Previewing the Boston-Atlanta Series

The Boston Celtics are set to host the Atlanta Hawks for the second game of the Eastern Conference first round, so let's dive into how they match up.

Upon a win in the Play-In tournament, the Hawks earned the 7-seed playoff spot to face Boston in the first round of the eastern conference playoffs. With the Celtics holding home court advantage over the series, the Hawks will surely look to enjoy whatever rest they can coming into the series with the eastern conference 2-seed.

The Boston Celtics ended their 2023 regular season campaign almost as strongly as they started it, having maintained the highest net rating (being the difference between their offensive and defensive ratings) in the league since the all-star break. Having entered the year as title favorites, the Celtics evidently look to make another deep playoff run, with legitimate title hopes at the forefront of their minds. That said, one of the biggest concerns with Boston is said to be complacency down the stretch - something that some speculate could be patched up in a playoff setting.

The Hawks, on the other side of things, had a run of fairly lackluster play, having sustained a near-.500 winning percentage even down to the end of the regular season, going 7-8 in their last 15 coming into the play-in game against Miami. At their best, the Hawks look like legitimate title contenders, but the main concern here is whether or not they can make their offense consistent yet diverse enough to overcome playoff game planning.

The big question when it comes to matchups in this series is that of whether or not the reigning defensive player of the year in Marcus Smart can contain the top-shelf offensive game that Trae Young brings to the table. Additionally, the Hawks’ wings, though defensively proven, will be an interesting watch if they plan on putting up a fight in Boston’s 2-headed offensive machine in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

In conclusion, the matchup between the Hawks and Celtics is one that the latter is thought to handle fairly easily, in spite of the fact that Atlanta shows flashes of greatness. It will require a resilient mindset on the offensive side of the floor, as well as high-level defensive game planning if the Georgia team wishes to push past the series favorites.