Official Game Thread: Hawks at Nets (Game 1 of 2)

[bleachkit]

1 minute ago, REHawksFan said:

Yep. And that's what I was hoping to see from Trae. I know the offense is elite. But in late game situations, I'd rather put the ball in the hands of Trae than Hunter or Cam or even Bogie.

141 pts yes. But we needed 146. 

The ball was in his hands. He made some mistakes. The bad pass to JC and the up and down on the fast break. Great game overall though.

[DBac]

It's harder for Trae to take over late in games because he hasn't mastered the midrange yet. He's really reliant on that floater and just drawing fouls atm.

[marco102]

3 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

James Harden has been kinda thick his whole career. 

Yeah, but James Harden is an MVP so he can be as chunky as he wants.  Luka is a 3rd year off to a not so great start.

Its okay to criticize Luka for getting super out of shape in 2 months.  If he's performing and his team winning, there'd be nothing to say.

Edited December 31, 2020 by marco102

[bleachkit]

Just now, DBac said:

It's harder for Trae to take over late in games because he hasn't mastered the midrange yet. He's really reliant on that floater and just drawing fouls atm.

Chris Paul is good at using that midrange shot.

[bleachkit]

Just now, marco102 said:

Yeah, but James Harden is an MVP so he can be as chunky as he wants.  Luka is a 3rd year off to a not so great start.

Its okay to criticize Luka for getting super out of shape in 2 months.  If he's performing and his team winning, there'd be nothing to say.

He looks the same to me. What they need is a healthy Porzingus. The roster is honestly not that great.

[hawkman]

1 minute ago, bleachkit said:

James Harden has been kinda thick his whole career. 

Harden came in extra thick this season. That and his poor behavior before the season started was not a good look. But there's a difference between looking stocky but still being effective out there versus visibly laboring. Luka is laboring a bit right now. He's still extremely skilled, but needs to be in average NBA shape to be the player we know he's capable of being.  I'm just saying this isn't the first time he's come in clearly out of shape.

[marco102]

6 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

He looks the same to me. What they need is a healthy Porzingus. The roster is honestly not that great.

Trae didn't get this benefit, so neither should Luka. His bad defense should be talked about, along with him  being out of shape, and not willing his team to a win. 

We will hear crickets and excuses from the writers because they've already anointed him.

Btw, I understand that his team situation isn't that good, but surely the great Luka that makes all his teammates better can beat the lowly Hornets.  At least, that's what the Luka stans told me.

An aside, the Hornets have been playing outstanding defense.

Edited December 31, 2020 by marco102

[TheNorthCydeRises]

27 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Rondo is a floor general. Trae is improving game by game as a floor general but he's a work in progress 

Trae is an elite floor general.  A guy who handles the ball as much as he does, is going to have turnovers.  Nash led the league in turnovers once.  I think Jason Kidd did too.

I thought Trae played a very controlled game tonight.  He only took one "hero ball" shot ( that I knew was coming out of that timeout late in the 4th ).

 

The game basically came down to their bench outplaying ours.   Jarett Allen and Landry Shamet can't combine for 29 points in a game that's not a blowout . . ever.

[REHawksFan]

3 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

He looks the same to me. What they need is a healthy Porzingus. The roster is honestly not that great.

Yeah I never got the whole Mavs love entering the season. They have Luka, a chronically injured KP, and a bunch of avg nba players. And it turns out their budding MVP is actually fat and out of shape. Not exactly a recipe for contending in the NBA

[bleachkit]

 

1 minute ago, marco102 said:

Trae didn't get this benefit, so neither should Luka. His bad defense should be talked about, along with him  being out of shape, and not willing his team to a win. 

We will hear crickets and excuses from the writers because they've already anointed him.

Btw, I understand that his team situation is that good, but surely the great Luka that makes all his teammates better can beat the lowly Hornets.  

An aside, the Hornets have been playing outstanding defense.

Hornets are better than people think, Cavs are too. We might be in for some surprises this year.

[JeffS17]

Man, I wanted that one bad late in the fourth but Kyrie/KD felt automatic, gotta be the strongest duo to close out games... 

Random thoughts...

• Collins was playing like he was serious about getting a max this game
• Bogi... I love the way this guy plays -- give him an inch and he will fire the 3, almost bought a jersey halfway through the game
• Watching Heurter guard KD made me feel for the kid
• I don't love Trae's foul baiting but I'm happy he is finding ways to score even when his 3 isn't fouling
• Capela still looked rusty
• Nets felt like they couldn't miss from 3 in the second half and the game was still very close, encouraging
• Not much talk on Pierce this season but since most ppl only bring him up to complain I wanna say I am liking his rotations and timeouts.  I also think he's doing a good job playing to our strengths (fast pace with young lineup, settle into half court more with rondo). I think he's doing a good job.
• Trae gotta get the turnovers under control.  His assist/TO ratio isn't awful but the turnovers feel very avoidable
• Reddish looked good tonight when he was putting it on the floor, love the aggressiveness
• Ppl talk about Hunter like he has a high floor/low ceiling but I think this guy has a lot of potential

[bleachkit]

1 minute ago, REHawksFan said:

Yeah I never got the whole Mavs love entering the season. They have Luka, a chronically injured KP, and a bunch of avg nba players. And it turns out their budding MVP is actually fat and out of shape. Not exactly a recipe for contending in the NBA

Luka is a banger, guys like that actually need some girth. Jokic too. The slim, taut physique is always thought of as the archetypal ideal in basketball, but necessarily for everyone.

[NBASupes]

3 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Trae is an elite floor general.  A guy who handles the ball as much as he does, is going to have turnovers.  Nash led the league in turnovers once.  I think Jason Kidd did too.

I thought Trae played a very controlled game tonight.  He only took one "hero ball" shot ( that I knew was coming out of that timeout late in the 4th ).

 

The game basically came down to their bench outplaying ours.   Jarett Allen and Landry Shamet can't combine for 29 points in a game that's not a blowout . . ever.

He's an elite playmaker. An elite floor general gets the ball to players hot spots and always controls the pace. Trae basically like to play analytic ball aka Harden Ball where they want to generate dunks or corner threes for others and high value shots and attempts for him. 

Just watch how the offense runs with Rondo. Shit looks effortless. Don't get it twisted, Harden ball works but it's not flawless and being an elite floor general helps no matter what.

[marco102]

2 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

Man, I wanted that one bad late in the fourth but Kyrie/KD felt automatic, gotta be the strongest duo to close out games... 

Random thoughts...

• I don't love Trae's foul baiting but I'm happy he is finding ways to score even when his 3 isn't fouling

I LOVE IT! It's a skill and people have made it out to be this travesty.  James Harden is smart, the easiest shot you can get in a game is a free throw.  Why not get as many as you can.

Also, I'd say about 85 - 90% of Trae's fouls are not controversial.  They are legitimate fouls.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

9 minutes ago, DBac said:

It's harder for Trae to take over late in games because he hasn't mastered the midrange yet. He's really reliant on that floater and just drawing fouls atm.

 

Also because he isn't a "rise up" jump shooter.  He needs space to get off his shot.  He just can't rise up on people like Kyrie does.

[sturt]

SIAP in the same or slightly different words...

Do we win tonight if we have a legitimate defensive asset to deploy for some minutes versus Kyrie? In other words, would 15 minutes of Dunn have made a difference, you think?

(Asking. Not a statement wrapped in a question. And as should be clear, not interested in participating in a discussion. Just reading your opinions.)

[marco102]

Just now, bleachkit said:

Luka is a banger, guys like that actually need some girth. Jokic too. The slim, taut physique is always thought of as the archetypal ideal in basketball, but necessarily for everyone.

I can't believe you are debating us on this. Luka has always been thick, but he is literally out of shape.  Even Dallas fans are upset about it. 

Jokic is in great shape now and go look at his start to the season.

[JeffS17]

Just now, marco102 said:

I LOVE IT! It's a skill and people have made it out to be this travesty.  James Harden is smart, the easiest shot you can get in a game is a free throw.  Why not get as many as you can.

Also, I'd say about 85 - 90% of Trae's fouls are not controversial.  They are legitimate fouls.

I love it when the Hawks get points but Trae literally bowed his back outwards on a shot to draw contact with the guy behind him today.  I don't love that lol.. I mean, I get it -- it's technically a foul and he can/should take advantage of it, but I also wouldn't mind if the league decided to stop calling fouls on shot attempts that aren't genuine.

[mrhonline]

1 minute ago, sturt said:

In other words, would 15 minutes of Dunn have made a difference, you think?

Hawks win if they change a single Kyrie 4th qtr 3-pointer make into a miss.

[marco102]

Just now, JeffS17 said:

I love it when the Hawks get points but Trae literally bowed his back outwards on a shot to draw contact with the guy behind him today.  I don't love that lol.. I mean, I get it -- it's technically a foul and he can/should take advantage of it, but I also wouldn't mind if the league decided to stop calling fouls on shot attempts that aren't genuine.

That's the 10 or 15% I was talking about. Every other foul he drew was legit.  Even that ones legit, but it's ugly..lol.