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Atlanta's first round playoff problems look awfully familiar
The Atlanta Hawks seem to have a big problem. They seem to have acquired a cold. A long-lingering, Eastern Conference-bred, cold.
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Atlanta is currently stuck at a 2-2 stalemate with a Brooklyn Nets outfit that was almost universally derided entering the postseason. That Nets team has looked mediocre at best and listless at worst for most of the regular season, and a heaping dosage of that seemed to carry over into the first game of what was expected to be a short series. Brooklyn has gained confidence as it has moved along, however, taking both games in at home and forcing the Hawks to hold their own as they enter that typically-pivotal Game 5 on Wednesday.
The Hawks should be more than familiar with this scenario.
This is more or less the same team that gave the Indiana Pacers all it could handle in the first round of the 2014 playoffs, taking that top-ranked Pacer team to seven games before Indiana finally (nearly) played to its potential. That Pacer team was a full fleshed out version of the team that gave the top-ranked Chicago Bulls all it could handle in the 2011 playoffs, losing in five in a series that was closer than the 4-1 Chicago advantage would suggest.
(Of course, we say “more or less the same team” because the Hawks are down their prized free agent acquisition – versatile swingman reserve Thabo Sefolosha. One cannot discount his loss, as well hope whatever happened in those pre-dawn hours earlier this April will eventually comes out in the wash.)
Those Chicago and Indiana teams feasted on regular season opponents over the course of an 82-game turn. Their ascension to the top seed wasn’t a fluke, as is the case with Atlanta, but part of their calling meant slicing through opponents that weren’t willing to provide playoff-level on some Saturday night in January. Defensive-minded and offensively-cunning when it counted, those squads built up impressive regular season records before hitting stiff competition in the postseason, when everyone turns it up a notch.
Yes, even the Brooklyn Nets. This year, at least.
We rightfully mocked Nets coach Lionel Hollins’ thoughts on Kyle Korver after Game 1, but he’s formulated a fantastic game plan that has stopped Korver from going off over the last two games. Kyle missed 17 of 24 shots in Brooklyn and 14 of 18 three-pointers. Perhaps more importantly, he’s also failed to get what briefly were several good looks off as the Nets switch their various swingmen onto him in both the half-court and transition, denying him crucial field goal attempts.
The Nets’ defense has improved considerably, the team rode Deron Williams’ borderline-astonishing 35 points to a win in Game 4, and Brook Lopez has been absolutely superb: Brook is averaging 21.2 points per game, with 11 rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 40 minutes. Lopez just playing 40 minutes a game in late April is an accomplishment enough, and the Nets are taking advantage – even if it took them an extra five minutes in Game 4 to tie things up.
Meanwhile, Paul Millsap appears to be unhealthy (he came back far too early from a shoulder injury in the regular season) and lacking confidence from anywhere but 20 feet and out, while Jeff Teague is absolutely steaming right now. The Hawks’ All-Star point guard was visibly frustrated at his own play and from a lack of calls down the stretch in Game 4, the Nets are daring him to shoot, and he’s responded by needing about 16 shots to score 16 points a game.
Meanwhile, the second-year point guard that was expected to act as the team’s X-factor off of the bench is failing to live up to his promise.
Dennis Schroeder has played terrible basketball so far in this series, so much so that Hawks coach Jeff Budenholzer left Teague on the court for the final 14:45 (save for one 10-second, late game defensive substitution with Kent Bazemore) of Game 4 even though Williams was torching the Hawk defense to the tune of 16 fourth quarter points. His box score stats aren’t too awful – 9.5 points per game on 39 percent shooting, about equal assists and turnovers – but Atlanta plays absolutely atrocious basketball when he’s out there.
Others have come to play. DeMarre Carroll and Pero Antic have hit 42 percent of their three-pointers so far, Korver managed 11 rebounds in Game 4, and Al Horford is gutting through a pinky injury (that’s not a dig) that is understandably affecting his shot selection. And let’s remind ourselves that though Brooklyn battled Atlanta to two close losses in Games 1 and 2 – games that the old Nets would have relented in when an Atlanta blowout became feasible – Atlanta had a good chance to take both Games 3 and 4 in Brooklyn.
Atlanta can’t afford that pre-2014-15, ineffectual and anonymous Teague though. That can’t afford to not think on their feet and come up with new playoff wrinkles. As it was with the 2011 Bulls and 2014 Pacers, trying to play January basketball in April and May probably won’t cost them a first round loss, but it will eventually catch up to them. The Hawks have a far more wide-open offense than those Chicago and Indiana teams, but this is the bloody Brooklyn Nets we’re talking about. Atlanta needs to get back to quick decision making on offense.
(Not you, Dennis.)
Perhaps the Nets will be the next to catch this cold, and enjoy a fever dream in the 2015-16 regular season – working its collective tail off against each opponent and rising to turn into the cream of the Eastern Conference.
Oh man, our own cold is doing weird things to our senses right now.
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is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KDonhoops
