Atlanta Hawks: Early December check-in, Jalen Johnson breakout, Trae Young, etc. with Tyler Jones

Atlanta Hawks: Early December check-in, Jalen Johnson breakout, Trae Young, etc. with Tyler Jones

On today’s show, I am joined by Tyler Jones of ATL29 for part one of a two-part chat, and it’s coming up right now. You are Locked On Hawks, your daily Atlanta Hawks podcast, part of the Locked On podcast network, your team every day. Hello friends, welcome to episode 2115 of the Loton Hawks podcast, part of the Loton Podcast Network, now the number one sports podcast network. I am your host Brad Rolling coming to you on a Tuesday evening into Wednesday. And today’s show is brought to you by the folks at Game Time. Download the Game Time app, create an account, and use code locked on NBA. $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Today, I’ll be joined by Tyler Jones, good friend of the podcast from the ATL29 podcast for part one of a two-part conversation. So, this is a two-parter with myself and Tyler. Part one available that you’re listening to right now. Part two available in the same podcast feed around the same time that part one is going live. So, please go ahead and subscribe to the show on Apple Spotify, YouTube, etc. to find the episode that is after this one for the whole conversation. But we talked about a lot of different things with the Hawks on this two-parter from the start of 13 and9 for Atlanta, Joe Johnson’s ascension, Kelly Walker, Risha, some draft stuff at the end of the of part two of this conversation and a lot of fun to be had as always with myself and Tyler. And uh one more time, please stay tuned for part two at the end of this conversation. Without any further delay, let’s get into it right now with myself and Tyler Jones on the Hawks after 22 games. I’m joined now by good friend of the podcast, Tyler Jones of ATL29 is here. Tyler, it’s been a while. A lot has happened to say the least around the Atlanta Hawks. How are you? I’m doing well. Uh I want to give a shout out though. I want to start off the pod by giving a shout out to my um one of my professors in college, uh Professor D. She’s retiring this year. Um, and it’s been she’s been at Rose College where I graduated. She’s been at Ro College teaching for 35 years. And so she’s finally retiring. And I just learned about it today. So I want to give a big shout out to her. She’s she was really like I mean she’s one of the best uh people I’ve ever met in my life. And like I’m I’m really grateful that I got to take a couple classes with her um throughout uh my my time in college. So, just wanted to give her a quick shout out. And uh yeah, um shouts out. You know, the Hawks been pretty good, Brad. Hawks been pretty good. They have been pretty good. Um I because of me mostly, we’ve gone back and forth. Haven’t done a podcast in a while. And so much has happened that we can’t talk about everything today. It’s just what it is. Like we’re have to cut some stuff. But, um, yeah, I mean, we’re talking Tuesday night, the Hawks are finally going to have back-to-back home games on Wednesday and Friday after they traveled after 13 consecutive games. Um, kind of a crazy, not necessarily opponent schedule, but like crazy travel schedule for the Hawks for about a month now. Um, but they have been playing well. Just to bookmark this, they’re 13 and nine even after a close loss in Detroit that they nearly pulled off despite all kinds of um obstacles against them in that particular game on Monday night. Um and of course doing this and we you know if you you and I talked five six weeks ago if we said 13 and nine it would have been like all right that’s kind of what you expected but not with Trey Trey I’m missing 17 games. So a lot to get to on that front. Um, but this has been a team that is playing objectively well and I’ve been saying and I want you I want you to go wherever you want here. We’ll talk about Trey, we’ll talk about Jaylen’s breakout. All these things are going to we’re going to get to. I I’ve been saying that it’s two things on like people always ask me about reacting to them doing this without Trey. Basically, that’s the that’s the national topic on Round the Hawks. You know that, I’m sure. Um, even though you try to I think you try to avoid all national hawks talk most of the time, but but you know enough you see enough to where you know that’s that’s the thing that everyone talks about which is makes it makes sense. It’s fine. Um, and it’s basically like well do they need to trade Trey? Do they need to send trade to Mars? All these things. Are they better without Trey? All this stuff for me. We’ll see on how they reintegrate Trey. That’s going to come up. Right. I have been saying that it’s a testament to the team building that they were able to do this play this way without Trey for 17 games. Like the fact that I think it’s more it’s more of like hey this team is good and it’s not a problem that they’ve actually built a roster that can sustain without Trey. That’s actually a good thing. Um and you know me I’m not trying to be a homer about it. That’s just way what I think. And it also does create questions about the future. That’s al that’s a totally reasonable thing. It does create questions. There are, by the way, there were already questions, which you and I talked about this summer multiple times. There were already Trey Young long-term questions because of the contract and just the way that things operate in the modern NBA. So, I say all that, we haven’t talked in this form since the injury, since any of that stuff. What do you Where are you at with this whole thing right now? Because we’ll talk about Jaylen in a second because Jaylen’s been incredible, which is part of this, too. But do you have a a reaction after 22 games and 17 games without Trey? I mean, the reality is this. Nquille Alexander Walker has been so much better than what the Hawks thought he was going to be. I think by any reasonable metric, they thought Nil Alexander Walker was going to be a good 3 and D guy, you know, kind of supercharged. Um, yes, Chris Dunn type, you know, supercharge is a good point because they they did and I think I talked about on the I know I did actually they did part of the pitch to Achille in free agency was that they did think that he had more juice than he was allowed to show in Minnesota, but you’re also right that they didn’t see him. They didn’t they didn’t they didn’t they didn’t see that, oh, he’s legitimately one of the best basketball players in the world. Like because full stop, he’s b he’s been a borderline all-star caliber player like and he’s a big he’s been the team’s second best player behind Jaylen Johnson. He and Jaylen have really like supercharged the like they have kept the offense to being good combined with the defense and that’s why this is a good basketball team. like they they they’ve basically been good on both ends. And a big reason for that is Nquille’s ability to absolutely cook weaker defenders in isolation combined with his ability off ball to get separation off ball for open three-pointers and like with his quick trigger like he’s lethal behind a three-point line. The World Cup is back in North America for the first time since 1994 and with the 48s for the first time ever. It’s going to be massive. Let’s be honest though, ticket buying can actually be the hardest part of the process. That’s why the Game Time app is really clutch for you. It probably gives the fans the advantage when it comes to snagging seats. 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Like that is a lot of basketball and like teams have adjusted and Nikquille to me has been a little too good to just be like oh yeah Trey come back you know give Trey whatever he wants in free agency like you got to retain Trey like I’m like it it’s like it’s a combination of Nquille’s offense is a way be way better than what the Hawks thought it was to the point that you can make an argument uh team building wise it’s better to go with Nquille over Trey and use what you’re going to pay for Trey Young for better assets. Now, do I say do I I don’t know if I believe that wholeheartedly. I would like to see Trey with this team um going forward. That That’s the real answer is we have to see more I mean I mean that’s that’s fair but like look Trey’s got Trey’s got two hills to climb. One, he’s not better than Jaylen Johnson. He’s just not like that’s that’s reality. Jaylen is on uh the uh Jaylen Johnson is legitimately like better footwork in the mid-range from being a true MVP caliber player. like he is really close even with his defensive foables. Like if he cleans up just like if he gets like 5% better in the mid-range where he’s just it’s easier for him to knock defenders back and get to a mid-range jumper, he could win an MVP. Like that’s how good he’s been. Like he’s just been good at he’s literally been that good. And so it’s like, okay, if Jaylen’s this good on the ball, then I what what I want next to Jaylen is guys who are good off the ball, like who are good offball scorers, who are good movement shooters, who who are good at getting into open space. And Trey throughout his career has not shown that. And he’s also shown very bad habits off the ball where he’s just standing around, you know, 30 feet behind the three, you know, 30 feet from the rim. And it’s like that’s not that’s not helping Jaylen like you know and so he’s going to have to really lock in on the offensive end off the ball in particular um if he wants to stay being Atlanta Hawk because the Hawks aren’t in I you know I’m I’m trying to put trade aside because I want to bring the Hawks organization on the table. The Hawks are in a position to build an Oklahoma City type dominant NBA team. Like they have no real long-term contracts outside of Jaylen and Dyson Daniels. You know, Anka makes sub 20. So like that really doesn’t matter. Don’t you know when you only got two when when the two guys you’re paying over 20 mil is a Jaylen Johnson locked in at 30 and a Dyson Daniels at 25. That’s nothing. And so it’s like the Hawks have a chance to have a clean book going forward combined with these draft picks that are coming in coming in these next couple seasons, not just this year. Um the Hawks are in prime position to really build a team that could com really compete with the OKC Thunder because the Thunder have just a machine where they just throw talent wave and wave of talent at teams where it doesn’t where people are like, “Oh, is he a star? He’s a role player.” I we are exiting that era of basketball and and that’s something people just have to accept and acknowledge where it’s about if you play good b like truly good two-way basketball players 48 minutes you have a chance to build one of the best teams in basketball like for the full 48 throughout all five positions you could build one of the greatest teams in NBA history that’s what the Thunder have done combined with having one of the best basketball players of all time in SGA I was going to say that’s the thing Um, but she unlocks it. But yes. Yes. But like Jaylen has the like Jaylen has the to me the physical traits combined with the shooting touch to get there. And that’s why I I went back to like if he can if he can clean up a little bit of the mid-range where he’s more comfortable create and he’s starting to get like honestly he’s starting to get there. Like some of the shots he’s able to create for himself now. I mean, I I couldn’t project him doing that even last year when he was going to win most improved player. Like, he’s taking another leap clearly. So, um I I like just to get back to Trey, it’s just it’s even less about Trey as a player and more about where the Hawks are as an organization, as a roster. It’s a lot of young talent, a lot of guys who are who who will be better like Tyson Daniels and Reese will be better on offense two years from now. My concern with Trey is like, do you want to pay Trey what it’s going to take to keep him on a team that has shown that they don’t necessarily need him for offense? Like that that’s kind of the truth. And and a big part of that is like Brad, I’m sorry. Like they they do need offense, but it’s Brad. Brad, who’s better in isolation? Trey Young or Nil Alexander Walker? Okay, that In a le in a league in a league that’s going away from pick and roll offense that’s more it has never been more ISO heavy since like the Joe Johnson era of basketball. Teams are going away from pick and roll. They are seeing that the they’re see I mean there’s all these teams the Miami Heat are like legit one of the best teams in basketball and they’ve completely killed isolation offense. They they they get up and down the floor and they go pure I mean they killed their pick and roll. They go pure pure isolation, mismatch hunting before even getting the ball. Like they they find the weak link and they’re like, “Okay, that guy is going to attack that player until he’s off the damn floor.” And my concern with Trey Young is because he’s so skinny and he’s so small. It has never mattered more. Defense defense has never mattered more to me. Oh, that that’s that’s much more I agree with you on that. And that’s where it’s like going forward, not this year, but I’m saying going forward, do you want to tether yourself to a Trey Young who’s always going to need somebody to pick him up, who’s always going to have to have somebody pick up his man in transition if that if he’s he’s a downhill driver. Like the there there is nuance in in what’s going on with Trey. want to believe because Trey’s been so good for the Hawks for so long. I want to believe he just has the talent to really elevate his offensive game to where it needs to be next to Jaylen Johnson. But I’m I’m worried because the early the early part of the season did not give me optimism. I was like I I still I still see the Raptors game in my mind, Brad. Yeah. No, I I agree. he was terrible on defense like in in in a way that you can’t protect him from and so it’s just like he’s I I don’t know like he’s just he’s just got to hopefully when he’s back he’s he’s just he’s back to his allNBA form then we can have a different conversation but like I I mean it’s a testament to how good and the kill Alexander Walker’s been like where it’s like hey this is a real conversation So early, it was it was funny. I had I had this in my notes to bring up to you. We already talked about Nik a little bit, but do you remember the first two games people were freaking out about Nikquil taking a bunch of shots and they got mad about it. Um that seems like it was such such a long time ago now, but that that actually happened. Um, no, just to say what I was um going on the point I was I wasn’t trying to I think a lot of what you said I totally agree with about the situation and I think broadly speaking we we won’t talk about Trey for an hour but I think that a lot of has a lot of it’s been overstated. I think one thing that I know you know because we talked about it before is that Trey has played differently the last year and a half and people just didn’t notice that. Like people were talking about Trey like he’s been playing like he’s still playing the way he was four years ago and that’s just not what he’s been doing. And by the way and by the way when he was playing like that four years ago he was one of the best basketball players in the world. I agree to I I agree wholeheartedly. What I would I’m just saying like every time I hear him discussed in some circles it’s like well he comes down he has 40% usage and no he he’s his usage has gone out gone down every year. He led the league in assists last year. He took the fewest shots he’s taken in seven years. like he already was playing differently, but you’re right, like he probably has to play even more differently now, especially if they want to run as much as they maybe not as much as they have been recently with Jaylen, but Jay’s gonna have the ball a lot and more than he ever has with Trey. That’s going to happen moving forward, I’m pretty sure. So, moving off the ball, you’re right about that. I I’m not worried about the offense. I I will say I’m not worried about Trey on offense at all. Now, there is a I guess a potential because you’re right, he was not he’s not he was not his best sale early in the year. He’s he’s he’s a notoriously slow starter, which is why I’m not like terribly worried about that. But he’s at the age, and this is something I said this to summer, like even as someone who I think is higher on trade than than the consensus at this point. He’s getting to the age at that size, things get weird sometimes at that age. And you already bring up, you’re 100% right about the the state of the league. It’s hard as it’s ever been. It’s harder than it’s ever been to be a 61 guard. Like it’s never been harder ever. Yeah. Um, and that even even if you are incredibly skilled the way he is, the passing is ridiculous, all those things. And I do believe they do. I do think they miss him on offense. They miss him less than they used to for sure on offense. But they, you know, even with this, they’re 15th in offense since Trey went down, which is, by the way, better than I would have guessed they were going to be. But they’re 15th and 15th and also shooting really well. Like I I’m not sure how good they are on offense with just the roster they have available right now. But all that is to say I I hate the better without Trey conversation in a in a vacuum. Like taking Trey off the team and not replacing him. No, they’re not better. There is a real conversation to be had and we’ll know a lot more when he comes back about whether you want to use that salary slot in a different way. Yeah, that that’s where I’m at. That’s with Trey. And I’m glad I’m glad you I’m glad you said it that way. I just want to say for for everybody else, it’s like I I find the better without Trey thing silly. But pivoting in a different direction does make some logical sense, especially if it doesn’t work. If he comes back, and we don’t know what’s going to come back. I think it’s probably going to be another three weeks is my guess. Something like that. I don’t know. That’s a guess. And it doesn’t I won’t judge it right away. People will, but that’s fine. If if we look up in late January and it’s not meaningfully working, that’s going to change the tenor of everything. I’m not saying they’re going to trade him. They probably won’t. I think I’d be surprised if they did. But moving forward, that’s that becomes a question. Nil’s been part of that. Nil’s been awesome. We should just say about Jaylen real quick. Um, you talked about Jaylen ceiling MVP all that like I don’t think we know what Jayen Ceiling is yet. I think he’s shooting a little bit over his head. A little. Here’s why I actually don’t think that’s the case. Because he’s such a devastating driver now. Teams give him so much respect as a sh like they they have to they you have to guard against the drive at all times or he’s just going to get a layup. So, he has all the time in the world to take these practice jumpers. Oh yeah, I mean he’s gonna make more shots than he uh than last year and the previous years for sure. And just to give the number, by the way, I I have this I have the drive numbers up because I was gonna tell I was gonna say about Nquille. So Alexander Walker averaged four drives a game according to Second Spectrum in Minnesota. Now it’s like almost 10 in. Jaylen is not that big of a jump, but Jaylen was at um last year even in his 40something game sample size was like in the like eight per game range, which is actually really really high for a non-guard, but this year it’s 13 and he’s getting he’s he’s getting to the line. He’s driving by. I mean, you’re right about the devastation of his drives. He is one of the most prolific drivers in the sport at this point um this season. Like basically I think he’s like top 20 in the league in drives per game. And when you factor in that he is playing power forward and you know that’s that’s an obscenely high number. Like the only guys that are driving that much as guys who are not guards like you have Denny Abdia on a bad Portland offense doing everything. He’s been awesome, but he’s really the only guy in the mold of Jaylen. Um, like I said, combo four type um that’s driving as much as Jayen. Maybe Paulo Montero in the small episodes before he got hurt, but like that’s where he is. He’s had the ball so he’s driving in the lane. I’m only saying I don’t know if 63% true shooting is going to continue for Jaylen and 41% from three, but I do believe it’s going to be good. I I buy the efficiency jump. I do I buy I don’t know if I buy it to that degree but the fact that he’s averaging I think it’s like eight and a half cents a game this trade went out. What if sports were traded like markets? Now you put your sports IQ to work in real time with Robin Hood prediction markets. It’s not just you against the house. It’s you participating in a live market. You can buy and buy or sell positions live all game long. Your sports knowledge in the moments that matter. Robin Hood prediction markets changes the game. It’s people moving the action. So when momentum shifts, you can move with it. I always knew the game, but I never had the a dynamic way to apply that knowledge. Now I get to actually take part live in a market powered by people. You are no longer just a spectator. Playbyplay, you decide. Trade every play with Robin Hood. Now available across the US. Download the Robin Hood app now to begin. It’s pretty simple. It’s like because he’s so good as a driver, teams can’t just close out to him as a shooter. And so he just has ample time. Compare that to, and this is this is to go back to Trey Young. Trey’s one of the worst finishers at the rim in the NBA. And he’s been that way pretty much since the 22 season. Like since they got DeJonte, whatever reason, his his finishing has fallen off a cliff. And like so teams close out hard on his shot. And so it’s it’s constantly him driving into the paint and but then when he drives they’re unproductive. Meanwhile, I’m watching the I’m watching Nquille have some of the best finishes. He looks a I mean I mean let’s I’m just going to be honest. He looks like his cousin sometimes out here with some of these finish where he’s able to where he’s able to create the separation at his like you wouldn’t think he’s this strong but like his ability bump his guy and then finish oftent times off hand like it’s I mean most NBA guys can’t do that. It’s pretty elite and but like you compare that to Trey where Trey takes a bump and he’s going flying and and so it’s just I I don’t know. So hopefully we’ll see a better Trey when he comes back. But I I I’m think that’s going to happen. But and you they miss his passing some. I know that especially especially when things slow down. One of the numbers and we’ll we’ll talk about this maybe a little bit later but they’re they’re they have been able to run so much that it’s helped them. Um, that’s obviously good. We’ve seen a few times when the game slows down, they don’t really have that like secondary pitch if they’re going to load up on Jaylen. Nquille’s had some moments that have been fantastic though, blown by guys. Um, I think Trey will help them offensively. The question is whether the defense can hold up with Trey and we talked about that already. So, uh, that’s a question. I’m not saying they can’t. They can’t. I do think that they’re going to be they will be better even when Tren comes back. They’ll be better defensively than they’ve been in a long time. I don’t know if they can be as good as they have been so far since he’s been out. I I’ll say this. I think they’ll be I think Trey defensively will be better if he’s not playing next to Chris Staps. Well, yeah, that’s actually that’s a that’s another bag of We should talk about we should talk about pork for a second. So, let’s do that for a second now. Now, there’s a lot of uncertainty. I like to be even on these free flowing conversations that Tower and I have, I have to try to be responsible with reporting. As of right now when we’re talking Tuesday night, Porzingis has missed the last four games in a row with an illness. Now, that’s not ordinary. Normally, guys don’t miss four games with illness in a row in the NBA. That’s a rare thing. Not ne you don’t, it’s not that you never see it, but it’s rare. And because he has the history and the past diagnosis and everything that’s going on with that, um, I get a lot of questions every day, I I don’t know what to say other than the Hawks have not shared any information about whether it’s related to POTS, whether he has the flu, whether he has COVID, whether he has whatever. I I I don’t know. He didn’t travel on the last road trip, the back toback. He didn’t go. That’s normal if you have illness. Guys don’t travel with illness because they don’t want to be You don’t want those guys around the team. That makes sense. But him being ruled out a day early, like him being ruled out, not questionable, out for Wednesday at home is like, “Okay, now I have to ask again about this essentially.” So, there’s that over this thing. Like, he’s played 12 games. It’s been mixed. We’ll say I don’t know if you can rely on him. I I just don’t. Um I think his defense has been pretty woeful when he has played. Um that’s my opinion. If he’s right at the rim, he could still be effective because he’s 73. Um, but that’s basically it. There’s he’s not doing much else at all defensively. Um, and having him him and Trey together. I I do think that maybe because of the Okay, one of the questions I had and we had this summer, right, was how they were going to use Porzingis, whether were they going to use him as a Trey off the floor masher. You know, we saw some of that actually this year. Like there was there’s been a couple halves where they’ve kind of run things through Porzingis a lot like in the high post and he was has some nice passing moments like he can he showed a little bit of that. I wonder if that’s like if he plays maybe his like best way to be used when Trey and Bring come back is like hey we’re going to use Chris Dap’s not only this but like have him on the court whenever Trey’s not and have him kind of be more of a hub. not necessarily the hub because Jaylen exists um and and Aquil exists but man I don’t even know what to say about Porzingis other than like the illness throws everything in throws everything for a loop. I do I have I wanted to evaluate his play like I don’t think he’s been particularly good by his standards and then you look up and he also is still averaging you know I’m looking at this now he’s averaging 19 19 points a game on 62% true shooting which is like really good and it’s that it is a reminder of like what even when he does not play well in my opinion there’s a reason he skill said is so captivating because like he could just do things that other guys can’t do. He’ll just turn around and shoot over you and it’s like oh you can’t stop that. But also that’s misleading I think as someone who goes who likes to go beyond points per game. Um he’s not been particularly good when he has played and hasn’t played for a while. So I don’t know where your head’s at. Hawks fans are frustrated. I get it. I thought he was going to miss time no matter what. So I’m not as bothered. It’s just that that when you miss four games in a row with illness, it just creates questions. Well, the thing is like in Boston, um, he got to play alongside Al Horin and Jason Tatum, which basically allowed him to play at the rim 100% of the time. That has been the case in Atlanta. Like, um, I I do think it’s pretty noticeable that Jaylen Johnson defensively is a lot better when Porzingis is not in the game. like whatever whatever’s going on with Jaylen defensively, I don’t think it works with next to Porzingis. So, by the way, we should say I I love Jaylen. We just praised Jaylen for five minutes. His defense has not been very good this year. I don’t know about No, that’s not true because at the end of the day, when you’re as good of rebounder he is Well, that’s that is true. He is awesome. think it’s the single most important skill. And like I mean he’s been good enough on defense. Like he’s been he’s been good in the sense that I’m be honest when he’s not playing next to Chris Staps he’s been good to me. Yeah. And like the problem the pro the problem is when he when he’s playing next to Chris Staps he has more responsibility than he’s able to handle. like when he’s playing against Chris, what what they need him to be is actual center, modern day center, which you cover a lot of ground and you plug a lot of holes and that’s not his game defensively. He’s more of a Oh, I just found this number just to back you up. The the worst twoman combination defensively for the Hawks with with with big minutes like non like garbage time is Jonah Porzingis. Yeah. No, been terrible. They have a one a 119 defensive rating with the two of them. Um, now there’s there’s some tray lineups from early in the year that are supposed to have size that they that are worse because they’re like 12 minutes, 50, like 20 minutes, but they have 240 minutes together and they’re above water offensively because they’re so good offense, which makes sense to me. But you’re right. I I’m not trying to say bad defensively. I think that it’s also very normal. By the way, this is a point that many many people have made. When a guy turns into a star offensively, they generally have a little bit of a down tick on defense. That’s just what happens. While that while that’s Brad, while that is true, these games without Porzingis, Jaylen’s been good defensively to me. Like I I’m I’m like Yeah. So, it’s a Porzingis problem. And it’s like Porzingis, whatever Aongu does to help Akangu and Mo are just better fits. Jaylen is way more comfortable playing with those two guys than Porzingis. Porzingis is slowfooted and has to be covered for and Jaylen doesn’t cover for and so it looks bad like the Wizards game was a absolute disgrace and it’s just like it’s so funny that that game happened by the way they they they so they they did that Porzingis leaves they go against the Cavs and all of a sudden like they’re they’re turning the Cavs over like what 20% of the time or something. I don’t know what the turnover rate was, but they they were absolutely getting their hands on balls and like causing um them problems in the passing lanes and able to like get one pass ahead. And they did the same with the Pistons. Like the Pistons I I know they scored at the end, but like they locked the Pistons down for the full game. Uh they took away the paint. I felt like I felt like they took away what the Pistons wanted to do. Yeah. More often than not for the entirety of the game. No, they they have a 10 They have a 108 defensive rating with Porzingis on the bench. Full stop. I mean I you know which is like a top five defensive and so it it goes to the point with Porzing like here’s the thing with Porzingis it’s like the offense has been great his offense at least I don’t know with the rest of the team it’s yeah it’s kind of funny because he hasn’t even shot that well like every every time I bring up Cororzingis I have some fans will say well he can’t make shots and it’s like well you look up and he’s shooting 60% true shooting like I don’t think you think he shot well yet by his standards and still super duper efficient and productive offensively. So like it’s a weapon you can use. I just don’t know how to channel it. But but here’s the thing. It’s like while this is all this is true has been crazy good like because because he can move he’s like he gets open more often like because he’s able to move into open spaces more like Porzingis is kind of flatfooted in that way. like he’s I mean it’s just there’s just no sugar. Like Porzingis has not moved well. The games he’s moved well he’s looked great but like it’s not even games. It’s like h it’s halves. He’s not even half was like oh this quarter he was fantastic and the Hawks you know end up winning the game but he’s been so inconsistent like the Porzingis thing it’s I I don’t know like I I’ve been saying on on the socials that I I think Porzinga’s career might be over here. Um I I don’t know. But we just don’t know enough. I I But Brad ill illness after last year. Yeah. He’s gonna miss four straight games with this. I I totally get the question. Like I I am concerned about it now in a way that I I wasn’t necessarily early in the year. I was like, “Okay, you miss a game with illness, whatever, two guys with illness.” When you miss four in a row with illness and you’re him, I mean, combined with how how he’s played like or at least I think he’s been honestly I think he’s been okay. Like I don’t think he’s been bad. I think he’s been okay overall. But it’s just like, you know, if you’re gonna be so like how can any how can the Hawks rely on him? Well, it does it makes it really hard. It makes it hard because and I and I think I if it’d be a lot worse honestly it would be a lot worse if Trey was healthy this full time playing a lot of minutes next to Porzinga because I I really do feel like the defense would be really bad those two together. Oh yeah. No, I think we’ve seen enough to see that that is not going to be super tenable and that limits um we’ll talk this is chat for later, but like I I don’t really see right now the like keep pouring this long-term pathway that I thought was potentially there this summer. That doesn’t seem likely to me at this point. Um I mean just been better like well and that’s the thing you and I kind of just doesn’t matter. You and I have long been on the Anaka train. Um, he is very good. I think hopefully people see that now if they hadn’t already. He’s averaging 16 eight, shooting 37% from three and real volume. Like he’s bombing now. Yeah, the rebounding is not the best, but that’s fine. He’s still playing well. Like he’s a starting center. He’s just what he I mean, again, the rebounding issues with the Hawks are not They’re not really They’re not really center driven probably. It’s how they play defense, which has been good. So, I don’t care. Yes. You know, it’s it’s one of those things like they’re asking their center and this is the problem with Porzingis. The Hawks ask their centers to play up the floor. Porzingis can’t do it. And so I’m like he just I don’t I don’t think I think it’s a combination. He’s not a good fit with what the with where the Hawks are going now combined with, you know, this illness thing where it’s like I don’t know if they can rely on him. So, but combination is tough. But all that aside, they would be a better even with that, they’d be a better team with Porzingis playing 20 minutes a night than without him at all. Like I I I do actually I almost want to see number one, I hope he’s just I hope he’s okay. That’s number one. Yeah, me too. Um beyond that, I I I do kind of want to see him back and maybe playing a little less. I I just I think that’s the real he he’s got to play 10 minute halves. That’s it. And and like the Hawks just got to be they got to space out his minutes and and they just got to recognize what he is as a play. Like I be because the the tape doesn’t lie, Brad. Like you watch these first you watch these first stints and he’s terrible and it’s like he’s sinking the team, you know, and the Hawks have a better option off the bench. Like Along was just flat out been a better basketball player. So that’s kind of the deal with it. [Applause] All right, that is all for part one of this two-part chat with myself and Tyler Jones of BTL29. Please stay tuned for part two in the same podcast feed where it’s Apple, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Please follow the show on x/ Twitter at lockdown hawks. Follow me if you want to at btand on Twitter as well as on blue sky. And for my non-podcast of the Hawks can be found at patreon.combt rolling. All right everybody, part two available in the same podcast feed and we’ll see you all next time.

Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) hosts Episode 2114 of the Locked on Hawks podcast, breaking down Monday’s game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Detroit Pistons. Topics include a defense-first tenor to the action, Atlanta’s defensive rebounding woes, havoc creation, huge second halves from Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and much more.

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