Official Game Thread: Hawks at Clippers

[lethalweapon3]

“Ask Kenny and Chauncey to slide over. We’ve got to make room for Sister Jean.”

 

L.A., it appears, isn’t proving too much for these men.

The Hawks took care of business against the abridged Lakers on Saturday afternoon, setting up an opportunity for an L.A. parlay with the Clippers (10:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Prime Ticket in LAX). Atlanta (22-20) last pulled off the STAPLES Center sweep when they beat Julius Randle’s 12-51 Lakers, and CP3’s 40-21 Clippers club that had lost Blake Griffin for over two months, on consecutive nights in 2016.

Blake dunked a basketball last night on behalf of his new team, the Brooklyn Nets, leaving more than a few fans of the Detroit Pistons feeling entitled to a little more compensation. With the distant sunset of what was once heralded as Lob City back in 2017, and the departure of coach Doc Rivers after last season, we’re left with an LA collective that is undergoing a bit of an identity crisis.

The head coaching reins have been assumed by Rivers’ assistant Tyronn Lue, and there is no shortage of quality experienced point guards among the coaching staff (Lue, Chauncey Billups, Larry Drew, Kenny Atkinson overseas), although not so much among the playing roster. Shutdown corner Pat Beverley has been out for the past eleven days with a sore knee, prompting Lue to rely on Danilo Gallinari’s fellow Italian native, Reggie Jackson (then-season-high 20 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds @ ATL on Jan. 26), more than a championship contender would find ideal.

The top-four recipients of nightly playing time are a quartet of 6-foot-8, 225-ish-pound forwards, all trying to do a bit of everything but giving off an air of redundancy. Nic Batum (43.6 3FG%, 56.0 2FG%) seemed to have a new lease on life on his latest team after years of wallowing in Charlotte. But his production has regressed to more familiar levels, urging Lue to switch him out in favor of Mook Morris (44.0 3FG%) in the Clippers’ starting five.

Clipper stars Kawhi Leonard (4 steals vs. CHA on Saturday night) and Paul George (NBA-high 44.5 3FG% w/ min. 7.0 3FGAs; 21 points and 10 assists vs. CHA) give off hints of their impactful two-way imprints. But they’re expected to hold down too much of the fort on defense, especially without the presence of Beverley outside and Serge Ibaka in the interior. Jackson and Lou Williams remain high-volume veteran scorers elevating LA’s offensive punch (116.6 team O-Rating, 2^nd in NBA). But they can’t play together in lineups without allowing copious scores at the other end.

Elements that were once hallmarks of gritty, yet glitzy “Hollywood Shuffle” are disappearing. The Clips snag the lowest percentage of “50-50” balls when defending (41.1 percent loose-ball recoveries; ATL’s next opponent, Sacramento, is second-worst at 43.8 percent). They’re near the basement with 0.2 charges drawn per-48, just about the polar opposite of their arena mates (Lakers’ NBA-high 0.7 per-48). Even with the long arm of The Klaw, LA’s 6.6 deflections per-48 rank tied with the Kings at 23^rd.

Even Sacramento, giving up 0.94 points per possession on P&R ball-handler plays, hasn’t been as poor as the league’s worst defense in this category, the Clippers (0.96 opponent PPP, scores on 44.0 percent of plays). Clips exec Lawrence Frank didn’t do much to plug the defense and hustle gaps in the offseason, reeling in Serge Ibaka (out, tight back) from Toronto to offset the departures of Montrezl Harrell, to the Laker locker room, and JaMychal Green, to Denver.

Ibaka has been inconsistent, and the Clips have been up-and-down since he exited on March 14 with a back injury. Perhaps, even before that. LA hasn’t won two-straight games since beating the heat on February 15. More formidable at home (last loss at STAPLES to the Nets on February 21), they hope to follow-up Saturday’s 125-98 win over Charlotte with a victory tonight and get a win streak of their own going.

Frank parted with guard Landry Shamet in an offseason multi-team deal for Luke Kennard and a trove of second-round draft picks. Kennard has shot the ball well (46.0 3FG%) but, aside from his career-high anomaly of four steals in Atlanta, his defensive deficiencies keep him out of rotations, his one superior skill not as much a necessity with P not so Wayoff in the regular season. There’s a good chance, to stay in his rabid owner’s good graces, that Frank will pull a deal before Thursday to resolve the redundancies, but the return may have to be nominally less than whatever goes out.

Atlanta was able to capitalize on the absences of George and Leonard back in January, a 108-99 win that was the penultimate occasion Lloyd Pierce’s Hawks strayed above the .500 mark. Second to Trae Young (38 points vs. LAC; probable, bruised quad) in scoring on that day was forward De’Andre Hunter (questionable, knee), who may return to new coach Nate McMillan’s lineup under limited minutes tonight, if not much later.

As the Clippers’ new-look under Lue places a decided emphasis on perimeter and free throw accuracy, McMillan’s Hawks have been remodeling their defense, with noticeable impact in short order. Only Coach Doc’s Sixers (101.4 opponent PPP) have posted a stronger defensive rating this month than Atlanta’s 105.1.

The Hawks’ 53.0 opponent eFG% through February was already top-ten, but in March they’ve come in like a lion with a league-best 48.0 eFG% (no other NBA team this month below 50.0 percent). Getting stops and securing rebounds without excessive fouling not only has allowed Atlanta to stay competitive in games, whether their own shooting gets hot or not, but also to sustain leads, especially late (NBA-best 43.3 4^th Quarter eFG% in March).

Solomon Hill gave Laker Nation his best Dahntay Jones impression on Saturday, but he also gave Clipper Nation a limited opportunity to seize the top-dog position in the Western Conference standings, at least among the Cali clubs. A 10-12 record versus above-.500 competition, however, won’t get it done long-term for LA (27-16, 4^th in NBA West; four games behind Utah, one behind the Lakers). Lue and the Clippers need to get hot, raise the defensive pressure and iron out the wrinkles to consistently beat challengers of Atlanta’s current caliber. But the solution to the Clips’ imperfections may involve someone that hasn’t arrived yet.

 

RIP, Elgin Baylor. Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[hawkzlova123]

IM GLAD HUNTER IS BACK, BUT THAT DOES NOT DISTRACT ME FROM THE FACT THAT HAWKS BETTER NOT MESS WITH BOGI AND REDDISH

[JayBirdHawk]

I'm already hating this 10:00PM start.

[Spud2nique]

Nice preview Lw3!  Let’s gettem! This might be the toughest one of the trip. We’ve been ballin though. Rip 🪦 Elgin.

 

Go Hawks! 

[klharper]

Hunter officially available!  Will play 16-20 mins off the bench

 

Welcome back Dre  

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

 

[Peoriabird]

I will try to enjoy this game even with all of the disturbing rumor floating around.  As it stands now, the Hawks might have to win out just to keep this team together

[JayBirdHawk]

Only 2 on the injury report, let's keep it that way.

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

5 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

 

Trying to cut off the head of the snake.  They know if he starts to get going by scoring the basketball, they're going to have major problems.

[Peoriabird]

15 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

 

Trying to cut off the head of the snake.  They know if he starts to get going by scoring the basketball, they're going to have major problems.

Starting early I see

[MarylandHawk]

39 minutes ago, klharper said:

Hunter officially available!  Will play 16-20 mins off the bench

 

Welcome back Dre  

Wohoo!

[RedDawg#8]

20 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

That's a scary thing to read if you're Trae. Shows how much they respect you as a player, but would definitely have me annoyed if not a little intimidated lol

Hopefully Kev or Snell (Dre?) can exploit the cross matchup this leaves them with.

 

[MarylandHawk]

24 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Trae will bust their a** if they try to guard him one on one. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Just now, RedDawg#8 said:

That's a scary thing to read if you're Trae. Shows how much they respect you as a player, but would definitely have me annoyed if not a little intimidated lol

Hopefully Kev or Snell (Dre?) can exploit the cross matchup this leaves them with.

 

Trae will see it as a challenge.   Hopefully he can draw a few fouls on those guys.

 

4 minutes ago, Peoriabird said:

Starting early I see

 

Ty simply doesn't want a repeat of this.  I don't blame him.

 

 

[RedDawg#8]

Just now, MarylandHawk said:

Trae will bust their a** if they try to guard him one on one. 

I dont know what kind of energy and effort they will be giving since its still a regular season game, BUT, if they are actually locked in, that size, length and IQ is going to throw him off his rhythm for sure. 

I still think traps are the best defense against Trae, but as far as 1 on 1 defenders go, you won't find too many better than these guys. 

[MarylandHawk]

41 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Only 2 on the injury report, let's keep it that way.

 

 

Has Dre ever come off the bench in his career?  

[JayBirdHawk]

1 minute ago, MarylandHawk said:

Has Dre ever come off the bench in his career?  

1 game last season

[bleachkit]

Maryland is playing right now, I wonder if Kev and Bruno are watching.

[Marvin24Williams]

Good test coming up. Let's get this W