NBA observers often talk about player timelines. In other words, a 30-year-old player is considered to be in or near their prime, but with a narrow timeline of only a few years to contribute on a contending team. Thus, many observers feel that teams should surround their veterans stars with veteran role players so that the bulk of the roster is on a similar timeline.
Atlanta Hawks coach and President of Basketball Operations Mike Budenholzer, along with GM Wes Wilcox, have opted for a hybrid approach that blends a veteran front court with a full-blown youth movement at the guard and wing positions while still aspiring to advance in the playoffs.
In Saturday’s 116-98 win over the Washington Wizards, 23-year-old Hawks point guard Dennis Schroder became the first player in franchise history to score at least 20 points in each of his first three career playoff starts.
“The exciting thing when we think about Dennis is he’s going to continue to get better,” said Budenholzer after Game 3.
another shocking performance has come from rookie small forward Taurean Prince, who has started all three playoff games while averaging 14 points, trailing only Schroder and Millsap. Prince leads the regulars with an astounding 57 percent on three-pointers. Among players averaging at least 25 minutes in the playoffs, only Kawhi Leonard has a higher true shooting percentage.
Meanwhile, fourth-year shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. — the third part of Budenholzer’s injection of youth into the starting lineup — has struggled far more than Prince and Schroder. In an exclusive interview with Basketball Insiders following Sunday’s practice at Philips Arena, Hardaway said he is locked in on his defensive assignment against Bradley Beal.
“He’s one of the best players on the team, one of the best two guards in the league,” said Hardaway. “I think I’m trying to sacrifice my shots just to be able to go out there on the defensive end and defend him, just try to do whatever I can to make it tough on him.”
another Hawk who has made sacrifices is Kent Bazemore, who transitioned to a sixth-man role when Budenholzer moved Prince and Hardaway into the starting lineup. For the playoffs, Bazemore has the best on-court net rating of any Hawk with at least 50 minutes played. Far from complaining about the change, Bazemore has embraced it and become one of Prince’s greatest supporters. “Every time he walks on the floor I tell him to be special,” said Bazemore. “I’m happy for him to be thrown out in the fire as a rookie and kind of answer the bell. He’s out there playing with immense energy and making plays.
http://www.basketballinsiders.com/atlanta-hawks-youth-movement-is-ahead-of-schedule/
