Changing a Culture.

diesel50 · Post #1 » by **diesel50** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 1:42 pm

In the NBA, sometimes the term changing the culture is just a good quotable that a coach or GM throws out there to get the fanbase excited about a slow moving change.
DFerry, GM of the Hawks have used that statement. In his case, his changing a culture was actually cultural. Meaning that he wants a team of good guys who work hard...(I don't have any doubts that Deng is a definite target for us).
However, there is another team who has changed the culture... but in their case, it was on court stuff. Phoenix. The Suns have pretty much a lot of the same guys from their 25-57 team last year... but they are now 30-21 and holding down a playoff spot if the season were to stop today. Understand, they are doing it with the same guys... so what gives. Coach Jeff Hornacek (you remember, the guy you hated on the Jazz teams) has changed the culture. He didn't do it with personnel (except removing Wesley and Beasley) but he did it by making small changes to what his players were doing. PJ Tucker is a three point shooter. Goran now shoots from the catch and shoot position instead of on the run. The Morris twins get to show their stuff and he told Plumlee that he was a beast.

I have no doubts that coach of the year will come down to Bud, Hornacek, Stotts Thibedeau or Vogel... the question is can Bud change the culture on the court like Hornacek has? Not with some great personnel move but is there something that he can say to a player and get the player in his best light like Hornacek did with Tucker, Fry, and Dragic? Can he say something to Mike Scott to make Scott the pick and roll player that Teague needs to be successful? Can he gameplan a two man game with Korver and Millsap that will make teams cringe when trying to figure out who to follow?

So Hawks fans here's my question. Which Hawks player (if any) can Coach Bud get more from and what will that player need to change?

swatguy · Post #2 » by **swatguy** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 10:52 pm

These guys seem to be "at their best" in terms of their abilities and their growth in this evolving offensive schemes. The improvement of Scott, Shelvin and Sap have buoyed this team sans Al's injury. The one guy that can take us another level is Antic. Antic as a defensive anchor and a double threat offensively. We know he can stroke the 3 but if he can post we could be 6-8 above 500.

diesel50 · Post #3 » by **diesel50** » Fri Feb 14, 2014 11:46 pm

swatguy wrote:These guys seem to be "at their best" in terms of their abilities and their growth in this evolving offensive schemes. The improvement of Scott, Shelvin and Sap have buoyed this team sans Al's injury. The one guy that can take us another level is Antic. Antic as a defensive anchor and a double threat offensively. We know he can stroke the 3 but if he can post we could be 6-8 above 500.

Mixed reviews here. Scott.. yes... Shelvin and Sapp were already good in my opinion. Then you have Jenkins, Williams, Dennis, and the other foriegn guy we picked up. Nothing there. I hope that daily vitamins will get these guys up the way that Phoenix has gotten up for Hornacek. Specifically though, I would like to see Teague and Shelvin be more than PNR PGs. People think that Teague's slump has nothing to do with Horf going out? Teague had made himself into a pick and roll PG with a high efficiency PNR C. Well, Sap doesn't do that as well so Teague is now a throw it out to Korver/DMC guy. Nobody respects the roll.