Fan Perspective: Atlanta Hawks’ Jerry Stackhouse is a Veteran Who Can Provide Experience and Bench Depth

By Patrick Davis, Yahoo! Contributor Network1 hour, 24 minutes ago

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As an Atlanta Hawks fan, I believe my hometown team is close to making that breakthrough of getting past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Additionally, it appears head coach Larry Drew is looking to fill spots on the roster and building depth at the small forward position.

Marvin Williams started the 2010-11 season as the starting small forward, but injuries and inconsistent play has opened the door for someone else to take his place.

Tracy McGrady's signing is one response and another response is Jerry Stackhouse who can provide experience and depth coming off the bench.

I don't know Marvin Williams' future, but he could be a candidate for amnesty and if that is the case, the void at small forward has to be filled.

Josh Smith has been interchangeable between the small and power forward positions and had recently lost 30 pounds, but his future is up in the air as well with trade rumors still persisting.

Jerry Stackhouse, a two-time All-Star, is the latest player to be signed and Hawks fans are generally optimistic and hope Stackhouse has something left to give the Hawks in this lockout shortened season.

Stackhouse did turn 37 this year and even though he isn't the same player from ten years ago that had a 29.3 per game scoring average with theDetroit Pistons, he is a capable defender and is a decent mid-range shooter, especially if left open.

Stackhouse has played in over 900 regular season games and participated in 78 playoff games.

Stackhouse was on that 2006 Dallas Mavericks' team that came very close to a NBA title against the Miami Heat which featured Dirk Nowitiski and Jason Terry.

During the 2006-2007 season, Stackhouse had shot a career-high from behind three-point line during the regular season and averaged 14 points per game during the playoffs.

Stackhouse played four years in Dallas, but this was the last time he had received a lot of minutes However, even past the age of 30, he has proved he has something left.

The following are some of Stackhouse's highlights:

June 10, 2006: Jerry Stackhouse scored 19 points and had a four-point play during the decisive run in Dallas' 99-85 victory in Game 2 of the 2006 NBA Finals over the Miami Heat.

May 15, 2006: Jerry Stackhouse scored 26 and was 10-for-19 from the field along with being a perfect 3-for-3 from behind the three-point line as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs in overtime, 123-118.

April 3, 2001: Stackhouse scored a career-high 57 points as a member of the Detroit Pistons against theChicago Bulls.

1997-2002 : Here's a look at Jerry Stackhouse highlights from the Detroit Pistons

2004-2008 : Here's a look at Jerry Stackhouse highlights from the Dallas Mavericks

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