RedDawg#8

Dafuq!?!?! Not good news

SNAP!

Coach is going to continue to start him, just a heads up.

I feel like this year he has done better against true Forwards. I think the Tatum's and Harris's are more in his wheel house than a 6-5 KJ. Keldon is a G/F to me being asked to play PF. And to be honest, he doesn't play PF, he just guards them. He is a true wing on offense running off screens and dribble penetration. Keldon is smaller than Bogi technically. That's not JC's prerogative to matchup with nightly. The Spurs are a one off in that regard.

We have played some tougher opponents lately, with injuries creeping back up; that being said, some of our old ways have started to resurface with not being able to close out close games 3 of our last 4 losses. Getting buried and playing uphill all game, dribble penetration from guards breaking down the defense, using Kev as a backup point guard, using Hill as a PF. We have lost that mojo and are trying to re-calibrate. I don't mind Bogi starting but I think until we get a backup PG healthy and available he made more sense staying with the second unit. If Lou is good to go we may be ok now, but its little things like that, that can cost you games.

Very good article. I highly suggest you guys invest in the athletic. https://theathletic.com/2490788/2021/04/01/bogdan-bogdanovic-atlanta-hawks-role-trade-talks/ Here is a part about Covid that was very interesting. Really insightful and informative.

Its never ending. Imagine how these guys feel inside the locker room, seeing these cats work out every day but not be able to suit up. It hast to be just as demoralizing

Keldon is a SG sized (6-5, 211) small forward, being used as a PF, Asking JC to chase him around all game is a bad idea. There is no good matchup for JC against the Spurs since they basically play 4 SG's, but I would think at least if he guarded DeRozen he wouldn't have to leave the paint to guard the 3 point line. Strictly midrange and post ups. Doesnt matter tomorrow I guess. Gallo is going to have the same issues if he starts at PF.

About that part.....

We need this win, I hope we are ready to compete tonight.

It looks so good. Its been since what, the Navy blue, red and silver era since we had Hawks word marks featured?

At some point when you're already at the top, these pickups don't move the needle any further than it already was. Basically, you can't get any better than 100%. Even with Blake and now Aldridge, the Nets are no scarier than they were back when they got Harden. Deeper yeah, sure. But Im not looking at the Nets and losing sleep over anyone not named Kevin, Kyrie, or James.

I know we do this thing where when a player leaves we have to focus on his negatives and why we are now better off without him. With Rondo, we did take a hit, no matter how inconsistent he was on the court. Travis even mentioned how big his voice was in the locker room and how we will miss it. There is a reason people look at this trade as a big pick up for the Clippers, besides the general bias. It's the same as why we were excited to sign him in the first place. We did not expect to have to rely on him for heavy rotation minutes during the regular season. Dunn's injury made that hard to avoid. That being said, Lou can still score, even in a down year for him. But what is his motivation going to be? What will his voice be in the locker room for our guys? And, besides just being a PG size, how will our bench unit look on the court now with no true point guard to create offense for others, just a bunch of scoring wings all playing together? Dunn is the X Factor. We will be trying to work him back in at the same time we are trying to work Lou in to the rotation. Dunn is much more of a PG than Lou, and that's really saying something. Point is, all isn't gravy just because Rondo is gone now.

Bogi offers a little but more grit and toughness too, and he is okay with mixing it up. I've changed my mind so many times on this roster about who the starting 2 guard should be, but truthfully, when Kev goes through these slumps, it makes me appreciate the veteran presence of Bogi in the lineup who can find more ways to affect the game. I love that when the traps came against Trae, he was attacking and making plays with the ball. We need Hunter to get back to speed so that he can gel with what is hopefully the final iteration of the starting 5 down the stretch.

I'm starting to grow weary of the "Atlanta" wordmark on the jerseys now. Seeing the "Hawks" on the black jerseys just looks so much better compared to the smaller font used for Atlanta. I wish we could go back to the team nickname on all of the jerseys, or at least the black and white. Am I the only one?

Draymond was apparently still having side effects from illness that kept him out the game before Played through it though. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/warriors/draymond-green-wasnt-feeling-well-gutted-out-warriors-loss-hawks%3famp No making excuses for the guy, just being objective. We caught him when he was vulnerable. Definitely played like a guy with low energy.

That would be an amazing starting 5 if everyone is playing to their potential.

I wish Kev played the way Supes posts. He would actually draw a few fouls and techs lol

Or shoots an off balance push shot off of the glass instead of going for contact and getting to the line

Why would Bogi go back to starting, did I miss something? My Lineup looks something like this WHEN EVERYONE IS BACK Starters: Trae, Kevin, Dre, JC, Clint Main Rotation: Lou, Bogi, Gallo Situational : Dunn, Cam, Snell, Hill, Knight, OO End of the bench: Goodwin, Mays, Bruno The first 2 groups make up your top 8 guys that get the bulk of playing time The situational group are just that, what does the game flow dictate we need? Shooting, Defense, Size, a specific 1 on 1 matchup, etc...These guys should still play most night, with varying degrees of usage game to game. I had Snell in the main rotation unit, but I think objectively speaking, he will be rotated with Cam once everyone is back. Until then, he is definitely in the top 8-9

Agree agree agree. Last year, no KD, no Klay, and basically no Steph, Draymond was a non factor. It's easier (not easy, I said easier) to defend when the other team has to work so hard on defense to stop you. When the pressure is on you to score just to keep up, when you make so many shots that you have time to set up your halfcourt defense instead of playing in transition, AND when you are next to all world defenders like KD, Klay, and Iggy (at the time) Bogut (at the time), etc... If Draymond went to a rebuilding franchise for his entire career instead of a powerhouse, it would be a much different story for his career. Not saying he isn't good or even great, but not THE GREATEST EVER. And quite possibly not even the greatest currently. He has earned respect, but not ALL TIME status.

Team 2, Most balanced, 3 starters, and two of the most mature rookies who play both aggressive and confident.

Did Bogi look good in preseason? 35% from the field, 28% from 3. Had he played then like he is now he would have won the job. He clearly was given more opportunity to do so. This was a conversation we had back then, he was presumed the starter because he was a big signing, but looked bad, or at least worse than Cam at the time. And that is really my point. If Bogi was balling all year we would have given him the benefit of the doubt coming back from his injury. Dre clearly isn't 100% yet but nobody is criticizing him. Bogi wasn't about rust, it was about the entire body of work pre and post injury.

He opened pre season with the ones as well. Cam out played him. Cam won the starting job, but Bogi got the first look.

Bogi was inconsistent before the injury too, hence why he was moved to the bench after getting first dibs as a starter. Folks, like myself, were hard on him because he hadn't shown much all year let alone after he got back from injury. Notice nobody is going after Dre while he gets his legs back.