Following one of their more disinterested efforts of the season, the Sixers head back home to take on Atlanta Wednesday night. Currently sitting in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks have lost three straight including a blowout defeat to the Sixers in Atlanta less than a week ago. The recent stretch has washed away any chance of 4th place for Atlana, as they now sit 4.5 games back of Brooklyn. However, it may be in the Hawks’ best interest to avoid the 4/5 match-up and a potential second round series with Miami. As a result, Hawks’ coach Larry Drew pulled a classic Gregg Popovich move in the team’s loss to the Spurs Saturday, resting Al Horford, Josh Smith, Kyle Korver, and Devin Harris. Coming off three off days, expect to see a full line-up out on the court for the Hawks in Philadelphia.
For the Sixers, expect to see plenty more playing time for some of the young guys off the bench. Jrue Holiday recently came out and said he’s been fatigued by playing a career-high 38.3 minutes per game. Thad Young has also logged a career-high in minutes, averaging 35.0 per game. The Sixers’ two best players certainly looked worn down last night, with Holiday neglecting to attack the paint and Thad Young uncharacteristically shooting poorly and lacking effort on the boards.
Whether they’re physically beat up, or emotionally drained from having to carry such a heavy load for a losing team all season, there’s no sense extending the starters’ minutes when there’s nothing to be gained in the standings. In last night’s blowout loss, Arnett Moultrie did log 24 minutes, the most time he’s received in a game in over a month. The Sixers gave up a future first-round pick and a second-round pick for Moultrie; it’s time to give the rookie every opportunity to carve out a place in the rotation going into next season. Charles Jenkins and Justin Holiday should also be given more time to determine whether they can be effective role players for a team that will need a back-up point guard.
Keys to the Game:
- Show some heart on the boards. We mentioned last week that the Hawks are a poor offensive rebounding team, so on paper, the Sixers should control the defensive glass. That being said, given their (lack of) effort in that area last night, who knows what to expect from the Sixers. If the starters don’t want to put a body on Horford and Smith, maybe some of the bench guys eager for more playing time will.
- Work the ball around on offense. Although the Hawks are a solid defensive team, one area where they struggle is defending the three ball, as opponents are shooting 37.8% behind the arc, the third-worst defending rate in the league. Do not settle for shots early in the possession and force the Hawks to rotate around the perimeter until Holiday, Wright, or Turner (from the corner) get an open look.
Prediction:
Philadelphia will be playing the second night of a back-to-back, while Atlanta has used the past few days to rest a number of minor injuries. The embarassing loss to the Sixers at home last week should be fresh in the Hawks’ minds and drive them to put forth their best effort. Even given their better play at home throughout the season, the Sixers fall to the Hawks.
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