Official Game Thread: Hawks at Bucks

[lethalweapon3]

“Just about done sculpting your Springfield bust, Coach. Don’t move a muscle!”

 

Carolyn Peck is an enshrined Hall of Fame basketball coach, inducted last year at Knoxville’s Women’s Basketball hall in her home state of Tennessee, where she starred at Vanderbilt and assisted Lady Vols coaching legend Pat Summitt.

Back in 1999, while straddling her collegiate coaching gig at Purdue and a WNBA head coaching hire in Orlando, Peck led the Boilermakers to a 34-1 record, undefeated in the Big Ten conference, and its first NCAA title. In so doing, she became the youngest person, at age 33, and the first African-American, to serve as head coach of a D-I women’s basketball champion.

Since 2007, she has spent much of her career as a sportscasting mainstay on ESPN’s family of networks, covering lots of basketball games. She is an initiator of the nickname “KFC” for WNBA All-Star and Olympian Kahleah Copper, for reasons you can probably figure out.

As a coach, as a commentator, Coach Peck is well renowned. Probably never as much as she is this year, thanks to The Internets.

Her distinctive whiskey-toned Tennessee drawl slipped out in double-taking, attention-seizing fashion in February, during a broadcast when her alma mater was facing Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers. She offered her perspective of how she’d keep morale going among the impressionable ladies under her guidance, after the referees warned coach Kim Mulkey and Reese’s overzealous mates along LSU’s sideline.

“As a coach, I’d say, ‘BENCH! Stay in this ballgame. Stay excited! Stay enthusiastic! Pull your team through. I don’t care if the officials are telling you to sit down!’”

The N! in BENCH was faintly audible. The E! in BENCH was dragged beyond its monosyllabic form, and came across the airwaves as another vowel entirely. The B! was sharp, and hard as pecan brittle. The CH! unmistakably attached an exclamation mark.

By uttering a word that rhymes with WENCH! and making it sound more like a synonym, the great Carolyn Peck went viral in a cheeky fun way. In what is likely to be the final full year of its existence, the FCC scrambled to verify that ESPN shouldn’t draw a hefty fine.

Marconi Award finalists Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine pounced on the sound byte. Even months later, you won’t get through a week on their SiriusXM NBA morning radio show without Isola gleefully pressing the BENCH! Button when the occasion calls for it. A comment veers too closely to an insult, or a coach or player hints at wanting to open up the library by “reading” a press member? “BENCH!”

I bring all this up because our Atlanta Hawks our slowly proving to be BENCH-made, and I like it.

Quin Snyder’s team has 99 problems. But the BENCH ain’t one, at least not lately.

Entering Cleveland’s fieldhouse last week, you’d be hard pressed to find worse reserve production than Atlanta’s (minus-5.4 bench Net Rating through Nov. 25, 29^th in NBA behind DEN). Timely shooting and passing left much to be desired. And as bad as Trae Young and his fellow starters get pilloried for their perimeter defense, the backups had been arguably worse (40.5 opponent 3FG% with bench players on-court, “just” 39.6 with Atlanta’s starters, each worst in NBA).

Then came the return of players like De’Andre Hunter, Kobe Bufkin, Bogi Bogdanovic, and Vit Krejci, joining forces with Onyeka Okongwu to stir the BENCH’s brew. Atlanta (11-11) has won their past four games, and the reserves have won the battle of the benches every time (62-28 @ CLE, 50-28 vs. CLE, 47-37 @ CHA, and 52-29 in Monday’s 124-112 win vs. NOP). Now, ain’t that a BENCH!

What made 2021’s postseason such a fun run was that opponents could not simply drill down on Trae, or get John Collins or Clint Capela in foul trouble, and expect to be on Easy Street the rest of the way. Having to game-plan for Danilo Gallinari, Lou Will, rookie Okongwu, even sharpshooter Cam Reddish was the kind of thing coaches like Tom Thibodeau and Doc Rivers weren’t prepared for, until it was too late.

Now the Hawks of 2024-25 (11-11) are giving themselves a puncher’s chance, knocking unaware opponents off-balance with the zeal of Solomon Hill. With a Net Rating of +4.4 among the backups since last Wednesday, even Trina would concur the Hawks could become the baddest BENCH, once Bufkin (4-for-4 FGs vs. NOP) gets to showcase more of his preseason glimpses, Okongwu builds better rapport with Hunter (minus-3.4 points per-100 as a two-man tandem, as per bball-ref), and Bogdanovic (8-for-27 3FGs in past 4 appearances) returns to Sixth Man Award finalist form. They’ll benefit tonight from taking on a third-consecutive opponent that’s playing on a SEGABABA.

Fourth all-time in NBA playoff wins, and 30 wins away from tying Phil Jackson for seventh in regular-season wins all-time, Rivers is sure to be enshrined in Springfield’s Hall of Fame. (Quin Snyder has work cut out, although being one win away from moving into the NBA’s Top 50 for regular-season coaching wins is nice).

Being a ben curt with Bit… excuse me, a bit curt with Ben, after blowing 2021’s Game 7 versus the Hawks, derailed Rivers’ plans to lock down his Hall of Fame bid in Philly. But Doc has a chance to make amends by steering Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s Bucks toward another championship.

After spoiling the Pistons’ NBA Cup dreams in Detroit last night, the Bucks (11-9) seek to extend their winning streak to eight games tonight versus the Hawks (8 PM Eastern, FanDuel Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, FDS Wisconsin).

Is… is there another Taurean Prince that I’m unaware of? Prince would probably explain that when you have the ball far enough away from the basket, and heave the ball in a way that gravity directs it into the hoop, then that helps explain why you, too, can lead the NBA in three-point percentage (56.6 3FG%, up from 39.6 last season w/ LAL). Prince elevated his marksmanship with the Lakers last season when he returned to the bench and shot 42.1 percent on triples in his final 31 games.

Bucks fans had a fine time laughing about chasing after the Kings’ Bogdanovic in 2021’s rushed free agency, claiming the fine for the flubbed opportunity proved to be worth every penny. But free agents like Prince became sought-after commodities in 2024, for Milwaukee’s starting lineup, once Khris Middleton’s status became murky for the second consecutive season, and Rivers concluded his hostile takeover of Adrian Griffin’s job by going 17-19 and watching Milwaukee, with Damian Lillard, Middleton and Brook Lopez but without Giannis, go 7-for-27 from long-range in a closeout playoff loss at division rival Indiana.

With Prince becoming essential for Milwaukee’s starting unit, and Middleton returning for his season debut, who is providing the punch off Rivers’ bench to help Giannis (NBA-high 32.7 PPG) and Dame put games away? Gary Trent, Jr. was starting during the Bucks’ preposterous 1-6 season start, but is finding his sea legs (16 bench points and a pair of steals last night @ DET) now that he’s eating into the struggling Pat Connaughton’s playing time.

Shooting the three-ball at a pace nearly as torrid as Taurean is “The Dairy Bird” A.J. Green (49.5 3FG%, 3-for-3 from three @ DET), who could stand to cut down on his fouling (5.3 personals/game over his past four) as Rivers elevates his minutes. Another ex-Hawk, Delon Wright has not done enough to earn Rivers’ trust as a Lillard backup. There’s always sixth-man extraordinaire Bobby Portis (4-for-7 3FGs, 1-for-5 2FGs on Tuesday), but his production and efficiency have declined across the board.

Last night’s 128-107 mauling in Motown allowed Rivers to limit Giannis (10-for-10 from the field before missing his first shot) to under 28 minutes of action, keeping his fresh for his face-off with steady-Eddie Wisconsinite Jalen Johnson (last 6 games: 22.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 BPG, 44.8 3FG%, 87.5 FT%) and the Hawks. What helps the Hawks is that the newfound play by their reserves are keeping Johnson, and Young, fresh without having to check back into games climbing Atlanta out of deeper holes.

Whosoever gains the edge among the backups will have their team in better position to closeout and win, not fray and meltdown, at the close of tonight’s action. Having grown used to such ineptitude for over a month, it amazes to imagine that Atlanta could be one of the teams in the running for victory tonight.

That’s because even Elton John could tell you… the BENCH is back!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Trae (Achilles tendinitis) and Giannis (knee tendinopathy) are each Probable to play today. Despite hints that the Bucks would spring Khris Middleton (post-ankle surgery, playing 5-on-5 scrimmages in practice since last week) free tonight, they'll hold him Out just a little longer.

~lw3

[benhillboy]

Yall know how this goes: that bug-eyed bastard on the bench is gonna pour up 26/10.  Hopefully the Hawks can pull it out despite his vintage one-man run.

[Wretch]

I'm going to start doing a "Wretch's Reverse Jinx Anti-Keys to the Game"

Here's tonight's:

• Major factors: Source - "Trust me bro"
  • We're on a streak and Milwaukee is on a streak, so clearly WE need to lose this game
  • This would be a good measuring stick  - so of course we'll lay an egg
  • We've struggled to make shots, so we'll do that tonight - after we give up 43 points in the 1st quarter and settle down
    • Bogi's late night reps will pay off
  • We're expecting Bench Dre , but it's been too positive for too long
    • The yolk of tonight's egg will be us getting 7/3/1 from DeArvin Huntlliams
    • The '1' could be rebounds or assists
• Refs
  • Totally gonna bone us
  • Giannis, Dame, Doc?  Better that Milwaukee is doing well for the NBA
• Randofactor: Scale of 0-10 for a career night from a young random
  • 1: Bucks run enough vets that could go off on us

[lethalweapon3]

Well isn't that wrench... I meant rich?!

~lw3

 

[SalvorMallow]

4 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“Just about done sculpting your Springfield bust, Coach. Don’t move a muscle!”

 

Carolyn Peck is an enshrined Hall of Fame basketball coach, inducted last year at Knoxville’s Women’s Basketball hall in her home state of Tennessee, where she starred at Vanderbilt and assisted Lady Vols coaching legend Pat Summitt.

Back in 1999, while straddling her collegiate coaching gig at Purdue and a WNBA head coaching hire in Orlando, Peck led the Boilermakers to a 34-1 record, undefeated in the Big Ten conference, and its first NCAA title. In so doing, she became the youngest person, at age 33, and the first African-American, to serve as head coach of a D-I women’s basketball champion.

Since 2007, she has spent much of her career as a sportscasting mainstay on ESPN’s family of networks, covering lots of basketball games. She is an initiator of the nickname “KFC” for WNBA All-Star and Olympian Kahleah Copper, for reasons you can probably figure out.

As a coach, as a commentator, Coach Peck is well renowned. Probably never as much as she is this year, thanks to The Internets.

Her distinctive whiskey-toned Tennessee drawl slipped out in double-taking, attention-seizing fashion in February, during a broadcast when her alma mater was facing Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers. She offered her perspective of how she’d keep morale going among the impressionable ladies under her guidance, after the referees warned coach Kim Mulkey and Reese’s overzealous mates along LSU’s sideline.

“As a coach, I’d say, ‘BENCH! Stay in this ballgame. Stay excited! Stay enthusiastic! Pull your team through. I don’t care if the officials are telling you to sit down!’”

The N! in BENCH was faintly audible. The E! in BENCH was dragged beyond its monosyllabic form, and came across the airwaves as another vowel entirely. The B! was sharp, and hard as pecan brittle. The CH! unmistakably attached an exclamation mark.

By uttering a word that rhymes with WENCH! and making it sound more like a synonym, the great Carolyn Peck went viral in a cheeky fun way. In what is likely to be the final full year of its existence, the FCC scrambled to verify that ESPN shouldn’t draw a hefty fine.

Marconi Award finalists Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine pounced on the sound byte. Even months later, you won’t get through a week on their SiriusXM NBA morning radio show without Isola gleefully pressing the BENCH! Button when the occasion calls for it. A comment veers too closely to an insult, or a coach or player hints at wanting to open up the library by “reading” a press member? “BENCH!”

I bring all this up because our Atlanta Hawks our slowly proving to be BENCH-made, and I like it.

Quin Snyder’s team has 99 problems. But the BENCH ain’t one, at least not lately.

Entering Cleveland’s fieldhouse last week, you’d be hard pressed to find worse reserve production than Atlanta’s (minus-5.4 bench Net Rating through Nov. 25, 29^th in NBA behind DEN). Timely shooting and passing left much to be desired. And as bad as Trae Young and his fellow starters get pilloried for their perimeter defense, the backups had been arguably worse (40.5 opponent 3FG% with bench players on-court, “just” 39.6 with Atlanta’s starters, each worst in NBA).

Then came the return of players like De’Andre Hunter, Kobe Bufkin, Bogi Bogdanovic, and Vit Krejci, joining forces with Onyeka Okongwu to stir the BENCH’s brew. Atlanta (11-11) has won their past four games, and the reserves have won the battle of the benches every time (62-28 @ CLE, 50-28 vs. CLE, 47-37 @ CHA, and 52-29 in Monday’s 124-112 win vs. NOP). Now, ain’t that a BENCH!

What made 2021’s postseason such a fun run was that opponents could not simply drill down on Trae, or get John Collins or Clint Capela in foul trouble, and expect to be on Easy Street the rest of the way. Having to game-plan for Danilo Gallinari, Lou Will, rookie Okongwu, even sharpshooter Cam Reddish was the kind of thing coaches like Tom Thibodeau and Doc Rivers weren’t prepared for, until it was too late.

Now the Hawks of 2024-25 (11-11) are giving themselves a puncher’s chance, knocking unaware opponents off-balance with the zeal of Solomon Hill. With a Net Rating of +4.4 among the backups since last Wednesday, even Trina would concur the Hawks could become the baddest BENCH, once Bufkin (4-for-4 FGs vs. NOP) gets to showcase more of his preseason glimpses, Okongwu builds better rapport with Hunter (minus-3.4 points per-100 as a two-man tandem, as per bball-ref), and Bogdanovic (8-for-27 3FGs in past 4 appearances) returns to Sixth Man Award finalist form. They’ll benefit tonight from taking on a third-consecutive opponent that’s playing on a SEGABABA.

Fourth all-time in NBA playoff wins, and 30 wins away from tying Phil Jackson for seventh in regular-season wins all-time, Rivers is sure to be enshrined in Springfield’s Hall of Fame. (Quin Snyder has work cut out, although being one win away from moving into the NBA’s Top 50 for regular-season coaching wins is nice).

Being a ben curt with Bit… excuse me, a bit curt with Ben, after blowing 2021’s Game 7 versus the Hawks, derailed Rivers’ plans to lock down his Hall of Fame bid in Philly. But Doc has a chance to make amends by steering Giannis Antetokounmpo and Milwaukee’s Bucks toward another championship.

After spoiling the Pistons’ NBA Cup dreams in Detroit last night, the Bucks (11-9) seek to extend their winning streak to eight games tonight versus the Hawks (8 PM Eastern, FanDuel Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, FDS Wisconsin).

Is… is there another Taurean Prince that I’m unaware of? Prince would probably explain that when you have the ball far enough away from the basket, and heave the ball in a way that gravity directs it into the hoop, then that helps explain why you, too, can lead the NBA in three-point percentage (56.6 3FG%, up from 39.6 last season w/ LAL). Prince elevated his marksmanship with the Lakers last season when he returned to the bench and shot 42.1 percent on triples in his final 31 games.

Bucks fans had a fine time laughing about chasing after the Kings’ Bogdanovic in 2021’s rushed free agency, claiming the fine for the flubbed opportunity proved to be worth every penny. But free agents like Prince became sought-after commodities in 2024, for Milwaukee’s starting lineup, once Khris Middleton’s status became murky for the second consecutive season, and Rivers concluded his hostile takeover of Adrian Griffin’s job by going 17-19 and watching Milwaukee, with Damian Lillard, Middleton and Brook Lopez but without Giannis, go 7-for-27 from long-range in a closeout playoff loss at division rival Indiana.

With Prince becoming essential for Milwaukee’s starting unit, and Middleton returning for his season debut, who is providing the punch off Rivers’ bench to help Giannis (NBA-high 32.7 PPG) and Dame put games away? Gary Trent, Jr. was starting during the Bucks’ preposterous 1-6 season start, but is finding his sea legs (16 bench points and a pair of steals last night @ DET) now that he’s eating into the struggling Pat Connaughton’s playing time.

Shooting the three-ball at a pace nearly as torrid as Taurean is “The Dairy Bird” A.J. Green (49.5 3FG%, 3-for-3 from three @ DET), who could stand to cut down on his fouling (5.3 personals/game over his past four) as Rivers elevates his minutes. Another ex-Hawk, Delon Wright has not done enough to earn Rivers’ trust as a Lillard backup. There’s always sixth-man extraordinaire Bobby Portis (4-for-7 3FGs, 1-for-5 2FGs on Tuesday), but his production and efficiency have declined across the board.

Last night’s 128-107 mauling in Motown allowed Rivers to limit Giannis (10-for-10 from the field before missing his first shot) to under 28 minutes of action, keeping his fresh for his face-off with steady-Eddie Wisconsinite Jalen Johnson (last 6 games: 22.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.3 BPG, 44.8 3FG%, 87.5 FT%) and the Hawks. What helps the Hawks is that the newfound play by their reserves are keeping Johnson, and Young, fresh without having to check back into games climbing Atlanta out of deeper holes.

Whosoever gains the edge among the backups will have their team in better position to closeout and win, not fray and meltdown, at the close of tonight’s action. Having grown used to such ineptitude for over a month, it amazes to imagine that Atlanta could be one of the teams in the running for victory tonight.

That’s because even Elton John could tell you… the BENCH is back!

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

Incredible as always, thanks lw3! You must be racking up a streak like Steve Holman for these game threads. 

 

1 hour ago, Wretch said:

I'm going to start doing a "Wretch's Reverse Jinx Anti-Keys to the Game"

Here's tonight's:

• Major factors: Source - "Trust me bro"
  • We're on a streak and Milwaukee is on a streak, so clearly WE need to lose this game
  • This would be a good measuring stick  - so of course we'll lay an egg
  • We've struggled to make shots, so we'll do that tonight - after we give up 43 points in the 1st quarter and settle down
    • Bogi's late night reps will pay off
  • We're expecting Bench Dre , but it's been too positive for too long
    • The yolk of tonight's egg will be us getting 7/3/1 from DeArvin Huntlliams tonight
    • The '1' could be rebounds or assists
• Refs
  • Totally gonna bone us - Giannis, Dame, Doc?  Better that Milwaukee is doing well for the NBA
• Randofactor: Scale of 0-10 for a career night for young random
  • 1: Bucks run enough vets that could go off on us

Awesome post this brought a smile to my face. 

[lethalweapon3]

 

~lw3

[ATLHawks3]

This might be a game where I think Quin should go to a 10-man rotation and have Nance play some minutes to guard Giannis and use up some of his fouls.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[hylndr11]

2 hours ago, benhillboy said:

Yall know how this goes: that bug-eyed bastard on the bench is gonna pour up 26/10.  Hopefully the Hawks can pull it out despite his vintage one-man run.

wait who has bug eyes?

[JayBirdHawk]

8 minutes ago, hylndr11 said:

wait who has bug eyes?

 

[Wretch]

25 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

[Wretch]

Red unis

...all bets are off.  Guaranteed L tonight

[ShayD]

Front court this game needs to lock in. Not off to a good start. You look at this game and tell me Capela is a top 15 center? 

[benhillboy]

Taurean does one thing: stand there with his hands out.  It works out pretty well for him tho.

What is that hopping around Jalen is doing guarding Giannis in the post?  I don’t like it.

I guess we won’t see any plus size lineups versus Giannis.

[JayBirdHawk]

Watching the boxscore - is this real?  I

 

 

[ShayD]

Just now, JayBirdHawk said:

Watching the boxscore - is this real?  I

 

 

No but he has made 2 floaters.

[ShayD]

Ok the refs this game need to be checked. If they are going to be calling the game like this then the chance for a win is very very low.

[sturt]

2 minutes ago, ShayD said:

Front court this game needs to lock in. Not off to a good start. You look at this game and tell me Capela is a top 15 center? 

What the?

You're proposing it's valid to judge any given player... any... on the basis of... one game?... nay, one quarter?... nay HALF of a quarter???

Dats some strong shade being thrown right there.

[JayBirdHawk]

2 fouls on Dyson already? Refs didn't get the memo he's the DPOM?