Hawks vs. 76ers:

Atlanta is here to “Play”

By: Michael A. Chase Jr.

6/5/2021

       With the Atlanta Hawks having disposed of the 4th seed New York Knicks less than a week ago they have advanced to Round 2 of the NBA playoffs. Their sights are now focused on the 1 seed in the Eastern Conference the Philadelphia 76ers. Many would have already had the 76ers winning this series going in. Though, due to the compromised health of Joel Embiid and superstar rise of Point Guard Trae Young this series looks to be far more even. This article will look to highlight two key matchups that the Hawks need to win. While also discussing key areas, the Hawks must be successful in to gain an advantage in the series.

            To begin, lets address 2 key matchups that will be pivotal for the Hawks throughout the series. The first matchup is Trae Young versus Danny Green/Matisse Thybulle/Ben Simmons. This matchup is key because for the 76ers to slow down the Hawks offensive efficiency, they need to slow Trae Young. Young will have multiple defenders thrown at him throughout the series. As with Philly having a gluttony of strong wing defenders with size, they will look to challenge Young off every pick and roll during this series. Being physical with him and look to bother him on and off ball. It will be crucial for Young as he did against New York to use his craftiness and quickness. Take care of the basketball and continue to play through contact and get defenders in foul trouble. This way the Atlanta offense can flow as smoothly as it did throughout the first round.

            The second key matchup to watch will be Clint Capela versus Joel Embiid. Obviously if Embiid either misses games or plays hobbled in this series Capela must win or at least stalemate this matchup. Capela must continue to be a force on the boards and be able to defend without fouling against Embiid if/when he plays in the series. His ability as a shot blocker will be huge for Atlanta to keep Philly from easy paint points. While he needs to dominate the offensive boards to give Atlanta more possessions versus a terrific Philly defense. Whether Embiid plays or not, Capela must be the interior force he has been this season and, in the playoffs, thus, far to give Atlanta a chance.

            There are also two phases of this series the Hawks must win to give themselves the best chance to pull the upset. These two areas of the game are how they defend Ben Simmons, and the production of the wing shooters in this series.

            In terms of defending Ben Simmons, how the Hawks go about keeping him out of the paint and less effective in the 76ers offense comes down to 2 ideals. These being defensive discipline and team rebounding. The discipline the Hawks must demonstrate when defending Simmons is key to limiting his impact. They must be smart to give him space to take away his drives, while committing to stopping the ball in transition to keep him out of the open floor. They will also need to be aware to foul him when he does get to the rim and make him earn his points at the free throw line. While taking away his passing options and forcing him to score which is not a strength. As far as the effort to rebound, they must keep Simmons off the offensive boards. Making sure they put a body on him when any shot goes up on a defensive possession to limit his impact on the offensive glass. On offense the more possessions they can acquire through offensive rebounding the fewer transition chances for Simmons to work his magic. Meaning the Hawks will have hindered his impact on the game overall.

            The production of the wing shooters in this series will be significant for both teams. As both sides rely on effective 3-point shooting to open the floor offensively. Atlanta must continue to get contributions from wing players like De’Andre Hunter, Danilo Gallinari, and Lou Williams. Which in concert will make Trae Young’s life even easier on the offensive end. With the 76ers having shooters like Seth Curry, Danny Green, and Tobias Harris they have dangerous snipers. Meaning Atlanta will need to make sure they stay attached to 3-point shooters and contest without fouling all series. If they can gain an advantage in terms of 3-point shooting through their wing players that is huge for Atlanta to match Philly in an area that is a strength of theirs.

            Overall, this should be a great series between two teams with great young superstars. I do believe even though Philadelphia is still the favorite the Hawks are here to upset the apple cart. If they fixate and execute in the key areas mentioned, while managing to win the two key matchups discussed. I can certainly see the Hawks winning this series and moving onto the Eastern Conference Finals. Now the health of Joel Embiid plays a huge factor in this series also. As with the small meniscus tear in his knee his ability to dominate will be heavily hindered. Which means the Hawks may be set up for an even deeper run than many previously thought.