The NBA’s (totally awesome) second season is finally upon us. Now that the 16 postseason teams are officially set, we have a chance to further examine the craziness that sure to lie ahead. In our playoff preview series, we will take a look at some of the more intriguing questions surrounding these first round matchups.

Atlanta Hawks (4) vs Boston Celtics (5)

1. Who will win the battle between Amir Johnson and Jeff Teague?

Even on a team without a major star to overshadow him, Johnson gets lost in the shuffle when it comes to the Celtics' success. He isn’t some Nick Collison-esque (in his heyday) plus/minus darling being underappreciated by the world. In fact, the Celtics are only marginally better per 48 minutes when Johnson plays (+3.6) than when he sits (+2.8). Those numbers are solid -- which is a pretty apt description for Johnson’s game.

The veteran big man isn’t elite at any one thing at either end of the floor, but doesn’t really have a discernible weakness. This jack-of-all-trades skill set is perhaps his biggest strength as it helps cover for other Boston frontcourt members with very noticeable holes in their games. But in this Hawks' series, Johnson’s impact may not be so under the radar.

While he’s not going to be actually guarding Teague, Johnson will be guarding one of Teague’s most frequent pick-and-roll partners -- Paul Millsap. That essentially means Johnson will be a huge factor in slowing down the Hawk’s offensive engine. There aren’t very many publically available measures for pick-and-roll defense, but Synergy’s database rates Johnson in the upper quarter when it comes to defending the ball handler in those situations.

But part of the difficulty in stopping a ballhandler like Teague in pick-and-roll is that it’s only half the assignment. After corral Teague, Johnson then has to scramble back to Millsap -- whether he’s rolling or popping -- and make sure he doesn’t get a good look either. It’s a tough job that’s hard to evaluate mostly because those possessions don’t end in a blocked shot or steal. 

You’ll know that Johnson is winning this battle when you see Teague throw harmless passes out to teammates out of pick-and-rolls while Millsap’s only choice upon catching out these situations is simply reverse the ball to the other side of the floor. It’s not a sexy way to chart success, but it means Johnson is doing his job well.

On the flip side, this Hawks' team, while a well-balanced offensive group, flows better when the inconsistent Teague is really cooking. But when facing a positionally sound defender who can still get up and contest shots like Johnson, it’s going to be hard for Teague to use his speed to get downhill and attack the basket in pick-and-rolls -- which is where he’s at his best. It will be a fun battle that may very well have a big impact on the outcome of the series.

2. How will Avery Bradley’s offensive production fare now that it’s the playoffs?

Avery Bradley is a weird player (and I say this as a fan of what he does). He’s got the build of a point guard, elite defensive ability and the offensive game that has more in common with Rip Hamilton than your standard 3-and-D wings. It’s the latter part that will be interesting to watch as this series develops. Boston utilizes a handful of sets that use pin-downs or hand-offs (or both) to get Bradley open shots.  Here is one of their more elaborate ones:

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Brad Stevens typically calls these early in the game to get Bradley going (and perhaps give him extra energy for his defensive efforts), but they generally remain a key part of the team’s offense. What’s always fascinating about players whose production is reliant on off-the-ball screens is that the playoffs can be something of a kryptonite to their production. During the regular season, Bradley was a beneficiary of open looks on some of these plays due to travel fatigue and/or lack of prep time. When those factors are eliminated, like they are in the postseason, it can sometimes make life a lot harder for those with Bradley’s skill set.

Given the Hawks' commitment to and stinginess on defense, it will be interesting to see what Bradley can conjure up from an offensive standpoint. In particular, it will be worth monitoring how often Stevens even dips into the well to call a play designed to get Bradley the ball in that way. Outside of Isaiah Thomas doing his thing in pick-and-rolls, Boston doesn’t really have another go-to offensive action in the half-court other than these playcalls for Bradley -- which can open up shots for others too based on any attention he draws. If Atlanta snuffs these plays out and limit Bradley’s ancillary offensive production, it could spell trouble for Boston in this series.

3. Should we be bracing for an ugly, low-scoring series?

The recent 118-107 Hawks win against the Celtics this past weekend may have been a bit misleading. Atlanta have been owners of the league’s best defense post All-Star break with a 96.3 defensive rating, per NBA.com. That’s nearly three points better than second place San Antonio. Boston, meanwhile, were no slouches themselves, finished tied for fourth in the league this season. That doesn’t exactly sound like two teams ready to engage in a seven game series where the average point total is 225.

On top of that, the incredible tournament success of the Butler teams Stevens coached was driven by his ability to go into games and take opposing offenses out of the things they wanted to do most. You can bet Stevens will be quick to lock in on ways to slow down a Hawks offense that has already dropped from 6th in offensive efficiency last year to 18th this season. So while this series will almost certainly be competitive throughout, those tuning in for the entertaining shootout on April 10th may be slightly disappointed with this Eastern Conference matchup.