Celtics vs. Hawks in playoffs: who do you got?

[SparzWizard]

Have a bad feeling Hawks sweep.

I don't know how I could handle sweeps in back to back seasons.

Ask Bobcats fans they been swept back2back in their last two playoff seasons lol

[PhoSita]

I don't think the Celts will get swept.

I do think the Hawks are solidly a better team, at least in the playoffs. 

Stats wise, the two teams won the same number of games.  Their point differential was about the same.  Both teams were about .500 on the road, and significantly better at home.

The Hawks were a below average offensive team (tied 17th in Off Eff).  The Celts above average (12th).

The Hawks were the 2nd ranked defense by a significant margin.  The Celts were 6th.

Both teams are crappy on the defensive boards.

The Hawks are a top 10 team in shooting.  The Celts bottom 10.

This last may end up being the true difference maker in the series.


Overall, the Hawks are the better and more experienced team.  Most notably they have a major advantage at the big positions, though they lack depth there.

Based on all of this, I think it'll be a hard fought series, but the Celts will have to play exceptionally well to avoid losing in 5. 

Generally, when a matchup is relatively close but one team has a clear edge, and that same team has homecourt advantage, the series tends to end in 5.

[SparzWizard]

Brad Stevens, please get your first NBA playoff win at least and at best a playoff series win this year. 

[Drucci]

The positive of playing Atlanta : the team will be really focused and feel like the underdog (as in last year's series against Cleveland).

The negative : Millsap. I know Teague torched us this year but I feel confident our guards can really stop him in the playoffs. But Millsap is another story...

Still my optimism tells me Celtics in 6 if we happen to - somehow - contain Millsap.

[Greyman]

Cs in 6 I voted. Seems a popular selection. Are we realists or optimists? If the Celtics can put four quarters together (of decent basketball) in each game, they can do it in 5.

[jayk009]

sadly Hawks in 6

[alldaboston]

Cs in 6 I voted. Seems a popular selection. Are we realists or optimists? If the Celtics can put four quarters together (of decent basketball) in each game, they can do it in 5.

I think you guys are being optimists. Frankly, i dont see a way the celtics win this series. I voted Hawks in 5, maybe we can take it to 6, but the hawks are most likely advancing to the second round.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

It's a bit ridiculous of me to look at the Cs earning the No. 5 seed in only Year 3 of a rebuild and call the situation "a mess," but I'm going to say it anyway:

The Cs got themselves into this mess—"this mess" being a first-round matchup against a really tough team, without home-court advantage—thanks to some really awful play over the last week of the regular season, not to mention two losses to the Nets and one to the Lakers earlier in the season.

So the Celtics probably should've had the No. 3 seed—and had it sewn up a week ago—with home-court advantage against (most likely) Charlotte, which would've been a better matchup for Boston.

I'm not going to say it's impossible for Boston to beat Atlanta, because it's possible, but it's going to be very difficult. I'm not sure any Celtic can slow down Millsap, they have much better 3pt shooting (along with home-court advantage), and the Hawks were the best in the NBA this season at opponent FG%, limiting teams to just 43.1% shooting (Boston tied for 7th at 44.1%). And we all know how bad the Celtics are at shooting.

Hoping for a Celtics win, but I think it'll be Hawks in 5.

[jpotter33]

Boy, a lot of pessimism on this thread. Sure, they're a tougher matchup than Charlotte or Miami, but I still feel like people are exaggerating it a bit. I truly believe we win in Atlanta last week if we didn't play the night before, because we simply ran out of gas. They're not going to shoot 52% in both overall field goals and from the three point line every game. Milsap isn't going to have a career night every game. It's not as gloom and doom as some of you guys are making it out to be. They very well might be us, but I HIGHLY doubt it will be in 4 or 5 games.

[alldaboston]

Boy, a lot of pessimism on this thread. Sure, they're a tougher matchup than Charlotte or Miami, but I still feel like people are exaggerating it a bit. I truly believe we win in Atlanta last week if we didn't play the night before, because we simply ran out of gas. They're not going to shoot 52% in both overall field goals and from the three point line every game. Milsap isn't going to have a career night every game. It's not as gloom and doom as some of you guys are making it out to be. They very well might be us, but I HIGHLY doubt it will be in 4 or 5 games.

Despite your disdain for IT, take this TP for giving us a sense of realism. Maybe we ARE being too pessimistic

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

Boy, a lot of pessimism on this thread. Sure, they're a tougher matchup than Charlotte or Miami, but I still feel like people are exaggerating it a bit. I truly believe we win in Atlanta last week if we didn't play the night before, because we simply ran out of gas. They're not going to shoot 52% in both overall field goals and from the three point line every game. Milsap isn't going to have a career night every game. It's not as gloom and doom as some of you guys are making it out to be. They very well might be us, but I HIGHLY doubt it will be in 4 or 5 games.

I'm one of the pessimists, but I'd love to be proven wrong. It just bugs me that the Celtics could've put themselves in a better position but didn't. Maybe the Hawks won't shoot 52% every game, and maybe Millsap won't have a career night every game, but Boston's going to be hard-pressed to neutralize the inside and outside threats consistently. But, like I said before, I hope I'm wrong—does that count as optimism?

[greece66]

IMO it's 70/30 in favour of the Hawks, at least based on how the teams have performed until now.

Hawks have more playoffs experience, and better players.

I don't believe much in home court advantage but it also counts for something.

What's in our favour: we are more hungry for success + I hope our coach comes up with a devilish plan.

[BornReady]

this could really go either way
im leaning towards hawks

because we had those 2 losses that were must wins for seedings 
esp that ugly loss against hornets which i thought should have been an easy win for us

Hawks got a lot of advantages compared to us
playoff exp, great versatile backcourt and frontcourt

horford + millsap + teague should be especially tough for us
horford's got that size and post moves to score down low
while milsap just killed us last game

also bradley's up against korver
bradley will need to run through screens to defend against korver which may wear him down

[TA9]

I think the Hawks' big men will cause a huge problem for us (esp. Millsap and Horford). Sully and Amir Johnson will need to bring their A game every night or else I fear that we are going to get swept

Definitely a tough matchup and even more annoying that we are going to face the Cavs in the next round if we get through Atlanta.

[Birdistheword]

I see an advantage for the hawks at the big positions, but not a cruel one amir/crowder should be able to match up against Milsap. And i see an advantage for the celtics on the guard positions. Hawks have no one to stop isiah(stopping him killed us last year)and remember last year playoffs how korver struggled when match up proper (looking at you avery). So after all I can really see the Celtics giving them a good fight, not matching up that bad!!!