Hardaway says he will bring defense

[Sothron]

17 minutes ago, ATLHawks3 said:

Remember how at this time last year Bazemore wasn't even cracking the rotation? Look how good he is now.

 

Bazemore is someone we all thought highly of as a signing though. THJ was a high cost acquisition that has literally done jack squat for this team.

[Guest]

I think we need to just relax on THJr and why he hasn't played, his cost, etc.  Although it appears to be heading down the same strange road as Payne, I think we should just give it time.  It's still early and we're playing fairly well without him.

Plus I think the legit discussion has gotten in the way of the real purpose of this thread ... to watch the tickle fight between @AHF and @hawksfanatic devolve into a true bare knuckles brawl.  I mean they were on the verge of meeting each other at some random roadside saloon right next to the We Bare All sign off I-85 where @Dolfan23 sets up 'client' meetings.

[RamblinCharger]

I think what angers me the most about this entire situation, is that we could've gotten RJ Hunter. That dude can ball, and we're going to regret not getting him. He's not quite Steph Curry, but he is a similar player. He has that crazy quick release and can shoot the lights out. We really needed someone like that.

[benhillboy]

Meanwhile, GR3 on the floor at the end of the game and is averaging 10 and 2 on 75% shooting in 19 minutes (no threes attempted). Oops.

[sturt]

GR3's choice was to come to ATL and compete with Patterson and Petteway for the 15th slot, or to go to IND where Bird was essentially telling him with very little ambiguity (based on the stories after his signing) that he was handing him a roster slot for merely showing up. THJr or Oubre or some other wing was going to be here with a virtually guaranteed roster slot anyhow ahead of GR3. So, I don't know that it is as relevant as it might at first appear to bring GR3 into this particular discussion.

[RandomFan]

Five reasons Hardaway Jr. has yet to play

Posted: 6:14 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6, 2015

By Chris Vivlamore - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

NEW ORLEANS —

Tim Hardaway Jr. will get his chance.

The guard, who the Hawks gave up their first-round draft pick for this year, has yet to play this season. He continues to be patient in waiting for his chance. Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer, amid many questions, emphasized again Friday that Hardaway will be a contributing part of the Hawks’ roster.

“There are so many things that happen during a course of a season,” Budenholzer said Friday of an opportunity for Hardaway. “It will happen.”

Here are five reasons why Hardaway has not been a part of the rotation yet early in the season.

1. Hardaway dealt with a wrist issue while with the Knicks last season. It cost him games in New York. It was an injury that had to be dealt with over the summer. While getting to 100 percent, he lagged in his offseason shooting and conditioning.

2. The Hawks’ system consists of completely new concepts for Hardaway. He spent his first two seasons in New York in the Triangle offense with Carmelo Anthony as the focal point. Without much of the summer, Hardaway lost on-court drill work to get familiar with the complexities in which the Hawks operate under offensively and defensively.

3. Lamar Patterson and Justin Holiday are ahead of Hardaway in the rotation. It’s important to note that both are older than Hardaway. Patterson spent five years at the University of Pittsburgh. Although he played in Turkey last season, Patterson spent two summers with the Hawks in their Las Vegas Summer League entry running the system.

4. The Hawks have used the combination of Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder more this season. When they go to the two point guard look, it takes away minutes from other wing players.

5. The Hawks play with a defense-first mentality. Hardaway is an offensive-minded player. He’ll need to catch up defensively with Patterson and Holiday. The Hawks are 10th in the NBA in defensive efficiency. They are going to continue to play to that strength.

“There is real competition,” Budenholzer said. “Those guys are competing for minutes, competing for opportunities. … Right now, those other two guys (Patterson and Holiday) have shown a little bit more and have been given that position and opportunity. Tim is going to have to earn his way into his opportunity. We feel that he will.”

 

[sturt]

I buy it, but then again I don't.

To have not even been on the floor at all about 2 weeks into the season when Thabo and Korver have been out as much as they have... developing into one of the more incredible individual storylines of the Bud era.

[Alex]

Yep.  

[benhillboy]

9 hours ago, sturt said:

GR3's choice was to come to ATL and compete with Patterson and Petteway for the 15th slot, or to go to IND where Bird was essentially telling him with very little ambiguity (based on the stories after his signing) that he was handing him a roster slot for merely showing up. THJr or Oubre or some other wing was going to be here with a virtually guaranteed roster slot anyhow ahead of GR3. So, I don't know that it is as relevant as it might at first appear to bring GR3 into this particular discussion.

I wasn't aware of his projected role with the Pacers, it's still a stark comparison between two guys vying for a possible rotational wing slot. Obviously Lil Glenn didn't want to compete for a 'ship.

Its just disappointing to see better options that we flirted with in hindsight independent of the logistics and their best opportunities while this guy is apparently nestled into Bud's bad side.  I guess it's better than Johnny Jenkins playing 43 minutes so far for the Mavs without a single three made.

I ain't complaining, though.   Lamar and Justin got it.

[AHF]

On 11/4/2015, 9:40:47, ATLHawks3 said:

Remember how at this time last year Bazemore wasn't even cracking the rotation? Look how good he is now.

Bazemore played in Atlanta's first 4 games last year.  For the entire season, he never went more than 2 games without playing.

THJ still has time to turn it around but I don't think they are great comparisons.

[ATLHawks3]

8 hours ago, AHF said:

Bazemore played in Atlanta's first 4 games last year.  For the entire season, he never went more than 2 games without playing.

THJ still has time to turn it around but I don't think they are great comparisons.

You could also factor in how great our  wing depth is this year compared to last year.

[AHF]

21 minutes ago, ATLHawks3 said:

You could also factor in how great our  wing depth is this year compared to last year.

With the number of games that we have been without Thabo and Korver, I don't think this year looks so much deeper.  

Let's look at those first four games from the perspective of our no-brainer, must-play guys.  Last year we saw this:

Games 1-4 2014

DMC 31-40 minutes per game

Thabo 14-28 minutes per game

Korver 32-38 minutes per game

Games missed: 0.

With those significant minutes already eaten, Bazemore averaged 9.6 mpg.  

Games 1-4 2015

Bazemore 20-31 mpg (significantly less than DMC)

Korver 28-32 minutes (significantly less than 2014 Korver)

Thabo 17-21 mpg (a bit lower)

Games missed:  2 (Korver & Thabo).  

You can keep rolling that analysis forward as we have been without Korver or Thabo for 5 of the 8 games so far.  I think that gives more opportunity than last year which is why you see Dennis, Holliday and Patterson all getting consistent playing opportunities on the wing.  The issue is less that we have no-brainer guys and more that THJ has been slotted behind guys who were minimum salary FAs.

I guess you can call a guy like Patterson a big step up over last year's end of the bench guys but I don't view that as a depth barrier to time.  I expect a guy worth the price we paid to clear that barrier without a problem.  Hopefully, in time he will do exactly that.

[nimbers]

So I heard on the radio this morning something about his wrist. Usually 929 isn't really on top of basketball, but just thought I would mention it since it seems like no one else has.

[AHF]

3 hours ago, nimbers said:

So I heard on the radio this morning something about his wrist. Usually 929 isn't really on top of basketball, but just thought I would mention it since it seems like no one else has.

Did you hear that it was still a problem?  It was posted previously that he had wrist problems in the offseason but they were fixed coming into the year.  The impact that was mentioned was less time actually playing in Bud's system over the summer.  If it is still hurting him, then I get much more comfortable with him not being able to crack the 13 man game roster.