The Atlanta Hawks approached most every game of the past two seasons content in the knowledge that DeMarre Carroll would defend the opponent's top wing scorer. No longer. Their next-best wing player on the roster is still working his way back from a broken right fibula. The only wings Atlanta added this summer were minimum-salary types and cast-offs. Such a course for replacement is indicative of the Hawks' confidence in their developmental systems.
Carroll was a low-maintenance player in many respects...He could be thrown into almost any lineup without all that much concern for how he'd fit; the variety of players that Carroll could guard and the flexibility of his offensive game made his presence welcome in most any context.
The options:
- Tim Hardaway Jr...is clearly talented. What he lacks, at 23, is the basketball programming to make the best use of those talents within a team context. Hardaway is still growing as a player, though everything we've seen from him suggests that he is a reluctant passer and too-willing shooter.
- Thabo Sefolosha...was discarded by the Thunder for how his limitations cramped that team's offense. Atlanta's remaining starters worked around Sefolosha to manage a solid margin in the regular season despite his shooting 32% from 3. It's the playoffs that Sefolosha's patient shot release and underwhelming percentage might have become a bigger problem.
- Kent Bazemore could well start in the interim...The issues: Bazemore's length and quickness can't quite make up for the fact that his defense can get jumpy and his offense is generally unreliable. A stopgap option like Bazemore just isn't steady or well-rounded enough to complement all the other lineups.
- Justin Holiday is another long-armed defender with clear offensive limitations.
- Dennis Schroder can also play alongside Korver and Jeff Teague as matchups permit, though he brings both a very different set of skills (off-the-dribble creation, playmaking) and concerns (ball dominance, over-shooting).
Thoughts?
Predictions?
Concerns?
All I said was that I was concerned that our most athletic SF who had a career season is gone, and his replacement HAS A BROKEN LEG and hasnt been healthy in 3 seasons.
