Hawks 2017 Media Day/Training Camp Reports

[Jamaaliver]

Today was Media Day for the home team. Also, Chris Vivlamore from the Hawks beat at AJC has been releasing a number of in-depth, one-on-one interviews with team personnel.

Here's a few quotes from the head man himself, Mike Bud:

I think Dwight is such a physical force at the rim and in the paint. I still think so much of the NBA and our offense is generated through pick and rolls. I think in the pick and roll game, (Howard) rolling and putting pressure on the rim... I think it will make the offense even more efficient and more effective, because he’s going to be able to collapse weak-side defense and collapse help and create opportunities for shooters. I think it’s a credit to our group in the past how they found ways to be efficient offensively given what we had, but I think Dwight’s ability to roll to the rim and play pick and roll is going to give us a lot of opportunities.

- Bud on what Howard brings to the offense. (Taking a subtle jab at Horford along the way.)

The hope is to integrate both Dwight and Dennis’s new role into everything that I think we’ve become. Kind of our identity and our core principles of playing unselfishly, playing with ball movement. With Dennis, that’s the exciting thing about him taking the next step in his career. He’s been with us for three years. He knows everything that we expect, that I expect, of him. I think it’s a very natural progression for Dennis. I think Dwight... his basketball IQ, his understanding... I think he’s a great teammate. I think there will be a lot of things that look and feel very similar with Dwight and Dennis bringing their unique talents to what we’ve established over the last few years.

- Bud predicting how both Dwight and Dennis will fit in on both ends of the court

Obviously, I think rebounding is something that we feel like is going to be positively impacted. Not just with Dwight’s addition but I think, hopefully, more of an effort, including some schematic things, that we can do to improve our rebounding.... That’s the area where we look and we can see the most obvious area for improvement and it’s the most obvious area where Dwight can have a great, positive impact

- Bud on the need/expectation for improved rebounding

[Jamaaliver]

From a story singing the praises of Deandre Bembry's multi-faceted game, the rookie predicts some serious competition moving forward for PT at the 2 & 3 spots:

The competition for rotation spots and playing time got underway this summer.

“I wish you guys would have been in (the gym) this summer,” Bembry said. “[color=blue]It’s been battles. Me and Kent Bazemore going at it. Taurean and Thabo Sefolosha going at it. All the battles have been great and competitive. That’s what Coach Bud loves. You have veterans who have been through it (with the Hawks) but you also have me, Taurean, Malcolm (Delaney) and Jarrett Jack. We can go now as well. I feel like it’s going to be hard for Coach Bud.”/color]

Versatility will help Bembry now and in the future, even in playing time is hard to come back once the regular season begins next month.

I predict Bembry will take an immediate backseat to vets like Bazemore, Korver and Thabo. He'll likely spend an inordinate amount of time on the bench and/or in the D-League. Taurean will be given the opportunity to steal minutes at SF.

Korver and Thabo will get consistent PT whether off the bench or as starters.

I think Tim Hardaway, Jr will be hard pressed to get consistent time on the court. Bembry, Prince and Bazemore are the future at SF & SG moving forward. THJ and Thabo might be gone after this season.

[jayu70]

Our Rookies are battling hard and turning heads in camp.
Bembry:

“I have been playing (point guard) a lot this summer, throughout summer league first and then pickup games,” Bembry said during the first days of training camp at the University of Georgia. “After a while, they started to realize that I can play with the ball in my hands. That’s where I wanted to get, gain that trust throughout my teammates. Not just ‘Who is this rookie out here with the ball? Gimme the ball.’ Now, it’s ‘Alright, he got it. Let’s go.’

The opinion of Mike Budenholzer is what really matters. The coach says he can see the potential.

“He’s got a vision, a willingness to pass and a willingness to play unselfishly, as he continues to improve his handle he’ll be better,” Budenholzer said. “I think he’s a high I.Q. player, a guy who could be a second-side playmaker.”

There are those words again. High basketball I.Q. The basketball adjective has been used often to describe Bembry. The Hawks used it when they selected him after three seasons at St. Joseph’s and have during training camp.

“I wish you guys would have been in (the gym) this summer,” Bembry said. “It’s been battles. Me and Kent Bazemore going at it. Taurean and Thabo Sefolosha going at it. All the battles have been great and competitive. That’s what Coach Bud loves. You have veterans who have been through it (with the Hawks) but you also have me, Taurean, Malcolm (Delaney) and Jarrett Jack. We can go now as well. I feel like it’s going to be hard for Coach Bud.”

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/hawks-bembry-opening-eyes-of-coaches-teammates-wit/nshDh/


Prince:

Talk to Hawks coaches and management about rookie Taurean Prince and they immediately comment about his NBA-ready body.
What does that really mean? “Somebody who can guard multiple positions and not get punked on any level of the floor, offense or defense,” surmised the 6-foot-7, 225-pound first-round draft pick.

“He continues to be impressive for a young player,” coach Mike Budenholzer said of Prince after Wednesday morning’s practice at the University of Georgia. “Just his maturity from a physical standpoint, his size and strength, really helps. He’s learning well. The competitiveness of this camp plays to him well.”
Budenholzer noted last week that the addition of Prince, along with center Dwight Howard and a starting role for point guard Dennis Schröder, gives the Hawks’ defense a more physical and competitive identity.

“To be honest, I think I have progressed a lot more mentally than anything,” Prince said. “Just being able to shake off the mistakes because they are going to happen. That’s the nature of the game, being able to shake off the mistakes, move on to the next thing and not let one mistake lead to two.
“Also, I just want to fall in love with the process. Fall in love with getting better. Fall in love with being coachable. Fall in love with receiving constructive criticism. Just being a sponge, taking everything in, good or bad, and turning it into a positive.”

http://www.myajc.com/news/sports/basketball/prince-has-the-nba-ready-body-now-comes-the-rest-o/nsgqZ/?icmp=myajc_internallink_megamenu_link

[Jamaaliver]

^I think someone might be after my job.


Other interesting blurbs:

New man in the middle: The Hawks have a traditional center in Howard. It’s quite a departure from the stretch-5 in Horford. It will mean the offense and defense will be different with a new skill set. Schroder will have to work differently in the pick-and-roll game. There is the hope for a long-absent post presence and rebounding. There could be more open shots from the wings. Budenholzer doesn’t expect much to change in the system but there will be adjustments both players. “A lot of people focus on a specific thing, but I think the physicality and the force, you have a player who is going to cover up some of the things, whether it’s rebounding or getting hits or screens and those type of things, it comes naturally to him,” Budenholzer said. “It will feel really different for us and our team.”

Here

It's ironic, we've had very good PFs for over a decade. With an underwhelming Center rotation.

Now we have one of the best Center rotations in the league...but might not have a great set of options to play PF beside him moving forward.

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

ATHENS
The Hawks held Dennis Schroder out of practice with a sore ankle on Thursday and the starting point guard will likely be sidelined for several days. The injury is not considered serious.

“Over the next three or four days we will continue to evaluate him” Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. “We’ll err on the side of caution as we usually do and put him in a rehab/recovery mode for three days.”

It is unlikely Schroder will participate in the team’s open scrimmage at Philips Arena on Saturday morning.

“The first day or two he did something,” Budenholzer said. “He could probably play and practice but its sore enough that we want to give him a couple days to get to a better place and then see how he is then.”

http://www.ajc.com/sports/basketball/schroder-sits-out-practice-with-ankle-injury/0Vmkjn05LnyzUk5rrSGTIO/

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

Hmmm. The two Hawks players most in need of getting in sync with the new franchise player are unavailable for the first few days of training camp and pre-season.

I have no prediction here. This is simply something worth watching moving forward. If D12, Bazemore, Thabo and Korver become accustomed to playing a certain way together...and then in walks Dennis to completely wreck that chemistry early, that could be problematic.

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

Hmmm. The two Hawks players most in need of getting in sync with the new franchise player are unavailable for the first few days of training camp and pre-season.

I have no prediction here. This is simply something worth watching moving forward. If D12, Bazemore, Thabo and Korver become accustomed to playing a certain way together...and then in walks Dennis to completely wreck that chemistry early, that could be problematic.

Dennis has been with the team for 3 years, the guys know him except Dwight. He's missed one day of training camp and will miss the next 3-4 days. They've been playing together in their own player sessions for most of September. The team isnt learning an entirely new offense, they are tweaking it to take advantage of what Dwight does best.

[Jamaaliver]

Can't find any concrete quotes, but the writers at Peachtree Hoops indicate that players have repeatedly spoken highly about the improvements of Tim Hardaway Jr.

Players have said he looks great and we should expect big things from him this season.

Starts around 13:00 mark. Here



UPDATE: I found this quote from Coach Bud:

I will say that Tim Hardaway Jr. had a great summer. He’s been really, really good.

Here