Initial Feedback: The Battle for Perception

Initial feedback: A completely subjective and immediate response to the events of tonight's game, featuring a comment and rating, the latter on a scale of 1 to 10, on every player who saw the floor and the head coach, along with ephemera and miscellany as the author deems necessary.

Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.

Boxscore

Players

Joe Johnson: This was a bounce-back game of sorts for Joe as he hit 8-for-10 for 18 points in only 21 minutes. His shot has been a bit wayward as of late, so it's good to see them go down, even against inferior competition. Good work on the boards again with 4 rebounds. 8/10

Jeff Teague: No starter other than Zaza Pachulia played more than Teague's 23 minutes as the bench did what it was supposed to do. Charlotte does not feature many players who could start on a playoff team. However, on a per-minute basis, 11 points on 5-for-8 shooting and 5 assists were a continuation of last night's break-out performance for Teague. 7/10

Josh Smith: Made only 7 of his team-high 17 shots on the way to 15 points and 3 rebounds in 23 minutes. The Hawks only outscored the Bobcats by about 4 points with Josh, Joe, Kirk and Teague on the floor. The second unit gave Josh a rare night off from carrying the load for this team. 5/10

Kirk Hinrich: It's been up and down for Kirk as he's had good nights where he seemed to turn the corner and bad nights that leave you with buyer's remorse. His 3 points and 3 assists in 16 minutes were superfluous. The Hawks get three days off to rest before starting the final stretch of the season Wednesday night in Boston. What he contributes to the Hawks the rest of the way will be far from superfluous. 3/10

Zaza Pachulia: Zaza played a hefty 38 minutes as he both started and anchored the second unit that put the game away. The combination of Zaza, Ivan Johnson, Jannero Pargo, Marvin Williams and Willie Green could conceivably be the Hawks second unit if Al Horford was healthy. This unit took the floor together with 1:22 to play in the first quarter and turned a two-point deficit into 48-36 halftime advantage. Zaza had 12 points on 5-for-6 shooting, added 16 rebounds and led the team in +/- with a monstrous +29. As mentioned previously, Zaza is one of only 5 players to rank in the top 10 in playoff rebound rate in 2 of the last 3 postseasons. 9/10

Ivan Johnson: The raw stats looked good again vs. the team Ivan won his roster spot against in the preseason. He scored 17 on 5-for-10 shooting, hit all 6 free throws and pulled down 6 rebounds. However, his four turnovers while functioning in the role of high post facilitator (against suspect defense) are an object lesson in why you feed developing players minutes. 5/10

Marvin Williams: A completely different player when he's not the fourth offensive option with the starting unit. 6/10

Jannero Pargo: Obviously reads Hoopinion and wanted to shut me up after my comments last night about his ability to run a team. Pargo had 15 points, 9 assists and 1 turnover in 25 minutes. I'll shut up about Pargo now. 7/10

Willie Green: Also looked much better than he did last night against Detroit. 5/10

Jerry Stackhouse: Got 5 minutes to bask in the warm reception from the Charlotte crowd. Incomplete

Jason Collins: Looking good in his role as defensive anchor on the Hawks' third unit. Incomplete

The head coach

The Atlanta Hawks are engaged in a battle for perception. Only a half game out of the third playoff seed, the Hawks are not given credit for how good they are. A big part of the problem has been games the team has lost due to poor game management. However, if present trends continue, I could see the Hawks turning the corner as an organization and coming together at the right time.

My chief complaints about Drew coming into this season were his utilization of available talent and my perception that the Hawks were not responding to him or following his lead. I can't cite a single instance of either issue in recent games. 7/10

A thought regarding the opposition

General Manager Rich Cho, when he interviewed for his position with the team, asked senior management if they were prepared to take a step back to take two steps forward. His interviewers responded that they were absolutely prepared to commit to a complete rebuild. At this point it looks like the Bobcats have taken about 20 steps back and are going to need some love from the ping pong balls to take one step forward.

Initial Feedback: Garbage Minutes For All!

Initial feedback: A completely subjective and immediate response to the events of tonight's game, featuring a comment and rating, the latter on a scale of 1 to 10, on every player who saw the floor and the head coach, along with ephemera and miscellany as the author deems necessary.

Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.

Boxscore


Players

Jeff Teague: Credit Teague with doing exactly what this game called for: attacking the basket and distributing the ball. Jeff's aggressive play opened up a lot of avenues for wide open play around the rim. 8/10

Josh Smith: J-Smoove put up the kind of game that has Hawks fans wanting more. 24 points on 11-17 shooting, nine rebounds, four assists. Seemed lazy on the defensive end (as did most of the Hawks), but against the Bobcats, I don't suppose much more is required. 7/10

Joe Johnson: Another solid game for Joe while the he and the other starters picked up some rest (Teague had the most minutes for starters with 30). Efficient shooting with harassing defense, excellent use of his size against a team that clearly cannot guard the paint well. 8/10

Kirk Hinrich: Kirk certainly didn't stuff the box score, but was quietly effective on defense, especially limiting a young Bobcats team to very few points in transition. 4/10

Zaza Pachulia: Six points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes. Zaza really bounced back after an off-game in Philly by taking up the paint on the offensive and defensive ends. I would have liked to see them give him a chance to play a little more with his back to the basket against an undersized frontcourt like Charlotte's, but effective play nonetheless. 6/10

Marvin Williams: We can hope that this game is a sign that Marvin is embracing his sixth-man role, and not an aberration against a bad team. Marvin came out with great energy and poise and was rewarded with hustle shots and passes as he came off high screens. 8/10

Tracy McGrady: These kind of games are the evidence of a solid player: McGrady struggled with his shot, not recording a single field goal, but was still able to contribute with six rebounds and five assists. Understanding that his shot wasn't falling, McGrady settled into a facilitator's role and made his presence felt. 5/10

Jannero Pargo: Nice to see Pargo back and shooting well, though he was doing it mostly in garbage time against the Charlotte second line. Hard to give too much credit for that, but Jannero definitely turned in a solid game. 5/10

Willie Green: See: Jannero Pargo. Green padded his stats in the fourth quarter, but as with Pargo, it's nice to see anybody out there hitting when they find themselves wide open. 5/10

Ivan Johnson: Ivan will always be known for his hustle on the court, but even in a game against the lowly Bobcats, I still see lots of poor mistakes in his ability to read offenses and locate himself defensively. That said, he always runs the court and is constantly rewarded for his extra effort, as he helped the Hawks destroy the Bobcats in the paint tonight. 6/10

Jerry Stackhouse: Jerry certainly isn't the player he used to be, but I applaud him for staying ready every time he's called on. Go get 'em, Jerry -- but only when the game has three minutes left and it's not close. 2/10

Jason Collins: I feel as though Jason Collins is the poster child for garbage minutes. I wouldn't even mind if they took the word "Hawks" off of his jersey and replaced it with "Garbage time has begun." In this world of advanced statistics, you'd think that Garbage Minutes (GM) would be a new stat. Also, of course, would be Garbage Minute Percentage (GM%), a reflection of how many of your total minutes were garbage minutes. Jason did pick up three rebounds in five minutes. 2/10


The head coach

There isn't much to be said here: the Charlotte Bobcats have the worst record in the NBA for a reason. Drew organized an attack on the Bobcats interior, where they have poor defense and virtually no help D (though you'd think Biyombo would be a little farther along). Throwing down point after point in the paint is the right call, and it was great to see a little rest for the starters. Still hard to claim too much of a victory for the coach when it's this expected. Let's hope Drew keeps the formula when we visit Charlotte on Saturday. 8/10


A thought regarding the opposition

It seems the popular topic in the NBA these days is the possibility of teams tanking to get a good draft pick, but at least no one accuses Charlotte of that. They're a legitimately bad team who needs another post option, another wing shooter, another interior defender, and another help defender to be mediocre. In other words, we're watching a team who is waiting with baited breath to see if they can land Anthony Davis. He won't be a cure-all, but if Walker and Biyombo blossom a bit more, then it's a start.

Initial Feedback: First Test Passed

Initial feedback: A completely subjective and immediate response to the events of tonight's game, featuring a comment and rating, the latter on a scale of 1 to 10, on every player who saw the floor and the head coach, along with ephemera and miscellany as the author deems necessary.

Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.

Boxscore

Players
Jeff Teague: It's curious how regular playing time has completely eradicated, at least for the time being, Teague's ability to get to the free throw line. I don't think that he'll ever be a good enough finisher in traffic to get away with not getting to the line. 7/10

Joe Johnson: Took full advantage of Paul Silas's curious decision to have Tyrus Thomas chase Joe Johnson around screens. For the second night in a row, Johnson was far better before halftime. Tonight, it didn't matter. Nice work on the glass in the absence of Horford, Williams, and McGrady. 9/10

Josh Smith: The only question is whether Josh Smith can (should?) earn full marks for a game in which he attempts nine jump shots. His contract year began months ahead of schedule and got off to a wonderful start. 9/10

Zaza Pachulia: He probably won't average a double-double now that he's the starting center but I suspect his performances and production will regularly pose the question of why he didn't get regular minutes all along. 6/10

Vladimir Radmanovic: He was there spreading the floor. Not his fault that Charlotte couldn't defend the first pass very often so he wasn't needed. Good work on the glass. 5/10

Willie Green: A fine performance against an opponent on his level. 4/10

Ivan Johnson: The one bright spot in the darkness of Horford's injury is regular minutes for Ivan Johnson, both for how he plays and the resultant stat lines: 21 minutes, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6 fouls. 4/10

Jannero Pargo: I guess there's a chance that he goes and Stackhouse stays once Hinrich returns. 2/10

Jason Collins: Possibly the worst garbage time player in the league. The Hawks don't play the Magic for another month. Until then, his ratings will be entirely arbitrary. 1/10

Jerry Stackhouse: Will he be willing to make the transition from locker room presence to assistant coach so that the Hawks can sign another post player? 1/10

Donald Sloan: Every day in the NBA, every second on the court is an opportunity. 1/10

The head coach
One should not take for granted the ability to put lesser teams in their place. Were it not for the Wizards and Pistons, the Bobcats would get much more (and deserved) attention for how bad they are. The Hawks let Charlotte hang around for a half. That'll happen with three of the top eight missing from the rotation. If he can get Josh Smith to stop shooting jump shots (it's comfortably over six a game at this point), Coach of the Year consideration is not out of the question. 8/10

A thought regarding the opposition
Tyrus Thomas chasing Joe Johnson around screens? I know Thomas is an enigmatic talent but, surely, that's not the answer.

My kitchen plumbing
Please send towels. 0/10

Initial Feedback: Fourth Overtime's the Charm

James Goeders, a chemistry doctoral student at Georgia Tech and avid sports fan, wrote the initial feedback for tonight's game.

Initial feedback: A completely subjective and immediate response to the events of tonight's game, featuring a comment and rating, the latter on a scale of 1 to 10, on every player who saw the floor and the head coach, along with ephemera and miscellany as the author deems necessary.

Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.

Boxscore

Players
Joe Johnson: With T-Mac sitting out with a knee injury, Joe took his place by being invisible for three quarters before finally coming to life in the fourth and in overtime. If this was a role player his score would be higher, but this is your max-contract, franchise player going 6/17 for the game from the floor and only 1-for-2 from the line. He did play a ton of minutes in the triple overtime loss last night, which could have affected his play tonight. Will be interesting to see how well he'll play tomorrow night against the Bulls with another 40+ minute game tonight. 4/10

Jeff Teague: Shots are still not falling for Teague. Kemba Walker and D.J. Augustin got the better of him all night and made Teague look slow on defense. It just seems as though he is not playing with the intensity we saw the first week of the season. Only went 3-for-10 from the floor and did not get to the line a single time, but did have a big 3 to start overtime. Teague did come through with 9 assists, something we've seen him do all season especially when the points are not there. 3/10

Josh Smith: Josh put the Hawks on his back in the third quarter with 14 points in that quarter alone. Finished as the game's leading scorer with 23 points and added 13 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. For awhile in the first half he looked like the only starter who wanted to play tonight. Consistently attacked the basket and reduced the number of bad jump shots that we have come to expect from J-Smoove. 8/10

Al Horford: Joined Josh as the main offensive threats with Joe going ice cold for three full quarters. He physically abused the Bobcat bigs inside and was perfect from the line finishing a number of and-1s. Played the same tough defense we've come to expect and was a force on the boards grabbing seven. 7/10

Marvin Williams: Finished in double figures while only playing 31 minutes and only having two made field goals in the first half. Had two late three pointers that were huge, but then had him putting up a number of threes that were off the mark through the rest of the quarter and overtime. Only able to hit one-of-two free throws in the final minute that could have given the Hawks a three point lead and a win in regulation. Added 9 rebounds, showing that he deserves to play as many minutes as the other starters, especially with McGrady hobbled. 5/10

Vladimir Radmanovic: VladRad finally hit a few 3s again (2-of-4 on the night) and had 7 rebounds. Finished in double figures (11), and was the lone big to do anything off of the bench. Took Marvin's spot with the starters during the fourth, which was an interesting move by Drew. 4/10

Jannero Pargo: Pargo was another spark off of the bench adding 9 points and 3 assists in only 10 minutes of action. He played with the energy that we had seen Teague play with earlier this season. It might be time to start giving Pargo more minutes. 4/10

Zaza Pachulia: VladRad and Ivan Johnson got all of his minutes tonight, which is a shame after how strong he looked on both ends of the court during the first week of the season. Finished with only a single basket but did have 5 rebounds. Would have liked to see Zaza get more minutes with how ineffective Ivan was tonight. 2/10

Ivan Johnson: After his "break-out" game last night, I was hoping to see some solid minutes from Drago. Instead, he had no points in 11 minutes while snagging 2 rebounds and 2 steals to go with his 3 quick fouls. He needs to start playing more under control in order to give Josh and Al much needed rest. 2/10

Willie Green: Shot a perfect 3-for-3 from the field in his 9 minutes of action, making him 8-for-9 over the last 2 games. After a slow start, maybe the light has turned on offensively for Willie Green. 4/10

The head coach
Again, if the Hawks make their free throws this is probably another win in regulation. The Bobcats were overmatched inside, but the Hawks seemed to stop going to Josh and Al after their strong third quarters. Larry Drew did not come up with anything to slow down Augustin and Walker even after it was apparent they were the only scoring threats the Bobcats were going to have tonight. It is discouraging to see such poor defense every night against opposing point guards. It's one thing to give up 30 points to Derrick Rose, but the Hawks have now given up 29 to Mario Chalmers, 21 to D.J. Augustin, and 19 to Kemba Walker in the last two games. 5/10

A thought regarding the opposition
The Bobcats have some good young talent, and an exciting backcourt. The Hawks had no answer for their dual point guards as Augustin and Walker were their leading scorers. It still was a bit of a disappointment to blow a late double-digit lead and go to overtime with one of the worst teams in the conference.

Monday's Pre-Season Game To Be Televised On NBA TV

Atlanta's trip to Charlotte on December 19th will be one of 10 pre-season games shown live over a six-day period on NBA TV. John Schuhmann:

It’s been exactly six months since we’ve seen live NBA basketball, but the drought is about to end. The preseason tips off on Friday. And while the action is bound to be a little sloppy, we’re all salivating at the thought of seeing our teams back in action.

And NBA TV has got you covered, televising 10 preseason games over the course of six days, beginning with No. 1 pick Kyrie Irving‘s first game in an NBA uniform.

Here’s the full NBA TV preseason schedule (all times EST), which includes 18 of the 30 teams…

Friday, Dec. 16
Cleveland @ Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Dec. 17
New York @ New Jersey, 2 p.m.
San Antonio @ Houston, 8 p.m
Sacramento @ Golden State, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, Dec. 18
Oklahoma City @ Dallas, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Dec. 19
Atlanta @ Charlotte, 7 p.m.
LA Clippers @ LA Lakers, 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Dec. 20
Washington @ Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Dec. 21
Miami @ Orlando, 7 p.m.
LA Lakers @ LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Post-lockout basketball plus the meaninglessness of exhibition basketball plus the long-gestating need to make snap judgments equals entertainment gold.

On Singles and Home Runs

Larry Drew:

"We start playing fast, we start going for home runs and then we start settling. That’s what happened in the second half."

Drew:

"When you're up by 20 or 22 points, it's not the time to go for home runs. You have to keep getting singles until you eventually wear the team down."

The Hawks take a lot of jump shots.

Entering the Charlotte game, they took, on average, 41 of their 79 shots shots from outside of 16 feet each night. Against Charlotte, that portion increased to 44 of 82 shots.

Atlanta Hawks shooting by quarter vs. Charlotte, 2/12/11

Quarter	Pts	Poss	FGM	FGA	3PTM	3PTA	FGM (jump shots)	FGA (jump shots)
1st	27	20	9	17	1	4	2	3
2nd	25	23	12	24	0	7	5	5
3rd	20	20	8	18	4	7	2	6
4th	14	22	4	23	0	5	1	7

Obviously, it's not ideal to get three extra shots in a game only to use them on jump shots but I'm not at all sure that it should be a surprise that this team did. It's a team full of jump shooters, be it by inclination, indulgence, or usage.

Jump shots by player in the Charlotte game:

Josh Smith: 10
Joe Johnson: 8
Mike Bibby: 8
Al Horford: 7
Jamal Crawford: 6
Marvin Williams: 3 (includes three-point heave at end of first half)
Zaza Pachulia: 1
Mo Evans: 1

That's 39 jump shots from four players Larry Drew has to play to win games plus one player he quite clearly believes he has to play to win games. Josh Smith absolutely doesn't need to take that many jump shots in a week, much less a game, but it's absolutely clear that, like his predecessor, Drew won't demand disciplined shot selection from Smith. But, unless the Hawks figure out a way to get more points in transition or add a ball-handler who can turn the corner on a ball-screen and get Smith or Horford the ball on pick-and-roll rather than pick-and-pop, it's difficult to envision how they get away from the jump shot.

Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby are not going to become, at their ages, guys who can attack the basket off the dribble. Al Horford is more effective as a face-up shooter than with his back to the basket. Marvin Williams is approaching a Josh Childress level of disposability within the organization. Zaza Pachulia is just a joint-second string center now. Jeff Teague doesn't even get on the court in almost 20% of the games.

The Hawks are a jump shooting team that struggles to get to the free throw line. They are when they win and they are when they lose. Some changes around the margins of the team's offensive attack could lessen the team's reliance on the jumper but the greatest difference between effective an ineffective offense will mostly remain whether or not the jump shots are going in the basket.

Charlotte Bobcats 88 Atlanta Hawks 86

Boxscore

Gameflow

Highlights

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA	86	1.023	45.5	21.8	22	11.5
ATL	85	1.012	43.3	18.3	18.6	8.2

The Atlanta Hawks have problems right now. Larry Drew recognized as much on Wednesday:

"We have, in my opinion, fallen into a bit of a comfort zone with everything. It may be time to do something just to rattle the cage a little bit.

I am not one to react on emotions but I have had this feeling for a little while. I have been in situations where it has been like this, where a team has had to do something just to shake the cage a little bit. It’s something I’ve been thinking about. Will I do it? I have a couple days to practice and make a decision."

The cage shook not.

Al Horford returned to action. There appeared to be early concerns over the completeness of his good health. He got a rest less than six minutes into the game. Those concerns (were they real) certainly did not last as Horford played all but 1:25 of the final 37:05 of the game. Horford appeared limited (either by soreness or fatigue) in the second half, scoring just 6 points on 9 shots after intermission and committing all three of his fouls in the fourth quarter. All that playing time, even on a night the Hawks used three centers.

Jason Collins replaced Marvin Williams in the starting lineup once again. Williams, in the wake of his double-double against the 76ers, was demoted to joint-third man off the bench and played poorly as such, scoring 2 points on 7 shots and grabbing just one rebound. A decision was made, one which, for one night, combined finding more playing time for Jason Collins with making Marvin Williams even less productive.

Josh Smith took 17 shots. 10 of them were jump shots. Uncharacteristically, Smith scored 12 points on those 10 jump shots. Do some subtraction involving his team high 28 points, though, and you'll see he scored 16 points (and got to the foul line seven times) on seven shots inside of 10 feet. Starting at small forward, Smith grabbed six rebounds, just three of them defensive rebounds.

Joe Johnson failed to duplicate either the explosive or discretionary aspects of his excellent performance against the Bobcats in Charlotte. He scored 11 points on 14 shots, struggled mightily to keep Stephen Jackson in front of him, and, on separate possessions when given the ball and brief to create a shot, failed to break down Boris Diaw or Nazr Mohammed off the dribble before attempting (and missing) long jumpers.

Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford combined to go 5-19 from the floor. They combined to play 18:03 scoreless fourth quarter minutes. They did combine for 13 assists and just 2 turnovers. Then again, Shaun Livingston did score 22 points on 13 shots and earned 5 assists off the Charlotte bench.

Jeff Teague earned his 10th DNP-CD of the season.

For the game's final possession, Paul Silas replaced Nazr Mohammed* with DJ Augustin. Larry Drew countered with Mo Evans (32, knee problems this season) and Damien Wilkins (31, had not played a second of the game to that point). Wilkins matched up with Shaun Livingston. Evans (6-5, 220) matched up with Stephen Jackson (6-8, 218). Jackson got deep post position on the left wing against Evans. Al Horford didn't recognize where the play was designed to go and gave Eduardo Najera a clear path to make the entry pass. Jackson faced up, took one dribble toward the elbow, easily elevated over the shorter Evans, fell-away to minimize the impact of Horford's help defense, and made the game-winner. Presumably there's now one more person in Atlanta who recognizes that Mo Evans struggles to guard bigger wings.

*Yes, the Hawks suffered a come-from-ahead loss, at home, to a team that played Mohammed and Najera for essentially the entire fourth quarter.

Larry Drew:

"We settled for a ton of jump shots."

Not unusual. The cage remains still.

Drew on Crawford and Bibby shooting poorly. And often:

"At this point, we’re trying to get them the same shots that we’ve gotten them all season long. Right now, the ball has not been falling for them but they can’t stop doing what they do best and I’m going to hound both of those guys as we go out on the road now for them to re-gain their stroke, re-gain their confidence, re-gain their attack mentality."

I suspect they'll be amenable to that.

Drew:

"We ended up shooting more 3’s than we did getting to the free-throw line, and you just can’t do that."

The Hawks haven't done that since...Tuesday. And just 16 times in 53 games (30.2%) this season.

The Hawks are 26th in the league in FT Rate this season. They were 23rd last season.

Drew on shot selection:

"...been harping on since day one. When we don’t get what we want a few trips down the floor, we have to slow it down and we have to get the shot we want. Certainly at that point it’s not taking another three. Our guys, they have not grasped that concept yet."

It's not all doom and gloom. The Hawks are down to 24th in the league in pace, and that's with fewer turnovers and offensive rebounds than a league average. They've definitely grasped the concept of slowing it down.

Drew:

"We start playing fast, we start going for home runs and then we start settling. That’s what happened in the second half."

This I can't unpack. The Hawks had one fewer offensive possession in the second half than they did in the first half. They committed one fewer turnover and grabbed an equal number of offensive rebounds in the second half. They attempted one more three-point shot in the second half.

Further exploration of the baseball analogy from Drew:

"When you're up by 20 or 22 points, it's not the time to go for home runs. You have to keep getting singles until you eventually wear the team down."

The Hawks attempted nine three-pointers in building a 51-29 lead with 2:50 left in the first half. Over the final 26:50, they attempted 14 three-pointers (13 if you don't wish to include Marvin Williams's heave at the end of the first half).

Al Horford on his back:

"I felt O.K. I can’t say I’m all the way (back). I don’t have lift yet, but besides that, I felt good enough to be out there playing."

I'm sure the 41:39 he played last night plus the travel inherent in a 15-day, 7-game road trip will solve any lingering issues with his back.

February 12th Game Preview: Charlotte Bobcats (22-31) @ Atlanta Hawks (33-19)

TIP-OFF: 7pm (EST)

TELEVISION: SportSouth, NBA TV

RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.

GAME NOTES: Hawks/Bobcats

ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Al Horford will start.

CHARLOTTE INJURY REPORT: Tyrus Thomas and DeSagana Diop are out.

BY THE NUMBERS

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA (off)	90.1	1.03	48.1	24.9	27.2	15
ATL (def)	90.1	1.059	48.9	27.1	25	14.1

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA (def)	90.1	1.065	49.3	29	24.4	13
ATL (off)	89.9	1.075	50.6	21.7	23.6	15.2

OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Queen City Hoops, Rufus on Fire

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -7.5, 187.5 o/u

PREVIOUSLY...the Charlotte Bobcats lost 94-89 at home against the Nets last night. It was their sixth loss in eight games, further suggesting that Larry Brown might not, in fact, have been the problem.

The Hawks have beaten the Bobcats both times they've played this season: 90-85 in Atlanta on December 17th and 103-87 in Charlotte on January 22nd. The latter game was far and away Atlanta's most competent performance in the four games Al Horford has missed this season, the game that's keeping their scoring differential without Horford down to -13 points a game, -14.4 points per 100 possessions.

Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.

Ticket Giveaway Closed, Winner Notified

A winner has been chosen and notified. Thanks to all who entered* and, for those who didn't win, please keep reading for future giveaways courtesy of StubHub.

*The volume of entries, for a game against the Bobcats, a game wherein Al Horford might not play, is further proof that, though Hawks fans may be relatively small in number, they are a passionate bunch.

Ticket Giveaway: Charlotte Bobcats @ Atlanta Hawks

The good folks at StubHub have come through again with a pair of tickets for me to give away to a reader.

I have two tickets to give away to tomorrow night's game against the Charlotte Bobcats.

If you can and wish to attend the game, send an e-mail by 11:59pm EST tonight, February 11th to (hoopinion (at) gmail (dot) com) with "Tickets" in the subject line and the answer to this question:

Where did Mookie Blaylock play his junior college ball?

If I receive but one correct answer to the question, that entrant will win the tickets. If I receive more than one correct answer to the question, I will draw a winner, at random, from the pool of correct answers.

Good luck, and thanks for reading.

Atlanta Hawks 103 Charlotte Bobcats 87

Boxscore

Gameflow

Hoopdata boxscore

Highlights

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL	86	1.198	56.8	27.4	16.1	14
CHA	85	1.024	50.6	11.7	20	11.8

It's difficult to flush the memory of Friday night's performance from the brain (or any other organ, really) but the Hawks, after 25 more minutes of poor basketball, took advantage of the only opportunity the schedule presented them to save face and dismantled a poor Charlotte team on the road for a solid 20 minute stretch of the second half.

Joe Johnson led the way for the Hawks with an explosive, discretionary offensive performance. Among Bobcats, only Gerald Wallace could guard Johnson and the Hawk rarely forced the issue when matched up against Wallace in isolation. Johnson hoarded his possessions to use them on the many, many times Charlotte presented him with an advantageous matchup. It takes talent and self-discipline to score 32 points on 18 shots (plus 6 free throw attempts) and Johnson displayed both attributes throughout the night.

We're at the point when Josh Smith using 5 of 14 field goal attempts on jump shots counts as a measure of self-discipline, though it's a bit disappointing that Smith has not increased his contributions on the glass in Horford's absence, his 16 points on those 14 shots provided Johnson ample support in the scoring column, though.

Without Smith stepping up on the defensive glass, Zaza Pachulia (making a long-overdue start at center) pitched in with seven defensive boards in just under 28 minutes and Mike Bibby grabbed eight crucial defensive rebounds of his own while playing nearly 37 minutes.

Though he made a couple of handy shots in the second half, defensive rebounding was the greatest of Bibby's positive contributions. It was clear watching him struggle on both ends of the floor in the first half (2-6 shooting, two assists, routinely torched by both DJ Augustin and Shaun Livingston) yet play more than 18 minutes that the question must change from "Is Jeff Teague the point guard of the future?" to "When will the Hawks get rid of Jeff Teague and use his roster spot on a point guard the head coach believes can contribute?" Because Mike Bibby, though he does his level best and the talents of his teammates can paper over some his obvious weaknesses, is no longer a good NBA player and cannot reasonably be expected to play 30 minutes a night.

Larry Drew:

"I thought our guys came out tonight, especially after last night's embarrassing loss, and played with a lot of pride."

Zaza Pachulia:

"We had a chance to clean up our mess, and that's what happened."

The Day After Game Preview: Atlanta Hawks (28-16) @ Charlotte Bobcats (17-24)

TIP-OFF: 7pm (EST)

TELEVISION: SportSouth

RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.

GAME NOTES: Hawks/Bobcats

ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Al Horford and Marvin Williams are again listed as doubtful.

CHARLOTTE INJURY REPORT: Tyrus Thomas and DeSagana Diop are out.

BY THE NUMBERS

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL (off)	90.1	1.071	50.5	22.1	23.5	15.3
CHA (def)	90.5	1.056	48.3	26.9	25.4	14.4

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL (def)	90.4	1.05	48.4	26.9	25.5	14.4
CHA (off)	90.5	1.019	50.9	22.3	23.8	15.3

OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Queen City Hoops

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Charlotte -3, 185 o/u

PREVIOUSLY...the Charlotte Bobcats have won 8 of 13 games since being freed from the tyranny of making the playoffs despite an astounding lack of offensive talent under former head coach Larry Brown who was, this season, guilty of failing to make the team better despite the front office replacing Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler with Shaun Livingston and Kwame Brown.

Yes, Larry Brown (.458 winning percentage as Bobcats head coach) was the man holding this franchise (.343 winning percentage in games not coached by Larry Brown) back.

New head coach Paul Silas has led the Bobcats to exciting wins over such NBA powerhouses as Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, Washington, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Chicago twice. Okay, that last item is quality. Six of the eight wins under Silas have come at home.

The Hawks beat the Bobcats 90-85 in Atlanta on December 17th.

Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.

The Basketball Jones: 60/30: No. 24, Philips Arena

Andrew Unterberger made the 24th stop of his tour of NBA arenas at Philips Arena last Friday night for the Hawks/Bobcats tilt. His thoughts on Philips:

The interior of the stadium was one of my favorites that I’ve visited so far. The whole thing was kind of wacky looking, the hallways splashed with exuberant colors and all sorts of goofy shit hanging from the walls. The food options were plentiful and admirably diverse, and there was an impressive number of different Hawks paraphernalia stands, including one just for team hats (which I wish I’d seen in time to get a throwback) and one just for t-shirts of the 80s team logo in various different color schemes. Really, the entire area just looked like a big mall food court and rec center — which might be meant as an insult coming from some, but from someone who spent much of his youth craving the bourbon chicken at King of Prussia mall, it’s one of the highest of compliments.

Atlanta Hawks 90 Charlotte Bobcats 85

Boxscore

Gameflow

Highlights

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA	85	1.000	39.1	19.5	36.7	14.1
ATL	85	1.059	50	15.4	26.8	16.5

The Horford Treatment: dead? I saw it with my own eyes. Al Horford committed two first quarter fouls, but there he was starting the second quarter, playing 9:47 of the period, and helping the Hawks consolidate the lead they would never (quite) relinquish. Kudos to Larry Drew for his tactical flexibility and many thanks to Horford for not committing a third foul when given the rare chance for reasonable first half playing time.

Joe Johnson made a surprise return, too. It was inauspicious at first. Johnson failed to get back on defense following the game's opening possession and only Marvin Williams's hustle from the left corner prevented an opening Dominic McGuire layup for Charlotte. Stephen Jackson beat Johnson badly off the dribble inside the first two minutes. Johnson's first field goal attempt in the half-court offense upon his return involved him catching the ball at the free throw line, sizing up the defense, slowly backing up on his dribble until he got behind the three-point line, then launching a long jumper which missed.

Given the organization's relationship with Johnson, it should come as no surprise that, after missing two-and-a-half weeks he immediately returned to play the second-most minutes on the team and attempt more shots than any of his teammates. It was what has become a fairly representative performance for Johnson, he scored 16 points but needed 14 shots (and a couple of intentional foul free throws) to score them. He also earned 8 assists against a single turnover and grabbed 5 defensive rebounds to mitigate his inefficient scoring.

So what are reasonable expectations for Johnson going forward: He should be expected to convert more than half of the good looks he'll get (both going to the basket and spotting up) from the combination of Larry Drew's offensive system and the quality of passers with which he plays. He should be expected to make good passes out of double-teams for however long teams continue to double him when he holds the ball inside of 15 feet. He should not be expected to create good shots for himself off the dribble with any regularity and he should not be expected to have a positive defensive impact, at least prior to a shot going up.

It's fine that Joe Johnson isn't going to win many games by himself. Neither are Josh Smith or Al Horford. The team has too many inherent flaws for one player to overcome. Even against the short-handed Bobcats, the Hawks needed a team performance--solid* defensively and balanced offensively--to win.

*I'd normally use a stronger adjective when the Hawks hold the opposition to a point per possession. That's a fine performance by almost any standard but against the Bobcats, who scored 0.845 points per possession against Memphis in their previous game without Gerald Wallace , 0.704 points per possession against Boston and 0.964 points per possession against Indiana (with Wallace in both those games) in the last week are not a standard NBA offense.

Al Horford (on 12 shots) and Marvin Williams (on 11 shots) both matched Johnson's 16 points, with Horford adding 9 rebounds (3 offensive), 3 assists, 3 blocks, and, handling the ball less on the perimeter upon Johnson's return, committing no turnovers. Williams, thankfully preferred over Damien Wilkins and Mo Evans again, added 8 rebounds of his own. Josh Smith struggled from the perimeter (0-5 on jump shots) and turned the ball over five times but converted his attempts in the paint (6-8), grabbed 11 rebounds, earned 3 assists, and matched Horford's 3 blocks. Mike Bibby and Jeff Teague proved a solid point guard tandem, combining for 15 points on 13 shots, 8 assists, and 4 turnovers. Teague continued to make impressive defensive plays (if not always to play impressive defense) and picked up two more blocked shots.

Joe Johnson on his early return from elbow surgery:

"The therapy just went great, the swelling’s gone down. We’ve just been shooting (with) no pain. It’s just feeling great, so I just didn’t feel like it was necessary to wait another two weeks and leave the guys hanging out there like that when I can really get out there and give ‘em everything I got."

Johnson on the game itself:

"It felt great just to be back out there with the guys, interacting and being a part of everything."

Mike Bibby on Johnson:

"We definitely need him. He's one of the top players in the NBA. He draws a lot of attention, and that opens up stuff for everybody else."

Marvin Williams on his bucket (and the Al Horford assist) that put the Hawks up 84-79 with 1:15 left in the game and a single tick left on the shot clock:

"I cut when Joe had the ball, but then Joe passed the ball to Al. I was surprised to get so open. I don't know where my guy went. Al is a great passer and he never panics. He was able to find me."

Kris Willis on Johnson's re-integration with the team:

Johnson led the way with eight assists. Joe finished the night 5-14 from the floor and only he really knows if he is rushing back or not. I commented in the game thread that every time he missed I wondered if it was because of the elbow. It is something to watch going forward but you can't deny the lift he gave the team in tonight's game. Lets just hope that it was the correct decision to return this fast.

There was much talk while Johnson was out as to how he would fit in once he returned to the lineup. It is a small sample size but I saw the Hawks go to him in some iso situations early in the fourth quarter but they were running the motion at crunch time with Marvin Williams getting two key baskets down the stretch.

Jason Walker adds his voice to what should be a chorus of praise for Larry Drew:

With 7:18 left in the first quarter, Al Horford picked up his second foul. Normally, this is the kiss of first half death for Al, and we were starting down the barrel of almost 19 minutes without the big fella. So imagine our surprise when the second quarter started and Horford was back on the floor. Drew played him (37) minutes and the Hawks needed every second of him to win tonight. Drew's reward? Not just the win, but the knowledge that Al ended the game with a total of (3) fouls. It's not hard, LD. Give in. Trust. It made you a winner tonight.

December 17th Game Preview: Charlotte Bobcats (9-16) @ Atlanta Hawks (16-11)

TIP-OFF: 7:30pm (EST)

TELEVISION: SportSouth

RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.

CHAT: Daily Dime Live

GAME NOTES: Hawks/Bobcats

ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson is out. Jamal Crawford is questionable.

CHARLOTTE INJURY REPORT: Gerald Wallace is doubtful.

BY THE NUMBERS

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA (off)	89.8	1.033	49.2	24.6	26.4	19.1
ATL (def)	90.4	1.064	49.3	27.7	25.6	14.4

2010-11	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
CHA (def)	89.8	1.081	49.7	29.9	23.9	15.8
ATL (off)	90.2	1.078	51	22.7	23.9	15.1

OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Queen City Hoops

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -6.5, 183 o/u

PREVIOUSLY...the Charlotte Bobcats lost 113-80 in Memphis without Gerald Wallace on Wednesday. It was Charlotte's seventh consecutive loss on the road and their second 30+ point loss in five days.

Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.

Atlanta Hawks Cap Exhibition Slate With 33-Point Loss in Charlotte

Box Score

I'll let Larry Drew take the lead in describing how much last night's exhibition game helped the Hawks:

"Zero. Zero. Nothing whatsoever."

Three of the starters played limited minutes, Mike Bibby sat the game out, and Josh Smith used his 29 minutes to attempt two of four shots from beyond 16-feet. He missed both. Jamal Crawford and Jeff Teague both played 34 minutes. They combined for 23 points and 13 turnovers. I suspect no one wanted to be on the road for the second game of a back-to-back at the end of pre-season.

I cede the floor to Larry Brown:

"They seemed disinterested. They played last night, but still."

Michael Cunningham covered the issue of Josh Smith taking a ton of jump shots this pre-season:

L.D. said he doesn’t doubt Josh believes he can make long jump shots. He said he hasn’t told him to stop taking them altogether “because his stroke has certainly improved and he has worked on it.” But he doesn’t want them early in the shot clock, late in games or when the play calls for Josh to be in the post.

That latter point is how L.D. frames the issue: He doesn’t labor the point that Josh can’t make jumpers, but rather points out that he needs to be in the paint because he’s so effective there.

“I just tell him when I run something put him in the post don’t want him letting the defense off the hook shooting a fadeaway jump shot,” L.D. said. “I believe in his ability down in the post to get a basket or get fouled. Shooting a fadeaway is letting your defender off the hook.”

I think the belief that he can make jump shots is the root problem, but I don't have to work with him. 27 of Smith's 56 pre-season field goal attempts came from outside of 16-feet he made 8 of those shots (29.6 eFG%).

Also concerning are Drew's expectations for Josh Powell:

"He’s going to be a big part of us being successful."

Evidence and observation suggest that's highly unlikely. Either way, we'll add to our collective knowledge far more efficiently once the season commences.

Quotes, Notes, and Links: Bobcats 109 Hawks 100

Gameflow

Highlights

Recap

Mike Woodson:

"We didn’t come out ready to play. It wasn’t pretty in the locker room at halftime. I thought we came out and played Atlanta Hawks basketball in the second half, but the effort came too late."

At least we're at the point where "Atlanta Hawks basketball" is (accurately) defined as trying to outscore a poor offensive team. The 64 second-half points the Hawks scored were impressive (though I don't think Charlotte matched their first half defensive intensity in the second and the Hawks decided to play 5-on-5* for the entirety of the second half) but allowing Charlotte 50 points in a half is acceptable only in comparison to allowing them 59 points in the previous half.

*The Hawks were outscored 30-12 over 20 possessions when Mario West was on the court in the first half averaging an offensive efficiency of 60 points per 100 possessions and a defensive efficiency of 150 points per 100 possessions. Bad as the first half was for the Hawks, they were only outscored by five when they filled their allotment of players on the court with real, live NBA talents. And that's with Joe Smith playing 13:17 of the first half..

Jamal Crawford:

"It was helter-skelter in the first quarter. After that we turned it around. I think they caught us a little off balance [without Johnson and Bibby]. I think we will be better [at Detroit]."

Josh Smith:

"We got off to a sluggish start."

Smith then perked an grabbed his first rebound with 4:18 left in the first half.

Smith, again:

"We are looking to see what guys are willing to step up and play in the absence of other guys. We want guys who are not scared and can add that extra depth."

I don't think willingness is the issue so much as ability.

Jeff Teague on his slow start to the game:

"That let me know what I need to work on. I was timid at first. When you are a rookie making your second start and things go bad, all of that is in your head."

Woodson on Teague's second half performance:

"Jeff Teague came in and was more aggressive offensively and pushed the ball. I like the way we competed in the second half."

Crawford on Teague:

"The rook' was good. That’s what it’s all about is getting experience and getting comfortable out there."

Josh Smith on Teague:

"Jeff Teague did an outstanding job. He may have been a little shaken up in the first half but he came back in the second half and answered the bell."

At Peachtree Hoops, The Human Highlight Blog assays Jeff Teague's extended run:

I thought Jeff Teague played fairly well. Though his shooting was suspect (3-10), his 6:1 assist/turnover ratio was right on, and he helped break down the Bobcat defense more than a couple of times by his ability to penetrate and dish. Teague needs more reps to get the defensive part down, because he got lost on switches a couple of times, freeing up Felton and Augustin for some open jumpers, but I see Crawford, Bibby, and Joe get beat on those type plays as well. The Hawks can't afford to have Bibby get another year older (and sources tell THHB that he will) and not have a defensive ready PG ready.

Besides, for the plays that Teague does miss, he does possess the ability to use his quick hands to make some plays on defense as well. The Hawks can't be all high and mighty on Teague when it comes to defense when they have Bibby out there unable to stay with his man and Crawford simply getting beat on his. And we don't have to remind about Smoove's proclivity to jumping the passing lanes and the resulting 5 on 4 that ensues when he doesn't come up with the ball. Teague also can get out in front of the break and set up Al and Smoove as he did late when he was able to get out, draw the defense and flip the ball to Josh for a layup. Just play the kid.

Michael Cunningham reports* on the injury that prevented Zaza Pachulia from returning to the game:

Pachulia said he has tendinitis in his right hip flexor. He has also struggled with tendinitis in his left hip this season.

Pachulia:

"I stretched it and warmed it up really good. I went in the game and it got worse and worse."

*Cunningham also reports that Jason Collins has a right foot injury that left him unable to play last night (in the physical rather than absolute sense).

In further injury news, Mike Bibby doesn't know if he'll play tonight in Detroit and Joe Johnson could return Friday.

Larry Brown:

"We played great in the first half and got a great win. We needed that. Every time we get a win like that it's a step closer to getting in the playoffs and that's our goal."

Gerald Wallace:

"We're not worried about their team. We were worried about our team tonight. The season is almost over. If we're going to do something, the time is now. It's time to prove we deserve to be in the playoffs. We've got five games left."

Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer on the home team's hot start:

Granted, beating the Atlanta Hawks anywhere, anytime says good things about the Charlotte Bobcats.

But how they won Tuesday, particularly how they started this game, was the message the Bobcats should carry from a 109-100 home victory.

They trapped assertively from the start, disconnecting the Hawks from whatever they planned to run. They shared the ball freely. They spent as much time at the foul line as anywhere on the court.

Atlanta's loss clinched the Southeast Division for Orlando.

Bobcats 109 Hawks 100

Boxscore

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL	84.4	1.185	52.4	38.9	35.3	13
CHA	84.4	1.292	56.3	26.3	32.4	14.2

I still contend that a healthy Hawks team in the playoffs is worth more than winning these last few regular season games, third seed be damned within reason, but it wasn't fun to watch the Hawks fail to account for the absence of Joe Johnson (thumb) and Mike Bibby (toenail*). Charlotte deserves credit for their defensive effort in the first half. They, quite sensibly, denied Josh Smith and Al Horford shot attempts. The Hawks, though, showed little inclination to force the ball to Smith or Horford, or just to whomever Boris Diaw was guarding.

*Were you tempted, don't laugh. The ingrown toenail is an affliction to discomfort those with far more sedentary professions than NBA point guard. Even the way Bibby plays the position.

Before Marvin Williams, quite counter-productively, exited with his second foul four minutes into the game, the Hawks ran plays for Williams while guarded by Gerald Wallace. I'm a Marvin Williams booster. That's not an advantageous matchup for Williams. It is, though, more advantageous than using Mario West as the first guy off the bench. I get that the Hawks aren't starting Jamal Crawford while Joe Johnson's out because they want Crawford to be named Sixth Man of the Year. I don't get why that precludes using Crawford as the team's sixth man. Nor why Mike Woodson chose to use West (-18 in 9:51 of non-garbage time play during the first half) instead of Jeff Teague* or Williams** or anyone else capable of playing NBA basketball at a regular pace.

*Who looked distressingly scared to take a jump shot, though not completely ineffective tonight. I'm still withholding any judgment of Teague until next season.

**Who was successfully prevented from fouling out. What, that wasn't the goal?

I'm not concerned that the Hawks lost while short-handed and playing a very good defensive team. I'm concerned that the Hawks made no pro-active accommodation to their short-handedness. The starting small forward committed two early fouls? The backup small forward* was starting at the 2-guard? Put in the third string small forward. Wait, what?

It's not like Teague/Evans/Crawford is an unheard of combination** for the Hawks. Factor in that Williams sits for most of the fourth quarter and finishes the game with four fouls and there's no need to protect him from hypothetical foul trouble at the cost of playing Mario West in what, when he was not on the court, was a competitive basketball game.

*I'm ignoring that Mo Evans shouldn't be the backup small forward for now.

**BasketballValue.com is a few days behind, but 7 of the top 8 units (in terms of frequency) including Jeff Teague this season (through April 2nd) also include Crawford and Evans.

The above does not even address all the minutes Josh Smith got at the 3 so Joe Smith could defend poorly and grab just two rebounds* in 22:22. Tonight we witnessed both the cost of punting roster spots 10** through 15 and not recognizing that said roster spots were punted.

*Josh had just five in 36:49. Or, one more rebound than jump shots he attempted from at least 18 feet.

**Sure, Joe Smith is better than West and Jason Collins and Randolph Morris, but he's not been good (albeit in limited minutes) this season. Even tonight, it wouldn't be a big deal had the Hawks filled the back end of the roster with plausible alternative candidates for playing time.

April 6th Open Thread: Atlanta (49-27) @ Charlotte (40-36)

TIP-OFF: 7pm (EDT)

TELEVISION: Fox Sports South

CHAT: Daily Dime Live

RADIO: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass

GAME NOTES: Hawks/Bobcats

ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby are out.

CHARLOTTE INJURY REPORT: Alexis Ajinca is out. Stephen Jackson is probable to play hurt.

BY THE NUMBERS

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL (off)	89	1.133	50.5	21.4	27.9	13.2
CHA (def)	89.1	1.039	49.1	26.2	25.6	17.2

Team	Poss	Off Eff	eFG%	FT Rate	OR%	TO%
ATL (def)	89	1.082	49.7	28	27.3	15.6
CHA (off)	89.1	1.053	48.8	25.8	26.4	17.5

FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -4.5, 183 o/u

OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Queen City Hoops

PREVIOUSLY, THE CHARLOTTE BOBCATS...lost 88-96 in Chicago on Saturday night. The loss dropped Charlotte to 11-27 on the road for the season. They are 29-9 at home.

The Hawks have won two of three against the Bobcats this season with the home team winning each game. The Bobcats won in Charlotte 103-83 on November 6th. The Hawks won 103-89 in Atlanta on January 22nd and 93-92 in overtime on March 19th.

Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.