Cavs-Hawks: 4 Players No One Talks About
The Atlanta Hawks advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals in the same manner as the Cleveland Cavaliers, by winning 8 games. Yet the Hawks are rarely mentioned with the same hallowed glow. The Hawks are reduced to an anecdote or a quick afterthought. Oh, them. That team that won 60 games. That group of guys who won 19 games in a row. Large segments of the national media corps consider the superstar deprived Atlanta Hawks an inferior roadblock to another LeBron James coronation.
Already the enduring narratives of the Cavs-Hawks series are set in stone. Will Jeff Teague be aggressive? What can Kyrie Irving give? Can DeMarre Carroll defend LeBron? Will Kyle Korver find his jump shot? How often will Timofey Mosgov leave the box to guard Al Horford’s mid-range? Are the Cavs too banged up?
And, of course, there is the incessant deconstruction of LeBron James, from his leadership to his up and down offense and the relationship he has with his coach, David Blatt.
This is hardly new territory. The hellish glare of the lights are reserved for the exceptional. Nevertheless, players who aren’t explosive enough or polarizing enough or dynamic enough still have an important role in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Paul Millsap, Tristan Thompson Mike Muscala and James Jones are often overlooked even as they are essential for their team’s success. Millsap, Thompson, Muscala and Jones have to play well under pressure if their respective teams hope to advance to the NBA Finals. Here’s what they are capable of.
Paul Millsap: Mr. Relentless
The soul of the Atlanta Hawks, Paul Millsap defines what it means to play the right way. Versatile and committed, tenacious and gritty, Millsap rebounds the ball, passes on the block, scores inside and out and controls the pace. But, his biggest contribution is his toughness and consistency. The 2006 second round pick approaches the game the same way miners search for coal. He digs in and never, ever lets up as he is relentless in his will to achieve.
Against the Wizards, he went up against a much taller Nene and outplayed him 5 out of 6 games. His worst game was when he played with a sinus infection.
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Because Millsap has never been given anything before he has earned it, his on-court intensity and focus distinguish him from his peers who, often, take plays off. Not so with Millsap who seems to remind himself and everyone else the ridiculous fact that 45 players were drafted before him. Millsap’s best games in the playoffs have been in close-out games on the road, when the Hawks needed leadership and he provided it.
In Brooklyn, in game 6, Millsap had 25 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists which propelled the Hawks to a 24 point lead. In Washington, in game 6, Millsap had 20 points and 13 rebounds; he played 40 minutes. With less than two minutes left and the Hawks trailing by one, he drilled a jumper to give the Hawks a one point lead. His playoffs have been stellar.
- 15.7 points per game
- 9 rebounds
- 4 assists
- 2 blocks
Tristan Thompson: Trusting Himself
Earlier in the year, Tristan Thompson, a lottery pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, turned down a $13 million/per year extension preferring to bet on his ability to raise his earning capacity. With LeBron James as a teammate, and with LeBron James trust in him, Thompson’s gamble has paid off as he has had a great playoff run by doing the small things that don’t necessarily fly off the page but are the difference between winning and losing.
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In his first playoff run, Thompson is proof of impacting the game without taking a lot of shots. He only takes 5 shots per game but his aggression and mania on the offensive glass is the primary reason the Cavaliers beat the Chicago Bulls. In the close-out game in Chicago, Thompson had 17 rebounds, 13 points and 2 blocks. At times, watching Thompson was eerily similar to watching a flashback of a young Dennis Rodman swallow up the lane and grab everything in sight. He defends and he rarely fouls.
- 56% shooting
- 9 rebounds
- 4 offensive rebounds
Mike Muscala: Surpassing Expectations
The best thing that happened to Mike Muscala, besides signing a free agent deal with the Hawks after a year in Spain, was his insertion into the starting lineup to replace an injured Paul Millsap. Muscala had a stretch of three games in which he shot 82%, averaged 14 points and 5 rebounds. The Hawks offense, based upon sharing, found its way into Muscala’s hands and he confidently took open shots, moved without ball, found the open man and created trust so Mike Budenholzer would not hesitate to use him coming off the bench in the playoffs.
Muscala played in the last four playoff games against the Wizards and provided both an offensive and defensive spark for the Hawks second unit.
- 66% shooting
- 7 points
- 13 minutes
James Jones: Shooting the Lights Out (As Usual)
Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra once said that James Jones was the most dedicated player he had ever coached, bar none. He was referring to Jones practice habits and his preparation. Odds were Jones would not play. But that didn’t change his approach, nor was his psyche affected by watching on the bench; he always stayed committed and ready. Each and every day Jones came to practice as if he was going to play 35 minutes in the next game. He wasn’t affected by playing zero minutes; Spoelstra marveled at that level of professionalism. And of course, the talent of James Jones in making uncontested three points shots.
Over 10 playoff seasons and 118 playoff games, James Jones has shot 40% from three and has two NBA Titles. In a must win game 2 against Chicago, Jones had 17 points on 56% shooting from three which allowed the Cavaliers to tie the series. A favorite of LeBron James on the perimeter, and a former Miami Heat teammate, Jones is skilled at getting open for the corner three and knocking down uncontested shots. These are his 2015 playoff numbers.
- 50% on long two’s
- 43% corner threes