Alex Curtis-Slep from NBA Tipoff.com fame, who many of you may also know as the founder/writer of the basketball blog Basketball Notes by Alex is covering all things NBA for The Hoop Doctors.
With two blowouts already in the books, the Cavs and Hawks are going to tip off again tonight for game three. Even though the series is moving to Atlanta, where the Hawks are better, I’m ready to wave the white flag on this series. You may not need them, as you might have already flipped the switch, but if not here are some reasons NOT to watch the Cavaliers-Hawks series:
Blowouts Galore
I know no one likes to watch one team dominate the other. It’s nothing different here. Each game so far has been a showing of the Cavs dominance. It’s likely to stay that way with mounting injuries to Hawks starters Al Horford, Joe Johnson and Marvin Williams. While those injuries are tough, I’m not making any excuses for the Hawks. They made it to the second round; guys off the bench should have the poise and composure to make big contributions. Let’s be honest, this is no Celtics-Bulls battle like Round 1.
So, if you want to see if the Hawks have a game in them, do this: watch the first half. That will let you gauge their effort and overall play. If the Cavs have a 20+ lead at half, I know I will tune out. Reason being is that this is the playoffs and I only want to focus on close games. The Nuggets and Mavericks will be tipping off after game three, so, if you’re smart, you’d tune out if the Cavs are blowing them out again, then come back for the Nuggets game. That’s how you see what’s important.
You’ve got Sportscenter and The Hoop Doctors
Even blowout games have some beautiful highlights. We are talking about LeBron James, people. But that still doesn’t mean you have to waste your valuable time watching a blowout. Just tune into Sportscenter for that shot Bron shouldn’t have made, or that person who won’t want to show his face in Atlanta. Even if you can’t catch Sportscenter, we here at The Hoop Doctors have you covered. You can see the video of Bron’s half court shot. Anything like that will get posted here. We got you!
You’ll Start Hating the Hawks “Potential”
The Hawks probably will start strong and be entertaining at the start of the game, but this team is just not that entertaining for 48 minutes. When they have to get into a half court offensive game, it gets ugly and you see why this team isn’t going to compete for a title. They just aren’t going to win by slowing it down. A game that they win has to be very fast, so fast that there are a couple unforced turnovers. That’s how young, very athletic teams usually play.
Their defense is also very inconsistent. Some of the guys give it their all, but the main components of the team aren’t there all the time. If the whole team could take on the defensive attitude of a bench guy like Mario West, Mike Woodson would be very pleased. I love West because he’s always out there giving it his best on both ends. Play like that and I’ll watch the series, Hawks!
I don’t want NBA fans to start hating the Hawks because they are really building. When fully healthy, they would be a shoe-in for one of the next two games in Atlanta. They are also just coming up in the league, so they’ll be in positions like this for years to come. Hopefully next year they don’t have to face the Cavs.
So don’t pay lots of attention to this series. All it will tell you is that the Cleveland Cavaliers are legitimate title contenders and the Atlanta Hawks are a couple years removed from the Eastern Conference Finals. Don’t cry Atlanta, your time will come.
