Official Game Thread: Raptors at Hawks (6 PM Tip!)

[Gray Mule]

Toronto don't shoot a lot from downtown.  Toronto killed the Hawks with 3 point shots and stayed around for this last second shot by Bey before they gave in.  Good to win any game now.  Skyhawks on a roll!!

[Nash]

Bogi 4 for 8 and the rest of the team is 2 for 19 for 3. 

[kg01]

1 hour ago, hawkman said:

A win is a win. Sigh.

I like to call these not-losses 'cause we definitely tried our best to snatch defeat from the jaws o' victory. 

[Chrimturn]

Any day now we’re  gonna get a game when they finally put it all together.  Any day now.

[JeffS17]

My two big takeaways from this game:

• Trae is playing the best basketball of his career, and that includes his shot being slightly off from normal.  The effort and impact on the defensive end makes up for his shooting efficiency this year.  And he's directing the offense better than in the past while still playmaking at a high level.  I don't know if someone said something to him recently but he's toned it down with the officials in the last few games as well
• Bey, despite shooting like me out there, is a keeper for this team -- assuming he wants to be in Atlanta.  He's a very high energy player that impacts the game a ton even when he shoots poorly.  I think the shot will regress back to O.K. eventually and he's a guy you want in the rotation

[Sothron]

I am glad we won the game. Any win is a good one. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Lots of minutes for the starters, and we play on Tues.

 

[NBASupes]

49 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

My two big takeaways from this game:

• Trae is playing the best basketball of his career, and that includes his shot being slightly off from normal.  The effort and impact on the defensive end makes up for his shooting efficiency this year.  And he's directing the offense better than in the past while still playmaking at a high level.  I don't know if someone said something to him recently but he's toned it down with the officials in the last few games as well
• Bey, despite shooting like me out there, is a keeper for this team -- assuming he wants to be in Atlanta.  He's a very high energy player that impacts the game a ton even when he shoots poorly.  I think the shot will regress back to O.K. eventually and he's a guy you want in the rotation

Bey shooting will be fine once he can go back to his normal role when Hunter comes back

[JeffS17]

4 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Bey shooting will be fine once he can go back to his normal role when Hunter comes back

I don't think it's just that because he's missing wide open threes.  That doesn't really matter who is on the court with him or what his role is.  He's not taking more difficult threes than when Hunter is in the rotation -- he's just not making them.  I do think he'll turn it around though.

[NBASupes]

22 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I don't think it's just that because he's missing wide open threes.  That doesn't really matter who is on the court with him or what his role is.  He's not taking more difficult threes than when Hunter is in the rotation -- he's just not making them.  I do think he'll turn it around though.

It's the role. Wide open 3s when you are way fraguied is a lot and a lot of this is lingering. It's not just a night of 40 mpg. It's lingering fagtiue. 

[JeffS17]

28 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

It's the role. Wide open 3s when you are way fraguied is a lot and a lot of this is lingering. It's not just a night of 40 mpg. It's lingering fagtiue. 

"3 and D" is a pretty common archetype.  NBA players should be able to make threes at a higher clip than 0/5, 0/6, and 2/7 (in his last three) regardless of how fatigued they are.  He's not taking difficult shots -- in fact most of them are corner threes

[RedDawg#8]

Missed the game due to football. Glad we won.

[BrazilianHawk]

I win is a win. This one was as sloppy as they get, but still a win. Thanks, Saddiq. 

[macdaddy]

So folks like Bey again?  LOL.   Bey is a high effort, physical player who normally is a good shooter.  We need more guys with those traits not less. 

[kg01]

9 hours ago, NBASupes said:

It's the role. Wide open 3s when you are way fraguied is a lot and a lot of this is lingering. It's not just a night of 40 mpg. It's lingering fagtiue. 

So what's the solution considering, sadly, Hunter is the walking dead?

[AHF]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

So folks like Bey again?  LOL.   Bey is a high effort, physical player who normally is a good shooter.  We need more guys with those traits not less. 

I expect his shooting to rebound at some point.  He is getting good looks just on a brutal stretch.  His defensive limitations are something I don't think can get cured - just a matter of returning him to a better more limited role as far as his defensive responsibilities.  

He is a price point player this offseason.  You let him go if he will cost too much but keep him if the price is right.  Would be open to trading him if a good return lines up since this season is a lost season at this point and he is a FA after this year (i.e., the impact he can make this season is worth more to someone else than to us).

[JeffS17]

1 minute ago, AHF said:

I expect his shooting to rebound at some point.  He is getting good looks just on a brutal stretch.  His defensive limitations are something I don't think can get cured - just a matter of returning him to a better more limited role as far as his defensive responsibilities.  

He is a price point player this offseason.  You let him go if he will cost too much but keep him if the price is right.  Would be open to trading him if a good return lines up since this season is a lost season at this point and he is a FA after this year (i.e., the impact he can make this season is worth more to someone else than to us).

I think he will probably land something like $15M/year.  Would you pay that?

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

I think he will probably land something like $15M/year.  Would you pay that?

If we are trying to win next year and Snyder wants him back then I think that is reasonable given what other players are at that price point.  That seems like a fine price for a 6-8 guy in the rotation.  If we keep him this year, I wouldn't be afraid to let him shop himself and reserve the right to match as I'm not sure he gets more than the MLE if he keeps playing anything like this.

If OO was performing at the expected level, I would say he is clearly the better prospect and should have a higher contract which is why I was psyched about giving him ~$15M per.

[JeffS17]

2 minutes ago, AHF said:

If we are trying to win next year and Snyder wants him back then I think that is reasonable given what other players are at that price point.  That seems like a fine price for a 6-8 guy in the rotation.  If we keep him this year, I wouldn't be afraid to let him shop himself and reserve the right to match as I'm not sure he gets more than the MLE if he keeps playing anything like this.

If OO was performing at the expected level, I would say he is clearly the better prospect and should have a higher contract which is why I was psyched about giving him ~$15M per.

Yeah, agree with all of this.  I still think there's a chance OO's contract looks like a huge steal by next year -- I really want to see how he does after we trade CC.

[AHF]

2 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

Yeah, agree with all of this.  I still think there's a chance OO's contract looks like a huge steal by next year -- I really want to see how he does after we trade CC.

I just want to see him move the needle in the right direction.  This feels like a lost first half of  the season for OO even though he is playing every game.  Just seems like he hasn't sparked this year.