Hawks vs. Hornets Live Notebook
Pregame
Atlanta will be relatively healthy for what feels like the first time all season. Kevin Huerter will make his first start since November 12, and while he'll be limited to just 25 minutes, his shooting and passing presence will be a critical element of the Hawks' offense.
De'Andre Hunter will come off the bench but play without a minutes restriction as he returns from a dislocated right finger. Fellow rookie Cam Reddish will start in his place.
With the exception of small forward, Lloyd Pierce will use his usual starters -- Trae Young, Huerter, Jabari Parker, and Damian Jones. For a full preview of tonight's game, click here.
First Quarter
Jones Seeks Early Opportunities
Damian Jones has gotten free around the rim three times early on, but finished just one of those shots. Trae Young and Kevin Huerter aren't being bashful about firing away from well beyond the arc, which could eventually pull Charlotte's pick-and-roll traps even further out on the floor if those shots fall.
Hawks Defense Remains a Mess
It feels mean-spirited to continue harping on it, but Atlanta's frontcourt defense is a massive issue. Jabari Parker's closeouts on the perimeter offer no resistance or containment, leaving him vulnerable to drives by quicker -- and sometimes even slower -- power forwards. Already the Hornets have created multiple attempts inside due to lazy efforts from Parker.
Meanwhile, Jones' inability to grab a contested defensive rebound has been a major reason for the Hawks' team rebounding struggles. He takes so long to load up and get off the floor that smaller and stronger players can simply outjump or outmaneuver him on the glass. Case in point: Devonte' Graham, Charlotte's point guard, tipped in his own missed floater over Jones, who didn't even get off the ground.
Huerter as Backup Point Guard
As expected, Kevin Huerter has been the Hawks' primary ball-handler with Young off the floor. I'm interested to see how Huerter's timing and passing looks as he works his way back up to speed against NBA competition.
DeAndre' Bembry did not play in the first quarter. I wonder if that's merely a product of Reddish, Huerter, and Hunter playing so much early or if there's something else at play.
Hornets lead, 27-24, after the first quarter.
Second Quarter
Young and Huerter, Working in Tandem
A nice set from Lloyd Pierce gets Bruno Fernando an easy layup early in the quarter. Young and Fernando set staggered screens for Huerter, moving to his right, before Young turned around and came off a pick from Fernando. Both defenders jumped at Young, and Fernando slipped unencumbered to the rim:
Plays like this one are evidence of how Young and Huerter benefit from playing off of one another, and why Huerter's was such a crucial absence. Young should get easier shots by playing off the ball, and his shooting gravity will create opportunities for others. Hornets lead 29-26.
Bembry Giving Hawks Life
Bembry has been outstanding in the second quarter. He made two hustle plays to deter shots at the rim before keeping an offensive rebound alive on a possession that eventually resulted in a Young floater. A possession later, he drives and finishes through Charlotte's defense. Hornets lead 41-37.
Hawks Get Creative With Young On the Bench
Pierce is rolling with a wing-heavy lineup in the second quarter without Young on the court, using Huerter at point guard with Crabbe, Hunter, Vince Carter, and Alex Len. I like this as a way to keep some shooting and defensive versatility on the floor. While this unit is a bit thin on playmaking, Hunter and Carter can do enough with the ball in their hands for Huerter to shoulder the rest of the playmaking load.
Now that the Hawks are mostly healthy, Pierce should have more leeway to experiment with his rotation, and figuring out which groups work when Young rests will be an important part of that experimentation. The aforementioned fivesome played Charlotte even in just over two minutes of work. Hornets lead 48-44.
Third Quarter
Huerter Affecting Both Ends
Kevin Huerter has been excellent on both sides of the ball tonight, giving the Hawks much-needed playmaking and shooting while defending Charlotte's guards capably. He has slithered over screens to prevent pull-up jumpers and stayed in plays to contain Devonte' Graham and Terry Rozier even after they get downhill. One of his two steals came on a canny read of the Hornets' set and the other was a strip of a layup attempt on the way up.
As a team, the Hawks have held Charlotte under 1.10 points per possession -- a tidy mark relative to Atlanta's 1.15 mark for the full season.
Washington Keeping Hornets Together
P.J. Washington has given Charlotte a nice lift with 12 points, six rebounds, three assists, and two blocks. The rookie has made some wonderful connective plays on offense, particularly with his passing as a roll man. He has hit two 3-pointers, and his versatility on both ends has been a pleasant surprise for Charlotte this year.
Young Finding His Way In Pick-and-Roll
The Hawks are using Allen Crabbe in the pick-and-pop with Young before bringing Len up for a second screen. Because Charlotte is switching small-to-small screens, Young is able to involve a weaker defender in that second pick-and-roll with Len and the strategy has given the Hawks a few clean scoring chances.
Fourth Quarter
Young With Another Strong Defensive Effort
The Hornets are attacking Young in the pick-and-roll on nearly every play, but the point guard hasn't folded against the exhausting task of keeping up. He's chasing shooters and darting over screens with an energy he doesn't always bring on that end of the floor, and it's made a real difference for Atlanta's defense. Bigs like Damian Jones and Alex Len have an easier job if their guards stay on ball-handlers' hips and recover hard to get back in front of the ball, which Young has done for most of this game.
Atlanta's offense took off late in the third quarter when each team's starters left the floor and the Hawks' ability to hold Charlotte at bay during that stretch allowed them to create some separation in the fourth. Young is only 5-of-15 from the field for 21 points, but his impact has been evident on both ends.
Turnovers & 3-Point Shooting Working in Atlanta's Favor
Two factors that have swung this game in the Hawks' direction so far: creating 3-pointers and taking care of the ball. Atlanta has turned the ball over on just 12 percent of its possessions (down from 17 percent for the season) and taken 46 percent of its shots from deep, according to Cleaning the Glass -- including 10 percent from the corners.
Huerter's presence has made a difference in the quality of his team's shots, and it certainly helps that the Hawks have hit over 43 percent of their 3s. Vince Carter and Allen Crabbe are a combined 6-of-10 from distance off the bench while Jabari Parker has drilled two of his three long attempts.
That sort of shooting isn't sustainable from game to game, but the efficacy with which Atlanta is generating those shots could be. The Hawks are moving the ball well, which has scrambled Charlotte's defense and left shooters open. When a team ends possessions like that instead of turning the ball over, the results are even more profitable.
The Mysterious Absence of DeAndre' Bembry
Despite playing well in the first half, Bembry has seen the court for all of six minutes tonight while Hunter, Huerter, and Reddish have played the lion's share of the wing minutes. (Similarly Nic Batum has not played yet for Charlotte.)
It's hard to argue with the results Atlanta's other wings have provided, but it is curious that Bembry, a favorite of Lloyd Pierce's, seems to be the odd man out right now.
