Official Game Thread: Hawks at Rockets -- The Regular Season Finale!

[Diesel]

34 minutes ago, gHost83 said:

Nathaniel is pissing me off talkin about next season already... Get this mf outta here!

 

I think what you're seeing right here is Nate being frustrated that we let some easy ones slip away because we didn't take the games seriously enough. 

Like the Lost to the Pels and the losses to Detroit.   

But this is what I say..  Everything happens for a reason.   Maybe we were lax until the end.  However, we're on track to get the 8 seed if we keep winning.   Miami is beatable.   We must win these next two and I want to take Game 1 in Miami... 3 wins streak please...

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

5 minutes ago, Diesel said:

We must win these next two and I want to take Game 1 in Miami... 3 wins streak please...

 

....I like this thought. It means winning 2 consecutive road games. Have we done that all year?

[marco102]

18 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

....I like this thought. It means winning 2 consecutive road games. Have we done that all year?

Yes, our longest road winning streak is two and I think we did it twice. 

[Spud2nique]

7 hours ago, terrell said:

Not a given the Nets beat Cleveland tbh..

No it’s a given. Cavs are done.

[Gray Mule]

Good.  Nate is calling out the fact that he and everyone connected with the day-to-day workings of the Atlanta Hawks did not take serious enough the need to try their darndest in every game.

Everyone knows that this old man cringes with every free throw miss in every game.  Oft times winning the game can swing on the making or missing here.  Professional players, making big $$$ bucks to play this game and they don't make a huge majority of their free throws.  This probably cost us a spot or two i the final standings.  Make those free throws!

Nate, ask yourself, "What could this team have done differently so that we would have been above this play-in spot?" Look in the mirror when you ask this.  Perhaps you already know some of the answers.

Hawks closed out the season playing really well.  What took so long?  I know.  Health.  Covid19.  Refusing to try to develop rookie players.  Despite all this, looking back, Nate is correct.  He and his Hawk team should have done better.

[Final_quest]

If anyone read the repost where Hollinger is talking about the let down season after the Grizzlies went to the conference finals many of those dynamics were in play.  
1. Teams were more prepared for us.
2. We had a hard time stoking the desire to win early season games.
3. Shorter offseason with less rest and some guys getting their first big contracts.

The good news is we still have the superstar, and can get to work on improving the roster.  

[Atlantaholic]

23 minutes ago, Final_quest said:

If anyone read the repost where Hollinger is talking about the let down season after the Grizzlies went to the conference finals many of those dynamics were in play.  
1. Teams were more prepared for us.
2. We had a hard time stoking the desire to win early season games.
3. Shorter offseason with less rest and some guys getting their first big contracts.

The good news is we still have the superstar, and can get to work on improving the roster.  

I think one thing that was in retrospect a huge factor that is different from Grizz is a completely new coaching staff. How often does a team make a conference finals and then see 100% turnover in the staff outside of HC? I think in many ways the record this year is probably  a lot lower than it should have been... but the  silver lining is certain parts of the team got exposed that maybe would have gotten swept under the rug if we had finished with a top 4 record (ahem... Hunter)

As you said Trae has pretty much put firmly put himself in the top 10 player list this year at 23yo we have our guy to build around and still despite the implosion of our "wing stop" enough capital to make a lot of moves. 

[bleachkit]

12 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

I think one thing that was in retrospect a huge factor that is different from Grizz is a completely new coaching staff. How often does a team make a conference finals and then see 100% turnover in the staff outside of HC? I think in many ways the record this year is probably  a lot lower than it should have been... but the  silver lining is certain parts of the team got exposed that maybe would have gotten swept under the rug if we had finished with a top 4 record (ahem... Hunter)

As you said Trae has pretty much put firmly put himself in the top 10 player list this year at 23yo we have our guy to build around and still despite the implosion of our "wing stop" enough capital to make a lot of moves. 

Implosion of "wing stop" is pretty bad though. Had to sugarcoat what a disappointment it's been. 

[Final_quest]

12 hours ago, Atlantaholic said:

I think one thing that was in retrospect a huge factor that is different from Grizz is a completely new coaching staff. How often does a team make a conference finals and then see 100% turnover in the staff outside of HC? I think in many ways the record this year is probably  a lot lower than it should have been... but the  silver lining is certain parts of the team got exposed that maybe would have gotten swept under the rug if we had finished with a top 4 record (ahem... Hunter

I love that we know our roster better.    

[SalvorMallow]

14 hours ago, Gray Mule said:

Good.  Nate is calling out the fact that he and everyone connected with the day-to-day workings of the Atlanta Hawks did not take serious enough the need to try their darndest in every game.

Everyone knows that this old man cringes with every free throw miss in every game.  Oft times winning the game can swing on the making or missing here.  Professional players, making big $$$ bucks to play this game and they don't make a huge majority of their free throws.  This probably cost us a spot or two i the final standings.  Make those free throws!

Nate, ask yourself, "What could this team have done differently so that we would have been above this play-in spot?" Look in the mirror when you ask this.  Perhaps you already know some of the answers.

Hawks closed out the season playing really well.  What took so long?  I know.  Health.  Covid19.  Refusing to try to develop rookie players.  Despite all this, looking back, Nate is correct.  He and his Hawk team should have done better.

Excellent post. Nate better be taking a long, hard look in the mirror and at his family photo album. 

[Atlantaholic]

2 hours ago, bleachkit said:

Implosion of "wing stop" is pretty bad though. Had to sugarcoat what a disappointment it's been. 

Yea, that has set us back big time. However, Trae playing like a bonafide MVP candidate has lessened the blow. If we could just string together an entire season worth's of games with relatively good health we should be a top 4 team in a wide-open conference even with all of the draft disappointments.