As we find ourselves… Last season, the Hawks and the Heat had crossed swords in the playoffs, in the first round, for a place in the conference semi-finals. A series won with authority by Miami (4-1).
This season, the two teams will meet to access this first round precisely, and thus challenge the 2022 finalists, the Celtics. A good opportunity to salvage a disappointing 2022/23 fiscal year for both teams.
PRESENTATION OF THE HEAT
Holders : B. Adebayo, J. Butler, T. Herro, M. Strus, G. Vincent
The substitutes : K. Lowry, K. Love, V. Oladipo, C. Zeller, D. Robinson, O. Robinson
The absents : Nikola Jovic
The coach : Erik Spoelstra
The arrivals of Kevin Love and Cody Zeller, during exercise, reinforced a racket occupied by a too lonely Bam Abedayo, but an already solid group. Except that Kyle Lowry, long injured, did not weigh enough and the attack coughed all season (25th only in efficiency with only the 27th outside address). Still, on paper, with stars, shooters and experienced players, the Heat is cut out for these high-stakes matches, at a lower pace, where no one really wants to meet them.
The strong point
– A cleaver match team. Finalist in 2020 in the “bubble”, defeated in Game 7 of the conference final in 2022, the Heat love big games and the playoffs, which stick better to their rhythm. This team is cut out to play intense matches, where the pressure is high and the intensity is maximum. With his ability to take control and get his points like a grown-up, especially on the free throw line, Jimmy Butler is perfect for knocking down an opponent who is too tough in a few moments. The season was average, but being there on a game is totally on the ropes for Miami, especially at home.
The weak point
– An attack that can derail. The Heat may have a good squad and some strong shooters, but the season was complicated for their outside address. Very often, Miami relies on the talent of Jimmy Butler or Bam Adebayo to make a difference, but the club can experience big air pockets in attack, and it can hurt against an opposing team on pace. Pay attention to these periods of depressurization…
PRESENTATION OF THE HAWKS
Holders : C. Capela, J. Collins, D. Hunter, D. Murray, T. Young
The substitutes : B. Bogdanovic, S. Bey, O. Okongwu, A. Griffin, J. Johnson, J. Holiday, A. Holiday
The absents :/
The coach : Quin Snyder
The coaches pass but the observation remains the same: the Hawks are terribly average. The departure of Nate McMillan and the arrival of Quin Snyder did not have the desired effect, worthy of that of 2021. With Dejounte Murray in addition to the group, Atlanta had big ambitions, without ever taking off. The team flirted for a long, long time before finally hitting the 50% win mark. The talent is there, so the blows of brilliance are possible, but collectively, the mayonnaise does not take.
The strong point
– The attack. Like last season, the Hawks have no trouble scoring points, lots of points. Especially with the arrival of Dejounte Murray, who adds an additional and high quality weapon, and with a very interesting bench and a generally strong squad. The Hawks remain an overall skilful team and, to top it off, lose few balls. It thus offers itself even more ammunition.
The weak point
– Defense. It’s quite binary as an analysis, but the Hawks are average so you have to cut the pear in half. If the attack is going well, on the other hand, in defense, neither Nate McMillan nor Quin Snyder have really found the right formula. Too often, opponents can feast, especially inside. When the 3-point success is present, then this defensive weakness is less felt and can be partially compensated, but as soon as the address drops, the Hawks are in great danger. A figure shows it: only two victories in 20 matches when the team does not score more than 110 points…
THE KEY TO THE MATCH
– Intensity. It’s a kind of Game 7, even if the loser still has a parachute in case of defeat, so there is no calculation. Irregular, the two teams lacked intensity at certain times of the season, offering fairly soft, even sometimes worrying performances. There, we will have to get out the muscles from the start of the meeting. In this area, the Heat clearly have more reference, with their now well-honed zone defense and their habit of big games. The Hawks have alternated the good and the bad all season, what face will they offer for this important game? Especially since Trae Young has a lot of trouble facing the Heat defense…
REGULAR SEASON
Miami 3-1
November 27: Atlanta – Miami (98-106)
January 16: Atlanta – Miami: (121-113)
March 4: Miami – Atlanta (117-109)
March 6: Miami – Atlanta (130-128)
VERDICT
Miami. The tension is high, so the defenses should take precedence. Turn a match into a trench battle, and limit possessions and points? Erik Spoelstra’s troops know how to do it, they showed it during the regular season duels between the two teams. Trae Young and his comrades a little less.
There’s too much talent in Atlanta to take the game lightly and miss Miami’s seriousness, and if that’s the case, Floridians will no doubt be heavily punished. But with their experience, their defense and a Jimmy Butler who loves big games, it should logically pass.
HOURLY
At 1:30 a.m., Tuesday to Wednesday night.
