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The Atlanta Hawks will square up against the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2021 NBA playoffs Eastern Conference Semifinals at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia on Sunday.
Both teams had a fairly comfortable run in the first round, ending the series in five games. Even though the Philadelphia 76ers were 2-1 against the Atlanta Hawks in the regular season, things might pan out differently in the playoffs.
The Philadelphia 76ers might not be as dominant coming into this series as they lost their key player, Joel Embiid, in Game 4 against the Washington Wizards. Although we wish the MVP finalist a speedy recovery, he could miss a few games in this tie.
The Atlanta Hawks have shown resilience and commitment to making a deep run in the playoffs this year. Although the New York Knicks were the architects of their demise, the young Atlanta Hawks team took advantage.
Embiid's health issues might be another area the Atlanta Hawks could capitalize on in this round, as they have a unique opportunity to dominate in the paint. That said, here are five things the Hawks must do to beat the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
#1 The Atlanta Hawks need to out-rebound the Philadelphia 76ers
Clint Capela leads the 2021 NBA playoffs with 67 total rebounds. However, the Atlanta Hawks big man needs to be more aggressive on the offensive as the majority of his total rebounds have been on defense.
Joel Embiid is ruled out, while Ben Simmons leads the Philadelphia 76ers in rebounds (51). The Atlanta Hawks have an opportunity to dominate the paint on both ends of the court. As a close game is expected, second chance buckets could be a deciding factor.
#2 The Atlanta Hawks must limit their turnovers
The Atlanta Hawks turned the ball over 0.1% more than the Philadelphia 76ers (9.8%) in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. Even as they have done a decent job maintaining possession, the 76ers can score fastbreak points, especially with Tobias Harris and Ben Simmons running the floor.
To survive against the Philadelphia 76ers, they will have to do a better job controlling the ball. Given the high-stakes nature of the playoffs, every possession counts.
#3 The Atlanta Hawks need to improve their defensive effort
The Philadelphia 76ers finished the regular season with the second best defensive rating behind the LA Lakers. They continued to display their defensive prowess in the playoffs, comfortably shutting down Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards in the first round.
An impressive showing defensively against the New York Knicks in the first round restricted them to 97 points per game. That being said, more work needs to be done to defend against the number one seed in the East. One particular area the Atlanta Hawks need to work on is getting their shape in transition.
#4 Improved shooting from the Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young holds the number ten spot in the total playoff points rankings with 146. Although the Atlanta Hawks guard is an adept scorer, he needs help from his teammates. Young has scored twice as many points as the Hawks' second best scorer.
As things stand, the Philadelphia 76ers' main play will be stopping Trae, which is why other players need to step up. The Atlanta Hawks are shooting 44.3% from the field and 36% from beyond the arc.
#5 More production from the Atlanta Hawks bench
There were sparks from the Atlanta Hawks bench in the first round, but most of the heavy lifting was left to the starting lineup. To beat the Philadelphia 76ers, every player has to be locked in throughout the series.
The Atlanta Hawks bench recorded only 16 points despite playing a combined 56 minutes. Trae Young alone scored three times more than the entire bench.
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