Atlanta Hawks: 3 keys to winning the first round against the New York Knicks
Atlanta Hawks key No. 3) Keep the offense moving
The Knicks have had the best defense in the NBA this season. They hold their opponents to 104.7 points per game which is an impressive number. They play really well in a half-court set, and because they don’t turn the ball over very often, it is hard to get transition points against them.
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However, to counter that the Hawks have the speed of Young which will help break down the defense. He can either shoot the 3-ball, hit his paint running floater, pass to a big inside the paint or get the ball out to a lethal shooter. However, if the Hawks trap Young then Bogdanovic is going to hurt them.
The Hawks are 23rd in the league in pace and this will need to improve so that the Knicks cannot set up on defense. It needs to start with the Hawks defense though. They need to run the Knicks off the 3-point line every chance they get.
The Knicks have the 3-best percent from deep and have the second-worst percentage from inside the line. This should play to the Hawks’ strengths as they have the third-best perimeter defense in the league as well as the potential for Kris Dunn to play, making life hard on the point guards for the Knicks.
Next. Revisiting the Luka Doncic/Trae Young trade. dark
This should mean that the Hawks can get out and run off a missed shot, generating fast-break opportunities off the back of Clint Capela’s rebounding prowess. One thing is for sure, it is going to be a very entertaining playoff series.