Media Day/Training Camp/Preseason 2018

[benhillboy]

Lin’s instagram says he’s “back and healthy.”  He’s 100% ready to go?  I thought his timetable was December-January?

[JayBirdHawk]

https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/1046512042142822400

[JayBirdHawk]

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Pierce has not revealed his starting lineup and the decision at the point guard position (between Lin and Trae Young) is the central point of interest. Still, both are expected to play significant minutes in every game when the regular season begins

 

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Lastly, this is the only preseason game for the Hawks that does not provide local options to follow the proceedings, as there is no (officially sanctioned) TV or radio broadcast available in Atlanta.

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[Spud2nique]

48 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

Ugh ? what a tease!

[JayBirdHawk]

And so.......It Begins:

 

[JayBirdHawk]

We're not even getting The Holman on the radio?

 

[hazer]

36 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

We're not even getting The Holman on the radio?

 

WTF??? ?

[hazer]

50 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

And so.......It Begins:

 

Man I’m dying to SEE that lineup! Guess I’ll be searching FireStick for that bootlegged Pelicans stream. Did I say that out loud?

[bleachkit]

Go to the game! Tickets are dirt cheap.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

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Here is what I will be watching closely during preseason play.

 

Will John Collins play at the center position?

The Hawks Summer League roster was built with a host of players that could man the center position and Collins played exclusively at the power forward position before he was shut down after two games of play in Las Vegas. With both Dewayne Dedmon and Omari Spellman dealing with injuries it should not take long to find out if Pierce will experiment with using Collins at center in a small-ball lineup.

Collins demonstrated significantly advanced perimeter shooting and playmaking skills during Summer League play and the offensive scheme being implemented could dictate whether or not he will be used exclusively at the power forward position this season.

 

Will Taurean Prince play at the power forward position?

The injuries at the center position should also mean it should not take very long to discover whether or not Prince will be asked to slide up to the power forward position at times. Last season when injuries or matchup situations forced the Hawks to use lineups with three wings, it was usually Kent Bazemore who was asked to play at the power forward position on the offensive end of the court.

If the Hawks incorporate a lot of dribble hand off (DHO) action, we will be able to observe whether Prince is ever the player handing the ball off to a ball handler or not.

If the Hawks deploy any offensive sets that calls for a player operating with his back to the basket in the mid-post, we will be able to see whether or not Prince is ever the player doing that.

If the Hawks run any “Horns” sets we will be able to identify whether or not Prince is setting up with another big man at the top of the formation near the point guard.

And if Prince does play some at the power forward position it will be interesting to see how well those lineups rebound the ball, especially on the defensive end of the court.

It will also be intriguing to see if Prince has as much of a green light that he had as a shooter over the final month or so of last season.

 

Will Trae Young and Jeremy Lin play together?

Jeremy Lin was traded for in July for a number of reasons, the least of which being to help with the growth and development of the Hawks’ top draft pick, Trae Young. Lin has offered the most value to his team in recent seasons when he could be deployed as part of a two-point guard lineup. Especially when the other point guard, often the starter, is undersized… as Young is.

Playing with purpose off of the basketball will be an important focus for Young as he navigates his first professional season, but that could be facilitated when he is deployed in the preseason with Kent Bazemore, DeAndre’ Bembry, Daniel Hamilton or R.J. Hunter.

This could also provide some insight as to whether or not anyone on the current roster will function as a third point guard.

 

Who will Tyler Dorsey play with in the back court?

Dorsey, who will be a restricted free agent after this season, played a lot with Trae Young during Summer League action. But the pairing could be problematic in a number of ways in a real NBA setting. If the duo struggles together, it could suggest that Dorsey might not have much long-term value to the organization.

But if Dorsey is deployed in a way that he can be given an opportunity to help with a significant amount of offensive production with second unit lineups it could indicate that there very well might be a longer-term role with Atlanta.

When he is playing while Young is on the bench we will be able to notice if the Hawks are running offensive actions (floppy sets, hammer sets, pin down screens, etc.) with the primary goal of getting Dorsey good looks as a scorer. If yes, it will be interesting to see how successful he can perform in that role.

 

What will we see from Alex Len offensively?

The Hawks gave Len a fully guaranteed two-year contract this summer. There should not be much intrigue regarding what is expected of him defensively. But on offense it will be interesting to see whether he is doing anything more than setting screens, rolling toward the rim and hitting the offensive glass.

He has taken just 25 three point attempts in his career but that is 24 more than Dewayne Dedmon had taken prior to joining the Hawks last year. And Dedmon connected on 35.5 percent of his 141 attempts last season from the three-point line.

And the shots don’t necessarily have to come from the three-point line to be fundamentally important. If opposing centers are dropping deep in pick and roll coverage will Len be a threat to knock down a completely uncontested mid-range jump shot? He has always looked like a big man that could develop a functional jump shot. It will be interesting to see if the change of scenery will impact that part of Len’s offensive game.

 

There are a number of key things to track in this area.

Can Bembry stay healthy and be unquestionably the best defender among the group? Can he attack successfully in dribble penetration and/or demonstrate a functional perimeter jumper?

How NBA ready is Kevin Huerter? Can he consistently do anything more than make perimeter jump shots? How much defensive versatility can he project as a prospect?

Has Tyler Dorsey improved as a defender? 

Can Daniel Hamilton help the Hawks push the pace when he is on the court? 

Will the tenure Justin Anderson has playing under Coach Pierce’s guidance in Philadelphia move him ahead of others in the rotation once he is cleared to play?

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Pels Starters:

 

Elfrid Payton (he has finally cut that thing on his head)

Jrue Holiday

Etwan Moore

Julius Randle

Anthony Davis 

[Spud2nique]

3 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Elfrid Payton (he has finally cut that thing on his head)

That’s all he had going for him. Now he’ll be outta the league in a couple of years.

[AHF]

Why the h-e-double-hockey-sticks can the league televise basically all the summer league games and not televise the preseason opener (let alone the whole preseason)?  This is insane in an era where opening a live stream just isn't that hard.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[JayBirdHawk]

Nba.com is streaming live:

https://www.nba.com/hawks/live?utm_source=s_h&utm_medium=t&utm_campaign=1819preseason&utm_term=pelsstream&utm_content=1001#

[AHF]

25 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Nba.com is streaming live:

https://www.nba.com/hawks/live?utm_source=s_h&utm_medium=t&utm_campaign=1819preseason&utm_term=pelsstream&utm_content=1001#

Must be in Atlanta area but for those who can see it - enjoy and report back to those of us without access!

[AHawks89]

Vince Carter comes in with his name being chanted.