Official Game Thread: 76ers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Miss the playoffs for six straight seasons to start your career, kids… then, get back to me!”

 

It’s November 12 in Atlanta, and as the Hawks prepare to tip off against the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, CSN Philly), one question is foremost in locals’ minds.

Did Dennis Schröder’s hookah lounge pass its follow-up health inspection, or nein?

Like C-Viv, I think it’s wise to leave it to the AJC food critics to risk a bout of botulism finding the answer. 42 is only a cool number if you’re Elton Brand, now happily retired. But in my experience, a 42 at a Philadelphia eatery is good enough to earn 3 stars in Fodor’s. Whether it’s phine dining or pro basketball, Philly pholks have learned how to settle for less.

The real question is whether another balanced effort from the Hawks (6-2) would be enough to sink the S.S. Tankadelphia and extend a highly imperfect October/November run for the Sixers, now at 1-44 over three seasons after last night’s overtime win. Another 8-Straight Special from Thabo Sefolosha (20 points vs. CHI on Wednesday, most in a game since December 2013) shouldn’t be necessary to get it done, although nobody will turn that down. The Sixers were 0-16 to kick off 2014-15, 0-18 at the outset of last season, and roll into ATL 1-7 after splitting back-to-back games with former trade-target Jeff Teague and the Pacers.

Before Friday night, do you remember the Sixers winning in November? That last happened in 2013. Wunderkind Michael Carter-Williams’ not-quite-ready-to-tank squad was saved by America’s Happiest NBA Baller (Spencer Hawes) with a three-pointer with seconds to spare, then rose to a 6-8 record after pulling away from a lousy Bucks team in OT, despite 38 points by Milwaukee’s Caron Butler and 19 by Ersan Ilyasova. Three years later, Ilyasova is here to show everyone, if you CAN beat ‘em, join ‘em!

After arriving in OKC over the summer from Orlando via the Oladipo-Ibaka deal, The Turkish Turnstile found himself packaged with a protected first-rounder and shipped to Philly for Jerami “Fasolatido” Grant. The deal was done just a few days after the Hawks put the Sixers on slow-broil with a 104-72 victory at The Center. The game produced Philly’s lowest scoring tally since getting blasted by their coach Brett Brown’s former employer, the Spurs, last December.

For his part, Ilyasova (13.0 PPG in Philly, tops among players getting regular minutes; 45.8 3FG%) is doing all he can to show he’s fine sticking around for a while, hoping to post some career-best offensive numbers along the way. “The way we play, and the way the team is structured, it’s not complicated,” Ersan (14 points and 11 boards off bench vs. IND Friday, 3-for-5 3FGs) told the Philadelphia Inquirer last week, confessed with just a dash of unintentional shade. It’s a tad reminiscent of Philly comedian Kevin Hart’s refrain: “You see, the way my bank account is set up…”

Now, you know that feeling, right? Your first few days at the big new job. You’re fully qualified and skilled enough for what you’re about to get paid to do. But for a few weeks, there’s that helpless twinge of uncertainty about what to do first, and when, and how best to go about it, as more-experienced staff around you mill about, trying to get you all set up and up to speed with the goings-on while still getting their own tasks done.

Just me? Great, thanks. Anyway, Jahlil Okafor regularly has that “Undercover Boss” look on his face when the Sixers are on the floor, especially when they’re trying to defend pick-and-rolls. He has this persistent look like he sincerely wants to do something, and is just about to go, but isn’t quite sure what to do first. It’s squirrel-meets-deer. Nothing seems instinctive for Okafor (12.0 PPG), unless he’s getting the chance to post up the occasional shorties and slow-pokes around the rim.

This circumstance would be all well-and-good for just about any second-year player, even a lottery stud and a collegiate-champion Dookie like Jah.  But not when he’s juxtaposed with fan-favorite rookie center Joel Embiid, who’s good for about one eye-popping maneuver every quarter he’s on the floor. Okafor’s learning curve has flattened with Embiid’s emergence, and traversing the curve will require less time than originally planned.

Everyone’s aware of Embiid’s minutes-restriction, fans counting down from 24 to zero each game like they’re Kiefer Sutherland. But few realize Okafor (20.8 MPG, down from 30.0 his rookie season) is subject to the team’s same short-leash. Embiid (25 points, 12-for-14 FTs) interchanged time on the floor with Richaun Holmes (12 rebounds off bench vs. IND) in last night’s game, and Okafor (under 3 minutes last night) will get Embiid’s playing time tonight, as per Brown.

Brown seems exasperated responding to a constant stream of media queries about playing time for his bigs, especially Embiid’s. He’s quick to remind people the floortime distribution has been essentially taken out of his hands. “I am a complete receiver,” he told CSN Philly after practice on Thursday; the “sender” is Australian doctor David Martin, hired last year to head performance research and development for the franchise’s Sports Science department.

Brown continued: “I sit here and I am told, ‘This is the deal.’ Who am I to say, ‘Well, I think that’s garbage?’” Many Sixer fans can relate, having grown familiar with this exact scenario for years now.

I’ve had absolutely no worries about the lukewarm-seat status of coach Brown, until now. In the old Hinkie regime, the Sixers could go 0-20 and no one around town would bat an eye; it was all about The Process. Perhaps excessively enlivened by Embiid’s exploits, and with Ben Simmons on the horizon for 2017, many more Philly Phanatics are now searching for The Progress, and expect Brown to deliver sooner than later.

It’s not just about fostering the green Sixer talent from season-to-season anymore. It’s the expectation that the coaching and training and sports-science will pay off dividends, preferably in the win column, as the current season wears on.

This time around, if the Sixer Slide doesn’t bottom out soon, there’s no telling what Colangelo & Son might pull, maybe wooing a good paisan like Jay Triano into the fold, asserting that perhaps all this shorthanded roster needs is a “new voice,” a “fresh perspective,” or some such. Maybe they’ll ask Brown to slide over to the lead assistant’s chair, who knows?

Hopefully, Brown’s former Spurs colleague won’t be cutting the 76ers much slack today. I always suspect that the Hawks’ Mike Budenholzer has a soft spot for his coaching cohorts when they’re under a little fire; maybe subbing too soon when Atlanta starts building up a lead, or giving struggling shooters and ballhandlers an extended chance to help the Hawks hold serve. If Coach Bud truly wants to give Brown a hand, he should continue beating his Sixer teams, then offer a canned Brown the vacancy created by Kenny Atkinson’s departure, a void that remains unfilled.

Even though Philadelphia is 1-10 versus the Hawks during Brown’s tenure, it shouldn’t be too surprising to find these Sixers hanging around, way too close for comfort for Hawks fans, in the second half tonight. Philly has had four small leads during the final few minutes of games before coming up short, three times versus 2016 playoff teams (Thunder, Cavs, Pacers).

If Philadelphia is indeed still in the mix late, it’ll be because they have shooters (Ilyasova, the thawing Robert Covington, Hollis Thompson, Dario Saric, Gerald Henderson, Nik Stauskas) hitting whatever open perimeter shots the Hawks grant them (they were a season-worst 5-for-18 against Atlanta on October 29). It could also happen if they can find ways to defend Atlanta shooters without fouling (0.245 opponent FTA/FGA rate, 8^th-lowest in NBA, right behind the Hawks’ 0.240).

A close finish can also happen if Schröder, Paul Millsap, Sefolosha, and Kyle Korver continue to be sloppy with the ball, as they were at critical junctures while working through kinks in the offense against Chicago on Wednesday, and if the 76ers can capitalize by turning those mostly unforced errors into points. The Hawks now lead the NBA with 17.6 TOs per 100 possessions, many of them coming from trying to connect with Dwight Howard down low. But the Sixers’ 12.5 opponent TO ratio is second-worst in the league, and their 14.0 points off turnovers fourth-worst.

Schröder (5-for-19 FGs, 3 assists, 4 TOs vs. CHI), whose lack of command in the third quarter contributed to a lost lead and a quick pull by Budenholzer in favor of Malcolm Delaney on Wednesday, had similarly struggled in the season-opener, but bounced back two days later in Philadelphia (11 assists, 2 TOs, 4-for-6 2FGs).

Dennis will have a shot at a repeat performance going after Rodriguez and T.J. McConnell, two players who could use some help from their teammates in getting inside the lane and opening things up. Philly ranks last with an average of 5.5 screens leading to field goals, contributing to a dead-last 93.7 team O-Rating that doesn’t come close to anyone else.

Putting the game out of reach early in the second half with sound execution, and stemming all 76er runs, would allow Atlanta to once again get the rookie wings some burn and make the experience fun and worthwhile for Hawks fans venturing down to Philips on a Saturday night. Postgame party up at the DS17 lounge, perhaps? Well, maybe stick with Fresh2Order in the food court for the time being.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[Thomas]

9 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Before Friday night, do you remember the Sixers winning in November? That last happened in 2013.

Pretty unreal stat right there. 

[lethalweapon3]

A.I.'s not at a game, not at a game... He's at...

~lw3

[Guest]

We'd better not lose.

I can see this team still on a high  from beating Cavs and Bulls and take the sixers all too lightly.

If we. at least we won't be the first team to give the Sixers a win.

[turnermx]

I'd like to see the ball go to Dwight in the post without trying to drive to the rim in traffic and force feed him. And no lazy passes! turnovers by far team's biggest weakness from what I see and also I am sure it can be corrected.

[Guest]

Great thread lw3!!! It's funny I have a lot more respect for Ersan who decided to joinem AFTER beating them than I do KD who joined them cuz he couldn't beatem. Lol. The Suxers will always stink unless they get their roster right. I'm sorry but you are holding up the players careers and the teams success when you have 3 big men in Noel, Oka and Embiid and won't trade any of them. You can stockpile talent as much as you want but if you don't have a Hershel Walker/Cowboys/Vikes then you are just walking around with chips in your hand at the casino. Get some vets in there that know how to win. No more draft picks....wait, I'm a Hawks fan, what do I care...yes Philly keep tanking, specially today.

GO HAWKIESSSSS!!!!

[lethalweapon3]

Alert: Saturday night protests are fairly likely tonight around downtown and mucking up intown traffic and interstate access. If you're traveling by car tonight, do yourself a favor and drive to a MARTA park-and-ride lot, then take the train to the arena. MARTA is single-tracking in some directions today, so plan ahead.

https://martaguide.com/parking/

~lw3

[Guest]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

A.I.'s not at a game, not at a game... He's at...

~lw3

 

[JTB]

42 minutes ago, turnermx said:

I'd like to see the ball go to Dwight in the post without trying to drive to the rim in traffic and force feed him. And no lazy passes! turnovers by far team's biggest weakness from what I see and also I am sure it can be corrected.

Agreed...hopefully we take this team seriously and get this W! All wins are important still right now and I rather the Hawks try to get home court advantage throughout the playoffs if they can.

[JTB]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

We'd better not lose.

I can see this team still on a high  from beating Cavs and Bulls and take the sixers all too lightly.

If we. at least we won't be the first team to give the Sixers a win.

lol...seriously I'm really hoping we don't hear bud say "we took a night off" smh

[Thomas]

6 hours ago, JTB said:

lol...seriously I'm really hoping we don't hear bud say "we took a night off" smh

Couple of main Hawk detractors have been lurking today on this thread and are waiting for that opportunity to pounce no matter whether one game or more. Possibly something to think about.

People who project negativity typically have low self-esteem. They feel badly about themselves, and their negativity is simply a reflection of those feelings.

Hendrie Weisinger 

[sturt]

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Alert: Saturday night protests are fairly likely tonight around downtown and mucking up intown traffic and interstate access. If you're traveling by car tonight, do yourself a favor and drive to a MARTA park-and-ride lot, then take the train to the arena. MARTA is single-tracking in some directions today, so plan ahead.

https://martaguide.com/parking/

~lw3

Really, our fans nor theirs have any business protesting at this point, now that Hinkie is gone.

[sturt]

(...he said, in his best Rosanne Rosanadanna voice...)

[Guest]

I'm also on vacation so no 2k simulating game but I will predict the score...

 

Hawks 111

Sixers 92

[Lurker]

Didn't watch the game (was watching football) but watching the game tracker...seems like the team was sleepwalking in half the game.

[rd79]

 

[capstone21]

Weird game

forth quarter was when we finally played smart and some real solid d

offensively we were stellar ... our best offensive guy struggled and the rest of the team just killed it

I love having Hardeway as such a solid spark plug off the bench 

Hump was a beast

howard was howard

dennis played well

i saw some really solid d from Korver tonight

just an all around team win although we still are turning the ball over too much

rooks got some early burn in the forth ... Bembry is going to be an all defensive player one day ... he just seems to know how d up on his man ... he also seems to like to handle the ball and facilitate 

Prince made a great little penetrating post move ... Looking forward to these two guys futures

another win in the books!

[Peoriabird]

1 minute ago, capstone21 said:

 

dennis played well

Dennis with 5 more turn overs!

[bird_dirt]

"Hawks: Atlanta began the night ranked second in field-goal percentage, third in assists, first in turnovers forced, second in points off turnovers and seventh in rebounding. ... They ranked 24th in rebounding last season, but the presence of Howard, the NBA's active leader in career rebounds, has paid off in his first Hawks season."

[AUhawksfan]

Delaney looks more and more like a vet as this season wears on.  Love watching this guy get comfortable.

Hardaway having more good games than bad.  Hopefully this continues.

Love seeing Prince finish.  The guy has makings of something special, I really feel it.  His shot can be worked on but his ability in the lane is uncanny.