Official Game Thread: Pacers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Happy Holidays!”

 

After beating a Magic squad that lacked Aaron Gordon, then putting the scare into a Celtics team that was missing Kemba Walker, are the Atlanta Hawks catching a break, again? The Indiana Pacers are in town (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Indiana) after losing at home versus Denver on Thursday. But it appears that they’ll have to play once more without Malcolm Brogdon (back soreness).

Brogdon’s 19 points and 12 assists paced Indiana to a 110-100 win here at State Farm Arena on December 13, extending what would become a five-game winning streak. That was one game after going 29-and-8 to help defeat Boston. But the ensuing four games after beating the Hawks featured Malcolm in the Riddle (12.0 PPG, 32.8 3FG% in those contests).

A diagnosed hamstring strain caused him to sit through three games. Brogdon was expected back with “no limitations” against the 76ers on New Year’s Eve, but then the back setback had him sitting barely eight minutes into the first quarter.

The off-season acquisition of 2017’s surprise Rookie of the Year award winner, signed-and-traded by division-rival Milwaukee, was critical to the continued rise of Indiana in the East, as they await the return of star guard and occasionally masked lounge singer Victor Oladipo, who is rehabbing this month with G-League Fort Wayne. The Atlanta native has certainly delivered.

Even with his late December swoon, Brogdon’s 14.4 Player Impact Estimate ranks behind only Atlanta’s Trae Young (15.8 PIE) among active starting guards in the NBA East, a value that accounts for his 7.4 APG (10^th in NBA). Given his extended absence, Indiana coach Nate McMillan is elevating floor time for the Holiday brothers, including ex-Hawk Justin (39.1 FG%, but mostly threes on 36.7% shooting) and Aaron (42.2 3FG%; 3.4 APG, 1.4 TOs/game).

Led by Doug McDermott’s 1.9 3FGs/game, Indiana has seven players sinking between 1.3 and 2.0 threes per contest. They don’t take many three-pointers but they hit them (36.9 team 3FG%, 4^th in NBA). They don’t earn many free throw attempts, but they sink them (79.8 team FT%, 6^th in NBA).

Brogdon’s fellow Georgia native, Jeremy Lamb shoots a solid 85.9 FT% while passing at a 2:1 assist/TO clip. Nate Mac also can count on another strategic offseason pickup, T.J. McConnell, whose 40.3 assist percentage ranks 4^th in the NBA, a shade ahead of Young’s 40.0. McConnell’s 3.6 assist/TO ratio ranks 6^th among NBA players with 15+ MPG under their belts. Precise offensive execution helps Indiana lead the league overall with its 1.97 assist/TO ratio.

It’s wild that many wondered how Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner (+7.6 points per 100 possessions as 2-man lineup) could work together as a full-time frontcourt duo, particularly with Turner shifting to a power forward role, as he noted yesterday on NBATV, for the first time since his AAU years.

Turner’s overall production has slid as his shift includes stretching out to the three-point line regularly (45.6 three-point attempt rate, up from 25.1 in 2018-19). But he has connected enough (36.7 3FG%) for defenders to have to take him seriously, freeing up Sabonis (career-highs of 17.5 PPG; 13.1 RPG, 5^th in NBA; 4.1 APG) to ply his wares in the paint at a peripheral All-Star level.

To continue Indiana’s upward crawl up the Eastern standings (22-13, 5^th in NBA East, 1.0 GB Toronto) until Oladipo returns, it might help if Turner (5.7 RPG; one double-digit rebounding performance in last 22 games) and leading scorer T.J. Warren (17.9 PPG, 20.2 in last 5 games; 3.7 RPG) cease their abdication of the paint.

Even with Sabonis’ prowess, the Pacers are a subpar rebounding club. They appear to be built to respond defensively to the modern spread-out and dribble-drive offenses in the league (33.6 opponent 3FG%, 6^th-best in NBA; 42.7 opponent eFG% on P&R ball-handler plays, 3^rd-best in NBA). Turner (2.0 BPG, 6^th in NBA) remains a useful help blocker. But the high volume of well-earned opponent misses leaves them susceptible to giving up second chances.

The Pacers really haven’t beaten anyone on the road, aside from the Hawks and Mike Miller’s re-tooling Knicks, in nearly a month. In the past three weeks, they’ve been waylaid in Giannis’ Milwaukee (117-89), and in Brandon Ingram’s New Orleans (120-98). Last week, their collective failures to box out Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in the closing minutes of a nip-and-tuck affair in Miami set them up for Goran Dragic’s game-winning jumper with six seconds to go. That was despite abandoning the offensive glass altogether (2 team O-Rebs @ MIA) in hopes of getting set defensively.

The only Pacer victories over the past six games were at the Fieldhouse, one overtime win over pared-down Toronto, and a blowout win over a 76ers team that played without Joel Embiid. They held the visiting Nuggets to just 29.6 3FG% on Thursday, but Will Barton, Paul Millsap and The Joker (10 combined O-Rebs) bedeviled them inside. Denver swung a 14-point first-quarter deficit into a 124-116 win, aided by a breakout performance from Michael Porter (25 bench points).

Frustrated when my Hawks (7-who cares?) predictably allowed a 18-point lead to erode by the end of the second quarter in Boston, I turned my channel to NBATV at halftime to find a “special guest” Myles Turner on my screen, chilling with the broadcasters, making sure to praise “Coach Lloyd” for his assistance with Team USA this past summer during the FIBA World Cup crusade.

I’ve done no research into my theory, but I’ve always bristled when I see Hawks opponents in suits at the studios over on Techwood Drive, while the soon-to-be home team is contemporaneously playing a game, sometimes down the street, other times in lands far away. Last night was the first time, though, that I suspected the NBA is being complicit in baking this, deliberately, right into the Hawks’ regular-season schedules.

No other NBA team really has to deal with this. Occasionally, you get a “special guest” player dropping in on Rachel Nichols’ studio at The Jump mid-day in the Big Apple. But ESPN usually just suffices with Hall of Famers and retired goons riffing on highlight videos and replays for an hour per day.

The NBA, alternatively, needs viewers to stay locked into its own cable channel, and they know they can’t just trot out an array of deposed coaches, defrocked GMs, and underpaid beat writers all night long. So, just fly teams into Hartsfield-Jackson, grant them an off-day or two, and let NBATV handpick some star players to drop in and ham it up for a GAMETIME segment or two.

Somebody can do the number crunching to confirm or refute my notion, but the allure that led many a visitor to the dreaded “ATL Flu” no longer holds enough weight to matter, especially when the NBATV guest’s whole team enters State Farm Arena with a clear rest advantage.

Turner might again be thankful for Coach Lloyd today, if he gets to keep up with De’Andre Hunter at the power forward spot instead of John Collins. Back on December 13, Brogdon and the Pacers had to fend off a second-half charge led by Trae Young, Jabari Parker and Alex Len to win 110-100. Hunter had 21 points, thanks to 7-for-9 FTs, but was 0-for-4 from three-point range and was a team-worst minus-16 on the day.

Collins had since returned, but with a near-full collective to work with in Boston, Lloyd Pierce chose to start Collins at center, leaving Hunter exposed once again at power forward while starter Bruno Fernando (+13 plus/minus @ ORL) was scheduled for rest. Collins was often the last lonely line of defense versus a Celtics team that crashed the glass (54-42 rebounding advantage, 8^th Hawks opponent in past 9 games w/ 10+ O-Rebs and/or 50 total rebounds) and attacked Atlanta’s interior with impunity.

Collins’ block attempt on a Jayson Tatum dunk try caused a fall that bruised his back, his departure making it simpler for Boston to turn the tables and shift their own center onto Young at critical junctures of the game. Without Collins available for this evening’s contest, or even Parker (doubtful, throat infection) a rested Fernando (3 minutes vs. BOS) must be an active participant in gaining Atlanta a rebounding advantage against Indy, despite Sabonis.

More effective usage out of Fernando and reserve Alex Len (team-high 8 rebounds and 2 blocks but 5 points vs. BOS) at center would be a boon for the rookie Hunter (5 fouls, 1 rebound in 27 minutes @ BOS), Atlanta’s second-leading minutes recipient who has looked cerebrally slow with his actions and reactions at both ends of the court in recent weeks. Damian Jones (DNP @ BOS) is rested, too. So, there’s that.

The Hawks’ ballhandlers, inclusive of Young, Kevin Huerter, rookie Cam Reddish and backup Brandon Goodwin, must avoid hoisting contested threes and instead feed the big men around the rim, potentially forcing Sabonis or Turner into foul trouble and contracting Indiana’s defense enough to grant Young (5-for-14 3FGs @ BOS, 9-for-30 FGs vs. IND on Dec. 13), Huerter and Allen Crabbe some slivers of perimeter daylight.

Reddish and DeAndre’ Bembry can take turns badgering the Pacers’ perimeter players into rushed shots. But Cam’s draft partner, Hunter (no games with over six rebounds since November 20; 4.6 RPG in wins, 3.6 in losses), must relinquish some help-defensive duties to box out and secure defensive rebounds off of wayward shots.

Things could be worse. We could have Vince Carter pretending to be a stretch-four again. Let’s enjoy the home crowd applause he’s earned for becoming the NBA’s first four-decade man today. Then, let’s hope Carter will enjoy not having to wrangle with bigs posting up around the rim. Now that we’re finally home for six days, hey, maybe NBATV can have Vince swing by to be their “special guest”!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[Thomas]

4 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Things could be worse. We could have Vince Carter pretending to be a stretch-four again. Let’s enjoy the home crowd applause he’s earned for becoming the NBA’s first four-decade man today. Then, let’s hope Carter will enjoy not having to wrangle with bigs posting up around the rim. Now that we’re finally home for six days, hey, maybe NBATV can have Vince swing by to be their “special guest”!

So sixty seconds for Vince covers the requirement needed to establish that incredible record right? Love Vince and all but you know lets keep the floor time very reasonable.

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

12 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

I’ve done no research into my theory, but I’ve always bristled when I see Hawks opponents in suits at the studios over on Techwood Drive, while the soon-to-be home team is contemporaneously playing a game, sometimes down the street, other times in lands far away. Last night was the first time, though, that I suspected the NBA is being complicit in baking this, deliberately, right into the Hawks’ regular-season schedules.

No other NBA team really has to deal with this. Occasionally, you get a “special guest” player dropping in on Rachel Nichols’ studio at The Jump mid-day in the Big Apple. But ESPN usually just suffices with Hall of Famers and retired goons riffing on highlight videos and replays for an hour per day

Great game thread lw3! I’ve noticed the Hawks getting screwed with this NBAtv thing too! Wonder if Adam Silver would be willing to look into this for us.  

I’m not sure I’m a Kevin Pritchard fan. I used to watch him play for Nellie on the Warrior squads of the late 80’s. I really seem to like the way he’s assembled this Pacer squad. Sabonis, Brogdon, Dipo! I dunno, I dig this roster. Huuuuge turnaround from the days the Pacers trotted out DunMurphy  

 

Pacers -7.5  o/u 221.5

GO HAWKS!!!!

 

 

19 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Malcolm in the Riddle

 

[lethalweapon3]

From Pacers' GameNotes, Nate McMillan would pass Chuck Daly with a 639th NBA coaching victory tonight. In 23rd place behind Mike D'Antoni (648), those active coaches are chasing Mike Fratello, who is currently 20th with 667 career wins.

https://www.nba.com/gamenotes/pacers.pdf

~lw3

[Thomas]

Would be nice to hear Marv Albert and Fratello doing broadcasts again. Just a great and sublimely obnoxious duo they were. Memories man.

[GameTime]

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Jabari AND Cam out = Vince playing 25 minutes tonight

 

Predicted starters:

PG - Yoiung

G - Huerter

F - Hunter

F - Vince

C - Len

[gurpilo]

Seems we are starting

Trae/Huerter/Hunter/Feenando/Jones

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Nate McMillan would pass Chuck Daly with a 639th NBA coaching victory tonight.

Whoa .. already? Geez, that came unexpectedly fast. Can we make him wait a night?  

1 minute ago, gurpilo said:

Feenando

Hope he’s as good as Bruno..  

[Watchman]

4 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

Seems we are starting

Trae/Huerter/Hunter/Feenando/Jones

We might as well take the night off.

[cam1218]

I guess the small “kind of good news” is JC was doubtful and not ruled out from the get go. Hopefully we get him back in a few days. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

7 minutes ago, gurpilo said:

Seems we are starting

Trae/Huerter/Hunter/Feenando/Jones

Actually, that lineup DOES make sense.  Bruno will draw the assignment against Sabonis ( which is a MAJOR challenge ).  Sabonis destroyed Jabari and Vince in the last matchup.  And Jones will be on Turner.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

49 minutes ago, cam1218 said:

I guess the small “kind of good news” is JC was doubtful and not ruled out from the get go. Hopefully we get him back in a few days. 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[terrell]

1 hour ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Jabari AND Cam out = Vince playing 25 minutes tonight

 

Predicted starters:

PG - Yoiung

G - Huerter

F - Hunter

F - Vince

C - Len

Jabari and Cam getting traded? lol

[turnermx]

nice fake by Damion

[TheNorthCydeRises]

LOL @ Bruno and Jones having the first 6 points

[Vol4ever]

What is wrong with Cam?