Official Game Thread: Hawks at Warriors

[lethalweapon3]

Presented, without context.

 

“I’m the greatest defender the NBA has ever seen!”, crowed a paraphrased Draymond Green, for no good reason whatsoever. He’s not exactly “King of the World!” on some Titanic, but he is standing out there on deck, just daring the Evergreen cargo-bros of the world to come at him.

With nobody around Pennsylvania Avenue to trade potshots, Dray’s head coach, Steve Kerr, now spends his time doing introspective podcasts, and taking umbrage at misguided muckrakers reading too deeply into them. Kelly Oubre is cutting off press conference attendees wading too far into his pending free agency. On TV, Steven Curry is busy refining his Bud Abbott bit, with CarMax salespersons as his Lou Costellos. Oh, excuse me, Steffen.

Whatever torpedoes Draymond (out, illness) dares to face while chugging full speed ahead, he understands his Golden State Warriors are decidedly not in the same boat as the water-bailing Orlando Magic. Get back a spry Klay Thompson in 2021-22 to join Green, Curry (out, inflamed tailbone, which sounds nice), and emerging Lotto-rook James Wiseman, keep around young vets like Andrew Wiggins and Eric Paschall, then provide hungry two-way guys like Nico Mannion and Juan Toscano-Anderson and title-starved vet-mins as filling. Soon, they’ll be making a lot of love.

It’s Dray versus Tony Allen, Coach Kerr versus journalists, anything to distract fans from watching Golden State versus Anybody on the hardwood right now, as many plan on doing tonight with the Atlanta Hawks swinging through Chase Center (10 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, NBC Sports Bay Area in SFO, ESPN everywhere else). Kerr’s Dubs will steer as much attention as they can away from the fact they let their division rival Sacramento Kings, on zero nights’ rest after surviving Wednesday’s 110-108 affair with Atlanta, hang a season-high 141 regulation points on them. Maybe Draymond (DNP’d vs. SAC) is on to something here.

Bear in mind that the Warriors (22-23, 3-8 in past 11 games, losers of three straight) are too busy trolling to be worried about tanking. Another developmental lottery-pick talent to toss into next year’s roster mix is fine, but not a priority. What we have is Oubre doing what he can (at times, too much) to secure his bag this summer, Andrew Wiggins going through the motions until something matters, James Wiseman striving to maintain his rookie composure, and Kerr urging everyone on the team that even if you don’t know what you’re out on the floor doing, do it fast (103.4 Pace, 2^nd in NBA), and steal some wins along the way.

If all goes fine, the Warriors (10^th in NBA West, 2.0 games ahead of the Kings and Pelicans) can slide into the Play-In games this May and build up confidence, ahead of next year, by knocking off some hopeful 7- or 8-seed, then even putting a scare into a top-flight contender in the opening round. That’s kind of what the transitioning LA Clippers did in 2019, when they stared down Curry, Kevin Durant, and the best of the West, the defending NBA champs, and forced them to play six first-round games.

Those Clippers, led in postseason minutes by Danilo Gallinari, had Playoff Lou to thank for their victories. 36 points and 11 assists for Lou Williams helped knock off the Dubs in Game 2. LouWill’s 33-and-10, also off the bench, and including 11-and-4 in the final quarter, helped his Clips stave off elimination in Game 5 and put Warriors Nation on edge. “A force of nature,” The Ringer described Lou at that time, “the Warriors can’t stop.”

Going forward, the main tasks for Williams, soon to be reunited with Gallinari and the Hawks (22-22, 4.0 games ahead of 11^th-seeded Tampato, 0.5 games behind 4-seed Charlotte) following yesterday’s deadline trade of Rajon Rondo’s new contract to the Lakers’ intown nemesis, are to stay healthy and COVID-free, firm up the bench consistency, pick up the offensive slack when starters rest, and be ready to give KD and Nets Nation the heebie-jeebies in the first or second rounds of the playoffs hopefully to come.

Similar to Clint Capela, this is no time for wholesale transformation, as Atlanta simply needs Sweet Lou (5.6 assists per-36, behind only Paul George’s 5.8 w/ LAC) to be the sweetest Lou he can be at this stage of his career.

We rarely got the full Lou Will Experience during his prior two seasons in Atlanta. His untimely 2013 injury in Brooklyn short-circuited any hopes of Larry Drew’s crew being a threat in the post-Joe era. His struggles under new coach Mike Budenholzer’s watch extended into what was nearly a monumental 2014 playoff run by the Hawks. But the former South Gwinnett sensation firmed up his professional reputation as a quintessential sixth-man star, first in his next NBA stop of Toronto, and later with both of Los Angeles’ clubs.

Here’s hoping for stability back home in the ATL, as the soon-to-be free agent seeks to firm up what could be his final NBA contract ahead of his age-35 season. “There’s plenty left in my tank,” professed Williams on Instagram, “and I’m privileged to continue my career in my backyard.”

Lou won’t be a factor in the outcome of this, and perhaps the next, Hawks game, as COVID-related clearances will delay the process for Thursday’s traded acquisitions. Atlanta is going to need somebody beside the usual suspects to be a factor tonight.

With no Williams, no Rondo, and of course no Dunn, Lou’s fellow Gwinnetian, Brandon Goodwin (10+ minutes played in 13 of ATL’s first 17 games, 3 of the Hawks’ last 27, none since Feb. 13), will need productive minutes setting up shooters and getting back to the ball when Warrior defenders clog teammates with the ball around the paint. Even as De’Aaron Fox enjoyed his career-night with 44 points (most by any King since Boogie in 2017), his Kings were able to crown the Dubs last night with the aid of second-year guard Kyle Guy (17 points, 4-for-6 3FGs, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) staying active off the bench.

Atlanta needed one more among its supporting cast, aside from the returning ex-King Bogdan Bogdanovic (20 points, 4-for-6 3FGs @ SAC) to get hot from outside in order to outpace Sacramento on Wednesday. But the combo of DeAndre’ Hunter, fifth-starter Tony Snell and Gallinari were surprisingly low-volume (4-for-17 together from the field, 0-for-6 on threes), leaving Trae Young (29 points, 9 assists, one late lawn-dart on seven 3FGAs) to try and outfox a Fox in the clutch.

Atlanta’s defense will allow an opposing player or two to go off in a game, but in a losing effort so long as said players are inefficient, not focused on defending, and/or not passing the ball for better shots. The active verb is called Wigginsing, although Andrew (this month: 20.5 PPG, 53.1 3FG%, 2.2 APG) had an efficient 26 points and 10 boards in the loss at Sacto yesterday.

But the Warriors have any number of Luke Kennards and Terrance Manns ready to Wiggins the boxscore while the stars heal up, most notably Jordan Poole (20.2 March PPG, 40.3 3FG%, 93.1 FT%), Curry’s famed brother-in-law Damion Lee, point guard Mannion (5-for-8 3FGs @ SAC, 9 assists in past two games), and Mannion’s fellow two-way backcourt mate Toscano-Anderson (perfect 6-for-6 FGs @ SAC).

LA’s desperation to elevate Kennard, and his timely performance against the Hawks, facilitated Atlanta’s sudden deal for Williams. To a lesser extent, Mannion’s emergence allowed Golden State to help Charlotte fill a gap by sending out Brad Wanamaker for second-round considerations. Kerr will lean on Mannion (2.7 APG, tops among active Warriors) but also Mychal Mulder and, with perhaps a bit of burning sage, Kent Bazemore off the bench in hopes they’ll keep the ball moving. Golden State is tops in the league with 67.2 assist percentage, but Curry, Green and Wanamaker had much to do with that position.

While Capela and John “Still Here!” Collins seek to overwhelm Wiseman and, without Draymond around, likely the league’s worst rebounding club (72.2 D-Reb% w/ Green, 24^th in NBA; net -2.4% w/ Green off-court, as per bball-ref). Atlanta has to win in the assisted baskets department to prevail comfortably tonight. Atlanta out-dimed their last four vanquished foes by 26.3-20.5, but their opponents out-assisted them in this week’s two defeats, 23.5-19.0. Excessive Oubreing and Bazemoring, dribbling aimlessly in search of hero-ball shots that disrupt the flow of the offense, would leave the Hawks playing at parity, which is precisely what Kerr and the Dubs seek versus any opponent in this otherwise disposable season.

Who’s the greatest look-away three-point shooter in NBA history? LeBron, Dennis, Nick Young? Hmmm. Somebody go ask Draymond, so we can get the debate percolating on this burning question! I see he’s got time.

 

Newnan Strong! Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

He'd be "sore"-ly missed! De'Andre was downgraded to questionable earlier today with his sore knee. We'll see what the 5:30 PM report says, but it's sounding like Hunter's a gametime decision.

post-Deadline, the Warriors have some positions to fill, and doing so may involve upgrading the Two-Ways.

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

3 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

He'd be "sore"-ly missed! De'Andre was downgraded to questionable earlier today with his sore knee. We'll see what the 5:30 PM report says, but it's sounding like Hunter's a gametime decision.

~lw3

Oh no, hope it's nothing serious a d more cautious returning from surgery.

[lethalweapon3]

5:30 boo-boo report shows that Draymond (illness) is OFF the list. We'll see how much he plays tonight.

~lw3

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Steven Curry

Yes  

 

Edited March 26, 2021 by Spud2nique

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

too busy trolling

Real talk..

Nice game thread Lw3!

Go Hawks! 
 

[Spud2nique]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

“There’s plenty left in my tank,” professed Williams on Instagram, “and I’m privileged to continue my career in my backyard.”

Heck ya! Louuuuu  

Hawks ML -250 spread -6.5 o/u  217.5

I may lay it on the line here. Thinking $500 to win $200, it’s a risk but then again, so is life. 
 

I’m nervous! LETS ROLL! HAWWWWWKS!!!

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

Huerter off the bench.

 

 

[Marvin24Williams]

Like the move to start Bogi. I think Huerter will work better with Lou Will off the bench

[Buzzard]

1 minute ago, Marvin24Williams said:

Like the move to start Bogi. I think Huerter will work better with Lou Will off the bench

I like it as well. I have been waiting on Bogi to get his starting gig back. Huerter is a solid passer to pair with Lou. And we all know Huerter does not mind passing up shots; so Lou will still get his lol

[terrell]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

 

[klharper]

Ahhh Bob with the Draymond jabs 

[Marvin24Williams]

Bogi looking much more comfortable in the starting lineup

[bleachkit]

Bogi looking good so far.

[aali34]

JC's made some nice passes so far. He usually gets some tunnel vision but he's had his head up so far tonight.

[bleachkit]

Just now, Marvin24Williams said:

Bogi looking much more comfortable in the starting lineup

I like that he's cutting to the basket. We need more of that.

[Peoriabird]

Capela is killing me!

[Buzzard]

They look calmer and more focused. I am thinking Rondo may have been a distraction.

[GameTime]

Just now, Buzzard said:

They look calmer and more focused. I am thinking Rondo may have been a distraction.

We need Lou's scoring more than Rondo holding the ball and doing nothing.