Cavaliers vs Hawks tonight - is Atlanta early-season start real or just a soft early schedule?
Atlanta is one of the early talking points this week and Cleveland is the first real test. I keep going back and forth: is it the pace and ball movement, or has Atlanta just not faced a defense that punishes mistakes yet? What decides it tonight - pace, defense, or three point shooting?
2 answers
- Pace wins
Pace. Cleveland wants a half court game and Atlanta does not. If the Hawks push after every miss and get early threes before the defense sets, Cleveland spends the night chasing. Slow it down and Cleveland wins ugly. Watch the first six minutes, that tells you the game.
- Cleveland defense
Counterpoint: defense travels and pace does not. Cleveland can force Atlanta into half court sets by crashing the glass and limiting transition, and Atlanta has not shown it can score efficiently when the game slows down. If Cleveland holds Atlanta under its season pace, this is a comfortable win.