3 reasons why you should care about the Hawks-Celtics series
EAST: IND vs. TOR I DET vs. CLE I CHA vs. MIA
WEST: DAL vs. OKC I POR vs. LAC I MEM vs. SA I HOU vs. GS
Of this year's eight opening-round postseason matchups, the battle between the East's Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics, may be one of the least compelling pairings for casual viewers.
There isn't much in the way of star power. Al Horford, Paul Millsap, and Isaiah Thomas were deemed All-Stars this season, but they're far from mainstream talents like LeBron James or Stephen Curry.
Nonetheless, there remain enough reasons for you to tune in and catch the action, whether you have a dog in the race or not.
1. Defense can be fun
Not everyone can light up the scoreboard like the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder. The Hawks and Celtics don't have those kinds of weapons on offense, so they resort to battening down the hatches with elite defensive units.
| Team | DefRtg | Rank | NetRtg | Rank | Opponents PPG | Rank | Opponents FG% | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hawks | 98.8 | 2 | 4.1 | 7 | 99.2 | 6 | 43.2 | 1 |
| Celtics | 100.9 | 5 | 3 | 9 | 102.5 | 13 | 44.1 | 8 |
(Courtesy: NBA.com)
Millsap and Horford are one of the most effective frontcourt duos on that end of the floor, while Boston trots out versed perimeter defenders in Marcus Smart, Jae Crowder, and Avery Bradley - who should make life miserable for the likes of Jeff Teague and sharpshooter Kyle Korver.
Things could get physical in a hurry, making an aesthetically unpleasing aspect of the game far more fascinating. Then again, their meetings during the regular season were all high-scoring affairs. That should drop when the pace slows down in the playoffs, though.
2. The battle at point guard
Remember when Teague was named an All-Star in 2014-15? He fell off the face of the earth this season with Atlanta dropping from first place to the middle of the pack. Meanwhile, Thomas elevated his status among point guards in the East on a surging Celtics team.
| Player | MP | PPG | TS% | RPG | APG | SPG | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Teague | 28.5 | 15.7 | 55.1 | 2.7 | 5.9 | 1.2 | 17.9 |
| Isaiah Thomas | 32.2 | 22.2 | 56.2 | 3 | 6.2 | 1.1 | 21.5 |
The Hawks need Teague to be that top playmaker, facilitator, and third threat next to Horford and Millsap in order to put away Boston. The fact that he's going up against Thomas, who put up stronger numbers when they went head-to-head in four meetings this season, should light a fire under him as the two try to outdo each other in the playoffs.
3. Make yourself famous
Several experts peg Hawks-Celtics as perhaps the only first-round series to go the distance at seven games. This is a grand opportunity for several players who have yet to leave a mark in the postseason, and considering how deep both benches run, a number of names could emerge as heroes when it matters most.
Can Tim Hardaway Jr. be that sixth man extraordinaire when Korver's shot isn't connecting? Speaking of buckets not converting, will Marcus Smart make an impact on offense on percentages which won't make you cringe? How about Kent Bazemore? He's been a revelation for the Hawks, but will that progress carry over when the games really count?