Atlanta Hawks: Better on the Wing in 2016?
By John Buhler
The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks live and died by perimeter defense. When it was great, the team won 33 of 36 games. When injuries depleted depth on the outside, the Hawks lost a grip on what made them a strong defensive team to begin with. Since SF DeMarre Carroll is no longer with the team, did the Atlanta Hawks proactively address the wing position again before the 2015-16 NBA Season?
Losing DeMarre Carroll stinks. No doubt about that. He was the vocal leader of the Atlanta Hawks the last two seasons. He had his best two seasons as a professional playing for the Hawks in the Highlight Factory. Unfortunately, he played so well that he priced himself out of Atlanta, signing a big deal with the Toronto Raptors to play the stretch four for them.
-= Related: Tim Hardaway Jr.: Productive Player in 2016? =-
Atlanta still has Thabo Sefolosha, Kent Bazemore, Kyle Korver, and Shelvin Mack out on the wing in-house. The Hawks front office did decide to bring in a few more wings to make things interesting. Atlanta opted to bring over Justin Holiday from the NBA Champion Golden State Warriors in free agency. HC Mike Budenholzer and GM Wes Wilcox pulled a fast one on us and traded away the rights to SF Kelly Oubre to the Washington Wizards so that the team could then acquire third-year SG Tim Hardaway Jr. from the New York Knicks.
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So how do the Atlanta Hawks improve defensively out on the wing after letting their defensive leader leave via free agency? The Atlanta Hawks used advanced analytics to make up for DeMarre Carroll in the aggregate. According to Defensive Rating (Points Allowed Per 100 Possessions), Carroll finished 2014-15 at 107. I found that surprisingly high given his value to the Atlanta Hawks defensively last season.
Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Justin Holiday, and Thabo Sefolosha actually all graded out better in that defensive metric than Carroll last season. Korver used his length to reach 106, Bazemore used his athleticism to achieve a 102 mark, and both Sefolosha and Holiday were in the Top 3 in the league among wings (both at 100) behind only The Claw, San Antonio Spurs SF Kawhi Leonard (96 DRTG!).
Though Tim Hardaway Jr.’s Defensive Rating for 2014-15 looks pretty bad (114), bear in mind that he played for a very dysfunctional organization in the New York Knicks. Leaving a rebuilding situation and coming to a contender may bring out the best in Hardaway defensively.
If you look at Kyle Korver for example, he like Hardaway is better known for his offensive game than his defensive prowess. The long-range game kept them both in the league when the rest of their game became sub-standard for the NBA. When Korver joined the Chicago Bulls in 2010-11, he worked on his defensive game tremendously for then HC Tom Thibodeau. Now many consider Kyle Korver, a three-point specialist, an above-average to good wing help defender.
-= See Also: Paul Millsap’s Return, Best Move of Hawks’ Offseason =-
Defense is part effort, part awareness, and 100% commitment. I’m not saying that Tim Hardaway Jr. will become Atlanta’s version of an all-around dominating wing like Scottie Pippen, but you have to believe that playing for a winner will bring out the best in Hardaway on both ends of the floor.
The Atlanta Hawks should and will likely start Thabo Sefolosha at the 3, allowing Kent Bazemore to come of the bench as a major rotational piece, while Justin Holiday and Tim Hardaway Jr. become more familiar with the system Coach Bud has in place here in Atlanta.
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It might sound crazy, but Atlanta might be in a better position in the aggregate without DeMarre Carroll on its roster. Offensively, Atlanta needs Hardaway to progress and/or both Sefolosha and Bazemore to step up in Carroll’s absence. DMC was the most consistent player on the Atlanta Hawks offensively on their deepest playoff run in the franchise’s history since relocating to the City of Atlanta.
Just keep in mind that Bazemore, Carroll, and Sefolosha didn’t come to Atlanta with a ton of fan fare. We have to keep believing in the system, hoping that players choose to commit to excellence on the defensive side of the floor and that they find their best shooting spots out on the perimeter. In Bud We Trust, Go Hawks!
Next: Jeff Teague: Has Hawks' PG Reached His Ceiling?
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