Peachtree Hoops Hawks Season Grade - Player Specific

[PandaKidd]

Good read

http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/5/6/ ... eport-card

Lou Williams

For the first time during this process, a player is going to be graded relatively harshly. I have long been a fan of Lou Williams, both personally and professionally, and I roundly defended the signing when it occurred. However, Williams' production fell off in a big way this season after recovering from his torn ACL, and that can't be ignored.

Williams posted five-year lows in PER and Win Shares per 48 minutes, and his field goal percentage dipped to just 40% as a result of his inability to get in the paint. In his defense, Lou looked much more comfortable during the latter stretches of the season, but with his well-chronicled defensive issues, there were some inherent problems with the rotation. It will be worth watching to see what type of player he is (read: whether he has the full burst back that will allow him to get to the free throw line) following a full off-season, but he remains Atlanta's lone trade chip, and that is something to monitor.

Grade: D

[SBM]

Wack. Bud gets an A for coaching a team less than .500? Please. Teague gets a C+ and gets called out on D when his defense improved dramatically. Please. That site is worthless

[PandaKidd]

I think Bud gets an A. Look at the team he had , the talent. Record is not indicative of his coaching ability.

[Jamaaliver]

I think Bud gets an A. Look at the team he had , the talent. Record is not indicative of his coaching ability.

Indeed. This roster was flawed from start to finish. Lack of depth, lack of playmakers. But Bud managed to at least keep the ship afloat. Two of the longest losing streaks the franchise has ever seen has to fall on someone.

And I put the blame on Ferry. It's clear he was okay with missing the playoffs. That Bud managed to hold onto to a playoff spot even in the weak East bodes well for our future.

I have full faith in him to manage a team of talented players.

Now player development...that's another concern.

[Rip2137]

I keep reading this but this team was supposed to beL:

Teague/Schroder
Carroll/Jenkins/Lou
Korver/Carroll/Scott
Milsap/Scott/Antic
Horford/Brand/Antic

With your Cartier Martins/Shelvin Macks/Ayons as the filler.

This team SHOULD have been solid in terms of depth and playmaking IF everything fell the way it was supposed too. But then Schroder looked horrible, Jenkins got hurt, Lou was slow coming back, Horford, Antic and Ayon got hurt and you were left with a team that had long losing streaks.

I'm sorry but you can't lose 5 rotation guys and expect to still win. There is depth and there is ridiculous expectations.

[SBM]

Bud didn't play a single minute. Bud did not make a big difference when we lost 13 out of 15 or something like that and his system was not looking so good then. Bud just like Ferry is getting off easy here. The guy lost his share of games with bad rotations and horrible play calling at the end of games like the play to put the ball in Lou's hands in GM 6.

[Jamaaliver]

I keep reading this but this team was supposed to beL:

Teague/Schroder
Carroll/Jenkins/Lou
Korver/Carroll/Scott
Milsap/Scott/Antic
Horford/Brand/Antic

There is depth and there is ridiculous expectations.

I would respectfully disagree. While that starting lineup is indeed solid, I believe it was fool-hearty to depend on unproven players like Schroeder, Jenkins, Scott and Antic to provide quality minutes when none of those players has consistently done so. Same goes with Ayon, Martin and Mack.

That's a rotation of 7 backups who have never shown the ability to consistently produce over the course of a full season.

If 60% of your team has never proven worthy of heavy NBA minutes, you are tempting fate greatly by depending on them.

[Rip2137]

I personally don't see how its fool hardy to trust your backups that you have added to the team. What had Kawai Lenard or Tiago Splitter done when they started getting minutes in the league? What had any backup or rookie ever done to be counted on as someone to provide minutes in the NBA using that train of thought. Both Jenkins and Scott looked great to close out last year and were poised to take on bigger roles...that's just team building 101. Mack...did not look great to close out last year, but as I said, I don't think there was ever a plan for Martin/Mack or Ayon to get major minutes.

I don't think its unreasonable to think you can get some minutes out of Antic as a backup(which I think he is a good one...just should never start. Ever.)

I just think too many people around here discount losing a backup 2 guard, starting 2 guard, starting small forward, starting center, starting power forward, backup center and third string center for long stretches of the season by saying "Eh, we should have won anyway".

No coach can realistically pull that off unless there is some hidden talent on the bench(aka, finding a Jeremy Lin languishing as your 12th man) and no GM can account for losing that many guys. NOW, could there have been other moves to supplant those missing guys? Yes, but as you said, I think Ferry looked at his limping injured roster and figured there was no way they would be able to recover.

[Jamaaliver]

I personally don't see how its fool hardy to trust your backups that you have added to the team. What had Kawai Lenard or Tiago Splitter done when they started getting minutes in the league? What had any backup or rookie ever done to be counted on as someone to provide minutes in the NBA using that train of thought.

Again I disagree. It's one thing if we're referring to a single player on a roster of veterans. Or 2 or 3 young'ns playing beside more experienced players. But a team comprised primarily of unproven players was is at a severe disadvantage. Our bench had only two experienced NBA vets: Lou Will & Elton.

Coming into the season, a big chunk of your roster had less than one full season of experience.
That's pretty terrible.

Of the bench at season's beginning, only Elton Brand was a known commodity since Lou Will coming off injury. We had lots of holes and had our fingers crossed our young guys would step up.

Teams comprised this way rarely do much in the regular season or post-season.
It's worth noting that of the above referenced players:

Leonard had the benefit of playing next to some fairly experienced bench players as a young contributor.
Tiago, less so. His team loss in the first round of the playoffs. The next season, the bench was again stocked with veterans. Even last year, SAS added Boris Diaw and Tracy McGrady as they made a run for another NBA Title. Because veteran teams win in this league...

That's the SAS way.