Official Game Thread: Hawks at Suns

[lethalweapon3]

“Y’all can’t see me for the trees!”

 

Trae Young is back in the fold, his probable return from a sore ankle producing a clean injury sheet as the Atlanta Hawks prepare to visit the Suns in Phoenix (10 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Arizona, ESPN). He and Dejounte Murray, fresh off the latter’s turn at a career-high scoring game in a losing effort at Portland, should be prepared to give Chris Paul and Mikal Bridges fits.

Trae returns confident, too, that he can’t be blamed for the wretched perimeter defense that was on display on Monday up in Oregon.

Atlanta (25-26) allowed the Trail Blazers to splash nearly half of their 40 three-point attempts, just enough to keep the Hawks at bay all night, lowering the visitors to 1-9 on the season when their opponents hit more than 15 threes, 3-12 when sinking them at better than a 40 percent clip.

The opponent marksmanship by the Blazers (19-for-40 3FGs) was negligibly better than two nights before, when Young and the Hawks watched the visiting Clippers go 19-for-39. But in the last game Young missed, he and Clint Capela were out for Atlanta (last 5 games: NBA-high 15.4 opponent 3FGs; 42.5 opponent 3FG%, 3^rd-highest in NBA) when the Bucks sprinkled 18 triples to fend off the Hawks last month.

Capela has since returned to shore up the rebounding issues, but the coverages when Atlanta centers sag around the rim and their teammates overhelp are still worrisome, no matter what Dejountrae brings to the table on the offensive end.

Hopefully the team has a plan to adjust their defensive roles, especially if John Collins (3.7 3FGA-contests per game, behind just Jalen Brunson and Evan Mobley at 3.8) is rocking another NBA team’s jersey at some juncture next week.

It would help the Hawks’ cause a tad if they were able to fight fire with fire, as they’ve exceeded 15 made threes just once all season (16-for-33 last month against the Haliburton-less Pacers). Regrettably, Collins (25.9 3FG%, sliding down from 36.4, 39.9, and 40.1 the prior three seasons) hasn’t provided the tit to counter the tat, while Bogi Bogdanovic (4-for-10 3FGs @ POR, 1-for-4 vs. LAC; season-high 7 FTAs @ POR but let’s leave it at that) and DeAndre Hunter (38.8 3FG% in last 9 games, but 2-for-12 3FGs in his past two) have been consistently inconsistent.

Naturally, the Hawks’ marquee and All-Star contender Young (31.6 3FG%) catches the flak for not rising above it all, as does the front office for not stocking the roster with better jump-shooting threats, to say nothing of keeping what they once had. But Trae’s current supporting cast repeatedly failing to excel at either hitting decent looks from outside, or thwarting opponents from getting many, helps no one in the long run.

Atlanta catches a break as Suns lead scorer Devin Booker (out, strained groin) can’t return in time to participate in tonight’s proceedings, as is also the case for Landry Shamet (out, sore foot) and Cam Payne (out, sprained foot). But it would also be swell if the Hawks had a forward like Cameron Johnson (himself back from a knee injury; 15-for-27 3FGs in last 4 games despite going 1-for-6 Monday vs. TOR), capable of making teams pay for over-pursuing their ballhandling guards.

The recent returns of Paul (last 5 games: 21.6 PPG, 46.7 3FG%, 5.6 RPG, 10.4 APG) and Johnson to Monty Williams’ rotation has helped the Suns (27-25; 6-1 in last seven games, all without Booker) rise from a rough 5-17 stretch that set them at three games below .500. Aided by a team-oriented approach that has as many as seven Suns exceeding four rebounds per game, Johnson’s presence and production in the starting lineup takes pressure off their 2018 lottery pick, Deandre Ayton (last 4 games: 22.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG), to be a world-beater, while it renders the idling Jae Crowder a mere trade chip.

Nate McMillan has a Johnson that he could turn to as well to help turn things around. Unfortunately, Jalen Johnson (DNP @ POR) was left on the pine to watch two-way Trent Forrest chase Damian Lillard’s taillights for ten minutes on Monday, in relief of Aaron Holiday. McMillan also couldn’t find much additional playing time for a fellow Dookie, AJ Griffin (3-for-4 3FGs @ POR in 21 minutes), despite a short rotation.

Those problems may take care of themselves, soon, if a deal for Collins doesn’t return veteran punch in the frontcourt. While Griffin and Johnson can absorb more of the responsibilities, the Hawks won’t be a nightly threat unless Hunter (3-for-14 FGs, 2 rebounds, one assist in 38 minutes @ POR), whose 10 points kept his double-digit scoring streak alive, becomes more than an afterthought on the floor.

The Hawks can again put themselves in position for victory with timely clutch play and limited turnovers from the Suns’ on-ball pressure, this time with Trae back in command of the offense. But they will continue to imperil their own fortunes so long as they give up threes at a tragic number.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

All you Ayton fans get to see hum tonight.

[theheroatl]

2 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

All you Ayton fans get to see hum tonight.

If Ayton ain't it on the Suns, he probably ain't it on the Hawks. 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[Spud2nique]

Thanks lw3 @lethalweapon3!!We got this tonight!!!

2k said so!  JC did stuff he should be doing! 
 

GO HAWKS!!!!

[kg01]

I really think we might be able to eek this one out.  I mean ... wait, hold on ... this is a BSPN game?

Suns win in a rout.  Get some sleep, folx.  Nothin to see here. 

[AHF]

This game is just too late for me tonight.  Fingers crossed I wake up to good news.  Will be interested to see what people think of Ayton and Crowder.  (Hmmm something feels off about that sentence.  Eh.)

[Diesel]

This is almost like an audition. 

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Taking the Hawks tonight.  Win by 6 - 10 points.

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Great start.  Knocking down 3s early.

[Diesel]

Come on Transition D.

 

JC can't buy a shot. 

 

[kg01]

Head ... might ... explode ..... only have BSPN .... broadcast ......whyyyyy??? 

[terrell]

4 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Come on Transition D.

 

JC can't buy a shot. 

 

He had Capela wide open underneath the basket  earlier and bricked a 3. smh

Edited February 2, 2023 by terrell

[terrell]

Good to see Dre make some shots..

Trae with some nice passes, but please stop turning the ball over...Good grief...

 

[terrell]

And Please let Jalen grab and go Trae. Stop running behind the man calling for the ball. Irritating

[Diesel]

The one thing about the ESPN telecast is that you can hear what Mark Jackson Thinks about the Hawks. 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Excellent offense to start the 2nd quarter.

[Diesel]

Didn't Mark Jackson Play with Jalen Rose??

[Diesel]

Just now, Diesel said:

Didn't Mark Jackson Play with Jalen Rose??

The disrespect...

[hawkman]

Excellent vision by Jalen.