Atlanta Hawks: What impact does Blake Griffin signing with the Brooklyn Nets have?
The Atlanta Hawks wisely did not try and sign Blake Griffin. He does not fit with their timeline and, due to his knee injuries, is not able to defend when asked to move laterally. His lack of defense does not appear to worry the Brooklyn Nets, who are expected to sign Griffin once he clears waivers.
The Nets do not appear to place an emphasis on defense. They are 27th in the league for points allowed but that is not a problem when you are first in the league in points scored. With James Harden, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving in the lineup, that is not surprising.
It is not surprising that the Nets are ranked fourth in 3-point attempts made, seventh in 3-point shots made, and second in 3-point percentage on the season. Given the Hawks have one of the top perimeter defenses in the NBA, they are a good matchup for the Nets.
How the Atlanta Hawks are impacted by the Blake Griffin signing.
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The Nets just got bigger and better in their starting unit. They have two players in their frontcourt who played together for years for the LA Clippers who have re-joined forces. They are both a little older and in Griffin’s case a lot slower, but they will still be a formidable frontcourt to defend.
They also have Joe Harris to come off the bench now and he will be shooting the ball against lesser quality defenders. This signing puts the Nets on a level where the Hawks would not be able to challenge the Nets if they played again, which they do not.
Where the Griffin signing is going to help the Hawks the most is that the Nets play 11 games against Eastern Conference opponents who are ranked higher than the Hawks. If the Nets can beat them all then this will make the Hawks’ path to the playoffs easier. With all the injuries they have suffered, it would be nice for the Hawks to catch a break.