Official Game Thread: heat at Hawks, 48 Hours Later

[lethalweapon3]

“Dressed up as John Collins today… Sike! I’m just Joshin’, tryna put a scare in y’all. Happy Halloween, Hawks fans!”

 

“Hello, Tankathon, my old friend... I’ve come to check you out again…”

I really promised that website, last spring, I wouldn’t be a Stranger. Thing is, that was one of my favorite haunts over the past few down-seasons. For all they do for us fans of non-playoff teams, Tankathon deserves some clicks once the NBA season is over and the Draft concludes.

But it can be like a hot date you have no intention of marrying for life. Or, so I’ve been told. I start feeling all brand new, once I get a satisfying offseason or two, or a promising start to the next regular season. “New phone, who dis?”

Yet it was almost midway through Tuesday night’s loss, after Trae Young Teagued-up his ankle and my Atlanta Hawks gently slid into the Miami morass, that I caught myself wanting to text the ‘Thon. “U up?” The comparable merits of Theo Maledon, Amir Sylla and Deni Avdija suddenly became matters of great intrigue.

I was feeling extra miserable from a fantasy perspective, too. I had been rocking and rolling on ESPN Fantasy hoops, after Week 1, with Trae leading the charge for my faux squad. Now, he’s gone ghost for an indeterminate period, although the prognosis for recovery is much brighter now (1-2 weeks on the shelf) than it was in the moments following the injury.

Oh well, at least I have you around, Joel Embi—Hello? Jojo? Hey, Myles Turner, what’s the deal with Joel – Myles? Say, Steph, you have any idea where those guys – uh, Steph?? Okay, I’d better get out of here, something’s up. Should I go hide behind all the chainsaws in Jim Spanfeller’s garage, or hop in the running convertible? Decisions, decisions.

Fortunately for us Hawks fans, John Collins wasn’t tricked into playing Embiid’s reindeer games on Monday night, the way Karl-Anthony fell for Mr. Candy Corn’s scare tactics in Philly yesterday. Thanks to that, we got to enjoy one of the league’s most versatile big men pull off a Creepshow (30 points, 5-for-8 3FGs, 5-for-6 FTs, 5-for-9 2FGs, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 swat, 1 TO) one evening later, versus the heat.

We’ll need Collins to do the Monster Mash once more, with the heat in our house before a national audience tonight (7:00 PM Eastern, TNT schedule-makers can’t catch a break, 92.9 FM in ATL). But much like John Carpenter’s The Thing, Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce will need to see more of what Collins brings to the floor shape-shifting inside a few of his teammates.

We did not spend a calendar year hyping up the whole Red Velvet thing only to watch Miami’s Tyler Herro be paraded as the sweet-shooting treat that can’t be beat. In both preseason and regular season, Herro (29 points, 12-for-16 FTs, 3-for-4 3FGs on Tuesday vs. ATL; 4-for-15 3FGs and 2 FTAs vs. three prior foes) has made himself an early draft darling, largely on the backs of his hack-happy Atlanta defenders.

Tonight, it’s time for Kevin Huerter (4-for-14 3FGs; 3 assists, 3 TOs @ MIA) to be the big-play maker and big-shot taker that Cam Reddish (0-for-14 3FGs; 6 assists, 6 TOs, 2-for-10 FGs @ MIA) is still trying to become. An on-time and on-target Huerter, pulling Jimmy Butler and Justise Winslow (questionable, stiff back) toward the defensive perimeter, should open up Miami’s interior for Collins, Alex Len and Bruno Fernando, as well as a slashing DeAndre’ Bembry, who has had a nice moment or two on a TNT broadcast before.

Better offensive balance by the Hawks (44-34 advantage in the paint in Tuesday’s 112-97 loss) could overwhelm Bam Adebayo and Meyers Leonard (16 combined D-Rebs vs. ATL), who were generally left alone to cherry-pick for boards generated by Atlanta’s wayward long-range shots (6-for-14 3FGs pre-Young’s injury, 5-for-25 3FGs after). For more rebounding reinforcement, coach Erik Spoelstra will activate James Johnson tonight.

Bembry (5 assists, 0 TOs vs. MIA) and newcomer Tyrone Wallace showed an ability to take care of the ball and find scoring opportunities for others. Either could alleviate Reddish from putting too much on his own plate while trying to compensate for Young’s absence (“I hope we get to elevate Cam,” Pierce told the AJC’s Sarah Spencer today, “and see Cam grow up tonight.”) Wallace was also useful in drawing fouls during his unexpected garbage-time stint. If more glass needs to be broken in case of emergency, LP will have two-way guard Brandon Goodwin at his disposal.

It shouldn’t be left to the fans in the State Farm Arena stands to frighten Miami’s scorers off the free throw line. 45 FTAs by Miami (3-1) on Tuesday, including 41 attempts by Herro, Butler and Adebayo alone, were the most a Coach Spo-led team has enjoyed since November 2015, against a Jahlil Okafor-led Sixers team that fell to 0-14.

Yet that volume was also in line with the heat’s modus operandi during two other victories (39 versus Memphis, 31 at Milwaukee), as Spoelstra urges his players to attack baskets quickly and trick opponents into defending out of desperation. Comparatively, Karl-Anthony’s Wolves permitted just 15 FTAs during Miami’s sole loss this past Sunday.

Players should at least don some hockey masks if we’re going to hack people so much today. Better defensive discipline by De’Andre Hunter, Jabari Parker and the Hawks, and more assertive rebounding by Collins’ cobwebbed mates in the middle, will go a long way toward stifling the heat and keeping Atlanta (2-2) in this game tonight.

If things get a bit too eerie, you can find me checking out draft prospect measurables, and refreshing the Tankathon draft power rankings for updates. Hey, Brooklyn, what are you still doing on that webpage? Get Out!

 

Let’s Ghoul Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

"Hey, LeBron! I'm Still Standin'! YEAHHH YEAHHH YEAH!"

~c0achsp0

[Spud2nique]

Fabulous as always lw3. Looking for Tyler Herro not to light us up. Crazy amount of shots between the trio as you mentioned. 
 

I do believe Cam will look a ton better tonight as he will be handling the rock. Downside of Cam kicking butt tonight hopefully doesn’t result in the squawk calling for Trae’s head tomorrow.  
 

Hawks 109

Heat 102

 

 

Collins 24/14/3

Hunter 22/9/4

Cam 19/5/7

Huerter 17/2/6

 

Happy Halloween squawk!

GO HAWKS!!!!!

 

2 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

"Hey, LeBron! I'm Still Standin'! YEAHHH YEAHHH YEAH!"

~c0achsp0

excellent  

[Spud2nique]

15 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Butler and Adebayo alone, were the most a Coach Spo-led team has enjoyed since November 2015, against a Jahlil Okafor-led Sixers team that fell to 0-14.

That’s crazy how do you find a stat like this?  

[Spud2nique]

16 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

James Johnson

If I have to predict a fight it’s ..

 James vs Big Bruno

(I’m not sure why but I keep wanting to predict Bruno fights that may never happen).  

[lethalweapon3]

heat GameNotes has the note that Kendrick Nunn "Has scored at least 17 points in each game this season, becoming the first rookie since Kevin Durant to do so in his first four games." Get him on First Take, Stephen A.!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Big Baby is back in the league!

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

2 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Big Baby is back in the league!

~lw3

lw I thought Glen. I immediately wanted to compare vs Spell!

[lethalweapon3]

Just now, Spud2nique said:

lw I thought Glen. I immediately wanted to compare vs Spell!

No more Omari jokes for me today, I'm trying to be the...

... bigger man!

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Expect another Herro explosion. 

Hopefully, Hawks don't have forty eleven fouls tonight.

[lethalweapon3]

33 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

That’s crazy how do you find a stat like this?  

Bball-Ref's Game Logs are very helpful! Last year's max FTAs for the heat was 43, in a 2-point loss to a wayyyy better Golden State team.

~lw3

[hawkman]

I know a win isn't likely, but I hope the guys can somehow pull this off tonight. I want to see an unexpected breakout from someone. Preferably one (or all) of the Rooks. We still have two top ten prospects to get excited about. I hope they show us something. 

[HawkItus]

Cam Reddish starting PG rumor

 

Sarah K. Spencer

 

@sarah_k_spence

·

23m

 

Cam Reddish will start at point guard tonight, Lloyd Pierce says.

Edited October 31, 2019 by HawkItus

[High5]

I just hope Cam plays with confidence and our shooters help him out.

[NBASupes]

Let's get it! Go Hawks!

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[marco102]

1 hour ago, HawkItus said:

Cam Reddish starting PG rumor

 

Sarah K. Spencer

 

@sarah_k_spence

·

23m

 

Cam Reddish will start at point guard tonight, Lloyd Pierce says.

This is either excellent for Cam or shows our lack of PG depth.  I'll go with the former.  Cam showed something good in practice today to earn LP's trust! 

[Marvin24Williams]

I want Cam to be aggressive today. I believe in you young fella. Huge game for Collins as well. Needs to show that he can score without a maestro like Trae to feed him.

[Dnice]

Get ready to be annoyed with the shot clock at the top of the key, if you hadn't been watching other games..lame producers..

[GameTime]

Anyone else impressed by Cam's first step? I didn't know he was this athletic.