Hawks playoff grades

[TheNorthCydeRises]

MAIN PLAYER GRADES

Al Horford: B-

16.7 ppg - 8.8 rebs - 3.0 asst - 1.0 stls - 0.8 blks - 1.5 tos . . . . 49% FG - 67% FT

Al was basically steady throughout the playoffs, with him having one great game in Game 3. But take away that Game 3 performance, he wasn't no more than your average player in this series. When the Pacers defense really clamped down on him, he found it difficult to not only get his own shot, but to make the shots he normally makes.

In the offseason, Horford DESPERATELY needs to develop an offensive "go-to" POST move, to compliment his midrange jumper. And if he gets a chance to play PF at least 70% of the time next season, he must elevate his game to a top 10 PF level. If Al can't improve his level of play on the offensive end, he can't be in future plans for the team as one of the "lead guys". If we add an Al Jefferson to the lineup, maybe it will be of some help to Horford.

Josh Smith: C+

17.0 ppg - 7.5 rebs - 3.5 asst - 1.8 stls - 0.5 blks - 2.7 tos . . . . 43% FG - 53% FT - 25% 3FT

For the first 4 games of the series, Josh was solid all around, with Game 4 being his crown jewel. The 29 point - 11 rebound - 16 free throw attempt performance that game was arguably the best playoff game of his career. Then, like the old song from the British R&B group Soul II Soul, Josh came "back to life . . back to reality".

Games 5 and 6 saw him put up back to back 14 point, 5 - 16 FG performances that would make it easy for fans to want to part ways from the 9 year member of the Hawks. This series was the ultimate version of "Good Josh - Bad Josh". And we all know what that looks like . . . flashes of great offensive and defensive plays combined with mind boggling low BBIQ decisions. He had a solid "B grade" in those first 4 games, but played like a "D+" the rest of the way.

If that was Josh's last game as a Hawk, it was a microcosm of his career. His replacement needs to be a wing player who can score and/or play defense. If Iguodala exercises his Early Termination Option, he has to be considered as an option to replace Smith.

Kyle Korver: D+

10.3 ppg - 3.3 rebs - 0.7 asst - 1.0 tos . . . . 39% FG - 35% 3FG - 92% FT

We needed him to show the improved, solid defense that he showed for most of the regular season . . he didn't do it. We needed him to make the shots that saw him being one of the best spot up shooters during the regular season . . we only saw it for one game.

He was great in Game 4, knocking down 5 threes and scoring 19 points. In the other 5 games?

12 - 38 FG ( 32% ) . . 7 - 26 3FG ( 27% ) . . 8.4 ppg

So he gave us no defense and no shooting for 5 of the 6 games in the series. With no Lou Williams in the lineup, he had a chance to really solidify himself as a guy who can be a valuable shooter on a playoff team. Instead, he pretty much proved that he's a one-dimensional player who can be shut down when he doesn't get very wide open looks, because he can't create and make his own shot.

Devin Harris: D+

11.3 ppg - 2.8 rebs - 3.7 asst - 1.7 stls - 2.0 tos . . . . 37% FG - 20% 3FG - 68% FT

When you watched Devin in this series, you kind of see why Utah just gave up on him, from a floor leader standpoint. He doesn't "wow" you with anything he does, other than his ability to quickly push the ball up the floor. He doesn't shoot the ball well. He doesn't finish well. And when he gets to the FT line, he shoots it at a percentage well below what most starting PGs shoot.

After his good 17 point - 4 rebound - 4 assist performance in Game 2, Harris' efficiency really fell off the map, even when we managed to win the next 2 games. 10.8 points - 4.0 assists - 30% FG - 16% 3FG over the next 4 games, just wasn't going to cut it at all. He and Teague in the backcourt absolutely killed us as the series came to a close. We needed at least one of those guys to play at a high level on a given night. But they just couldn't do it.

Jeff Teague: D

13.3 ppg - 2.8 rebs - 5.0 asst - 1.5 stls - 2.3 tos . . . . 33% FG - 30% 3FG - 82% FT

For a guy who has at least been solid in the past two playoff series ( 2011 - Chicago . . 2012 - Boston ), Jeff Teague regressed during this series. Jeff's increased responsibility to run the team seem to overwhelm him at times. Despite having another PG by his side, Teague was highly ineffective for most of the series.

After holding his on in the first 2 games, Teague fell COMPLETELY off the map in those next 4 games, averaging 10.8 pts - 4.5 asst on a WOEFUL 26% FG and 17% 3FG. For a guy who is coming up for restricted free agency, this series may have damaged his worth somewhat. More disturbing, is that he got exposed defensively.

Teague has a good regular season. And he may be our best and only option at PG for the near future. But we may need to look around for a guy who could possibly run a team better than he can. People may not like Brandon Jennings, but he has to be an option considered to possibly replace Teague.

SUPPORTING PLAYER GRADES

Johan Petro: B

For what we were asking of him, Petro played solid during the time he was in the game. The "big" lineup did work. It limited Hibbert in the beginning of games, and it freed up Horford and Smith to have better matchups on both ends of the floor. Petro even gave us a little offense at times. We definitely need a much better upgrade at the 2nd and 3rd center spots than Petro. But for this series, he did exactly what we asked him to do.

Anthony Tolliver: B

Once the Hawks committed to the "big" lineup in Game 3, Tolliver became a part of the rotation. He played very well in games 3 and 4, shooting lights out from 3 point range. Just to illustrate how good he was ( or how bad Kyle Korver was ), both of them made 7 threes in this series. But unlike Korver and his 26 three point attempts, Tolliver made his 7 threes in just 11 attempts. If anything, Tolliver proved that he can still be a fringe player who can make spot up jumpers as a big SF or a small PF. Surely the Hawks can find an upgrade over him though, if they want/need that type of player.

Ivan Johnson: C+

Ivan had a chance to really showcase himself as a solid backup PF in this series. He didn't quite do that, although he may have established himself as a legit "tough guy" that a team could use on their squad. He did OK, even when he played out of position. But the Pacers got into his head a little, and made him a non-factor in Game 6. And he's still a "hatchet man", averaging almost 4 fouls per 36 minutes.

Since "no one" was watching the Hawks - Pacers series, maybe that will enable the Hawks to re-sign Ivan again on the cheap. He's a decent option off the bench as a backup PF that can play 15 - 20 minutes a game.

COACH GRADE

Larry Drew: C

The small lineup that Drew stubbornly stuck to going into Game 2, was an idiotic move. It was obvious after Game 1, and in the previous games during the regular season, that going BIG was the way to compete with the Pacers. So it took us getting beat up in Game 2 for Drew to realize that he had to change his strategy.

Considering how bad the guards played in this series, you really can't bash Drew for anything that happened after we went big. Maybe John Jenkins should've gotten a little more chance to play, when the Hawks were struggling to shoot the ball, but other than that, I don't know what all Drew could've done to prevent the last 2 losses.

Overall, he did a decent job of coaching during this series. But his time here should end, if Ferry wants this franchise to get to the next level.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

* edit on Ivan *

He averaged a whopping 7.7 fouls per 36 minutes. I was looking at the fouls he actually averaged during the series. LOL . . that's a Summer League foul rate.

Still, I would like to have that guy back on the team.