Official Game Thread: Hawks at Wizards

[lethalweapon3]

“Whoa… where did all my KUUUUUZZZZ chants go?”

 

Escape From New Orleans! Tidbits, or maybe big ol’ pineapple chunks, ahead of this road back-to-back in our nation’s capital versus those wascally Washington Wizards (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Washington).

First things first, condolences to Danny Ferry and his family. His father Bob passed away at age 84, following a career where he ran the then-Bullets for the better part of two decades, including the 1978-1979 championship season.

Moving on, as many of you are aware, I’m the keeper of a petting zoo loaded with peeves. In this particular cage is the awareness that our Hawks are not getting the national-media respect they should as a Must See TV NBA competitor. That’s not new, of course. Only now, they’ve got company.

Frankly, last night’s 102-99 victory down in The Big Easy wasn’t the game in this back-to-back schedule that should have been a primetime network matchup (apologies to Bawb ‘n Nique, btw, as I forgot to note Bally Sports was airing the ESPN game, too). In any calendar year, I never have to wonder if there’s a Knicks-Celtics, or Sixers-Nets, or even Raptors-Celtics game baked into the national TV schedule (NBATV included). The Atlantic Division, with their mega-money TV markets, gets the benefit of the doubt, even though, as this season unveils itself, the Southeast is where it’s at.

The reigning champions of said division, Atlanta was bestowed 19 national broadcasts in their hopefully-82-game schedule. None of them include Charlotte, nor Washington (3-1), nor even Miami. Only one divisional matchup allows the continent to tune in without League Pass. That exception? A Wednesday night game at The Farm during holiday shopping season, on NBATV, against Orlando of all people.

The Wiz will at least get a trip to Miami on NBATV a few days later, but that’s it as far as Southeast battles go before a national audience. Yes, it’s way too early. But so far, the Hawks, Wizards, heat, and Hornets are not only among the East’s Top 8, but among The Association’s most fascinating clubs. The schedule-makers feel the public is far more tantalized by the theoretical scoring matchup of Trae Young (51.6 2FG%, 9.3 APG) versus stars who rarely have the unenviable task of guarding him straight-up.

Instead of the stale regional face-offs between the Knicks and Nets, the Lakers and Clippers, the Southeast is building fresh rivalries worthy of SEC and NASCAR-level attention, as these teams trade paint in the fight for favorable Eastern playoff seeds. That would have drawn new eyeballs, that aren’t rolling, to the small screen. Alas, around these parts, we just get to kick back and have these intra-division scrimmages all to ourselves.

The late and legendary Wes Unseld, Sr. now has a bust, in front of Section 111 at Capital One Arena. His namesake doesn’t plan on being deemed a bust anytime soon. Wes, Jr. took over head coaching duties from Scott Brooks after the ‘Zards, with a late surge, finished last season at 34-38 and got bounced by Philly in five playoff games.

Unseld and third-season team exec Tommy Sheppard seek to represent a new scale of competency toiling under majority owner Ted Leonsis, and the early returns are promising. How do we know the Wizards are turning over new leaves?

Last night, All-Star Bradley Beal went 0-for-6 from outside, 7-for-19 from inside and, in a theme you’re familiar with as Hawks fans, got three shots up from the charity stripe. Beal blew open layups closing out the first half in a Shaqtin-worthy display that likely made even Clint Capela giggle.

Neither Beal, nor any teammates, registered more than three assists. Defensive revelation Daniel Gafford went down early in the second quarter with a bruised quad, Thomas Bryant (ACL recovery) remains out through at least next month, and don’t nobody ask the team what the status is for Rui Hachimura (returning, slowly, from health ‘n safety protocols). Yet they still won, on the road.

The Wizards escaped Nor’easter Country after fending off the Celtics in Beantown, pulling together after the hosts evaporated Washington’s 15-point lead in under six third-quarter minutes. Similar to McMillan’s influence on Young, Unseld wants Beal to focus not on the refs’ whistles residing where their Adam’s apples used to be, but on tightening up his notoriously poor defensive activity. That bore fruit as Beal, with assistance from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Deni Avdija, flustered Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (14-for-38 FGs, incl. 2-for-12 on threes) into uncomfortable shooting nights.

BetMGM Wizards insider Quinton Mayo wasn’t intending to subtweet shade, not at the presently mothballed former Wizard star John Wall, nor his effective replacement last season, in the form of triple-double hunter Russell Westbrook. But Mayo astutely noted, following the 116-107 victory, that “This is a game that Washington would’ve lost last year, and the year before that, and the year…”

“Thank the effing lord for the five guys,” followed SB Nation’s Mike Prada on The Bird, referring not to the grease-dripping burger joint with bland fries, “from the Russ trade. They carried the Wizards tonight. Now, let us never speak of this game again.” Folding the Spencer Dinwiddie deal from Brooklyn into the Westbrook swap with the Lakers, the quintet Sheppard yielded included Dinwiddie, Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, Kyle Kuzma and Aaron Holiday.

Speaking of this game again, Trezz came off the bench and led the way with 25 points and 11 rebounds, a team-best plus-21 on the night. He, KCP, and Kuzma have new leases on life in their new NBA locale, after melting frequently under the purple ‘n gold glare of expectations in LeBrongeles. Washington will need a similar rim-wrecking performance tonight out of Harrell (18-for-22 FGs last season w/ LAL in two games vs. ATL) if Gafford (MRI results coming later) cannot play.

Illustrative of the Wizards’ new-car smell, Kuzma (11.8 RPG, tied w/ Capela for 7^th in NBA), Harrell, KCP (41.2 3FG%), and Dinwiddie are the top recipients of floor time after Beal. With Raul Neto (sore shoulder) out, the former Pacer Holiday is the first guard off Unseld’s bench.

Harrell can get under everyone’s skin, including teammates, but leadership from him and the newcomers are being cited as part of the ascension. “No arguments,” Caldwell-Pope cited as a contributing factor, after Washington bounced back last night from Monday’s 104-90 road loss in Brooklyn. “All positive, no negative.”

The new Wizards regime is figuring out that it’s not essential to have two players of All-NBA caliber sharing the ball, that it may be better, as Atlanta (3-1) has shown, having one All-Star-level performer getting help in a multitude of aspects from a deeper, more cohesive roster. That All-Star for Washington this year might not turn out to be Beal (33.3 FG%, 3.3 APG, 4.7 TOs/game), but Dinwiddie (19.8 PPG, 50.0 3FG% on five attempts per game, 6.0 APG, 1.5 TOs/game), who absolutely would have made a difference for Brooklyn in 2020-21 if he were healthy, during the season and at playoff time.

The Wizards have shown signs of being a good team, with hints of being better, if Beal can find ways to escape his early funk, if 2020 top-ten pick Avdija makes strides, and if Hachimura and Bryant can get re-acclimated upon their returns to the rotation. Last year’s high-paced edition, featuring Russ and Brad, piled on 116.6 PPG (3^rd in NBA) but were outscored on most nights (league-worst 118.5 opp. PPG). This season, better on-ball defense (42.6 opp. FG%, 7^th in NBA), rim protection (6^th in BPG, third-from-last in 2020-21) and defensive rebounding keeps them in the ballpark for victories.

Washington can still score in bunches, as they showed in their only home game to date, last weekend’s 135-134 overtime fiesta with Indiana. But they have better chances of winning them, and those of the slower, grind-it-out variety, because they are infinitely more capable of putting the clamps on people.

In the interest of Washington directing said clamps to Trae (probable, sore shin), his supporting cast (27-for-69 FGs @ NOP, incl. 6-for-24 on threes) needs to be more on-point, and on-target, tonight if the Hawks (3-1) are to notch a second-straight win away from The Farm. Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable), Lou Williams (questionable) and Kevin Huerter (probable) enter today’s contest with a matching trio of sore right ankles.

Now averaging a double-double (15.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG), John Collins has to continue aiding Capela, in the defensive rebounding department, and softening the Wizards’ interior by attacking the rim and forcing Kuzma and Harrell into early foul problems. It’s a similar deal for De’Andre Hunter, compelling Davis Bertans to put his feet to work defensively at half of Hunter’s capacity, at minimum.

Dinwiddie, Beal and the Wizard wings are bound to help inside with double teams, so whoever is available around the perimeter for the Hawks, be it Huerter (0-for-5 3FGs @ NOP), Cam Reddish or Danilo Gallinari (1-for-4 each last night), needs to make the Wizards pay for constricting around the paint.

The schedule gets more treacherous for Atlanta, starting right about now. Tonight represents the first back-to-back in Atlanta’s season, along with the first 3^rd-game-in-4-nights, and the first 4^th-game-in-6. By the time the Hawks tip off in their twelfth game, on November 9 at Utah, the Hawks will have participated in their 5^th 3-in-4 game (out of 21 this season), and their 7^th 4-in-6 (out of 26). That rematch with the Jazz will also be the team’s sole 5^th-game-in-7.

All of that mostly ignores the caliber of opponents coming up. Philly and their lively, not lovely, crowd is sandwiched between tonight’s game and the rematch with the Wiz in Atlanta next Monday. After that, there’s a trip to Brooklyn, a game the next night back home versus Utah, then Golden State, Utah and Denver on the road. Then, Milwaukee, on the front end of a home back-to-back that concludes, mercifully, with Orlando.

Atlanta may feel a tad road weary and banged-up coming into today, but so should their opponent, after each gutted out an essential road win last night. Contending teams know they need to win the games they have to, but also half the games that are toss-ups, and most of their division run-ins. If any active Hawks sense they’re too tired to excel now, they dare not peer ahead at the weeks to come. For a decent and emerging team like Atlanta, these are no longer automatic “schedule losses” at tip-off.

 

Go Bravos! And Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

~lw3

[hawkman]

40 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

~lw3

Not glad Gafford is hurt but glad he's out. He's an old school big, but he's a problem off the bench. That puts a dent in Washington's big man depth. 

[Gray Mule]

If the Hawks sleepwalk into this game the way they did in last night's game you can see the loss coming.  Pitiful defense and pitiful offense in the 1st quarter will not do again tonight.

Question: How many minutes into the game before Collins gets his 2nd foul?  How many minutes into the game before any Hawk gets fouled?

Make those shots, including any free throws the officials choose to let us have = win the game, but only if we play good defense.  Sleepwalk and kiss it good by!

GO ATL HAWKS !!

[Gray Mule]

PS:  Either we are not as good as we thought we were OR our opponents are better than we thought.

Tonight, we begin to find out....

[NBASupes]

Neto been giving us hell of our recent matchups. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[Spud2nique]

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The reign

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

ing champions of said division, Atlanta

(see what I did there; #kempONjohn

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

LeBrongeles

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Harrell can get under everyone’s skin, including teammates,

He reminds me of me.. on here.. 

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Golden State,

 

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Go Bravos! And Let’s Go Hawks!

Yes sir! Nice work as usual! Let’s get it! We gotta let DC know real quick whose the boss.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[terrell]

Spencer Dinwiddie is also out, resting out of caution with him coming back from the ACL.

[JayBirdHawk]

If we don't pummel these jokers I'll be disappointed.

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[ATLHawks3]

Don't take these guys lightly, they have depth now this year on their bench. Bring the energy early and maintain it throughout this game.

Edited October 28, 2021 by ATLHawks3

[Carmine]

Back at it!

[terrell]

26 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

If we don't pummel these jokers I'll be disappointed.

 

 

Get prepared.....We never make things easy....

[Carmine]

Capela finishing well!

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Wow . . . an out of bounds alley oop?

[Carmine]

Bogi coming alive!

[GameTime]

Trae-JC connection. I love it.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

There you go Cam . . blow in them hands!!