Hawks coach Larry Drew is opting against starting a smaller lineup against the Boston Celtics and will go with third-string center Jason Collins.
#Hawks starters GM 1 vs. #Celtics: Teague, Hinrich, J. Johnson, Smith, Collins.
— Michael Cunningham (@ajchawks) April 29, 2012
It was thought that Drew might decide to go with a smaller lineup since the Celtics have been going with Kevin Garnett at center. Playing Collins, who is not an offensive threat, against a great defensive team like the Celtics seems like an odd decision. Will be interesting to see how long he sticks with it and how much Collins actually plays in the game.
The Hawks could have gone with a smaller lineup that placed Josh Smith at center and Marvin Williams at the power forward position or Drew could have gone with rookie Ivan Johnson instead of Collins.
For more on the Hawks-Celtics playoff series check out Peachtree Hoops and CelticsBlog. For more news and notes regarding the NBA Playoffs head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.