NBA Tuesday Roundup: Offseason Changes Paying Dividends for Atlanta Hawks
If the Atlanta Hawks are to prove doubters wrong and continue asserting themselves as fringe Eastern Conference contenders—after the departures of Jeff Teague and Al Horford—they need to have gambled correctly on the biggest offseason moves. Tuesday night, they looked like they'd done exactly that during a 110-106 victory over the previously undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dwight Howard is the biggest piece of the new puzzle, bringing a changed identity on both ends as he fills up the paint.
Whereas Horford was the offensive hub who could contribute in every way imaginable and serve as a secondary playmaker, Howard is a roll threat who does virtually all of his damage around the basket. Defensively, he's not as mobile as the man he replaces, but his rim protection gives the Hawks a bona fide interior anchor.
Howard didn't do much on offense against the Cavaliers, recording just seven points on five shots. But he made a massive impact defensively and on the glass by pulling down 17 rebounds and tallying three rejections. His mere presence as a weak-side shot-blocker altered Cleveland's schemes and made Tristan Thompson noticeably hesitant as he attacked the basket.
This, in a nutshell, is the new defensive element:
As for the rebounding, this wasn't a one-night development. Howard is the main reason a team that ranked No. 30 (in historic fashion) and No. 25 in offensive and defensive rebounding percentage last year entered the Tuesday contest at No. 5 and No. 10, respectively. And that was before it hauled in 11 offensive boards—and 50 total—against the defending champions.
Cue Fox Sports' Chris Broussard:
That might not be true in a vacuum, but Howard is clearly proving critics wrong and showing off a resurgent game as he helps spark the 5-2 Hawks.
Dennis Schroder is starting to do the same thing, affirming the team's obvious belief in him even after he inked a four-year deal worth $70 million. The point guard exploded for 28 points (a new career high) and six assists against Kyrie Irving and the Cavaliers, shooting 10-of-16 from the field and 3-of-6 from downtown.
None were bigger than this late dagger after Channing Frye sagged off and dared him to shoot:
Schroder has been inconsistent during the season's opening salvo. He entered the Cleveland contest shooting just 43.2 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc, while turnovers had occasionally reared their ugly head.
But when the 23-year-old is feeling it, he changes the dynamic of the Atlanta offense.
Where Teague was comfortable operating in a ball-sharing scheme and doing his damage around the hoop, his replacement constantly probes and waits for an opportunity to show off his speed. He's a jumper away from emerging as an elite floor general, which is what makes games like Tuesday's so exciting for the Atlanta faithful.
"They say it's my team," the German guard said before the start of the season, per Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "I'm the point guard. For me, pressure is not really there because I've got so many guys who play on a (high) level. ... I just try to do what I can to help the team win. Pressure is not there."
Against an elite opponent, he played like he believed it.
No one is asking Schroder to be the Hawks' best player. For that matter, the same can be said about Howard, so long as Paul Millsap is still on the roster. But if this new-look squad is to assert itself as a threat to the Cavs—during the playoffs, not the regular season—both have to play like they believe ascending to the top of the internal totem pole is a distinct possibility.
So far, so good.
The Blazers' Backcourt Is Better than Your Backcourt
Eric Bledsoe did his darnedest, dropping 31 points, four rebounds and four assists. Six other members of the Phoenix Suns chipped in with at least 10 points—Devin Booker (23), TJ Warren (12), P.J. Tucker (11), Brandon Knight (11), Dragan Bender (10) and Leandro Barbosa (10).
But their combined efforts still weren't enough in a 124-121 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.
When C.J. McCollum is rolling, as he has for two consecutive games now, there's little opponents can do. The shooting guard recorded 33 points on just 18 shots from the field while connecting on four triples and filling up the box score with other contributions.
McCollum, however, wasn't alone. Highlighted by the deep threes you can see below, Damian Lillard also went supernova:
The dynamic point guard finished with 38 points on 12-of-23 shooting, and he was virtually unstoppable down the stretch. It was just the latest reminder of his immense offensive prowess during a season in which he's seemed bound and determined to receive his due credit.
But, as Evans Clinchy wrote for Blazer's Edge, individual accolades aren't all that matters here:
"Is all of that - the shooting, the pick-and-roll creativity, the passing game, the crunch-time heroics - enough to really and truly vault Dame into the MVP conversation? I don't freakin' know, and to be honest with you, I don't really freakin' care. He might still be a long way from that point, but that's fine if he is.
What I do know is that Lillard looks like a better player than he's ever been, and moreover, he's a better fit for these Trail Blazers. Beyond that? Meh. Whatever happens, happens. Let the individual accolades fall where they may.
"
Tuesday night, he just continued to look better than ever.
And with Klay Thompson struggling for the Golden State Warriors, while both Lillard and McCollum thrive in Rip City, it's hard to think of a more dangerous backcourt right now.
Harrison Barnes. Again.
We are now living in the age of Harrison Barnes.
His performance against the Los Angeles Lakers was only his latest superlative showing, as you can probably ascertain by glancing at his early-season game log:
| @ Pacers | 19 | 9 | 0 |
| Rockets | 31 | 5 | 1 |
| @ Rockets | 10 | 5 | 0 |
| @ Jazz | 14 | 2 | 1 |
| Trail Blazers | 17 | 10 | 0 |
| Bucks | 34 | 8 | 2 |
| @ Lakers | 31 | 2 | 2 |
Barnes is now averaging 22.3 points and 5.9 rebounds while shooting 50.8 percent from the field, 34.6 percent from downtown and 92.0 percent at the charity stripe. Despite the (seemingly justified) criticism of the max contract he signed this offseason, he's actually looked the part of a franchise centerpiece for a Dallas Mavericks outfit that has struggled for consistent offense.
Now, we have to figure out where so many went wrong. John Ledesma has some ideas:
Is it possible every one of the options is contributing to this post-hype breakout?
While it's reasonable to assume Barnes was more likely to thrive in a Golden State system that got him so many open looks, he may well be a rhythm player who benefits immensely from creating more opportunities and taking on that much more offensive responsibility.
He definitely doesn't lack basketball pedigree and is only 24 years old, so there's no reason to have given up on him yet.
Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle is unquestionably a genius capable of turning role players into so much more, as he's demonstrated year after year while willing lackluster teams into the playoffs.
And as for this being a fluke, Barnes' shooting will almost certainly regress at least a little bit; it's possible to be optimistic and realistic here.
But it's the legitimacy of the former option that should make the Mavericks fanbase overjoyed.
The Brooklyn Nets Are...Fun?
Insomuch as a victory over a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2004 can be a marquee victory, the Brooklyn Nets' 119-110 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves was, well, just that.
The upstart Nets withstood Andrew Wiggins' 36-point onslaught. They survived this massive dunk from Karl-Anthony Towns:
And they won, bringing their record on the year to an impressive 3-4. Minnesota can now join the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons as teams that have succumbed to a squad commonly expected to finish at or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn isn't suddenly going to become a playoff contender. That's expecting too much from this developing squad, even if it's looked far more impressive than anyone thought possible at the beginning of the year. But it's quickly proving it's very watchable.
If you don't enjoy observing Brook Lopez (26 points) go to work, you can focus on the pick-and-roll excellence of Jeremy Lin, (though he didn't suit up Tuesday night). If that's not for you, you can zoom in on Rondae Hollis-Jefferson's fearless defense or the impressive offensive contributions of the bench mob—Sean Kilpatrick, Justin Hamilton and Joe Harris all continue to make positive impacts.
A reality check should be coming soon for the Nets, but they've already made it clear they don't intend to serve as doormats.
Anthony Davis' Misery Continues
Anthony Davis had yet another big game during his team's 102-94 loss to DeMarcus Cousins and the Sacramento Kings, but his 34 points, eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and four blocks weren't enough. It's been the story of the season for the 0-8 New Orleans Pelicans, who just can't seem to capitalize on the superstar's monstrous performances.
Of course, it would help if they had better pieces around Davis. Just look at how he's disproportionately contributed to the squad, per these stats from NBA Math:
Terrence Jones and Tim Frazier have literally been the only other above-average players on the roster, and those aren't the guys you typically want serving as your No. 2 and No. 3 presences.
But the 0-8 start isn't the only concern. Taking a peek at the upcoming schedule doesn't offer much hope for a turnaround:
| Nov. 10 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | 4-3 |
| Nov. 12 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-4 |
| Nov. 14 | Boston Celtics | 3-3 |
| Nov. 16 | @ Orlando Magic | 3-4 |
| Nov. 18 | Portland Trail Blazers | 5-3 |
| Nov. 19 | Charlotte Hornets | 5-1 |
| Nov. 22 | @ Atlanta Hawks | 5-2 |
| Nov. 23 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 1-5 |
| Nov. 25 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | 5-3 |
| Nov. 27 | @ Dallas Mavericks | 2-5 |
| Nov. 29 | Los Angeles Lakers | 4-4 |
Maybe the Pelicans can get off the schneid on the road against the Milwaukee Bucks. Perhaps the Lakers will cool down and give them a chance at victory.
But if they can't win either of those games, it's not entirely unrealistic that Davis could be trying to lead his team to its first "W" at home against the Lakers on Nov. 29, trying desperately to avoid carrying a goose egg all the way into December.
Play of the Night
The Memphis Grizzlies and Denver Nuggets played a thoroughly entertaining game filled with plenty of lead changes and drama at the end.
Emmanuel Mudiay got hot for the second outing in a row, showing off his improved shot as he recorded 23 points, four rebounds and seven assists. He even gave his team the lead in the closing seconds with a breakaway slam after Gary Harris stripped Mike Conley of possession—the start of a messy finish that featured far too many players losing control of the rock.
The point guard wasn't the only Denver standout, though. All five starters finished in double figures, while Jamal Murray made it six off the bench.
As for Memphis, Vince Carter (20 points, three rebounds and five assists) and Zach Randolph (16 points and eight rebounds) thrived as reserves. But the night still belonged to Marc Gasol, whose 18th and 19th points of the contest gave the Grizzlies the lead as the clock expired, 108-107:
It's hard to draw too many conclusions from a hard-fought affair that ended a five-game road trip for the Nuggets. So enjoy the game-winner, because you don't see too many coming in this fashion.
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @fromal09.
Unless otherwise indicated, all stats are from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com or NBA Math and are current heading into games on Nov. 8.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
