Official Game Thread: Hawks at Timberwolves

[Sarcatic1]

Keep Dennis, Prince , and Bembry. Everyone else should be moved for whatever value they can get

This team is below average. I like making the playoffs but making it just to get put out in the first round is not going to cut it.

I rather get in the lottery and add a good young talent to go with guys like  Dennis, Prince, and Bembry.

This year has been terrible

[SalvorMallow]

1 minute ago, Lurker said:

Put in a better effort though. There's no hiding it, the wings on this team miss Horford HORRIBLY.

lol we "put up a better effort" against the wolves.  That speaks volumes to the extent that Horford helped this team.  Maybe we were slightly better with him, but I'm sick of people acting like he would have an impact on our w/l .

[NBASupes]

11 minutes ago, Sothron said:

Dwight goes a perfect 9 for 9 for 20 points and 12 rebounds and people still want to talk smack about him. Hilarious. Horford homers be Horford homers.

I hope he continues to help us lose games so we can get someone like Harry Giles, O.G. Anonby or someone who could be a superstar.

[Peoriabird]

51 minutes ago, Lurker said:

Put in a better effort though. There's no hiding it, the wings on this team miss Horford HORRIBLY.

Lurker you are retarded...Last year the Wolves had a 34 point lead on the Hawks in Atlanta and allowed the Hawks to cut the lead to 10 as the final score... So what are you talking about???

[Lurker]

Howard doesn't deserve full blame for this but him being gone is a lot of the reason why the wings look lost offensively. Those wings need to be spoon fed to get their offense. Korver and Bazemore are not going to get any better this season and it's because they're completely lost without the guy they fed off of.

I'll say what I said in the other thread and it bears mentioning again. It took the league 11 games to figure out the Hawks defensive scheme. Teams started out the season attacking the middle on the Hawks in the PNR and when that was happening the defense played well. It took one offensive adjustment to change this, attack from the side in the PNR instead of attack the middle. When this happens, even if the guy defending the ball handler stays in front of their man (and a lot of times, every single perimeter player fails to do so), it's in this team's DNA to help, and it's allowing piles of wide open rhythm three point set shots because this defense is too slow to rotate.

5 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Lurker you are retarded...Last year the Wolves had a 34 point lead on the Hawks in Atlanta and allowed the Hawks to cut the lead to 10 as the final score... So what are you talking about???

Both efforts against the Wolves this year were completely pathetic! There was one effort that was okay last season against them, but this season they regressed against the Wolves!

[bleachkit]

Count me in the tank and rebuild bandwagon. 

[Wurider05]

Bazemore for Zach Lavine straight up!!

[Peoriabird]

5 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

Count me in the tank and rebuild bandwagon. 

Count me in for a new coach and GM

[Lurker]

The offense has had games in which it hasn't been great, but the defense thoroughly imploded after 11 games because of that one adjustment I mentioned. Howard may be putting up good defensive stats and he is still a good rim protector, but because of how teams are attacking and how 75% of the time, the perimeter players on this team get beaten off the dribble or beaten by screening, what he does great on defense is not helping at all.

First 11 games defensively: 98.5 DRTG

Last 19 games defensively (not including this game): 111.3 DRTG

It's a total disaster. Even GREAT offensive teams would be on the big time struggle bus with this going on.

So yes, what I'm effectively saying is Howard's ability to protect the rim is being completely wasted after one adjustment was made. He is doing what he was brought in to do, but is it helping the team...it no longer will be helping as long as every perimeter player continues to be beat off the dribble, by screening, or players are hardwired to help do so even if it's not necessary.

Because once this team helps, they're done on defense. They're too slow at rotating.

[Peoriabird]

4 minutes ago, Lurker said:

The offense has had games in which it hasn't been great, but the defense thoroughly imploded after 11 games because of that one adjustment I mentioned. Howard may be putting up good defensive stats and he is still a good rim protector, but because of how teams are attacking and how 75% of the time, the perimeter players on this team get beaten off the dribble or beaten by screening, what he does great on defense is not helping at all.

First 11 games defensively: 98.5 DRTG

Last 19 games defensively (not including this game): 111.3 DRTG

It's a total disaster. Even GREAT offensive teams would be on the big time struggle bus with this going on.

So yes, what I'm effectively saying is Howard's ability to protect the rim is being completely wasted after one adjustment was made. He is doing what he was brought in to do, but is it helping the team...it no longer will be helping as long as every perimeter player continues to be beat off the dribble, by screening, or players are hardwired to help do so even if it's not necessary.

Because once this team helps, they're done on defense. They're too slow at rotating.

So here is a thought...Instead of blaming Howard, why don't you blame Korver? And Thus Bud for playing Korver?

[Lurker]

1 minute ago, Peoriabird said:

So here is a thought...Instead of blaming Howard, why don't you blame Korver?

Most of the wings and PGs in the rotation struggle to stay in front of their man at all or get beaten by screens. Removing Korver from playing period would not help because it is an issue that everyone in the main wing rotation has.

So I guess you want to cut everyone then?

[JonKoncak]

How does Milsap receive no blame? He was one of the worst performers tonight. 

[Peoriabird]

12 hours ago, Lurker said:

Most of the wings and PGs in the rotation struggle to stay in front of their man at all or get beaten by screens. Removing Korver from playing period would not help because it is an issue that everyone in the main wing rotation has.

So I guess you want to cut everyone then?

LOL!  So are you saying Korver is the same caliber defender as Thabo?  Why do i always get sucked into these ridiculous discussions?

12 hours ago, JonKoncack said:

How does Milsap receive no blame? He was one of the worst performers tonight. 

Agendas

[Lurker]

Just now, Peoriabird said:

LOL!  So are you saying Korver is the same caliber defender as Thabo?  Why do i always get suck into these ridiculous discussions?

Agendas

Thabo is a good defender but yes, he's a victim of getting beaten of the dribble completely at times. The starting lineup should be Thabo/Hardaway Jr with Bazemore cheerleading. That's your best hope...and it leaves you with a bad bench.

[Lurker]

This has been the worst team in the NBA by far since that one defensive adjustment was made against the Hawks defense with Howard.

[Plainview1981]

2 hours ago, Lurker said:

The Hawks needed a Tyson Chandler type much more than a guy like Dwight Howard.

They still wouldn't win even as many as they did last season.

[Plainview1981]

47 minutes ago, Lurker said:

The offense has had games in which it hasn't been great, but the defense thoroughly imploded after 11 games because of that one adjustment I mentioned. Howard may be putting up good defensive stats and he is still a good rim protector, but because of how teams are attacking and how 75% of the time, the perimeter players on this team get beaten off the dribble or beaten by screening, what he does great on defense is not helping at all.

First 11 games defensively: 98.5 DRTG

Last 19 games defensively (not including this game): 111.3 DRTG

It's a total disaster. Even GREAT offensive teams would be on the big time struggle bus with this going on.

So yes, what I'm effectively saying is Howard's ability to protect the rim is being completely wasted after one adjustment was made. He is doing what he was brought in to do, but is it helping the team...it no longer will be helping as long as every perimeter player continues to be beat off the dribble, by screening, or players are hardwired to help do so even if it's not necessary.

Because once this team helps, they're done on defense. They're too slow at rotating.

They're getting blown out because sometimes you when your offensive isn't working you have to be able to claim down to stay in games. That's the way it is going to be unless changes are made. If they can score points they will squeak out some wins like they have been doing lately... If the offense sucks they will get killed.

But, yeah... This team is far too slow now. It's just sad to watch. The team that won in the early teens was more fun to watch than this team. This team just blows.

[Sothron]

We have no perimeter defense outside Dennis. Millsap has been exposed defensively without Horford there to help him. But Bazemore and Korver have been more than exposed. They are flat out killing us. They should not be in the rotation at all. When guys routinely have career shooting nights against our defense and none of that is coming in the paint then it is on the perimeter defense. We are not putting hands in faces or making them scared of a steal so they don't try to penetrate.

This team needs to keep two starters and two rookies and move the rest.

[BigDog90]

34 minutes ago, Sothron said:

We have no perimeter defense outside Dennis. Millsap has been exposed defensively without Horford there to help him. But Bazemore and Korver have been more than exposed. They are flat out killing us. They should not be in the rotation at all. When guys routinely have career shooting nights against our defense and none of that is coming in the paint then it is on the perimeter defense. We are not putting hands in faces or making them scared of a steal so they don't try to penetrate.

This team needs to keep two starters and two rookies and move the rest.

Yeah, the East is getting younger. Teams like the Bucks on the rise, time to just tank. GS, CLE, MIA, LAL did it and turned out okay.

Dennis needs a younger sidekick.

Edited December 27, 2016 by BigDog90

[Gray Mule]

Face it, boys and girls. 

As bad as our defense was, especially on the three ball, the real reason we lost

the game against the Wolves lies in our inability to score.

Bob and Nique mentioned it last night, two or three times.  Their coach is a

"Defense First" believer and teaches this to his team.  Against Atlanta, it shows.

Already behind a few points, the Hawks swapped two point baskets with the Wolves.

Over and over they did this.  Problem was, In between our basket swapping, our

opponent was taking, and making three balls.  Hawks tried theirs, but they didn't

fall.  Gaining points, three at a time, buried the poor Atlanta lads.

On a good night, Atlanta scores 110 points.  Last night was not a good night.

Blame the defense, which was bad, but, remember, to win, you must outscore

your opponent.  Their defense stopped our offense.