A history of Misuse.

[Diesel]

Joe Johnson = 15.5 to 14.6 Attempts per game. 24.9 - 21.7 = Usage%.

Marvin Williams = 8.2 to 6.4 attempts per game. 18.0 - 15.1 = Usage %

Jamal Crawford = 11.5 to 12.3 Attempts per game. 23.4 - 26.6 = Usage %.

Mike Bibby = 7.9 to 4.5 attempts per game. 15.0 - 15.2 = Usage%

Al Harrington = 16.1 to 13.9 attempts per game. 25.6 - 23.1 = Usage %.

Josh Childress = 4.0 to 2.9 attempts per game. 15.8 - 14.1 = Usage %

Jason Terry = 14.8 to 9.3 attempts per game. 23.2 - 18.0

Dikembe = 7.2 to 7.8 attempts per game. 13.4 - 16.2

Shareff = 14.9 to 8.3 attempts per game. 24.8 - 23.3 = Usage %

When you look at these numbers, one thing pops into my mind. Our better players (with the exception of Marvin and Chillz) tend to be called on by us much more than other teams. That means that with our better players, we run too many plays for them and with our not so good players, they play much more than they need to. It's a matter of management. Since Shareef, it seems that we have not managed our players well. In fact, the only players that have left and received more use was Crawford and Dikembe. It's interesting because it suggests that we have a history of iso ball.

[macdaddy]

Woody seems surprised by this accusation:

[Diesel]

Not just Woody, but we have LD and Lenny also.

Shareef's numbers show the biggest dip.

[Gray Mule]

Some where, long ago, I remember this:

An object that is moving tends to keep moving.

An object that is not moving tends to keep still.

Or something like that. Seems we have another example here. When we, the Hawks, replace

an old coach with a new one, they know: This is the way Atlanta plays. We hirred you because

this is the way that you coach.

We've done it that way before. We have, for the most part, the same players that we had before

you came. Any we replaced, we replaced with the same type players so that we may continue

with the same scheme.

We, as individuals, tend to become "set in our ways" as we become older. Unless we have that

mid life crisis, chances are very good the new car or pickup truck we purchse will be almost the

same as our old one. Same make and model. Guess our team's history proves that they are

the same way.

[AHF]

I don't know that this is all about Atlanta.

Look at some other guys who have made moves. Teams frequently let players go when their role is apt to reduce.

Mike Bibby

Sacramento last 3 years: 25.4, 24.5, 23.0 Atlanta first 3 years: 21.5, 20.6, 16.1

LaPhonso Ellis

Denver last 2 years: 28.0, 22.9 Atlanta first 2 years: 21.9, 18.9

Tony Kukoc

Year Prior to Coming to Atlanta: 24.9; 1/2 year in PHI/1/2 in ATL: 21.5; Full Year in ATL: 20.7

Theo Ratliff

Philly last 3 years: 17.1, 17.2, 17.0 Atl 3 Years: 17.6, 15.0, 14.5

Shareef is a great candidate to look at this. His usage rate clearly declined over time. It was lower in ATL than in VAN and lower in POR than in ATL. Is that really a function of the offensive system? I don't think so.

28.9 VAN

28.4 VAN

27.6 VAN

27.0 ATL

25.0 VAN

24.6 VAN

24.4 ATL/POR

24.2 ATL

22.1 POR

[Diesel]

I don't know that this is all about Atlanta.

Look at some other guys who have made moves. Teams frequently let players go when their role is apt to reduce.

Mike Bibby

Sacramento last 3 years: 25.4, 24.5, 23.0 Atlanta first 3 years: 21.5, 20.6, 16.1

LaPhonso Ellis

Denver last 2 years: 28.0, 22.9 Atlanta first 2 years: 21.9, 18.9

Tony Kukoc

Year Prior to Coming to Atlanta: 24.9; 1/2 year in PHI/1/2 in ATL: 21.5; Full Year in ATL: 20.7

Theo Ratliff

Philly last 3 years: 17.1, 17.2, 17.0 Atl 3 Years: 17.6, 15.0, 14.5

Shareef is a great candidate to look at this. His usage rate clearly declined over time. It was lower in ATL than in VAN and lower in POR than in ATL. Is that really a function of the offensive system? I don't think so.

28.9 VAN

28.4 VAN

27.6 VAN

27.0 ATL

25.0 VAN

24.6 VAN

24.4 ATL/POR

24.2 ATL

22.1 POR

Beyond the numbers though, look where we got them from. Normally teams worst than ours.. with the exception of Philly whoose offense at the team revolved around 1 man... which really is worse than ours. Therefore, those guys got used more.

[AHF]

Philly was much better than Atlanta with Kukoc. Philly also better with Ratliff. Bibby left a 38 win Sacramento team for a 37 win Hawks team. Shareef left a really bad Vancouver team for a 33 win Atlanta team that won 25 games without him the previous season. Ellis is the only one who really upgraded coming to Atlanta.

I don't think the fact that the Hawks were "too good" was a problem.

[Diesel]

Philly was much better than Atlanta with Kukoc. Philly also better with Ratliff. Bibby left a 38 win Sacramento team for a 37 win Hawks team. Shareef left a really bad Vancouver team for a 33 win Atlanta team that won 25 games without him the previous season. Ellis is the only one who really upgraded coming to Atlanta.

I don't think the fact that the Hawks were "too good" was a problem.

No. Not saying that we were too good. I'm saying that they came from worse situations. For instance.. Shareef was it in Vancouver. He was the butler, the baker, and the candlestick maker. When he came to Atlanta, his role was slightly upgraded. When Bibby was came in, his numbers actually mirrored what he had done the year before. So a guy getting an update was actually moving to a new city, learning a new offense and having a lesser role. Not necessarily a decline in skills. An adjustment period and role change is ignored in your professing.

[AHF]

Bibby's numbers didn't mirror the previous year's. His usage rate was dropping when he left Sacramento and then dropped even more when he came to Atlanta.

The 3 years prior to coming to Atlanta, he averaged 19.2 ppg but never even averaged 15 ppg in Atlanta.

The point with Shareef is that I don't think you can lay misuse at the foot of the bed based on his usage rate dropping after he left Atlanta when you also see that his usage rate was generally signifiicantly higher in VAN and that he was getting older when he left Atlanta.

It isn't that we haven't misused players over the years (Josh Smith comes to mind first and foremost) so much as I am not sure the usage numbers really demonstrate this.

[Gray Mule]

Did we change? Have we changed now? Really changed?

Or, are we the same old same old, just with different players?

With all the change in players, coaches, etc., did we really change?

Or, is this the same play we have observed, year after year, acted

out on the stage known as the NBA?

All the use, or misuse of the players we're talking about, did any of

them really change anything by coming here? Did any of the coaches?

Did the GM change out players and really change anything?

Is this upcoming season, with all our new players and coaches, going

to be any different that our past history? Or, will there be something

new and exciting to watch as our latest edition takes the floor?

Any one want to offer an educated guess?

+++++++

[Diesel]

Bibby's numbers didn't mirror the previous year's. His usage rate was dropping when he left Sacramento and then dropped even more when he came to Atlanta.

The 3 years prior to coming to Atlanta, he averaged 19.2 ppg but never even averaged 15 ppg in Atlanta.

The point with Shareef is that I don't think you can lay misuse at the foot of the bed based on his usage rate dropping after he left Atlanta when you also see that his usage rate was generally signifiicantly higher in VAN and that he was getting older when he left Atlanta.

It isn't that we haven't misused players over the years (Josh Smith comes to mind first and foremost) so much as I am not sure the usage numbers really demonstrate this.

You're right, I read the usage wrong. However, 3 yrs prior to coming to Atlanta, he didn't have KMart soaking up shots or Udrih taking away minutes. AND yes, there was some age related decline. However, his role coming here did change.