NSL Playoffs: East Round One

Atlanta Hawks vs Washington Wizards


The regular season is in the books, achieving what it set out and is set up to do – weed out the playoff teams from the rebuilders. Now, is where and when the real basketball begins, with each win and loss meaning the difference between a season that continues to build, and one that falls apart. There are no such things as regular season legends; reputations are built in the playoffs and if you want to be considered one of the greats, you have to get it done in the post-season.

Whose journey to become an NSL Legend starts here?

The 82-game regular season slog is behind us and the teams left standing are of strong mind and will, having proven time and time again they know how to play winning basketball. However, the regular season will bare little impact on the playoffs as the ledgers have been reset.

The Atlanta Hawks made positive trade after positive trade and cruised through the season, amassing positive momentum and assets as the season progressed. The talent is undeniable; lead by Joel Embiid, one of the most talented and enigmatic young players we have in the league, the team is experienced, skilled and deep. The best trade of them all might have been when they acquired Carmelo Anthony for a Ferguson front-loader washing machine.

We were able to get in contact with the man at the helm of the Hawks franchise, GM bandrson10.

ESPN: Thank you for speaking to us. What are your thoughts on the season passed and the upcoming matchup with Washington?

GM bandrsn10: "I'm very proud and excited to be the #2 seed in the East and make the playoffs! This team saw a lot of transformation through the season that I think only helped push them to where they are today. I've tried not to puff out my chest too much through this season as I know the playoffs are a different animal and I don't want to look back and regret anything I might have said.

Looking at the upcoming match-up, the team is looking forward to playing perhaps what might be our biggest rival of the regular season. Joshua and the Wizards seemed to have our number all season, beating us 3-1. I've seen most around the league count them out but we aren't. We know what they can do especially with Devin Booker. We're going to get our staff together to figure out the game plan that best suits us for this series and hope that's enough to win. We have the utmost respect towards Joshua and his organization and we hope for a good series. May the best team win."

ESPN: Thank you for your time, GM bandrson. All the best for the Hawks in the Playoffs.

 

 

 

The Washington Wizards for the most part have treaded water for the majority of the season, looking into the mirror and telling themselves ‘this isn’t our time, this isn’t our time, we are a young team, we can’t compete’.  Sometimes it is better to look out a window than within ones psyche, and GM Joshua eventually caved, took the shackles off Booker and Ball and let the kids play. They have too made positive and consistent trades, typically cashing in one a player who is either injured or whose value won’t peak for some time.

 

To close the season, the Wizards really disrupted the teams around them, taking wins from some really good teams and locking themselves into the playoffs. Over their last 20 games, they are only a .500 team, but here lies the rub: The Wizards beat their playoff opponent three times during the regular season!

Calling in to our ESPN offices, GM Joshua was asked about how he was feeling leading up the the Hawks matchup and the surprise playoff berth for his young team:

“We got the matchup we were hoping for against the Hawks and are confident that we can cause an upset after having the season series go our way. As long as Clint [Capela] can control Embiid we think we are every chance to advance past the first round. There is no doubt they are a tough side and they are well coached but we are excited for the opportunity to go head to head with them.”

Thanks, GM Joshua.

So, why do the Hawks win?

 

The Hawks have had much more regular season success and boast a more talented and experienced line-up. Regular season doesn’t mean a lot when it gets to the playoffs, but it means something – the best teams win the most games, and Hawks won a lot.

 

Joel Embiid was simply dominant during the year, putting up just shy of 20 points and 15 rebounds a game, rare air for any big man in the league. They have two scorers in DeMar Derozan and LaMarcus Aldridge that would each be the best scorer on any other team but on this Hawks team, they have to settle for 2^nd and 3^rd banana. They are big, experienced and skilled the Wizards are too shallow and inexperienced to overcome this squad in seven games. Sure, Capela could slow down Embiid, that’s a possibility, but that leaves either Zach Collins or Brandon Clarke on Aldridge and Gary Harris on Derozan, with both respective Wizards a huge chance to become road kill.

 

And why do the Wizards win?

How can you deny a regular season record of 3-1 against the Hawks? You just can’t. There’s a reason they won three games against this team and it shows that they are a huge chance to win this series. Washington hasn’t had a centre (sorry, Dean Wade, if that is your real name) for the majority of the year and only got games out of Capela at the end of the season (coinciding with the Wizards solidifying a playoff spot). They have athleticism, speed and youth over their opponent and that can be the spark that ignites a wildfire.

 

Devin Booker might be the best player in the league to not get that legitimate star-recognition status. He is big, efficient and effective and talented, yet he hasn’t had a moment at the plate yet where he has had to knock it out of the park with bases loaded. Could this be his platform? Since his coaches let him play, he has been scorching the league with 33 points per game over the last two months. Neither Ross or Derozan are that affluent on the defensive end and both will have their hands full with Book, who I think will play north of 40 minutes every game.


Prediction:

 

This could be one of the most exciting series of the first round and it easily has the potential to go to seven games. Having said that, I think the Hawks are peaking at the right time and just have too many heavy hitters for the Wizards to prevail. We will see some Wizards wins and fireworks from Booker, but Embiid, Aldridge and Derozan is a powerful, powerful top three players. If Booker is shut down, the Wizards lose, whereas the Hawks have three guys who could carry their team to a win on offense. The regular season series data can go and get stuffed.


Hawks to win it in six games.