Atlanta Hawks: The Good, Bad and Ugly vs Detroit Basketball
The Atlanta Hawks got off to a bad start, never recovered and were roasted by the Pistons 104-129. Here are the good, the bad and the ugly from the loss.
The Good
Omari Spellman
Omari Spellman played well as an Atlanta Hawks starter for the second straight game. Spellman recorded his second consecutive double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing a team high 10 rebounds, against the Detroit Pistons.
This comes on the heels of an 18 point, 10 rebound game against the New York Knicks.
Omari Spellman shot 50 percent from the field, knocking down 5/10 shots and making 2/5 threes. He played 27 minutes in the contest, and three of his ten rebounds were on the offensive end of the court.
Spellman showing growth early is great sign for the Atlanta Hawks. He’s proving to be a valuable role player and a capable spot starter with John Collins on the shelf due to an ailing ankle.
Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin is starting to get his legs under him and is averaging 15.7 points per game, over the Hawks last three games. Against the Pistons, Lin lead Atlanta with 16 points in 22 minutes. Jeremy made 5/9 shots from the field and splashed 2/4 from downtown. Lin also added four assists and three steals.
Dewayne Dedmon
Dewayne Dedmon the Hawks’ high energy backup center did all he could to give his team a boost off the bench. He certainly outplayed starter Alex Len. Dedmon scored 13 points in 26 minutes making 4/8 from the field and 4/4 from the free throw line. He also knocked down 1/3 from beyond the arch.
Dedmon was also an asset on the glass grabbing nine rebounds, all defensive. Dedmon is a great option the have. Coach Pierce is correct to lean on Dewayne heavily on nights like Friday when Alex Len doesn’t have the energy.
Miles Plumlee
Miles Plumlee was a pleasant surprise for the Atlanta Hawks in the loss to Detroit. Miles scored 14 points and pulled down four boards against the Pistons. Plumlee was a sharp 7/8 from the field.
Miles Plumlee was able to play 17 minutes Friday night as Lloyd Pierce decided to reduce Alex Len‘s playing time. Plumlee was second on the Hawks in plus-minus at +9. He was one of only four Atlanta players, to notch a positive number in that rating on the night.
Trae Young’s Ability To Pass, Drive, Draw Fouls and Make Free Throws
Hawks star rookie Trae Young had his ups and down on Friday, but here we will focus on the ups. Young led the Atlanta Hawks with five assists. He made some pin point passes to get teammates easy baskets, and would have had many more assists had other Hawks players made more shots.
Trae Young has been a pleasant surprise when it comes to finishing shots inside. This was thought to be a major weakness for Trae Young coming into the NBA, but he has posted the 4th highest field goal percentage when finishing drives this year.
Trae Young has done a good job going to the drive when his outside shot isn’t falling. Against Detroit, Young made 4/5 shots inside. He used his array of lay-ups and floaters to create offense in the paint.
Trae was also adept at using his change of pace dribble to draw fouls. He keeps defenders off-balance and often forces them to reach. Young found his way to the free throw line eight times and made all eight attempts. That’s half of his 16 points coming from the line.
It wasn’t an explosive day for Trae Young, but it’s comforting to know that he’s not just a one trick pony. It’s nice to see that Trae has other parts of his game he can go to, when one area isn’t working or is taken away.