Atlanta Hawks

[wcburrs87]

Anyone paying attention to this group? Five games up on WAS for best in the east. A 13-game winning streak. 27-3 since Thanksgiving. Rather amazing considering their by-committee rotation. One of the most unselfish teams in some time. Kyle Korver on pace to make history as the first player to shoot 50% from field and arc, as well as 90% from the line.

 

[selmore1]

Yea, I've been following them pretty closely Burrs. Just an amazing team to watch if you enjoy team basketball. Nickname is Spurs East and Coach Budz tries to emaluate what he did over in SA and is doing a great job. The ball never stops moving and really have the perfect parts for what they're doing. Horford has finally come back healthy from those torn pecs, Millsap is playing great, Korver is obliterating defenses and teague could make the all star game. I believe they're second in the NBA in point differential behind the warriors so it's not really smoke and mirrors either. They're probably not this good but definitely deserve to be at the top of the East right now. Only 1 of two teams to be top 5 on O and D efficiency wise and I understand the O but having no real defensive force or guy to guard the rim makes it all the more impressive. I don't think they can win it all but as it stands now it seems pretty clear they can win the East.

On a side not, how about the freaking warriors huh. On pace to post the 5th best point differential ever behind 3 bulls team and the Big 3 Celtics championship year. Unfreaking believable to watch them play and doing this all without Bogut for the alot of it. Watching Steph Curry play is so fun. The guy has the ball on a string and you can see him just toying with people. Let alone the shots he can make. He makes about 3 plays a game that really are amazing.

 

[SnottieDrippen]

I like Schroeder a lot too. Great draft pick. I never thought Paul Millsap could be on your team and you would be a contender.. Just seemed like a guy who got his on mediocre teams and had inflated numbers. We'll see what happens come playoff time but I think they are legit contenders, even against the western conf teams

 

[gldendog]

Jeff Teague took the next step as an elite point guard, and once you have one of those who have the start of something big. Add in really good players like Millsap and Horford and good role players like Korver and Carroll and you have a really good mix.

Absolutely no idea who will come out of the East. Or the West for that matter. This looks to be the most wide open NBA season in my lifetime in each conference. So many dangerous teams.

 

[wcburrs87]

I decided to look at the Hawks roster and see how they were constructed. I'm going to look at the 11 players that have played in the most games and average the most minutes. I'll highlight the guys they actually drafted.

Starters: - (Age) - NBA EXP - Method
P. Milsap - (29) - 9 yrs - FA (2 yrs 9.5 per in '13/14)
K. Korver - (33) - 12 yrs - Trade (for cash)
D. Carroll - (28) - 6 yrs - FA (2 yrs 2.5 per in '13/14)
J. Teague - (26) - 6 yrs - Drafted ('09 - 19th)
A. Horford - (28) - 8 yrs - Drafted ('07 - 3rd)

Bench: - (Age) - NBA EXP - Method
T. Sefolosha - (30) - 9 yrs - Trade
D. Schroder - (21) - 2 yrs - Drafted ('13 - 17th)
P. Antic - (32) - 2 yrs - FA (2 yrs 1.25 per in '13/14)
M. Scott - (26) - 3 yrs - Drafted ('12 - 43rd)
K. Bazemore - (25) - 3 yrs - FA (2 yrs 2.0 per in '14/15)
S. Mack - (24) - 4 yrs - FA (3 yrs 2.4 per in '14/15; signed two 10-day contracts in '13/14)

 

[SnottieDrippen]

Feel like they have to make a trade deadline move to be contenders - there is just no depth.

I also feel like Al Horford is way older than 28. Weird because Noah still seems so young in my head and they came from the same Florida team.

 

[selmore1]

Drippen, completely disagree with them making a deadline move. Whatever they have right now is because the sum is clearly greater than the parts and I'm afraid any little thing might shake it up. Whether the guy doesnt buy in, locker room trouble, not a good passer, etc. With the way they're playing and winning at the moment I think you have to ride this out as long as they can. Now lets say they start to falter around the deadline or even before and fall back to Earth. Then yes, by all means make a move. But if this keeps up I cant think of a good reason to rock the boat because they're already beating all the top teams.

 

[NorCalVU10]

Going along with the Spurs-East theme, the spurs system always creates depth by finding each player's efficiencies and utilizing them in a way that maximizes their contributions. The guys that buy in, wind up succeeding. They then go elsewhere and are not as good/completely suck, and vice versa. So far it looks like the Hawks model is working similarly. They have 5 guys off the bench giving them between 13-19 minutes. - a couple recent examples for the Spurs:

Leave and are much worse: Hill, Blair, Neal

Arrive and become much better: Diaw (he was out of the league and became arguably the most important piece of last years championship), Belinelli,

Exceed expectations based on college career: Green, Mills, Joseph

Having said that, the Hawks depth doesn't compare to some of the west teams and the Wizards. The Warriors are probably the deepest team in the league-going 10 guys deep nearly every game, but this is also skewed by their margin of victory on most nights. Still, they have the best starting 5 in the NBA, they have two former all stars coming off the bench in Lee and Iggy and relatively successful journey men in Speights, Livingston, and Barbosa, and then Jrue's brother Justin who has been a pleasant surprise. The warriors bench could probably compete for the 8th spot in the East.

 

[wcburrs87]

One of my points of posting their rotation is to point out that you need to be patient with players. Also, that you need to assemble a team using all three ways of getting players; draft, FAs, and trades.


Take the Sixers for example. Now, I'm not sure someone like MCW will be anything more than just ok in this league. He flashes quality stuff at times and struggles at other times. I think in part because he puts too much on himself and as a player with little experience, in this league that can be troublesome. Still, you have to give him a little time to possibly figure it out, too. Look at Teague. He's in his 6th year and he's getting there. It probably started last year with him. His first to years, as a 21/22 year old, the same as MCW now, he averaged 11.9 mpg and made 10 starts in 141 GPs. Didn't shoot it well at all. Just saying it can take some time. Look at Y. Noah on CHI and what he did his first couple of years, after three years at FLA, and two title runs. This is why I don't get overly concerned with someone like Noel. He's an infant in terms of playing the game. Needs time.

 

[nardibynature123]

Originally posted by wcburrs87:
One of my points of posting their rotation is to point out that you need to be patient with players. Also, that you need to assemble a team using all three ways of getting players; draft, FAs, and trades.


Take the Sixers for example. Now, I'm not sure someone like MCW will be anything more than just ok in this league. He flashes quality stuff at times and struggles at other times. I think in part because he puts too much on himself and as a player with little experience, in this league that can be troublesome. Still, you have to give him a little time to possibly figure it out, too. Look at Teague. He's in his 6th year and he's getting there. It probably started last year with him. His first to years, as a 21/22 year old, the same as MCW now, he averaged 11.9 mpg and made 10 starts in 141 GPs. Didn't shoot it well at all. Just saying it can take some time. Look at Y. Noah on CHI and what he did his first couple of years, after three years at FLA, and two title runs. This is why I don't get overly concerned with someone like Noel. He's an infant in terms of playing the game. Needs time.

One trick pony, there are other teams and places outside of CoP sports and the CoP.

 

[wcburrs87]

Nardi, and if someone wants to start a topic on these places and teams then maybe I'll jump in. I think I'm rather familiar with most teams outside of CoPs and can speak reasonably intelligently about them. Obviously, the teams where I live and who I followed my entire life are more important to me and are topics I prefer to discuss. I'm sorry this bothers you.

 

[50ShadesOfCreigh]

Don't think it really bothers him. Just fishing and he reels in CoPers each time because they're gullible.