RealGM

The Hawks are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA.


Does one player — namely Dwight Howard — make all the difference? Maybe. Maybe not. But early in the season, the Hawks have done a complete turnaround in the statistical area that has long been an issue for the team.


The Hawks are seventh in the NBA in rebounding, with a 46.1 per game average. Last season, they finished 24th, with a 42.1 per game average.


“One person helps a lot,” Paul Millsap said Friday. “Dwight is definitely one of the top rebounders. But our strategy and scheme is we are going to the glass a little more. We have the freedom to get to the glass more. I think that helps out.”



Much of the Hawks’ new-found rebounding has been on the offensive glass. They rank fifth in the league, with 11.8 offensive rebounds per game. Last season, they were the league’s worst team, with 8.3 per game.


Howard ranks fourth in the NBA, at 12.6 rebounds per game, but first in offensive rebounds, with 4.9 per game. That has made a significant difference.

“The effort by everybody to rebound has been good, but particularly (in) their effort on the offensive boards there is a real noticeable difference,” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “It’s not just Dwight. (Mike Muscala), Kris Humphries and Paul (Millsap), that collection of bigs is making a conscientious effort to be better on the offensive boards. It’s been a real positive for us. Transition defense is a real priority, and our guards have to be great in transition, but we’ve been a better rebounding team this year. It’s early. We’ve got to keep it up.”

Kevistics wrote:Happy for dwight howard, hometown and producing at a high level. Milsap is still the hawks best player right?