Official Game Thread: Hawks - Celtics

[lethalweapon3]

Misty zebra-striped memories... of The Way We Were...

There’s not -- yet -- a fire sale underway for tonight’s opponents of the Atlanta Hawks. But everyone on the Boston Celtics (7:30 PM Eastern, SportSouth, CSN New England) understands the credo as best proclaimed by the great Ted DiBiase: every man has his price. Losers of their last four and sitting at 4-10, it’s hard to say whether Celtic players are a part of the core for the future, or even if there is a core at all.

With all of his 2008 championship teammates now a distant memory, Rajon Rondo may or may not be the face of Gang Green going forward. The 28-year-old’s expiring $12.9 million contract leaves open the possibility that a cap-space-hungry or title-contention-hungry team will bid for his services by the time the All-Star Break arrives. Scoring just 9.3 PPG, the lowest since his rookie season, and the author of just one double-digit scoring contribution in his past five games, it’s hard to tell whether Rondo is preserving himself for the near-future, is lacking enough fellow playmakers on the floor, or is forcing teammates to get used to carrying the torch without him. Or, all of the above.

As for the rest of the squad, expiring contracts like Brandon Bass’ and Marcus Thornton’s could be had with the right phone call. As could Jeff Green, who could give a contender scoring, if not much else, on a short-term deal. As could any of the eight aged-25-and-under upstarts getting a chance to shine in the legendary green jerseys, at least until coaching wunderkind Brad Stevens has no more use for them. It’s hard to assess whether these guys are playing for a future alongside Stevens, or somebody coaching some other NBA roster. Armed with his $10.1 million contract while averaging eight minutes per occasional game, the creaky Gerald Wallace is about the only Celtics player nailed down for next season. That’s unless someone can trick him into early retirement or something.

Stevens is deploying a free-wheeling style where everyone, centers included, is hauling butt down the floor, mostly off of defensive rebounds, and converging at the hoop, ideally awaiting a feed from Rondo (NBA-high 10.5 APG; 2 points but 10 assists and zero TOs vs. San Antonio on Sunday). Boston ranks third in the NBA for pace (100.0 possessions per-48), also third with 16.4 fastbreak PPG and second with 47.4 points in the paint per game.

It’s a pace-of-play that back-above-the-weather Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer would greatly prefer, although Atlanta’s opponents to this point of the schedule have not really obliged. Eight of the bottom-ten in the league for pace have played the Hawks so far; the lowest-tempo team, Miami, hosts Atlanta tomorrow. Boston will be the first of the league’s top-five in pace that the Hawks will face. Atlanta’s 0-for-4 against teams (Raptors, Lakers, Spurs) ranked in the top-ten for pace, and Coach Bud would like to get one of these contests in the win column.

Atlanta has given up an NBA-low 9.1 fastbreak PPG, so something’s gotta give. A more problematic consideration for the Celts is that in their rush to the offensive end of the floor, they’re leaving the barn door at the opposite end wide open. Boston’s opponents score an NBA-high 49.6 PPG in the paint. The C’s allow 107.6 PPG and hold the worst defensive mark in the East. And no, Philadelphia has not yet fallen off the face of the Earth. Opponents of both the 76ers and the Celtics are shooting 47.1 FG%, tied for 4^th-worst in the Association.

With the Celtics now appearing to slide out of the playoff picture early, job-secure Stevens is happy to kick the tires on players who may not have gotten an honest shot elsewhere. Offseason acquisition Tyler Zeller (via Cleveland) is tied with the space-eating Jared Sullinger for the team lead with 3.5 offensive boards and 1.0 blocks per-36; Stevens moved him into the starting lineup ahead of Kelly Olynyk (42.9 3FG%) on Sunday in the loss to the Spurs. Zeller contributed a team-high ten rebounds, including five in the first eight minutes of the game. Olynyk may once again come off the bench, this time to offset whatever Pero Antić brings to the table for Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn-discarded Thornton, whose $8.7 million salary comes off the books this summer, came off the bench for a season-high 20 minutes on Sunday to help make the Spurs’ victory a little less of a laugher. When Rondo sits, Stevens turns not to lotto rookie Marcus Smart (sprained ankle, out for a few weeks) but to Evan Turner (3.1 APG, 1.8 TO/game), who we last saw sparingly in the Hawks-Pacers playoff series.

After getting left behind in the vapors of reigning Player of the Week nominee Jeff Teague (career-high 18.0 PPG; 7.2 APG; 47.4 FG%, 38.2 3FG%, 87.5 FT%) back in April, whether Turner will fare better trying to keep up with Teague or Dennis Schröder (12 points, 2-for-2 on 3FGs vs. Charlotte) remains to be seen. The Germanator may get some useful floor time matching up against Rondo as well. Offensively, the Hawks have been so sound as of late at the point position that Stevens may latch defensive-minded Avery Bradley onto Atlanta’s PGs, leaving Rondo and Turner to try and disrupt the Hawks’ shooting guards instead.

Al Horford and the Hawks (55.1% of chances rebounded, 3^rd-lowest in NBA) have to do a sound job sealing away the rim from Celtics seeking extra scoring opportunities, particularly the long boards that often come after three-point shots, which is not exactly Boston’s forte (30.0 team 3FG%, lowest in NBA). Atlanta will want to box out not only Sullinger/Bass and Olynyk/Zeller, but Rondo, who’s averaging a career-high 7.4 RPG.

Rondo’s defensive boards (6.2 per game, highest on the team) allow him to push the game to a pace of his liking, while his offensive rebounds help the team atone for awful shooting stretches. To help the out Hawks’ bigs, a secret weapon in the Hawks’ possession may be the wayward-shooting Kent Bazemore, who snared eight defensive rebounds over 22 minutes in the blowout victory over Charlotte, plus four more in just 15 minutes against New Orleans.

The Celts have actually fared better on non-parquet floors (2-3 on the road; 2-7 at home). If Boston is still hanging around by the end of the game, they’ll turn to leading scorer Green (career-high 17.6 PPG, but 43.4 FG% and 26.4 3FG%) to try and hoist up enough shots to save the day. His arms may get tired, though, trying to either keep up or stay ahead, as Atlanta’s 27.5 fourth-quarter PPG leads the NBA. Teague’s 30.8 points-per-36 in the final stanza ranks higher than every major active NBA player besides Melo, Cousins, and Wade.

The Celtics’ strongest quarter is the third, where they lead the NBA with 28.6 PPG on 50.6% shooting. How well DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap defend Green will likely determine how much Boston tempers their expectations this evening.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

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[Randy]

You have a way with words lw3!!

[DJlaysitup]

Great stuff as usual lw3 

 

Beat them Celtics !!

[diamond_dave]

Let's see that D show up again today. Hopefully we can make it a habit.

[MrMeltdown]

Boston has always been tough on us. I don't expect anything different tonight.

[Admin]

Great stuff as usual lw3

Beat them Celtics !!

"I wonder which team you'll be pulling for tonight", he says sarcastically.

[Dnice]

What a poor start.

[diamond_dave]

Yeah, so much for the D...and aggressive Teague...

[Dnice]

They must have Miami on their minds. Mr bud is gonna timeouts.

[jrok23]

John Jenkins would be nice right now

By the way Thabo is just straight sorry.

[SalvorMallow]

Our entire front court is being out-rebounded by their point guard.  How pathetic.

[jrok23]

Kent Bazemore with an enthatic dunk.

[MrMeltdown]

Laker game repeat. Getting beatdown by a team you should not lose to at home. Rondo is still the real deal floor general.

[diamond_dave]

Baze is in the house!!!

He's getting more comfortable and getting more minutes.

Edited December 3, 2014 by diamond_dave

[jrok23]

Yessir Bazemore with the threeeeeeeee.

[benhillboy]

I missed the first 43 minutes or so. I don't know whether to be glad we came back from 23 or that we were down 23. Good win either way, gotta watch this one on the late night replay. Apparently Dennis and Kyle pulled us out the gutter, no surprise.

Edited December 3, 2014 by benhillboy

[skimaskway23]

What a game

[MrMeltdown]

Good comeback win but that was not the type of game we needed at all.

Edited December 3, 2014 by MrMeltdown

[BrazilianHawk]

Great comeback win!

 

Effort has come to play in the second half. Great job, coach Bud!

[Guest]

Schröder ...wow...I love it...