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The Atlanta Hawks Exceeding Expectations/ Mark Bradley Article/Bandwagon Time
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Comments
Embid would have used Russell like a Q-Tip man are u serious right now. Russell was like 6'9 220 or so and would've been no match for Embid at 7'2 280.
Truthfully, Atlanta was NEVER gonna win this series and the reality is that Atlanta is gonna have to make a blockbuster trade to bring a second Superstar in here to take some pressure off of Trae (Bradley Beal anyone). Atlanta has the assets to pull this off and it'll just depend on who becomes available but thats what it's gonna take for the Hawks to be able to compete with Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Philadelphia in the East moving forward. Sure, u could stand pat, let the team grow organically and hope that that 2nd Superstar emerges from among Hunter, Collins or Reddish but frankly if it were me I'd b trying to pluck Beal out of Washington while holding onto Capela, Bogdanovich, Okongwu, Huerter and I'd try to hold onto Dunn due to the presence of Kyrie and James Harden in the East. Atlanta front office is gonna have some tough decisions in the Offseason as far as how to get this team to the next level.
so you say....
Beal will be an UFA in 2022. That free agent class will be absolutely loaded, maybe the best ever. The team will also have a lot of luxury cap space in 2022 if they let Collins go and only add low cost fillers. Trae has to be paid before or after the 2022 season but the team could still have enough space to sign a max contract FA. They can work this approach while still looking at all options to aquire a star this coming offseason. I think Gallinari was a questionable signing. He is costing 21 million next season and the role he fills seems fairly minimal to me. I think looking to include him in trade talks along with exploring sign and trade options with Collins might be smart.
Wilt was huge and Russell beat him head to head many times. Russell was 6'10'', but he was extremely long, athletic and the smartest big defender in history. His career defensive rating almost doubles the second place guy's rating. Russell would fit this era like a glove defensively. Nobody playing today is as suited to defending the perimeter while also being able to take bigs in the paint as Russell was. There is an 11 second video on Youtube of Russell sprinting full court with the ball, jumping over a player and finger rolling the ball into the basket to seal his first NBA title as a rookie that looks almost super human.
Also wrap your mind around this, Wilt had a 7'8'' wingspan and a 48 inch vertical leap, Russell played man defense on him in more games than any modern player matches up against any other player because there were fewer teams. Do you really think guarding Embiid would be harder than guarding Wilt ?
Great and gritty win at Phillips tonight. 103-100 after looking overmatched till down the stretch. Embiid couldn't hit a bucket, Trae couldn't hit a bucket. When they cancel each other out, The Hawks have a chance.
They won in spite of themselves. Tried to give it away with time running off the clock but somehow managed to hang in there. I see what you mean about needing a go to guy. When Young couldn't get a shot, no one else seemed to want to take the big shot.
It was a sloppy game, but the team fought hard. There aren't many players with both the physical ability and the makeup to be the go to guy in tough playoff games. Other than Lebron, Kawhi Leonard has been the best at it maybe since Kobe's prime. Also we miss the length and athleticism Hunter and Reddish would bring against this big Sixers team.
Proud of them for competing and not pulling a Vanderbilt after being written off. Young teams have to learn a lot of lessons in playoff basketball and tonight the Hawks learned to win a scrappy more physical game. Collins showed up inside and has to do more of the same for the Hawks to win. Okongwo too. Defense has to attack more. I missed most of the game and getting ready to watch rest.
As far as the team's ceiling going forward, if they don't sign a top free agent or make a big trade it comes down to 4 home grown players, Collins, Hunter, Huerter and Reddish. All 4 are very young and could get considerably better, but Collins may be traded. Reddish has freakish physical gifts, but he's very soft, I doubt he ever reaches his potential. Hunter has already made strides, he could become a solid 3rd option and a plus defender next season. Huerter is solid, he probably won't get much better, but he is already a good player who adds to the rotation.
The Hawks are ahead of schedule. The first half of this year was a train wreck. They are peaking at the right time and showing why a big name would want to land in ATL.
A seasoned coach as opposed to a young'un learning on the job. Team growing up as well. Good combo.
Atlanta is fully capable of upsetting Philadelphia if Embid is compromised due to his lower body injuries thats for sure.
You’re right and Philly is the worst matchup for Atlanta. Philly is the #1 seed in the East and the most physical and best defensive team in the league. Philly has slowed Atlanta’s perimeter game and outside/ inside offense, but in game 3 the Hawks were tougher inside, especially Collins, and Trey was more patient with18 assists. The Hawks will need to use the big lineup early against Philly and make them work harder than they want.
I am not looking ahead, but the other teams left are hurting too (Kyrie,Harden,Kawhi,Mitchell). The Hawks have not reached their ceiling, Collins is beginning to assert himself, and they are hopefully adjusting to different styles of play. You never know. I am not betting money, but I am having fun.
Philly is a physical challenge, in that way they are a very tough matchup. I think Brooklyn will be tough for everybody if and when James Harden returns to full health. The NBA more than any other pro league is a players' league, more specifically a superstars's league. How do you defend a team that comes at you with unstoppable weapons from all over the court ? Maybe the only hope against their lineup would be to isolate the man with the ball in his hands, cut off passing lanes and trap the ball.