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: A victim of Aaron Gray's one-man zone clogging the lane in the first five minutes but Teague did nothing to redeem matters once Jason Collins left the game. Ben Uzoh's inability to shoot (What are the odds 'Nique had no idea he'd already seen Uzoh, while with the Nets, play against the Hawks this season?) should have given Teague a similar freedom to have an impact defensively. It did not. 2/10
Kirk Hinrich: Rushing back from his shoulder surgery somewhat overshadowed the apparent reality that Hinrich just doesn't have much left. Gave a game effort defending DeRozan in the post and, yes, the Hawks should have sent him help in those situations but, at the same time, his involvement in Alan Anderson's early Crawford rather set the tone for the game. 2/10
Joe Johnson: A good season doesn't entirely disguise the fact that he can't really contribute when he's not making shots. 3/10
Josh Smith: Far and away the Hawks' best player. His early jump shots were as much a function of Jason Collins' presence as Smith's own predilections. His third quarter jump shots go in the "Never Trust the Hawks" file. Both because the team's comeback centered around sets wherein Smith had the option to take six jumpers in a quarter and that Smith took that option six times. 6/10
Jason Collins: Given the injuries to Horford and Pachulia, Jason Collins might have needed to play five minutes in this game. One hopes, if put in that situation, one would postpone that eventuality as long as possible. Instead, the Hawks, upon including Jason Collins in the starting lineup, seemed determined to have him touch the ball on every possession. Dig your own hole. 1/10
Ivan Johnson: More than just not Jason Collins yet not enough to anchor a second unit. 5/10
Marvin Williams: Competent but unable to impact games consistently. Poor cap management and lack of depth gives him an outsized importance to the team. 3/10
Jannero Pargo: Just because he's having a career year doesn't mean he's a good player. This could get ugly in the playoffs. 1/10
Willie Green: See Jannero Pargo. Scored half of his 14 points in the final three meaningless minutes. 3/10
Vladimir Radmanovic: Pargo and Green minus having the carer year. 2/10
Jerry Stackhouse: This game was so enervating that Jerry Stackhouse didn't attempt a shot in garbage time. 1/10
Erick Dampier: If Erick Dampier can't get on the court when the team's top two centers are hurt and almost an entire quarter is treated as garbage time, then why is he on the roster? Related, what do you think Erick Dampier weighs right now? No rating
The head coach
Once again, the injuries aren't his fault but the unrelentingly below average offense and reluctance to adjust defensively are. 2/10
A thought regarding the opposition
The case was made for Dwane Casey's ability to scheme and convince his players (not even really his players in this case, given the prevalence of 10-day contracts) to execute defensively. That the Raptors players have every reason to go get theirs offensively, the relentlessness with which they played to their (rather limited) strengths impressed as well.
Showing posts with label raptors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label raptors. Show all posts
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Hawks Need 76ers' & Bucks' Help to Finish 3rd
I had pretty much written off any possibility of the Hawks catching the Pacers after the loss to the Celtics. Indiana has a number of games against mediocre teams remaining. However, I hadn't looked very closely at which teams those opponents were. Over their next 5 games, the Pacers play Milwaukee twice and Philladelphia twice, two teams that are battling for the final playoff spot in the East. The other opponent is Minnesota, which is struggling. But in those 4 games against the 76ers and Bucks, nobody is going to lay down for the Pacers.
Meanwhile, between now and April 21st when the Pacers play the last game of that 5-game stretch, the Hawks play Toronto twice, then the Pistons, and then the Celtics on Friday, April 20th. Let's say, just for laughs, the Hawks go 4-0 in those 4 games while the Pacers go 3-2. The Pacers would be 40-24 and the Hawks 39-24, a half game back. At that point, the Hawks would control their own destiny as they would be even in the loss column with Indiana. If the Hawks finish with the same record as the Pacers, they own the tie break by virtue of winning the season series.
As for the upcoming home-and-away set with Toronto, the Hawks can take nothing for granted after a massively-depleted Raptors squad stunned the Celtics last night. Here's a piece by Eric Koreen in the National Post that is yet another example of how Dwane Casey continues to get rave reviews even as his team has struggled. Quoth Casey:
"They’re playing for home-court advantage. We’re playing for pride. We’re playing for culture. That’s about it. Everybody who was in uniform tonight contributed to that. This win was huge."
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Initial Feedback: In Toronto, Al Horford Is Not a True Centre
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: Sidekick No. 1. 6/10
Joe Johnson: If you wanted to be picky, he didn't do much defensively or on the glass. If you are picky, remember his age, the schedule, and the 13 shots he made. 10/10
Marvin Williams: Per minute, he remains excellent. Like the team itself, the playoffs figure to be the test. 5/10
Josh Smith: The Hawks can survive him going through the motions on a night like this. Things might be dicier if he can't contribute in all facets of the game against Memphis or Philadelphia. 5/10
Zaza Pachulia: It's almost as fair to complain on a game-by-game basis that Zaza didn't get regular minutes the past two seasons as it is to lodge the same compliant about Teague. 6/10
Tracy McGrady: Somewhat of the inverse of Smith, one doesn't want McGrady to use too much of himself against such an overmatched opponent. At the same time, one understands why he wanted to exert himself on this night. 6/10
Kirk Hinrich: Only marginally more important to this regular season than to the last, he could again have a significant impact in the playoffs. 4/10
Ivan Johnson: His D-League experience held him in good stead against that front line. 4/10
Vladimir Radmanovic: Good to see him getting the meaningless minutes. He'll have a few meaningful minutes ahead of him. 3/10
Willie Green: In and in the jump shots go, when it stops nobody knows. 4/10
Jannero Pargo: Three shots in the final five minutes. I felt he was holding back. Be yourself. 2/10
Jerry Stackhouse: The highest paid assistant coach in the game? At least the only one collecting money from his team and the league. 1/10
The head coach
Given the history of this franchise and the history of this particular team composition, taking care of business can never be dismissed. If greater tests await, let not that distract us from the level of accomplishment inherent. 7/10
A thought regarding the opposition
I think getting a quarter-and-a-half of good defense out of this group is a decent performance from Dwane Casey. If it never happens, part of me will always wonder what would have happened had he coached Josh Smith.
Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.
Boxscore
Players
Jeff Teague: Sidekick No. 1. 6/10
Joe Johnson: If you wanted to be picky, he didn't do much defensively or on the glass. If you are picky, remember his age, the schedule, and the 13 shots he made. 10/10
Marvin Williams: Per minute, he remains excellent. Like the team itself, the playoffs figure to be the test. 5/10
Josh Smith: The Hawks can survive him going through the motions on a night like this. Things might be dicier if he can't contribute in all facets of the game against Memphis or Philadelphia. 5/10
Zaza Pachulia: It's almost as fair to complain on a game-by-game basis that Zaza didn't get regular minutes the past two seasons as it is to lodge the same compliant about Teague. 6/10
Tracy McGrady: Somewhat of the inverse of Smith, one doesn't want McGrady to use too much of himself against such an overmatched opponent. At the same time, one understands why he wanted to exert himself on this night. 6/10
Kirk Hinrich: Only marginally more important to this regular season than to the last, he could again have a significant impact in the playoffs. 4/10
Ivan Johnson: His D-League experience held him in good stead against that front line. 4/10
Vladimir Radmanovic: Good to see him getting the meaningless minutes. He'll have a few meaningful minutes ahead of him. 3/10
Willie Green: In and in the jump shots go, when it stops nobody knows. 4/10
Jannero Pargo: Three shots in the final five minutes. I felt he was holding back. Be yourself. 2/10
Jerry Stackhouse: The highest paid assistant coach in the game? At least the only one collecting money from his team and the league. 1/10
The head coach
Given the history of this franchise and the history of this particular team composition, taking care of business can never be dismissed. If greater tests await, let not that distract us from the level of accomplishment inherent. 7/10
A thought regarding the opposition
I think getting a quarter-and-a-half of good defense out of this group is a decent performance from Dwane Casey. If it never happens, part of me will always wonder what would have happened had he coached Josh Smith.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Initial Feedback: A Win Is a Win Is a Win
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: An uneven performance like this, especially in the zone offense, stokes regret over the developmental opportunities wasted the past two seasons. I don't think the good plays outweighed the bad today, but the desire to make good plays never wavered. 5/10
Joe Johnson: His relentless attacks on Jose Calderson in the Toronto zone in the third quarter was as positive a key to the victory as anything. The three shots he blocked should not be overlooked, either. Johnson blocked 12 shots in a little over 5400 minutes over the last two seasons. 9/10
Marvin Williams: Thus far, his return to to active duty has been all setup, no punchline. Take it away, Gareth. I guess he has to make some shots in order to be able to stay on the court, continue getting to the foul line and grabbing rebounds. 5/10
Josh Smith: At this point, the Hawks just need to get him 20 or more shots a game to dilute the effects of the jump shots he is going to take no matter what. I resolve to stop marking him based on an idealized version of Josh Smith who understands his strengths and weaknesses and to begin marking him on whether or not he makes the shots he attempts. Thankfully, there's no shot selection element to rebounding, which has been excellent as his free throw shooting has been poor this season. 8/10
Jason Collins: I don't know why he started both halves. Perhaps, after the Timberwolves game, Larry Drew was curious if bad teams knew that Collins couldn't defend the pick-and-roll. 2/10
Vladimir Radmanovic: I don't know why he didn't play in the first half nor wy he was assigned to guard Leandro Barbosa in the third quarter. Nice shooting. 3/10
Zaza Pachulia: Another very solid supporting performance. Al Horford is efficient, but he's not 6 points on 0 field goal attempts efficient. 4/10
Tracy McGrady: His performance was fine and his return welcome, but if that's all Tracy McGrady can play, then Tracy McGrady doesn't need to be playing this early in the season. 4/10
Willie Green: If you absolutely, positively have to have somebody less likely to score and far, far less likely to grab a rebound than Marvin Williams on the court for the entire fourth quarter, then Willie Green's your man. Today was the third time this season that Green has played at least 18 minutes in a game without grabbing a rebound. And people worried about replacing Jamal Crawford. 2/10
Ivan Johnson: Still fun, but it was not a good day for America's banned in Korea sweetheart on either end of the floor. His matador defense on DeMar DeRozan's fourth quarter layup was the nadir. 2/10
Jannero Pargo: Was +8 in 5:12 and a little over an hour after his appearance, I have no memory of it. 2/10
The head coach
My not understanding does not constitute a valid criticism, much less a coherent and incisive one. I don't get a lot of what Larry Drew did in this game and don't really want to replay the game with Josh Smith taking ten long, two-point jumpers and counting on the Raptors to miss 9 of 12 shots in the paint in the fourth quarter. A win's a win and style points are going to be rare this season. 6/10
A thought regarding the opposition
Your ratings and commentary, dear reader, are welcomed in the comments to this post.
Boxscore
Players
Jeff Teague: An uneven performance like this, especially in the zone offense, stokes regret over the developmental opportunities wasted the past two seasons. I don't think the good plays outweighed the bad today, but the desire to make good plays never wavered. 5/10
Joe Johnson: His relentless attacks on Jose Calderson in the Toronto zone in the third quarter was as positive a key to the victory as anything. The three shots he blocked should not be overlooked, either. Johnson blocked 12 shots in a little over 5400 minutes over the last two seasons. 9/10
Marvin Williams: Thus far, his return to to active duty has been all setup, no punchline. Take it away, Gareth. I guess he has to make some shots in order to be able to stay on the court, continue getting to the foul line and grabbing rebounds. 5/10
Josh Smith: At this point, the Hawks just need to get him 20 or more shots a game to dilute the effects of the jump shots he is going to take no matter what. I resolve to stop marking him based on an idealized version of Josh Smith who understands his strengths and weaknesses and to begin marking him on whether or not he makes the shots he attempts. Thankfully, there's no shot selection element to rebounding, which has been excellent as his free throw shooting has been poor this season. 8/10
Jason Collins: I don't know why he started both halves. Perhaps, after the Timberwolves game, Larry Drew was curious if bad teams knew that Collins couldn't defend the pick-and-roll. 2/10
Vladimir Radmanovic: I don't know why he didn't play in the first half nor wy he was assigned to guard Leandro Barbosa in the third quarter. Nice shooting. 3/10
Zaza Pachulia: Another very solid supporting performance. Al Horford is efficient, but he's not 6 points on 0 field goal attempts efficient. 4/10
Tracy McGrady: His performance was fine and his return welcome, but if that's all Tracy McGrady can play, then Tracy McGrady doesn't need to be playing this early in the season. 4/10
Willie Green: If you absolutely, positively have to have somebody less likely to score and far, far less likely to grab a rebound than Marvin Williams on the court for the entire fourth quarter, then Willie Green's your man. Today was the third time this season that Green has played at least 18 minutes in a game without grabbing a rebound. And people worried about replacing Jamal Crawford. 2/10
Ivan Johnson: Still fun, but it was not a good day for America's banned in Korea sweetheart on either end of the floor. His matador defense on DeMar DeRozan's fourth quarter layup was the nadir. 2/10
Jannero Pargo: Was +8 in 5:12 and a little over an hour after his appearance, I have no memory of it. 2/10
The head coach
My not understanding does not constitute a valid criticism, much less a coherent and incisive one. I don't get a lot of what Larry Drew did in this game and don't really want to replay the game with Josh Smith taking ten long, two-point jumpers and counting on the Raptors to miss 9 of 12 shots in the paint in the fourth quarter. A win's a win and style points are going to be rare this season. 6/10
A thought regarding the opposition
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Quotes, Notes, and Links: Atlanta Hawks 100 Toronto Raptors 87
Recap
Gameflow
Hoopdata boxscore
Highlights
Larry Drew:
Drew on Johnson fitting into the offense:
Gameflow
Hoopdata boxscore
Highlights
Larry Drew:
"We played very unselfishly. The offense was there. The defense was non-existent in the fist half."Drew:
"I wanted to establish some type of rhythm with the rotations tonight. I wanted to keep a couple of the starters out there with three of the reserves. Tonight I was able to do it because we didn’t get into any kind of foul trouble. That’s pretty much what I’ve always tried to do but sometimes fouls and [injuries] dictate that."Joe Johnson:
"I think everybody on the team understands if I am getting doubled and they are open I am going to make the extra pass. Tonight I was just trying to get into the teeth of the defense and when I got double teamed, I was just trying to find the open man."Take note of perhaps the only time Toronto's defense will be described as toothsome.
Drew on Johnson fitting into the offense:
"He’s getting into a rhythm. I think we are doing a good job moving him around to different spots offensively. And I think our guys are reading defenses. We put him in the post and they play him on one side, we are getting the ball to him on the other."Michael Cunningham:
[T]he Hawks really only played defense for short spurts and won only because the Raps couldn’t stop them.At Raptors Republic, A-Dub allows Hawks fans to experience the shoe on the other foot:
What Atlanta does so well against the Raptors is that is fully takes advantage of the Raptors strategy to switch at every opportunity. Why not just put Calderon on Horford to start off with, because even the most harmless pick will produce the same matchup anyway? A big, usually Barganani, gets caught on the perimeter far too often and then the token double comes in and then it’s just a matter of making the right pass or two for Atlanta to get an open three. Don’t these guys know how to fight through screens?
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
Atlanta Hawks 100 Toronto Raptors 87
Boxscore
With a 12-game losing streak, long-standing institutional weaknesses, two days of travel problems, and Leandro Barbosa's absence all weighing on the Toronto Raptors, the only thing in question was when the Hawks would play defense long enough to put the game away.
The answer: 11:23 to 3:58 of the fourth quarter. The Hawks had allowed 71 points on 65 possessions to the Raptors and were only up 6 after DeMar DeRozan's DeBucket with 11:23 left in the game. Then the 7-minute, 25-second long 19-7 run cured whatever mild concern might have existed for Hawks fans about the game's outcome.
This was not a contest. It was a task. The Hawks were more than up to it. Joe Johnson led the way with 37 points on 21 shots plus 8 assists. Al Horford didn't shoot well (12 points on 13 shots) but brought the rest of his game to the tune of 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Josh Smith's 18 points on 14 shots weren't especially impressive (due to him shooting an unsustainable 5-9 (0-2 on three-pointers) outside of 20 feet) but his 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals were. Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford chipped in 4 assists each on a night the Hawks assisted on 30 of 42 field goals and individual totals were generally a result of sound team ball movement against a terrible, terrible defensive team.
As he's occasionally wont to do, Larry Drew shortened up the rotation against inferior opposition at home. Mo Evans took advantage of the opposition, Marvin Williams's suspension, and 16 empty minutes from Damien Wilkins to solidify his place in the rotation hierarchy. Zaza Pachulia (again) demonstrated the disposability of Josh Powell and the inessential nature of Jason Collins against teams which do not play through the post. Jeff Teague didn't play especially well in his two stints, but that's going to happen with a young, inexperienced player who gets limited minutes off the bench. Make the minutes regular, live with the variance, and hope he begins to blossom.
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR | 84 | 1.036 | 44.2 | 23.1 | 19.4 | 10.7 |
| ATL | 86 | 1.163 | 61.8 | 7.9 | 24.4 | 16.3 |
With a 12-game losing streak, long-standing institutional weaknesses, two days of travel problems, and Leandro Barbosa's absence all weighing on the Toronto Raptors, the only thing in question was when the Hawks would play defense long enough to put the game away.
The answer: 11:23 to 3:58 of the fourth quarter. The Hawks had allowed 71 points on 65 possessions to the Raptors and were only up 6 after DeMar DeRozan's DeBucket with 11:23 left in the game. Then the 7-minute, 25-second long 19-7 run cured whatever mild concern might have existed for Hawks fans about the game's outcome.
This was not a contest. It was a task. The Hawks were more than up to it. Joe Johnson led the way with 37 points on 21 shots plus 8 assists. Al Horford didn't shoot well (12 points on 13 shots) but brought the rest of his game to the tune of 14 rebounds and 7 assists. Josh Smith's 18 points on 14 shots weren't especially impressive (due to him shooting an unsustainable 5-9 (0-2 on three-pointers) outside of 20 feet) but his 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals were. Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford chipped in 4 assists each on a night the Hawks assisted on 30 of 42 field goals and individual totals were generally a result of sound team ball movement against a terrible, terrible defensive team.
As he's occasionally wont to do, Larry Drew shortened up the rotation against inferior opposition at home. Mo Evans took advantage of the opposition, Marvin Williams's suspension, and 16 empty minutes from Damien Wilkins to solidify his place in the rotation hierarchy. Zaza Pachulia (again) demonstrated the disposability of Josh Powell and the inessential nature of Jason Collins against teams which do not play through the post. Jeff Teague didn't play especially well in his two stints, but that's going to happen with a young, inexperienced player who gets limited minutes off the bench. Make the minutes regular, live with the variance, and hope he begins to blossom.
February 2nd Game Preview: Toronto Raptors (13-36) @ Atlanta Hawks (30-18)
TIP-OFF: 7pm (EST)
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Marvin Williams is suspended.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza, and Reggie Evans are out.
BY THE NUMBERS
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -10.5, 201.5 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors lost their 12th straight game Monday night against the Pacers and then spent an extra day stuck in Indianapolis.
The Hawks have won both previous meetings with the Raptors this season: 96-78 in Atlanta on November 28th and 104-101 in Toronto on January 12th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Marvin Williams is suspended.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Leandro Barbosa, Linas Kleiza, and Reggie Evans are out.
BY THE NUMBERS
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR (off) | 93.9 | 1.054 | 49.1 | 21.3 | 28.3 | 14.1 |
| ATL (def) | 90.2 | 1.055 | 48.7 | 26.7 | 25.2 | 14.2 |
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR (def) | 93.9 | 1.116 | 52.3 | 31.9 | 28 | 13.8 |
| ATL (off) | 90 | 1.075 | 50.6 | 22.2 | 23.5 | 15.2 |
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -10.5, 201.5 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors lost their 12th straight game Monday night against the Pacers and then spent an extra day stuck in Indianapolis.
The Hawks have won both previous meetings with the Raptors this season: 96-78 in Atlanta on November 28th and 104-101 in Toronto on January 12th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
NBA Playbook: The Hawks Struggle Against Toronto's Zone
Sebastian Pruiti analyzes the video evidence of Atlanta's stagnant zone offense:
The reason why the Hawks’ struggled against the zone is because it seemed that they reverted to their ISO tendencies once they saw the zone. The ball really started to stick, and that is the worst possible thing that you can do against the zone.Sebastian also breaks down how the Hawks got Mike Bibby open for his game-winning three.
...
The Atlanta Hawks did just about everything they could to look bad against the zone, making just about every mistake you can against it. Despite that, they were able to eek out a win with a Mike Bibby three. It was against man to man defense.
Atlanta Hawks 104 Toronto Raptors 101
Boxscore
Gameflow
Hoopdata boxscore
Highlights
The Atlanta Hawks were extremely fortunate to win this game. Without any of 1) Jamal Crawford's 30-footer at the culmination of yet another stagnant offensive possession* against Toronto's 2-3 zone with 1:45 left in the game, 2) DeMar DeRozan's willingness to foul three-point shooters, or 3) Al Horford, on Toronto's penultimate possession, demonstrating, once again, that he's Atlanta's best perimeter defender the Hawks would have lost to a very bad basketball team.
*If the technology were available, one could automate an accurate game recap based almost entirely on the opposite of 'Nique's in-game analysis.
Why were the Hawks in such a precarious position? Let's start with Crawford, rightly lauded for his tremendous offensive performance but also the focal point of Toronto's potent offensive attack. It would be difficult to imagine a superior offensive performance than Crawford's turnover-free 36 points on 23 shots and 8 free throw attempts in just under 34 minutes of playing time. It's equally difficult to imagine such bountiful and concentrated offensive production being necessary for your team just to break even with you on the court. Before Joe Johnson made his two free throws with one second left in the game, the Hawks and Raptors were dead even during the time Crawford spent on the floor.
Atlanta's poor performance was hardly the sole fault of Crawford's defensive faults. The entire Atlanta backcourt struggles to defend in both the half-court and transition. Nor did Crawford make Larry Drew sit his best defender for the final six minutes of the first half to stave off foul trouble which would never come (despite Horford playing all but 11 seconds of the second half), or make Horford (10 points on 7 shots) so reluctant to shoot, or make Josh Smith so willing to shoot jump shots (1-8 for the game), or make Joe Johnson hold the ball on one side of the floor against Toronto's zone, or make Drew play Mo Evans, Zaza Pachulia, and Damien Wilkins at the same time against Toronto's zone, or make Jeff Teague carelessly give the ball away while trying to call a timeout.
Atlanta's deficiencies were multiple and manifest. So was their talent. Joe Johnson provided a reasonably efficient (26 points on 20 shots and 7 free throw attempts, 5 turnovers) second offensive option. Al Horford played just enough defense to keep Toronto from literally scoring at will. Horford, Smith, and Pachulia almost out-rebounded Toronto by themselves. Make no mistake, the Atlanta Hawks are a good basketball team. One bad performance on the road does not change that. Eventually, though, the schedule will get more difficult and it will no longer be possible just to outscore teams, to play one solid defensive quarter and coast home. When tougher conditions exist, the Atlanta Hawks will receive a test commensurate with their talent. The frequency with which they pass that test, far more than their performance in a January road game against a team that wins 35% of the time, will ultimately define them.
Larry Drew:
Gameflow
Hoopdata boxscore
Highlights
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL | 91 | 1.143 | 49.4 | 31.3 | 25.6 | 15.4 |
| TOR | 92 | 1.098 | 56.8 | 11.1 | 11.8 | 14.1 |
The Atlanta Hawks were extremely fortunate to win this game. Without any of 1) Jamal Crawford's 30-footer at the culmination of yet another stagnant offensive possession* against Toronto's 2-3 zone with 1:45 left in the game, 2) DeMar DeRozan's willingness to foul three-point shooters, or 3) Al Horford, on Toronto's penultimate possession, demonstrating, once again, that he's Atlanta's best perimeter defender the Hawks would have lost to a very bad basketball team.
*If the technology were available, one could automate an accurate game recap based almost entirely on the opposite of 'Nique's in-game analysis.
Why were the Hawks in such a precarious position? Let's start with Crawford, rightly lauded for his tremendous offensive performance but also the focal point of Toronto's potent offensive attack. It would be difficult to imagine a superior offensive performance than Crawford's turnover-free 36 points on 23 shots and 8 free throw attempts in just under 34 minutes of playing time. It's equally difficult to imagine such bountiful and concentrated offensive production being necessary for your team just to break even with you on the court. Before Joe Johnson made his two free throws with one second left in the game, the Hawks and Raptors were dead even during the time Crawford spent on the floor.
Atlanta's poor performance was hardly the sole fault of Crawford's defensive faults. The entire Atlanta backcourt struggles to defend in both the half-court and transition. Nor did Crawford make Larry Drew sit his best defender for the final six minutes of the first half to stave off foul trouble which would never come (despite Horford playing all but 11 seconds of the second half), or make Horford (10 points on 7 shots) so reluctant to shoot, or make Josh Smith so willing to shoot jump shots (1-8 for the game), or make Joe Johnson hold the ball on one side of the floor against Toronto's zone, or make Drew play Mo Evans, Zaza Pachulia, and Damien Wilkins at the same time against Toronto's zone, or make Jeff Teague carelessly give the ball away while trying to call a timeout.
Atlanta's deficiencies were multiple and manifest. So was their talent. Joe Johnson provided a reasonably efficient (26 points on 20 shots and 7 free throw attempts, 5 turnovers) second offensive option. Al Horford played just enough defense to keep Toronto from literally scoring at will. Horford, Smith, and Pachulia almost out-rebounded Toronto by themselves. Make no mistake, the Atlanta Hawks are a good basketball team. One bad performance on the road does not change that. Eventually, though, the schedule will get more difficult and it will no longer be possible just to outscore teams, to play one solid defensive quarter and coast home. When tougher conditions exist, the Atlanta Hawks will receive a test commensurate with their talent. The frequency with which they pass that test, far more than their performance in a January road game against a team that wins 35% of the time, will ultimately define them.
Larry Drew:
"I was a little concerned going into this game after what we’ve gone through in the last couple days in Atlanta with the snow and the ice of not being able to get the players on the floor and get some time in and get some shots up. I was a little concerned that we would be a little rusty. Jamal, he came in that first half and really did a great job of getting us going and keeping us in it. Our defense I thought was really as low-energy as it’s been all year. But we were able to stay in it offensively because he made some shots."Kris Willis on Atlanta's zone offense:
One reason the Hawks struggle so much against the zone is that many times the ball fails to penetrate the zone in any way. Atlanta is prone to just swinging the ball around the perimeter which hardly forces the zone defense to move and usually leads to a long semi contested shot at the shot shot clock buzzer.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
January 12th Game Preview: Atlanta Hawks (25-14) @ Toronto Raptors (13-24)
TIP-OFF: 7pm (EST)
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Marvin Williams is listed as day-to-day.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Reggie Evans and Peja Stojakovic are out. Sonny Weems is listed as day-to-day.
BY THE NUMBERS
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -4, 205.5 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings 118-112 on Sunday.
The Hawks beat the Raptors 96-78 on their previous visit to Toronto on November 28th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Marvin Williams is listed as day-to-day.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Reggie Evans and Peja Stojakovic are out. Sonny Weems is listed as day-to-day.
BY THE NUMBERS
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (off) | 90.3 | 1.079 | 51.1 | 22.8 | 23.8 | 15.5 |
| TOR (def) | 94.5 | 1.114 | 53 | 32.4 | 26.2 | 14.1 |
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (def) | 90.5 | 1.044 | 48.1 | 27.4 | 25.3 | 14.5 |
| TOR (off) | 94.5 | 1.069 | 50.1 | 22 | 29.3 | 14.6 |
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -4, 205.5 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors beat the Sacramento Kings 118-112 on Sunday.
The Hawks beat the Raptors 96-78 on their previous visit to Toronto on November 28th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Quotes, Notes, and Links: Atlanta Hawks 96 Toronto Raptors 78
Recap
Gameflow
Highlights
Jay Triano:
If you curious as to why I've made little mention of Smith's triple-double over the course of two posts concerning this game, well, I'll let Smith explain:
Lest anyone think Larry Drew is unique among NBA coaches in overreacting to hypothetical foul trouble, I present Jay Triano explaining why Joey Dorsey, rather than Amir Johnson, started for the Raptors:
The Human Highlight Blog on Mike Bibby:
Gameflow
Highlights
Jay Triano:
"DeMar (DeRozan) got outplayed by Joe Johnson. Jose (Calderon) got outplayed by Mike Bibby. Andrea (Bargnani) got outplayed by Josh Smith. Sonny (Weems) got outplayed by Marvin Williams. Joey (Dorsey) got outplayed by Al Horford.Larry Drew on Josh Smith's triple-double:
I’m not picking on our starters for getting outplayed. Amir (Johnson) didn’t outplay anybody on their bench, either. Leandro (Barbosa) didn’t. They beat us, every single position, every single guy."
"It just seemed like he was all over the floor. When he plays like that and plays under control, he is such a force. His defensive game, he was all over the place, rebounding the basketball, helping defensively and talking. Just a super overall game."All this despite Smith wasting six offensive possessions on jump shots. He made two of them.
If you curious as to why I've made little mention of Smith's triple-double over the course of two posts concerning this game, well, I'll let Smith explain:
"When it was coming down to it, I was like 'Man, I'm not going to get it.' We ran a couple of plays for me to try and get the assist."Today's (yesterday's) Atlanta Hawks energy update comes courtesy of Coach Drew:
"I was a little concerned with our energy, whether we would have our legs. We started the game with good intensity."Marvin Williams on his knee:
"I am starting to get my confidence back in it. There are still some things that still bother me. Coach is doing a good job with slowing me down and letting me sit out in practice. I feel more explosive out there. When I first got it banged, I didn’t feel explosive at all. These last couple games I’ve been getting to the line because I feel more comfortable pushing off. I still feel pain but I am starting to feel better each day."More from Williams:
"I think sometimes other people panic more than we do. We just can’t get too highs on the highs and too low on the lows. We started off 6-0, obviously we are going to hit some rough spots. The one thing about this team is we stay together."Josh Smith, undercutting Williams completely:
"What we have been doing these last three games is something special."Be sure to include the schedule-makers when passing at the rings to commemorate this 3-0 stretch against the Wizards, Knicks, and Raptors.
Lest anyone think Larry Drew is unique among NBA coaches in overreacting to hypothetical foul trouble, I present Jay Triano explaining why Joey Dorsey, rather than Amir Johnson, started for the Raptors:
"We knew that Amir was going to play the majority of minutes (and if) Amir picks up two fouls right away (as a starter), which he’s prone to do, then he has to sit out for the whole half and I can’t even get into rotations."That reasoning contains what the kids might call "lots of fail."
The Human Highlight Blog on Mike Bibby:
I'm going to give the Bibster love because, as much as I like to give Horford nods for his industrious work, I love that when the Hawks want to free up Al, Joe, or Josh to go to the hoop, it's Mike that sets the hard screens to get them there.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Atlanta Hawks 96 Toronto Raptors 78
Boxscore
Wherein Josh Smith delights lovers of base-10...
Though the lack of defensive resistance Toronto offers provided little in the way of useful perspective with which to evaluate the general level of quality the Hawks achieved Sunday afternoon, it did grant us a game-long look at how Larry Drew's offense is designed to work: constant movement of both players and the ball until someone, anyone gets an open look.
The five starters plus Jamal Crawford each attempted between 8 and 13 field goals. Each of the six players earned at least one assist. The team scored frequently and early enough to allow Drew to limit the minutes of most of the core players. The Hawks can't make the Raptors provide a stern defensive test. They can only go out and execute or not. This afternoon, they executed.
Toronto, assembled in such a way as to preclude the possibility of playing quality defense, should be far more concerned with their complete offensive capitulation in the third quarter. They scored 50 points on their first 46 possessions, a rate sufficient to compete in this game as well as almost exactly what one would expect given the season-to-date performances of both their offense and Atlanta's defense. Over the final 10:27 of the third quarter, they managed to make just one field goal, five free throws, and committed six turnovers. Offensive execution is not so easy as it seems.
One thing that neither seems nor is easy is breaking into the Atlanta rotation as a young point guard. Jeff Teague again got pulled immediately after making a mistake. With 8:56 left in the second quarter, he made a lazy pass while initiating the offense. Leandro Barbosa stole the pass and took it in for a layup. It was a unforced error in every respect. It was also exactly like unforced turnovers Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford have committed in recent games. Unlike Teague, they are allowed to play through* their mistakes. Also unlike Teague, neither Bibby nor Crawford figure to have any long-term impact on the fortunes of this franchise. Given the dire salary cap restrictions the Hawks will face until almost the middle of this decade, a rookie-scale contract should be like gold to this franchise but they appear completely willing neither to use Teague nor get anything useful for him. If he is so limited that the team** cannot overcome him committing a turnover or giving up a open shot, then sit him next Etan Thomas and give his spot in line to Jordan Crawford.
Just as soon as Rick Sund explains why he took Teague ahead of DeJuan Blair and Darren Collison. It should be even more captivating as his explanation that the Hawks "play really well" when everything's working and they'd be a better team if they could play good defense.
*Even Josh Powell, terrible now and disposable going forward, committed a turnover inbounding the basketball when the game was still within in six late in the second quarter. He finished the half and made his regular appearance in the third quarter.
**A team, I remind you, whose backcourt defense consists of some combination of Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, and Joe Johnson.
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL | 90 | 1.067 | 51.9 | 17.7 | 17.5 | 12.2 |
| TOR | 90 | 0.867 | 40.7 | 28.4 | 17.8 | 16.7 |
Wherein Josh Smith delights lovers of base-10...
Though the lack of defensive resistance Toronto offers provided little in the way of useful perspective with which to evaluate the general level of quality the Hawks achieved Sunday afternoon, it did grant us a game-long look at how Larry Drew's offense is designed to work: constant movement of both players and the ball until someone, anyone gets an open look.
The five starters plus Jamal Crawford each attempted between 8 and 13 field goals. Each of the six players earned at least one assist. The team scored frequently and early enough to allow Drew to limit the minutes of most of the core players. The Hawks can't make the Raptors provide a stern defensive test. They can only go out and execute or not. This afternoon, they executed.
Toronto, assembled in such a way as to preclude the possibility of playing quality defense, should be far more concerned with their complete offensive capitulation in the third quarter. They scored 50 points on their first 46 possessions, a rate sufficient to compete in this game as well as almost exactly what one would expect given the season-to-date performances of both their offense and Atlanta's defense. Over the final 10:27 of the third quarter, they managed to make just one field goal, five free throws, and committed six turnovers. Offensive execution is not so easy as it seems.
One thing that neither seems nor is easy is breaking into the Atlanta rotation as a young point guard. Jeff Teague again got pulled immediately after making a mistake. With 8:56 left in the second quarter, he made a lazy pass while initiating the offense. Leandro Barbosa stole the pass and took it in for a layup. It was a unforced error in every respect. It was also exactly like unforced turnovers Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford have committed in recent games. Unlike Teague, they are allowed to play through* their mistakes. Also unlike Teague, neither Bibby nor Crawford figure to have any long-term impact on the fortunes of this franchise. Given the dire salary cap restrictions the Hawks will face until almost the middle of this decade, a rookie-scale contract should be like gold to this franchise but they appear completely willing neither to use Teague nor get anything useful for him. If he is so limited that the team** cannot overcome him committing a turnover or giving up a open shot, then sit him next Etan Thomas and give his spot in line to Jordan Crawford.
Just as soon as Rick Sund explains why he took Teague ahead of DeJuan Blair and Darren Collison. It should be even more captivating as his explanation that the Hawks "play really well" when everything's working and they'd be a better team if they could play good defense.
*Even Josh Powell, terrible now and disposable going forward, committed a turnover inbounding the basketball when the game was still within in six late in the second quarter. He finished the half and made his regular appearance in the third quarter.
**A team, I remind you, whose backcourt defense consists of some combination of Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, and Joe Johnson.
November 28th Game Preview: Atlanta Hawks (10-7) @ Toronto Raptors (6-10)
TIP-OFF: 1pm (EST)
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Pape Sy is out.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Ed Davis and Reggie Evans are out.
BY THE NUMBERS
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -1, 203 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors lost 110-101 in Boston on Friday night. The loss snapped a four-game Raptor winning streak. Toronto also lost Reggie Evans to a broken foot in the game. The absence of Evans, Toronto's leading rebounder on both ends of the floor, could limit the exposure of Atlanta's weakness on the defensive glass and the importance of offensive rebounding to their efficient scoring. Then again, if most of Evans's minutes go to Amir Johnson, Toronto may not miss a beat on the offensive glass.
It's a big game for Atlanta's tenured guards as they should, for once, be only the second-worst set of perimeter defenders on the court. Marvin Williams should be well-rested after sitting for the final 15 minutes of yesterday's game despite delivering his best performance since returning from injury.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
TELEVISION: SportSouth
RADIO: The Hawks have moved to 97.9 on the FM dial this season.
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Pape Sy is out.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Ed Davis and Reggie Evans are out.
BY THE NUMBERS
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (off) | 90.6 | 1.100 | 51.6 | 23.5 | 25.5 | 15.2 |
| TOR (def) | 92.4 | 1.108 | 51.4 | 33.6 | 25.9 | 16.2 |
| 2010-11 | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (def) | 90.9 | 1.075 | 49.2 | 27.5 | 27.4 | 14.3 |
| TOR (off) | 92.4 | 1.088 | 47.9 | 27 | 30.7 | 16.4 |
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Atlanta -1, 203 o/u
PREVIOUSLY...the Toronto Raptors lost 110-101 in Boston on Friday night. The loss snapped a four-game Raptor winning streak. Toronto also lost Reggie Evans to a broken foot in the game. The absence of Evans, Toronto's leading rebounder on both ends of the floor, could limit the exposure of Atlanta's weakness on the defensive glass and the importance of offensive rebounding to their efficient scoring. Then again, if most of Evans's minutes go to Amir Johnson, Toronto may not miss a beat on the offensive glass.
It's a big game for Atlanta's tenured guards as they should, for once, be only the second-worst set of perimeter defenders on the court. Marvin Williams should be well-rested after sitting for the final 15 minutes of yesterday's game despite delivering his best performance since returning from injury.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Hawks 107 Raptors 101
Boxscore
Gameflow
Highlights
50 wins ain't too shabby. A tip of the cap to the team is both one they deserve and, at the very least, a necessary tribute from one who predicted 44 wins. I made a joke the other day about the Hawks figuring out how to close out games sometime in 2012. That same joke could be made relative to when I accurately predict how many games the team will win in a given season.
As for the game that gave the Hawks win number 50, there are several opportunities for entry:
Gameflow
Highlights
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR | 91.2 | 1.107 | 48.9 | 14.4 | 27.9 | 11 |
| ATL | 91.2 | 1.173 | 45.5 | 30.7 | 37.5 | 11 |
50 wins ain't too shabby. A tip of the cap to the team is both one they deserve and, at the very least, a necessary tribute from one who predicted 44 wins. I made a joke the other day about the Hawks figuring out how to close out games sometime in 2012. That same joke could be made relative to when I accurately predict how many games the team will win in a given season.
As for the game that gave the Hawks win number 50, there are several opportunities for entry:
- Chris Bosh's absence.
- Joe Johnson's return.
- The 14-point first quarter against the league's worst defensive team.
- The 45-point second quarter.
- The 48-point second half.
- That 17 of those 48 second half points were scored in a 3 minute, 52 second stretch early in the fourth quarter.
- That the Hawks scored subsequently scored 9 points in the final seven-and-a-half minutes against, again, the league's worst defensive team.
- Marvin Williams' absence in the fourth quarter.
- The myriad substitutions Mike Woodson made in the final 30 seconds.
- Beating the Raptors, even unimpressively, when they're without Chris Bosh, is a step up from losing to the Pistons without Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, Jason Maxiell, and Rodney Stuckey.
- Sore though it may be, Joe Johnson's injured thumb did not adversely impact his production. Also, given the way the Celtics are playing, the Hawks may be able to earn the third seed while resting Johnson further at some point in the near future.
- The league's third-best offense can look awful at times even without them settling for an extremely high percentage of jump shots. Yes, the Hawks were 1-11 outside of 15-feet in the first quarter, but they were also 3-10 inside of 15-feet. Against the Raptors. Without Chris Bosh.
- The league's third-best offense can look awfully unstoppable at times, especially when the Hawks make six of nine three-pointers in the same quarter they never turn the ball over and grab seven of eleven possible offensive rebounds and get to the line 11 times. There are four factors. Those are them.
- When the Hawks make a decent percentage of their shots in the paint but fail to knock down open jump shots, their production will be slightly above average even as the process looks sound.
- That process: playing inside-out, moving the ball, moving without the ball, and spreading the defense out by putting offensive players in dangerous positions can be very effective. Of those 17 points, 3 came on an assisted (by Jamal Crawford) Joe Johnson three-pointer and 2 on an unlikely 18-foot jumper from Zaza Pachulia. The rest were scored in the paint and six of the seven made field goals were assisted.
- Those shots in the paint stopped going in as frequently, the jump shot became a more frequent (and less successful) choice, and the Hawks turned the ball over three times.
- Regardless of whether Williams' lack of production is primarily down to his own limitations or the role in which the team uses him, a team that isn't going to pay the luxury tax can't spend this much money on a guy who is considered surplus to requirements with those requirements being Mike Bibby, Jamal Crawford, and Maurice Evans.
- Reactive coaching decisions which do not appear to be thought through could be (though certainly won't necessarily be) the dour, defining characteristic of the playoffs and Mike Woodson's legacy in Atlanta.
"It's very satisfying, there's no doubt about it."Joe Johnson:
"It feels great. I'm happy not only for myself, but for my teammates and the organization. We've come so far from when I first got here."Josh Smith:
"We were able to accomplish something this year we haven't done in a long time."Jay Triano wins the power of positive thinking award:
"The positive is we beat them in three other quarters. We just became too relaxed in the second quarter. Other than that, I think we played pretty hard and fairly well."Except for the 22-45 second quarter, things went according to plan.
Friday, April 09, 2010
April 9th Open Thread: Toronto (38-40) @ Atlanta (49-29)
TIP-OFF: 7:30pm (EDT)
TELEVISION: SportSouth
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
RADIO: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson and Jason Collins are both listed as day-to-day.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Chris Bosh is out. Hedo Turkoglu is listed as day-to-day.
BY THE NUMBERS
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
PREVIOUSLY, THE TORONTO RAPTORS...lost 115-104 to the Boston Celtics in Toronto on Wednesday night. It was Toronto's third straight loss.
The Hawks have won two of three from the Raptors this season including the previous meeting in Atlanta, a 146-115 victory on December 2nd. The teams split the two games in Toronto with the Hawks winning 111-89 on December 11th and the Raptors winning 106-105 on March 17th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
TELEVISION: SportSouth
CHAT: Daily Dime Live
RADIO: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson and Jason Collins are both listed as day-to-day.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: Chris Bosh is out. Hedo Turkoglu is listed as day-to-day.
BY THE NUMBERS
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR (off) | 91.7 | 1.129 | 51.9 | 24.8 | 25 | 14.7 |
| ATL (def) | 88.9 | 1.084 | 49.7 | 28.1 | 27.3 | 15.6 |
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| TOR (def) | 91.7 | 1.148 | 51.4 | 31.5 | 26.9 | 13.8 |
| ATL (off) | 88.9 | 1.131 | 50.4 | 21.3 | 28.1 | 13.2 |
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
PREVIOUSLY, THE TORONTO RAPTORS...lost 115-104 to the Boston Celtics in Toronto on Wednesday night. It was Toronto's third straight loss.
The Hawks have won two of three from the Raptors this season including the previous meeting in Atlanta, a 146-115 victory on December 2nd. The teams split the two games in Toronto with the Hawks winning 111-89 on December 11th and the Raptors winning 106-105 on March 17th.
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Raptors 106 Hawks 105
Boxscore
Highlights
It was clear that Josh Smith wasn't in a good mood early in the game. Complaints, against teammates, referees, the fates, came frequently and easily. He took two jump shots in the first three minutes. He did not look to be troubled by the possibility of getting thrown out over his reaction to whatever Jose Calderon said to him in the second quarter. Despite this, Smith was reasonably productive. He's a good and talented player. He can't get by on talent and occasional effort alone as three key fourth quarter possessions proved.
As was...
Al Horford:
Highlights
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL | 92.7 | 1.133 | 54.7 | 14.1 | 17.1 | 11.9 |
| TOR | 92.7 | 1.144 | 47.8 | 22.2 | 25.5 | 5.4 |
It was clear that Josh Smith wasn't in a good mood early in the game. Complaints, against teammates, referees, the fates, came frequently and easily. He took two jump shots in the first three minutes. He did not look to be troubled by the possibility of getting thrown out over his reaction to whatever Jose Calderon said to him in the second quarter. Despite this, Smith was reasonably productive. He's a good and talented player. He can't get by on talent and occasional effort alone as three key fourth quarter possessions proved.
- With 4:25 left in the game and the Hawks up eight, Smith, with seven seconds left on the shot clock, needlessly ends an Atlanta offensive possession with a 22-foot jump shot.
- With 2:57 left in the game, Andrea Bargnani, spotting up as a trailer on Toronto's secondary break, hits a wide-open three-pointer. Smith either chose not to close out on Bargnani or never picked up his man in transition, instead floating in the lane, helping teammates who needed no help at that time.
- With 15.7 seconds left, Hedo Turkoglu misses a free throw that would have tied the game. Al Horford seals off Chris Bosh. On the strength of Horford's box out, Marvin Williams comes hard down the lane to get the rebound. Josh Smith stands and watches and gets no piece of Amir Johnson, who attacks the rebounding opportunity as hard as does Williams, keeps Williams from getting clean control of the ball, the ball ultimately going out of bounds to Toronto and giving Chris Bosh the opportunity to make the game-winning shot.
As was...
- Smith making just 5 of 12 shots at and around the rim and just 4 of 8 free throws.
- Marvin Williams going 1-10 from the floor and failing to take advantage of the extra offensive possessions granted him in Joe Johnson's absence.
- Mike Woodson making sure that the far more effective (than Williams or Mike Bibby, 0-1 from the field with no assists or turnovers in the fourth quarter) Maurice Evans finished the game with five fouls.
- Toronto taking advantage of Atlanta's insistence on switching every ball-screen to get Chris Bosh matched up against Williams rather than Smith or Al Horford in the post on the possession immediately following Bargnani's transition three.
- The first half technical fouls on Smith and Mike Bibby.
- Jamal Crawford's inability to function as either a complementary scoring threat (four points on six shots) to Al Horford in the fourth quarter or as a lead guard (Crawford's one fourth quarter assist was a gift from the scorekeeper as his pass precipitated a nice Horford post move that freed him for his jump hook).
- Allowing 31 Toronto fast break points.
Al Horford:
"We really had it going. We really should have closed it out. I understand it is all part of learning and growing as a team, but we’ve got to close it out."Mike Woodson:
"I thought we played pretty steady throughout the ball game but coming down the stretch we just unraveled and didn't make the plays that we needed to make."Peachtree Hoops:
Atlanta led 101-92 with under (4) minutes left on Jamal Crawford's amazing 32nd and 33rd points.Raptors Republic has the round-up of links from the Toronto perspective.
The Raptors, to that point, had played only temporary defense, allowing the Hawks to get open for plenty of open three point looks and trips to the rim. In the fourth quarter, Al Horford asserted himself on the perimeter focused Toronto front line and scored (10) fourth quarter points inside, the last of which gave the Hawks a (6) point lead with 1:37 left to play.
That, however, was the end of Crawford and Horford's scoring--and the Hawks as well.
The Hawks couldn't get the ball into Horford as Bosh overplayed well. They forgot that Josh Smith was effective in the high post, getting his 7th assist of the night the only time the ball ran through him in the final quarter. As stunned as we were watching the game, the Hawks seemed leg-locked as well that Toronto, who had struggled mightily lately, was playing with such desperation and precision down the stretch in this game--one the Hawks had seemed to have in hand.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
St. Patrick's Day Open Thread: Atlanta (43-23) @ Toronto (32-33)
TIP-OFF: 7pm (EST)
TELEVISION: SportSouth
CHAT: Daily Dime Live (in which I will not be participating)
RADIO: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson is out.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: None.
BY THE NUMBERS
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Toronto -3, 208 o/u
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
TELEVISION: SportSouth
CHAT: Daily Dime Live (in which I will not be participating)
RADIO: Hawks Radio Network, Audio League Pass
GAME NOTES: Hawks/Raptors
ATLANTA INJURY REPORT: Joe Johnson is out.
TORONTO INJURY REPORT: None.
BY THE NUMBERS
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (off) | 89.4 | 1.135 | 50.5 | 22.2 | 28 | 13.2 |
| TOR (def) | 91.8 | 1.148 | 51.1 | 31.6 | 27.6 | 13.9 |
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL (def) | 89.4 | 1.081 | 50 | 27.9 | 27.3 | 16 |
| TOR (off) | 91.8 | 1.13 | 52 | 25.4 | 24.9 | 14.8 |
FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY: Toronto -3, 208 o/u
OTHER PERSPECTIVES: Raptors Republic
Consider this an open thread for all pre-game, in-game, and post-game (but pre-recap) thoughts.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Hawks 111 Raptors 89
Boxscore
Gameflow
Highlights
It was more competitive than the first game between these two teams even if last night's game failed to rise to the heights of actual competitiveness for (at least) its final 18 minutes. That it was closer and that Toronto appeared to try* probably made this win more impressive for the Hawks than last week's larger blowout victory.
*The Raptors led 18-10 with four minutes left in the first quarter. The Hawks responded by scoring 47 points in the next twelve minutes to take a 14-point lead with four minutes left in the second quarter. Toronto would never get closer than 11 points from that point forward.
I've a theory (unproven, natch) from my dabbling in writing about college basketball that margin of victory is important, but so is the shape of that margin. I suspect that a team that is +20 points per 100 possessions by scoring 125 points per 100 possessions and allowing 105 points per 100 possessions is more susceptible to an upset than a team that is +15 by scoring 110 points per 100 possessions and allowing 95 points per 100 possessions. The latter team is above average both offensively and defensively. The former relies just on an outstanding offense to outscore its opposition.
That's why I feel the 126.7-101.6 efficiency margin last night in Toronto, though smaller than the 154.3-121.5 margin of the game in Atlanta last week, denotes a more encouraging/replicable result even if it's not better in absolute terms.
Thus ends the aesthetics of statistics portion of this post.
As one might expect in a drubbing, there's plenty of encomia to go around. Joe Johnson rebounded from his dreadful performance in the blowout of the Bulls by leading the way with a 20 point/15 shot/5 assist night in just 27 minutes. The rest of the starters took care of business (both offensively and defensively) sufficiently quickly so as not to have the time to amass especially impressive individual stats. Even Josh Smith's poor shooting night, augmented as it was with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, was positive in that it was a result of failing to make good shots rather than choosing to take bad shots.
One must be careful not to give the starters too much credit for their early exit. The bench did their part to let their betters rest so much. For Mo Evans (15 points on 9 shots, 3-5 on 3PTA) and Jeff Teague (11 points on 6 shots, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, another block) it was as if garbage time on Wednesday night never ended. Jamal Crawford's level of play has been so consistently high that what stands out in a 15 point/12 shot performance is the uncharacteristically high number of turnovers he committed: 4. Last but not least, Zaza Pachulia* ably covered for the absent Joe Smith by making 6 of 7 field goal attempts, both of his free throws, and grabbing 6 rebounds (4 offensive). In sum, players six through nine in the Hawks' rotation made 67.6% of 34 field goal attempts, 4 of 9 three-point attempts, all five of their free throws, grabbed 17 rebounds, and earned 11 assists in just under 102 combined minutes.
Joe Johnson:
Gameflow
Highlights
| Team | Poss | Off Eff | eFG% | FT Rate | OR% | TO% |
| ATL | 87.6 | 1.267 | 57.2 | 19.3 | 36.1 | 14.8 |
| TOR | 87.6 | 1.016 | 50.0 | 31.1 | 29.4 | 19.4 |
It was more competitive than the first game between these two teams even if last night's game failed to rise to the heights of actual competitiveness for (at least) its final 18 minutes. That it was closer and that Toronto appeared to try* probably made this win more impressive for the Hawks than last week's larger blowout victory.
*The Raptors led 18-10 with four minutes left in the first quarter. The Hawks responded by scoring 47 points in the next twelve minutes to take a 14-point lead with four minutes left in the second quarter. Toronto would never get closer than 11 points from that point forward.
I've a theory (unproven, natch) from my dabbling in writing about college basketball that margin of victory is important, but so is the shape of that margin. I suspect that a team that is +20 points per 100 possessions by scoring 125 points per 100 possessions and allowing 105 points per 100 possessions is more susceptible to an upset than a team that is +15 by scoring 110 points per 100 possessions and allowing 95 points per 100 possessions. The latter team is above average both offensively and defensively. The former relies just on an outstanding offense to outscore its opposition.
That's why I feel the 126.7-101.6 efficiency margin last night in Toronto, though smaller than the 154.3-121.5 margin of the game in Atlanta last week, denotes a more encouraging/replicable result even if it's not better in absolute terms.
Thus ends the aesthetics of statistics portion of this post.
As one might expect in a drubbing, there's plenty of encomia to go around. Joe Johnson rebounded from his dreadful performance in the blowout of the Bulls by leading the way with a 20 point/15 shot/5 assist night in just 27 minutes. The rest of the starters took care of business (both offensively and defensively) sufficiently quickly so as not to have the time to amass especially impressive individual stats. Even Josh Smith's poor shooting night, augmented as it was with 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks, was positive in that it was a result of failing to make good shots rather than choosing to take bad shots.
One must be careful not to give the starters too much credit for their early exit. The bench did their part to let their betters rest so much. For Mo Evans (15 points on 9 shots, 3-5 on 3PTA) and Jeff Teague (11 points on 6 shots, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals, another block) it was as if garbage time on Wednesday night never ended. Jamal Crawford's level of play has been so consistently high that what stands out in a 15 point/12 shot performance is the uncharacteristically high number of turnovers he committed: 4. Last but not least, Zaza Pachulia* ably covered for the absent Joe Smith by making 6 of 7 field goal attempts, both of his free throws, and grabbing 6 rebounds (4 offensive). In sum, players six through nine in the Hawks' rotation made 67.6% of 34 field goal attempts, 4 of 9 three-point attempts, all five of their free throws, grabbed 17 rebounds, and earned 11 assists in just under 102 combined minutes.
Joe Johnson:
"When our bench comes out and plays like that, we're a tough team to beat. It makes us a lot more deadly, you can't really sit up and guard just one or two guys when you've got everybody rolling the way we were tonight."Mike Woodson:
"Our second unit was huge tonight. This is three straight games they've played unbelievable."Mo Evans:
"We knew that they would come out trying to reconcile what happened in Atlanta. We knew they really wanted to avenge that loss, they were going to play hard and they're a tough home team. We came out with that focus and I think it paid off for us."Chris Bosh:
"You're going to get beat sometimes by teams that are better than you, and they're better than us. I can't sit here and be like, 'Well, they're not better than us, I think we're better.' No, they're better than us. They beat us. They smoked us once and then they beat us again today."DeMar DeRozan:
"Our effort was there at the beginning but it slowly [began] to lack as the game went on."Doug Smith, TheStar.com:
When it goes bad, it goes bad in a hurry for the Raptors, who get down and tend to cower, unable or unwilling to fight through even the tiniest bit of adversity most nights.Peachtree Hoops:
Whether it's a flaw of the collective character of the players, an ill-conceived playing rotation or, most likely, a combination of both, it needs to be fixed and fixed fast before the NBA season gets entirely away from them.
If I knew how to use youtube, I would create a Hawks highlight mix for this game, throw down some hip hop beats in the background, and inter-splice Dominique Wilkins quotes. Josh Smith dunk. "Man the Raptors just don't play defense." Al Horford lay in. "if you move the ball, this team will not stop you." Mo Evans drive. "This team does not try." I think this could have real potential. Toronto fans might like it at least.From AltRaps at Raptors Republic:
Quite obviously Atlanta knows how to play Chris Bosh. Yes, he got his double double, but they made him work for it and you could almost see the energy leave his body. Good effort on a night that didn’t feature many for the home team.*Zaza's winning people over everywhere.
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