DeMarre Carroll: Our Favorite Junkyard Dog

Eight games into the Atlanta Hawks 2015 Playoff Run, the team has relied on one man to lead the way.  That man is SF DeMarre Carroll, better known as the Junkyard Dog.  After his dominant performance in last night’s Game Two victory over the Washington Wizards 106-90, Carroll now has six straight games with 20+ points.  Known for his lock-down perimeter defense, his smooth stroke from the outside, and his instinctive cuts to the basket, DeMarre Carroll has become a complete player for the Atlanta Hawks.

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A journeyman prior to finding a home in Atlanta, Carroll has become Coach Bud’s version of Spurs Legend Bruce Bowen for the Hawks.  3 and D from the 3, it’s all fine by me.  But Carroll is so much more than that for the Hawks.  He’s their vocal leader and the driving force behind Atlanta’s top five defense.  The team’s commitment to excellence on the defensive end stems from Carroll’s passion for neutralizing the opponent’s best perimeter threat.  Whether it’s Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, or LeBron James, Carroll doesn’t care because he’s getting after whomever he’s guarding.

Since coming to Atlanta, DeMarre Carroll has been the Hawks’ next best three-point shooter behind only Kyle ‘Threezus’ Korver.  Carroll connects on roughly 40% of his attempts from long-range.  When the Junkyard Dog and Threezus are both shooting well from beyond the arc in a game, I do not see how any team can guard the Hawks defensively out on the perimeter.

With every great all-around performance orchestrated by Carroll in the playoffs for the Atlanta Hawks, the more money he will command in the offseason when he hits free agency.  He is proving to the Association that he can come up big in clutch situations like playoff games.  While Atlanta can offer DeMarre more money than anyone because of Bird Rights, the Hawks also have to find a way to keep Paul Millsap who is also playing on an expiring contract.

I believe that the Atlanta front office will do everything in its power to bring back both Carroll and Millsap to the 2016 Atlanta Hawks.  But this is a business and I can understand if both parties can’t reach an agreement later this summer.  While I hope DeMarre and Paul stay in Atlanta for the longterm one thing is for sure, both of the Atlanta Hawks starting forwards are about to get paid.