The Hawks want to run.
The Celtics want to run.
Can they? That’s the big question facing each team in their first-round NBA playoff series that begins Saturday with Game 1 in Atlanta. It’s not easy to play an up-tempo style in the playoffs. The game tends to slow down because each possession is so important.
The job of getting their team up the court in a hurry begins with the point guard. The Hawks’ Jeff Teague and the Celtics’ Isaiah Thomas will initiate much of the up-court speed for their offenses.
Hawks center Al Horford stated the importance of Teague this way: “I think with his aggressiveness, him be assertive, it’s going to be the X-factor for us.”
Teague is a one of the reasons the Hawks are playing their best basketball in the final month and a half of the season. In the final 21 games of the regular season, Teague has scored in double-figures 18 times. That includes the final 10 games. The Hawks are 15-6 in that stretch as he averaged 18.2 points and 6.1 assists per game.
“I think it’s going to be up-tempo anyway with the way they play and the way we play,” Teague said Friday. “We’ve just got to push the ball and run and then get back on defense. …
“We are very similar in the way we play and the way our teams are built. They have active bigs that can run and handle the ball just like we do. They can use a smaller lineup at times. It’s going to be a back-and-forth battle.”
Teague has been a little off his all-star form from a season ago, but he had a strong campaign. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 28.5 minutes. He missed just three games, sitting out with a left ankle sprain.
Thomas essentially replaced Teague on the all-star team this season. He averaged 22.2 points, 6.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 32.2 minutes. He appeared in all 82 games.
“Everything starts with Isaiah Thomas,” Kyle Korver said. “He is the head of the snake. We don’t want other guys to go off and get wide-open shots because we are focused on him but he’s a really great players. He’s had an amazing year. He really sets the tone for the rest of the team. We’ll have our hands full with him.”
For the Hawks to play their up-tempo, ball-movement style of basketball it may start with Teague but it will take every player to do their part, according to head coach Mike Budenholzer and players.
“I think it’s on everybody,” Budenholzer said of not being slowed. “At the end of the day, when our offense is at its best and when we are at our best in transition, it’s all five guys are running. All five guys are committed to their first three steps and flying up the court. In some ways, (Teague) is more consistent and more steady in his pace. We need to get all four guys to run with him.”
The Hawks were 3-1 in the regular-season against the Celtics. They know the playoffs can yield much different results. They may have learned some tendencies of the opponent during the regular season. However, this the time of the season when adjustments are made between each game.
“It starts with (Teague), definitely being our point guard, but we need everybody,” Paul Millsap said. “We need guys off the bench to play well. We need our starters to play well. We need Bud to coach well. Everybody has to come to play.”
