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  • 2 days ago
The Morning Shift talks about the Atlanta Hawks finishing as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings and now being set to take on the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, and explain why they think the Knicks are the better matchup for the Hawks instead of the Toronto Raptors.
Transcript
00:00Hey, our Hawks are in the playoffs.
00:02First time since 2021.
00:03They beat Cleveland Friday night to do so 124-102.
00:08Last night, a little different story.
00:09Lost to the Heat, 143-117, but the Hawks did rest.
00:13Jalen Johnson, CJ McCollum, Dyson Daniels had a toe sprain.
00:16Nikhil Alexander-Walker had a toe sprain.
00:18Jonathan Kaminga had a knee injury that they are managing.
00:21So it wasn't the same team last night.
00:23It was toe sprains.
00:24Is that what it is?
00:25Those things pop up out of nowhere.
00:27Not only the toe sprains, but left and right great toe sprains
00:30for Dyson, Daniels, and Nikhil, respectfully.
00:33There you go.
00:34It's just those things that you probably get treatment on every day
00:38during the season.
00:39It's probably something he gets treatment on.
00:42For whatever reason, maybe the shoes he wears or the way he runs
00:46probably puts stress on his toes.
00:48He's like, oh, yeah, well, we're going to rest you,
00:50so we're just going to say that's your injury.
00:51Got to take care of those great toes.
00:54I'm sorry.
00:55Are they the same thing as big toes?
00:56Can we not just say big toe?
00:57Is great toe and big toe not the same toe?
00:59Maybe it's the medical definition.
01:01Maybe.
01:02It's got to be because I have one of those things where my second toe
01:04is longer than my big toe.
01:05Morton's foot.
01:06Yeah, yeah.
01:07So maybe that's why.
01:08Maybe they're like, oh, let's just make sure we identify which one
01:10we're talking about here.
01:11You know what I mean?
01:11The index toe.
01:12Because your big toe is your second toe.
01:15Right.
01:15Yeah.
01:16No, I'm with you.
01:17I thought it was – did anybody have a problem with them not playing guys?
01:21Why would you?
01:22Why would you?
01:23No problem at all.
01:23Can I ask you why you would?
01:26I'm asking – I didn't say I did.
01:28No, I'm asking what would their reasoning be if they did?
01:32I don't know.
01:33There's a lot of – I mean, there's still a chance of seeding –
01:37like a 1% chance of seeding was up for grabs.
01:39Maybe the guys he'd work.
01:40I think the better matchup for you was to be the sixth seed, which you really
01:44didn't – I mean, I guess if you wanted it would have mattered, but the control
01:48was if Boston won, you went to six, and if they lost to the Magic, you went to five.
01:55I think it's better than being at six, you were in a complete grind the last two months of the
02:02season, and you know, why not have a breather?
02:07You get a solid week off, essentially, because I think they play Saturday.
02:13Yes, Saturday at six.
02:15And so, on prime, I believe.
02:17That is correct.
02:17Which is – there we go.
02:19You know, you've got to find nine different providers to figure out where to watch your damn game.
02:23Playoff games on streaming services.
02:26But I don't know why anyone would have a problem with it.
02:28I think it's what the team needed.
02:30Just take a breather.
02:30However, this is the reason why you fought so hard to get to a five or six seed.
02:35I'm a little bit surprised that you – it's just slam dunk for you that the Knicks were the easier
02:40matchup.
02:41I didn't say easier.
02:42I think it's a better matchup.
02:43I think it's a better matchup.
02:45I don't think Mobley and Allen are a good matchup for you inside.
02:49I think it causes problems for you.
02:52And so, therefore, I think New York provides a better matchup.
02:57I'm not saying you're going to win it either.
02:58That's not what I'm saying.
02:59I just like the matchup better for the Hawks.
03:01Yeah, I like the matchup better too for the Hawks.
03:03I think, like Bo said, size-wise, you are much more equipped to take on a Karl-Anthony Townsend.
03:09Plus, you've got to think of the way these guys play too.
03:12Jared Allen and Evan Mobley.
03:13Evan Mobley can shoot the jumper a little bit, but he's been struggling with his jumper a lot this year.
03:17So, he's been much more of a paint presence.
03:19And Jared Allen is much more of a paint presence too.
03:22Karl-Anthony Towns, we have to remember, spends a lot of time on the perimeter.
03:25And Inyeka Okongwu is much more equipped to guard a guy who spends a lot of time on the perimeter,
03:31much like himself, and Karl-Anthony Townsend.
03:34Again, when you talk about height-wise, Karl-Anthony Townsend and Inyeka Okongwu are much closer to the same height,
03:39just talking about height-wise, than he is to Jared.
03:41Jared Allen and Evan Mobley both got some inches on Inyeka Okongwu.
03:44Plus, you never know which Karl-Anthony Townsend you're going to get.
03:46True.
03:47Are you going to get Karl-Anthony Towns?
03:49Yeah, I'm Karl-Anthony Towns.
03:51I mean, which one are you going to get?
03:52Because, you know, one of them is easier to handle than the other.
03:54That is true.
03:55And then, as far as guard play goes, you have to worry about Donovan Mitchell and James Harden.
04:04I know James Harden has had his playoff struggles, but still, he's still James Harden at the end of the
04:08day.
04:09If you're taking on Cleveland, for New York, it's really just Jalen Brunson.
04:13I know OG Ananobi, he's more of a forward, he's not necessarily a guard.
04:15But I feel like Jalen Johnson can do a good job locking him up.
04:20And then you are a lot more equipped to switch and be effective at switching on Jalen Brunson than you
04:28are having to deal with having to, you know, switch on and worry about matchups.
04:33Because in the Cleveland game on Wednesday, when both teams are playing their guys, they tried to exploit getting CJ
04:40McCollum either on Donovan Mitchell or James Harden.
04:42And then with Jalen Brunson, really him being the kind of main guard, because I'm not so much worried about
04:47Josh Harden.
04:48He doesn't handle the ball.
04:49He's more of like a corner three, spot up and shoot type of guy.
04:52So, if they try to switch on, you can have it to where you kind of hide CJ McCollum in
04:58the corner with Josh Hart.
04:59And if they try to do like a pick and roll switch, you can use that action with Dyson Daniels
05:04and Nikhil Alexander-Walker, and you're much less susceptible to getting exposed that way.
05:08So, I just think overall it's a better matchup defensively for the Hawks and the way they're set up size
05:13-wise and guard play-wise.
05:14So, I think it's definitely the better matchup for sure.
05:17It's certainly exciting.
05:18They, of course, will play the Knicks Saturday at 6 o'clock.
05:22Now, the Falcons picked up John Robinson's fifth-year option.
05:25Jonathan Jones tweeted out that this is a placeholder for a long-term extension that should get hammered out before
05:31the start of this season.
05:32What kind of deal do you think we're going to get?
05:35Massive.
05:36I think we're getting a great deal.
05:38You know how we talked about Drake?
05:43When he gets his deal, he'll be, you know, probably what set market value two years ago, price per year,
05:52the AAV.
05:53Well, Bajan is going to set the market.
05:58I don't see how he doesn't.
06:03I'm completely with you, man.
06:04I think that when it comes to Bajan and when it comes to everything he's able to do, you can
06:11look at running backs around the NFL.
06:13Okay, maybe you had more rushing yards.
06:14Maybe you had more of this.
06:16Maybe you had for that.
06:17Maybe your team's had more success.
06:19But, dude, he does it all.
06:20I mean, he absolutely does it all.
06:22And to come up short of saying that this is the heartbeat of the team would be ridiculous.
06:27You know, he is everything that this organization, not only on the field that they seem to value, but off
06:33the field as well.
06:35That's the easiest kind of guy to pay, that you know you're not going to have to worry about in
06:38the long run.
06:38You don't have to worry about his work ethic.
06:40You don't have to worry about him outside the locker room.
06:41You don't have to worry about him inside the locker room.
06:43And you definitely don't have to worry about him on the field.
06:46So, I'm with you.
06:47I don't know that it's like the highest paid running back of all time, but it'll definitely be in the
06:51top three.
06:53And I think it's much deserved.
06:54This is a slam dunk, fifth-year option, and everything that comes along with it with the extension.
06:59I'm on board.
07:00If this deal comes through before the season starts, is this proof that we don't need to read between the
07:05lines with Ian Cunningham?
07:06Because this is exactly what he said.
07:08You know, wait until after the draft, free agency, and then the draft, and then we'll worry about Bajon and
07:12Drake and all that.
07:13Yeah.
07:13I guess.
07:15I mean, it's not as cut and dry sometimes, I feel like, with that because of agents and where players
07:25think they are.
07:26And sometimes those can screw these deals up.
07:29I do believe this one should be an easier thing.
07:32It doesn't feel like Bajon is that type of player and person.
07:36You know, it just feels like he just, I think he, I'm not saying he's going to give a hometown
07:42deal or, you know, some kind of discount, anything like that.
07:45I'm just saying, I think he, they'll be able to come together, and I don't think it is one of
07:51these deals where you really go back and forth.
07:53Because like Mike said, he does everything.
07:55And, you know, other than Headache Gate back in 2023, I don't really know what Bajon has done to make
08:07anyone believe he's not deserving of being the highest-paid player in football.
08:10And I don't even blame him on Headache Gate.
08:12I don't know what, I think that was an Arthur Smith deal.
08:14I still don't understand.
08:15And I still have not gotten any clarity on that.
08:18And that's one that normally I get clarity even if I don't tell you I've gotten clarity.
08:22That's one I still don't understand.
08:23It's like the eighth world wonder with that one.
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