Official Game Preview: Knicks at Hawks (7:30 PM Tip!)

[LamarHampton]

Great game last night. I took my son and we were in the Hawksquawk section (116) of course. Once the Hawks kicked it into gear I was high fiving Chinese people, taunting and making faces at Knicks fans, and trying to steal pinches of cotton candy from the kids sitting in front of me. It was a blast; a real feel good kind of game.

Very good way to go out with the last home game of 2015.

"All I do is win, win, win, no matter what..."

Go Hawks!!!

 

 

 

[NBASupes]

1 hour ago, bumpyphish1 said:

I really don't buy that so much because if one is a legit Hawks fan, one should have known long ago Al Horford is an elite player in this league--he doesn't have anything to prove.  He's a class act, selfless, will perform whatever role is needed usually with success and is an extremely versatile athlete and ball handler for his frame.  He has intangibles like BBall IQ and leadership qualities and he's just not flashy enough to garner as much praise as he deserves.  But. an undervalued Al is great for us in the offseason.  Dude is underrated nationally and by our many of our fans.  Only gets in All-Star games as a reserve due to the voting nonsense.  It all works to our favor.  I'd rather our team and players soar under the radar.

A lot ppl here have low basketball intelligence. Horford is one of the best all around players in the NBA. Top 10 without question with the best intangibles in the NBA.

Edited December 27, 2015 by NBASupes

[Lurker]

8 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Horford is one of the best all around players in the NBA. Top 10 without question with the best intangibles in the NBA.

Top 10 players don't get absolutely humiliated in a playoff series more than once. Bottom of top 25, maybe.

And once again, Horford is not going to dominate at PF with a true center. He is what he is, and what he is is good but far from elite.

[ATLSmith]

Our bench was huge for us.  Scott, Schröder, Sefolosha, and Patterson all had great games.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, bumpyphish1 said:

I really don't buy that so much because if one is a legit Hawks fan, one should have known long ago Al Horford is an elite player in this league--he doesn't have anything to prove.  He's a class act, selfless, will perform whatever role is needed usually with success and is an extremely versatile athlete and ball handler for his frame.  He has intangibles like BBall IQ and leadership qualities and he's just not flashy enough to garner as much praise as he deserves.  But. an undervalued Al is great for us in the offseason.  Dude is underrated nationally and by our many of our fans.  Only gets in All-Star games as a reserve due to the voting nonsense.  It all works to our favor.  I'd rather our team and players soar under the radar.

With the way Al started the season, he deserved every criticism he got from me as did Teague and whoever else. We are anticipating paying Al a max contract next offseason and his play was concerning.  I don't care about flash and what he can't do, I care about what he can do and for him to do it well and consistently and he just wasn't,  there was no hustle and urgency to his game. The last few games he has played up to my expectations and for that he gets props.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, NBASupes said:

A lot ppl here have low basketball intelligence. Horford is one of the best all around players in the NBA. Top 10 without question with the best intangibles in the NBA.

It has nothing to do with low bball IQ on the Squawk - our eyes told us Al wasn't playing up to his potential.  There is no getting around that.

[cam1218]

Horford is my favorite Hawk and has done so much for us. He's an amazing player. I think people getting mad at his play had more to do with our high expectations for him. No true fan can think he's an awful player. 

[AHF]

Coming into the new year on a great roll!

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, cam1218 said:

Horford is my favorite Hawk and has done so much for us. He's an amazing player. I think people getting mad at his play had more to do with our high expectations for him. No true fan can think he's an awful player. 

Exactly this.  To start the season I had very high expectations from Teague (prime of his career and ready to take the next step), Al and Sap, 3rd season in Bud's system etc. Only Millsap has met those on a consistent basis.  I expected a 35 year old Kyle coming off  elbow and ankle and no offseason training to struggle. 

Like @AHF said 'on a roll going into the New Year.'

[Jody23]

Exciting to see this team string some wins together.  However, this team will never compete with Cleveland and that's too bad.

[bumpyphish1]

My point is, you've watched Al for what now 6-7 years?  You think all of a sudden he doesn't have it.  So he started slow to the season,  He also picked up a 3 PT shot.  He's healthy.  His play will move towards his mean,  You all are critical of a guy you damn should know is a first rate basketball player any coach would salivate for and he starts off the season and plays 15 games sluggish and some people are claiming "we can't win a championship with Al and Millsap".  What kind of reasoning is that nonsense?  We can still add another big and play around with both Al and Paul's minutes at the 4 and minimize Al's at the 5 if we want based on sub patterns

Just sillyness abound over this...I read so many comments by people who just do not get it.

Edited December 28, 2015 by bumpyphish1

[Lurker]

22 minutes ago, bumpyphish1 said:

We can still add another big and play around with both Al and Paul's minutes at the 4 and minimize Al's at the 5 if we want based on sub patterns

Here's your problem with this, Millsap has to be on the court 33-35 mins a game or ATL's offense will struggle with how they're built. So I guess you're cool with Horford playing 20-23 mins or the rebounder/shot blocker playing only 15-20 mins (which is not enough), as ATL does not want to go big and likely won't at all until playoff time if at all.

[Atlantaholic]

5 hours ago, Jody23 said:

Exciting to see this team string some wins together.  However, this team will never compete with Cleveland and that's too bad.

Cleveland lost by 40 to Portland. I wouldn't say we will ever be favorites but let's not throw around absolute statements especially considering that team is one Bron  injury away from being a bottom five team in the east. 

[bumpyphish1]

5 hours ago, Lurker said:

Here's your problem with this, Millsap has to be on the court 33-35 mins a game or ATL's offense will struggle with how they're built. So I guess you're cool with Horford playing 20-23 mins or the rebounder/shot blocker playing only 15-20 mins (which is not enough), as ATL does not want to go big and likely won't at all until playoff time if at all.

Between the the 4 and 5, there are 96 minutes,  It's very basic math,  Al and Millsap can both play 35 mins and that still leaves 26 minutes for other "bigs".  It would not be hard to work it where Millsap plays all his minutes at the 4, Al plays about 13 mins at the 4, and about 22 at the 5; Variable due to matchups.  Also think Millsap can play 10 mins per game at the 3 against most any team. 

[NBASupes]

9 hours ago, Lurker said:

Here's your problem with this, Millsap has to be on the court 33-35 mins a game or ATL's offense will struggle with how they're built. So I guess you're cool with Horford playing 20-23 mins or the rebounder/shot blocker playing only 15-20 mins (which is not enough), as ATL does not want to go big and likely won't at all until playoff time if at all.

Sap has been playing great this year but he's not better than Horford. Not even close. Put him out of position and look at his success rate go down and we miss the playoffs. Horford does so much that makes it possible for him to have the success he has, NOT the other way around. 

[Jody23]

5 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

Cleveland lost by 40 to Portland. I wouldn't say we will ever be favorites but let's not throw around absolute statements especially considering that team is one Bron  injury away from being a bottom five team in the east. 

So do you think this team as is can compete with or beat Cleveland in the playoffs?  Yes or no?  And I'm not hoping Lebron gets injured and I would hope the Hawks aren't sitting around waiting on that to happen either.

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Jody23 said:

So do you think this team as is can compete with or beat Cleveland in the playoffs?  Yes or no?  And I'm not hoping Lebron gets injured and I would hope the Hawks aren't sitting around waiting on that to happen either.

You weren't talking to me, but I happen to think they can compete with CLE this year.  Last year's blowout/sweep showed they had some changes to make and that they weren't ready last year (although they appeared to think they were).

[Jody23]

37 minutes ago, kg01 said:

You weren't talking to me, but I happen to think they can compete with CLE this year.  Last year's blowout/sweep showed they had some changes to make and that they weren't ready last year (although they appeared to think they were).

So to you, specifically what is different this year from last year? I think the Hawks are a good team, better than most.  But Cleveland is a great team.  In games against great teams this season (Spurs x2, Cavs) the Hawks have been smashed.  Not just beat, but smashed.  If those games were competitive, I might see this differently but I'm seeing a trend from last season against the top teams that's disturbing.

[DS17Fanboy]

^Those where also games in a down-swing period. We have the catch the play-offs in an up-swing one and not do this rest-a-starters thing right before. We also dont have oldage Duncan and Parker, we have guys in the prime of their career. They need to be balling and compete without breaks.

Edited December 28, 2015 by DS17Fanboy

[Guest]

31 minutes ago, Jody23 said:

So to you, specifically what is different this year from last year? I think the Hawks are a good team, better than most.  But Cleveland is a great team.  In games against great teams this season (Spurs x2, Cavs) the Hawks have been smashed.  Not just beat, but smashed.  If those games were competitive, I might see this differently but I'm seeing a trend from last season against the top teams that's disturbing.

I don't really read much into those blowouts.  We were playing bad ball at those times.  If we played them now I think the games would be competitive.  We might win, we might lose but we won't be outclassed like we were in all 3 of those matchups.

What's different this year versus last?  Not much.  But I do think the team has a different mindset and we're winning differently than we did last year.  I don't think the Cavs are a 'great' team either.  Just like OKC, they have some great individual players which carries them.  If you make them think or do anything other than 'beat the man in front of them' they have problems.