Game Thread | Game #17 | Hawks @ Cavs | Nov. 21, 2022

[Wham with the Right Hand]

A lot of changes since last season. From Hollinger's preview:

Last season: 43-39 (lost in first round); second in offense, 26th in defense

Key additions: PG Dejounte Murray, SF Justin Holiday, PG Aaron Holiday, PF Vit Krejčí, C Frank Kaminsky

Key subtractions: SG Kevin Huerter, SG Delon Wright, PF Danilo Gallinari, C Gorgui Dieng, PF Kevin Knox, SG Skylar Mays, SF Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, PG Lou Williams

Draft picks: SG A.J. Griffin (16th), SG Tyrese Martin (51st)

 

[ticon12389]

Love is officially playing tonight

 

[foucault87]

A lot of changes since last season. From Hollinger's preview:

Last season: 43-39 (lost in first round); second in offense, 26th in defense

Key additions: PG Dejounte Murray, SF Justin Holiday, PG Aaron Holiday, PF Vit Krejčí, C Frank Kaminsky

Key subtractions: SG Kevin Huerter, SG Delon Wright, PF Danilo Gallinari, C Gorgui Dieng, PF Kevin Knox, SG Skylar Mays, SF Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, PG Lou Williams

Draft picks: SG A.J. Griffin (16th), SG Tyrese Martin (51st)

Vit is a huge threat....I have no idea who that is or why he is a key addition

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Hollinger noted the Hawks' biggest problem last year was defense and they tried to address that in the off-season.

...the Hawks could and should be better than they showed last season. Clint Capela’s rim protection dropped off, De’Andre Hunter struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness, and as a result, the Hawks often were left with Huerter or Luwawu-Cabarrot as their wing “stopper.” Bench lineups with Gallinari at center weren’t exactly locking up opponents either.

Atlanta’s entire offseason focus went in this direction, sending out draft assets to turn Huerter and Gallinari into Murray and Justin Holiday. Murray is more of a gambler/disruptor than an on-ball lockdown guy, but he at least gives them a defensive presence on the perimeter. Also, Atlanta was just 28th in forced turnover rate last season, so his quick mitts will help. Hunter, if healthy (humor me), can add to that with his size and mobility, while Justin Holiday should be an upgrade on the wing defenders who came off last year’s bench...

As for the roster presently constructed, two potential problems stand out: the small forward position and the bench. The first one has a potential in-house solution. If the Hunter who played the first 18 games of the 2020-21 season or the one who scored 35 points in the final playoff game and averaged 21.2 points on 67.3 percent true shooting for the series shows up, then the Hawks are feeling good. Unfortunately, the bulk of Hunter’s body of work hasn’t been starter-caliber, and his knees don’t inspire confidence that the situation will improve. Along those lines, the Hawks face a tough decision on whether to extend his contract and how to value him.

As for the bench, the Hawks benefited from huge contributions from Bogdan Bogdanović, Delon Wright and Gallinari. Two of them are gone, and Bogdanović is a big question mark after offseason knee surgery from which he is still recovering...

...health will be a major factor given the soft underbelly of players 11 through 14 on this roster and the worries about Hunter’s and Bogie’s knees. Justin Holiday’s near-total indestructibility (eight missed games in five years, six of which were because of COVID-19) should help...

As far as this season goes, the Hawks should answer the question I led with by being better defensively, yes … but they also might take a step back at the offensive end. Last season’s unit ranked second in the league, but the loss of Huerter and Gallinari and the situation with Bogdanović will make their perimeter much less potent. Murray’s arrival should soften the blow by adding a shot creator, especially in the non-Young minutes that have been disastrous for nearly his entire time as a Hawk.

Nonetheless, the big picture on this team still feels incomplete. The Hawks have a superstar in Young and three very good starters around him, but they haven’t found a fifth starter, and the bench could be a real liability.

My comment: Do the bolded parts remind you of another NBA team?

 

[RonG]

Downtown ate at Butcher and the brewer. .... hope the game is better!

 

[Lee]

Must be his left thumb, no way a shooter plays with his shooting thumb broken.

Hoepfully it doesnt hurt his rebounding. Its a huge part of his game and without his rebounding ability Love would be a net negative.

 

[red.]

 

[InBoobieWeTrust]

i don’t even like Love versus Atlanta. Trae hunts him constantly. Takes that high screen at the logo and gets a head of steam. Ugh. Vivid nightmare memories of the third quarter of the play in game.

 

[RubioFanLifer]

i don’t even like Love versus Atlanta. Trae hunts him constantly. Takes that high screen at the logo and gets a head of steam. Ugh. Vivid nightmare memories of the third quarter of the play in game.

If we lose, cut his ass off the roster.

 

[red.]

DG standing by the announcers

 

[KevinLoveFan]

I predict:

-Cavs lose

-Kevin Love and Isaac Okoro angrily slapped post-game by mob of RCFers

-Calls to fire JBB

-Rants about JA being a pussy Pokémon nerd

-Insistence of Mobley being overrated and soft

-Belief that Mitchland will never succeed as a complementary duo

I will therefore monitor this game quietly away from the ragefury of this game thread

Have fun, guys!

 

[LeQuit]

I hope Young wont be let unattended to rain those 3 point bombs on us?

 

[seohioguy]

Allen / Mobley/ Stevens/ Garland/Sexton starting.

 

[red.]

Horrible DG turnover

 

[seohioguy]

Turnover into a +1, great start.