Official Game Thread: Hawks at Celtics

[NBASupes]

8 minutes ago, kg01 said:

That's why I said it "seems" stacked.  Teams' records are leading these eggsperts to believe they're seeing greatness in those teams.  I don't see it with any of them really.  Of course one will advance but I don't believe in any of them.  MIL still has a Rivers problem but their overall talent could overcome it.  

I am not sold Doc is a problem and never have been. I always seen Doc in a good light. 

With the exception of Orlando, the East haven't had good drafts recently. The West had plenty with good drafts. 

[kg01]

2 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

I am not sold Doc is a problem and never have been. I always seen Doc in a good light. 

With the exception of Orlando, the East haven't had good drafts recently. The West had plenty with good drafts. 

We can agree to disagree on gLLLLenn.  You don't have the collapses and chaos he's had by accident.

Totally agree on the east drafts.  Just terrible picking regardless of draft position.  Take a look at what CHA has done over the recent years.  Criminal. 

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, kg01 said:

I wasn't super impressed with Loston.  Theyre loaded compared to us but we fairly easily hung with them and were down 2 starters. 

I thought I would be more impressed but I just wasn't.  As a team that's much better balanced and having an actual identity and plan, they win games.  But they have the same weaknesses as past years.  They play wrong (all the 3s despite a decided and comical size advantage).  And still have a Jaylen Brown aka TO problem.  His decision-making and handle will betray them at some point.

They, like the nicks, seem like heavy favorites now but I think they're ripe for the pickin.  Not necessarily by us  since we clearly have our own issues.  LAC and a few others are still a tier above them. 

I wanna smack Pritchard in the face. I have problems with guys like Pritchard Delly Caruso TJ McConnell (that fool needs his beat a bit; he’s feelin himself a lil too much for my taste these days, get back in line).

I don’t know if I have a specific dislike as far as prototype but they all seem to be wannabe lil gritty white dudes . Nothing like the prototype we have here at squawk..

 

  

[macdaddy]

This is why Hawks piddling around refusing to add good players because "he's not worth going into the tax for" BS is so frustrating.  It doesn't take two superstars or a big three anymore to get to the finals.  It takes one star and a bunch of guys who are good, play hard, and knock down shots.  

[Atlantaholic]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

This is why Hawks piddling around refusing to add good players because "he's not worth going into the tax for" BS is so frustrating.  It doesn't take two superstars or a big three anymore to get to the finals.  It takes one star and a bunch of guys who are good, play hard, and knock down shots.  

The play-in has altered the fundamental power dynamics up and down the standings. Every team wants to make the playoffs and almost every team is in a position to do so, so those "extra" guys no one used to care about end up mattering quite a bit. Look around the league in both conferences at the trade deadline... not a lot of sellers. 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, macdaddy said:

This is why Hawks piddling around refusing to add good players because "he's not worth going into the tax for" BS is so frustrating.  It doesn't take two superstars or a big three anymore to get to the finals.  It takes one star and a bunch of guys who are good, play hard, and knock down shots.  

But again, we didn't need to be in the tax this year since we are sitting on $9 million under the tax. 

[AHF]

4 hours ago, Spud2nique said:

I wanna smack Pritchard in the face. I have problems with guys like Pritchard Delly Caruso TJ McConnell (that fool needs his beat a bit; he’s feelin himself a lil too much for my taste these days, get back in line).

I don’t know if I have a specific dislike as far as prototype but they all seem to be wannabe lil gritty white dudes . Nothing like the prototype we have here at squawk..

 

  

I have those guys in two camps.  I have no problem with the Caruso / McConnell types who play hard but generally clean.  If they can elevate their games then good for them.  They would certainly be assets to the Hawks and generally are on cheap contracts.  I advocated hard for TJ McConnell years ago when he signed that two year $7M contract in 2019.  Like the Hawks couldn't have outbid the Pacers for him.   Missed opportunity.  Probably the biggest reason Caruso didn't get moved is he is so cheap on his sub-$10M/year contract that it is hard for the Bulls to find matching value.

I have a huge problem with the Delly / Grayson types who are dirty SOBs that do things that repeatedly put people at risk to get hurt to "earn" their spots.  **** those guys.

[AHF]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

But again, we didn't need to be in the tax this year since we are sitting on $9 million under the tax. 

Right.  We could trade one of our bench warmers who aren't good enough to play and add a $12M player and still be under the tax line.  (Or trade Patty and get a >$17M player, etc.)  Especially if you are taking back expiring salary there is no downside if your goal is to win this year.  We just never committed to winning this season and seem to kind of be in no man's land as far as team building philosophy the last few years.