Pero Antic emerging as a legitimate weapon for Atlanta Hawks

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Editor’s note: This is the debut piece from our newest staff writer, Dalton Keene. Dalton is also a member of the staff over at Yellow Jacked Up, FanSided’s site dedicated to Georgia Tech athletics. Welcome, Dalton!

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As many Hawks fans have began to notice, Pero Antic has been playing inspired basketball recently, and could be a much-needed injection of life for the club. Antic had plenty of experience overseas for many teams that also carried future NBA-caliber talent, and he even won a few championships in his Euroleague career. So with that being said, he was a great addition to the team made by Danny Ferry, and everyone knows about the history of Danny Ferry and foreign players.

When the addition of Antic was made, no one knew he would have to fill in for All-Star center Al Horford, who is out indefinitely with yet another pectoral injury, which has been a recurring injury going all the way back to his college days at the University of Florida, and no one knew that he would raise the caliber of his game so quickly. But as you may have noticed recently, Antic could be a potential force down low and even on the perimeter.

One of the most memorable moments in his very short NBA career, and really his whole basketball career as a whole, was the one-legged, side-saddle three that he knocked down in one of those insane overtime games that the Hawks were a part of over a week’s time. It remains to be seen over the coming months and years whether we should see Antic continue to grow and get accustomed to the pace of the NBA game, but if he can, he could really show the rest of the league how he likes to roll.

Also, if Antic continues at the pace he is beginning to play this season, he can put Macedonia on the NBA map for the first time. As the only Macedonian representative to ever play in the league, he and the team are representing loud and proud:

It’s been a storybook stretch for Antic, and at least for this season, he’s here to stay.