Hawks secure #7 Seed vs C's

[Diesel]

NBC Has a Take...

 

Quote

Celtics in five. The Celtics get into trouble when they don't take their opponents seriously, and they can't walk into TD Garden expecting the Hawks to roll over. Atlanta has plenty of bulletin board material and has the offensive potential to make things interesting if Young and Co. steal a game in Boston.

The C's are the far superior team on paper, though, and if they show up with the right mindset, they should waltz into the second round.

 

[REHawksFan]

Looking at some lineup data and found this a bit interesting.  Here's a list of the 14 lineups that have played together in at least 5 games since Q took over, ranked by Net RTG.  

 

So the top efficiency lineup, by a good margin, is Trae/Bogi/Bey/JJ/OO  which is a lineup that gives offense and some defense with JJ and OO.  Of course, it's only 49 minutes of game time and it's not known which games it was, but still, it looks like an interesting lineup.  I wonder if we'll see any of it vs boston?  

Also of note:

• The starters have a net rating of -8.7.  Ouch
• The lineups with OO instead of CC have generally higher ratings
• Bogi is the only common denominator in all 5 lineups with a positive net rating  
• Trae and Bey are each in 4 of the 5 positive lineups

[JeffS17]

I'll be honest, I can't be upset at the takes this year.  The Celtics have absolutely looked much better than us all season, hence their #2 seed.  I enjoy rooting for us as the underdogs, but I'm not really salty about the media this go around.  This is nothing compared to how egregiously confident everyone was that shitty Knicks team would beat us.  I just want us to make things interesting and give ourselves a chance to win each game.

[MarylandHawk]

I kind of like that I can go into this game with no expectations and just enjoy how it unfolds. Less stressful to watch. But oh boy of they upset the Smeltics, pure joy. 

[JeffS17]

2 minutes ago, REHawksFan said:

Looking at some lineup data and found this a bit interesting.  Here's a list of the 14 lineups that have played together in at least 5 games since Q took over, ranked by Net RTG.  

 

So the top efficiency lineup, by a good margin, is Trae/Bogi/Bey/JJ/OO  which is a lineup that gives offense and some defense with JJ and OO.  Of course, it's only 49 minutes of game time and it's not known which games it was, but still, it looks like an interesting lineup.  I wonder if we'll see any of it vs boston?  

Also of note:

• The starters have a net rating of -8.7.  Ouch
• The lineups with OO instead of CC have generally higher ratings
• Bogi is the only common denominator in all 5 lineups with a positive net rating  
• Trae and Bey are each in 4 of the 5 positive lineups

This aligns with what we've been seeing which is bench dominance.  Trae + 4 bench players against opposing teams benches is deadly, and Okongwu/Bogi/Jalen/Bey have been very good for us lately.

[REHawksFan]

3 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I'll be honest, I can't be upset at the takes this year.  The Celtics have absolutely looked much better than us all season, hence their #2 seed.  I enjoy rooting for us as the underdogs, but I'm not really salty about the media this go around.  This is nothing compared to how egregiously confident everyone was that shitty Knicks team would beat us.  I just want us to make things interesting and give ourselves a chance to win each game.

I don't fault anyone for thinking / saying the celtics will win.  They are clearly the better team on paper.  I just think the complete dismissal of the Hawks as a non-threat is a little much.  The Hawks have the talent to beat boston IF they play to their ceiling consistently.  The reason the "on paper" data all skews heavily in boston's favor is because the Hawks have actually performed to their ceiling only for small spurts during the season.  Certainly not consistently enough for any national media to take notice. 

[REHawksFan]

4 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

This aligns with what we've been seeing which is bench dominance.  Trae + 4 bench players against opposing teams benches is deadly, and Okongwu/Bogi/Jalen/Bey have been very good for us lately.

So the question is whether this would work in the playoffs when opponents shorten their bench and play their starters more minutes?  I'm of the belief that OO, Bogi, and Bey are starter level players so I think it could.  JJ both excites me and terrifies me at the same time.  His highlights are as amazing as his turnovers.  

[AHF]

7 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I'll be honest, I can't be upset at the takes this year.  The Celtics have absolutely looked much better than us all season, hence their #2 seed.  I enjoy rooting for us as the underdogs, but I'm not really salty about the media this go around.  This is nothing compared to how egregiously confident everyone was that shitty Knicks team would beat us.  I just want us to make things interesting and give ourselves a chance to win each game.

I can't be upset for anyone predicting a Celtics series win over us either.  I am salty with BS stuff like "the Hawks are trying to unload cancerous Trae Young" or other garbage like that or perhaps the takes that said "Atlanta has no chance against Miami" but Boston has been on another level from us this season.  They have earned their status as favorite.  Now we have to go knock them off their post ala a former Hawk:

 

[JeffS17]

I hope Quin has had the guys practicing fighting through screens since Wednesday morning

[BangHolman]

Quin is 0-1 vs Boston (with our starters not resting) as our coach. I'm interested in seeing what kind of adjustments he makes from the first game. In games where we've played the team more than once under him, he's been able to make fairly successful adjustments. It doesn't mean we win the series, but this isn't Nate's Hawks either. 

[REHawksFan]

5 minutes ago, BangHolman said:

Quin is 0-1 vs Boston (with our starters not resting) as our coach. I'm interested in seeing what kind of adjustments he makes from the first game. In games where we've played the team more than once under him, he's been able to make fairly successful adjustments. It doesn't mean we win the series, but this isn't Nate's Hawks either. 

One can argue the Miami game on Tuesday was the best game they've played all year and certainly the game they've played against Miami in a couple of years.  So I'm fully expecting Q to have a great gameplan for boston on Saturday.  Doesn't mean they win.  But if the celtics think the way the media and fans think, we very well could.  I can guarantee you the team doesn't believe this is going to be an easy sweep.  

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, JeffS17 said:

I'll be honest, I can't be upset at the takes this year.  The Celtics have absolutely looked much better than us all season, hence their #2 seed.  I enjoy rooting for us as the underdogs, but I'm not really salty about the media this go around.  This is nothing compared to how egregiously confident everyone was that shitty Knicks team would beat us.  I just want us to make things interesting and give ourselves a chance to win each game.

I think that looking at the way that we have played this season, it's easy to come to the conclusion that there will be a sweep.. especially at the margin difference between our 3pt shooting and theirs.   But again, I think it can come down to coaching and confidence.   IF we have strong focus, good coaching and they let us get confident... we will win this series. 

Last year, the Warriors beat the Celtics in 6 games.   The Celtics led every defensive category.  Shot better from 3.  Got more rebounds.   Hearing all that it makes you wonder, how did the Warriors win at all?

The Warriors found out that they were able to stop Boston in important times.  So they outscored Boston in Important times. 

Like the Warriors, we can't match Boston in 3pters.  We probably can't match them in rebounds... but what we can do is out work them in important times.  

 

[Diesel]

1 hour ago, BangHolman said:

Quin is 0-1 vs Boston (with our starters not resting) as our coach. I'm interested in seeing what kind of adjustments he makes from the first game. In games where we've played the team more than once under him, he's been able to make fairly successful adjustments. It doesn't mean we win the series, but this isn't Nate's Hawks either. 

At this point, there is a clean slate.   I do believe in the raised game of the playoffs.   You focus on one team.  You game plan for them with no thoughts of what is down the road.    So every game is you bring your best effort.   It's not the second night of a back to back.   It's not a case where i got dinged the night before.   It's not even a case where we're trying to experiment with new lineups or new players.   This is a case where win or go home.  The play is different. 

For instance, I don't know what the Lakers vs. Memphis record is.. but I believe the Lakers will get them out of there in 5. 

 

 

[Gray Mule]

Everything is the same, yet everything is different.  Why?  Because this isn't the regular season.  Just because the Celtics swept the Hawks in the regular season does not mean they can do it now.

Hawks plan is, give them a fit!  Quin knows their strengths.  He also knows if there is a weakness anywhere that we can take advantage of.  Hawks have had time off to game plan, not for just one game but for a series.  Atlanta has no one on the sick and injured list.

Sure, the Celtics had a much better regular season.  That's over.  All things are new.  Atlanta hasn't lost a single game in the playoffs.  We go into this, tied!

GO ATL HAWKS!!   

(And if we win in four, so be it!)

[macdaddy]

40 minutes ago, Diesel said:

At this point, there is a clean slate.   I do believe in the raised game of the playoffs.   You focus on one team.  You game plan for them with no thoughts of what is down the road.    So every game is you bring your best effort.   It's not the second night of a back to back.   It's not a case where i got dinged the night before.   It's not even a case where we're trying to experiment with new lineups or new players.   This is a case where win or go home.  The play is different. 

For instance, I don't know what the Lakers vs. Memphis record is.. but I believe the Lakers will get them out of there in 5. 

 

 

Anyone watch much Lakers down the stretch?   I didn't so i don't want to accuse anyone of anything but that 16-7 post all star record smells a little on it's surface.  

[JayBirdHawk]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:09 PM, JayBirdHawk said:

I need 20 points (on great efficiency) from Hunter tonight. He hasn't scored 20 points since early Feb.

Let's try this again for G1 vs the Cs.

I need 20 points from Hunter tomorrow night.

[sturt]

2 hours ago, MarylandHawk said:

 Less stressful to watch.

Beauty of living in the DVR age... sports never has to be stressful... it can always... exclusively... be entertaining. Perhaps this is why I'm always such a ray of sunshine when I visit the board. Just sayin.

 

[AHF]

1 hour ago, sturt said:

Perhaps this is why I'm always such a ray of sunshine when I visit the board. Just sayin.

 

 

[benhillboy]

I just want the Hawks to steal 4 Game 1s on the road.  Then they can play their patented win-loss alternating style the rest of the way and let’s see where they end up

[benhillboy]

The elephant in the room is the three point attempt and conversion story:

Celtics take 43 at a .377 clip.

Their opponents take 34 at a .345 clip.

+9 attempts, +3%

 

Under Quinny the Hawks have taken 31.5 per at a 34.4% clip.

They’ve allowed 32.6 attempts at a 37.4 clip.

-1 attempts, -3%

If the Celtics consistently shoot 10 more threes the series won’t last long.  If Smart and Grant Williams get hot I’m gonna go apesh%t ballistic.