- 13 hours ago
Despite a narrow loss to the New York Knicks where C.J. McCollum's half-court shot didn't quite beat the buzzer, Dukes and Bell argue the Hawks showed in their performance that they belong on the national stage and can give any team in the Eastern Conference a run for their money. You buying a Hawks postseason run anywhere close to 2021?
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00:00Atlanta! What's going on? It's Dukes and Bell on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
00:04We start off every day and every hour by saying,
00:06Hey, man! Hope you are having a great Tuesday.
00:10As the Hawks played a big game last night at State Farm Arena.
00:14And Mike, even though they lost, the thing about the Hawks is
00:18people have been wondering, are they for real?
00:20You've been beating up on the Sisters of the Poor, a weak schedule, blah, blah, blah.
00:25Yet and still, they've been winning.
00:28And last night felt like a playoff game.
00:31And for Hawks fans, here's the thing that we need to take away from last night.
00:35Outside of the fact that we lost the game, which is just, hey, somebody has to lose.
00:38We barely lost the game, but we had a shot at the end
00:41when CJ almost hits that half-court shot he does, but it doesn't count.
00:45This team is going to be competitive.
00:47They are going to fight.
00:49They are going to be in games in the playoffs.
00:51This is a team that will not be swept out of the playoffs.
00:55I'm telling you right now.
00:56So for everybody that's wondering if we're going to play the Knicks or if it's going
01:01to be the Cavs or Raptors, whoever it ends up being by the end of this week,
01:06because the season will end, Mike, this is a team that's going to fight.
01:09And I think that's one thing that everybody, because we've been blowing teams out,
01:12you humiliate the Nets last Friday.
01:15You know, you've been blowing these bad teams out.
01:16And you're going, okay, well, how good are the Hawks?
01:19Guys, this team is really good.
01:20But, Mike, they're lacking one thing, size.
01:24Yes, and there's no substitute for it.
01:26And you saw it.
01:26And it's one of the things that Knicks fans and a couple of our friends that are listeners
01:29are Knicks fans saying, hey, man, you can't handle the front court.
01:32And at times, you couldn't.
01:33And key rebounds.
01:34And there was a sequence where, you know, we just, unfortunately, the Knicks just kept
01:37possessions alive because they just kept grabbing board after board.
01:40Their defense, too.
01:41They played that defensive intensity that they brought, especially in the third quarter,
01:44and just whittled away our lead.
01:46How many times did it seem like we could get guys trapped just outside the arc, right?
01:50Yes.
01:51And it was almost like, ooh, it just, they have an intensity.
01:54They have playoff experience.
01:55They were just, you know, an injury maybe to Porzingis and a few breaks away from going
01:58to the NBA Finals last year.
01:59It's a good team.
02:01Brunson was making those killer and the finisher shots that you talked about on social media.
02:05We're missing two things, if I can add one.
02:07Who's going to make that shot?
02:08Don't be that 2015-60 win team where, Carl, who's taking the last shot?
02:12And five guys all point at each other.
02:13Right, right.
02:14Is it Jalen Johnson?
02:15Is it Nikhil Alexander-Walker?
02:16Who's taking that shot?
02:17Yeah, look, last night as the game was finishing up, and I'm sitting there,
02:22and this is why I just, I reserve judgment.
02:25Because I've told you guys, look, I can't judge a team when they're playing bad teams
02:30or our team has not been good.
02:32It's hard to really judge and say, oh, this guy's going to be this,
02:35or Jalen's going to be that.
02:37When you get in these moments is when we find out about you.
02:40Now, Jalen, I thought, had a good look to potentially, you know, tie the game or whatever.
02:44And it rolls off the glass, and I thought he got a good look.
02:47But at the end of the game, here was the difference, and I said this today on our pre-show.
02:50It's Dukes and Bell Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
02:53They continued to go to Jalen Brunson.
02:56We were searching for who we wanted to go to.
02:59And Na had been hot, so it was like, all right, Na, you want it?
03:03Na, CJ, I'm going to give it back to you.
03:04CJ, you want it?
03:05Na, I'm going to give it to Jalen.
03:07They knew exactly who was going to go or the offense was going to go through.
03:12We were still struggling with that, Mike.
03:14And, look, in the playoffs, that's part of the brilliance of these teams that ultimately win championships.
03:21A few years ago, Mike, it was Joker, right?
03:22Denver, when they got stuck, we're just going to drop it in, and Joker, you do what you do, right?
03:28Maybe Murray, but usually Joker.
03:29Correct.
03:30But last year was SGA.
03:32We're stuck.
03:32You know what?
03:33SGA, you go do what you do, and maybe he creates a shot for somebody.
03:37That's still yet to be determined for us.
03:39And I know many of you are going to say, well, it's Jalen Johnson.
03:41Here's the deal, and I'm going to take you guys back.
03:44We didn't know it was Trey until 21.
03:46We thought he was really good, but we didn't know, Mike, until he started making those runners in the lane,
03:51and he's hitting game winners, and he's pulling up for three.
03:54And you're going, this dude's not afraid of the moment.
03:56I think Jalen can be that, but, Mike, I'm not ready to anoint him that because he's not had enough
04:01of those moments.
04:02Jalen Brunson, at this point in his career, has.
04:04Right.
04:04I mean, it's funny, we talked about it yesterday with Brian Geltz-Saller from Sirius, covers the NBA,
04:08and all the soap operas about Jalen being the guy dominating.
04:11Well, yes, he dominated, and he needed to.
04:12He was horrible in the first half, took it over in the second half, 16 points in the fourth quarter
04:16alone.
04:17He was money.
04:18The size element, they've got three guys that we can't match up with.
04:21The Kongu's out there taking threes.
04:22Reese Arche is on the floor.
04:23It's like, you're totally useless.
04:25Can I be real here?
04:27Yes.
04:27That sequence day day in the fourth quarter.
04:28Be real.
04:29Reese Arche is on the floor.
04:30It's like, I got a better shot of about as bad as my half-quarter attempt was with yours a
04:34few weeks ago.
04:34I mean, Reese Arche has got, I mean, there's just nothing there.
04:37So, we need to get more from the bench.
04:40The bench didn't really give us much of anything.
04:42And as we said, but I will say this, it's positives.
04:45They were in it.
04:46Hell, man, McCollum nearly hit the damn half-court to take it to overtime.
04:50That's great.
04:50I mean, it's a tenth of a second, a fingertip off of that.
04:53And I still watch that replay like 16 times.
04:55I go, wait a minute.
04:56It was close.
04:57But I mean, there's a playoff atmosphere.
04:59And, you know, real quick, just you and I were talking about this off the air.
05:02There's days I want to throw a brick at the TV and you can't even get me to watch the
05:06NBA in like November, December.
05:08This is everything that's right about the NBA when it gets down to nut-cutting time, as you would say.
05:12That was a playoff atmosphere.
05:13I talked to five guys that were at the game saying it was unbelievable.
05:16Playoff atmosphere.
05:17Every possession.
05:18Great vibe.
05:19Hopefully they take that, Carl, and they learn from it.
05:22Quinn knows how to maybe manage it a little bit better.
05:24And to your point, figure out who's taking the shot.
05:26Fifth in the East.
05:28We are one and a half games in front of the Raptors.
05:30Remember, we play Cleveland on the road.
05:32Then Cleveland comes here Friday.
05:34Then we finish up with the Miami Heat.
05:35We'd love to hear from you.
05:36You can text the show at 404-726-0929.
05:39It is Dukes and Bell.
05:40Follow us on social media.
05:41He's Mike Bell, ATL.
05:43And I'm at Put'EmUp.
05:44See Dukes.
05:44And follow this radio show at Dukes and Bell, 929.
05:47Stay up on everything that's going on at 92.9 The Game.
05:50You ready for this, Mike?
05:51Lay it on me.
05:53He's a role player.
05:55He's a role player.
05:57Kaminga?
05:58Yes.
05:58Okay.
05:59And it's okay.
06:00But what you thought he was, he's not yet.
06:05He's a role player.
06:06Role players do what Kaminga did last night.
06:09Five points, five rebounds, 0 for 4 from beyond the yard.
06:14Go back and look at his numbers.
06:16He's a role guy.
06:17I'm okay with it.
06:18Because now I know.
06:20When he got here, I thought he was going to be, Mike, a star in the making.
06:25A guy that was going to take it.
06:27Like last night.
06:28Give me the rock.
06:30I've been with Golden State.
06:31I know how to finish these games.
06:33He's on the bench.
06:34I don't know what his injury is.
06:36I don't know how severe it is.
06:38I know many of you are saying I'm being way too hard on Jonathan Kaminga.
06:42Know your role.
06:43The Rock said it years ago.
06:45And that's what he is.
06:46So if that's what he's going to do in these playoffs, understand it and let's not expect
06:51more.
06:52I'm getting more from CJ McCollum.
06:55I'm getting more from Nikhil Alexander.
06:57I'm getting more from other guys off the bench than I am from Jonathan Kaminga.
07:02Last night was one of those games that I've been talking about, Mike, where you go, Kaminga,
07:06let's do something.
07:07And then, you know, you talk about Brian Geltzala yesterday and he said, look, his defense is
07:10an area where he can be a real dominant force.
07:13He's got to focus in on it.
07:14And he came in and picked up a quick foul.
07:16And I'm like, OK, I'm just telling you, like, if we think this team can really do something
07:20in the playoffs, they will be competitive.
07:23We need help.
07:24Jalen needs help.
07:25CJ needs help.
07:26That's the guy that was supposed to come in here and do that.
07:29You're not that guy, pal.
07:30Trust me.
07:30He's not done it.
07:31He's not done it.
07:32So last night, Mike, he's a role guy.
07:35So now, but do you want to keep this?
07:36Do you like the role he plays?
07:38Do you want to?
07:38I mean, this is where I need Quinn.
07:41And we talk about development and heard Quinn on today with the Steakhouse and kudos to
07:44the Coach of the Month in March.
07:46And again, this close last night.
07:47But how does Quinn fine tune him to get him to do the things you're talking about?
07:53Where he's worth?
07:53Because again, we're not Tony Ressler's not going to get in these aprons.
07:56We might think, hey, we're on the cusp of something big here.
07:59It's like throwing nickels around like manhole covers.
08:01I hope that Ansi Saleh can work with him.
08:04But I mean, every dollar still counts with this team.
08:06So I'm not throwing a bunch of money at this guy to your point until I know what he is.
08:09Yeah.
08:09I think this year we are just accepting what this is.
08:13We get into the offseason.
08:15There are areas where they need to help him improve.
08:18And hopefully, Mike, that happens.
08:19And we get back to next season.
08:21And by the way, let me tell you guys this.
08:23Because I was going to tell you, after last night, I'm like, by the way, what are our draft chances?
08:28The Hawks have a 12% chance to land the number one pick.
08:3112%.
08:31We also have a chance to land a top four pick.
08:37You know what that percentage is?
08:3851%.
08:40We're going to get a top five pick, guys.
08:43So there is a...
08:44We could get the number one pick.
08:45But the chances of us getting a top five pick are 51%.
08:51Right.
08:52And that means, Day-Day, I don't need Boozer.
08:55Because Boozer would get pushed around by that Knicks team.
08:57Example.
08:58I need seven feet.
08:59Get the tape measure out.
09:016'11", the shortest.
09:03That's what we need.
09:04Okay.
09:04Now, whether you're going to get that later...
09:06And I think you could probably find that later in the draft.
09:08Point guards, you know, we talked about...
09:10And again, what do you want?
09:12Do you favor athleticism?
09:14Strictly straight point guard?
09:15You know, distribution.
09:17Or a little bit of both, right?
09:18A guy can take it to the rack.
09:20Taller than Trey.
09:21Brunson?
09:22See, Brunson's got some meat on his bones.
09:23He does.
09:24Which makes him...
09:25The ability to get in the paint and get the contact and do those things.
09:28So, I love what we saw last night.
09:31Everything but the cherry on top, man.
09:32Everything but the finish.
09:33No doubt.
09:33I just feel like size matters.
09:35Man, it does.
09:36It's true.
09:36It does, man.
09:37404-726-0929.
09:39You guys can chime in.
09:40Knicks went on a 17-6 run in the final six minutes.
09:43That's how the game ended.
09:45That's where they knew where to go.
09:46And we were searching.
09:48And that is fundamentally right now.
09:49We figure that out.
09:51Right?
09:51And maybe, again, maybe it's Jalen.
09:52Maybe you're just feeding Jalen and you do what you do.
09:55But last night, I felt like that was the difference in this game.
09:58And Jalen, that's Jalen Brunson, was hitting those big shots.
10:01Meanwhile, Mike, as we talk about, you know, where the Hawks are and Kat last night, 21 points,
10:0712 rebounds.
10:08You're talking about the boards and the size.
10:10And remember, I mean, we talked about Kat.
10:12I think Kat's soft, guys.
10:14I don't think Kat is one of these big, dominant big men.
10:16Kat plays soft to me as big as he is.
10:19But he can still do so.
10:21Because, Mike, he can put it on the floor.
10:22He can shoot threes.
10:24He's versatile in that way.
10:25But last night was one of those games where, to Oren's point, I thought Jalen shared the ball early
10:31and got him going.
10:32And then when he needed to take it over, he did.
10:34Look, they've got great players, as we said.
10:36They're a couple of moves away from maybe making the NBA Finals last year.
10:40You know, Ananobi makes his free throws down late.
10:42You know, by the way, I was afraid they were going to get a flagrant two on McCollum at the
10:45end.
10:45Luckily, the common sense.
10:46That was just hard contact.
10:48I agree.
10:48If it's a playoff atmosphere, let's allow us to playoff.
10:50It's a big difference between that and Lawndale.
10:52So, first game I watched on Peacock.
10:55My God, you thought MSG produced this thing.
10:58Oh, my God.
10:59I'm texting Day-Day and Oren last night.
11:01I'm like, can we be even harder on the Knicks, Jock?
11:03They go to the timeout, and they're in the studio, and Scalabrini, oh, the Knicks, man,
11:08they're coming.
11:08They're like, what the hell am I watching?
11:10I mean, what am I watching?
11:12Yeah, exactly.
11:12You know what I mean?
11:13It was so pro-Knicks.
11:15Look, I grew up in New York.
11:16Those people, what do you mean those people?
11:18Annoying Knicks fans.
11:19You know, making all that noise last night, screaming MVP for Brunson.
11:24I mean, yeah, they're the worst.
11:25You want to just punch every one of them in the head.
11:27I'm always amazed at how many Knicks fans show up down at State Farm.
11:31I'm like, why don't y'all go home?
11:33I mean, all these people are wearing Knicks gear.
11:36I'm like, where the hell did y'all come from?
11:37Look, I, you know, it's because you're a trader.
11:39You're sold at it.
11:40Like, I've lived here.
11:41I'm sorry, if you lived somewhere more than 25 years, I say you adopt the other team.
11:44You're down there.
11:45Okay?
11:45Yep.
11:45I'm out.
11:46You know how I feel about the Mets.
11:48And blech, you couldn't pay me.
11:50I'm sorry, man.
11:51Yes, for some it dies hard.
11:52And I get it.
11:52You grew up with the great memories.
11:54I never saw the Knicks win a championship.
11:55I was five the last time they won one, okay?
11:58I served Dave DeBuscher as a bartender.
12:00That's the closest I came, Carl, to a Knicks championship.
12:02Now, look, this is why I kind of want the Knicks.
12:06This rivalry or whatever it is over the last few years and the fact that we beat them the last
12:10time we were in the playoffs.
12:11Mike, going to New York and playing them in the garden and beating them is the best.
12:16It just is.
12:17It made Trey.
12:18It put Trey on the map.
12:19It was Trey's coming out party.
12:20Taking the bow, rolling the dice, the whole shebang.
12:22But right now, we're not better than them.
12:24No.
12:25That's a problem.
12:25You touched on it on social media.
12:27We talked about it earlier.
12:28Size.
12:29And just, you know, yeah, I wish you had the true point guard.
12:32But Collin gave us everything he could.
12:33You said he almost pressed a little bit at the end.
12:35Yeah.
12:36Look, again, he's so experienced.
12:38I felt like he was kind of searching, and then he has a bad turnover that leads to an easy
12:42bucket for them.
12:43Either way, man, I'm proud of the way the Hawks play.
12:46They take on the Cavs tomorrow.
12:47But we've got to figure some stuff out.
12:49And by the way, you don't figure it out against bad teams.
12:52You figure it out against playoff caliber teams who've been there.
12:56That's what last night was.
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