Official Game Thread: Hawks at Pistons -- IST Group Play Game 1

[lethalweapon3]

“IT’S IST!” (“What is IST?”)

 

You want it all. But, can you have it?

The trophy is in your face. But, can you grab it?

Such questions hover above Trae Young, the Atlanta Hawks superstar among the few players showcased in Las Vegas, this past July, as the NBA commissioner promoted and unveiled the particulars for his league’s inaugural In-Season Tournament.

Trae is used to the feeling of being passed over for NBA promos. But the league wasn’t about to invite players to hop on the stage with the commish that were anything less than vivacious about the prospect of winning an NBA Cup (and its associated cash prizes) that has never been handed out before.

“Oh, this team winning,” Trae, in his Vegas-apropos flamingo-colored fit, crowed with an air of grammatical certainty, as he was prodded on stage for an instant reaction to the group-play segment by the way-too-unbuttoned Richard Jefferson and Malika Andrews. Sharing the stage at that time was Cade Cunningham of the Detroit PISTons, one of the other four squads (Cavs, Pacers, Sixers) vying to make it out of East Group A.

Despite their recent downturn in the standings, Cunningham’s PISTons are healing up and hoping to make the Hawks eat Trae’s words in front of a favorable Little Caesars Arena crowd (7 PM Eastern, Bally Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, BS Detroit) that understands, when it comes to IST contention, it’s now, or never. Or at least next year.

“A major issue that has nagged at the NBA for the past, oh, 50 or 60 years has been timing,” opines Sean Deveney at Forbes, in explaining the justification for implementing this tournament. “The league starts its season each fall with great fanfare—Rookie debuts! Championship defense! Relocated stars! But that level of initial interest plummets by Veterans Day.” (a belated way-to-go to all our SquawkVets out there).

My one suggestion for the Commissioner’s Office, looking ahead to future seasons, is that if this IST thing taking off is of utmost importance to the league, then they should look beyond the fancy floors and cutesy jerseys, and instead convene their best logISTics and schedule-makers to ensure that there is an off-day for all teams prior to, and after, each Group Play game.

That is the case in all four IST Games for the PISTons (2-9, lost 8 straight), who already played Game 1 last Friday here at the Pizza Pizza Palace versus Philly, and had off-days the preceding Thursday and the ensuing Saturday. The Hawks, meanwhile, return home after this Game 1 to face the Knicks in a regular-degular contest tomorrow, New York getting a day of respite during their road trip after playing in Boston on Monday.

Next week, when the Hawks play IST Game 3 in Atlanta versus the Pacers, the Nets will already be in town, two days removed from playing the Sixers in Brooklyn, preparing to face the Hawks the following day. Did you see how good rookie Jaime Jaquez looked visiting Atlanta this past Saturday, after a night at a Holiday Inn Express? Cam Thomas will be soaking those ankles in the hotel spa, itching for a return to action.

We already have team staffs creating magically brief ailments and family matters (did I do that, Jimmy?) to skirt the league’s also-new Player Participation Policies and allow their key players to rest up on one end or the other back-to-backs. Of course, now it’s Young (shocker! – he’s out, for “personal reasons,” natch) who will just sit this one out and reserve his energies for his New York foils. Proper scheduling by the league helps take the questions of (de-) prioritizing IST games off the table.

My one request to Young and his Hawks, if they are sincere in wanting to win this NBA Cup, is to do all they can to win their IST Group (convincingly, and not as some 3-1 wild card) and ensure the State Farm Arena crowd gets treated to an IST quarterfinal game. Because after the forthcoming four-game homestand concludes on Thanksgiving Eve, we won’t be seeing them a lot, live in the ATL, for some time.

Between November 25 and December 13, all but one of Atlanta’s nine scheduled NBA contests are away games. The exception occurs on December 11 versus the world-ish champion Denver Nuggets (Quin, please, keep Trae in your good graces prior to this one, m’kay?), breaking up the five-game post-Tryptophan excursion (the up-down Cleveland-to-San Antonio-to-Milwaukee itineraries are always a nice touch) and the subsequent three-game road trip (Cleveland! For a second time, while the Hawks reach the back end of a back-to-back after two games in Toronto, this is for you!)

In fact, including the PISTons popping through Atlanta on December 18, the Hawks won’t play more than a single home game without having to pack for, or unpack from, the road, between November 25 and January 7. That’s 19 scheduled games, 14 of them on the road, not even counting any IST elimination games in Vegas, or anywhere else.

It was around this time last year when Nate McMillan’s Hawks were feeling fairly good about their prospects, at 7-3 in the upper echelon of the NBA East. Then came an inexplicable home loss to Utah, setting off a win-loss merry-go-round from which Atlanta couldn’t seem to disembark. The dust looked like it settled by November’s end, but the frayed nerves had Nate’s calm-cool-connected cohesion coming apart at the seams.

Now, Nate’s former assISTant-son Jamelle coached up the Motor City Cruise, Detroit’s developmental affiliate, to victory in the opener of their G-League season up the road in Grand Rapids on Sunday. J-Mac can offer insight to new head coach Monty Williams on how to come out on top versus Atlanta, as the PISTons were the only team in the NBA East that the Hawks swept (4-0) last season (the Hawks also won both games versus Williams’ former club, the Phoenix Suns).

Obviously, the approach starts, and ends, with Cunningham (22.5 PPG, 6.9 APG, 4.9 TOs/game), the first-overall pick from the 2021 Draft, who struggled mightily as a scorer (10 points on 4-for-10 2FGs and 0-for-5 3FGs, 5 assISTs, 3 rebounds in 38 minutes) in a 119-108 loss at Alex Caruso’s Bulls on Sunday. MotorCade’s best perimeter shooting performance of late was 2-for-8 at Milwaukee last Wednesday, but his inside scoring, foul-drawing and dishing was nearly enough to topple the Middleton-less Bucks.

That game also featured second-year center Jalen Duren, the board-crasher who had been playing since the season opener through a sore ankle, and is out after struggling to make it through last Friday’s IST game against Philly. Duren’s absence, and James Wiseman’s inability to make strides, leaves a lot in Isaiah “Beef Stew” Stewart’s bowl.

PISTons lotto-rookie and ex-OTE star Ausar Thompson has been essential in bridging the rebounding and defensive gaps, although his own shot efficiency has a ways to go. Detroit recently brought back our old friend, Kevin Knox (18 bench points @ CHI on Sunday), for a second stint to help aid the frontcourt.

This season began promising enough with a 2-1 start, with wins at Charlotte and, despite Zach LaVine scoring half of the Bulls’ 102 points, a home win over their division rivals. But injuries and ailments across the board – Jaden Ivey and Alec Burks are back in the lineups, but Bojan Bogdanovic, Monte Morris, Isaiah Livers and Joe Harris remain sidelined along with Duren – leave Coach Monty straining not to use these setbacks as rationale for the team’s last-place record. “We’ve shown that we can play against anybody,” Williams asserted to the Detroit Freep. “We have to sustain it… we’re not gonna blame anything on injuries.”

Turnover margin (14.1 points per-48 off TOs, 2^nd-lowest in NBA; 22.2 opponent points per-48 off TOs, highest in NBA) tends to be the PISTons’ biggest bugaboo. On a Quin Snyder-coached team that embraces run-and-gun in both directions (18.7 fastbreak points per-48, 2^nd-most in NBA; 18.0 opponent fastbreak points per-48, most in NBA), centers Clint Capela and Onyeka Okongwu can’t slow down.

That was the situation versus Miami, where the Hawks centers crashed the offensive glass but were stuck in neutral and out of defensive position on Saturday while Bam Adebayo and the heat (63.0 2FG%, 31.8 3FG%) had their way from the mid-range in. While Atlanta’s opponent was significantly short-handed on Saturday, the PISTons lack the heat’s ethos and internal familiarity, and need to force turnovers from Murray and the ballhandlers for the Hawks (23 assISTs, 21 team TOs vs. MIA) tonight to stop their skid.

With the rookie Thompson as their best on-ball defender locked in on Murray, Atlanta’s forwards need to step up their production.  That includes Saddiq Bey, who was in the mix with Knox last February as the Hawks and PISTons got in on the Wiseman-GP2 deal with Golden State and Portland.

We’re grateful the Warriors looked past Payton’s physical and let the trade go through, but Bey (team-high 8 bench rebounds but 4 TOs vs. MIA) has struggled to find his footing in Snyder’s rotation since being relegated to reserve duties. Murray and the Hawks’ post-passers need to find Bey in the corners and help him reestablish his once trusty three-point shot (career-low 23.5 corner 3FG%, as per bball-ref; 38.3% last year w/ ATL, 42.4% w/ DET).

Atlanta has its work cut out for them, but an improved all-around team effort that controls possessions and tempo ought to be enough to keep Trae looking, and feeling, like an optimIST.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

16 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

My one suggestion for the Commissioner’s Office, looking ahead to future seasons, is that if this IST thing taking off is of utmost importance to the league, then they should look beyond the fancy floors and cutesy jerseys, and instead convene their best logISTics and schedule-makers to ensure that there is an off-day for all teams prior to, and after, each Group Play game.

agreed.

 

17 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Between November 25 and December 13, all but one of Atlanta’s nine scheduled NBA contests are away games. The exception occurs on December 11 versus the world-ish champion Denver Nuggets

Ouch!

 

18 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

PISTons lotto-rookie and ex-OTE star Ausar Thompson has been essential in bridging the rebounding and defensive gaps

Wish we had a BIG WING to grab some rebounds and defend like this kid. 

 

20 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

but Bey (team-high 8 bench rebounds but 4 TOs vs. MIA) has struggled to find his footing in Snyder’s rotation since being relegated to reserve duties.

...just need Bey to Catch and Shoot AND STOP STEPPING OUT OF BOUNDS!

 

22 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

IST

Let's Go Hawks!

[lethalweapon3]

Okay, fine, that's a good enough "personal reason." Welcome little miss Teal Dove to the Hawk family!

While Trae celebrates his newest bundle o' joy, and with Kobe Bufkin still sidelined, will we see assistant-coach-in-a-jersey Patty Mills make his Hawks debut today? Wesley Mathews got fresh off the injury list, and got Hawks Daddy-Son history going right with a pair of third-quarter threes in the loss to MIami. Will it be Patty's turn to make a splash, or will it be Trent Forrest doing spot duty, or will we get to witness the greatness that is Point Bogi?

On the Pistons' OUT list: Bojangles, Duren, Livers, Monte, Joe Harris. Jamelle has all three of the team's Two-Way players with him for tonight's home G-League debut at Wayne State Fieldhouse versus the Iowa Wolves.

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Who gets the start tonight with Trae out? My guess is Bogi.

Maybe AJ gets some minutes tonight.  Or will Patty finally get to play meaningful minutes?

[bird_dirt]

Yeah

Yeah

Yeaaaah

[Spud2nique]

Slay us @lethalweapon3 like friggin poetry in motion. I haven’t been thinking about you in the shower lately..  I take baths  

Got the Hawks by 7 tonight, that was with Trae in. Kinda intrigued to see the Thompstud kid from the yay.. baller alert  

Vegas got Hawks -4.5

Go Hawks!!!

[kg01]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Okay, fine, that's a good enough "personal reason." Welcome little miss Teal Dove to the Hawk family!

While Trae celebrates his newest bundle o' joy, and with Kobe Bufkin still sidelined, will we see assistant-coach-in-a-jersey Patty Mills make his Hawks debut today? Wesley Mathews got fresh off the injury list, and got Hawks Daddy-Son history going right with a pair of third-quarter threes in the loss to MIami. Will it be Patty's turn to make a splash, or will it be Trent Forrest doing spot duty, or will we get to witness the greatness that is Point Bogi?

On the Pistons' OUT list: Bojangles, Duren, Livers, Monte, Joe Harris. Jamelle has all three of the team's Two-Way players with him for tonight's home G-League debut at Wayne State Fieldhouse versus the Iowa Wolves.

~lw3

Teal?

Trae to Charlotte confirmed?!! 

[Gray Mule]

Trae, being a new father of a bouncing baby girl, is taking the night off!

Our 1st round pick PG is out with a broken thumb.  Wonder who fills in tonight?

[kg01]

1 minute ago, Gray Mule said:

Trae, being a new father of a bouncing baby girl, is taking the night off!

Our 1st round pick PG is out with a broken thumb.  Wonder who fills in tonight?

Sign a 10-day, gm.  We know you can foul somebody atleast.  Make em feel you. 

[Spud2nique]

20 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Teal?

Trae to Charlotte confirmed?!! 

I said that yesterday Teal was gonna be a Hornets fan. Name the girl Harry!  

18 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Sign a 10-day, gm.  We know you can foul somebody atleast.  Make em feel you. 

Bruno.. get ready baby, time to lay a peep out.. see this is what gets my beak wet! 

[Spud2nique]

20 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Trae, being a new father of a bouncing baby girl, is taking the night off!

Different kind of load management he’s literally carry 8 pounds aka load  

21 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

Trae, being a new father of a bouncing baby girl, is taking the night off!

Our 1st round pick PG is out with a broken thumb.  Wonder who fills in tonight?

On a night where he had 16 dimes for me on 2K no less!  

[AHF]

We are right on the .500 cusp so this game has the chance to be an epic faceoff.  The Hawks need to be aggressive and come out like they are mainlining caffeine to prove they are the real thing and not just let some Piston's reserve come off the bench from out of nowhere and bomb us with 5 3's and a "surprise, you're dead just like every other time you let some no name go off against you." 

The morning after a loss like that always feels like everything's ruined.  Quin can't let us go digging our grave with a slow start.  Any m******f****** who comes out helpless and doesn't got that feeling needs to get out so we can play guys who are ready to be a superhero from the time the ball tips.  Otherwise, they can hit the bench or so help me I will take this bottle and curse them out as I stand naked in front of my computer. 

Embrace gameday, Hawks, and be a king for a day so I don't suffer a midlife crisis watching this team play down to a club like Detroit!

Also zombie eaters, crack hitler, cuckoo for caca, and woodpecker from mars.

[kg01]

10 minutes ago, Spud2nique said:

I said that yesterday Teal was gonna be a Hornets fan. Name the girl Harry!  

These days.... ah, I'll stop.  Don't wanna get can'tsell'd. 

[AHF]

5 minutes ago, kg01 said:

These days.... ah, I'll stop.  Don't wanna get can'tsell'd. 

It was Trae's baby girl!  Nobody is going to cancel you for that one.

[kg01]

23 minutes ago, AHF said:

It was Trae's baby girl!  Nobody is going to cancel you for that one.

Ha, these "patriots" and "snowflakes" can cancel anybody.

Wait, do I get in trouble for a political post that offends both dumbarse sides? 

[HawksNWaffles]

Let's go Hawks 

 

[shakes]

Trae not playing really helps my decision tonight.    

[Gray Mule]

1 hour ago, Spud2nique said:

I said that yesterday Teal was gonna be a Hornets fan. Name the girl Harry!  

 

Spud:  True story.  Several years ago I had a dentist that I also sold insurance to.  His first name was Harry.  His full name was 

Dr Harry Dickey, DDS

[benhillboy]

That boy Trae got a lifetime supply of perfectly tailored adidas track and sweatsuits.  I ain’t mad at him.

I’m intrigued to see this Sasser kid at Point, he’s got some outstanding metrics.  Second straight game versus a team getting far better value out of a later first round pick than the Hawks smh.  Meanwhile Cade Cunningham has apparently been moved from PG and is still awful.  I never got the Monty Williams fascination.  Much better suited as an assistant, and not even the lead.