Official Game Thread: Nets at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

Baby, Luke Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Baby, Luke Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back Babbitt’s Back BARBEQUE SAUCE…

 

¡Ay, caramba! The Brooklyn Nets steadfastly refused to play along with the Atlanta Hawks’ competitank antics on Saturday, allowing their spunky visitors to escape Barclays Center with a 114-102 victory. The scene shifts from the BK to the ATL today (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, YES Network in NYC). With the Nets heading south of the border for a pair of games in Mexico City afterwards, everyone is left to wonder if Brooklyn is heading south in the standings as well.

Signals had been pointing upwards for Kenny Atkinson’s bunch after stealing two of three on the road last week, at immolating Memphis and water-treading Dallas. Then came Saturday, with Brooklyn (8-14) getting blitzed at home in the paint by a Hawks team missing both Dewayne Dedmon and John Collins (and you, too, Mike Muscala).

Atlanta (5-17) built up a decisive 54-28 paint-points advantage versus a jumper-satisfied Nets squad, one that did not convert on an attempt in the paint until almost midway through the second quarter. And even that bucket came not from a big, but from Brooklyn’s default starter at the point. Among Net players who showed up to compete with the Hawks, Spencer Dinwiddie (3-for-8 3FGs vs. ATL, team-highs of 15 points, 9 assists, 3 blocks, plus 6 rebounds) often seemed to be on an island unto himself.

“I thought they dominated us in every area,” Atkinson told the postgame media. “They were the more aggressive team. They were the quicker team . . . They really took it to us. We could not keep them in front of us . . . That was the story of the game: We couldn’t guard them.”

Former Hawk DeMarre Carroll, who made quite a living off guarding people, got more than a birds’ eye view of the proceedings. “They came out and basically kicked our butt,” JYD stated matter-of-factly. “We didn’t have any energy. We came out lackadaisical and we knew coming off a three-game road trip, this tends to happen. We didn’t do what we were supposed to do.”

Alternatively, Dennis Schröder (10-for-19 2FGs, 6 assists, 1 TO @ BKN; 36.7 assist%, 6^th in NBA) sure seems to understand his role, at least on offense. As Bryan Fonseca of SB Nation’s Nets Daily noted, Dennis had not just one head coach watching him, but two. His German National Team coach from Eurobasket, Chris Fleming, now serves full-time as an Atkinson assistant.

Schröder also knows he’s being scouted before games by former Hawks video coordinator and current Nets assistant Jordan Ott. When Dennis plays the Nets, he’s dressed to impress (20.5 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.5 TOs/game), and he was eons better with his shot selection than during the Hawks’ October 22 loss (5-for-22 FGs) in the same building.

It was back when Atkinson and Ott were in Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer’s stead, when Carroll (career-highs of 14.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG this season) previously reached his zenith as an offensive performer. Shooting career-highs of 56.7 FG% on twos, and 39.5 percent on threes, during the Hawks magic-carpet-ride season of 2014-15, DeMarre showed he had turned a corner by attacking from the wings off the catch, without hesitation as to whether he would shoot, pass, or drive. His offensive play from that season should be instructive for the player who presently starts in his stead for the Hawks at small forward.

No one is doing HesiHawk quite as habitually these days as Taurean Prince (last 5 games: 33.3 FG%), with one shot-fake and jab-step at a time unsuccessful at drawing defenders to bite. Atlanta’s leader in total minutes is putting the ball on the floor and trying to Tetris his way to the hoop, but without much of a Plan B when those forays are thwarted by the opposition.

As a result, Prince (5-for-13 FGs, no assists, 2 TOs @ BKN) is too often settling for mid-range shots. Despite shooting a solid 42.5 3FG% in just his second season, his proportion of three-point attempts taken (34.5 percent of FGAs, as per basketball-reference) is down from last season (36.3 percent). It’s a similar deal for the shots he gets around the rim (63.5 FG%, up from 53.4%; 29.4 percent of FGAs, down from 36.1 percent). In the mushy middle is where things get muddled for Prince and the Atlanta offense.

Compared to his rookie year, Taurean is taking a higher proportion of his shots between 3-to-10 feet (shooting 25.6 FG%), between 10-to-16 feet (32.3 FG%), and the dreaded long 2s from 16 feet out (19.0 FG%). Throw in a turnover percentage (16.4 per 100 plays) that rivals Kommander Kent Bazemore’s (16.3 TO%), and you can see why, despite a stellar perimeter shot percentage, Prince’s offensive efficiencies (-0.4 offensive win share) have been as poor as any current (i.e., Malcolm-Delaney-at-PG excepted) significant contributor on the team.

It is a big ask to read-and-react in Coach Bud’s motion offense for even veteran players, but Prince (46.5 catch-and-shoot 3FG%) can help his cause, and Atlanta’s, by simply gathering and hoisting the open threes when the ball comes his way. He’s one of seven Hawks (incl. Dedmon, Luke Babbitt, Delaney, Tyler Cavanaugh, Baze, and Marco Belinelli) hitting above a 40-percent clip on catch-and-shoot threes.

There will be opportunities to blow past the closeout man, but Prince must make those decisions more immediately, as his reactions while reading the defense tend to throw him off more than his defenders. The Hawks (12^th in eFG%, 21^st in O-Rating) can diversify their offense further by running plays where Taurean (11.2 assist%, 52^nd among 80 players w/ 30+ MPG) receives the ball strictly as a swing passer.

Rebounding by Committee remains the order of the day for Atlanta, and the nimble feet of Ersan Ilyasova (11 rebounds, 8 offensive) will have to come through again tonight if the Hawks intend to pull off the Pasa Doble. In the Battle of Inferior Baller Bros, starter Miles Plumlee (7 rebounds, 3 swats) managed a strategic draw with the Nets’ Tyler Zeller on Saturday. Having Ilyasova and Plumlee back and healthy allowed Luke Babbitt (season-high 20 points, 4-for-6 3FGs @ BKN), still dealing with a nagging back issue, to snipe away in a bench role.

The Hawks’ wings (including DeAndre’ Bembry) helped the Atlanta frontcourt limit the Nets to just 12 second-chance points, and Atkinson is out to change that tonight. He got nothing from the benched Timofey Mozgov (DNP-CD for two straight games) and next-to-nothing from starter Trevor Booker (0-for-5 FGs vs. ATL, benched mid-3^rd quarter) on Saturday.

Through drives and post-ups, the Nets will try to get the ball inside more and draw trips to the free throw line (26.5 FTAs per game, 4^th in NBA), although making these shots have become a bit like the adage about drawing horses to water (73.1 team FT%, 27^th in NBA).

When Brooklyn goes bigger and crashes the offensive glass, the Hawks should counter by pushing in transition, no matter whether the Nets convert their plays into points. It will be up to Carroll, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (starting beside DMC at power forward), and Caris LeVert to slow the Hawks’ rolls toward the paint and the three-point corners, if the Mexico-bound Nets want a happy send-off tonight from their fans, and a few others.

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[benhillboy]

Aight @NBASupes.  If the Nyets lose this one I don’t wanna hear no mo bout Kenny being a great coach.

Did yall catch DeMarre on NBATV with his pedal pushers on?  Ha!

[lethalweapon3]

Just now, benhillboy said:

Did yall catch DeMarre on NBATV with his pedal pushers on?  Ha!

"NO, SEKOU, YOU'RE NOT A SHOOTER."

~br3ntbarry

[DBac]

Bembry playing with continued confidence from summer league. He learned some new moves.

[benhillboy]

Every time I hear Levert’s name called I see Gerald LeVert smiling on an album cover with a white background and purple sequin suit.  

Is Plumlee out of shape?  Looks like it.  That’s the funniest sh@t in pro sports to me.

Gotta like Isaiah Taylor.  

I wish Brooklyn would play basketball instead of just hoisting threes.  I hate the Rockets, now everybody wanna be them.  F@&k.

Edited December 5, 2017 by benhillboy

[TheNorthCydeRises]

LOL . . . Baze has to be Josh Smith's cousin.  Hahahah @ that behind the back pass

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Great commentary by Nique about bad shooters taking 3 pointers, and small ball.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Too easy for Dennis . . . perfect night so far.

[nathan2331]

LOL . . . Baze has to be Josh Smith's cousin.  Hahahah @ that behind the back pass

The Harry the Hawk skit he was involved in was pretty good though.

 

Sent from my Z981 using Tapatalk

 

 

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Is that Irv Gotti at the game with his kids . . in courtside seats?

[benhillboy]

2 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

Is that Irv Gotti at the game with his kids . . in courtside seats?

Yup, you can’t miss him in that Soulja Boy T shirt.

You know Dennis feeling it with his first block of the season.  Free hookah all night.

[StephenHawking]

Ok... so first half summary:

Dennis with nice touch so far. Nearly perfect. Hit some tough looks in the midrange. 

Baze with the behind the back into the stands. Perfect sum up of his game.

Prince play in those last games is insufficient. Really does everything wrong. Bazeish drives all game long.

Illy plays his game. Hard working. Collecting charges.

Plumlee is trying hard but seems unable to set a solid screen. Dinwiddie always slipped around him. 

Babbitt wasn't seen on the court yet.

Bembry plays a nice overall game. Sometimes gets stuck while trying to do too much. 

Taylor is once again a perfect bench spark plug.

Cavanaugh is probably my favorite player so far this season. Seems like a really humble dude who leaves his heart on the floor. Never ever thought to get that much out of our two way player. 

Belinelli didn't have the opportunities to score yet. Gets lost on screens trying to stay with the opponent a couple of times.

 

 

Edited December 5, 2017 by StephenHawking

[TheNorthCydeRises]

LMAO. . . I turn away from this game to watch the Bengals, and the Hawks haven't scored the entire half?  WTF?

[benhillboy]

3 minutes ago, TheNorthCydeRises said:

LMAO. . . I turn away from this game to watch the Bengals, and the Hawks haven't scored the entire half?  WTF?

I got caught watching Mixon too.  Great decision. 

[benhillboy]

31 minutes ago, StephenHawking said:

Bembry plays a nice overall game. Sometimes gets stuck while trying to do too much.

Yeah he does.  Versatile talent but still a youngin.  Just crossed 500 career minutes.  That Allen Crabbe is a funny looking individual.

Edited December 5, 2017 by benhillboy

[Lurker]

The third quarter was basically the summary of why a lot of people do not like Dennis and his value is very low around the league. it doesn't matter the kind of team, he has a lazy attitude and tries when he wants to, and he decided to pack it in for the 3rd quarter.

Edited December 5, 2017 by Lurker

[DBac]

Made Jarret Allen look like Wilt Chamberlain lol

[TheNorthCydeRises]

14 minutes ago, Lurker said:

The third quarter was basically the summary of why a lot of people do not like Dennis and his value is very low around the league. it doesn't matter the kind of team, he has a lazy attitude and tries when he wants to, and he decided to pack it in for the 3rd quarter.

LOL. . so he plays perfect basketball in the 1st half.  But because he comes out cold in the 3rd quarter, now his value is very low around the league?  Why in the world are some of you so critical of Dennis, in a season in which maybe 2 people on the team would be a starter on another team?

Dennis didn't tell these owners to trade or not re-sign all of our talent.  Dennis has to be the volume shooter, just to keep this team in the game.

Prince, Baze, Cavanaugh, Plumlee, and Belineli have all sucked today.  But Dennis gets the criticism?

[Lurker]

Just now, TheNorthCydeRises said:

LOL. . so he plays perfect basketball in the 1st half.  But because he comes out cold in the 3rd quarter, now his value is very low around the league?  Why in the world are some of you so critical of Dennis, in a season in which maybe 2 people on the team would be a starter on another team?

Dennis didn't tell these owners to trade or not re-sign all of our talent.  Dennis has to be the volume shooter, just to keep this team in the game.

Prince, Baze, Cavanaugh, Plumlee, and Belineli have all sucked today.  But Dennis gets the criticism?

It's not based on one game. It's based on reports I've read. NBA people do not like him, at all. His value is a bag of potato chips.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I think I said at the beginning of the season that Dennis basically should get a pass for anything that may go south during this season.  When ownership puts a crap team around you, and you're the only guy who can score, he gets a pass.