With Trae Young hurt, which 3 players need to step up for Atlanta Hawks against Milwaukee Bucks? | 2021 NBA Playoffs Eastern Conference Finals

Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks - Game Three
Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks - Game Three

#2 Lou Williams

 Atlanta Hawks' Lou Williams
Atlanta Hawks' Lou Williams

Lou Williams showed up big in Game 5 against the Philadelphia 76ers to kickstart the Atlanta Hawks' historic 26-point comeback.

Everyone expected him to be a huge contributor moving forward, as Bogdanovic and Huerter were struggling. However, his Game-5 performance turned out to be a one time show.

The Atlanta Hawks need to see more production from the veteran in the coming games. Williams averaged 11.3 points per game in the regular season and is down to only 6.5 in the playoffs.

Lou Williams has been a prolific scorer in the teams he has played for. If Danilo Gallinari can come off the bench and show incredible production, Williams must do it too.

Coach Nate McMillan needs to give Williams more minutes, and the latter could take some of the load off Trae Young, being the backup point guard.


#3 Clint Capela

Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks
Clint Capela of the Atlanta Hawks

Clint Capela is the primary Atlanta Hawks player to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo in the ongoing 2021 NBA Eastern Conference Finals series.

Nobody else in the team can match the two-time MVP's size and strength, so Capela needs to either match Antetokounmpo's minutes or play key minutes down the stretch.

Clint Capela was absent in the fourth quarter of Game 3, which led to Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring in the paint at will. The former's absence also led to a lack of rebounds for the Atlanta Hawks, as the Bucks got multiple offensive boards and second-chance scoring opportunities.

If a game gets close, Antetokounmpo will have to be contained. Clint Capela is also the ideal player to draw charges and offensive fouls, which could put Antetokounmpo in foul trouble.

Moreover, Capela has gone down from 2.0 blocks per game in the regular season to just 0.5 blocks in the last two playoff series. His rebounding and rim protection are valuable, so coach McMillan taking him off the floor down the stretch hurt the Hawks in Game 3.

Also Read: What is the biggest comeback win in NBA history?

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