You know what the Hawks are going to do on every pick and roll. I know it. Every hoops fan knows it — the Hawks switch. They think their bigs — Al Horford, Josh Smith — are quick enough and long enough to bother point guards into bad shots.
Not Brandon Jennings. All night in game four (and through large parts of game three) he abused the Hawks bigs. Half of his 16 shots came as layups, four more came right on the edge of the key. On those he was 9 of 12. He was killing the Hawks because the Bucks got the matchup they wanted, and they isolated it.
Atlanta tried some traditional pick-and-roll defense, but the guards showed no passion to fight through the pick. Even if he did fight through it, Jennings blows by Bibby faster than Smith or Horford. The Hawks live and die with their athletic bigs partially for that reason.
For one more night, they died. Now a series where the Hawks were huge favorites is 2-2 heading back to Atlanta after a 111-104 Milwaukee win. It’s a best of three and the Bucks look good.
The Bucks have made their adjustments and they are playing with Scott Skiles coached energy — they are just fun to watch because of the passion. The Hawks have not matched the adjustments or intensity. The Bucks have exposed the three seed in the east — even if they get out of this series, what do you think the Magic will do to Atlanta in the next round?
The Hawks problems start on defense — they have all season. This is a team that needs to get out and run, needs those easy transition baskets. But despite all the athletes, they are average on defense (14th in the league in defensive efficiency at 104 points per 100 possessions). They don’t create the turnovers. They don’t get the stops. They don’t get the rebounds. Especially on the road.
Can’t run when you’re taking the ball out of the basket. And the Bucks shot 55 percent as a team. Carlos Delfino was 6 of 8 from three. John Salmons was 6 of 9 and got to the free throw line 10 times. My god, Dan Gadzuric was 3 for 3. The Bucks hit buckets.
Forced into their halfcourt routine it’s pretty much the Joe Johnson show for the Hawks, he had 29 on 50 percent shooting. Josh Smith was better, 20 points on 7 of 11. Bibby was 5 of 7 from three. Crawford had 21 on 50 percent shooting. They didn’t really have bad numbers, but it wasn’t pretty.
The Hawks want the quick strike, and if they can’t run they want a three. They pas up more decent inside shots for kick-out threes than any team not in the Bay Area. Without Bogut the Hawks need to attack inside, but Kurt Thomas stopped them tonight. Thomas should not stop them.
Thomas flopped a couple times and got calls (no way, no how Bibby knocks Thomas over like Mike is suddenly Earl Campbell). Some borderline calls went to the Bucks, but the Hawks got caught up in that. They stopped playing their game. They stopped attacking.
It all may change in a few days back in Atlanta. But there will be a game six. And the Bucks are hungry, they have tasted the blood in the water and they are in a feeding frenzy. The Hawks are going to have to find themselves and some defensive energy again to win this series.
