Official Game Thread: Hawks - Grizzlies

[lethalweapon3]

Well, whaddya know? White Owners CAN Jump.

Along the way to the top record in the NBA, the Atlanta Hawks have continued to pull the chair on one self-styled championship contender after another. Even if they wanted to (and they didn’t), the Hawks could not afford to look ahead to today’s game in Memphis against the West’s second-seeded Grizzlies (6:00 PM Eastern, SportSouth in ATL, Fox Sports South in MEM), its Friday night tilt against the Warriors too enormous to avert any focus away. But the hosts today may have been suffering from a case of Hawks On The Brain that day.

They allowed a rejuvenated Timberwolves roster to take over the game during the final two minutes in Minnesota. The Timberwolves shot just 5-for-17 on three-pointers, and yet that was still better than the notoriously light-perimeter-shooting Grizzlies (5.4 3FGs per game, 28^th in NBA; 2-for-12 3FGs on Friday).

Power forward Zach Randolph (21.1 rebounds per 100 possesions, 5^th in NBA) blamed himself for the loss, his six points a season-low. The basketball he held was swiped away by Ricky Rubio as the Wolves seized the lead in the closing minute. Despite 10 defensive boards, he and All-Star center Marc Gasol could not out-rebound Minnesota, who held the Grizzlies to two offensive rebounds.

Green usually means winning. Even with their slip-up in Minneapolis on Friday, Memphis (37-13; like Atlanta’s 42-9, the best start in franchise history) has gone 12-2 since adding Jeff Green to the roster. Green hasn’t been terribly remarkable (12.6 PPG, 41.1 FG%, 30.2 3FG%, 3.8 RPG), but he does add size at the small forward spot and alleviated the need for Vince Carter (out indefinitely with a torn foot tendon), Courtney Lee and Tony Allen from having to log major minutes at that position.

The Grizz are also seeking to beef up the bench spot behind Randolph, its long experiment with Jon Leuer (5.3 PPG, 44.9 FG%) failing to bear any fruit. Randolph missed Memphis’ January 7 victory in Atlanta, the Grizzlies resorting at the time to teammate-punching Jarnell Stokes, who is back to toiling in the D-League, and Tayshaun Prince, who is now in Boston due to the Green trade. They gave Tyrus Thomas a 10-day test spin before turning to D-League All-Star JaMychal Green, who provided an offensive spark on Friday with eight points in just nine minutes.

Only the Pelicans and Pistons take more shots in the paint than the Grizzlies (44.2 FGAs per game), and only the Pelicans make more of them (23.7 FGs per game, 53.5 FG%). The Hawks’ guards will need to keep Mike Conley and Beno Udrih from stirring things up in the paint, while Carroll must render Jeff Green a tepid mid-range jumpshooter. That would leave Randolph and Gasol, both sound mid-range shooters and elbow passers, to try and beat All-Stars Paul Millsap and Al Horford (2.78 A/TO ratio, 3^rd among non-guards, 6 assists vs. Golden State on Friday) at their own games.

The Hawks’ frontcourt duo shot just 7-for-24 against the Grizz on January 7, but each posted four of Atlanta’s 21 assists. No Grizzlie seemed equipped to deal with the holy terror known as Pero Antić, who sunk three of his four three-point attempts on his way to 13 points off the bench.

Especially after Atlanta shot 15-for-27 from downtown on Friday, teams have become accustomed to the threat of every Hawks player on the floor capable of being a three-point threat. But they may overlook Atlanta’s propensity to get steals (8.8 SPG, 5^th in NBA) without excessively fouling (18.1 PFs per game, lowest in NBA).

The last time Atlanta visited Memphis one year ago today, the Grizzlies made history by earning exactly one free throw, a shot-clock era record. On Friday, the seven Hawks with the most minutes stole a ball from the Warriors. In last month win over the Grizzlies, nine of Atlanta’s ten participants compiled a season-high 17 steals, the second time this season they had more steals than personal fouls. That tally included Dennis Schröder’s three steals in under 14 minutes.

At the Grindhouse, Allen (95.6 defensive rating, 4^th in NBA) and Lee will work tirelessly to keep Kyle Korver (NBA-high 53.3 3FG%) and DeMarre Carroll from burying Memphis under a deluge of three-pointers. If they cannot, Memphis will either have to pick up their slow pace of play (94.1 possessions per-48, 27^th in NBA), look to Lee (46.3 3FG%, 2^nd in NBA behind Korver) and Conley (41.2 3FG%) to help them keep up, or lean on their big men to pound away inside and draw shooting fouls, hoping the Hawks won’t pull the chair on them again.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

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[JETSET]

This is a game we probably should lose but watch this team pull it out.

We appreciate what you do for us lw. Always enjoy the writeups.

[nitte]

Warriors had 19 offensive boards compared to our 4. We are talking about 15 extra possessions. I fear this offensive rebounding problems will bite us at the worst time.

[Guest]

Awesome as usual lw3!!! Personally I'm hoping this is the NBA finals matchup. Just play our brand of ball and we should be good. LETS GO HAWKS!!!

[benhillboy]

I like the Grizz but I've never bought in to them being a contender. They could never dream of scoring with us or San Antonio with their always questionable three point shooting.

I know Z-Bo didn't play the first game, doesn't matter. They might be better off going small anyway. Its easy for the Hawks to dictate pace agaisnt a plodding team, they'll have to adjust and will not have a chance. Hawks by 10.

[Jdawgflow]

LW3, thank you very much for what you do!

[Admin]

One thing you for sure won't hear Nique saying tonight is that the PF isn't big enough to handle Sap. This should be a darn good matchup but I like our bench to out produce theirs and that he the difference.

[bobrathbun4pres]

Nice thread again! Will miss part of it because my gf is taking forever buying shit in midtown

[hawkman]

This game may be tougher for the Hawks than the GSW game. Memphis will try to dominate the Hawks inside for sure. I'm sure Horf and Sap are up for it though.

[DJlaysitup]

Great stuff as usual lw3....I do question the picture though, could be a trick since we can't see the owner's feet, he may be standing on a step ladder :-)

 

GO HAWKS !!

 

 

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Edited February 8, 2015 by DJlaysitup

[Guest]

One thing you for sure won't hear Nique saying tonight is that the PF isn't big enough to handle Sap. This should be a darn good matchup but I like our bench to out produce theirs and that he the difference.

A few times during the season, the nba package offers both telecasts. Unfortunately the HD channel is the Grizz telecast and the Hawks telecast is just regular. Who needs HD? I need me some Nique n Bun :-)

[BackForThe2ndTime]

Should be a good test. As was displayed in the NO game, our only real matchup issue is big, athletic bigs. Neither ZBo or Gasol are as athletic as Davis but they makeup one of the most talented frontcourts in the league. 

[CBAreject]

How many fast breaks are we going to blow? This seems like an epidemic of late. Is it just me or are we tending to throw the ball away when we have the advantage?

[Alex]

Listening on the radio. Can't score the ball.

[benhillboy]

We can't shoot any poorly, only down 4 with a blown call. We good.

[CBAreject]

We also can't rebound any worse. This is pathetic

[CBAreject]

Mike Scott is a man possessed

[benhillboy]

Baze is a very intelligent speaker. They wanna play a defensive game, that's fine. We'll have one or two more runs than they'll have.

[Dnice]

Way to go

[bobrathbun4pres]

well that's game. Not too worried. Confident in a 7 game series ATL would come out on top.  We weren't playing our best and they were.  Not to mention the hangover of having to prepare for the top team in the west just 2 nights ago

Edited February 9, 2015 by bobrathbun4pres