NBA Playoffs 2016: Atlanta Hawks vs. Boston Celtics Preview

The Atlanta Hawks will take on the the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Here are the factors that’ll decide who comes out on top.

The Atlanta Hawks are on a mission to show that they aren’t just a flash in the pan and are a force to be reckoned with in the NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics are looking to win a playoff game for the first time under Brad Stevens and take the next step in becoming a contender in the East.

Let’s look at how the matchups stack up in this series.

Likely Starting Lineups:

Point Guard

Jeff Teague (ATL) vs. Isaiah Thomas (BOS)

Former All-Star vs. first-time All-Star. Isaiah Thomas is the catalyst for the Celtics and have provided them with the scrappy identity that they hold on to. The undersized point guard electrifies the court with his speed and can space the floor or attack the rim.

On the other side, Teague is coming into the playoffs playing just as well as Thomas. In April, Teague has averaged 22.0 points and 6.2 assists a game compared to Thomas’ 22.2 points and 5.6 assists per game. Thomas has been better for longer this season, but if Teague can continue playing at this level it can help take away one of Boston’s advantages in this series.

Advantage: Boston Celtics (barely)

Shooting Guard

Kyle Korver (ATL) vs. Avery Bradley (BOS)

Korver has long been one of the more underappreciated wings in the NBA. Even at his age, he is shooting around 40 percent from three and the Hawks are a better defensive team when he is on the court compared to when he sits. Opposite to him, the Celtics counter with Avery Bradley.

Bradley’s defense is some of the best in the NBA at the guard position and he is also capable of initiating the offense at times. He’s also a reliable three-point threat, but how he defends Korver will have a big impact on which team comes out on top. Korver has five inches on Bradley and is a master at moving without the ball.

Bradley will need to fight through screens and not fall asleep on defense if Boston has any hope of containing the one they call Threezus. While Korver is a solid defender, he might have problems with the smaller and quicker Bradley, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him cross-matched with Jae Crowder on defense. Whether Boston does the same remains to be seen.

Advantage: Boston Celtics

Small Forward

Kent Bazemore (ATL) vs. Jae Crowder (BOS)

Bazemore has been a pleasant surprise for Atlanta, filling in for the departed DeMarre Carroll. His defense and shooting fits well within the Hawks system and he is the type of role player any playoff team would kill to have. Crowder, on the other-hand, is a role player on steroids. He takes the shots he should take, moves the ball well, rebounds and plays very high level defense.

Crowder has been dealing with injuries for the last two months and his play has suffered as a result. He is shooting just 36.7 percent from the floor and 24.6 percent from three since the beginning of March. Crowder is the better player and should be able to make a large impact with his defense, but whether his offense makes an appearance in the postseason is to be determined.

Advantage: Boston Celtics? Maybe?

Power Forward

Paul Millsap (ATL) vs. Amir Johnson (BOS)

While the other matchups are closer in terms of ability, this is one where Atlanta has a significant advantage. Millsap has been one of the best power forwards in the league and will likely earn some consideration for an All-NBA team as well as an All-Defensive team.

Amir Johnson is a solid hustle player, but he’s part of a larger platoon of bigs that will be deployed to try and slow Millsap down. Ultimately this is an area where the Celtics are likely to take a loss, as Millsap tuned them up in the regular season, averaging 22.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game against Boston.

Advantage: Atlanta Hawks

Center

Al Horford (ATL) vs. Kelly Olynyk (BOS)

Large mismatch No. 2! Horford is a perfect center for the Hawks against the Celtics, as he possesses the mobility to stay with their perimeter attack. Olynyk is having a fine season, but dealing with Horford is going to be a lot to handle for him or any of the Celtics big men. Horford can hurt the Celtics with his scoring, passing or defense and I’m not convinced Boston will have an answer for him.

Advantage: Atlanta Hawks

Bench

The Hawks lost some important depth this season with Tiago Splitter sidelined for the year. But they still possess quality role players in Dennis Schroder, Thabo Sefolosha, Tim Hardaway Jr, Mike Scott and Kris Humphries. The Celtics posses a lot of depth with Marcus Smart, Jared Sullinger, Jonas Jerebko, Tyler Zeller and Evan Turner.

Stevens uses his bench well and keeps the minutes distributed evenly, especially among his bigs. I feel as though Boston is going to go deeper into their rotation throughout the series, but I’m not sure if they truly have the better players coming off the pine. Schroder is a real difference maker and could be a disruptive force in this series.

Advantage: Atlanta Hawks

Coach

Mike Budenholzer (ATL) vs. Brad Stevens (BOS)

This playoff series will feature two of the best coaches in the conferences. Stevens has managed to get more than many expected out of a roster that doesn’t possess any star players. Budenholzer has helped Atlanta have the second best defense in the league, despite losing their best perimeter defender this past summer.

While Stevens has done a great job in the regular season, he’s unproven when it comes to the NBA playoffs and it’s possible that there’s still a learning curve there. Budenholzer has more NBA experience and has already made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Until Stevens proves himself, I tend to lean towards Budenholzer.

Advantage: Atlanta Hawks

Key Matchup:

Jeff Teague (ATL) vs. Isaiah Thomas (BOS)

With how hot Teague has been lately, he can have swing this series if he maintains his current level of play. Isaiah Thomas is the Celtics’ best player and if Teague can make him work on defense and outplay him, it’ll swing things in Atlanta’s favor. But if he can’t, he also is the weak link in the Hawks defense and somebody that Thomas that can potentially expose.

Atlanta wins if…

One of Horford or Millsap are the best players in the series. If Boston centers their focus on one of them defensively, it’ll likely free up the other as they don’t have the personnel to shut them down straight up. When the Hawks are playing inside-out, they’re tough to beat.

Boston wins if…

Teague plays poorly, Crowder finds his midseason form and the Celtics defense manages to slow down the Hawks perimeter attack enough to negate the impact of their interior production.

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Prediction:

Atlanta Hawks defeat Boston Celtics 4-2.

I think Boston is a very talented team and capable of taking this series, but Atlanta has the two best players in the series and a third that’s capable of outplaying anybody on the Celtics. Atlanta is playing their best basketball of the season when it matters, it’s just not the Celtics’ time yet.