Official Game Thread: Pistons at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“JANE! Stop this crazy team!”

 

Shoot, I’ve got even less to say now!

126-118, huh? Not gonna hold you, this is the first time I bothered to peek at Sunday’s disastrous final score. 83 first half points by the Hawks was cool beans and all, but the 61 points they gifted the semi-serious Spurs (on 51 percent from the field), was burning a hole right through my allegedly Smart TV.

Then the Hawks forgot who anyone was on the other team along the perimeter, much less who should be out there contesting those guys. Then with the lead swiftly chopped in half, Trae Young decides it’s a fine time to chide the officials, his technical moving Atlanta (“NUMBER”-“NUMBER plus/minus one or two”) closer to the scenario where they’ll have to play a game at season’s end with some Play-Ins on the line and their “impact” player watching from home.

That was my sign to move on with my TV programming day. Due to the odd Sunday tipoff time, I was unable to hide behind The Food That Built America re-runs, and it was too late in the day to kickstart a Peppa Pig bingewatch. So, midday March Madness it was. C’mon, Lady Jackrabbits, you got this!

As a helpful hint, strategically place gnomes, candles, urns, books or knickknacks of sufficient height that you don’t have to catch the Hawks’ undoubtedly evaporating lead on the ESPN ticker. Not so Smart are you now, Mister TV? Life Hack!

It bears not repeating that No Lead is Safe in Today’s NBA. The Spurs, of all teams, knew that going in. But enough about the Spurs. How much our down-and-up-and-down Hawks remember from Sunday’s cataclysm in Alamo City is likely to bleed into today’s meeting at State Farm Arena with the Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Detroit EXTRA). That is, the things Hawks players remember, but never quite seem to learn and grow from.

Hide the standings, as we all know where the Pistons (16-56), who pretty much called it a wrap once Cade Cunningham (tibia surgery) was shelved before Veteran’s Day, reside. Disregard what was a Must Not Embarrass Thyself game, for then-coach Nate McMillan’s floundering basketball club, when these teams last faced off here before the Christmas break.

Do not let these Hawks know that Detroit last won a contest away from Little Caesars Arena roughly two months (and nine road games) ago. Even the Warriors are impressed.

We, as fans, can know that Bogi is the only surnamed Bogdanovic allowed to grace the court today – Bojan’s Achilles is the reason the veteran holdover has been kept on ice all month. We can be aware that, in addition to Cade and Bojangles, Alec Burks (sore footsie), Jalen Duren (cervical whiplash, darn those jazz club conductors), Beef Stewart (impinged shoulder), and Hamidou Diallo (sprained ankle) are all conveniently unavailable, with R.J. Hampton (back spasms) and Isaiah Livers (sore hip) listed as questionable. Just, please, fans, don’t tell Atlanta’s players.

All the Hawks need to know is, as Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes jack up shots and drive head-down in search for cheap fouls and easy dishes, Atlanta’s frontline needs to be standing tall, for not just a quarter or two, versus Detroit’s Human Wemby Insurance. James Wiseman (last seven games: 17.0 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 56.4 FG%; 22-and-13 vs. MIA on Sunday) has joined Marvin Bagley in the starting lineup as part of GM Troy Weaver’s Lotto Reclamation Project.

Will John Collins and Clint Capela look the part of playoff-steeled NBA veterans versus Detroit’s New Kids on the Low Block? Can they rotate and avoid getting caught in No-Man’s-Lands when the Piston bigs invariably wander out to the three-point stripe?

Acquired from Detroit in the deal with G-State for Wiseman, one Killer B, Saddiq Bey (last three games: 4.0 PPG, 31.3 FG%, 1-for-8 3FGs, 3.3 RPG, 1.0 APG) needs to regain his sting. Absent Jalen Johnson (out, strained hammy and groin) once more, Bey and Atlanta’s remaining forwards and wings must not get caught repeatedly missing their defensive assignments.

Maybe they didn’t know Devin Vassell from a can of paint. But nobody should be asking Sherwin Williams about veteran Rodney McGruder (4-for-5 3FGs in DET’s last home win, last week vs. IND, 6-for-10 on threes and season-high 20 points vs. DEN last Thursday).

Open threes keep teams, good, bad or otherwise, in games against the oft-bad Hawks (4-17 when opponents shoot over 40.0 3FG%, incl. 0-10 now, and losses thrice this month, when foes shoot above 45.0 3FG%). Especially without Dejounte Murray (questionable, non-COVID illness), if the coverage from De’Andre Hunter and AJ Griffin is poor, McGruder will have those poorly contested shots ready in ample supply.

What more to say? Me, I’m at a Loss-Win-Loss for words!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[shakes]

obviously they'll win tonight.  jsut look at the Hawks team record.

[lethalweapon3]

No change as of 12:30 PM on the Boo-Boo Report. Dejounte (non-COVID illness) takes Trae's spot as the pre-game Questionable with JJ still out. Hampton and Livers remain up-in-the-air for the Pistons.

Oooh one more thang. Is my Squawk Fantasy Hoops team on Yahoo! supposed to be some kind of postseason inspiration for the actual Hawks? How is my club sitting there at 108-108-4, moonwalking into the playoffs, and now in the semifinals? For Shame, Squawk GMs! For Shame! Please put me out of my mediocre misery, cap!

~lw3

[djjob23]

Refs assigned for tonight's Hawks vs Pistons game and their career team records (with % rank vs other teams and % rank vs other 76 refs for same team) when reffing for either team:

Crew Chief: Bill Kennedy #55 - DET 50-53 (16th | 21st), ATL 40-53 (25th | 56th)
Ref: Karl Lane #77 - DET 19-29 (25th | 46th), ATL 23-21 (12th | 24th)
Umpire: Matt Boland #18 - DET 35-32 (12th | 10th), ATL 30-37 (25th | 52nd)
 
Based on the refs assigned, DET definitely has a chance to win tonight. However, since we just came off a bad loss, I personally have the Hawks at a 78% chance to win tonight! 

GO HAWKS!!!

Edited March 21, 2023 by djjob23

[macdaddy]

7 minutes ago, djjob23 said:

Refs assigned for tonight's Hawks vs Pistons game and their career team records (with % rank vs other teams and % rank vs other 76 refs for same team) when reffing for either team:

Crew Chief: Bill Kennedy #55 - DET 50-53 (16th | 21st), ATL 40-53 (25th | 56th)
Ref: Karl Lane #77 - DET 19-29 (25th | 46th), ATL 23-21 (12th | 24th)
Umpire: Matt Boland #18 - DET 35-32 (12th | 10th), ATL 30-37 (25th | 52nd)
 
Based on the refs assigned, DET definitely has a chance to win tonight. However, since we just came off a bad loss, I personally have the Hawks at a 78% chance to win tonight! 

GO HAWKS!!!

Reinforces my opinion of Bill Kennedy.

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Shoot, I’ve got even less to say now!

 F that I like the way you talk mayne! -Antonio Montana

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

knickknack

Patty whack give a a ..

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Do not let these Hawks know that Detroit last won a contest away from Little Caesars Arena roughly two months (and nine road games) ago. Even the Warriors are impressed.

 If the Pistons win I’m changing my name to @kg01 . There the gauntlet has been thrown! 

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

cervical whiplash,

I have a lil of this I can’t move my neck and it’s not due to eatin.. I digress.

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

versus Detroit’s Human Wemby Insurance.

They ain’t gettin him I think it’s a 3 team race between the rockets the spurs and the Magic.

 

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

I’m at a Loss-Win-Loss for words!

18 times we’ve been at .500, after today..19! 
 

Thanks @lethalweapon3 you da man whether you say a little or a lot.  
 

Vegas got Hawks -13.5

2k got Hawks by 27

GO HAWKS!!!!

Look at that Trae contest!

[Spud2nique]

4 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Oooh one more thang. Is my Squawk Fantasy Hoops team on Yahoo! supposed to be some kind of postseason inspiration for the actual Hawks? How is my club sitting there at 108-108-4, moonwalking into the playoffs, and now in the semifinals? For Shame, Squawk GMs! For Shame! Please put me out of my mediocre misery, cap!

 

I been rootin for you like you Fairleigh Dickinson sun ! 

I hope the Hawks will follow suite and take it back to the ECF and beyond! I don’t put it past us. 

Ps I like cap too 

[lethalweapon3]

Dejounte looks like he'll be a no-go for this one (non-COVID illness). Somebody get him some Kleenex boxes and some Nyquil before tonight's trip up to Taureanopolis.

There'll be no calls of ONIONS! to accompany buckets by Isaiah Livers, who is downgraded to Out (sore hip), But there will be free breakfast for the Pistons in the morning, now that they can count R.J. Hampton in. He's been upgraded to Available (back spasms).

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

5 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“JANE! Stop this crazy team!”

[terrell]

5 hours ago, shakes said:

obviously they'll win tonight.  jsut look at the Hawks team record.

Im just glad I Finally get to watch a game where Murray isnt taking 18 shots to hit 15 points....

 

 

[JeffS17]

I know its near game time but msg me for free tickets

[JayBirdHawk]

Who gets the start?

 

 

[lethalweapon3]

The Dream Melted Ice Cream.

~lw3

[TheNorthCydeRises]

9 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Who gets the start?

 

 

 

I would start AJ, but extend Bogi's minutes . . and definitely let him close the game.

[JayBirdHawk]

Bogi it is!

 

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

So whatever happens in the 1st half, it doesn't even matter.

Like Nique said, it's all about how they play in the 3rd.  If they can stretch it out in the 3rd, we should be good to go in the 4th.

 

Hawks are ( -13.5 ) in this game, by the way.  Vegas feels real good about us.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Collins with the wide open air ball corner 3?

Come on JC.

[Q45T]

Goddamn that airball Collins…

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Looks like KAT will play tomorrow night.

He's been upgraded to questionable.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Hunter looks great offensively tonight.