in March) but he’s given them five or more rebounds in 20 of 35 games while averaging 20 minutes a night off the bench. By comparison, Hollins has averaged just 3.7 rebounds in his last seven starts. Hollins was pressed into (in)action following the benching of Semih Erden, who averaged just 4.1 boards in nine starts.

Center-by-committee will continue until Anderson Varejao returns from his wrist injury in a couple weeks. Even the depleted Hawks have enough size to dominate inside today, with Zaza Pachulia, Erick Dampier, Ivan Johnson and a healthy Jason Collins in an emergency, against an athletic but ultimately overmatched Cavs interior. This assumes Josh Smith is able to neutralize Antawn Jamison in the scoring and rebounding departments.

The Cavs give up a higher percentage of assisted three-point field goals than any other Eastern Conference team (about 87.5%, third highest in the NBA overall). This works out well for the Hawks, who score on a higher percentage of assisted three-point baskets than any team in the East (about 91%, third highest overall).

Watch out for the crafty hands of Alonzo Gee! Beginning to break out in his third season and also a newfound starter over the past seven games, he’s averaged 3.2 steals over the past five games, doubling his team-leading 1.6 thefts-per-game over the course of the season. He has also become a reliable scorer, tallying double figures every game since starting on March 3. On offense, keep his shots to the arc, as he’s struggled from deep (26.7% since February 11, 39.6% before that). You like to see Gee give up the ball as well (1.6 assists and 1.9 turnovers). Gee’s bend toward sewing up a permanent spot in the starting lineup has come at the expense of Omri Casspi, who has just about worn out his welcome in the 216.

Aside: Your "unverified Twitter profile pic of an unavailable flu-ridden Hawk" of the day:

https://twitter.com/#!/jpargo1

Go Hawks!

~lw5

[Sothron]

Update for the Joe Haters Club at halftime:

Joe has 17 points on 6/7 shooting, 2 free throws, 5 assists, three rebounds and three three's. Oh and a steal and one turnover.

[Bruhman91]

wtf weird time

[Supporter]

Update for the Joe Haters Club at halftime:

Joe has 17 points on 6/7 shooting, 2 free throws, 5 assists, three rebounds and three three's. Oh and a steal and one turnover.

It only counts if it's against the HEAT though!!!

[Supporter]

Joe 27 points on 18 shots these past five games. :peanut-butter-jelly-time:

[Plainview1981]

Looks like this game will mark the return of Jason Collins. Let's see if Joe and Josh can continue there high scoring onslaught against the scrappy Cavs. Hawks win 102-79!! Go Hawks!!

Pretty close. I hope this surge by JJ isn't temporary. Not that I expect 30PPG... But hopefully he can finish the season at a 20/4/4 pace instead of the 15PPG he has started to become.

[SalvorMallow]

Josh was 3-15. Wonder what his deal was...

[Admin]

Teague and Joe both shot the ball extremely well today. Ivan and Zaza did their usual thing and Hinrich had a pretty nice game as well. Josh was off today but I'm not too worried about it and from looking at him on the sidelines it doesn't look like he was too worried either. Nice to have back to back comfortable wins against teams we should win comfortably against!

[Gray Mule]

Josh was 3-15. Wonder what his deal was...

"Feed him and fan him" applies when a player is hot and scoring a lot.

"Feed him and watch him keep shooting" seemed to be the plan for JS.

This was the game for him to go cold. We could still win. When our opponent

made their final run, check how many shots JS took for us.

JS had several great assists and grabbed some rebounds but he couldn't

put the ball in the basket, no matter what. But, he did try.

Monday night is the big game! Maybe he'll score 33!

GO HAWKS!

[Watchman]

Didn't get to watch the game as I'm working 7 days a week now, but I thought it was odd looking at the box score that in a blowout victory, Zaza had to play 40 minutes despite having both Dampier and Collins available? Give the man some rest LD!

[thecampster]

Josh was 3-15. Wonder what his deal was...

He was taken out with about 1 minute left in the 3rd quarter. Off and on the rest of the game he was seen in the background rubbing his left knee, a few times with an uncomfortable look on his face. I hope it was just tight.

[jy23]

Sometimes you just miss your shots....this was one of those games for Josh but he still came close to a triple double so he was still contributing in other ways so I'm ok with him today. Joe on the other hand was a beast, hope he keeps that up

[Sothron]

Didn't get to watch the game as I'm working 7 days a week now, but I thought it was odd looking at the box score that in a blowout victory, Zaza had to play 40 minutes despite having both Dampier and Collins available? Give the man some rest LD!

I agree, I was watching the game and in the fourth when the other starters went to the bench I couldn't believe he left Zaza in and didn't put in Damp for some garbage time.

[Gray Mule]

Collins got his feet wet, and that's all.

I too wonder, why overwork Zaza?

[NineOhTheRino]

Update for the Joe Haters Club at halftime: Joe has 17 points on 6/7 shooting, 2 free throws, 5 assists, three rebounds and three three's. Oh and a steal and one turnover.

Typical Joe Johnson! Only goes off against inferior talent when nothing is on the line. Let's see what he does when it matters.

[Guest]

I don't agree that nothing is on the line. We are trying to stay ahead of Boston, New York and Milwakee. More that anything this season, playoff seeding matters. Avoiding Miami and Chicago in the 1st round is a must.

[Sothron]

Typical Joe Johnson! Only goes off against inferior talent when nothing is on the line. Let's see what he does when it matters.

This is the NBA son. All games matter. Even the bad teams have players that are among the best in the world. You don't get to the playoffs if you can't beat the teams you are "supposed" to beat.