Celtics (25-24) at Hawks (21-25) Game #50 1/28/22

[Celtics2021]

The Hawks version of mediocrity is the opposite of ours.  We're truly a .500 team, with equal chance of winning or losing practically any day.  We have neither a losing streak of more than 3 games nor a winning streak of more than 3 games.  Meanwhile, the Hawks, with a worse record than ours, have winning streaks of 7 and now 6 games, and losing streaks of 6 and 5.  They have only three winning streaks on the season, the other of which was a 2 game streak.  So when they get going, you don't want to face them.  But if you catch them when they're mired in a slump, which tend to happen on road trips for them, it's easy pickings.  Probably should have seen this loss coming from further off -- they were hot and at home, we had won two and were on the road.  Recipe for a loss.

[#1P4P]

The Hawks were determined to make us a jump shooting team tonight and were successful and rewarded with a sub 20% 3P% and 12 TOs from the Jays.

There were 3, 4, and even 5 Hawks in or 1 step from the paint, collapsing on every drive, and help was cutting off passing lanes. It’s built to force ISO and jump shots.

When the team isn’t making jump shots, the answer shouldn’t be to keep shooting.

Either attack in transition or play bully ball punish the boards. If we’re attacking in transition, Ime has to use the depth and go at least 10-11 deep. Udoka keeps mistrusting the bench and the starters are going to continue to hit the accelerator to find out they don’t have any gas left during the 4th.

For those that want to know how non-shooters can impact games or how to play on off shooting nights and not just complain about the roster, here’s Draymond Green explaining what he does on offense:

https://youtu.be/8_Q-uTUiP0s

[todd_days_41]

Smart is a PG.

Smart is not a PG. Bob Cousy, of all people, points out that he "hates" Smart at PG.

Smart is a SG who can't shoot. That causes Celtics fans to call him a "combo guard" to compensate for his deficiencies in their own minds

[todd_days_41]

watched on tape delay.  tonight's hot takes
- another game proving the team's offensive philosophy is "live by the 3, die by the 3".  just no variety in their offense. 
- too many defensive breakdowns at the end of quarters.  just couldn't stop Atlanta from going on a run at the end of almost every quarter.
- Jaylen and Jayson are still not good ball handlers.  team needs a real ball handler on the floor with them so they don't need to handle it for more than a couple of dribbles before shooting or passing.

Team cannot stand success this season.

bolded x1000

Then stop trying to turn them into something they are not and they are never going to be. Neither is a natural playmaker like Gordon Hayward, for example. Just not who they are as players. Effective coaching plays to a team's strengths. Celts keep trying to grind the square peg into a round hole. That is why they are so painful to watch. Never thought Ime would be this bad.

Agreed. It's in their nature to be iso scorers -- both of them. Tatum's idol is Kobe Bryant, for Pete's sake. And Brown has both an amateur handle and abysmal vision.

The simple fact is this: the two of them doing this -- 'hey, you dribble for 16 seconds then take a shot.... now it's my turn, i'll take one' -- thing is never going to raise this team to a championship competitive level. But inevitably, the Cs will hang onto hope for too long out of fear of the risk of change. And we'll all just have to suffer watching this horrible basketball for the years we waste pretending it will ever work.

[footey]

I think we lost because:

1. Hawks shot 3 ball very well. Despite Trae Young having an off night.
2. Hawks' interior defense frustrated Tatum, and turned him into a jump shooter.
3. Tatum's 3 point shot was off.
4. Brown's 3 point shot was off. He seemed to recognize this in the 2nd quarter and did a good job of adjusting by attacking the hoop. 
5. Early in 4th quarter, when we were within a point of taking the lead, we relied on quick shots in the clock, rather than attacking the Hawk defense.
6.  Tatum and Brown turnovers limited our scoring opportunities, and led to easy transition buckets for Hawks.  Needed Smart in 4th quarter sooner to take control of half court execution.
7. Rob Williams played great in first half, but disappeared in 2nd half.  On the defensive end the Hawks did not seem bothered much by him.   He had an off game defensively, IMO.
8. No one could defend Collins in the interior, including Rob Williams, which disappointed me. 

 

[showtime]

Smart is a PG.

Smart is not a PG. Bob Cousy, of all people, points out that he "hates" Smart at PG.

Smart is a SG who can't shoot. That causes Celtics fans to call him a "combo guard" to compensate for his deficiencies in their own minds

  Yes sir!! And there's nothing worse than a shooting guard who can't shoot!!