Phx-Suns.Net

Somebody tell Scott Foster that that's how the last 90 seconds of a close game should go, not last for 32 minutes.

Big fan of the Hawks. Love their roster make up and their depth. I think they'd give us a harder time. They can go 8-9 deep, shoot the ball well and have the bodies up front to give us a hard time. They're not as good defensively tho and their players can turn into chuckers (Trae, Huerter, Bogdan, LouWill, Gallo).

Bucks play bigger and I think play better defense but don't have the shooting or depth. There's also no offensive rhythm or flow. If Giannis isn't playing downhill, he's a lot less dangerous. Stick a big on him, keep him on the perimeter and he's not as scary.

Can you believe that the Hawks have done all this without 2-3 of their rotation players? They're missing DeAndre Hunter and Cam Reddish, along with Bogdanovic missing several games due to injury as well. That is a deep young team.

I can't remember the last time I saw such a browbeaten conference finals team as these Bucks. They're one round away from the Finals, but their team seems completely out of sorts. They managed to beat the Nets, which is a real accomplishment, but the Nets were hobbled and missing 2 of their big 3.

I really think the Hawks are going to make the finals. I've watched a lot of Bucks games, and they just don't seem to be capable of making adjustments between games: their offense pretty much always looks rythmless and stilted, too much 1v1 hero ball, and not enough ball movement. They also don't have enough great 3 point shooters to take advantage of when the ball movement does happen.

Atlanta is a TOUGH match-up for us. Young is so fast off the dribble that he gives CP3 trouble. They're big and long up front with great rebounding. They have wings that can hit the 3, and Collins is a threat at the 4. Our best hope for winning the title is dispatching the Clippers in 4-5, and hoping the Bucks series goes to 7. I want the Suns healthy and Rested, and the Hawks as beat up as possible.

The proliferation of 3-pointers and the (alleged) death of the midrange game often dominate the NBA conversation this time of year. But there’s a small part of the court that might be just as important yet doesn’t get much attention: inside the paint but outside the restricted area. That very specific battleground could very well decide the 2021 Eastern Conference finals.

Over the past three seasons, only two NBA teams have allowed more shots from that area of the floor than the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Second Spectrum. During that same time, just five players have attempted more shots from that region than Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young.

Massive implications for this series and perhaps beyond.

You just can’t play a drop defense on Trae…how long Milwaukee takes to figure that out will be key. It did seem that they pulled Lopez down the stretch. They may need to just play him in the Trae on the bench minutes. Start PJ and Connaughton alongside their big 3.

Split T wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:29 am

You just can’t play a drop defense on Trae…how long Milwaukee takes to figure that out will be key. It did seem that they pulled Lopez down the stretch. They may need to just play him in the Trae on the bench minutes. Start PJ and Connaughton alongside their big 3.

The Inside the NBA crew was preaching it at half time and after the game but Budenholzer can't figure it out?

Superbone wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:54 am

Split T wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 24, 2021 9:29 am

You just can’t play a drop defense on Trae…how long Milwaukee takes to figure that out will be key. It did seem that they pulled Lopez down the stretch. They may need to just play him in the Trae on the bench minutes. Start PJ and Connaughton alongside their big 3.

The Inside the NBA crew was preaching it at half time and after the game but Budenholzer can't figure it out?

It’s been a problem for them for years. Their defense hasn’t held up in the postseason. It’s been a bigger problem than Giannis being shutdown. It’s why they lost to Toronto. Bud just doesn’t adjust…some evidence that they are adjusting this year though. Game 2 will be revealing.

I think I’d move Giannis to the 5 full time…at least in the postseason. Can have a nominal starting 5 during the regular season, but not in the playoffs. At least not one like Brook Lopez

The Suns won 74 games the previous 3 seasons combined, and the Hawks won 73 games the previous 3 seasons combined (including 20 wins last season!). How amazing if these teams met in the NBA Finals.

Not watching, but seems like Bucks have figured things out. Up nearly 30 in the first half

How do we match up against the Bucks? Ayton on Giannis and Crowder on Lopez?

Cap wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:57 pm

How do we match up against the Bucks? Ayton on Giannis and Crowder on Lopez?

That’s what I’d do

We’ve had their number for the last few years.

Bucks stomp on the Hawks tonight. Funny how fortunes can change dramatically day to day.

The Bucks "should" win the series handily, but it's up to them whether they are going to make the proper adjustments to do so. ATL got totally stomped in this game, but getting a split in Milwaukee from the first two games is a great overall outcome for them. Now they have 2 games at home with a fired-up crowd. They hold home-court advantage in the series now. If I were a Milwaukee fan I'd still be anxious.

Everyone thinks the bucks will make quick work of the hawks. If I’m a bucks fan I’d worry about Middleton. He put up decent percentages but his shots aren’t falling, and I think Trae got thrown off in the first half of this game and if he’s as talented as everyone says he is he and McMillan will make adjustments and it won’t be as easy for the bucks’ role players to follow. I’d like to see this series go 7 obviously.

pickle wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 26, 2021 4:51 am

Everyone thinks the bucks will make quick work of the hawks. If I’m a bucks fan I’d worry about Middleton. He put up decent percentages but his shots aren’t falling, and I think Trae got thrown off in the first half of this game and if he’s as talented as everyone says he is he and McMillan will make adjustments and it won’t be as easy for the bucks’ role players to follow. I’d like to see this series go 7 obviously.

Even in yesterday's Game 2 blowout, Middleton hit just 2-7 on 3-pointers. He's off. (Middleton did give them 7 boards and 8 assists, though, to his credit.) Giannis hit 0-3 from 3 himself. It's weird that Brook Lopez is sometimes the guy I trust most in their starting lineup to hit an open 3; how messed up is that?

The Hawks do have a certain swagger and confidence to them, where each time they pull up for a 3 you feel like it's going in. Especially so when it's Trae, Gallo, Bogdanovic, or Huerter. (Trae shot 1-8 on 3s yesterday, so maybe that's a bad example.)

Mori Chu wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 26, 2021 9:37 am

pickle wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 26, 2021 4:51 am

Everyone thinks the bucks will make quick work of the hawks. If I’m a bucks fan I’d worry about Middleton. He put up decent percentages but his shots aren’t falling, and I think Trae got thrown off in the first half of this game and if he’s as talented as everyone says he is he and McMillan will make adjustments and it won’t be as easy for the bucks’ role players to follow. I’d like to see this series go 7 obviously.

Even in yesterday's Game 2 blowout, Middleton hit just 2-7 on 3-pointers. He's off. (Middleton did give them 7 boards and 8 assists, though, to his credit.) Giannis hit 0-3 from 3 himself. It's weird that Brook Lopez is sometimes the guy I trust most in their starting lineup to hit an open 3; how messed up is that?

The Hawks do have a certain swagger and confidence to them, where each time they pull up for a 3 you feel like it's going in. Especially so when it's Trae, Gallo, Bogdanovic, or Huerter. (Trae shot 1-8 on 3s yesterday, so maybe that's a bad example.)

That's exactly what I mean. Middleton wasn't making shots but got his fg% back up later in the game with a few shorter midrange shots. I'm with you that Lopez seems the most dependable floor spacer on that starting lineup, and he's shooting in the low 30s. At least his shot rarely gets bothered due to his size, I guess.

I think Trae's percentages are also quite low, but it's an important part of his game, and given his size he ends up shooting them from way farther out which also affects the percentages. Bogdanovic is hurt, which hurts the Hawks, and Huerter has had a few good games but he's not an every game scorer... when he's on he's quite amazing, but when he's not making shots it isn't as easy for him. Between these two teams I support the Hawks.

Safe to say the Bucks figured out the Hawks by now?

I'm just not that high on the Bucks. Way too predictable and dependent on three guys, none of whom can be trusted to be consistently good. And if/when their stars underperform like ours did the last two games, they don't have the skill set from 4-8 to pick it up or any depth beyond 8 that should be on a modern NBA roster.