Hawks at Celtics Preview: Game Info & Two Key Questions

In each of their first two games against the Celtics, the Hawks have risen to the level of one of the NBA’s best teams but come up just short in both instances. In early January, they dropped a Boston three-point game in Boston after a go-ahead jumper was blocked in the final seconds; a month later, Atlanta outplayed Boston for much of the game but couldn’t overcome a third-quarter onslaught from one of the league’s best third-quarter offenses. The Celtics won the two meetings by a combined 11 points, though that margin was increased by free throws in the final seconds.

Start Time: Friday, February 7, 2020, 7:30 p.m. ET

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

TV: FOX Sports Southeast, NBC Sports Boston

Streaming: NBA League Pass, FOX Sports Go

Spread: BOS -9

On Friday, the two sides will meet again in Boston, and these two questions could shape the course of the game:

What does John Collins look like next to Dewayne Dedmon?

With Clint Capela unlikely to play due to a bruised right heel, Dedmon would figure to start in his first game back with the Hawks. We have some idea of what Collins could look like next to a floor-spacing and rim-protecting big man like Dedmon because that exact pairing was Atlanta’s primary starting frontcourt the last two seasons. During his stint in Atlanta, Dedmon was exactly the kind of big man that pairs best with a bouncy roll man like Collins. He opened up the lane with his shooting ability, knocking down 38 percent of his 3-pointers, and provided capable rim protection on defense.

Dedmon struggled mightily in 34 games with the Kings this year, raising valid questions about how effective he’ll be in Atlanta, but if he and an improved Collins can recapture their offensive magic, it should make a meaningful difference in Atlanta’s spacing and overall offensive efficiency. Defensively, he might not be quite the same athlete around the rim that he was last year, but simply having a competent and vocal veteran on the back line should raise the Hawks’ baseline on that end. Collins has improved as a back-line defender and communicator this season; pairing him with another reliable rim protector ought to make Atlanta stingier at the basket.

Last season, Atlanta posted a 111.0 offensive rating when Collins, Dedmon, and Trae Young shared the court – a mark that would land around the league average this year; add Kevin Huerter to that group, and their efficiency rose to 112 points per 100 possessions. In more than 1400 possessions with Young, Huerter, Collins, and Dedmon on the floor together last year, over 75 percent of Atlanta’s shots came at the rim or from 3, and the team posted a 55.1 effective field goal percentage.

The theoretical extra space on offense could be particularly useful against a team like Boston, who plays one rim protector and four smaller perimeter players. Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward, and Marcus Smart are all capable defenders, but if Dedmon can successfully stretch Daniel Theis (or Enes Kanter) away from the paint, there may not be much those four can do against the tall and springy Collins.

Who does Trae Young guard if the Celtics are healthy?

Young’s defensive limitations hinder his team against most every opponent, but Boston is the kind of team that casts them into even starker relief. There is no good hiding place for a defender like Young against a team that boasts three skilled, versatile wings next to one of the NBA’s most dynamic point guards. Even when Smart checks in, guards like Young aren’t spared from his physical post-ups and aggressive drives.

Atlanta might be able to avoid some of those issues on Friday if Brown, Hayward, and Walker – all of whom are currently listed as questionable with various lower-body injuries – aren’t able to play (Smart is probable). Young guarded Javonte Green on Monday, and he, Brad Wanamaker, and Romeo Langford give Young more obvious hiding places than a lineup of four All Star-caliber perimeter players. Assuming full strength on Boston’s side, Young will most likely start on Walker, but it will require help from all over the floor to contain him.

The Celtics’ personnel causes issues for even the league’s most talented defensive teams, and nightmares for opponents with turnstiles at the point of attack. They will likely target Young in pick-and-rolls, post-ups, and isolations, forcing him to expend additional energy in the process. This type of conundrum is where Dedmon and Capela (once he gets healthy) come in handy. If all he must do is funnel guards toward a lurking rim protector rather than wall them off entirely, Young’s job becomes much easier. Still, it will be incumbent upon Young to give more defensive effort than usual against a team that demands nothing less. That’s a difficult ask given how much responsibility he carries on offense, but that’s the kind of bind into which balanced, talented teams force their opponents.