Averaging 17 fast break points per game the Atlanta Hawks are a team that likes to run, and score points in the open floor. The Hawks being an up-tempo team is also the main reason the Hawks were fifth in the NBA this season in points per game at 118.2.
However, the pace in the postseason compared to the pace in the regular season are pretty different as games tend to slow down in the postseason, and with Hawks already facing a team that likes to play at a slower pace in the Orlando Magic tonight in the NBA Play-In Tournament Atlanta has to dictate the pace of the game and force the Magic to play fast.
Earlier today, The Morning Shift explained why the Hawks' best chance at beating Magic tonight is forcing a fast paced game.
“Pace of play to me has got to be something that the Hawks have to take care of. You cannot allow Orlando to slow the game down at the midcourt and set up their offense and use their bigs and bludgeon you to death with the big bodies over there. Trae Young regardless of what he does points wise, assists wise, we know he’s going to get his, he’s gotta control the pace of play and they’ve got to find those second chance points.” Mike Johnson said
Abe Gordon piggybacked off of what Mike said by explaining what the Hawks have to do to effectively speed the game up.
“Obviously as you speed up you can become more and more careless with the ball, so you have to keep the game moving without turnover numbers increasing, and then the other thing, which I know this is where you’re starting to ask a lot, you gotta force missed shots and then push the ball. It’s so much easier for the Magic to setup their halfcourt defense after a made bucket, you get some rebounds, find an outlet, and get moving. Abe said
After the Hawks’ win over the Magic on the final day of the regular season last Sunday Head Coach Quin Snyder was asked about postseason games having a slower pace of play, and how that might affect this Hawks team that likes to run and play at a fast pace, and Snyder made it clear that the team won’t abandon what they do even if it might be harder to execute.
“It is harder to run in the playoffs you know there’s more preparation and when you play a team multiple times and they know what you’re doing more, it gets more physical, you know there’s a lot of things that go into it, but that doesn’t mean you say we can’t do we gotta do something else.” Synder said
Quin also said in a slower paced playoff game “the key is to generate good shots”.
Of course shooting the ball well, not allowing second chance points, and staying out of foul trouble will all be major factors and keys to the game as usual, but for the Hawks specifically if they want to get into the first round of the NBA playoffs as the seven seed they will have to force the Magic to play their fast paced game tonight.