Hawks @ Celtics: Tonight's Fiasco

[Gray Mule]

Their all star Point Guard sets a new NBA record for games with double assistsin every game he plays. We have Mr. Unknown for our PG.They have the NBA player of the month. He is so superior to our Josh S. thatour man wasn't even considered in the voting.Their center has dementia. Can't remember who plays PG for the Hawks. Hisreal name is Mr. Intimidation becaise he believes himself to be the greatest,regardless of what Mr. Ali has to say about it. Too bad about the dementia.Things like that happen when you get old.Their shooting % has been fantastic as of late. They can't be slowed down.Trying to stop them would be unthinkable.The Atlanta Hawks are their next sacrificial lamb. They are so great that theywill probably be playing their cheerleaders by the fourth quarter.Oh well. Guess we'll have to show up and take our whipping like mean little boys.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Admin]

Awesome post Gray Mule! Can't wait to stick it to these bastards tonight.

[HawkItus]

I hate the Celtics. Right up there with the Saints. I hope the boys smack'em around good.

[benhillboy]

I'm sure Lethal has some crazy numbers on the Celtics of late. They looked like champs last night, mainly because their bench has been stepping up, while Miami's bench is unable to. I dont want to see Stiemsma and Bradley take over stretches of the game. Should be a good one. Zaza vs. Garnett. Should get a little testy. I believe our bench will show them what a real second unit looks like and we pull the upset in the Goden. We're well-rested while they're on a b2b, but I always say a team with a Top 5 coach, 3 surefire HOFers, and one on a steady path to the Hall should routinely beat a team like us with none of that. Rondo could dominate the floor and make us enjoy it. Teague needs to step up to the challenge and be aggressive the entire game.

[AtLaS]

I really hope we get the Celtics in the playoffs. It would be an intense series and our guys would be looking for payback.

[lethalweapon3]

Will the Celtics be tired? After three days of rest, the Hawks will await the arrival of a Boston team for the latter’s sixth game in eight days, also their seventh straight game against a current playoff team. No doubt the Celtics are flying high after convincingly dousing the Heat in South Beach last night.

The big change in the Celtics’ lineup since last we saw them is the transfer of Big Three mainstay Ray Allen to the bench, bringing Avery Bradley into the starting lineup. This was done originally while Ray Allen was nursing a sore ankle, and initial replacement Mickael Pietrus injured his head in a scary collision in Philly. But Doc Rivers decided to stick with this Rajon Rondo-Bradley-Paul Pierce-Brandon Bass-Kevin Garnett lineup, with Allen begrudgingly accepting the late season change once he returned.

Thus far, it’s working swimmingly well for the C’s. They are 8-1 over the ten-game stretch where Bradley is the starting shooting guard (Allen started in a loss to the Spurs last week). In their short time together (136 minutes through Sunday), the Bradley-inclusive lineup scored 108.2 points per 100 possessions while constricting opponents to 81.0 points per 100 possessions. Bradley has provided 12.2 PPG and 51.9 FG% over the last ten games to complement his stifling defense.

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/40245/killer-lineup-the-celtics-new-look

As Allen's contract expires at the end of the season, it appears the Celtics have some premium insurance if they don't reel in a top free agent at the shooting guard position. Bradley will never be able to offer the offensive punch Allen gives to the Celtics' half-court offense, but he's quickly becoming one of the most aggressive young defenders in the league -- and he's only 21.

The Hawks must be less generous and minimize the Celtics’ points scored off turnovers, while generating buckets out of Celtic gaffes on the other end. Joe Johnson shot well in the last Hawks-Celtics matchup but had one assist and seven turnovers. Conversely, Josh Smith struggled with his shots but contributed eight assists with just a single turnover. 22 of Boston’s 79 points came on possessions after turnovers, compared to 17 of the Hawks’ 76 points. In the pivotal fourth quarter, the Celtics did not turn the ball over once while the Hawks coughed it up five times.

Allen (11.4 PPG, 42.0 FG%, 40.7 3-PT%) has mostly struggled to adjust to condensed minutes and less floor time alongside Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce. For the season, he’s still second only to Stephen Curry as a three-point threat, but his efficiency has tapered off as the season wears on. While he’d much prefer to be starting as the Celtics head toward their playoff run, he’s acknowledged that the current rotation works well right now.

Defensive rebounding should not be a problem for the Hawks. At home, the Celtics average just 7.8 offensive rebounds per game, last in the league by far. With their moderately low pace and lack of frontcourt help for Garnett (Bass and Pierce are usually outside the paint on offense), they’ve averaged just 6.7 offensive RPGs since the All-Star Break. They’re the only NBA team grabbing less than 20 percent of the offensive rebounding chances (19.6%; the Odom-less Mavs are second-lowest at 23.1%).

To keep the pressure off the frontcourt decimated by injuries all season (Jeff Green, Chris Wilcox, Jermaine O’Neal), they’ll need Cavaliers castaway Ryan Hollins to learn quickly and on-the-fly. Hollins’ contributions through eight appearances are unremarkable thus far, but Garnett is tutoring him in practice on the finer points of pick-and-roll defense. It is hoped that Hollins will be able to unseat Greg Stiemsma as the first center option off the bench, which will be a tall order (51.6 FG%, 2.1 BPG and 4.0 RPG since March for Stiemsma in 18 MPG).

Fairly handcuffed in the Celtics victory in Atlanta on March 19 (4-for-14 shooting and 4 turnovers), Pierce has been on a steady scoring tear (22.6 PPG on 48.7% shooting in the last 12 games). His passing is not where it was earlier in the season (2.8 APG in that 12-game stretch, 5.1 APG before). He is also not a threat on the offensive glass, with just five offensive boards total over the past month.

Someone has to step out to contest Bass’ jump shots. He is shooting an impressive 47.9% from 10 feet of the rim out to the three-point line, compared to 46.4% within 10 feet. Bass’ assist rate (7 assists per 100 possessions) is pretty low, so there’s little risk of trouble should he pass up the long-range shot.

Rondo continues to dish and dish some more. His 18 assists in last night in Miami was his 18^th consecutive game of double-digit assists. The last NBA player to record 10+ assists at least 18 straight times was John Stockton with 29 straight in 1991-92. Off-topic: Stockton started that string after a nine-assist game broke a 20-straight run of double-digit assists, which in turn began after a nine-assist game broke another 14-straight run... so with two more dimes Stockton could have had a 65-game string.

Armed with healthier backcourt support, Jeff Teague needs not to gamble on Rondo at the perimeter and depend on help, but should strive to stick with Rondo on his forays into the paint. Playing aggressively and drawing judicious fouls when attempting to deny shots in the paint should not be much of an issue, as Rondo is shooting just 59% on free throws and just 52% on shots within 10 feet.

Celtics’ opponents try to attack them with mid-range (10-15 foot) jumpers (9.4 per game, most in the league). The emphasis should be on the word “try”; Boston keeps opponents to 33.9% shooting at this range (lowest in the league). Meanwhile, the ridiculous 30.1 opponent FG% from three-point range might be the lowest on record, at least for this millennium (The 2004 champion Pistons gave up 30.2%). If we’re taking shots at this range, have a capable rebounder at-the-ready, and have the shooter primed to get back on the other end right away to minimize transition baskets.

Smith has to find a way to create better havoc in the paint and get to the line versus the Celtics. Including his last game against the C's, the Hawks are 1-4 when Josh fails to register a single free throw attempt.

Go Hawks!

~lw3

[DJlaysitup]

GO HAWKS !!!

(but don't bet any money on this one)

Edited April 11, 2012 by DJlaysitup

[CODHAWKSFAN]

It is 7:26pm and still no Hawks vs. Celtics thread? Come on squawk!!!Maybe I should start an "I hate Josh" thread, bet that will get this board going.Go Hawks!!! Lets get a win tonight.

[LucastheThird]

I believe Gray Mule started a thread already??

[Admin]

I believe Gray Mule started a thread already??

Indeed he did

[Admin]

Is Josh wearing a Celtics headband??

[CODHAWKSFAN]

My apologies, I didn't read that thread. The title seemed like another pessimistic thread, so I didn't click on it.

[Admin]

My apologies, I didn't read that thread. The title seemed like another pessimistic thread, so I didn't click on it.

Gray Mule is the eternal optimist and sarcasm maestro so no worries of him being pessimistic, unless it's sarcasm.

[Admin]

Damn our bench has been hot garbage tonight!

[Admin]

Ugh really a designed play for Pargo coming in cold off the bench after shooting like crap all night?

[Admin]

My thoughts exactly, really did not have a well drawn up play. Seemed like LD just told them to pass it back to Pargo for the shot...no screens no nothing.

Yep it was pretty pathetic! And gotta beat Gray to the punch here but those missed FTs by Josh and Zaza at the end were killers and now I've got 5 more minutes of Tommy :(Finally Hinrich gets back in there for Marvin!!

[capstone21]

10 seconds left and the game on the line and Smith is out at the 3 point line....UGHHe should have been down low.

[Admin]

Awesome job there Josh taking that 3 instead of making the extra pass to the wide open Teague who's begging for the ball in the corner.

[01d0rd3r]

Awesome job there Josh taking that 3 instead of making the extra pass to the wide open Teague who's begging for the ball in the corner.

It's pretty well known that Josh doesnt like passing to Teague for what ever reason.

[lethalweapon3]

Defensive rebounding should not be a problem for the Hawks. At home, the Celtics average just 7.8 offensive rebounds per game, last in the league by far. With their moderately low pace and lack of frontcourt help for Garnett (Bass and Pierce are usually outside the paint on offense), they’ve averaged just 6.7 offensive RPGs since the All-Star Break. They’re the only NBA team grabbing less than 20 percent of the offensive rebounding chances (19.6%; the Odom-less Mavs are second-lowest at 23.1%).

Or not...

~lw3