Official Game Thread: Nuggets at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Sorry to intrude on your conversation, kind sir. But if you don’t mind my asking, what is a GMA3?”

 

Is it against the CBA rules to sign Scott Hastings to a ten-day deal?

We’d only need the former NBA big man, whose career-high eight starts were during one of five Atlanta Hawks seasons in the mid-1980s, for one of these ten days. And sure, he’s, like, 63 or something, and gainfully employed.

But I know of few guys 6-foot-10 and up who have a better read on two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, ahead of tonight’s visit by the Denver Nuggets (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Altitude TV in DEN), than the longtime Denver sports game analyst (Wiki even tells me he color-commentated Broncos games back in the day. Watch your back, Russell). Come on, Landry and Schlenky. Even a non-guaranteed vet-min for Scotty won’t break Tony’s piggy bank!

The front office for our Hawks (12-10, still First Place in the Filthy South!) seemed content with fielding a 14-man roster until at least the mid-December trading window opened. Players and staff seemed content to wait until the official return of wing sniper Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable, knee injury recovery) to the court before figuring out how to properly gel. Now the Serbian sharpshooter might suit up – might – just in time to get plugged into the 4-spot versus the likes of Aaron Gordon. “Dobrodošli nazad!”

Magnificent as usual in Orlando, Trae Young (30 points on 10-for-12 2FGs, 14 assists and 2 TOs) tried to sneak in one more highlight to John Collins before halftime, and Collins’ ankle, upon descent, wound up catching the business end of Paolo Banchero’s protruded heel. JC will miss at least two weeks of NBA action, hopefully preceded by De’Andre Hunter (out, minimum one week), who tried to play through a bum hip only to re-aggravate it seven minutes into the Magic game.

Probably from kicking Magic behinds, and himself for blowing the bunny that would have made him a perfect 10-for-10 from the field, Clint Capela has a sore foot and is questionable for tonight’s proceedings. Questionable at most times of the day, Frank Kaminsky shares the same pregame designation as Capela due to a sprained foot. Same for Jalen Johnson, who continues recovering from a sore ankle.

Even Justin Holiday, much like Yours Truly, remains under stringent Health ‘n Safety Protocols. Altogether, that does not bode well for the Atlanta front line, such that it is (we need two dots, I'm told, to create a line), versus the reigning two-time MVP.

Onyeka Okongwu (+1 plus/minus or worse in last 11 appearances) has had ample opportunities to see what it looks like when a shorthanded opponent goes out and hands it to the Hawks anyway. Now that Atlanta will be on the more-shorthanded side of the coins with its starting forwards out, we’ll see if The Needs to Play Bigger O can help ensure attitudes get flipped, so tails aren’t spanked, and heads won’t roll.

Gwu Tang filled in as a starter in Capela’s old stomping grounds last week and failed to get so much as a shot off in over 30 minutes on the floor, as the Rockets, who started a freshly-returning Bruno Fernando in place of Alperen Sengun, thoroughly lapped the Hawks in the rebounding department.

Young and Dejounte Murray are fixing the get-shots-off issue for Okongwu, who managed 12 points and 8 boards (incl. 4 O-Rebs) in 17 minutes during Wednesday’s 125-108 gathering of the Magic. But with Collins out and Capela, if available, shadowing Jokic from the three-point line to the elbows, Onyeka’s rim-protection and ball-securing skills will be at a premium.

Fortunately, the Hawks’ A.J. Griffin has some girth with his 6-foot-6 frame, enough to play some minutes at the 4-spot, while two-way wing Jarrett Culver (12 boards) showed off some rebounding chops in Orlando. Hawks coach Nate McMillan can pair either or both of these players with one of the league’s better rebounding guards in Dejounte Murray (5.8 RPG, down from 8.3 and 7.1 in his prior two seasons w/ SAS), and there should be enough to negate Gordon's size advantage while limiting Denver’s second-chance opportunities.

If Murray isn’t helping to dig for caroms on defense, it’s likely because he is looking to thwart Jamal Murray and Bones Hyland on pull-ups from the perimeter (40.7 and 44.4 pull-up 3FG%, respectively, 4^th and 6^th among 28 NBA’ers w/ 3.0 pull-up 3FGAs/game), and shots caught from Jokic (career-high 8.9 APG so far; 12 dimes in Wednesday’s blasting of Bruno's Rockets for a second consecutive meeting) in the corners, where Denver’s 44.8 3FG% paces the league.

Georgia-grown Nuggets starter Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tends to be a corner-shot beneficiary, while defensive ace Bruce Brown (40.3 3FG% on 3.4 shots/game, doubling his career-high volume) has come into his own as a gunner of late. They’ve been a relief for Jamal Murray (probable, bruised quad), who is still regaining traction after being shelved last season for ACL recovery.

Trae (2 thefts over the past 5 games, none in the prior two, after a 10-game steal streak) has to be more than pedestrian on the defensive end of the floor for the Hawks, getting deflections, closing out and anticipating when his man is leaking out for triples.

Who’s with me in calling these roster tables “shallowness charts” henceforth? The Nuggets aren’t close to fielding a full squad, either. Michael Porter is back on the IL with a strained heel, forcing Michael Malone’s hand into pressing Brown into productive action. Gordon’s backup Jeff Green has a sore knee and is doubtful to appear.

The Nuggets field a full 15, yet Malone finds himself with bench players that are either a bit long in the tooth (Uncle Jeff, DeAndre Jordan, Ish Smith) or a bit wet behind the ears (Peyton Watson, Christian Braun), or a little of both (Davon Reed, Vlatko Cancar). Denver’s faring well at 14-7 (10-0 when compiling 30+ assists), seeking to extend their winning streak to five this evening. But that’s largely because Jokic is Jokic, KCP and Brown have stepped up as excellent additions, and because Jokic and mission-critical players have managed to stay out of early foul trouble.

The Nuggets also boast a league-high 8 road wins. But three of Denver’s biggest blowout defeats, 20-plus deficits all on the road, featured the Nuggets hacking over 20 times, even though the recipients of the whistles didn’t shoot their free throws particularly well, certainly not as well as Atlanta (85.3 team home FT%, 2nd in NBA).

The downsized frontcourt for Atlanta does not mean Trae and Dejounte need to up their three-point shot volume just to try keeping up with the Nugget shooters from outside. Getting around Jamal and Jokic and driving to the paint, can create enough havoc that it can draw the contact needed to ensure productive possessions. If Dejountrae draws Brown and KCP in to help, and Griffin or, should he be able to join us, Bogi can be the ones canning shots from outside, all the more terrific.

On second thought, Mr. Fields, hold off on that call to Hastings, or anyone else, as we’ve got all the help we need in-house. Brian Oliver might be good for some BIG3 buckets, while I think Nique can still catch a well-timed lob or two. Keep your tie on, Bob.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JeffS17]

8 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The front office for our Hawks (12-10, still First Place in the Filthy South!) seemed content with fielding a 14-man roster until at least the mid-December trading window opened. Players and staff seemed content to wait until the official return of wing sniper Bogdan Bogdanovic (questionable, knee injury recovery) to the court before figuring out how to properly gel.

Boooggggiiiii.  I'm really excited for his potential return tonight?!), but I know he will be rusty and am trying to temper my expectations.  Also need to prepare for how bad his defense will likely be.

[theheroatl]

Looks like we will be playing all our Skyhawks tonight lol

[Spud2nique]

7 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

vet-min for Scotty won’t break Tony’s piggy bank!

If my memory serves me right, I might be good on Hastings… 

 

8 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Now the Serbian sharpshooter might suit up – might –

He’s resting currently and enjoying futbol ️ 

10 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

JC will miss at least two weeks of NBA action,

 

 

10 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Clint Capela has a sore foot

Futbol. 

 

11 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

A.J. Griffin has some girth

 

11 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Gordon's size

 

 

12 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The Nuggets also boast a league-high 8 road wins.

Wow. 
 

You the man @lethalweapon3 

Vegas has Nuggets -2.5

2K has Hawks by 10.

OO 16/9/4 dimes/ 6 BLOCKS!!!! (A block party).

Trae was his magnificent self! 
 

GO HAWKS!!!!!

[lethalweapon3]

Just because we're gluttons for punishment, C-Viv (yes, he's still working at AJC, filling in for Lauren I believe) was told Trae (sore shoulder) had been listed as Questionable, too, but I don't see it on the 12:30 IR update.

EDIT: Ah, here it is, not on the NBA list (yet) but the team's.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

One of my favorite statfolks on The Blue Bird posted this chart recently...

...and I wonder aloud how much of it is the Jokic effect (skilled bigs getting out and trying their hands more at 3s) or the Dejountrae effect (guards making better use of their middies and paint shots).

~lw3

[Gray Mule]

Injury report has 9 players listed for Atlanta.  What the heck!  With a 15 man roster, this means that we have 6 players that didn't even get mentioned!

Skyhawks better not have a game scheduled for tonight.  If they do they will not have enough players available for them.  They will all be in Atlanta with the Hawks!

Really under construction tonight!

[lethalweapon3]

Is that good?

I think that's good.

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

OO… 6 swats!!!

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Even the GLeague guy is out with a concussion.

[Sothron]

Trent Forrest being out means more Aaron Holliday. I fear this game is going to be ugly, ugly uuuuugly for us tonight. I have to wonder if they feel resting Trae and Capela with injury tags and just basically conceding a loss is better long term.

[JayBirdHawk]

I almost bought tickets to the game tonight - I would be pissed with all these guys out.

[terrell]

18 minutes ago, Sothron said:

Trent Forrest being out means more Aaron Holliday. I fear this game is going to be ugly, ugly uuuuugly for us tonight. I have to wonder if they feel resting Trae and Capela with injury tags and just basically conceding a loss is better long term.

Nate better not be conceding anything right now...................

[Bonkers]

If this is true, I'm guessing the player in question is either Trae or DJM

 

Edited December 2, 2022 by Bonkers

[TheNorthCydeRises]

2 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

One of my favorite statfolks on The Blue Bird posted this chart recently...

...and I wonder aloud how much of it is the Jokic effect (skilled bigs getting out and trying their hands more at 3s) or the Dejountrae effect (guards making better use of their middies and paint shots).

~lw3

It's the virtual elimination of the midrange shots that you see here.  Closer 2s for higher percentage makes.

The irony in that is this . . . the teams that have a guy or guys that can take and make difficult midrange jumpers, often do very well in the playoffs.  The teams that rely on 3s, do not.  Even the great Golden State Warriors can get to their spots in the midrange, and make shots, when they need to.

The Hawks are built for playoff style basketball.

[JeffS17]

55 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

It's the virtual elimination of the midrange shots that you see here.  Closer 2s for higher percentage makes.

The irony in that is this . . . the teams that have a guy or guys that can take and make difficult midrange jumpers, often do very well in the playoffs.  The teams that rely on 3s, do not.  Even the great Golden State Warriors can get to their spots in the midrange, and make shots, when they need to.

The Hawks are built for playoff style basketball.

We're not though.  You need to be able to make 3s to get the open middies.  No one will respect our outside shooting if we can't make open threes, so the open mid rangers won't be there.  And we can't get anything in the paint if it's not a brilliant pass from Trae or lob...

[Alf]

Put me in coach! Can't shoot worth a damn, but am dirty and can grab some boards!

[benhillboy]

2 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

I almost bought tickets to the game tonight - I would be pissed with all these guys out.

Bullet dodged. Whew.

[benhillboy]

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Is that good?

I think that's good.

~lw3

I can’t recall a player making more winning plays for his team in such short spurts as this man.  He can do everything except switch on quick guards and nearly does nothing to hurt the Nuggs.

[Sothron]

6 minutes ago, benhillboy said:

I can’t recall a player making more winning plays for his team in such short spurts as this man.  He can do everything except switch on quick guards and nearly does nothing to hurt the Nuggs.

There's a reason I was telling people when he was a rookie that Jokic was special. He's the back to back MVP and frankly should win it a third year in a row but I know the voters won't do that. Everyone talks about generational players and yet sleeps on calling  him one. I'd trade our entire team Trae included for Jokic.