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Matt Moore, writing for NBC Sports, breaks down the usage patterns of last season's Atlanta Hawks and finds somethings that we spoke about in our CBSSports podcast with Matt a little while ago.
Highlights:
- Jeff Teague is passive at times, defers too much.
- Josh Smith was the big dog last season; is awesome.
- Al Horford needs to be more assertive, too.
- Ivan Johnson ain't scurrred and plays like it.
- Jerry Stackhouse leaves a huge usage void --- in trash time.
Says Moore regarding one of his favorites (judging by his comments on our podcast together), Ivan:
Woah there, Ivan Johnson! Johnson had an equal usage rate as Lou Williams, their primary bench scorer. Thing is, though, he was efficient, shooting 51 percent from the field. He averaged as many points per 36 minutes as starting point guard, Jeff Teague, for crying out loud. Johnson's personal issues and locker room concerns are evident, but they still shouldn't outweigh his production on the floor.
My guess is that Lou Williams soaks up way more possessions than he did in Philadelphia, given his effective "replacement" of Joe Johnson. Johnson was second on the team in Usage last season and is reflected in the graph.
The new look Hawks should take on an interesting form this season, as the dribble/grind offense that featured Joe gives way to run and gun, allegedly, and should prove an interesting contrast to this past season's usage.