SB Nation Atlanta Editor's Pick

3 Top Ten Players (Is the Core good enough?)

by jdewayneatl on Aug 31, 2010 4:54 AM EDT

Recently, Ball Don't Lie has listed the top NBA players by position and Peachtree Hoops has made note of how our Hawks players rank. It is interesting to know that the Atlanta Hawks are one of seven teams to have 3 top ten players according to position on its roster. The L.A. Lakers (Bryant, Bynum, Gasol), Chicago (Rose, Boozer, Noah), San Antonio (Duncan, Ginobli, Parker), Denver (Carmelo, Billups, Nene), Utah (Williams, Jefferson, Kirlenko), Boston (Rondo, Pierce, Garnett) and of course Miami (Wade, James, Bosh) all boast lineups with 3 top ten players. However, my personal opinion allows for only five teams with legit top ten talent. Denver and Utah deserves an asterik with Nene and Kirlenko being borderline.

The Hawks players that made the top ten by position are Horford (#4 Center), Johnson (#4 Shooting Guard), and Smoov (#7 Power Forward). And if you noticed, that's two top 5 players. Only the Lakers and the Heat have more than one top 5 players, and which both have 3). This is the Core. This is the Hawks version of the Big 3. And they are pretty darn good.

This is the season that the growth over the past 6 or 7 years will culminate into elite status. Horford has yet to see his best years. Horford should be the Captain and the vocal leader of this team now. He has earned it. Smoov has shown that he is willing to harness and tame his world class athletic ability and potential. He has learned how to play, so now all he has to do is play and that will prove to be danger for any opposing team. Joe is Joe. Sure the consensus is that the Hawks overpaid but if anything else had transpired, we would be talking about the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks in the same sentence. For years, Johnson carried this team and without Johnson, the Hawks would not have seen anything that looked like close to a 2nd round.

Are they good enough?

I think so... But the best teams don't just rely on its best players alone. The best teams have defined roles and role players who fit the mold and when put together around the core and in a winning system, elite/championship status is reached. So now it comes down to Larry Drew and whether his new system is a winning system that defines roles and allows role players to flourish. It comes down to the play of Zaza, Teague, Jamal (if he is still a Hawk), Marvin, Bibby, Evans, Joe Crawford, Collins, Sy, and Etan (hopefully).

A FanPost expresses the opinion of the community member who wrote it and not that of the blog management.

Tweet Comment 5 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

Finally some Positive

The Hawks have 2 top 5 talents(I think Josh combination of defense and ast he should be top 5),3 top ten talents and people want to dismantle this team…CRAZY. This is a very good team that will get better.

by Rufus1 on Aug 31, 2010 10:53 AM EDT reply actions

Unless Teague and Powell are 20+ minute caliber players...

the problem isn’t our top 3, it’s those around them. Zaza shouldn’t be our 3rd best big, and I doubt Powell is any better. Sy isn’t going to push Marvin, and Mo is still a 2. We still lack penetration and defense on the perimeter, unless Teague is it. I like the big 3, but our compliments needs help, and I don’t think we used the 31st pick/$3m, or other available outlets (an MLE or BLE) to improve where we needed it.

Random thought, if we got some complex zone guru in the mix, how could that help? Josh, Al, and Marvin are big and quick enough to kill a back line in a zone. What’s John Chaney up to, cause I’d like him advising the staff on that old Temple zone.

by Mr. Sanchez on Aug 31, 2010 12:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Its all about

defined roles and role players knowing and playing their roles in an winning system. That is where Larry Drew must bring out the best in the supporting cast. For instance, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, and Greg Popovic have winning systems that allow role players to flourish around its core. Jerry Sloan hasn’t won an NBA Championship but for 20 plus years he is a consistant winner because he puts his players in the best position to win and be successful.

On the other hand, Mike Woodson and Mike Brown couldn’t get their respective teams over the hump because they did not have winning systems in place that allowed role players to play to their potential. In both cases, the role players relied on the Star player(s) to carry the team instead of being a supporting cast that helped the Star players win.

So I think that if Drew’s system puts the players around the core in the best position to succeed, then we have a supporting cast that can push this team into elite status.

I do agree though @Mr. Sanchez that Teague will be key. I really hope that he can play off of the core players the same as Rondo did when the original Big 3 was formed. He has the ability to defend and that’s what’s needed (Perimeter D).

by jdewayneatl on Aug 31, 2010 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Smoov

will be worthy of top five consideration by seasons end. Hoopsworld has JSmoov as the 6th best power forward. Hoopsworld and Ball Dont Lie have Gasol, Duncan, Stoudemire, Bosh, and Dirk Nowitzki as the top five power forwards, though not in the same order but both giving Gasol the nod as the top PF which I can agree. I believe that with Duncan’s age and the fact that Josh is a better all around player than Stoudemire and Boozer (who Ball Hype also has in front of Josh), Josh is definitely at worst the 4th best PF in the league.

@Rufus1 I agree that Josh’s defense gives him an edge. Stoudemire and Nowitzki have never been known for their defense. But also Josh’s passing ability is tops at 4.2 apg. Boris Diaw was a close 2nd at 4 apg even.

by jdewayneatl on Aug 31, 2010 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions