Peachtree Hoops - Oct 29: Raptors 109, Hawks 102The place to read about/discuss the Atlanta Hawks.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/8811/peachtree-fave.jpg2014-10-31T13:30:02-04:00http://www.peachtreehoops.com/rss/stream/68525962014-10-31T13:30:02-04:002014-10-31T13:30:02-04:00Examining the Hawks' turnover issues in Toronto
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<figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>We take a closer look at the Hawks' turnovers problem in their season opening loss to the Toronto Raptors. </p> <p>We previously <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/31/7137013/video-atlanta-hawks-rebounding-toronto-raptors">took a look at the rebounding issues that plagued the Atlanta Hawks</a>, particularly down the stretch in Wednesday's <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/29/7088555/hawks-vs-raptors-nba-schedule-score">season opening loss to the Toronto Raptors</a>. Another issue from that game was turnovers. Atlanta turned the ball over 19 times which Toronto turned into 23 points. There are essentially two types of turnovers. Both are bad but one is worse than the other. Dead ball turnovers at least allow teams the opportunity to set their defense at the other end of the floor. Live ball turnovers turn into fast break opportunities which in the NBA is usually a fast break dunk or a wide open look from the three-point line.</p>
<p>There is a couple of different ways to look at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a>' turnovers against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a>. Some were a bit careless, others were good plays by the defense. Atlanta's spacing didn't appear to be quite as good as normal but its important not to overlook the Raptors as a good defensive team. They did a good job for most of the night at limiting Atlanta's opportunities in the pick and roll and did a pretty good job of jumping the passing lane and closing out on shooters not named <span>Kyle Korver</span>.</p>
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<p>Here is the best example of a live ball turnover. <span>Jeff Teague</span> drives into the paint off of Atlanta's pick and roll but Toronto's rotations are sound. Teague makes a bad decision and floats a pass back out in the direction of Kent Bazemore. Terrence Ross breaks on it and the result is a hammer dunk at the opposite end of the floor. It looks like <span>Elton Brand</span> was available for a pass from Teague but Ross did a good job of crashing down hard on the drive. A better pass out probably gets to Bazemore but this was a good job by Toronto's defense nonetheless.</p>
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<p>Almost an identical play and outcome to the example above. Teague again drives into the paint but finds himself with nowhere to go and has the kick out pass stolen. Atlanta's spacing is actually pretty good on this play but the Raptors do a nice job of preventing the pass to Millsap in the corner as Patterson plays Teague's right hand forcing him left. Teague can't get much on the pass out to Carroll and DeRozan uses his length to come up with the steal.</p>
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<p>This play is just a straight bad decision by Millsap who tries to attack the basket but ends up turning the ball over and fueling another Toronto fast break. Millsap struggled in the opener and no doubt was trying to make a play here or get to the free throw line. Still Atlanta's secondary break is one of its most valuable weapons and triggering it here would have been the right call.</p>
<p>Like rebounding, the good news is that all of these miscues are correctable. There is a lot of freedom in Atlanta's offense and they are working some new faces into the group. Its a bit disappointing to see these types of errors from guys that were a big part of this offense last season but these things do happen over the course of an 82 game season. The Hawks are still working in some new faces to the equation and the continuity will come the more opportunities they have to play together.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/31/7137303/atlanta-hawks-video-breakdown-toronto-raptors-turnoversKris Willis2014-10-31T10:06:19-04:002014-10-31T10:06:19-04:00Hawks' rebounding issues a team effort
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<figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Atlanta Hawks gave up 16 offensive rebounds to the Toronto Raptors but Atlanta's undersized frontcourt didn't play as big a part in that as you might think. </p> <p>At first glance, rebounding played a big part in Wednesday's loss by the Atlanta Hawks to the Toronto <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a>. Atlanta actually held their own from a numbers standpoint as Toronto ended the game with a slight 48-42 edge. A deeper examination reveals 16 offensive rebounds for the Raptors which led to 26 second-chance points. That is a huge number particularly for a team that is trying to win on the road. However, it was the timing of some of those rebounds that proved costly as they short circuited Atlanta's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter.</p>
<p>When most people talk about rebounding, the natural inclination is to focus on the big men up front. Atlanta is used to playing with an undersized front court but that wasn't really the problem on Wednesday. Paul Millsap and <span>Al Horford</span> combined to grab 23 of Atlanta's 42 rebounds. That is an output that I believe <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> and his staff would be happy with on most nights.</p>
<p>Where the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> were lacking was rebounding from everyone else. The rest of Atlanta's starting five combined for just eight boards. The bench chipped in 11 with four of those coming from Mike Scott. Because Atlanta is often times undersized up front, Budenholzer has stressed the need for his guards to rebound and they didn't quite get the job done against the Raptors.</p>
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<p>Here is a great example. <span>DeMar DeRozan</span> attacks off the pick and roll and forces the Hawks into help position. The ball eventually finds its way to the corner where Terrence Ross launches a three-point attempt. Because Atlanta's defense rotated on the drive they are no longer in position to have a body on body for the rebound. The result is a pair of Hawks engaged with <span>Amir Johnson</span> and DeRozan standing alone in the lane where he is able to secure the rebound.</p>
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<p>When it comes to the rebounding discussion from the opener, this is probably the play that sticks out the most. DeRozan is at the free throw line with the Hawks trailing by four with just 33 seconds remaining. He uncharacteristically misses both opportunities but the Hawks can't capitalize because DeRozan secures the long rebound. Here the Hawks just have a fundamental breakdown as Carroll crashes hard on <span>Patrick Patterson</span> leaving the shooter uncovered. Was this by design? Only the coaching staff really knows but neither Teague or Korver have the time to get in position to block out DeRozan.</p>
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<p><span>Kyle Lowry</span> is one of the best rebounding point guards in the league. For a point guard, he is built like a tank but as you will see from this clip, he didn't have to use his physical abilities to grab this key offensive rebound. Atlanta had just cut the lead to four points and had all of the momentum. They force a miss but are once again unable to corral a long rebound. Again it is just bad fundamentals as Teague leaves Lowry to go stand in the paint about four feet from the basket. Patterson's shot was a brick but if Teague is anywhere near the vicinity of Lowry the Hawks have the rebound with a chance to cut further into Toronto's lead.</p>
<p>Rebounding is one of the hardest things to track. In many ways its a game of chance as the ball can carom in an infinite number of directions on any shot attempt. Since it is so hard to predict, it is important to keep good fundamentals to combat randomness. The good news is, all of this is correctable through practice and you can bet that the Hawks coaching staff has been through this as well.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/31/7137013/video-atlanta-hawks-rebounding-toronto-raptorsKris Willis2014-10-30T12:12:30-04:002014-10-30T12:12:30-04:00Horford still working his way back
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<figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Al Horford returned to action for the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night for the first time since last season's season ending pectoral injury. </p> <p>It has been a long wait but <span>Al Horford</span> made his regular season return in Wednesday's season opening loss by the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a>. The Horford we saw on Wednesday wasn't quite the same one we have seen in previous seasons just yet but he is progressing and returning to form. Horford <a href="http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/hawks-open-season-with-road-loss-to-raptors/nhwGq/">talked about his regular season return with Holly MacKenzie after the game</a>.</p>
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<p>"I felt okay," Horford said "I was a little winded at times and offensively I couldn't really get into a rhythm, but then I started to feel better. That's something I'll just have to work through. On defense I was very pleased. I thought I played well. We just have to keep improving as a team."</p>
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<p>Horford admits that he still is not 100 percent following the injury but he seems to be getting better each time out. He didn't look real comfortable with his jump shot during the preseason and we saw that some in Wednesday's game as well. He rushed some opportunities in the paint as his shot chart from the night shows.</p>
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<p>Horford finished with 12 points but was just 6-15 from the field. He showed no fear in mixing it up inside against Toronto's front line and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots. He looked more comfortable as the game wore on and hopefully will be able to carry that over into Saturday's game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.indycornrows.com/">Pacers</a>.</p>
<p>Its going to be a process getting Horford all the way back but the regular season will bring exactly what he needs which is an ample opportunity to play and compete on a regular basis. Its hard to get that level of comfort in practice or in preseason games where minutes are limited and the games are often spread out. It will take time, but for now its good seeing No. 15 back in an Atlanta uniform.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/30/7130927/al-horford-injury-return-atlanta-hawksKris Willis2014-10-30T08:00:04-04:002014-10-30T08:00:04-04:00Free throws, turnovers costly in loss to Raptors
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<figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>More thoughts from Atlanta's 109-102 loss in the season opener against the Toronto Raptors. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> opened the regular season on the road <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/29/7130043/hawks-vs-raptors-final-score">with a 109-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors</a>. The final score is a bit deceiving after Atlanta made a furious comeback attempt in the fourth. The late rally was commendable and a reminder that no team should relax against these Hawks but, Atlanta was outplayed over the second and third quarters and that ultimately was the deciding factor in the game. Here are some more thoughts from the season opener:</p>
<h4>Hawks become own worst enemy</h4>
<p>Not many NBA teams can get away with administering as much self inflicted damage as the Hawks did on Wednesday and still come away with a victory. Atlanta turned the ball over 19 times which led to 23 points for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Raptors</a>. Some of them were a result of a good defensive Toronto unit. Others were careless. Atlanta's spacing didn't appear to be on point as they found themselves trying to fit the ball into some tight places time and time again. <br>Atlanta struggled to get to the free throw line and then struggled to convert once they were there finishing 9-17 in the game. <span>Paul Millsap</span> was the biggest culprit going 5-9 although he did seem to get things together late. Conversely, the Raptors lived at the line going 27-33.</p>
<h4>Defense and Rebounding loom large once again</h4>
<p>Its skewed a bit by the final numbers but the Hawks struggled for most of the first three quarters to get stops at the defensive end of the floor. They blocked eight shots including three apiece from <span>Al Horford</span> and <span>Kyle Korver</span> (!) but several of those came with the team in recovery mode after getting beaten off the dribble. There was some rotation issues and Atlanta was fortunate that Toronto didn't shoot the ball better from the perimeter. The defensive tandem of <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> and <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> did make life tough on <span>DeMar DeRozan</span> who finished just 4-16 from the field.</p>
<p>When stops did come, Atlanta had a tough time corralling the defensive rebound. Toronto grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and finished the game with 26 second chance points. The Hawks understand that often times they go into games with a size disadvantage in the front court but look to combat that with a team effort on the boards particularly from their guards. Al Horford and Paul Millsap grabbed 23 rebounds but <span>Jeff Teague</span>, Kyle Korver and DeMarre Carroll added just eight more combined.</p>
<h4>Budenholzer goes 11 deep in opener</h4>
<p>One of the biggest storylines heading into the regular season was what would Atlanta's rotation look like and how deep into his bench would <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> go? We got a few answers Wednesday night as Budenholzer went 11 deep in the first half with only <span>Mike Muscala</span> and <span>Pero Antic</span> receiving DNP-CD's.</p>
<p><span>Shelvin Mack</span> got the first crack at the back up point guard spot and then shared the backcourt with Dennis Schröder for a stretch during the second quarter. <span>Elton Brand</span> was the first big off the bench for Atlanta in an effort to combat Toronto center Jonas Valanciunas. Budenholzer did tighten the rotation slightly in the second half playing just 10 guys with Schröder not returning after the intermission.</p>
<h4>Shot Chart Superlatives - <span>Mike Scott</span>
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<p>Atlanta's bench got an early opportunity and played well enough in the first half but things didn't go as well in the second. They would have been sunk from the outset without Mike Scott who finished tied with a team-high of 20 points on a sparkling 8-11 shooting. Scott once again showed off his ever improving three-point shot going 4-6 and helped spear head Atlanta's comeback attempt in the fourth quarter. He grabbed four rebounds and dare I say looked better and more active on the defensive end of the floor.</p>
<h4>Shot Chart Superlatives - Kyle Korver</h4>
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<p>What can really be said about Kyle Korver that hasn't already been said? At this point, I am surprised when he misses especially from three-point range. He was on point from the outset Wednesday night finishing with 20 points while going 7-10 from the field and 6-7 from beyond-the-arc.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/30/7130871/hawks-vs-raptors-recap-analysisKris Willis2014-10-29T22:35:49-04:002014-10-29T22:35:49-04:00Hawks comeback bid falls short against Raptors
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<figcaption>John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Atlanta Hawks mounted a furious fourth quarter rally but come up short in a 109-102 loss to the Toronto Raptors. </p> <p>The regular season opens on a sour note for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> with a 109-102 loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.raptorshq.com/">Toronto Raptors</a>. Atlanta mounted a furious fourth quarter rally and cut a 19 point deficit to just four with 35.9 seconds remaining behind a desperate defense and some hot shooting from <span>Mike Scott</span> and <span>Jeff Teague</span>. However, a late offensive rebound by <span>DeMar DeRozan</span> and two ensuing free throws proved to be the difference and denied Atlanta's comeback bid.</p>
<p>Both teams traded punches in the early going. The Hawks used a 7-0 run to close to within a single point at 51-50 with just over two minutes remaining in the half. The Raptors responded after a time out and closed the half with a 9-2 run to take a 60-52 lead into the intermission.</p>
<p>Toronto poured it on in the third and continued to pound away at the Hawks. The Raptors outscored Atlanta 26-19 in the period and extended the lead to 86-71 heading to the fourth.</p>
<p>Atlanta shot 50 percent from the field in the game and connected on 13-22 attempts from three-point range. They however were undone by 19 turnovers and their struggles from the free throw line where they were just 9-17. In contrast Toronto was 27-33 from the charity stripe and only turned the ball over 10 times. The Raptors held a 48-42 rebounding advantage that included 16 offensive boards. That was more than enough to cover up their 41 percent shooting and 8-26 mark from three-point range.</p>
<p><span>Kyle Korver</span>, Jeff Teague and Mike Scott all finished with 20 points for Atlanta. Korver went 6-7 from three-point range while Scott finished 4-6. <span>Al Horford</span> and <span>Paul Millsap</span> both finished with double doubles but struggled a bit offensively. Horford finished with 12 points, 13 rebounds and three assists on 6-15 shooting. Millsap posted the solid line of 13 points, 10 rebounds and five assists but was 4-13 from the field and 5-9 from the free throw line.</p>
<p><span>Jonas Valanciunas</span> led seven different Raptors in double figures with 17 points. <span>Amir Johnson</span> logged a double double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. DeMar DeRozan had a tough shooting night going 4-16 but finished with a career-high 11 rebounds to go along with six steals.</p>
<p>Atlanta is back in action on Saturday when they take on the Indiana Pacers in their home opener at Philips Arena.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/29/7130043/hawks-vs-raptors-final-scoreKris Willis2014-10-29T19:08:36-04:002014-10-29T19:08:36-04:00Hawks broadcast crew ready to go<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="https://twitter.com/BobRathbunTV/status/527597366959144960">Hawks broadcast crew ready to&nbsp;go</a></h3>
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https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/29/7129381/hawks-broadcast-crew-ready-to-goKris Willis2014-10-29T18:57:14-04:002014-10-29T18:57:14-04:00Payne, Jenkins inactive against Raptors
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<figcaption>Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>John Jenkins and Adreian Payne will be the Hawks' two inactive players against the Raptors according to head coach Mike Budenholzer. </p> <p>There has been a lot of discussion as to what the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>' rotation will look like heading into the season opener. To this point, <span>Mike Budenholzer</span> has been tight lipped but we got our first hint when he named the inactives for tonight's game against Toronto. Rookie big man <span>Adreian Payne</span> and <span>John Jenkins</span> will not dress against Toronto.</p>
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<p>John Jenkins and Adreian Payne are the two "inactives" for us tonight.</p>
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/527593087955402752">October 29, 2014</a>
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<p>Not a very big surprise coming out of the preseason. Jenkins got off to a great start during the exhibition season but seemed to be behind some of the other guards as the preseason wore on. Payne is still getting acclimated to the pro game and to the Hawks system. Atlanta is carrying a full 15 man roster and teams are permitted to dress only 13 each night. Its highly unlikely that all 13 players dressing will see playing time.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/29/7129325/hawks-vs-raptors-inactivesKris Willis