Atlanta Hawks report card: DeMarre Carroll

The Atlanta Hawks were ousted in the first round by the top-seeded Indiana Pacers. After a fascinating seven-round battle with the top seed, there have been arguments back and forth on whether it was a successful 2013-2014 campaign for the Atlanta Hawks; some say they had overachieved, some say they underachieved. Over the next couple weeks, we will break down the Hawks season and we will dish out grades for each of the Hawks players. Who played well, who was a disappointment, who will be back next year? We will dish out everything you want to hear about the Hawks past season, and what is to come ahead.

First, some quick requirements. We will only feature players that played in at least 10 games with the Hawks this season, so sorry Jeremy Tyler, James Nunnally, and Antawn Jamison; you were all part of the exciting journey in some capacity, but that is all the pub you will get in our season recaps.

Being evaluated today is small forward DeMarre Carroll.

DeMarre Carroll came in as a huge part of the new look Hawks this off-season, signing a two-year contract for approximately 5 million dollars. Carroll had only started 31 games in his first NBA seasons, but the Hawks brought him in to be their starting small forward. Carroll went on to start all 73 games that he appeared in, and he consistently outperformed his deal.

Shining Moment: On February 2nd, the Hawks lost by five points to the New Orleans Pelicans, however Carroll quite possibly played his best game as a pro. In just over 41 minutes, Carroll scored 22 points and seven rebounds on 9-12 shooting including 4-6 from three-point land. Carroll also had four assists and three steals. It wasn’t the easiest thing to pick just one game for Carroll as he as a model of consistency throughout the year for the Hawks, scoring in double figures 44 times on the season.

Letter Grade: B  Carroll was really good on both sides of the ball for the Hawks this season, better than anyone thought he would be. He took on the cliche role of guarding the opponent’s best player every single night, and if he were in the NFL, he would be tagged with the title of “shutdown corner.” Carroll shot the ball extremely well from the field at a clip over 47%, and his 36% from downtown was good enough for the Hawks. DeMarre also had the lowest turnover rate of any Hawk this season. Carroll ranked well in all the advanced metrics for the Hawks, and when you add up all the aspects of his game, Carroll was one of the key cogs for the Hawks this season.

2014-2015 season outlook: Carroll is signed for the 2014-2015 for just over 2.5 million dollars. For many people, that may seem like an appropriate amount, but the way Carroll played last year, that contract is a wholesale bargain. If all goes well for the Hawks, Carroll will play an important role next season for the Hawks in their attempt to make it back to the playoffs, but if the Hawks do upgrade their swingman position, Carroll may be a versatile option off the bench. If the Hawks go with their same contingency of players, Carroll already showed that he is a starting player in this league.