Hawks weekly preview

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The Hawks have spread the season's first three-game losing streak across the tail-end of an 11-day road trip and their first game back in Philips Arena. 

Kyle Korver wants the team to keep pushing for success, even though they have gotten to a point in the season where there isn't much to be motivated about.

"At this point in the season, it's not about little things anymore. It's just bigger picture stuff. I think why we have so much respect for San Antonio -- there's a lot of reasons -- but for them to keep their mental edge over the years. They win championships, but they keep that edge. They keep playing so hard. We're at a point in the season where we have a good lead in the standings. We know the playoffs are coming, and we've had this long road trip, and it's easy to kind of relax a little bit. But the good teams are able to keep their foot on the pedal."

MINI-POWER RANKINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK

Orlando (Wednesday | 7:00 PM | Amway Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

Miami (Friday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

Charlotte (Saturday | 7:00 PM | The Time Warner Cable Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: After the Spurs loss, Jeff Teague commented on the task of guarding Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker in consecutive games, and on whether or not the physical toll of the season had started to add up. 

"I've been tired and banged up," he said with an emphasis toward the past tense to indicate just how long he has been nagged by ailments. "It's a long season. They're tired and banged up too. I don't think it was about Parker and those guys tonight. I think it was about us. I think we just played poorly altogether."

2. Miami: It is not out of the realm of possibility that the Hawks and Heat go head to head in the first round of the playoffs. The Heat are currently ranked 7th with a 32-37 record, but the teams currently ranked 7th through 11th in the Eastern Conference are separated by only 2.5 games in the standings.

3. Charlotte: As a team, the Hornets are 11.0 points better per 100 possessions with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on the floor. The young forward is a difference maker, especially on defense.

4. Orlando: It may too late for guard Elfrid Payton to get involved in the Rookie of the Year chase, but that won't stop him from trying. Payton had triple doubles in consecutive games against Dallas and Portland last week.

Hassan Whiteside vs. Al Horford.  This one is just a fascinating contrast in styles: the aggressive shot-blocking and rebounding skills of an newcomer on display against the levelheaded scoring and passing and positioning of the veteran Horford. 

Paul Millsap had 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of steals against the Warriors Wednesday. Here he facilitates on a DeMarre Carroll cut on a play that started with a heads-up Kent Bazemore steal. 

“They've got five guys on the court, almost all the time, that can score and have to handled and can't be left alone. So you can't come off one guy and go help any way you want. They've got threats on the floor everywhere.  They execute first at the defensive end really well in the sense that they know the game plan. They give up a lot of threes, but it's hard to get in the paint, and the more you get in the paint, the more you turn it over. And that fuels their offense. And they all believe in it, and they all do it.” -- San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich talking Sunday before the game about the the basketball elements that have fueled the Hawks' success this season.

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He has been out for about seven weeks, and if the original timetable holds true, he should return to action relatively soon. 

After further evaluation, it was determined that Mike Scott actually suffered an acute sprain of the big toe in his left foot. The timeline for his return is roughly 2-4 weeks.

Today is the 60th birthday of former Hawks center Moses Malone. Malone holds the all-time NBA record for career offensive rebounds, a stat the league started tracking in 1973-74. 

In his career, Malone grabbed 6731 offensive rebounds, which is more amazing considering that 1) no other NBA player even came close to 5000, and 2) that number doesn't include the 651 offensive rebounds he collected in two seasons in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Robert Parish is second on the all-time offensive rebounds list with 4598. 

Malone spent three seasons with the Hawks, and his 364 offensive rebounds in 1989-90 led the NBA that season.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter:  @AnaheimAmigos

after-first-3-loss-week-of-season-hawks-aim-to-bounce-back

After First 3-Loss Week of Season, Hawks Aim To Bounce Back

The Hawks enter the week with a pair of resourceful wins in hand. They mounted a substantial rally in the fourth quarter against Phoenix Friday, then Dennis Schröder and Al Horford scored 45 combined points to help a team missing four of its regular starters to a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Hawks now enter the second, more challenging week of their six-game Western Conference road trip, plus a game at home against Mike Budenholzer's former team, the San Antonio Spurs.

Once this upcoming week is complete, Atlanta will finish the regular season with 11 of their final 12 games against the Eastern Conference.

Sacramento (Monday | 10:00 PM | Sleep Train Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

Golden State (Wednesday | 10:30 PM | Oracle Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

Oklahoma City (Friday | 8:00 PM | Chesapeake Energy Arena| SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

San Antonio (Sunday | 3:00 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

1. (tie) Atlanta, Golden State: Good luck picking the top team from between these two. The Warriors have a better record, but the Hawks won the head-to-head matchup. Golden State plays in the better, tougher Western Conference, but the Hawks actually have a better winning percentage against the West than the Warriors do. Let's leave this one to be settled on the floor Wednesday.

3. San Antonio: The Spurs are a different team with Kawhi Leonard on the floor. San Antonio outscores the opposition by 9.6 points per 100 possessions with him in the game, compared to just 0.3 points per 100 possessions without him. Also: Manu Ginobili sprained his ankle this weekend and it expected to miss at least a week.

4. Oklahoma City: The margin of error for the Thunder as they finish the regular season is a slim one: They only lead the New Orleans Pelicans by 1.0 game in the race for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Western Conference.

5. Sacramento: The lineups may look different tonight than they did a week ago when these two teams played. Rudy Gay missed a recent Kings/Wizards game with a knee issue and he is listed as 'questionable'. Kyle Korver broke his nose and won't play. It's also not out of the question that Al Horford gets a night off after playing last night in Los Angeles.

Russell Westbrook vs. Jeff Teague. Since the All-Star break, Westbrook has averaged 33.2 points, 10.7 assists, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He is doing everything he can to drag the Thunder into the playoffs. 

It makes sense that Budenholzer chose to rest Teague against the Lakers coming into a week where he will be guarding Stephen Curry, Westbrook, and Tony Parker in consecutive games.

Elton with the block, Dennis with the no-look dish, DeMarre with the shot. The Hawks would surely love to have more of this stuff tonight in the rematch with the Kings.

“Oh, it was a war, and I’m not going to say who said what. But there was a debate among the coaches: What do we do with him?” -- Assistant coach Kenny Atkinson on the Hawks' coaching staff back in 2013 trying to plot the future of forward Mike Scott and ultimately deciding he should focus on emphasizing agility over power, (from a New York Times story by Scott Cacciola)

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He is almost six weeks into an absence that was estimated to last six to eight weeks. 

Mike Scott broke the big toe in his left foot. The timeline for his return from injury is not yet known, but he is visiting a foot specialist today.

Kyle Korver broke his nose in the game against the Lakers. He did not travel with the team to Sacramento and will be re-evaluated today in Los Angeles. 

Jeff Teague is one of the NBA's best at scoring through the use of a hand-off, a play which is defined as one where "the screen setter starts with the ball and hands the ball to a player cutting close by."

Among players who have completed 30 or more hand-off possessions, Teague is tops in the NBA, scoring 1.16 points per possession and shooting 58.8% on such field goal attempts. Al Horford and Pero Antic deserve credit too for setting the bulk of those screens and making the exchanges that led to those shot attempts.

Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @AnaheimAmigos

hawks-face-challenging-quartet-of-west-opponents

Hawks Face Challenging Quartet of West Opponents

The Hawks have been getting quite a bit of excellent point guard play lately.

Since Jan. 1, the duo of Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder has combined to average 26.3 points, 11.7 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. They are also shooting a combined 43.4% from the field, 37.1% from three and 87.9% from the free throw line.

The two young ballhandlers are dominating the league with their drive-and-kick games.

Among players who have played 40 or more games this season, the pair ranks 1st and 4th in points per 48 minutes on drives to the rim. (Some dudes named Russell Westbrook, James Harden and LeBron James rank 2nd, 3rd and 5th, respectively.)

I asked Teague this week if the and Schröder share strategies during games.

"They play us differently," Teague said, before noting the tactics of the big men who cover them in pick-and-roll defenses. 

"When he's in the game, a lot of the time he's in there with backup guys who play a little more aggressively. They hedge and stuff. A lot of times when I'm in the game, it's more (often) bigger guys who fall back. So they play us differently."

"When he sees something open or anything, he tells me. He'll be like, 'You know you can drive it', or 'Shoot the pull-up', and I tell him the same things. We try to help each other on the floor. Last game (against the Rockets), we were in together. That was pretty fun."

Whether it happens in tandem or one at a time, watching these two do their work has been fun for Hawks fans all season long.

In the past week, the Hawks topped the Rockets and Cavaliers, then lost to the 76ers. Go figure.

In any case, the week saw them pad their lead in the East to 10.5 games, while building the Southeast Division lead to a stout 14.5 games. Atlanta also became the first team this season to lock up a playoff bert.

Sacramento (Monday | 7:30 PM | Sleep Train Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets)

Denver (Wednesday | 9:00 PM | Pepsi Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game)

Phoenix (Friday | 10:00 PM | U.S. Airways Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

Los Angeles (Sunday | 9:30 PM | Staples Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: The loss to the 76ers may have cost the Hawks a chance at leaping back to the top of most power rankings this week, but it earned valuable rest for DeMarre Carroll, Paul Millsap, and Kyle Korver.

2. Phoenix: Twin brothers Markieff and Marcus Morris look a lot alike so get prepped now: Markieff wears jersey #11, while Marcus sports the #15 jersey. Phoenix has a new look after trading away point guards Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas and bringing in Brandon Knight from the Bucks.

3. Denver: Less than a week after being installed as interim head coach, Melvin Hunt has the Nuggets playing even faster than they did before -- and it has translated to improved play.

4. Sacramento: The Kings are still a work in progress. Since hiring George Karl as head coach in mid February, Sacramento has allowed a league-worst 107.2 points per 100 possessions. 

5. Los Angeles: For Sunday's game against the Mavericks, the Lakers started a lineup of Jordan Clarkson, Wayne Ellington, Wesley Johnson, Tarik Black and Jordan Hill. 30 years ago, the Lakers started Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, Kurt Rambis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Advantage: 30 years ago.

Al Horford vs. DeMarcus Cousins. A complete contrast in styles: Horford, the cool, precise veteran tactician against Cousins, an exciting, excitable dynamo. If the Hawks rebound well and push the pace Monday, it may help get Cousins out of his comfort zone.

The two players who were tasked with guarding LeBron James Friday also managed to hook up on the game's sauciest offensive play. Here, DeMarre Carroll tosses a long lob to Kent Bazemore, who catches, adjusts on the fly, and flips in a soft reverse layup. 

"We'll shower up, put on our nice clothes, and hopefully look presentable. It's a great day for Dominique. I'm excited for him."  -- A smiling Mike Budenholzer, on quickly exiting the Philips Arena practice court to get upstairs for the ceremony at which Dominique Wilkins' statue was unveiled. When Wilkins returned from a season in Greece to join the 1996-97 San Antonio Spurs, Budenholzer was there too as a first-year assistant coach. 

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He is five weeks into an absence that was estimated to last 6 to 8 weeks. He is listed as out for Monday vs. Sacramento.

Pero Antic sprained an ankle in the Cavaliers game and sat out the 76ers game. He is listed as probable for the game against the Kings. 

With a 20-9 road record, the Hawks are the only team in the NBA that hasn't incurred double-digit losses yet.

hawks-get-ready-for-big-west-road-trip

Hawks Get Ready For Big West Road Trip

The Hawks start the week with a 10-game lead over the rest of the Eastern Conference and a magic number of just 3 games for clinching a playoff spot. 

With the Washington Wizards struggling recently, the Hawks' lead in the Southeast Division has ballooned to 13.5 games. Philips Arena might be commissioning a Dominique Wilkins statue and a Southeast Division banner in March.

Oh, and by the way, that statue will be unveiled Thursday and available for the public to see Friday. Enjoy 'Nique Week.

MINI-POWER RANKINGS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEK

Houston (Tuesday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets)

Cleveland (Friday | 7:30 PM | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets) 

Philadelphia (Saturday | 7:30 PM | Wells Fargo Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game) 

1. Atlanta: Coming out of the All-Star break, one of the big questions was whether or not the Hawks could improve their rebounding. Since then, they have played opponents to a draw on the glass, grabbing 43.0 rebounds per game and allowing 43.7 to the opposition.

2. Houston: The Rockets feature both the league's leading scorer (James Harden, 27.1 points/game) as well as the offense that attempts the most three-point shots per game (33.8).

3. Cleveland: The Cavaliers have won 18 of their last 22 games, but Houston gets the nod over them for having a better season record and for topping the Cavs Sunday. 

4. Philadelphia: With 9.7 steals per game, the 76ers are in a three-way tie with Houston and Milwaukee for the most thefts per game. The Hawks are not far behind, tallying 8.8 steals per contest. 

DeMarre Carroll vs. LeBron James. The Hawks may throw a few different looks at the four-time MVP, but the most important scheme will be the one that features their best defensive player. 

James, who averaged 24.4 points per game in February, is a likely bet to replace the Hawks' starting five as the Eastern Conference Player of the Month.

The Hawks are getting contributions from new and interesting places. 

In just under 22 minutes played Saturday, John Jenkins gave the Hawks a super-efficient 12 points and 7 rebounds on a night when the team had just nine players dressed. Here, the third-year wingman sinks a three-point shot with just the tiniest blip of an opening to squeeze a shot off.

The Orlando Magic were in town this week, bringing with them new head coach James Borrego, who worked with Mike Budenholzer in San Antonio for seven seasons, first as a video coordinator then together as assistant coaches.

Bob Rathbun, with a voice eager for harmlessly salacious details: "Give us some good stories about Coach Bud."

Borrego, pointing toward the Budenholzer's media availability: "Maybe you should go down there."

Borrego, smirking: "Well ... I learned from him."

Thabo Sefolosha is out with a right calf strain. He is four weeks into an absence that was estimated to last 6 to 8 weeks. Pero Antic, DeMarre Carroll, and Jeff Teague did not dress vs. Miami Saturday, while Al Horford missed the trip for family reasons.

When asked about his approach to analytics, and whether or not analytics played a hand in a particular success or failure this season, Mike Budenholzer responded as follows:

"I think it's just a good thing to add to all of the traditional stuff -- all of the other things -- that people have assumed we do forever. I do believe it's something that can be very helpful."

"I don't think there's any specific decision that I would point to that was because of analytics. We scout and compare. We look at teams strengths and weaknesses. There may be certain nights where we're emphasizing or trying to take certain things away, but it's not anything that is overly complicated."

"I think it has a place and it helps us and we've used it throughout the year, but it's just one thing that we add to our collective decision-making process."

Is there a letdown effect after opponents play the Hawks?

Of the last 21 opponents to play Atlanta, 18 have gone on to lose the following game. (Miami is excluded from this stat because they have not played a subsequent game yet.)

"That's a hell of a stat," Paul Millsap said when asked about it earlier this week. "But I don't know. We're one of the top teams in the league, so guys, teams, tend to get up for those games. I don't know. The Hawk Effect, I guess?"

With a 47-12 record, the Hawks are on pace for the 16th-best NBA record of all-time according to Basketball Reference.com

mvp-candidates-visit-atlanta-this-week

MVP Candidates Visit Atlanta This Week

After winning three out of four last week, the Atlanta Hawks get to spend this entire week in their own beds.  Only two games are on the schedule, and both are at home.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets

The Los Angeles Lakers make their only visit to Philips Arena early this season.  The Lakers are in unfamiliar territory: 1-9 and seemingly in the midst of a rebuild.  They were dealt a huge blow when first-round pick and bolstering prospect Juliuis Randle broke his leg on opening night, forcing him to miss this entire season.  Steve Nash is also out for the year, so L.A. is relying heavily, some say too heavily, on Kobe Bryant to carry the offensive load.  Bryant has scored, but he's done so at the expense of consuming a large percentage of the team's shots.  It's a great strategy if you're shooting 50 percent, but Bryant is just a shade under 38.  It gets worse for the Lakers on defense, where they're ranked last in the league in efficiency and are allowing 112 points per contest.  Do they have talent?  Absolutely.  Bryant, Carlos Boozer, Jeremy Lin and Nick Young have all found success in their careers.  The Lakers are hoping they can put it all together soon.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Get Tickets

Stan Van Gundy said after a recent road win in Oklahoma City that he likes the fight in his team.  The Pistons look much different under Van Gundy, with an offense less focused on isolated post-ups and more focused on floor spacing and movement.  Sure, they still have two beasts down low in Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, but Van Gundy is figuring out how to use the other guys to compliment them.  Van Gundy has also tinkered with bringing Greg Monroe off the bench so he can use Josh Smith at the floor and have a more dangerous perimeter attack, though he did start Monroe, Smith and Drummond together on Saturday.  Where the Pistons struggle offensively is on the perimeter.  Though they did add some nice offseason pieces to the bench, there isn't a lot of shooting depth.  Defensively, the Hawks need to be disciplined, force perimeter jump shots and, when possible, double the post to force one of those big bodies to kick it back outside.

DeMarre Carroll vs. Josh Smith.  Both players play a tough, physical style, so this one should be interesting if Carroll is healthy and Smith starts at small forward.

IT PROBABLY WON'T HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOES...

The Hawks will make 11 straight threes.  Pay it forward, right Cleveland?

IT PROBABLY WILL HAPPEN, BUT WE HOPE IT DOESN'T...

Kobe Bryant will take 50 shots and make them all.  Because that would just be so fitting.

DeMarre Carroll (Strained Groin):  He has missed the past three games and is listed as questionable for Tuesday.

The Hawks have won their first four home games for the first time in five years.

Kyle Korver is shooting 57.7 percent from three-point range this season.  He is the all-time single season leader in that category...at 53%.

Here's where the various sports websites have us in their rankings this week:

hawks-get-some-home-cookin

Hawks Get Some Home Cookin'

The Hawks have four games this week, including a rematch with the Knicks, a visit from former assistant coach Quin Snyder and matchups with Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Madison Square Garden | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

The Hawks outscored the Knicks 55-35 to erase a 13-point halftime deficit in Saturday's second half.  The rematch comes 48 hours later, this time in New York's house, and Atlanta will need more consistent play if it hopes to win its first road game of the season.  A big reason for the comeback was DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap's ability to limit Carmelo Anthony.  After a 14-point first quarter, the former scoring leader had just six the rest of the way, and the Hawks locked down everyone else to win it.  New York is still learning a new offense under first-year head coach Derek Fisher, so it's expected to take some time.  They're also without point guards Jose Calderon and Pablo Prigioni, as well as big man Andrea Bargnani, which hasn't helped.  Atlanta has the fortune of seemingly catching the Knicks at the right time: early and injured.  Now it's up to them to take advantage.

It only took one season as a head coach for a Mike Budenholzer disciple to get his own head coaching job.  Quin Snyder returns to Atlanta Wednesday, bringing with him a much-improved Jazz team that's off to a respectable start.  Utah's new-look offense features many of the principles Snyder preached in Coach Bud's system: pace and space.  Jazz fans have launded the new-look offense, and it has led to a balanced scoring effort early.  Five guys are averaging double figures, and that doesn't include Trey Burke's 9.7.  Part of the reason for the offensive success has been 46 percent shooting, good for eighth in the league so far.  Unfortunately for them, most of that hot shooting has been inside the arc, and the Hawks will have to take note and force some outside jumpers.  Atlanta has had good success against Utah in recent years, but Snyder will have his guys prepared to face a team he knows very well.

Gone is LeBron James, but the Miami Heat are still right near the top of the East standings early as if nothing has changed.  The biggest reason why?  Chris Bosh.  He's been one of the best players in the early part of the season, averaging better than 23 points and 10 rebounds in seven games.  His all-around game continues to improve, and Erik Spoelstra playing him at center is a nightmare matchup for opposing bigs.  The addition of Loul Deng has helped on both ends, as he's been the team's primary wing defender while averaging 15.7 points on 56 percent shooting offensively (he also looks healthier than he has in a while).  The Hawks can't relax when they see a LeBron-less Heat team Friday night, as these guys can still turn up the defensive pressure as well as anybody, and they're very good in the open court.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Quicken Loans Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

Many have been critical of Cleveland's 2-3 start, but let's not forget that the "Big Three" in Miami got off to a similarly slow start while chemistry was still building before eventually catching fire and winning four straight conference championships.  LeBron James is shooting just 42 percent, Kevin Love is shooting 37 percent and the team is averaging fewer than 18 assists per game.  As the shots begin to fall for the two superstars, the assists should go up as well.  Defending the Cavaliers starts with making things tough for James.  You're not going to stop him, but making him work hard on both ends gives you your best chance to win.  Love is a weapon as well, as he can shoot from anywhere on the floor.  He's also a monster on the glass (11.2 rebounds in five games), so Atlanta's bigs will be challenged.  Offensively, the Hawks just need to continue to do what's been working with ball movement, drives and kicking to shooters.

Al Horford vs. Chris Bosh on Friday.  Two centers who can shoot and run the floor make for a fun matchup.

Carmelo Anthony will score six points in the final three quarters Monday.  A repeat defensive performance should mean another Hawks win.

There will be more nail-biters this week.  Last week had its share of them, and while we hope to be comfortably ahead in all of our games, it just doesn't seem to be our style.

Adreian Payne (Plantar fasciitis):  He's listed as day-to-day.

45 years ago Monday, Lou Hudson scored 57 points as the Hawks beat the Bulls 133-132 in Auburn, Ala.

Dennis Schröder leads the NBA in Player Efficiency Rating (PER). The stat assigns value to player accomplishments (made shot, assist, etc.) and penalized them for mistakes (missed shot, turnover, etc.).

hawks-see-wade-lebron-for-first-time-this-week

Hawks See Wade, LeBron For First Time This Week

The Hawks split their first two regular season games, and the schedule doesn't get any easier this week with the Spurs, Hornets and Knicks on the docket.

Details:  8:30 p.m. (ET) | AT&amp;T Center | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

The reigning NBA Champions are off to a tough start by Spurs standards.  After a Houdini-like escape act on opening night, San Antonio was shut down in the desert Friday against Phoenix.  A rare four-day break between games should give them some time to rest and heal prior to Atlanta's second trip to the AT&amp;T Center in two weeks (the first was a preseason-ending Atlanta win).  Kawhi Leonard's eye infection seems to not be a hinderance, as he played 23 minutes against the Suns on Friday.  He did go 0-5 from the field, but that could be rust as much as vision.  Tiago Splitter and Patty Mills, two key pieces from last year's championship team, remain out, which gives Al Horford and Paul Millsap one less road block on Atlanta's offensive end.  This Spurs team is still a dangerous one though.  Tony Parker is averaging 21 points on 55 percent shooting through two games, and Tim Duncan is averaging a double-double.  The preseason win in San Antonio's house looked good on paper, but the Hawks struggled against the Spurs' first unit before Gregg Popovich pulled the plug in the first half.

Details:  7:00 p.m. (ET) | Time Warner Cable Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

The Hornets are expected to field their best team in a while.  General manager Rich Cho has made a splash in free agency in back-to-back years, getting Al Jefferson in 2013 and following that up with the Lance Stephenson signing this offseason.  Charlotte is off to a 1-2 start, though all three games have been decided by one possession.  Defensively, we know they're good.  They were fourth in the NBA in scoring defense a season ago and are allowing just 91 points per game through the first three.  The problem with them is scoring the ball.  They've scored more than 100 just once and needed overtime to do it.  Keeping Kemba Walker out of the lane and Al Jefferson off the block are both easier said than done, but accomplishing that should go a long way toward keeping Charlotte's offensive struggles going.  Offensively, the Hawks have the luxury of Al Horford, meaning they can draw Jefferson away from the basket.  That, and keeping the ball zipping, will be key against the Hornets' stout D

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Philips Arena | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game | Buy Tickets

The Knicks weren't expected by very many to be one of the better teams in the East, but after an opening night stinker against Chicago, they've rallied to beat the Cavaliers and Hornets to open the season 2-1.  New head coach Derek Fisher has preached defense, and his team has responded the past two games, allowing an average of 92.5 points.  With Jose Calderon sidelined for a few weeks, former Hawks draft pick Shane Larkin has stepped into the point guard role and been serviceable.  His stats won't blow you away, but he's shooting an efficient 47 percent and is limiting turnovers.  Carmelo Anthony is off to a hot start, and A'mare Stoudemire seems to finally be fully healthy.  Part of New York's success has been playing Anthony at the 4, allowing for more movement on offense and creating that matchup problem, while allowing themselves to be quicker on defense.  Whether Fisher sticks with that strategy remains to be seen, but it's worked so far for what looks to be an improved Knicks team.

Paul Millsap vs. Carmelo Anthony on Saturday.  Millsap has guarded him in the past when the Knicks have gone small and might have to do it again.

The Hawks will beat the Hornets in overtime.  The probability of overtime is small, but it seems to happen frequently when these teams meet, most recently in the preseason.

The Hawks will lose by two points in a regular season game at the AT&amp;T Center.  See "2012-13" or "2013-14" if you don't know what we're talking about.

Adreian Payne (Plantar fasciitis):  He's listed as day-to-day after sitting out Saturday's home opener.

The Hawks haven't beaten the Spurs in a regular season game in San Antonio since Tim Duncan was drafted in 1997.

Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution pointed out that Kyle Korver (80%), Mike Scott (71.4%) and Jeff Teague (66.7%) all rank among the top 5 in the league in three-point shooting percentage so far this season.

tough-week-looms-for-hawks

Tough Week Looms For Hawks

Finally it's here!  Opening week in the NBA, which for the Atlanta Hawks means just two games (they only have three over the first 10 days of the NBA season).  Nevertheless, basketball is finally back, so let's get right to it.

Details:  7:30 p.m. (ET) | Air Canada Centre | SportSouth, 92.9 The Game

The Raptors are almost a mirror image of the Hawks.  Think about it: exciting, fast-developing point guard, versatile frontcourt, plays with pace, exciting to watch.  Not to mention both teams' offseasons were identical: keep the starting five and spend money adding depth where needed.  Two of Toronto's most important offseason aquisitions actually came in a trade with Atlanta.  The Raptors picked up veteran wing man Lou Williams and exciting prospect Lucas Nogueira in a trade the Hawks ultimately made to free up cap room to add depth to their own bench.  With both teams seemingly on the rise, this is one of the most underrated season-opening games.  The Raptors won both meetings handily in Toronto last season, and it'll no doubt be a challenge for Atlanta with one of the best fan bases in the league rocking the Air Canada Centre on opening night.

The team that ended the Hawks' 2013-14 season makes an early visit to Philips Arena this year.  The Pacers have already been bit by the injury bug, as Paul George is lost for the year due to a broken leg and David West's status for this weekend is still unclear after spaining his ankle last week.  Indiana also lost Lance Stephenson in free agency over the summer, so this will be a different-looking team than the one we saw in last year's exciting 7-game series.  Despite some key losses, the Pacers are still a formitable foe.  7'2" Roy Hibbert is back and has been working all summer to diversify his offensive game.  Offseason aquisitions C.J. Miles and Rodney Stuckey are expected to start on the wings, and both players have the ability to create instant offense for themselves.  Frank Vogel is one of the best coaches in the league and will have this team competing for a playoff spot.

Jeff Teague vs. George Hill on Saturday.  After Teague dropped 28 points with Hill guarding him in Game 1 last season, Vogel adjusted the matchup and put Paul George on him.  Vogel doesn't have the luxury of a first team all defensive player this season, so it'll likely be up to Hill to contain Atlanta's speedy point guard.

Mike Scott will score 17 points in a quarter against the Pacers.  Oh, the Game 5 memories.

The referees will actually call Jeff Teague out of bounds when he steps out of bounds.  They didn't in Game 3 last year, and Teague was rewarded with what could have been the best shot of the 2014 NBA Playoffs.

John Jenkins (Blister):  This kept him out of the preseason finale but sounded like it was just a day-to-day thing.

Many talk about Indiana's struggles at Philips Arena, but the Pacers have actually won five of the past seven games in Atlanta's building.

ESPN:  16USA Today:  19Sports Illustrated:  19FOX Sports:  20Bleacher Report:  18HoopsHabit:  17