Official Game Thread: Wizards at Hawks

[hylndr11]

i was crying last few games, this looked a lot more like hawks basketball even with some new wrinkles, 

[kg01]

For anyone interested, Bawb's ca-caw on Reddish's free throw made NBARadio this morning.

Played the whole exchange with Nique.  Hilarious.

 "Ca-cawww!!!"

 "Sorry Bawb, stepped on your baby toe."

[Gray Mule]

WOW!  Remember the story: After the attack on the USA, WW2, a famous Japanese officer said, "I'm afraid we have awoken a sleeping giant!"

Last night's Hawk team looked like who we thought we were.  After beginning behind 8-2, Atlanta woke up.  Playing the remainder of the game in a serious way.  Some way, some how, these refs called fouls and both teams responded.  As everyone knows, I pay attention when shots are taken at the line.  Last night, a combination of 45 shots were taken by the two teams.  Not one miss!  

Hawks have missed so many shots lately.  Last night they moved the ball around and made shots.  

Braves, the Hawks have set the pattern.  Your turn tonight!

GO ATL !!

[bird_dirt]

9 hours ago, Peoriabird said:

Good teams know how to close out games

And they did. They're a good team. 

...

Nice bounce back, Hawks. Good to see. 

I appreciate seeing Trae trying on D. Collins mached a career high in assists. Bogi hitting shots. You love to see it.

Long season ahead, even longer than last year. We'll have our ups and downs, it's inevitable for every team. Accept that reality, appreciate the good and learn from the bad. 

Go Hawks!

[NBASupes]

Three things stood out last night. 

1. Welcome back Clint Capela. His WAR went up 0.2 after last night game because he was tremendous defensively. Did an excellent job on Harrell considering his quality of play this season. Protected the paint and the rim at an elite rate. Was typical Clint. Clint is our anchor, he has to play elite defense for us to really be good.

2. Welcome back Bogi. Not only did he score 16 points with 6 boards and assists with no turnovers, he was special on and off the ball last night. Bogi looked like Bogi. No shock he was a plus 20 last night. Like Capela, improved his WAR by 0.2 after last night's game.

3. The offense looked like a blend of LPs and Nate's which looked amazing. We need to continue to see this. That said, the bench offense has been rocky anytime Trae or Lou is not on the floor. Delon isn't exactly struggling (0.2 WAR) but the offense has no flow with him at the point. A lot of quick shot clock shots or late in the shot clock shots. We gotta execute better in the 2nd unit, it's been rough all year for the 2nd unit in terms of execution offensively. Only positive bench player on offense is Lou. Cam is net neutral for the most part. 

[JayBirdHawk]

8 hours ago, bleachkit said:

I wonder if the new contract has effected Kevin's psyche. He's been struggling mightily.  

Or maybe it's his recovery from ankle surgery in the offseason?

 

He's struggling mightily with his shot but still rebounding and assisting well enough in less minutes.

[benhillboy]

That’s the 2021 playoff version I know and love: Killing it at the line, low turnovers, and winning the glass.  

We need to curtail the complaints about the fouls.  It’s an excuse for bad teams and bad, selfish players.  That ain’t the Hawks.  I wouldn’t trade the improved flow of action for anything.  Nor the fact that Trae has as many steals as fouls this season.

Let’s Go.

[benhillboy]

37 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

Three things stood out last night. 

1. Welcome back Clint Capela. His WAR went up 0.2 after last night game because he was tremendous defensively. Did an excellent job on Harrell considering his quality of play this season. Protected the paint and the rim at an elite rate. Was typical Clint. Clint is our anchor, he has to play elite defense for us to really be good.

2. Welcome back Bogi. Not only did he score 16 points with 6 boards and assists with no turnovers, he was special on and off the ball last night. Bogi looked like Bogi. No shock he was a plus 20 last night. Like Capela, improved his WAR by 0.2 after last night's game.

3. The offense looked like a blend of LPs and Nate's which looked amazing. We need to continue to see this. That said, the bench offense has been rocky anytime Trae or Lou is not on the floor. Delon isn't exactly struggling (0.2 WAR) but the offense has no flow with him at the point. A lot of quick shot clock shots or late in the shot clock shots. We gotta execute better in the 2nd unit, it's been rough all year for the 2nd unit in terms of execution offensively. Only positive bench player on offense is Lou. Cam is net neutral for the most part. 

John’s WAR (or VORP, whichever you prefer) is on par with Steph and Ja.  Not quite MVP level but damn.  He has his early sights set on All-NBA Second Team. I’m sure there’s an incentive there.

The decreased FT attempts are troubling seeing how it’s affected his percentage from there and the arc.  Small complaint as I expect them to get back near his career averages around 30 games or so with some rebound action and off ball foul drawing.  His advanced stats have exploded with the excellent 2 point shooting and reaching a 2:1 assist to turn, something he’s never been close to.

[AHF]

Speaking of JC, this was the third time in his career he has led the team in assists.  Very impressive night for his passing.  Know he was working on it last year but looks like it may be paying dividends (he is up more than 50% on his career best apg - granting small sample).  Love that he keeps adding to his game.

[Spud2nique]

3 hours ago, kg01 said:

For anyone interested, Bawb's ca-caw on Reddish's free throw made NBARadio this morning.

YES! That’s awesome! Initially I had no idea where it came from..  
 

The night Bawb morphed into a hawk.  One for the ages.

[ATLHawks3]

If Nate McMillan tries using John like this out of the pick and roll more.... lookout. 

 

[JeffS17]

50 minutes ago, ATLHawks3 said:

If Nate McMillan tries using John like this out of the pick and roll more.... lookout. 

 

The editing of this annoys me lol have to get 3 minutes in before dray creates anything other than an easy oop.  But you're right, and JC has been showing a little of this will some easy feeds to capela.  

[lethalweapon3]

14 hours ago, bleachkit said:

Why did they change the basketball?

Same reason they change the unis every other month, somebody thinks they can make a fast buck off the "new" stuff on the market. Just slap the Jerry West logo on it and away we go.

~lw3

[hawkman]

13 hours ago, Sothron said:

Great game tonight. Defense got a little sloppy in the second quarter. Love seeing Bogi and Gallo have games like tonight. It bothers me profoundly that we have fans on this board that literally only show up to attack whatever the target player(s) are on a yearly basis. Even when target player(s) have good games it is dismissed as a hot streak or some other excuse. 

Can we please have a season where we don't do this? Is this too much to ask? I hate AgendaSquawk with a passion.

No.

I agree about "AgendaSquawk". It makes game threads/chats unbearable at times. If the Hawks hit a shooting slump or the opposing team makes a run, it gets really negative in a hurry. Then posters go to their whipping boy of choice and post about him/them for the rest of the game. It's getting old.

[Sothron]

1 hour ago, lethalweapon3 said:

Same reason they change the unis every other month, somebody thinks they can make a fast buck off the "new" stuff on the market. Just slap the Jerry West logo on it and away we go.

~lw3

Wilson had a better deal than Spalding. Personally I think it was a huge mistake. Spalding had been the basketball suppliers for like fifty years or something. The players are all complaining about the new Wilson ball.

[macdaddy]

Just now, Sothron said:

Wilson had a better deal than Spalding. Personally I think it was a huge mistake. Spalding had been the basketball suppliers for like fifty years or something. The players are all complaining about the new Wilson ball.

Are they?   I thought one of the reasons they changed was Wilson was considered better but i know nothing about it.   Of course any change is going to have some kind of adjustment period. 

[Sothron]

1 minute ago, macdaddy said:

Are they?   I thought one of the reasons they changed was Wilson was considered better but i know nothing about it.   Of course any change is going to have some kind of adjustment period. 

No, they only changed because Wilson offered a better deal than Spalding. It is always the money. There's been articles about how the players hate the new Wilson ball.

[marco102]

3 minutes ago, Sothron said:

No, they only changed because Wilson offered a better deal than Spalding. It is always the money. There's been articles about how the players hate the new Wilson ball.

Trae was a Wilson tester and not a lot of players are complaining about it. It is just getting back into rhythm and more physicality being allowed.

[lethalweapon3]

I, for one, kind of preferred the microfi[ABDUCTED].

~lw3

[NBASupes]

15 minutes ago, Sothron said:

Wilson had a better deal than Spalding. Personally I think it was a huge mistake. Spalding had been the basketball suppliers for like fifty years or something. The players are all complaining about the new Wilson ball.

37 years. Before that, 37 of Wilson. The running joke is every 37 years, they have a new ball sponsor.