The #4 Atlanta Hawks face off against the #5 Boston Celtics in a first-round Eastern Conference playoffs that promises to be entertaining and hard-fought.
The Hawks couldn't replicate last season's offensive success when they went 60-22. Meanwhile, the Celtics went from 7th seed last season to 5th this season.
The criminally-underrated Paul Millsap is arguably the Hawks' best player on both ends. Al Horford is one of the most well-rounded big men in the league, Jeff "Touch Me, Teague Me
" Teague and Dennis Schroder combine to give the Hawks creativity from the PG position. And they have Kyle Korner launching 3s. Hawks have home court advantage.The Celtics are a deep, balanced team that does some things very well and does very few things poorly.
They rank in the top half of the league in offensive efficiency WITHOUT great shooting because they don't turn the ball over and make teams that do pay for their mistakes. They are elite on defense thanks to their perimeter players, who can pressure ball handlers into bad decisions.Isaiah Thomas is their go-to scorer in the half court and has had his best year as a pro. His 22 ppg and 6 apg earned him his first All-Star nod. Now, he's looking to make an impact in the playoffs to take the next step in his career. Behind him there are multiple two-way players who give coach Brad Stevens lots of room to experiment with lineups. What the Celtics lack in star power, they make up for in versatility, so counting them out is always a HUUUUGE risk.
Both teams rely on fast break points to complement their occasionally anemic offenses, but both are also among the best in the league at preventing transition opportunities for opponents. This matchup could turn into a half-court affair, and if that happens, point guard play could be a huge factor in determining who has the edge.
IT4 carries the burden of creating shots for the Celtics. He's the engine to their offense. Between his scoring and his assists, he creates 36+ ppg for Boston. If he struggles then the Celtics will too.
The Hawks have more options but they will still need the maddeningly inconsistent duo of Teague and Schroder to be steady on offense and bail out possessions when the system fails to create good looks. More importantly, they will have to be sharp on defense to prevent Thomas from going off.
IT ALL COME DOWN TO REBOUNDING.
Both teams suck ass at defensive rebounding, and both rank in the bottom 10 in the league in that category. Both teams simply lack a big defensive rebounder. They both rely on fast break opportunities, which provides opponents with opportunities to attack the offensive glass.
The difference between the two squads comes on the other end. The Celtics are among the league's best offensive rebounding teams. Their bigs come alive when they chase misses. Boston ranked 3rd in the league in second-chance points, while Atlanta ranked 27th in that category. That's a huge edge in a battle between evenly matched teams.
This promises to be a hard-fought and entertaining series.
Schedule (all times ET):
Game 1: Saturday, April 16, Philips Arena, Atlanta. 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Game 2: Tuesday, April 19, Philips Arena, Atlanta. 7 p.m. (TNT)
Game 3: Friday, April 22, TD Garden, Boston. 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 4: Sunday, April 24, TD Garden, Boston. 6 p.m. (TNT)
Game 5 (if necessary): Tuesday, April 26, Philips Arena, Atlanta. TBD.
Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, April 28, TD Garden, Boston. TBD.
Game 7 (if necessary): Saturday, April 30, Philips Arena, Atlanta. TBD.
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