Lukastans are biting at the bit to take a shot at Trae

[Plainview1981]

12 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

The issue was, I thought we were but this series showed me we were what we thought we were based on the RS. Yes JC and Capela was hurt but we really played poorly 

It's true that the Hawks were able to overcome a fairly gritty Knicks team last year, but that Knicks team was severely undertalented.

Philly was pretty tough team, but Simmons breaking down helped give a little extra opening.

Miami just had the combo of the right talent and toughness.

If you're going to get the finals you're probably going to have to beat a team like Miami to get there.

[nathan2331]

8 hours ago, Plainview1981 said:

The team overachieved. That was my view last year also.

When you look at how the team is structured it isn't built for playoff basketball.

While its clear moves need to be made, the structure of this team is/was fine. Last year wasn't a fluke, we beat a heallthy Knicks team that was actually overacheiving, and we beat a 76ers that was dysfunctional, but still a good team. The issue with this roster is that too many of our key players have dealt with significant injuries. No team would look good with the injuries we've had. 

[Diesel]

9 hours ago, NBASupes said:

The issue was, I thought we were but this series showed me we were what we thought we were based on the RS. Yes JC and Capela was hurt but we really played poorly 

If you take two starters off of any team, they will look poor vs. the competition. 

I have to disagree with the original assertment that we overachieved last year.  The 2nd half of last year suggest that we were playing in our wheelhouse.   We may even have beaten Milwaukee if not for the foot of steel.   

Even this year, when we were healthy, we beat really good teams.   That wasn't based on overachieving...

Our first game of the season, when we were 100% healthy, we beat the Dallas Mavs 113 to 87.   Luka played.  He put up 18/11/7.  We dominated them... I guess you would say that that is a continuation of overachieving?

We do have problems.  Trae does need help.   However, our biggest problem is team overall health. 

 

[macdaddy]

15 hours ago, BrazilianHawk said:

Luka was a consensus #1 pick a few days before the draft... while Trae was in the 5-10 range. 

 

Obviously Trae is a great player, but I can't understand anyone that thinks he's better than Luka. 

Not disagreeing that Luka is a great player but I don't think you can call him a consensus #1 if he went #3.  

[Plainview1981]

7 hours ago, nathan2331 said:

While its clear moves need to be made, the structure of this team is/was fine. Last year wasn't a fluke, we beat a heallthy Knicks team that was actually overacheiving, and we beat a 76ers that was dysfunctional, but still a good team. The issue with this roster is that too many of our key players have dealt with significant injuries. No team would look good with the injuries we've had. 

Even healthy this is a severely flawed team.

This team had the luxury of sneaking up on teams in the playoffs last year. They had players wanting extensions, the players were fired up due to the coaching change.

Everyone realizes there were injuries, but even healthy this is not a tough team....There are too many players that are content to hang around the 3pt line... The lack of a secondary star.... Especially one that can attack the basket. 

The offense is just a predictable spam the pick n roll offense.

The defense isn't that good.

It's a terrible idea to have a team with only 1 notable playmaker.

I mean, no team is perfect, but a team that is well coached, tough and talented was bound to cause trouble for the Hawks.

[nathan2331]

1 hour ago, Plainview1981 said:

Even healthy this is a severely flawed team.

This team had the luxury of sneaking up on teams in the playoffs last year. They had players wanting extensions, the players were fired up due to the coaching change.

Everyone realizes there were injuries, but even healthy this is not a tough team....There are too many players that are content to hang around the 3pt line... The lack of a secondary star.... Especially one that can attack the basket. 

The offense is just a predictable spam the pick n roll offense.

The defense isn't that good.

It's a terrible idea to have a team with only 1 notable playmaker.

I mean, no team is perfect, but a team that is well coached, tough and talented was bound to cause trouble for the Hawks.

I agree we're not a tough team and we're too perimeter focused. But so are teams like the Celtics and the Mavericks, who have made it to the Conference Finals . Our personnel is part of the problem but health is a bigger factor. We're always gonna struggle when Capela and Collins aren't healthy. A second star would obviousy help this team execute more consistently thoughout a game, every team could use another star player. But we have enough talent on the roster as it is. The reason we need to make moves is because our key players are injury prone. If whatever new talent comes in is still injured next year, it doesn't matter if we got clones of prime Dominique Wilkins and Dikembe Mutombo, we will get another early exit.

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, nathan2331 said:

I agree we're not a tough team and we're too perimeter focused. But so are teams like the Celtics and the Mavericks, who have made it to the Conference Finals . Our personnel is part of the problem but health is a bigger factor. We're always gonna struggle when Capela and Collins aren't healthy. A second star would obviousy help this team execute more consistently thoughout a game, every team could use another star player. But we have enough talent on the roster as it is. The reason we need to make moves is because our key players are injury prone. If whatever new talent comes in is still injured next year, it doesn't matter if we got clones of prime Dominique Wilkins and Dikembe Mutombo, we will get another early exit.

Dallas and Boston defend a million times better and neither play a defensive weakling for more than 20 mpg, we do.

[BrazilianHawk]

On 5/16/2022 at 12:05 AM, terrell said:

Yeah now we have to root for GS.. Ugh

Hm. Not me. For me, the only "survivors" I don't hate with a passion are the Mavs. 

So GO LUKA, I guess? 

 

[BrazilianHawk]

On 5/16/2022 at 1:31 AM, marco102 said:

Travis said he had Luka and Trae in the same tier of players

Well then, Schlenk must be fired yesterday. Trae is awesome when he's focused but Luka is clearly a much better all-around player. 

 

[bleachkit]

22 minutes ago, BrazilianHawk said:

Hm. Not me. For me, the only "survivors" I don't hate with a passion are the Mavs. 

So GO LUKA, I guess? 

 

Luka has actually been very supportive and congratulatory of Trae. He's really the only current NBA star that has been it seems like.

[BrazilianHawk]

8 hours ago, macdaddy said:

Not disagreeing that Luka is a great player but I don't think you can call him a consensus #1 if he went #3.  

Yes, but as I have said, Luka WAS a #1 consensus, and then he slipped a little I think in the last 1 or 2 days prior to the draft? This makes it even worse, he miraculously fell into Schlenk's lap and our GM just threw him away. 

 

 

[marco102]

1 hour ago, bleachkit said:

Luka has actually been very supportive and congratulatory of Trae. He's really the only current NBA star that has been it seems like.

Plenty of players have been.  Ja, LBJ, Dame, Mitchell and many more.

Just go back and look at the tweets when Trae went off against Cleveland.

[RandomFan]

3 hours ago, BrazilianHawk said:

Well then, Schlenk must be fired yesterday. Trae is awesome when he's focused but Luka is clearly a much better all-around player. 

 

[Diesel]

3 hours ago, BrazilianHawk said:

Yes, but as I have said, Luka WAS a #1 consensus, and then he slipped a little I think in the last 1 or 2 days prior to the draft? This makes it even worse, he miraculously fell into Schlenk's lap and our GM just threw him away. 

 

 

Not so..

Here's what was said about Ayton prior to the draft:

Quote

Notes: Expected to be the #1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft … Won both Pac-12 Player of the Year and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors … Measured 7’0 (in shoes) 220 lbs, with a 7’4.5 wingspan at the 2014 LeBron James Skills Academy …

As memory serves, Ayton was far and away #1 most of the year. 

He was a lock as soon as Phoenix got the #1 spot.   He played at AU.  He fit a positional need.  Plus he was highly skilled. 

[JTB]

Wiggins is doing a good job defending Luka and so is Klay when a switch takes place.

[RandomFan]

Luka finished a team worst -30 tonight and shot 33% from the field. It's almost like great players can have terrible games or series depending on the opponent and how much help you have on your team. 

Edited May 19, 2022 by RandomFan

[Sothron]

28 minutes ago, RandomFan said:

Luka finished a team worst -30 tonight and shot 33% from the field. It's almost like great players can have terrible games or series depending on the opponent and how much help you have on your team. 

He also didn't have a fat scrub point guard deliberately clip  him directly on the knee cap in game one that affected him the whole series either. 

But the Luka stans will find a way to blame everyone else.

[bleachkit]

5 hours ago, RandomFan said:

Luka finished a team worst -30 tonight and shot 33% from the field. It's almost like great players can have terrible games or series depending on the opponent and how much help you have on your team. 

Mavs went down 0-2 to the Suns, so let's see how the series plays out. I gave the Hawks the benefit of the doubt until that awful game 4 loss, and game 5 was a disaster as well. 

[marco102]

3 hours ago, bleachkit said:

Mavs went down 0-2 to the Suns, so let's see how the series plays out. I gave the Hawks the benefit of the doubt until that awful game 4 loss, and game 5 was a disaster as well. 

We are not fans of the Mavs so why would we give them the benefit of the doubt?

[terrell]

11 hours ago, JTB said:

Wiggins is doing a good job defending Luka and so is Klay when a switch takes place.

I wouldnt mind Wiggins on the Hawks tbh... 

He's only 26 and fits the timeline..

What would it take to get him?

Trae/Wiggins/Hunter/Gobert? could be the answer to our defensive woes......

We need big wing defenders around Trae..