Eternal Tecate
Superstar
ok off the bat, Collins can't guard Randle. Dude can't defend. Huge matchup advantage there.
Capela could be a problem but it's not like Noel and Taj are bad defenders. Thibs will figure something out.
Their perimeter guys are Trae, Bogy, Huerter, and Hunter who just came back from injury. Only Hunter can defend. Actually Bogy's not that bad on defense but he's average at his best. Trae and Huerter are trash. RJ will have an advantage on anyone but Hunter. Having Hunter on the floor for Atlanta means taking one of Bogy, Huerter, or Collins off the floor, improving defense but hurting offense/spacing. Hunter is a decent catch and shoot guy but he's been inactive for months and likely won't have rhythm. And even with a rhythm he's not as good a shooter as their other wings (still pretty good, he was killing it early in the year before he got injured). But in general, their wing situation is an inefficient allocation of resources. It's a boon to the bench, yes, but benches play less of a role in the playoffs. Bogy will likely be the one that goes to the bench since he's their best playmaker other than Trae. Him and Gallo are a pretty potent combo for a bench unit. But again, horrid defense. It'll be interesting to see their closing lineup.
Trae is almost impossible to stop in the PnR, you just have to hope he gives up more on the other end. I'm curious to see Thibs' gameplan for him. You can't do drop coverage on him because that floater is his favorite shot. They'll also have to be careful of fouling bc Trae is top 3 in foul drawing and can put your team in a tough position early.
Nobody on the Hawks can guard Derrick Rose.
Most of the key players on the Hawks have no playoff experience. I think Capela is their only major piece that has any.
The coaching battle will be decent, McMillan has had them playing much better.
The Knicks have the advantage in defense, experience, poise, grit, and continuity. They're gonna need Reggie, RJ, Randle, and Rose to keep sniping. ATL can score in bunches with their 3 point shooting, so they have to avoid getting complacent (impossible with Thibs coaching anyway). This'll be a really great defense vs offense battle. The Hawks will likely be a stronger offensive team than whoever the Knicks are slotted to play in the 2nd round, but far worse defensively. It'll be a good test.
Capela could be a problem but it's not like Noel and Taj are bad defenders. Thibs will figure something out.
Their perimeter guys are Trae, Bogy, Huerter, and Hunter who just came back from injury. Only Hunter can defend. Actually Bogy's not that bad on defense but he's average at his best. Trae and Huerter are trash. RJ will have an advantage on anyone but Hunter. Having Hunter on the floor for Atlanta means taking one of Bogy, Huerter, or Collins off the floor, improving defense but hurting offense/spacing. Hunter is a decent catch and shoot guy but he's been inactive for months and likely won't have rhythm. And even with a rhythm he's not as good a shooter as their other wings (still pretty good, he was killing it early in the year before he got injured). But in general, their wing situation is an inefficient allocation of resources. It's a boon to the bench, yes, but benches play less of a role in the playoffs. Bogy will likely be the one that goes to the bench since he's their best playmaker other than Trae. Him and Gallo are a pretty potent combo for a bench unit. But again, horrid defense. It'll be interesting to see their closing lineup.
Trae is almost impossible to stop in the PnR, you just have to hope he gives up more on the other end. I'm curious to see Thibs' gameplan for him. You can't do drop coverage on him because that floater is his favorite shot. They'll also have to be careful of fouling bc Trae is top 3 in foul drawing and can put your team in a tough position early.
Nobody on the Hawks can guard Derrick Rose.
Most of the key players on the Hawks have no playoff experience. I think Capela is their only major piece that has any.
The coaching battle will be decent, McMillan has had them playing much better.
The Knicks have the advantage in defense, experience, poise, grit, and continuity. They're gonna need Reggie, RJ, Randle, and Rose to keep sniping. ATL can score in bunches with their 3 point shooting, so they have to avoid getting complacent (impossible with Thibs coaching anyway). This'll be a really great defense vs offense battle. The Hawks will likely be a stronger offensive team than whoever the Knicks are slotted to play in the 2nd round, but far worse defensively. It'll be a good test.
Capellas another big concern
