Atlanta Hawks: 3 keys for revenge game against Dallas Mavericks
The Atlanta Hawks are looking ta avenge the six-point loss last time these two met. The Mavericks were paced by Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis in this starting unit. both having a double-double in their win.
However, it was not just the play of the starters which beat the Hawks, it was also two of their key reserves. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson were both really good in the win and have to be a part of the Hawks’ pregame planning.
John Collins, Kevin Huerter, and Clint Capela all had double-doubles in the loss with Trae Young just missing out by a single assist. Danilo Gallinari had a really good game off the bench with 19 points but was not great from deep going 2-of-8.
The Hawks’ are missing Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn, De’Andre Hunter, and Rajon Rondo through injury, per the Atlanta Hawks injury report.
Atlanta Hawks key No. 1) Free Trae Young
The Mavericks trapped Young as soon as he got over halfcourt last game. It was not a hard trap, they just sent a double to him and forced him to give up the ball. This meant that the Hawks had to rely on some of their other guys to make plays which made it harder for the Hawks to get into their offense effectively.
While coach Lloyd Pierce will have worked on plays to stop this from happening, if the Mavericks continue to have success in the strategy, maybe having Brandon Goodwin play alongside Young might help. While this would be a huge issue defensively, maybe the Hawks can break the trap and free Young more often.
Atlanta Hawks key No. 2) Be the better bench
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Thanks largely to the efforts of Hardway and Smith, the Hawks bench was able to assist the starters with 36 points. The Mavericks bench also had 10 rebounds and four assists, playing extremely well with their starters
Conversely, the Hawks bench only put up 27 points thanks to the efforts of Gallinari and Tony Snell. They also had nine rebounds and eight assists. While the Hawks bench is depleted, they need to step up more as a unit
Atlanta Hawks key matchup) Trae Young vs Luka Doncic
These two will be forever linked as the Hawks traded back in the draft from pick No. 3 to pick No. 5 in the 2018 NBA draft in order to get Young. The fact that Doncic has been incredible since he hit the court has meant that the Hawks have been questioned as to whether they made the right call.
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If Doncic puts up his usual numbers then the Mavericks are going to be in the contest. If Young puts up his usual number then the Hawks should win. This shows that the Hawks made the right call for their franchise. These two players hold the future of their franchises in their respective hands.