After last night's game, a lot of attention was focused on the late ejection of Hawks head coach Nate McMillan. Both McMillan and his big man, Clint Capela, were upset about how Giannis Antetokounmpo was being officiated.
While I agree that Antetokounmpo deserved a few offensive fouls, it was never going to happen. The reigning NBA Finals MVP was on a tear in front of his home crowd, and those calls aren't going to go against him in that scenario.
Additionally, the Hawks don't need those calls if they showed up earlier in the game. What's more, they don't need that game if they showed more effort earlier in the season. Let's look at five plays that highlight the Hawks' struggles.
Clint Capela
The Hawks couldn't keep up with the series of screens being thrown at them last night. In this play, Khris Middleton beats De'Andre Hunter off the dribble, and it's Capela's natural instinct to help his teammate as he so often does. However, that leaves Antetokounmpo totally unguarded for an easy alley-oop.
Onyeka Okongwu
Grayson Allen sets a back-screen on Onyeka Okongwu, which frees up Antetokounmpo for another easy lob. No Hawks player called it out, and no one stepped up to help.
Danilo Gallinari
The play is basically over once Danilo Gallinari gets switched onto Middleton. Watch Antetokounmpo slip the screen while Gallinari gives zero effort at picking up either opponent on defense. It leaves John Collins a precarious position where he can't really help either.
Lou Williams
A simple pick-and-roll leaves Jrue Holiday open for a mid-range shot. Okongwu was already sliding back to stop Antetokounmpo from rolling to the rim when Lou Williams inexplicably decided to switch. There should never be a situation where Williams switches onto Antetokounmpo.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
There are plenty of defensive lowlights from last night. But on this play, the Hawks blew an easy opportunity for two points. Capela sets the pick for Bogdanovic, but Bogdanovic keeps his head down as he faces a double-team. If 'Bogi' kept his head up, he would have seen a wide-open Capela rolling to the rim.
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