Atlanta Hawks: On Doc Rivers punting home-court advantage
“Whether they play in Boston, Atlanta or Tokyo, the Celtics are going to beat the Hawks.”
That’s what Charles Barkley said the other night. It’s also what Doc Rivers implied over the final two weeks of the season.
Wasn’t that the message when Rivers started resting his players with home-court advantage against the Hawks still at stake? Didn’t Doc send out his “C” team against the Hawks at Philips Arena–and nearly win the game anyway? Certainly Doc earned the psyops W at that moment when Joe Johnson trudged back into the game because Atlanta’s reserves couldn’t finish off the likes of JaJuan Johnson.
“That’s mental,” Josh Smith said. “He’s a great mental coach. He plays mental games with his players and the other team. He’s a great coach. He knows what his team can do.”
The Celtics didn’t have to go all-out to get home-court advantage, either. The Hawks opened the door with that ugly home loss to the Raptors. Doc just shrugged.
“I’m taking rest and rhythm over home court,” he said over and over.
The unstated implication, of course, is that the Celtics don’t think they need home-court advantage beat the Hawks.
“I’m not going to be politically correct: Yes, I am a bit offended by that,” Jannero Pargo said. “I think it also shows the confidence they have in themselves, which is a good thing for them. But, yeah, I feel some type of way about that. They feel like they are going to win the first round whether it’s here or there.”
I suppose Boston’s nonchalance about home court is understandable for a group with championship rings and three players headed to Hall of Fame. The Celtics are 13-22 in playoff road games since 2008 so it’s not as if they don’t know they can do it (though it’s worth noting is they didn’t win at Philips in 2008 when they were much better and the Hawks not as good).
I’m sure supreme confidence is the default disposition for a franchise that has nearly as many playoff victories in the last four years as the Hawks have managed since 1988.
“They’ve won a championship,” Jeff Teague said. “They’ve won on the road in the playoffs. They are confident. We are confident, too. We don’t take offense to it. They feel like they can win on the road.”
Larry Drew: “They won a championship with a team a few years ago and they have a core of guys that are used to playing on the road in big-time situations. I’m sure that doesn’t faze them at all. Being a veteran ballclub, I can see where health is probably a little bit more important than home court. For us, it’s totally different.”
I’m not one to throw shade on Doc’s approach with his team. Not many coaches are more in tune with what their players need. Perhaps it’s less about Doc taking the Hawks lightly and more that he felt he had no choice but to ease his guys into the postseason.
Still, Doc’s strategy is not without risk.
It starts with the math: According to the NBA’s postseason media guide, teams with home-court advantage have won 76.3 percent of series since 1984. The Celtics were a mediocre road team this season–even their surge to end the season included a loss at Toronto when they were actually trying to win. And if the Celtics expect they’ll get their usual robust support from fans at Philips Arena, they may be out of luck: word is the Hawks expect the ratio will be much more in the home team’s favor for Game 1.
Also, it’s not as if the Celtics have overwhelmed the Hawks this season. Boston is a poor offensive team and an even worse rebounding team.
In other words, the Celtics have plenty of warts for a team that seems so unconcerned about home-court advantage. But I’m all for playing this series in Tokyo.
Michael Cunningham, Hawks beat
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
244 comments Add your comment
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:16 pm
I prefer CT-Scans on the head and knees over MRI’s. So many bones and the CT-SCAN can look around corners and, see from angles.
zgoldatl
April 28th, 2012
4:21 pm
Looking forward to seeing Ivan ”straight goon” Johnson, get under Garnetts skin. The man is a bully. Just what ATL needed in a backup big man. Let’s get Zaza healthy and get that nasty lineup of Zaza, ivan, Smoove, johnson, and teague on the court. Lets Go Hawks
RA
April 28th, 2012
4:23 pm
Well, I’m sure that with all of Charles Barkley’s championship experience, he knows best what’s going to happen in this post season. Oh, darn! Chuck never won a championship! Well, I guess we’re just going to have to play this thing out and see what happens…
High-sider
April 28th, 2012
4:25 pm
Who is LeBron James more similar to with respect to postseason success – Julius Erving or Karl Malone? Or is it too early to tell?
Julius Erving – great indivdual, athletic talent, won one NBA championship ['83 - 76ers], lost in the NBA Finals three times ['77, '80 and '82 - all with 76ers], did win two ABA championships ['74 and '76 - New York Nets]
Karl Malone – great individual, powerful talent, lost in the NBA Finals three times ['97 and '98 - Jazz and '04 - Lakers]
LeBron James – great individual, athletic and powerful talent, lost in the NBA Finals two times ['07 - Cavaliers and '11 - Heat]
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:26 pm
This dumb stuff is what happens when injured players try to play when not healthy. This is the NBA man!
I sure hope DRose is going to be ok. Fingers crossed, this kid is such a nice guy.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:29 pm
Lessons Learned!
When you are up 12 points and have 1:23 mins left? SIT YOUR STARTERS!!! in the play offs.
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
4:31 pm
Doctors Report Derrick Rose has a torn Mcl and Acl will miss the remainder of the playoffs and have surgery on Tuesday
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
4:32 pm
NO EXCUSE TO NOT MAKE THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THIS YEAR
hawk_life
April 28th, 2012
4:36 pm
Does anyone know, or how I can find out, if we (hawk fans) are all wearing a color in support. I want to flush out any green. On a side note if we go into this post season with OUR game plan and execute OUR game plan we can blow past Boston. We just have tendency to play to the opponents level. We are better fast, and stronger if we use what we got.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:36 pm
That ACL tear test looked positive to me on the replay of trainer’s assessment exam.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
4:41 pm
Tim Donaghy would be proud of the officiating in this Knicks-Heat game. I have no love for New York teams, but if I was a Knicks fan in that crowd I would be throwing batteries right about now. This is pathetic. LeBron should be suspended for this acting job.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
4:42 pm
“Does anyone know, or how I can find out, if we (hawk fans) are all wearing a color in support. ”
Everyone gets a white tee if I’m not mistaken.
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
4:42 pm
LOL Najeh
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
4:43 pm
If that is true about D-Rose’s knee, I feel bad for the guy, but this might be the best opportunity to get to the conference finals the Hawks have ever had.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:44 pm
“Doctors Report Derrick Rose has a torn Mcl and Acl will miss the remainder of the playoffs and have surgery on Tuesday.”
_________
I knew two things tore, I was guessing medial meniscus with that ACL.
“Just saw the replay on DRose injury. He planted the left foot and the outer knee bowed outward. Might be a ACL tear with a combo of medial meniscus tear. But, I’ll go with an ACL tear.” -drmaryb-
_______
This is so awful for DRose. When that thing pops, it sounds like a gun shot.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:46 pm
This Heat game is rigged.
Shamrock
April 28th, 2012
4:47 pm
Najeh Davenpoop – “Everyone gets a white tee if I’m not mistaken.”
Fans can wave those as flags of surrender.
Shamrock
April 28th, 2012
4:50 pm
TMACfan – “NO EXCUSE TO NOT MAKE THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THIS YEAR”
Step away from the pipe.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
4:52 pm
I can’t get too mad at you, Shamrock, since I go troll the Magic fans on the Orlando Sentinel blogs from time to time. The nice thing is that once the Celtics lose in the first round, the big 3 will be dismantled and the Celtics will have another 20 years of futility like they did after Bird retired. Shimmy shimmy ya shimmy yam shimmy yay.
drmaryb.(*_*).
April 28th, 2012
4:55 pm
Flagrant Acting!
LBJ
Shamrock
April 28th, 2012
4:56 pm
Najeh Davenpoop – “Celtics will have another 20 years of futility like they did after Bird retired.”
Of course the Celtics had great set-backs with the deaths of both Len Bias and Reggie Lewis…what is the Hawks excuse?
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
4:56 pm
@Shamrock
you’re are the coolest guy I’ve met on the internet. With no life.
Shamrock
April 28th, 2012
5:04 pm
TMACfan – You mean I’m even cooler than all those dudes you meet on GayLove.com?
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
5:05 pm
Glad I wasn’t trolling blogs when I was 12 years old.
SteveW
April 28th, 2012
5:10 pm
Last year it was DRose spraining an ankle with a few seconds left to play down by 7(?) against the Hawks.
That must be a stupid quirk Coach TT has. Weird thing is, with 3:02 to play, I was thinking – “Why is Rose still in the game?”. Then “boom”.
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
April 28th, 2012
5:11 pm
Another blowout for Woody in the playoffs.
prison mike
April 28th, 2012
5:11 pm
The NY Pricks are going to see why we loathe iso ball. They are going between ages until they can score.
AtlTodoLaVida
April 28th, 2012
5:17 pm
D. Rose is great, but the Bulls did great without him. The will still be the big favorite in round 2, be it vs. Hawks or Celts.
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
5:19 pm
Woody, for his career, is 2-12 in playoff road games, and on average loses each game by 18 points.
brigadierjerry
April 28th, 2012
5:20 pm
drmaryb,
good call on the Heat game u see James flopping like a chicken with his head cutoff.shumpert looks to be hurt now
Source?
April 28th, 2012
5:22 pm
“TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
4:31 pm
Doctors Report Derrick Rose has a torn Mcl and Acl will miss the remainder of the playoffs and have surgery on Tuesday”
__________________________________________________
Nobody has reported anything yet.
Melvin
April 28th, 2012
5:23 pm
“Silas has expressed concern that Biyombo should move to power forward because he might not be big enough to hold up defending a steady diet of NBA centers. The 6-9, 245-pound Biyombo – toughest guy on this team – disagrees: “I’m a fighter, I like to fight. I prefer to be a center.” Charlotte Observer”
It would be nice if the Hawks had a 6′9 – 6′10 guy to say that…..
Time to Draft Better
April 28th, 2012
5:23 pm
The WAFFLE man is getting out coached in typical wody-like fashion. Still laughing at all of the analysts who think he should have retained his job just because regular season gains with the hawks when it was really nothing more than organic growth.
If the hawks were playing against the heat today we wouldnt be down by 25 in the 3rd. and thats without Horford and zaza. Game would definetly be close.
If rose is done, all we have to do is get past boston and we will make it to the ECF.
GO Hawks!!!
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
5:24 pm
NBC Miami tweeted the info about Rose tearing his ACL and MCL. No independent confirmation of that report yet, though.
Melvin
April 28th, 2012
5:24 pm
No Slimjr and Knicks comments today?????
Najeh Davenpoop
April 28th, 2012
5:26 pm
Also, “ACL and MCL” is trending on Twitter. So whether it’s true or not, the Twitterverse has decided that Rose tore his ACL.
Melvin
April 28th, 2012
5:29 pm
Maybe, Bibby + Playoffs = Blowout Lost…. Or sub Bibby for Woody…
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
5:29 pm
I got the source from some ESPN dude on twitter.
Time to Draft Better
April 28th, 2012
5:36 pm
I don’t care what type of ISO it is. If it’s not Iso-kobe or Iso-MJ IT AINT GONNA WORK. Sorry, melo. And even they needed good players around them, The triangle offense, and oh-yeah….Phil Jackson.
Firing Mike D and promoting Woody was a huge mistake. Linsanity without Melo and STAT worked for reason. Those two iso-heavy airheads needed to get with the program. They did it for Team USE so theses not reason they should not have excelled in the seven seconds or less offense.
Time to Draft Better
April 28th, 2012
5:37 pm
*USA
UGAKev
April 28th, 2012
5:38 pm
I got tickets for the game tomorrow. Does anyone know if there are going to be rally towels or anything because I dont see it being advertised.
Source?
April 28th, 2012
5:39 pm
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
5:29 pm
I got the source from some ESPN dude on twitter.
_________________________________________
Who got it from NBC Miami. NBC Miami just retracted the tweet
Hawks notes: Ivan Johnson vows to keep cool – Atlanta Journal Constitution | The Time of Press
April 28th, 2012
5:40 pm
[...] Atlanta Hawks: On Doc Rivers punting home-court advantage [...]
bigdave
April 28th, 2012
5:43 pm
I’m telling u ‘poop.. dude should Definitely holla at vince mcmahon when he hangs em up. disgusting really.. dude couldn’t play in previous eras..
TMACfan
April 28th, 2012
5:44 pm
No one is giving the Hawks a chance…. SMH
Hawks Blog Legend Worldwide Clyde
April 28th, 2012
5:50 pm
Samuel is in tears right now.
Joe Piskepo
April 28th, 2012
5:58 pm
Shamrock back in the mid-ninety’s I got a scholarship offer from Northeastern U. I didn’t go because I heard Boston was a miserable town. I was wondering did I miss out on a wonderful experience.
tank
April 28th, 2012
5:59 pm
@TMACfan. Nobody ever gives us a chance against anyone. Thats what happens when you dont have superstars and your team is up and down like the hawks. But as fans we got to support, and as injuries and different storylines take place (i.e. horrible, fixed officiating) teams that no one thinks have a chance will break through. (Hawks)
Shamrock
April 28th, 2012
6:00 pm
Bulls need to borrow Pierce’s magic wheelchair.
rob
April 28th, 2012
6:03 pm
First two games of playoffs=blowouts, noncompettivie