Peachtree Hoops - Oct 14: Hawks 109, Heat 103The place to read about/discuss the Atlanta Hawks.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/8811/peachtree-fave.jpg2014-10-15T12:00:03-04:00http://www.peachtreehoops.com/rss/stream/67378082014-10-15T12:00:03-04:002014-10-15T12:00:03-04:00Hey, let's talk about Horford playing center!
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<figcaption>Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Ok.</p> <p><i><b>Alternate Headline: Bad news for Kris Willis as the Horford is a natural power forward debate hatches a new angle.</b></i></p>
<p><span>Al Horford</span> made his long awaited return to the court Tuesday night and the terrific Rick Kamla and Steve Smith (<a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a> hero version) discussed Al's return to the court, featuring a discussion on whether Al's history of injuring his pectoral muscles stems from....playing center.</p>
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<p>Al Horford returned last night, but is he BACK yet? The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GameTime?src=hash">#GameTime</a> crew breaks it down <a href="http://t.co/FAn7PbaQB8">http://t.co/FAn7PbaQB8</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hawks?src=hash">#Hawks</a> <a href="http://t.co/Z2DK1lZvwk">pic.twitter.com/Z2DK1lZvwk</a></p>
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAcom/status/522364539606548484">October 15, 2014</a>
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<p>Full Disclosure: I am not a former NBA player. Therefore, I would typically yield to Smitty's awesomeness when it comes to roundball analysis and the like. However, it seems to me that Horford's pectoral injuries were independent of his playing position. Last year, he was outside the three point line when injury intervened. Recent reports of Al changing how he muscles up in the workout room seem more relevant to prevention than where he logs his minutes on the court.</p>
<p>Horford's playing position comes up all the time when discussing the two-time All-Star. Maybe it stems from Karl Malone playing PF his whole career and doing that cool arm behind the head thing or <span>Tim Duncan</span> occasionally having another seven footer on the floor with him in San Antonio made him Super Duncan, but I'm not sure it's apples to oranges considering the approach the NBA has taken with the center position the last 10-15 years.</p>
<p>To say Horford would be appreciably safer or more productive if there was a <span>Rasho Nesterovic</span> type playing beside him instead of <span>Paul Millsap</span> seems baseless and formulaic. Horford has been a two-time AS at the position and fills a lot of the roles in the frontcourt that are needed to fill so what's the purpose of dwelling on such semantics?</p>
<p>Horford himself hasn't put the issue to bed over the years, either, demurring at times when asked about it directly and flat out asking for help there in others. This season, however, <a href="http://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/1/6877439/al-horford-atlanta-hawks-training-camp-center" target="_blank">Horford has been pretty clear</a> that it's cool that he's at center -- as the position ain't what it used to be, as he told the AJC October 1st:</p>
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<p><span>"The league is changing so much and we are playing at a faster pace," Horford said. "In this offense, the way I look at it, the 4 and the 5 are very interchangeable. Paul (Millsap) and I can both play inside and out. It works here. Before it might not have worked but here it works."</span></p>
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<p>Horford playing center may provide some challenges but injuring his pecs is likely not one of them. The way Bud is using him has Al's buy-in at center and it certainly makes sense when there is an all-star caliber player in Paul Millsap sharing the floor with him.</p>
<p>No matter where you fall on this eternal, unsolvable debate, one thing Bird Watchers are unanimous on is that we're thrilled Al Horford is back on the floor and wish him eternal health so that the Hawks may resume their own attempts at excellence on the court.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/15/6981363/al-horford-injury-atlanta-hawks-center-power-forwardJason Walker2014-10-15T08:00:02-04:002014-10-15T08:00:02-04:00Millsap, Korver break out as Atlanta downs Miami
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<p>Here some more thoughts from Atlanta's big comeback win over the Miami Heat from Tuesday. </p> <p>Atlanta came out of the gates slowly Tuesday against Miami but displayed just how explosive offensively as they turned a 19-point first quarter deficit into a 19 point lead in the second half. Most importantly for Atlanta, this was the first preseason game where their full compliment of players was healthy and at the disposal of <span>Mike Budenholzer</span>.</p>
<p>Here are more thoughts from Tuesday's win:</p>
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<span>Paul Millsap</span> shakes off the rust</h4>
<p>After Atlanta fell behind by 19 points early they needed a spark offensively to get themselves going. Millsap provided that spark scoring 12 points in the second quarter to get the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Hawks</a> back within striking distance. He added seven more in the third as the Hawks took control of the game giving him 23 on the night in just over 25 minutes. Millsap came in having gone just 4-13 from the field while playing what amounted to limited minutes in the first two preseason games.</p>
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<span>Kyle Korver</span> snaps back to form</h4>
<p>Kyle Korver looked a bit out of sync in his first preseason outing but he looked much more comfortable in Tuesday's win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a>. Korver knocked down five three-pointers and finished with 17 points. Three of those three-point buckets came in the third quarter as the Hawks outscored the Heat 43-18 to take control of the game. How good was Atlanta in the third? They connected on 14-22 field goal attempts in the period including 6-9 from three-point range. The Hawks assisted on 10 of those 14 made baskets and turned the ball over just three times in the period.</p>
<h4>Another solid game off the bench by <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span>
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<p>Signing Thabo Sefolosha over the summer might not have been a news worthy addition to the Hawks but he looks like he will be a solid contributor to the team this season. Sefolosha continued his string of good preseason performances Tuesday night finishing with eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in just under 18 minutes.</p>
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<span>Mike Muscala</span> continues solid work on the boards</h4>
<p>Muscala returned to the bench Tuesday night and didn't get into the game until the second half but finished the night with five rebounds in just over 11 minutes. He has done excellent work on the boards this preseason averaging just under seven per game. Mike Budenholzer is going to have some decisions to make in regards to his rotation once the regular season gets here but Muscala hasn't hurt his chances for playing time.</p>
<h4>Al Horford, <span>Pero Antic</span> and <span>Kent Bazemore</span> make preseason debuts</h4>
<p>Nothing note worthy from <span>Al Horford's</span> 11 minute stint against the Heat but it was great to see the big fella back on the floor playing for the Hawks. Horford finished with two points, one rebound and two assists but came away healthy by all indications. For Horford its about getting back on the court and getting comfortable while mixing it up in the trenches. With four preseason games remaining Atlanta will be cautious but expect Horford to exert himself more as the regular season nears.</p>
<p>Pero Antic might not like playing with the protective mask to guard his broken nose but he performed well with it in his preseason debut. Antic finished with nine points and three rebounds in 11 minutes against the Heat. Seven of his nine points came in that decisive third quarter. Kent Bazemore played just six minutes and went scoreless in his debut but looked ok physically which is good news. He finished 0-2 from the field with a pair of turnovers.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/15/6981161/hawks-vs-heat-final-score-paul-millsap-kyle-korverKris Willis2014-10-14T22:02:00-04:002014-10-14T22:02:00-04:00Horford returns as Hawks down Heat, 109-103
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The headline of the night was the return of Al Horford, but the Atlanta Hawks took care of business with a 109-103 victory over the Miami Heat. </p> <p>After a woeful opening to the night in Miami, it appeared as if the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Atlanta Hawks</a> were on their way to their second consecutive road loss in the preseason. However, things flipped toward the positive side in a hurry, and in the end, the Hawks improved to 2-1 with a 109-103 victory over the <a href="https://www.hothothoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Heat</a>.</p>
<p>The night began with a thud for the Hawks, as the Heat exploded to a 14-0 lead out of the gate. Because it was the starting unit for Atlanta, that was a bit of a surprising result, but admittedly, Miami was firing on all cylinders early in the night, and the margin grew to as many as 19 points during the first quarter.</p>
<p>However, the Hawks would battle back valiantly in the second quarter, outscoring Miami 29-21, and in short order, Atlanta finished the half within seven points at 52-45. <span>Paul Millsap</span> was the "star" of the first half for the Hawks, finishing with 16 points, but the bigger story line was certainly the return of Horford, who played 11 minutes before the halftime break.</p>
<p>Halftime spelled the end of <span>Al Horford's</span> night at the office, as he was replaced in the lineup by <span>Elton Brand</span> to kick off the third quarter. Horford finished with two points (on 1-3 shooting) and two assists, but above all, it was simply encouraging to see Al on the floor, and he should have every opportunity to shake the rust off before the tip-off of the regular season in a couple weeks.</p>
<p>Early in the third quarter, the focus turned to <span>Kyle Korver</span>, who knocked down back-to-back threes to tie the game at 57-57 for the first time since the opening basket. Later in the third, the Hawks took the lead for the first time on a <span>Pero Antic</span> lay-up at 63-62, and that margin swelled to 8 at 74-66 after <span>DeMarre Carroll</span> knocked down an open three, followed that up with a dish to Antic for a lay-up, and then converted a jumper and two free throws while putting on his own, personal variety show.</p>
<p>From that point forward, the Hawks would never trail, as Pero knocked down a three to push the lead to double-digits and that cushion would continue to multiply. The lead would grow to as many as 19 points in the third quarter, and as a group, Atlanta was able to score 43 points in the 12-minute frame on the strength of lights-out shooting and shot creation.</p>
<p>The final quarter did not start off swimmingly, as the Hawks almost immediately surrendered an 8-0 run to Miami that cut the advantage to 12 points with just over nine minutes to play. The lead was never seriously threatened, however, as the second (and third) unit managed to extend the lead to as many as 16 against the likes of <span>Dwyane Wade</span> and <span>Chris Bosh</span> before holding on (for dear life) for the final, six-point margin.</p>
<p>Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver finished with the best nights for Atlanta, as Millsap led the team in scoring with 23 points while Korver knocked down five three-pointers in route to 17 points. <span>Jeff Teague</span> was forced to exit the game briefly in the first half with a right hand issue, but he returned quickly and finished with 10 points and five assists in just over 23 minutes.</p>
<p>As far as the young guys are concerned, it was a late start for the trio of <span>Mike Muscala</span>, <span>Adreian Payne</span> and Dennis Schröder. None of the three appeared in the first half, but Muscala added five rebounds in 12 minutes, while Payne contributed a couple of high-impact plays and Dennis added six points in 15 minutes. <span>John Jenkins</span> did not explode in the same way as he did in the first two games, but the still-young shooting guard did play 17 minutes while looking just fine athletically, and he knocked down a three in the final moments that virtually put the game away.</p>
<p>Both Kent Bazemore and Pero Antic (mentioned above) made their preseason debuts on Tuesday. Bazemore played only six minutes and failed to score, displayed a considerable amount of rust in his first "real" action, while Antic flowed pretty well, scoring nine points and posting easily the best plus/minus of the night at +25 in his 11-plus minutes.</p>
<p>The Hawks will be in action again on Thursday night, as they travel to Chicago to face the <a href="https://www.blogabull.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bulls</a> at 8:00 pm ET. Stay tuned.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/14/6979581/hawks-vs-heat-final-score-al-horford-returnBrad Rowland2014-10-14T12:09:00-04:002014-10-14T12:09:00-04:00Horford to return against Heat
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<figcaption>Mike Lawrie</figcaption>
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<p>Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford will make his return to the court in tonight's game against the Miami Heat. </p> <p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a> will have their full complement of players available for Tuesday's preseason game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a>. <span>Al Horford</span> will return to the starting lineup for the first time since suffering a season-ending pectoral injury last season.</p>
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<p>He's back! <a href="https://twitter.com/Al_Horford">@Al_Horford</a> will start tonight's game in Miami.</p>
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) <a href="https://twitter.com/ATLHawks/status/522054648342274049">October 14, 2014</a>
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<p>Kent Bazemore and Pero Antic will also make their preseason debut for the Hawks against the Heat.</p>
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<p>Al Horford, Pero Antic and Kent Bazemore will all play tonight for Hawks vs. Heat. Debuts for all. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATLHawks?src=hash">#ATLHawks</a></p>
— Chris Vivlamore (@CVivlamoreAJC) <a href="https://twitter.com/CVivlamoreAJC/status/522055431741796353">October 14, 2014</a>
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<p>Antic will play with a protective mask due to a broken nose that he suffered during the first week of training camp when hit with an inadvertent elbow from rookie Adreian Payne. Bazemore was limited at the start of training camp due to a foot injury that he suffered during the offseason. He returned to full contact practice last week.</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/14/6974995/al-horford-injury-return-miami-heat-atlanta-hawksKris Willis2014-10-14T08:00:02-04:002014-10-14T08:00:02-04:00Hawks face Heat for first look without LeBron
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Atlanta Hawks continue their preseason schedule with their second road game of the slate as they face the LeBron-less Miami Heat.</p> <p><span>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/">Atlanta Hawks</a>, unsurprisingly, will not finish the preseason with a blemish-less mark on the heels of their loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.grizzlybearblues.com/">Memphis Grizzlies</a> on Saturday night, but they will continue the slate with a trip to Miami to take on the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a> on Tuesday evening.</span></p>
<p>Above all else, the preseason has been a time for evaluating the young talent thus far, and both <span>John Jenkins</span> and <span>Mike Muscala</span> have been impressive in their time on the court. Some people (including myself) had Jenkins potentially battling for his NBA life this preseason, but he has been a standout in the first two games, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep the momentum going here. In the case of Muscala, the young big man garnered a start in Memphis, and if <span>Al Horford</span> is unavailable for Tuesday's game (no details available to this point), that could certainly repeat itself here.</p>
<p>The Hawks have been without the aforementioned Horford, as well as both <span>Kent Bazemore</span> and <span>Pero Antic</span>, during both preseason games to this point, and we will certainly monitor their availability toward tonight's game. <span>Elton Brand</span> was also absent against Memphis, but that appears to be nothing more than good, old-fashioned veteran maintenance.</p>
<p>Personally, it would be nice to see the Hawks lean heavily on the young guys in this match-up, although there is unquestionably something intriguing about watching the likes of <span>Jeff Teague</span>, <span>Kyle Korver</span> and <span>Paul Millsap</span> do battle against <span>Dwyane Wade</span>, <span>Chris Bosh</span> and <span>Luol Deng</span> in a world that does not include LeBron James. At any rate, Atlanta should continue to integrate the new pieces, i.e. <span>Thabo Sefolosha</span> and <span>Adreian Payne</span>, into the mix, and cohesion is the name of the game under Mike Budenholzer's tutelage, especially on the offensive end.</p>
<p>In terms of a "player to watch" in this match-up, Dennis Schröder fits the bill. The second-year point guard was <i>much</i> better against the Grizzlies (14 points, 3 assists, 1 turnover) than he was in the opener against New Orleans (6 turnovers, 5 fouls, 2-7 FG), and against the Heat, there is no opposition that would theoretically prevent Dennis from continuing his improvement.</p>
<p>The Atlanta Hawks continue to progress toward opening night, and Tuesday's battle represents the first tilt of the preseason against a division rival. Stay tuned throughout the night for the latest on the proceedings.</p>
<h3>Game Info</h3>
<p><b>Game Date/Time:</b> Tuesday, October 13, 7:30 p.m. ET</p>
<p><b>Location:</b> American Airlines Arena, Memphis, Tennessee</p>
<p><b>TV:</b> No Local Broadcast, Sun Sports Florida, NBA League Pass</p>
<p><b>Radio:</b> 92.9 the Game, NBA League Pass Audio</p>
https://www.peachtreehoops.com/2014/10/14/6970545/hawks-vs-heat-preview-time-tv-radio-infoBrad Rowland