Can anyone pinpoint why this team is so much better?

[MarylandHawk]

We know the obvious that Nate is a better coach and we have some some quality veteran additions but there is something else that makes this team special and I can’t quite put my finger on it. We went 4 and 1 at the start of the season with one type of line up, after Pierce was fired we went 8 and 1 with a different line up. Then Trae gets hurt and we go 4 and 1. When I was ready to say it was Clint, the he gets hurt and we win. Is anybody else seeing something that is a common thread here?  Could it be Kevin Heurter? Solo luck? They have played the most games. I know it is a combination of everything but it feels like I am missing something. 

[sturt]

Quite often, when we all have a tendency to want to identify the one thing, it's truly multiple things that each truly have some significant part. I suspect all of these are part of the mix:

1) Players naturally trust a head coach who's been through the wars and who has some significant record of success. In short, they buy-in when that's the case a whole lot easier than when there's some reason to doubt.

2) Conventional wisdom as far as I've ever read says that when new players are added to an existing mix, the new and old players routinely take 25-ish games to develop some degree of chemistry with one another. What our guys experienced was more complicated given the in-and-out-and-in-and-out for multiple players with nagging injuries.

3) Though it's not just him, BogBog, in particular, was/is a key element.

4) A team trying to turn a corner is really helped when they pull out a game in the final seconds that they stood to lose. Snell's game winner vs TOR was a significant booster shot of confidence.

 

[aali34]

1 hour ago, MarylandHawk said:

We know the obvious that Nate is a better coach and we have some some quality veteran additions but there is something else that makes this team special and I can’t quite put my finger on it. We went 4 and 1 at the start of the season with one type of line up, after Pierce was fired we went 8 and 1 with a different line up. Then Trae gets hurt and we go 4 and 1. When I was ready to say it was Clint, the he gets hurt and we win. Is anybody else seeing something that is a common thread here?  Could it be Kevin Heurter? Solo luck? They have played the most games. I know it is a combination of everything but it feels like I am missing something. 

I think having an offensive structure that players can follow. Under LP players that couldn't self create well struggled since there weren't sets outside of running pnr. Putting guys in defined roles that maximizes their strengths and having a next man up mentality helped alot.

[MarylandHawk]

I feel like this team still hasn’t reached their peak. I heard someone mention they have a Patriots style way of allowing the next man up to succeed.  Having everyone understand their roles and know where their shots are coming from must be a significant factor. 

[Gray Mule]

When we consider all things, we begin to see that there is very little difference between the "haves" and the "have not" teams.  The last place team can beat you.  The first place team can be beaten.  It's the little things from game to game that really matters.

Our Hawk team has started winning by doing these little extra things.  Grab that loose ball.  Cut off that driving lane.  Get that special shot to fall.  Steal that lazy pass.  Stop the sleepwalk.  Communications!

Having the right players on the floor at the right time.  This is a combination of the coach and the players involved.  Coach having confidence in the players and the players knowing and doing what is expected of them.  All parts of the team working like a well oiled machine.

A big part of this entire thing is the concept of "Team."  Our Hawk players have now became not just a group of NBA players together, they are "The Atlanta Hawk Team !!"

[Thomas]

Agree with both the Nate can close out games well and a healthy Bogi can close out well statements. We couldn't hit a three last year but we definitely can this year so will add some key shooting from deep by Snell as well. Healthy Trae , Bogi and Snell can really put that deep range pressure on and when Trae goes off the floor now it is not automatically the end for us anymore. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Bogi and Lou provide the scoring punch that was sometimes lacking when Trae wasn't playing like a top 10 player in the league.

Lou has been inconsistent as a Hawk ( 39% FG ), but he has shown the ability to make the long ball ( 44% from 3 ) and get to the line and make his FTs.

Bogi has just been fantastic since his return ( 17.5 ppg on 48% FG and 45% 3FG . . making over 3 threes per game ).  That was the kind of support Trae needed in a backcourt mate.  Now teams just can't automatically trap Trae, and make other people beat them, because a wide open Bogi will make them PAY. 

This kind of play just couldn't be provided by our younger guys who were and are still learning the game.  Hunter was starting to become more consistent, but he wasn't a guy who could take over a game in a 5 minute stretch with his scoring.   Huerter is a little better under Nate, especially defensively. Under LP, he was inconsistent on both ends of the floor.

And unfortunately, Cam Reddish was still a very negative player on offense, only shooting 35% FG and 20% from 3 point range in his final 15 games played.  You just can't have that kind of offensive ineptitude from a player who is getting heavy minutes, and logging 29 minutes per game. 

Hopefully under Nate next season, Cam can find his niche as an offensive player. Maybe this is a mechanics issue with him that can be fixed, much like how Lonzo Ball fixed his shot and became much better.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

7 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

 

A big part of this entire thing is the concept of "Team."  Our Hawk players have now became not just a group of NBA players together, they are "The Atlanta Hawk Team !!"

This.

[benhillboy]

I usually look to win shares to get a simple take on what’s what since my eyes agree most of the time.  Off the top of my head I can’t think of a front court duo with the shares that Clint (.204/ 48) and The Baptist (.172) have.  Trae’s FT attempts and their physicality inside (notably the offesnive board work) are the foundations for this team, the three point shooting and great combo abilities in guys like Dre, Kevin, and Bogi to play both ends with multiple roles secondary.  
 

All the injuries aside, Schlenk has just done an excellent job with fits here.  Had Dunn been healthy we would be seeing a great fit duo with he and Trae.  Schlenk gets a pass for the Rondo signing after flipping him for Lemon Pepper.

Edited May 11, 2021 by benhillboy

[AUhawksfan]

I think our team was just too young and inexperienced to run the type of "create it yourself" offense that we had in place early in the year.  We have a very specific game plan in place that melds the pieces together and nobody seems to be out to "get theirs."  This has been a good synergy of a GM drafting with a team vision in mind and the coach executing that vision.

As was stated, we are truly a team now.

[macdaddy]

1 hour ago, benhillboy said:

Schlenk gets a pass for the Rondo signing after flipping him for Lemon Pepper.

And for me not just a pass but kudos for quickly undoing an obvious mistake rather than trying to force it.  He did that with LP too as soon as he could.  It'll be interesting to see when any of 'his' draft picks get moved. 

[kg01]

I think, in general, we value possessions more.

In regards to how Chris Paul improves a team, I heard somebody (can't remember who) explain that he values every possession.  Does something with every possession, in general.  Obviously, I'm sure he has turnovers from time to time.  But, by and large, he makes sure PHX gets into something or gets something out of each trip down the court.

I don't know if that's true or not but that's how it (his impact) was explained.

More good things happen when you do that as opposed to just playing basketball like most young teams do.

McMillan clearly is encouraging this, in particular, in Trae.  And, in particular, in the 4th quarters of games.

Oh and defensively, we have more of an identity.

[Spud2nique]

16 minutes ago, kg01 said:

I think, in general, we value possessions more.

Ya which is why Trae lowered his 35 foot attempts from 5 a game to like 2. Good stuff.

[KB21]

Coaching makes a big difference, and I think the Hawks under Nate McMillan and the Knicks under Tom Thibodeau are testaments to this.  

[Atlantaholic]

20 hours ago, benhillboy said:

I usually look to win shares to get a simple take on what’s what since my eyes agree most of the time.  Off the top of my head I can’t think of a front court duo with the shares that Clint (.204/ 48) and The Baptist (.172) have.  Trae’s FT attempts and their physicality inside (notably the offesnive board work) are the foundations for this team, the three point shooting and great combo abilities in guys like Dre, Kevin, and Bogi to play both ends with multiple roles secondary.  
 

All the injuries aside, Schlenk has just done an excellent job with fits here.  Had Dunn been healthy we would be seeing a great fit duo with he and Trae.  Schlenk gets a pass for the Rondo signing after flipping him for Lemon Pepper.

But... Lemon Pepper is awful

[AHF]

3 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

But... Lemon Pepper is awful

Rondo was for us too, unfortunately.

[capstone21]

Lou is a great scorer but I don't like him as our playmaker ... I wish Dunn had been healthy or we had another point guard that could pick that role up and let Lou just roam and score.

[macdaddy]

Just now, capstone21 said:

Lou is a great scorer but I don't like him as our playmaker ... I wish Dunn had been healthy or we had another point guard that could pick that role up and let Lou just roam and score.

Yeah.  He's trying to hard to facilitate but i gotta think Nate is going to straighten that out.   

[bleachkit]

I think the coaching change is probably less the reason than that team is just playing better. Teams need time to jell. Everytime we played bad it was CLP's fault, now everytime we play good it's because of Nate's genius. I don't buy that for a second. Nate was on the staff during those games. People act he was brought in from the outside. He's done a great job, but our turnaround is multi-factorial. 

[macdaddy]

4 minutes ago, bleachkit said:

I think the coaching change is probably less the reason than that team is just playing better. Teams need time to jell. Everytime we played bad it was CLP's fault, now everytime we play good it's because of Nate's genius. I don't buy that for a second. Nate was on the staff during those games. People act he was brought in from the outside. He's done a great job, but our turnaround is multi-factorial. 

I agree with your premise but can't discount the disgruntled attitude of the players under LP.   You can blame whoever but that's an obvious fact.