Hollins says his Nets have no advantage over Hawks

You can generally rely on Brooklyn Nets coach Lionel Hollins to tell it like it is. And on Thursday, he offered an honest assessment of his team's first-round matchup with the East's top team, the Atlanta Hawks.

"I don't think we have any advantage over the Hawks," Hollins told reporters in a conference call. "That's why they’re 60-22 and that’s why we're where we are (38-44)."

Hollins added that the Hawks' ball movement will be very difficult to contain. "Obviously, we think that starts with the ball handler and the pick-and-roll, but it really doesn't," he explained. "It starts with them pushing the ball up the court and moving the ball from side to side and trying to put you in a disadvantage in certain sets so you have to over-help. And then they throw it and then they draw and kick.

"It's the same system that (the San Antonio Spurs have) run so well in the last few years.”

The Nets will find themselves relying on their highly-paid trio of Brook Lopez, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson, something virtually nobody is excited about. Still, Hollins was quick to shoot down the idea of so-called "max money" players needing to carry the team. 

"When you say the person that gets paid the most money, that's kinda like the game is about money," Hollins told reporters. "The game is about teams. And if we go out there as a team and play well and make plays as a group, we have a chance."

No advantage, but maybe a chance.

Good news for Brooklyn though: On Friday, the team announced power forward Mirza Teletovic - who has missed almost three months after suffering blood clots in his lungs - has resumed basketball activities. While he's not active for Game 1, that could change later in the series.