Headed Back Home

(Via: @TheTraeYoung)

The Atlanta Hawks head back to Atlanta with 1-1 tie after stealing home court from the Knicks in game one. Hawks fans are excited to have home court advantage on their side following what should've been a 2-0 lead in some opinion. One thing that's clear: Trae Young has played some of his best basketball in this series. The rest of the team? There is room for much improvement but fans remain optimistic.

The Hawks, so far, only have 3 players averaging double figures in this series so far. Young, Bogdanovic, and Hunter are the 3 leading scorers for the Hawks. The Knicks, on the other hand, have 5 players averaging double figures for the series. The biggest disappointment for me, outside of the shooting woes, has been the play of John Collins and Clint Capela, especially on the offensive end. Capela is at 6.5 points so far, and Collins is at 6 points a game for the series, especially after Collins' foul trouble led to an unfortunate outing giving him only 15 minutes and 0 points. If the Hawks want to take the next two games in the ATL, the Hawks' big men have to give more production and start getting more involved in the offense. This has been mainly a shooting series on the Hawks side - they need to get back to the Pick and Roll that helps make Collins and Capela be more effective. More post ups to Collins would be a welcome sight, and calling plays for him early in the game could make a difference. Hopefully Nate McMillian does find a way to get them more touches.

Overall, the shooting in this series has not quite been up to the standard the Hawks are capable of. Outside of the last minutes of the game against the Knicks in game 1, the shooting has been off for both games so far in the series. Two shooters that need to step it up are Bogi and Gallo. In game 2, they combined for 4-22 from the 3pt. They are both 40% and up 3pt shooters for the season, but so far on the road, it has been a struggle. Gallinari normally plays a crucial role for the Hawks' bench scoring but has failed to step up, shooting only 3 of 17 from 3pt so far this series. The Knicks have absolutely killed the Hawks when it comes to bench scoring as well. I do expect improvement from the team when it comes back to Atlanta. When role players usually play on the road during the playoffs, they usually are known to struggle, and so far, in the Hawks’ case, that's been true. We forget the Hawks have a good number of players who are getting their first taste of the playoffs, and the growing pains are there.

Now I want to move on to McMillian and his rotation which was a big thing coming out of game two. I know McMillian trusts his bench and wants them to try and get something going but, at the same time, to see your team losing momentum and then trailing, with the lead getting bigger, you have to put your starters in there. That was a major coaching error, but after the game McMillian defended his decision stating, "We have to give those guys a little breather. They're not going to be able to play 48 Minutes." I feel like the players should be more vocal with the fact that it's the playoffs after all - they should be able to tell you if they are good to go. If the bench was playing well, then no one would have an issue with it. Unfortunately, since they weren't playing their best, it looks highly questionable today, especially after a loss.

Overall, the Hawks are in a good spot right now in the series. They have held the Knicks to 105 and 101 points in the first 2 games. In today's NBA, that is excellent, and with the fire power that the Hawks have, they should be feeling good if the supporting cast plays better. I do think that coming home will improve everyone's performance, and the team has a great chance to take the next two games. If Young continues to be the driving force on this team, not just with his scoring but with his playmaking ability, I think the Hawks can be in the driver’s seat. The Hawks haven’t played their best and so the potential to control this series is there. Many people feel as if the Hawks have the better players in this series between the two teams, so these next 2 games will go a long way in determining that. The Hawks have won 11 straight at home and after this weekend hope to make it 13.