Zach Lowe, writing on the playoffs for Grantland, thinks that Nets fans --and Isiah Thomas-- should not blame the point guards for the lack of touches for Brook Lopez, but instead credit the Hawks defense.
Brooklyn fans complained about the lack of shots for Brook Lopez, and while the Nets could have looked to him a bit more, they did try a lot of the Lopez–Deron Williams side pick-and-rolls that have been their go-to play for the last two months.
Atlanta just smothered them. The Hawks are undersize, but they are a tribute to what you can do on defense with speed, effort, and communication. They swarmed the strong side of the ball, jutting into every reasonable passing lane, and when Williams swung it to an open man on the weak side, the Hawks hustled all the way over in time. I mean, how are you supposed to even enter the ball to Lopez here?
The Hawks play airtight defense when they are locked in, though they have obvious problems on the glass with behemoths like Lopez.
Lowe also suggests that things could be different if the Nets had a reliable three point shooter up front --he noted that it's not Thaddeus Young's forte. Enter Mirza Teletovic?