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    lethalweapon3
     
    “Wait, what’s that? They closed Dugan’s on Ponce?”


     
    March Madness continues for the Atlanta Hawks, coming off a crucial road win in Detroit last night. Here are just a few important names that help give you an idea of the mindset of tonight’s visitors, the Denver Nuggets (8:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, Altitude Sports).
    Donatas Motiejunas. He was on his way to Detroit, as part of a three-team trade that the 76ers joined. In the process of acquiring Joel Anthony and a second-rounder, Philly had to make room on the roster by cutting a player loose. But by the time the Pistons confirmed what everyone already knew (that Donuts couldn’t pass his physical due to a bum back) and cancelled the trade, the Sixers had already gone too far, and JaKarr Sampson was a free man after coming off waivers.
    Sampson took the Nuggets’ offer and now starts, a big boost for head coach Mike Malone’s perimeter defensive plans. He’s been in Denver for less than three weeks, yet Sampson is already part of their second-most utilized 5-man lineup this season, producing +9.3 points per 100 possessions alongside Gary Harris, rookie Emmanuel Mudiay, Kenneth Faried, and Nikola Jokic.
    Danilo Gallinari. The Rooster tore ligaments in his ankle at the end of last month, and the Nuggets’ leading scorer will sit out the remainder of the season. Now super-sixth-man Will Barton (14.8 PPG) is the team’s top remaining scorer.
    Steve Novak. At trade-deadline time, the Nuggets agreed to acquire-and-waive Novak, as part of a swap of Randy Foye for guard D.J. Augustin and a pair of future second-rounders. Relative to the almost-done Jameer Nelson, Augustin provides a steadier, healthier presence at the point behind Mudiay. He provided 10 assists plus 17 points as Denver blew out John Wall and visiting Washington on Saturday. The Nuggets also bid adieu to forward J.J. Hickson at deadline time.
    Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo. Both were dealt to Houston and Portland in the past couple seasons. Neither player is with Houston or Portland now. And at the moment, neither are those teams’ lottery-protected first-rounders for 2016. The Nuggets won’t mind terribly if those teams squeak into the postseason party.
    Carmelo Anthony. He is still with New York. But his former team, the Nuggets, hold a trade swap option, whereby the Knicks send the worse of their own spot or Denver’s to Toronto (thanks to Andrea Bargnani, who has blown through two New York City teams now).
    No matter how bad Denver’s record gets, they could find solace if Melo’s Knicks, a half-game behind them, finish worse. If Memphis manages to collapse, the Nuggets (Timofey Mozgov trade to Cleveland, via the Grizzlies’ Jon Leuer trade, 1-5 and 15-30 protected) can capitalize on that first-rounder, too.
    The upshot is that Denver (28-40, six games out of the 8th slot in the West) has a team that’s willing to competi-tank as it molds itself in their bulldog-minded head coach’s image. The Nuggets have gone nearly a month, a span of 12 games, without losing by double digits. While they’ve lost their first two games of their five-game East Coast road swing, those defeats came on the heels of Denver’s first four-game winning streak this year.
    Just about every player the Nuggets draft this summer will be about the same age, if not older, than Mudiay (March: 19.5 PPG, 6.0 APG), who just turned 20 years not-old. His 40.9 FG% (37.0 3FG%) and 2.9 turnovers per game since the All-Star Break are marked improvements over the 34.0 FG% (27.2 3FG) and 3.5 TOs/game to start the season.
    Mudiay and Malone verbally sparred early in the season. But they’re bonding, as the budding point guard gets a better clue of what his coach demands of him on the floor. And it’s not hard to figure it out what those demands are. Just look at the sidelines, and you’ll find Malone doing his best Jim Henson impersonation, mimicking the stance, posture, arm and foot movements he expects of Mudiay to keep opposing guards in check.
    Malone may feel the urge to hop on the court himself if Mudiay and Augustin have to endure the offensive onslaught Dennis Schröder and Jeff Teague brought to the fray last night in Motown. Both Hawks guards combined for 16 assists (and 8 of Atlanta players’ measly 12 turnovers) and 40 points. Schröder was a persistent threat both outside and inside. Teague didn’t have a strong day shooting the ball from the field, but got to the line 13 times and sunk 12 of them.
    The Hawks’ defense took an early holiday in the first half of a high-tempo affair, the second-highest pace of a Hawks game this season. But with the Hawks down 11 in the 3rd quarter, Al Horford, and coach Mike Budenholzer’s Hack-A-Dre strategy, took the game over. Al’s solid shooting display (9-for-15 FGs) picked up right where Paul Millsap (10 first-quarter points @ DET; team-high 22 points @ DEN on Jan. 25) cooled off, and made Andre Drummond’s 18-and-18 (8 of those points on 17 free throw attempts) look almost negligible.
    For Atlanta to have Denver looking on to the next one, they’ll need to assign bodies fullcourt to Faried (last 7 games: 15.9 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 4.6 offensive, 63.5 FG%), who lives for shots at the rim off putbacks and runouts.
    Faried (back) and Jusuf Nurkic (knee) are slowed by injuries, but Malone has silos full of big men to turn to, including Joffrey Lauvergne, Darrell Arthur and Jokic. Arthur and Lauvergne will do their best imitations of Faried if their jumping-jack power forward cannot go. Kris Humphries is still figuring out the intricacies of Budball, but chasing after unlikely offensive rebound chances, throws the Hawks’ transition defense out of sync.
    Hump and the Mikes (Scott and Muscala) need to log productive mid-game minutes at both ends to give Horford and Millsap (34+ minutes each last night) a proper breather. The Nuggets take a league-high 33.0 attempts per game at the restricted area, although their finishing in that zone (57.2 FG%, 26th in NBA; league-high 6.3 shots blocked per game) is less than desirable. The Nuggets give what they get (42.6 opponent FG% in-the-paint, 3rd -most in NBA) so Hawks attacking Denver’s interior for floaters and short jumpers should prove beneficial.
    Atlanta guards will have an easier time holding back Mudiay than they did Reggie Jackson in the paint (6-for-8 in-the-paint FGs, 0-for-6 3FGs) last night. When Mudiay coughs up the rock, wings Kyle Korver, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Thabo Sefolosha have to be poised to convert those turnovers into points at the other end. Kent Bazemore (15 points, 10 D-Rebs last night) will deservedly sit this one out, as he rests a bruised knee.
    Denver is 4th in the NBA with 46.1 paint points, and the more Mudiay and Barton (8-for-9 FTs, team-high 21 points off the bench vs. ATL on Jan. 25) have to rely on mid-range jumpers, the sooner everyone can turn their attention to their brackets.
    Happy St. Pat’s Day!
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw o’3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “There can be only one…”


     
    Another back-to-back, Jack! Coming off a successful twin-billing at home this past weekend, tonight starts one of just two back-to-back sets left for the Atlanta Hawks. Both include a trip to Greater Motown to face the Detroit Pistons (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, Fox Sports Detroit).
    Hoping to reach the postseason for the first time since 2009, Detroit (34-33) comes into tonight’s contest looking every bit like a young, upstart .500 team.  Is this a team that’s won three of their last five, or lost four of their last seven? Are they winners of seven in their past eleven games, or losers of nine out of their previous 16 games?
    Are these the Pistons that won, in recent weeks, in Cleveland, at home against Toronto, and by 20 versus Portland? Or is Stan Van Gundy’s club the team whose last four road losses were by double-digits, including a 33-point nationally-televised blowout on Monday, against fellow 8-seed contender Washington? The answer to all of that is, yes, these are those Pistons. And with Joe Dumars a distant memory around Auburn Hills, Pistons fans couldn’t be much happier.
    Detroit is just a percentage-point behind the Bulls for 8th in the Eastern Conference, and tonight, they will embark upon a NINE-game homestand. Yes, nine games, for a team that’s a modest 19-11 in the roller rink otherwise known as the Palace. Detroit knows that a surge over the next 17 days at home could have them charging right up the standings. They’re also aware that anything less than a 5-4 mark out of this homestand would turn postseason hopes into a pipe dream.
    Tonight, these Pistons hope to get even with Atlanta’s tepid (22-18) in-conference record. After hosting the Hawks, the Pistons have four relative cupcakes (Sacramento, Brooklyn, Milwaukee, and Orlando) paying them a visit. Then it’s the red-hot Hornets. Then, whaddya know, it’s those Hawks again, one night after Atlanta hosts the Bucks. Then the Thunder, and finally the Mavericks, one night before traveling to Chicago. SVG knows there won’t be much room for error after that.
    As was the case this weekend with the Pacers, the Hawks (38-29) hope to have the Pistons stumbling into their upcoming schedule, not soaring and using a win over Atlanta to build momentum. The Hawks have some chasing to do as well.
    The reigning Southeast Division champs are just a game behind Joe Johnson’s Miami heat, along with the potentially sliding Boston Celtics, in the standings. They’re 20-14 this season in games of back-to-back sets, but that included a 6-0 start to the season. They can match that early-season run, but not if they get caught looking past opponents like Detroit.
    In the teams’ last meeting in December, the Pistons came into Philips one night after, first, coming from way behind to prevail in Miami, then enduring weather delays that prevented their arrival in ATL until the morning of the game. Early and sporadically, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer deployed a Hack A. Drummond strategy, using Lamar Patterson, Tiago Splitter, and Mike Scott as part of the tag-team. Andre sunk 7 of his 25 points, but missed 11 free throws as the Pistons fell too far behind to catch up. Despite losing by just 107-100, the Pistons found themselves in a 19-point fourth-quarter hole before Atlanta kicked into cruise control.
    Drummond (league-highs 15.0 RPG, 34.6 D-Reb%) remains a top-notch defensive threat, but SVG has his All-Star center going after rebounds and steals, not Whitesiding and imperiling the paint by chasing after uncommitted shooters in search of box-score-busting blocks. Van Gundy upgraded the frontline by flipping Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando (along with Brandon Jennings) in exchange for Tobias Harris. But it’s really going to help the Pistons if forwards Harris, Marcus Morris, and rookie Stanley Johnson can help Drummond make stops.
    Harris is averaging 4.9 defensive boards through 13 games, and while that’s below his averages in Orlando, it still counts as second-best on the team. Detroit’s 3.6 blocks per game ranks 29th in the league, and their 7.3 steals average ranks just 21st.
    The Pistons are not strong shooters (26th in FG%, 22nd in 3FG%, last thanks to Drummond in FT%). But they are very stingy with turnovers (12.2 TO%, 6th-best in NBA), and they crash the boards after every carom (27.1 O-Reb% and 14.9 second-chance PPG, both 2nd in NBA). On defense, Paul Millsap and Kris Humphries must help Al Horford keep the paint clear of pernicious Pistons.
    The Pacers on Sunday couldn’t tell whether the frontcourt duo of Millsap and Horford (15-for-29 FGs vs. DET on Dec. 23) were coming or going (combined 11-for-18 2FGs, 4-for-8 3FGs vs. IND). Their ability to command defensive help has been freeing up Kyle Korver (4-for-9 3FGs vs. IND), whose 3FG% has grown from 29.3% in December, to 38.7% in January, 42.3% in February, and 52.8% mid-way through March.
    Leading scorer and dime-maker Reggie Jackson (career-high 22.3 points per-36 and 36.8 3FG%; 36.0 Assist%, 10th in NBA) helps Van Gundy push a Piston pace not seen by Michiganders since the days of Alvin Gentry, back around the year 2000. The less defensive pressure Jackson feels, the better Detroit’s chances for victory. The Pistons are just 2-9 (one win coming this past week, in Philly) when opponents get 10 or more steals, and the Hawks’ 19.2 PPG off turnovers now leads the NBA.
    Jackson commits 2.2 TOs per game (6.8 APG; 50.1 FG%; 48.5 3FG%) in wins, 3.2 TOs (5.5 APG; 38.2 FG%; 26.1 3FG%) in losses. Detroit’s ability to execute their offense successfully will be tied to Jeff Teague (4 steals vs. DET on Dec. 23) and the Hawks’ defensive effort versus R-Jax, whose defensive effort also falters when his offense isn’t fiyah. Dennis Schröder scored 11 of his 14 points in the first quarter of the last Hawks-Pistons matchup in December. Teague followed that up with nine of his team-high 23 points and four assists in the second.
    One X-Factor for the Pistons’ playoff hopes, but not tonight, will eventually be Jodie Meeks, who hasn’t played since October after injuring his foot, but will be activated soon. His fellow Georgian, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, has done a solid job of defending the perimeter, and will be busy chasing Korver (40.2 3FG% on the road) around tonight. But by the time of the Hawks’ next visit, Meeks could be the player that helps stretch the floor to the benefit of Drummond and Jackson.
    Detroit is the kind of up-and-coming team that could use a come-up against the Hawks, especially if Atlanta is the kind of team they might face in the first round of the playoffs. Winners of five of their last six, the Hawks can continue to whet their mettle, along the way to the postseason, by pulling off at least one Palace coup.
     
    Have a Happy St. Pat’s Day!
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “Just Say No to Mopeds, Kid. That’s a Life Lesson from Monta Ellis!”


     
    It’s almost six o’clock on the second weekend of March. You know what that means.
    It’s time for Separation Sunday!
    Three of the Atlanta Hawks B.C.’s next five games are against teams ranked 7th, 8th, and 10th in the Eastern Conference. This evening’s foe, the Indiana Pacers (6:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, NBATV, Fox Sports Indiana) are merely 1.5 games from the sixth-seeded Hawks. This is no time to keep your enemies closer.
    The Pacers just flew into Hartsfield-Jackson from DFW yesterday evening, and, hopefully, their arms are tired.  They were granted 29 free throws (sinking 27 of them, 12 more than the Mavericks) along the way to a 112-105 road win. Monta Ellis (7-for-9 2FGs, 7 assists) gained a small measure of revenge against his most recent former team, particularly an oddly dismissive Chandler Parsons.
    Coach Frank Vogel deployed a balanced offense on Saturday led by Paul George (3-for-8 shooting both outside and inside, 20 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) as 7 different Pacers scored in double-digits and Solomon Hill added eight against the free-falling Mavs. And that was without one of their newest contributors.
    Even moreso than the Hawks, the Pacers were panned for not making any big splashes at the trade deadline, in their case for not improving the depth at point guard behind George Hill. Similar to Atlanta, Indiana waited instead to pounce on a player coming off the waiver wire. Ty Lawson arrived in the Hoosier State after a disappointing spell in disappointing Houston. Five minutes into his Pacer debut, on Monday versus the Spurs, he sprained a foot.
    While Lawson is questionable to appear today, along with rookie reserve point guard Joseph Young, one player they do have in tow is swingman C.J. Miles, who began the season starting at small forward before Vogel scrapped the power forward experiment with Paul George. He was out with a left calf strain and missed nine straight games before returning to action yesterday.
    While this is a back-to-back for the Pacers, as is the case for Atlanta, Indiana (35-30) enjoyed four days of rest before their game in Dallas, a win preceded by victories at home over San Antonio (their only home game since February 28) and Washington on the road. After today’s game, this calendar week for the Pacers includes a 5-game homestand that begins with the Celtics, Raptors, and Thunder. Their hosts tonight, the Hawks (37-29), can either have the Pacers cruising, or stumbling, into their homestand.
    Rooting for the Hawks is a little like being proud that you’ve got the most cost-effective car on the block, but hope nobody notices it takes a few minutes to get the ignition to start. Such was the case yesterday, when Atlanta returned from their 3-2 road trip by stumbling out of the block against a weary and hobbling but game Memphis Grizzlies team, scoring just 18 first-quarter points.
    The Hawks also struggled back on February 5, the last time the Pacers visited the Highlight Factory. Indiana raced to a 29-26 lead on a late first quarter spurt. But the Hawks found their defensive bearings. By the time Paul George (31 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists @ ATL on Feb. 5) came alive early in the fourth quarter, Al Horford’s patented catch-and-shoot jumpers put the Pacers to bed in a 102-96 win for the good guys.
    Atlanta would benefit from another strong offensive start by Paul Millsap, who collected 14 of his 24 points in the opening frame of the last win over Indiana, plus a stronger defensive effort from the Atlanta frontline to keep Myles Turner and Lavoy Allen (10 combined O-Rebs @ ATL on Feb. 5) off the glass. Indiana played that game without center Ian Mahinmi, who is back in the starting lineup.
    With Mike Budenholzer preferring to give veteran Kirk Hinrich floortime last night, Dennis Schröder sat out all but three minutes against the Grizzlies. Still, Dennis should be rested, recalibrated and ready to go against the Pacers. If Lawson and Young cannot go, there should be ample pressure on drives by Jeff Teague and Schröder to get Hill to risk foul trouble, forcing Vogel to allocate more point-guard defensive duties to Ellis and Rodney Stuckey.
    There’s no Selection Committee in the NBA, so the Hawks will have to earn their eventual seed by themselves.
     
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “FIRST TEAM ALL-OFFENSE!”


     
    Can somebody bottle and sell whatever Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger is drinking? Flying into Atlanta for this evening’s game against the Hawks (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL; Fox Sports South in MEM) after an overtime thriller against whatever’s left of the Pelicans, the Grizzlies (39-26) are 8-4 since the All-Star Break and still in the Western Conference hunt, despite missing just about everybody who was ever anybody. Joerger can’t even sit down, he’s coaching his (bleep!) off!
     The bad juju began when Mister Memphis, Marc Gasol, had to shut it down for the season after fracturing a bone in his foot. His backup, Brandan Wright, just came back from injury when he sprained an MCL and he’s back on the IR.
    The Grizzlies made deals to try and compensate, but one of those acquisitions, Chris Andersen, is still questionable with an injured shoulder. Another former Heatle from earlier this season, Mario Chalmers played heroically at times, but now he’s been waived after tearing his Achilles.
    Also questionable? Z-Bo. Zach Randolph has missed his last three games with a knee injury. We won’t get to see a matchup of Amnesty Survivor finalists, as Mike Conley remains out indefinitely with a foot injury. Half-Man, Half-Hurt a Lot, Vince Carter bowed out early in last night’s game after aggravating a calf.
    So, what’s left? Joerger has had to field a crew that would work well when it’s time to put together a remake of The Warriors. Matt Barnes led the way with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists last night. Shutdown corner Tony Allen put up a season-high 26 points and added 5 steals as the Grizzlies shocked the Cavs in Cleveland on Monday (the Hawks should note, that game was the back end of a home-road back-to-back).
    Off the bench last night, Lance Stephenson came through with an ear-blowing 33 points, and even former Hornet P.J. Hairston is logging major minutes. Upstart JaMychal Green (season-high 21 points and 10 boards last night), rookie Jarrell Martin, and journeyman Ryan Hollins are enjoying the sudden bost to their floortime. D-Leaguer Briante Weber virtually walked in off Beale Street and contributed 10 points and 7 assists as a starter.
    What this skeleton crew is allowing Joerger to do is to push the tempo in ways he could not with Randolph and Gasol around. The wins over the Pels and the Cavs featured the Grizzlies (28th in NBA for pace) playing at a pace of about 100 possessions per 48 minutes, something that’s occurred just 4 times this season, usually due to the opposing team. In their eight highest-paced games, Memphis, like Atlanta, is 7-1. They also held a halftime lead against the Celtics on Wednesday before Chalmers got hurt and their legs finally gave out.
    In theory, the Hawks should have the energy edge with a day off after falling short in Toronto, on top of the health and depth advantages. In practice, will they have the hunger edge? Memphis would love to get their first sweep of back-to-back games since Thanksgiving, something Atlanta is hoping to gain with this weekend’s home matchups with the Griz and Pacers.
    All-Star Paul Millsap (2-for-8 FGs vs. TOR) has to make his presence felt as a rebounder and a scorer. The loss in Toronto dropped Atlanta (36-29) to 2-15 when they achieve a total rebounding percentage of 43% or less. The Hawks are now also 3-14 in games with an effective field goal percentage of 47% of less.
    The more effective Millsap and Al Horford are around the low block, the more help they will draw from Barnes and Allen, and the more shooters like Kyle Korver and Tim Hardaway, Jr., can breathe. Allen and Barnes will scratch and claw for turnovers and drawn fouls, so composure will be essential for Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha to keep the Hawks focused. The wings must also minimize transition buckets against Joerger’s harder-charging crew.
    The Hawks have also gotten away from quality ball movement. The assist percentages in the win over Utah and the loss to the Raptors were below 50 percent, two of just four such games this season (1-3) for Atlanta.
    Chalmers was the hero for the Grizzlies in Cleveland, but he’s gone now, and the Grizzlies have not had to turn to Weber on back-to-back nights until today. Former Spur guard Ray McCallum has been signed and is likely to be rushed into action tonight, along with center Alex “One N” Stepheson. The difference in floor leadership between Atlanta’s Jeff Teague and/or Dennis Schröder and Memphis’ meager options needs to be obvious on the floor tonight. Atlanta has to give the Grizzlies reasons to consider hibernating.
     
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “Ever since we stole DeMarre, you…”


     
    DeMarre Who?
    That’s not a question the Atlanta Hawks would dare to ask. That’s his current employer talking.
    The Toronto Raptors, hosting Atanta as the Hawks conclude an eventful road trip tonight (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, TSN2), have more than just skated by without GM Masai Ujiri’s biggest free agent prize.  Toronto (42-20) seeks to extend their run to 22-6 since DeMarre Carroll underwent arthroscopic knee surgery in January. They’re 29-11 sans JYD all season.
    Anthony Who? That’s a more valid question. The only 1st-overall-NBA-draftee who ever scored less than Anthony Bennett did over the course of the Canadian’s abbreviated NBA career (543 career points in 2.5 seasons) was picked by the Hawks. The Milwaukee Hawks, that is.
    Mark “Don’t Call Me Haywoode” Workman was selected by the Hawks in the 1952 Draft, then sent packing a few games into the season, putting in time with the Warriors and Bullets before calling it a career at 386 points, leaving behind the game for a career as a bowling salesman in Asia. But, I digress. Bennett (29.6 FG%) never could turn a corner, and was cut loose by his hometown team, making room for former Golden Stater Jason Thompson. The Raptors are doing quite fine without his contributions, too.
    How are the Raptors pulling away from the Eastern Conference pack? The secret lies at the very bottom of the standings, where the Knicks, Nets, and 76ers, all fellow Atlantic Division opponents, are all huddled together. Toronto is 10-1 in the Atlantic, and last lost to a division foe on November 10, a 2-point loss to the Knicks, without Carroll or Terrence Ross. Feasting on the Southeast last season (12-4) was integral to the Hawks’ magical rise to the top of the conference, and Toronto, who has never won 50 games in their two-decade history, is following that same recipe.
    While Atlanta was doing quite well to start their 2014-15 campaign, it wasn’t really until last January in Toronto, when Jeff Teague expertly handcuffed Kyle Lowry, and the very next night when the Hawks befuddled the Bulls at the United Center, that the NBA at-large pulled up a chair and began to pay attention. After solid contributions in both L.A. and Utah, Teague (last 2 games: 23.0 PPG, 51.5 FG%, 60.0 3FG%) is out to remind the Raptors they’re not the only team currently thriving without DMC around.
    The 2015 Hawks got their 42nd victory in February by toppling the Warriors, and was sitting at 50-13 at this same time last year, yet just about everyone was pumping the brakes on NBA Finals aspirations. Not so up here in T-Dot in 2016. To fend off the skeptics, it always helps to have a hip, social-media-relevant, globally-admired ambassador perched in the front row. Besides a Drizzle or two, it also helps to have consistent play from an All-Star-caliber point guard, something that’s been Lowry’s issue for two half-baked seasons, before this one.
    Lowry was unearthed after nearly getting traded to the Knicks in 2013, averaging 20.4 PPG after the 2014 All-Star Break as the Raptors came alive. After making his first ASG trip last year, Lowry struggled with injuries and shooting (37.3 post-Break FG%, assists down from 7.2 to 5.4 APG). He wasn’t much more than a bystander as Paul Pierce’s Wizards swept Toronto in the opening round of the 2015 playoffs, their second-straight first-round exit.
    With all of Toronto’s sports attention affixed to him -- it’s not like the Leafs are doing anything -- Lowry has no appetite for another letdown. Since serving as the host for his second ASG, the Raptors point guard is averaging 25.7 PPG and 7.8 APG, both 2nd in the East, hitting 43.1 percent of his threes along the way to 54.7 percent from the floor. He dropped 43 on LeBron and the Cavs on this floor two weeks ago, including the clinching jumper with four seconds to go. And he’s also tied with Chris Paul atop the NBA with 2.2 steals per game this season.
    We haven’t even mentioned Toronto’s leading scorer yet. Lowry shared his Player of the Month honor for January with his fellow All-Star, DeMar DeRozan, the shooting guard who’s enjoying career-highs of 23.5 PPG, 84.5 FT% and an almost-respectable 33.3 3FG%. Of course, Toronto’s double-barreled offensive attack doesn’t work by way of DeRozan jacking lots of long-range jumpshots. 31% of DeRozan’s points come from trips to the free throw line. In the NBA East, that’s a higher proportion than anyone (min. 50 games played) aside from his teammate, center Bismack Biyombo (31.7% of points from FTs).
    Key to the Hawks, or anyone, stifling the Raptors offense (107.1 points per 100 possessions, a shade behind Cleveland atop the East, NBA-high 114.0 post-Break) is disallowing DeRozan and Lowry (83.6 FT%) from benefiting from referee charity.
    Any Toronto possession that doesn’t end in: (1) free throws from that duo; (2) uncontested perimeter jumpers from Lowry, Ross, and Patterson; or (3) easy putbacks for Jonas Valanciunas and Biyombo, is a good possession from Atlanta’s standpoint. Teague, Kyle Korver, Thabo Sefolosha, Dennis Schröder and Kent Bazemore will have their hands full trying to coax Lowry and DeRozan into settling for long, inefficient jumpshots without fouling them in the process.
    Neither team shot the ball well back when the Raps visited Philips Arena on December 2. But Lowry was able to carry Toronto to a 96-86 victory not just from 7-for-10 shooting inside the arc (6-for-7 FGs at the rim, five in the final nine minutes) but from 11-for-12 free throw shooting. Toronto was down nine at the start of the fourth quarter but went on a 39-20 blitz behind Lowry to win going away.
    Toronto’s only other double-digit-average scorer, Valanciunas was out of that December game. But the Dinos got plenty of help from Biyombo (5 O-Rebs) and our old friend Bebe Nogueira (career-high 7 boards), who can probably spell Mississauga by now with so many D-League trips. The old boxout rules apply for Al Horford, Paul Millsap and former Raptor Kris Humphries. Daddy-to-be Mike Scott took an early flight back to the ATL.
    Valanciunas (career-highs 12.7 PPG, 3.2 O-Rebs per game) is having his best offensive season, but he becomes a liability at the other end, such that it’s usually Biyombo helping the Raptors close things out. It’s a good matchup for Al Horford, who hasn’t had to do too much heavy lifting offensively, to get the Hawks going early. Tossing out the Flakers game, in 3 of Atlanta’s last 4 contests, they’ve been outscored by an average of 32.0 to 22.3 in the opening quarter.
    Ujiri previously pilfered the Hawks roster for Lou Williams, who rewarded him with a Sixth Man of the Year performance in 2015. But after enduring last year’s playoff flop, Ujiri brought in Biyombo and Carroll to allow Dwane Casey’s club to finally get serious about defense. At least until Carroll returns, defense is the one area where the Raptors (Lowry’s thefts aside) haven’t been up to snuff.
    Brook Lopez wore out Valanciunas and company with 35 points on Tuesday night, as it took Toronto until mid-way through the third quarter to finally get serious about cutting down the Nets. In the prior two games of this seven-game home stand, they allowed over 110 points in regulation to the Rockets and Blazers.
    As long as the offense is clicking, the Raptors know they don’t really need Carroll (who may return in a week or so) until it’s time to face-guard LeBron this spring. But they also want to lock down the best seed they can, and it won’t happen giving up so many buckets at the other end.
    Since the All-Star Break, the Raps’ D-Rating of 110.4 opponent points per-100 ranks 24th and wing players have made them pay in the 3-point corners (league-worst 53.1 opponent 3FG% in left corner, 46.9% from the right). When DeRozan and Ross are caught slipping, Korver and Bazemore have to get in position for shots and make them pay.
    At the start of this road trip, you read here that at least since the NBA Playoffs went 16 teams deep 32 years ago, no Eastern Conference squad ever missed the playoffs with a winning road record. On top of that, just four teams (Pacers ’97, Wizards ’98, heat ’02, Knicks ‘14) have missed the playoffs in the East with an away-game record of 18-23, the best mark among teams on the outside sitting in.
    Before heading home for a tough weekend doubleheader, Atlanta (17-16 on road) will aim to tie Cleveland and Toronto in the East with their 18th road victory tonight. They’ll also return to the Air Canada Centre to close out a busy month. No matter the eventual seeding, the Hawks’ postseason outlook will look brighter the more frequently they can pull off impressive wins away from home.
     
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “Ssssssmokin’! Okay, okay… vapin’, but still!”

    One of the most significant draft picks in Utah Jazz history returns to Salt Lake City tonight, as the Jazz prepare to face the Atlanta Hawks (9:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, ROOT Sports Utah) at whatever Vivint Smart Home is Arena.
    That’s right, you know who I mean.
    Welcome back to Salt Lake City, Kris Humphries!
    There wasn’t an NBA draft lottery back in 1984, when the Jazz took a little-known John Stockton from a little-known Gonzaga. Utah didn’t even need the inaugural lottery the next season, when they took a barely-known Karl Malone out of barely-known Louisiana Tech. Thanks mostly to those two future Hall-of-Famers, and superb coaching by Jerry Sloan, the Jazz would not have to resort to Lottery Fever for 19 years.
    The first season without either of Stockton or Malone, the 2003-04 Jazz surprised NBA pundits but, by just two games, missed out on playoff qualifying for the first time since 1983. With the final lottery selection, they took a fresh-faced 19-year-old big man out of Minnesota.
    Humphries was taken one pick ahead of Boston’s Al Jefferson, a decision Utah would come to rectify six seasons later. While he was no SLC Punk, Humphries was never going to live up to the shadow of The Mailman, and perturbed Sloan with a tendency to look for his own shot ahead of all other options. Hump was traded two seasons later to Toronto for the great Hoffa Araujo, who lived up to his nickname by disappearing off the face of the Earth.
    Three weeks after trading away Humphries in 2006, the Jazz had back-to-back second-rounders. After selecting Dee “Not the Dude with the Pump” Brown from Deron Williams’ Illinois, Utah decided to draw from the La-Tech well again. This time, they brought in collegiate uber-rebounder Paul Millsap.
    In the time between the Jazz being D-Will’s Team and becoming Al Jefferson’s team, Millsap developed and ably filled in the gaps. Utah reached the postseason for four straight seasons from 2007 and 2010, Millsap coming alive off the bench in a first-round series win over Carmelo Anthony’s Nuggets. Paul then helped right the ship after the Sloan-Williams implosion left the Jazz barely missing the playoffs in 2011. After making the 2012 playoffs as an 8-seed, Utah fell short in 2013, and watched Millsap leave via free agency to Atlanta.
    The Jazz never got to see either Millsap or Humphries playing on their team while reaching their individual NBA career-peaks. Tonight, Jazz fans may get to see them on the floor in tandem, as Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer seeks out the optimal frontcourt pairings to offset Utah’s newest young stars, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert.
    Acquired on Draft Night 2013 from Denver for the low-low price of second-rounder Erick Green and cash, Gobert (4.6 Defensive Box Plus/Minus, 1st in NBA; 6.2 Block%, 2nd in NBA) has blossomed into one of the most fearsome defensive players in the league, at just 23 years of age. Meanwhile, the heir-apparent upon Millsap’s departure, the 24-year-old Atlanta native Favors (51.7 FG%, 12th in NBA; post-Break 18.1 PPG and 8.9 RPG) is enjoying arguably his best season.
    With Gordon Hayward (career-best 20.1 PPG) and now his former Butler teammate, Shelvin Mack, in tow, coach Quin Snyder and the Jazz are cultivating a mix of youthful but experienced players, and even younger talents possessing superstar potential.
    Utah’s “The Kids Are Alright” roster-building plan would be even more obvious if they had guards Dante Exum (out for season, ACL surgery) and Alec Burks (sprained ankle, back in a couple weeks) healthy. Another Draft Night 2013 acquisition, Hawks pick Raul Neto, and 2014 first-rounder Rodney Hood (87.0 FT%, 16th in NBA) have filled in ably in Exum’s and Burks’ absence. Favors and Gobert have missed significant time as well.
    Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey would never admit to trying to rub it in, but last month he brought in Green, waived earlier this season by the Nuggets, to join the team for a pair of 10-days, before replacing him with Mack. It’s not the only way that Utah (29-33) hopes to organizationally stick it to their Northwest Division foes.
    Making the playoffs for the first time since Millsap’s 2011-12 season would likely come at the expense of either Houston (1.5 games ahead) or Portland (3 games ahead), each of whom owe a lottery-protected first-rounder to Denver this summer. They’d really love to make Denver wait a little longer for the Houston pick to show up, especially if doing so includes a couple extra visits by the Warriors to the Beehive State in late April. It helps that, of their remaining road schedule, just one of Utah’s remaining opponents is presently playoff-bound.
    They’d also love to be humble-bragging about that other Draft Night 2013 trade, the one with the Timberwolves that netted them guard Trey Burke. Sadly, Burke’s development seems to have cratered again (post-Break 34.4 FG%, 29.6 3FG%, 6.5 PPG and 2.0 APG), justifying the Jazz brass’ search for a postseason-tested and well-rested guard that could quickly acclimate himself to Snyder’s gameplans ahead of a playoff charge. It’s Mack, the former third-stringer Hawk, that is filling the bill.
    Shelvin has started for Utah in the last seven games at the point, and has averaged 11.3 PPG (44.3 FG%, 30.0 3FG%) and 3.8 APG. It won’t be much of a stretch for Snyder, a former lead assistant under Budenholzer, or Mack to prepare a game plan for Atlanta’s Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder.
    Both of Atlanta’s lead guards did just a fine job of leading on Saturday night against Chris Paul’s Clippers in Los Angeles, absorbing the Clippers’ best offensive punches in the opening quarter before stifling them the rest of the way. Teague (22 points, 3-for-4 3FGs, 7 assists, 2 TOs @ LAC) played smart defense and hit big shots at the other end, while Schröder (6-for-10 FGs), moving right up the list of the league's top sixth-men, provided offense that kept L.A. on their heels for much of the night.
    Helping to keep their hosts at arm’s length, Schröder and the Hawks’ starters missed just one free throw while taking advantage of Clipper center DeAndre Jordan’s Achilles’ heel (7-for-17 FTs). Will we see a similar Hack-a-bert approach by the Hawks (35-28) tonight against Utah? It’s quite likely to happen, albeit to a more judicious extent.
    Gobert (78.2 FT attempts per 100 FG attempts) gets roughly the same proportion of his scoring (28.8%) as Jordan (27.9%) from free throw line trips. While DeAndre’s 43.2 FT% pales in comparison, Rudy’s 59.1 FT% (post-Break 51.6 FT%) is still fourth-lowest in the league among shooters with 100 or more attempts. Favors’ 71.0 FT% (10th-lowest among current NBA qualifiers) is just slightly better.
    The Jazz big men are at their competitive best when opponents allow them to camp around the rim in search of dunks, swats, and putbacks. A rested and more acclimated Humphries should help Atlanta keep the likes of Gobert, Booker (10th and 9th in NBA for O-Reb%, repsectively), Favors and Jeff Withey at bay. Edy Tavares is in Austin with the Lil’ Spurs, putting off the possibility of the league’s longest-limbed competitors for another day.
    The Hawks’ offense will try to spread out the Jazz defense, with pick-and-pop jumpers from Al Horford and Paul Millsap dragging Gobert and Favors out of their comfort zones. Help from Hood and Hayward will further open up Atlanta’s wing shooters, as Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore (each 2-for-5 3FGs @ LAC) continue to comb out their offensive kinks. Persistent penetration by Teague and Schröder, and weakside cuts by Thabo Sefolosha and Bazemore, should have Utah’s defensive bigs in pick-your-poison mode for much of the contest.
    Despite their youthful energy, Utah is the league’s slowest-paced team by far (93.4 points per 100 possessions; 8.2 fastbreak points per 100 possessions post-All-Star-Break, 29th in NBA), and it will be up to the Hawks to get the lead out. Hayward, Burke, Favors and Mack will soak up as much of the shot clock as they can, so Atlanta defenders need to pressure them into hurried shots and unwise decisions whenever they put the ball on the floor.
    The Hawks (51.6 eFG%) are a shade-behind Cleveland and the East’s most-accurate shooters from the floor, but rank last in the NBA with four or fewer seconds to go on the shot clock (33.9 eFG%; 11.9 TO% 2nd-worst in NBA), which is right where Utah wants them.
    Halfcourt discipline by Teague and Schröder should lead to wise first-shot opportunities early in the possession, and fastbreak options are available when Utah’s bigs get caught cherry-picking too frequently. Learning to dictate the tempo in Utah will be good practice for the Hawks, who face similarly deliberate yet more seasoned and successful teams (Toronto and Memphis) in their next two games.
     
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     

     
    “Call Me… Dianedre!”
     
    What’s up, Doc? Things are indeed looking up for the one-time All-Star point guard for the Atlanta Hawks, and current coach and team president for the Los Angeles Clippers. Ahead of the clash between the Hawks and Clippers at Staples Center tonight (10:30 PM, Fox Sports Southeast, Prime Ticket), Doc Rivers takes comfort in knowing he has stifled his legions of critics, at least for the moment.
    Doc The GM corrected two free agent mistakes in the past couple months. He dispatched the slap-boxing duo of Josh Smith and Lance Stephenson via trades, departing with cash and a future draft pick for the trouble. In return for Stephenson, he pried free from the Grizzlies Jeff Green, a versatile forward who always looked the part of a budding star until he actually played consistent minutes.
    Doc The Coach has also navigated the tricky waters of coaching a team without its leading scorer (yes, Hawks fans, it’s yet another one of those games). Blake Griffin has been out-of-action since playing the Lakers on Christmas Day, when the Clips were a modest 17-13 and generally treading water. Griffin injured his quad on that day, and later gave himself something to help him forget his quad pain, when he treated his equipment staffer-buddy’s face like a hanging slab of meat, breaking his own hand in the process.
    The paw hasn’t healed enough for doctors to release Griffin, and he’ll have a few more games off due to suspension once they do. Yet the Clippers have cruised back into relevancy without him, going 23-7 since the lump of coal arrived in their stocking.
    That run included a nine-game winning streak immediately after losing Griffin, and an 85-83 win at the Highlight Factory on January 27. The Hawks built up a nine-point lead late in the third quarter, but then was held to two field goals over the course of more than 13 minutes. A Kyle Korver three-pointer seemed to save the day with 25 seconds to go, but the Hawks could not keep DeAndre Jordan (NBA-high 68.6 FG%; 14.1 RPG, 2nd in NBA) from the rim, Al Horford blew a free throw, and Paul Millsap missed two point-blank shots in the closing seconds.
    Among the differences between these teams’ coach-execs, one is blessed with a superior and steadier Wake Forest point guard. L.A.’s Chris Paul has elevated his offensive game in Griffin’s absence (since Dec. 25: 20.5 PPG, 10.3 APG, 47.0 FG%, 38.8 3FG%, 89.8 FT%), logging double-digit assists in seven of his last eight games while turning over the ball no more than three times in his last ten.
    By comparison, Atlanta’s Jeff Teague isn't exactly chopped liver, but he has been limited in his impact lately (last 6 games: 11.5 PPG, 7.2 APG, 40.7 FG%, 30.4 3FG%, 70.0 FT%). Both he and Coach Bud have grown more deferential to Dennis Schröder (team-high 19.4 points and 8.0 assists per-36), justifiably. Schröder and Kirk Hinrich (3 assists in 3 garbage-time minutes @ LAL) are far better options off the bench than the Clips’ Pablo Prigioni and favorite-son Austin Rivers.
    Teague (7-for-10 FGs, 2 assists, 5 TOs vs. LAC) generally matched the passing wizardry of Paul (5-for-15 FGs, 10 assists, 2 TOs @ ATL) with his scoring in their January 27 meeting. And Teague, well rested for tonight’s contest thanks to Schröder (team-high 16 points vs. LAL on Friday), still has something the 9-time All-Star and his franchise have long coveted: experience in an NBA conference final.
    As well as the Clippers have played to this point, they’re aware it’s unlikely they’ll get to sniff the Western Finals if they’re facing the Golden State Juggernauts in the second-round. They do know they’d have a better shot against the team they sent packing in the first-round last season, the San Antonio Spurs, who are all but certain to lock down the second-seed. Paul denies that he cares where his team lands in six weeks, but you can bet Doc and Paul’s teammates are quite mindful. That’s why the race is on with the OKC Thunder to clinch the third-seed in the West.
    L.A. stormed back from a 22-point deficit on Wednesday night for a resounding 103-98 home victory over OKC. This, despite a season-high 63 rebounds gathered by the visiting Thunder. With Paul Pierce, Green (0-for-7 FGs vs. OKC), Cole Aldrich and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (out with a lacerated eyelid) spackling the hole at power forward where Griffin and Smith once resided, L.A. does risk being exposed around the rim whenever Jordan (2.3 BPG, 2nd in NBA) commits as a help defender. The team brought in burly D-League All-Star Alex Stepheson (NBDL-high 13.8 RPG) on 10-day contracts to bide the time until Griffin returns.
    Despite 19 rebounds by Jordan in the win at Atlanta, the Clippers struggled to contain the floor-stretching tandem of Paul Millsap (12 rebounds, 4 offensive vs. LAC) and Al Horford (8 rebounds, 2 offensive vs. LAC) around the offensive glass. That task will be much tougher for the Clippers if Kris Humphries gives the Hawks a smidgen of the effort he provided (14 points, 8 rebounds, 3 offensive in 22 minutes, 5-for-6 FTs) in last night’s draining of the Lakers.
    Neither team wastes much time compiling second-chance points (Clippers’ 9.3 PPG a league-low, Hawks’ 10.8 ranked 25th in NBA), so the offense that gains the edge tonight is the one that finds better-quality first-shots and makes their free throws when they’re sent to the line. To limit Atlanta drives into the lane, Paul (2.1 SPG, 3rd in NBA) will put unyielding defensive pressure on Teague and Schröder, and they in turn must rely on their bigs to keep the ball moving inside-and-out and cross-court.
    It will be especially advantageous for the Hawks if the ball finds its way to Kyle Korver (4-for-4 3FGs vs. LAC on Jan. 27) and Tim Hardaway, Jr., a combined 6-for-6 on threes against the hapless Lakers last night. Perimeter scoring from the shooting guards will be needed to offset J.J. Redick (48.1 3FG%, 2nd in NBA, 63.0 TS%, 3rd in NBA) and former Hawk Jamal Crawford (team-high 21 points, 9-for-16 FGs @ATL; NBA-high 90.9 FT%), two ready-to-score players whose best defense is a blistering offense.
    Paul Millsap and Kent Bazemore (3-for-10 3FGs @ LAL) have to blow past their man (without stepping out of bounds), driving more and settling less for contested jumpshots from the perimeter. The more players drawing defensive attention from Paul and Jordan inside, the more that Teague (8 assists in 28 minutes @ LAL) and Al Horford (5 assists in 25 minutes @ LAL) can get into the scoring column themselves.
    Like the Clippers, the Hawks continue to pursue a higher seed in their conference standings. However, the teams in front of them, namely the Raptors, Celtics, and heat, have already found their sea legs, while Atlanta is still struggling to establish its own groove. Getting back in the mix will require much more than beating downtrodden teams like the shorthanded Lakers. Pulling off a Staples sweep this weekend could be just the thing for the Hawks to start moving the meter.
     
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3

     
    “Blood Type: Mamba!”

     
    A Weekend in Hollywood! Sure sounds like fun, on the surface. But after squandering a big opportunity laid before them in Oakland, the Atlanta Hawks are looking at the upcoming pair of games at Staples Center more as an Escape From L.A.
    The Hawks want to keep this back-to-back set, beginning with Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers (10:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, 92.9 FM in ATL, ESPN, TimeWarner Cable SportsNet) and ending with the Clippers, from feeling more like a Weekend at Bernie’s. To do that, they’ll have to shed the deadweights of “Can’t Make Clutch Shots” and “Can’t Grab Crucial Rebounds” off of their shoulders.
    Okay, so by now you’ve certainly tired of hearing how Hawks opponents are coming into games shorthanded and hobbling, so let’s get the Lakers’ health issues out of the way with the quickness.
    Dealing with soreness in his right shoulder, Kobe Bryant was made to sit after one quarter in Denver on Wednesday, one day after sitting out L.A.’s last home win against the Nyets. Jordan Clarkson dropped 11 points on the Nuggets in that first quarter, but exited in the third with a patellar tendon strain. Both guards are listed as questionable, but I’d expect Kobe to make at least a brief appearance early in the game.
    Snellville’s Finest, Lou Williams was a scratch in the Denver game is will remain out for at least a week due to a strained hammy. One of the great NBA Juniors, Larry Nance, Jr. is probable to return after sitting out of the Denver game with a sore knee.
    As bad and broken down as the Lakers (12-50) have been, it’s worth noting that they held a fourth-quarter lead in Denver on the second night of a back-to-back, courtesy of a Nick Young three-pointer with just over nine minutes to go in the contest. They’re also reasonably rested. The games versus Brooklyn and Denver came after a three-day layoff.
    You’ve got to admit that Lakers coach Byron Scott has played his cards well. The win against Brooklyn was the sole victory in L.A.’s past ten games. Yet, Scott will survive this season, because the Lakers’ brass understands that this is merely a Farewell Tour disguised as a competitive NBA campaign. Besides, the most valuable thing Scott can do for the Lakers, while certainly on his way out the door this spring, is to maximize the preservation of their first-rounder, which goes to Tankadelphia if it somehow falls out from the Top 3.
    Coach Scott has heard the catcalls for a fuller commitment to the youth movement. That means releasing a link or two from the leashes holding back D’Angelo Russell (41.5 FG% pre-Break, 51.6% post-Break) and Julius Randle (41.7 FG% pre-Break, 46.8% post-Break; 31.5 D-Reb%, 4th in NBA). But to Scott, that also means seeing more of what SoCal high school star guard Anthony Brown and center Tarik Black can bring to the table. The rookie Brown is getting trial-by-fire as the first option off the bench in place of Kobe. In his second season, Black has been a stout rebounder and rim-protecting center to spell Roy Hibbert, despite his 6-foot-9 frame. To close out the season, expect less of Bryant, Hibbert, Young, and Metta World Peace, and more of these guys.
    If Bryant, Clarkson, and LouWill cannot go, that’s just more opportunity for the budding rookie Russell to shine. On Tuesday, Russell poured 39 points on Brooklyn in his certifiably best perimeter shooting contribution (8-for-12 3FGs) this season. For his next act, he led the way with 24 points in Denver, and while his jumper wasn’t as wet (3-for-9 3FGs), he did distribute the ball well (6 assists, 1 TO) while going head-to-head with Emmanuel Mudiay.
    The same could be said of Russell’s backup, 32-year-old Brazilian rookie Marcelo Huertas (8 assists, 1 TO). Ultimately, when it came down to defense, neither guard could handle Nuggets’ newest arrival: D.J. Augustin, formerly of the Thunder, tore the Lakers asunder with 26 points in 23 minutes (22 in the fourth quarter!) to top Mudiay’s 22 points.
    D.J. kept playing that song with the kind of balanced offensive performance that should have Atlanta’s Dennis Schröder (17 points, season-high 8 FT attempts @ GSW) licking his chops. Schröder spelled Jeff Teague with five minutes to go in regulation with the Hawks down ten points on Tuesday, and never looked back. Teague will be well-rested, but the more coach Mike Budenholzer can preserve his starter for Saturday’s follow-up game against Chris Paul and the Clippers, the better. Tonight’s game is a good chance for the Hawks to see what Kirk Hinrich can contribute off the bench.
    As a whole, the Lakers have been the league’s worst shooters (41.6 team FG%) and the worst inside-the-perimeter defenders (51.9 opponent 2FG%). But they can stay in the thick of things if they can keep opponents cool from outside (34.9 opponent 3FG%, 12th-best in NBA), force trips to the free throw line (25.2 FT attempts/game, 4th in NBA), and rebound the heck out of the ball (8-16 in games with more than 45 rebounds, 4-34 otherwise).
    In a close-to-the-vest fourth-quarter contest, the Lakers have gunners (Kobe, Russell, Clarkson, Lou, Young) who are more than happy to take a big shot. It’s exactly the type of scenario the Hawks (33-28), now losers of three overtimes in their last eight games, are desperate to avoid.
    From Derrick Favors to Nik Vucevic, from Jarrett Jack and Damjan Rudez, to Carmelo Anthony and Archie Goodwin, from Mario Hezonja and Evan Fournier to Greg Monroe and Michael Carter-Williams, from Luol Deng to Klay Thompson and Steph Curry and now, Draymond Green, the Hawks have made a habit out of being present for opponents’ fourth-quarter-and-OT highlight reels.
    Their foes’ varied prayers get answered eventually because the Hawks fail to close the door with execution, usually after they’ve worked so hard to get themselves a lead. Atlanta’s spiffy little defensive rating (99.6 opponent points per 100 possessions, 2nd in NBA) drops to a league-worst 135.8 in overtime, the offensive rating of 73.1 (28th in NBA) not much better.
    The Hawks have found themselves in clutch scenarios (last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime; teams within five points of the lead at some point) in 36 games this season, tied with the Raptors and Pelicans for the fourth-most occasions in the league. Yet in those circumstances, the Hawks have shot just 31.5% on three-pointers, contributing to a 17-19 record, whereas Toronto’s 37.7 3FG% has them at 23-13. The league leader in clutch threes? Draymond can tell you. Golden State’s 40.8% shooting from deep has them at 22-1 on the season.
    Suffice to say, you don’t want to be down or up a few points in the closing minutes of regulation, with Nick Young in house shoes hoping to get himself on SportsCenter. And you don’t want to be up all night wrangling with the Lakers while the Clippers are chilling in their adobes and taking notes from home.
    Left mostly on Alcatraz Island for almost 40 minutes (the only other sorta-center, Mike Muscala, logged less than three minutes @ GSW), Al Horford (23 points, 16 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals) will need a big breather ahead of tomorrow’s contest with DeAndre Jordan and company. Muscala is not in the best of moods right now (nobody ask him about Holy Cross last night) and ought to be itching for a productive game fending off L.A.’s myriad of big men. Like Hinrich, this is an ideal time to get Kris Humphries into the rotation.
    The weak defense by the Lakers’ guards and wings should present ample opportunities for Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha to get on the board, particularly on cuts and transition opportunities. Kyle Korver, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and Mike Scott (combined 7-for-13 3FGs @ GSW) should find the water just fine from downtown at Staples.
    Paul Millsap (1-for-6 3FGs @ GSW) can afford to lay off the three-pointers for awhile and focus on getting his post game back, against a Laker frontline that will much prefer to have Sap earn his points at the line. If he must stretch the floor, Millsap can instead try some mid-range shots when they come in the flow of the offense. If Randle and Bass come out to challenge, Millsap can take them inside off the dribble to finish plays.
    Atlanta has only forced 17 turnovers from opposing players in the past two games. Meanwhile, with the ball less in Kobe’s hands and more in the hands of shooters and putback players, the Lakers have only piled up double-digit turnovers in six of their past 12 games, compared to 45 times in their first 50. Forcing Russell and the younger Lakers into mistakes with the basketball will revive the transition offense engine for Atlanta (19.3 points off turnovers, 2nd in NBA). However the Hawks get it done tonight, they need not keep everybody up late.
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “FOUND: Something Steph Curry can NOT do well!”

     
    You wanna lock down a playoff spot in the East? Win your games on the road. Go all the way back to 1984, the first time NBA conferences carried eight teams into the playoffs, and you’ll find that among the Eastern Conference teams on the outside looking in, not one finished their season with an away-game record of 19-22 or better.
    For teams like the Atlanta Hawks (14-15 on the road), a winning road record makes the rest of the regular season schedule academic. This upcoming 5-game road trip is loaded with landmines, including tonight at the high-flying Golden State Warriors’ house (10:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast, NBATV, CSN Bay Area). But if the Hawks continue to shake free of their winter doldrums, take care of business against lesser teams, and pull off a big win or two, they can sew up their ninth-straight playoff appearance, in a nicer spot than most.
    The biggest issue for the Hawks going into tonight’s game in Oaktown? Trick-shot-artist extraordinaire-turned-MVP Stephen Curry is questionable to play, perhaps resting the twisted ankle he played through during Saturday night’s stunning overtime victory in Oklahoma City. Most threes in a game? Most threes in a season? Most buckets in the league this season from 30-feet-and-out? Most consecutive games with a three-pointer? All NBA marks established, re-established, and/or newly-shared by Curry in the past week alone. Not too bad! Why, his performances have become Abdul-Rauf-esque!
    Curry will at least be on-hand for a heroes’ welcome, as the Warriors return to Oracle Arena (24-0 at home, last home loss to Chicago on January 27, 2015) for the first time since February 9, completing their arduous cross-country, cross-All-Star-break trip in grand style. As much of a Steph infection that Curry (36 points on a personally tepid 14-for-22 shooting from the field, 5-for-11 on 3s @ ATL on Feb. 22) has inflicted upon the league, Atlanta probably prefers to gameplan for tonight hoping he’ll be on the floor, as his presence takes one less excuse for a letdown performance by the Hawks off the board.
    Head coach Steve Kerr’s staff must be aware that these Hawks have already blown games to teams missing the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jonas Valanciunas, Al Jefferson, Rudy Gay, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Blake Griffin, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Hassan Whiteside. So sitting Curry at this juncture wouldn’t be a terribly risky decision. For the Hawks (33-27), the task ahead if Curry sits is making sure tonight doesn’t become The Shaun Livingston Show.
    Be it Curry, Leandro Barbosa or Livingston, Atlanta guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder must put Golden State’s floor leaders to work by maximizing their lateral movement. That’s done by compelling them to work through multiple screens on defense, or applying pressure on the ballhandler from halfcourt whenever the Warriors have the ball, working them toward the sidelines instead of the hoop.
    Heavy minutes for Livingston (2-for-14 on 3s in two seasons w/ GSW) would certainly take a three-point threat off the board. Thus, limiting his ability to post-up the Hawks’ guards, and to drive-and-kick outside to perimeter threats like Klay Thompson (41.3 3FG%) and Harrison Barnes (41.2 3FG%, 5-for-14 3FGs @ ATL), would be key to rendering his input negligible.
    Like Curry, sixth-man Andre Iguodala (hamstring) was shelved for today’s shootaround ahead of tonight’s game, although the likelihood is greater that Iguodala plays. The Hawks were successful in neutralizing point-forward Nicolas Batum in Sunday’s win over Charlotte, and similar principles should be in play here with Iguodala (3-for-12 FGs, 0-for-6 3FGs @ ATL), assuming he suits up, and Draymond Green (2-for-10 FGs, 0-for-4 3FGs, 4 TOs despite 14 rebounds and 9 assists @ ATL).
    Green has been less Donkey from Shrek, and more Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh lately. He’s been lashing out first at Miami’s Hassan Whiteside, then at coaches and teammates, as he has struggled to get good looks (28.1 FG% 0-for-9 3FGs) in the last four games of Golden State’s road trip. He’s been less effective of an interior shooter at Oracle Arena (49.3 2FG%) than on the road (53.7 2FG%). Paul Millsap and the Hawks’ forwards must disrupt his passing lanes and force tough shots without fouling. They must also be mindful of the need to crash the defensive boards and not getting caught ball-watching when Warrior shots are hoisted.
    Before outlasting the Hawks in ATL, the Dubs were torched by Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum (72 points, 12-for-16 3FGs) in Portland, then eked past the Clippers despite a combined 65 points by Chris Paul, Jamal Crawford, and J.J. Redick. In Golden State’s next game, Atlanta’s starting backcourt of Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver could only muster 20 points (2-for-9 3FGs) between them, leaving the heroics mostly to reserves Dennis Schröder and Tim Hardaway, Jr. (13-for-21 FGs, 30 points) as Atlanta crawled back into contention from 23 points down in the third quarter.
    Last week, Miami was able to gain a lead in the final minute against Golden State, thanks to Dwayne Wade’s 32 points and a 15-point (3-for-3 3FGs) effort from backup Josh Richardson. Russell Westbrook contributed a double-double (26 points, 13 assists) for the Thunder on Saturday and might have been able to put a lid on the Warriors in regulation, but for his 0-for-6 shooting on threes (2-for-16 FGs beyond 5 feet) plus seven turnovers.
    Outside shooting by the Hawks needs to be on-point, at least for early stretches during tonight’s game. Atlanta has become accustomed to wearing out opponents in the paint (+3.2 net PPG in-the-paint, 6th in NBA), in hopes the home-run perimeter shots (34.0% of 4th quarter shots being 3FGAs, 7th in NBA) will arrive in the fourth quarter. It worked out on Saturday when Kent Bazemore and Al Horford’s threes gave the Hawks the breathing room they needed against hard-charging Charlotte. But against Golden State, the outside jumpshots need to serve as the body blows to set up interior plays later.
    Post-waiver-wire acquisitions Kris Humphries and Anderson Varejao will be suited up and ready to play in a pinch, if needed. Both will help spell the rebounding gaps brought on by the respective injury departures of Atlanta’s Tiago Splitter and Golden State’s Festus Ezeli.
    In crunch-time situations, the Warriors have held opponents to a league-low 16.7 3FG%. But in those closing quarters, Warrior opponents score a league-high 47.4 points-in-the-paint per-100 possessions. That’s fine-and-dandy when the game is a laugher by then, or if Curry is around to serve as a late-game savior. But if Atlanta can successfully spread out Andrew Bogut (5 blocks @ ATL, incl. 3 crucial 4th-quarter swats at the rim as GSW pulled away) and Green early by making them work the defensive perimeter, those players will be less likely to deny cutters late.
    A surprising win, with or without a healthy Curry, would make for a nice start to what could be a momentous road trip for Atlanta. But as important as a road win, for the Hawks, would be a competitive effort from the jump.
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3
    lethalweapon3
     
    “Wow, kids, look how high Al Jefferson is!”

     
    Can the Atlanta Hawks cool off the hottest team in the East? To close the homestand on a decent note, they’ll have to fumigate the Charlotte Hornets (3:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast in ATL, Fox Sports South in CHA), who have become quite the pests lately.
    When the Hawks last ran into coach Steve Clifford’s not-so-merry band of bugs, on January 13, Charlotte was mired in a losing skid, including seven losses in a row that turned a promising 14-10 record into 17-20. Thanks to injuries and a drug suspension, gravity-pulling star center Al Jefferson was nowhere to be found. But a sound 23-point drubbing of the Hawks broke their fall.
    Now, despite suffering another setback when defensive stalwart Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned early only to get shelved for the season, for good this time, with another shoulder injury, the Hornets are flying high again. Their 8-2 mark since January 31 has been the best in the conference, and it includes a split of games against the top-seeded Cavaliers.
    Clifford has remade Charlotte’s offense from one that hovers around the mid-range, and dumps into Jefferson in the post, to one that’s much more comfortable hoisting shots from 3-point territory. Last season’s edition of the Hornets ranked 24th in three-point attempts, and dead-last in making them. This season, they’re 3rd in the NBA for threes attempted. And while they’re not the best at hitting them (35.3 team 3FG%, 14th in NBA), at least they’re doing better than division-rival Atlanta (34.3 team 3FG%, 21st in NBA; 23.9 3FG% last three games).
    The most notable difference is in Charlotte’s leading scorer. Kemba Walker (career-high 20.7 PPG) is enjoying the best of his five NBA seasons, thanks to career-best shooting beyond the arc (37.3 3FG%, up from a career-low 30.4% last season) and at the charity stripe (5.2 FTAs/game, 84.9 FT%).
    Walker’s got help in the passing game. The team’s leading assist maker also happens to be the team’s top defensive rebounder. Jack-of-all-trades Nicolas Batum (career-highs 14.5 PPG and 5.6 APG, 10 assists vs. ATL on Jan. 13) handles his point-forward niche with aplomb, serving also as the third-leading three-point maker on the team, behind Walker and ex-Hawk power forward Marvin Williams.
    Finding his comfort zone back in Carolina, Marvin is no longer just wingin’ it. His 69.6 February TS% ranks just behind Stephen Curry’s 71.6%. He provided maybe his best game this season with 26 points (5-for-9 3FGs) and 13 rebounds, setting the stage for Walker’s last-minute heroics as the Hornets outlasted the Pacers in Indy on Friday night. He’s also 10-for-18 from Uptown in three games against the Hawks this season.
    Batum has struggled lately as the Hornets are striving to work Trade Deadline acquisition Courtney Lee into the mix. But his integral presence as a passer and perimeter defender keeps guards Jeremy Lin (15.9 points per-36, best since Linsanity season) and Troy Daniels (50.7 3FG%) from coming into games trying to be something they’re not.
    It’s a similar deal for big men like rookie Frank Kaminsky, who would be pressed into more defensive-rebounding duties on teams without a player like Batum. The team approach to defensive rebounding works well in Charlotte, whose lead assistant happens to be Patrick Ewing. They rank 1st in defensive rebounding percentage (79.7%) for the third consecutive season, even with the prolonged absences of Jefferson.
    Coming off of meniscus surgery, Big Al is, for now, a sixth-man. The former All-Star center comes off the bench in favor of Cody Zeller (19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks vs. ATL on Jan. 13), who has emerged as a plus-defender ever since getting tossed into the starting lineup back in December. The third-year center’s offense has improved by similar measure (career-high 9.2 PPG, 52.4 2FG%).
    Today’s matinee concludes a successful six-game road trip for Charlotte, who hasn’t played back at the Cable Box since February 8. This is the one chance the Hawks will have to trip up the momentum for the playoff-hungry Hornets, who are about to enjoy a very favorable schedule as the calendar turns. While the Hawks head west, up next for Charlotte is a home game at Charlotte and a road game in Philly. After that are seven straight games back home against mostly mediocre opponents.
    If the Hawks are rocking white this Sunday, it’s not in recognition of the OscarsTM tonight. Yet it’s likely fans will be able to get home well in advance of the celebrities hitting the red carpet. Both the Hawks and Hornets rank at the bottom of the league in personal fouls drawn this month. The team that forces tougher shots and produces points in transition (by way of defensive rebounds, in Charlotte’s case, or steals and blocks, in Atlanta’s) will have the upper hand. For the month of February, the Hawks rank second in the league for per-game D-Rebs, 3rd for steals, and 3rd for blocked shots, while committing the fourth-fewest fouls.
     
    Al Horford was a dud in the January 13 loss in Charlotte, but has nailed 18 of his last 31 shots this past week while blocking nine shots and snaring 21 rebounds in the past two games. He’ll have a chance to make amends by pushing the pace on Zeller and Jefferson. Mike Muscala will have his hands full at times with Jefferson, as was the case against Chicago’s Pau Gasol on Friday, but must also make the effort to beat his man down the court. Charlotte backup big Spencer Hawes is out with a sore lower back, so expect a busy day from Kaminsky whenever Williams needs a breather.
    Hawks reserve wing Thabo Sefolosha played a solid role in chasing Bulls guards off the perimeter on Friday and sparking the Hawks’ fast break. Offensively, he and Kent Bazemore (1-for-8 3FGs, 0 assists vs. CHI) have to keep shooting practice to practice, and look to keep the ball moving for better shot options. Defensively, they’ve got to deny passes into Batum early in the shot clock.
    The Hawks’ guards need to minimize dribble penetration by Walker and Lin, and make judicious use of double-teams along the sidelines and baselines, forcing Charlotte’s guards into doing the thing they’d rather not do: pass the ball (21.0 guard assists per 100 possessions, 24th in NBA).
    Let’s Go Hawks!
    ~lw3

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