Official Game Thread: Lakers at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

“Don’t you dare blame Bronny for all this! Come after me! I’m a MAN!”

 

I must admit that I struggled to return to the back half of the Hawks’ solid win in Milwaukee, since I made the grave mistake of tuning in during a break to check out NBATV. Try as I might, I could not, as the late movie critic Roger Ebert would say of a thumbs-way-down film, “Avert! My! Eyes!”

I assure you, there is nothing Trae Young could be overheard on a hot mic, clapping back at some PBR-swilling Cheesehead heckler, that matched the scale of obscenity achieved on Wednesday, amid the heat’s rout of the alleged Los Angeles Lakers in Miami. Nary a cross word was uttered, but the Lakers’ on-court performance extended beyond obscene, into the downright macabre. I was affixed to the TV screen like the dude on Get Out, when ol’ lady won’t quit stirring her spoon in that dadgum teacup. ‘Twas a tempest in there!

I really wish I could tell you I was surprised by the display. Frankly, if you’re talking about the team run by LeBron’s first championship coach, then, yes, you can color me that. Erik Spoelstra’s crew rang up the highest scoring first quarter of their season. His players followed that up by tallying their highest scoring half. LeBron James had a front row seat to all the activity.

First-time coach JJ Redick and his charges moonwalked into the halftime locker room, waltzed back out, and promptly gave up the most points Miami has scored through three quarters. I shouldn’t have to underline that this is an Atlanta Hawks fan, looking on at the Lakers’ defensive effort disapprovingly.

Their offense wasn’t great shakes, either, barely better than Monday night when, daring to wear their “The Lake Show” unis in the land of the Great Lakes, they scored a paltry 80 points versus the T’Wolves in a 29-point blowout. But on Wednesday, Adebayo looked like his first name got changed to Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am. Jimmy Butler found time between fastbreak buckets to change his hair color.

Tyler Herro’s third quarter blitz (7 consecutive made threes) had people scurrying to find some Wilt-style poster board and a magic marker. Spoelstra trotted out the scrubs in the fourth quarter, yet even they got out scrub-a-dubbed by The Flake Show’s contingent. The unkindest cut for LeBron, though, was watching a grizzled former teammate who – again, another embarrassing admission – I forgot had not yet retired.

Kevin Love looked like he was back at UCLA, admiring the curvature on the Commissioner’s signature before making Anthony Davis pay repeatedly for not stepping out to guard him at the three-point line, never mind stepping in any direction to guard anybody on the other team.

Watching Love out there living it up (5 assists, a putback, a block, a steal and a pair of threes in 15 bench minutes) reminded me of his struggles on LeBron’s 30^th birthday, in Atlanta. LeBron was a DNP (sore left knee, mm hmm, sure) and an emerging Hawks squad ran Love ragged. An ineffective Love was benched early in the second half of Atlanta’s 109-101 win, dropping the Cavs to 18-13 (Cleveland would recover, although it would take a month or two). A decade later, was this K-Love’s kid, Kevvy, running circles around The James Gang?

Running Rob Pelinka’s cap-constrained roster with limited depth that doesn’t neatly fit around LeBron and Anthony Davis, Redick doesn’t really have the luxury of sitting and benching his showcase players on the Lakers (9-10 after a 3-0 start; 2-6, following a 6-game win streak versus weak opponents). He may not have much more than a month to turn this team around. Bball-ref cited the Lakers’ two-game losing differential, of 70 points, as the worst in franchise history, North Star State years included. That’s not the kind of history-making LeBron had in mind when he anointed Redick to supplant Darvin Ham.

To his credit, LeBron (team-highs of 29 points and 8 rebounds, but 5 TOs @ MIA) looks about as good as you can expect of any 40-year-old human trying to win NBA games as a starter in this era. At his big age, with all his accomplishments and laurels, he really should be San Diego Conquistador Wilt right now.

James should be the one stomping and stammering his way out of postgame press conferences, being cryptic and short with media questioners. About a half-year his senior, podcaster-broadcaster Redick gets to be the warm-up act until something changes. My problem is not with the future Coach Bron, but with his purported NBA75 co-star.

James’ average on-court speed, about 3.70 MPH, while on par with James Harden and Jayson Tatum, is the 3^rd slowest in the league among the 52 players with 20+ games under their belt averaging 30+ minutes. Right behind him on that list is Davis (3.74 MPH; probable for today despite plantar fasciitis), who turns 32 in March.

LeBron evolving into a lamppost in defensive transition is one thing. But there is little reason to be watching a five-time All-Defensive Teamer look like he’s running in La Brea tar. The Lakers are thin upfront with Jaxson Hayes (sprained/bruised ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot surgery), and Christian Wood (knee surgery). None of them, individually, are panaceas, especially not for the team defense.

If you have to be dogging it up the court, you’d best do it flanked by some freaking greyhounds. That’s what Trae Young has with Jalen Johnson (4.40 MPH, 6^th among that NBA cohort) and Dyson Daniels (4.52 MPH, 3^rd) going end-to-end on end. Given Johnson’s ability to win track meets and hurdle races, it won’t surprise you that Austin Reaves (out) plans to heal up his contused pelvis just a tad bit longer.

While tonight’s game isn’t a SEGABABA, as was the case for Atlanta’s past few opponents, this has been, as the late Bill Walton might have put it, a long, strange trip for the Lakers. After dropping home games to Orlando and Denver, Los Angeles spent the run-up to Thanksgiving playing back-to-back in Phoenix and San Antonio.

The day after Turkey Day was a home game versus OKC, and then came this four-game criss-cross-country swing that concludes tonight. Back-to-back against Utah (an LAL win, by 1 point) and Minnesota, then due all the way south, to Wednesday’s disastrous showing in South Beach, home to LeBron’s Not Three championship trophies. Thank goodness, there’s no need for Bron to defend his NBA Cup. Not Two.

The Lakers won’t have much time to dwell on today’s results, as they’re going back to Cali (yeah, I think so) with the Blazers awaiting their arrival for a game on Sunday. Some attendees rocking purple-and-gold at State Farm Arena today (7:30 PM Eastern, FanDuel Sports Southeast, The CW/PeachtreeTV and 92.9 FM in ATL, Spectrum SportsNet in LAX) might be just as disappointed that kiddo Bronny (questionable, contused heel) could be a gametime scratch as paw-paw Bron (questionable, sore foot).

Redick, like James, probably wishes he could be a 40-ish player-coach, especially against teams like the Hawks that roll out the red carpets and velvet ropes toward the three-point line. Atlanta themselves have shot just 30.3, 26.3, and 28.1 percent in their past three games on 3FGAs. But you wouldn’t know it, as they’ve extended their winning streak against opponents that jacked up 48, 42, and 45 three-point tries, respectively.

Charlotte was the most successful Hawks foe, but they were more anemic inside the arc than out (37.5 3FG%, 37.0 2FG%). New Orleans (31.0 3FG%) and Milwaukee (33.3 3FG%) on SEGABABAs were as wayward as Cleveland in their double-digit losses to the Hawks last week (31.3% on 48 3FGAs on Wednesday, then 28.9% on 38 shots last Friday).

We’re sure to see a lot more of rookie starter Dalton Knecht (1-for-4 FGs in 22 minutes @ MIA), in his return deeper into SEC Country, aiding D’Angelo Russell (11-for-20 3FGs in three games before going 1-for-4 @ MIA) as Redick tries his hand at playing the 3>2 Game.

Zero field goals and two points in his past 80 minutes of play, Cam Reddish will try at least to slow Trae and the Hawks’ creative rolls to the basket on Davis’ behalf. Hachimura (57.4 FG% in past 7 games after 42.1 FG% in a ten-game season-start) will want Hawks fans rue-ing the day they cheered the Wizards taking him over Cam.

But Quin Snyder can counter a vastly deeper, healthier, more motivated team, cheered on by home fans motivated even further by the unprotected Laker draft pick that came attached with Daniels and Larry Nance this past summer. With a sound rotation of Hawks, cutting down on the turnovers, crashing the defensive glass, and cooling the hotter hands without bailout fouls, there should be enough entertaining action to satisfy the home faithful, and sour the Laker transplants who dared to take up seats in The Highlight Factory.

Redick would love to kickstart the upturn tonight somehow, and that won’t happen unless Davis gets his slow-poke keister back in All-NBA gear. Failing that, once the Lakers get through the IST break and fill-in games, the travel and the schedule should lighten up a touch (let’s go Kings! Yes, we’d like that pick, too) enough for the Jameses and Davis to recuperate, and for Redick to at least make it to Christmas Day in San Fran.

But by the time Atlanta gets to STAPLES Yes STAPLES on January 3 (LAL’s next SEGABABA), if the Lakers remain sluggish, and AD (past two games: 7-for-28 FGs, 1 block, 1 steal) is still churning out Brow-lowering clunkers? Frank Vogel and Lloyd Pierce each could have warned JJ Fad that, when you hire Nate McMillan as an assistant to offer a Different Voice, sooner than later, guess what the locker room will want to hear?

In the meantime, some sports TV executives may be having second thoughts watching tonight’s game. There is probably a team on the State Farm Arena floor that looks like their remaining national-TV game(s) should be scrubbed, and it’s not the Hawks. Then again, there is always a deep and dedicated viewing market, for those who enjoy slow-moving train wrecks.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Knecht joins LeBron, for the moment, and Gabe "Hey, Miami! Remember Me?" Vincent as the sole Lakers with appearances in every game. He could be a lock for All-Rookie 1st Team if the team can finagle a way to lock him inside STAPLES Center.

In addition to Hayes, Reaves, Vanderbilt and Wood, Jalen Hood-Schifino (strained hammy) is among the Lakers on the Outs on the current Injury Report.

Both Bron and Bronny remain Questionable, while AD, like Trae (Achilles tendinitis) on the Hawks, is Probable. Mo Gueye is still winging it with the Skyhawks in Collipark.

 

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Roger Ebert would say of a thumbs-way-down film, “Avert! My! Eyes!”

Loved those twin Chi town guys with Sis who was a huge Bulls fan, makes sense but I didn’t know.  

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Cheesehead heckler,

I gotta be honest as a fan, I hate their fans too  

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

waltzed

I actually just did that with my dog this morning it’s underrated! 
 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

great shakes

@kg01 I know lw3 didn’t mean to put it on a T but I really want to..  🫨’s  

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Adebayo looked like his first name got changed to Wham Bam Thank You Ma’am. Jimmy Butler found time between fastbreak buckets to change his hair color.

 

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

The Lakers are thin upfront with Jaxson Hayes (sprained/bruised ankle), Jarred Vanderbilt (foot surgery), and Christian Wood (knee surgery).

Pounce on this with cap  

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Given Johnson’s ability to win track meets and hurdle races, it won’t surprise you that Austin Reaves (out) plans to heal up his contused pelvis just a tad bit longer.

 

Hawk dunks ever and that includes Nique stuff. Austin died a lil that night  

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

We’re sure to see a lot more of rookie starter Dalton Knecht

Haven’t seen him yet in a game as a pro. Heard good things. Hope he has an off night for sure.

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Cam Reddish will try at least to slow Trae

Eat Trae eat! 
 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

unprotected Laker draft pick that came attached with Daniels and Larry Nance this past summer.

In retrospect as it stands now, a top 5 all time trade for the Hawks. Trending .

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

will want Hawks fans rue-ing the day they cheered the Wizards taking him over Cam.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Let’s Go Hawks!

Sir yes sir @lethalweapon3 Thank you!

 

Vegas has Hawks -5.5  o/u232.5

Go Hawks!!!

 

 

Edited December 6, 2024 by Spud2nique

[cam1218]

Looking forward to this one! We know the building will probably have a ton of Lakers/Cowboys/Yankees fans cheering on their beloved team that they know nothing about. Go Hawks!

[Spud2nique]

@AUhawksfan where ya at? It’s been a minute but when we play the Lakers I think of you.  

 

Also been ️ Hawks/Lakers games since the days of Magic, Worthy, Spud, Nique and the midsummer night’s buddies from back in the day. 
 

One of my fav games was when the Hawks beat the Lakers in Atlanta in 1990 or 91. It was one of the last years that all those aforementioned dudes were there. 
 

Then Magic announced he had the aids virus . Spud was traded. Doc was traded. 
 

But for that one night, I just remember there were thrilling plays one after another. An up n down game and if I remember correctly Nique was really making highlights that night.

 

Lakers.. Schmelts.. Knicks… Scrubs.. Kings

Some games have been circled for years.

 

HEY MAINSTREAM ATLANTA (non Hawk basketball) FANS (LBJ.. Kobe.. Jordan fans) please don’t attend the game. Thank you . 
 

Iverson got a lotta love too.
 

 

 

[Dnice]

I hope y'all are done for the night, cause it's cold AF today.

[cam1218]

27 minutes ago, Dnice said:

I hope y'all are done for the night, cause it's cold AF today.

 

[JeffS17]

I expect this game to be really tough. Lebrons sour attitude lately has messed up the culture on the court for the Lakers and his absence will likely be addition by subtraction.  I expect a lot of hustle and effort from LA and AD to be dominant

[benhillboy]

This could be a trap game but I doubt it.  Run like the wind, box out, limit Knecht’s open looks and it’s Hawks by 10.  The guys know wins against the Lakers count for 2.

Edited December 6, 2024 by benhillboy

[kg01]

1 hour ago, Spud2nique said:

@kg01 I know lw3 didn’t mean to put it on a T but I really want to..  🫨’s  

 

Ol boy ain't been around.  Maybe he's gone back to the Bulls?  Hide yer smile, squd. 

[Dnice]

30 minutes ago, cam1218 said:

 

Yeah I'm sure nique and Bob are ready for a reference. Lol

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[HawksNWaffles]

[cam1218]

6 minutes ago, HawksNWaffles said:

Your images continue to disturb me but also make me laugh haha.

[Chrimturn]

Gonna run him up and down the floor until he can’t run no more…

[benhillboy]

Shut up LeBron.

[MaceCase]

Helluva giant killer by Dyson

[ShayD]

As usual missing a bunch of layups and open shots.

[MaceCase]

Le Rizz

[benhillboy]

52 rebound and 32 assist average in the win streak.  You really can’t  play team ball much better.

Edited December 7, 2024 by benhillboy