Complete Q and A with Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer

[RandomFan]

http://atlantahawks.blog.ajc.com/2016/09/25/complete-q-and-a-with-hawks-coach-mike-budenholzer-in-advance-of-training-camp/

Chris Vivlamore  September 25, 2016

Complete Q and A with Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer in advance of training camp

 

Last week I sat down with Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer in advance of training camp, which begins Monday, for a Q&A session. Excerpts of the interview appear in the Sunday edition of the AJC and I have posted other notes throughout the week.

For those interested, here is the complete and lengthy interview.

Enjoy.

Q. In the past, the biggest question going into training camp was who will make the team. This year, with 16 contracts, the biggest question is who will not make the team. What are your thoughts about this training camp and how it might play out?

A. It feels like, watching the team and watching the players through September and all the individual workouts and other things we do, it just feels like it’s set up for a really competitive camp from top to bottom, everywhere you look. I think there is enough continuity and enough change where the guys who are coming in new, they are hungry. They want to establish themselves, the young guys including the rookies. Their competiveness is showing through. Whether it’s who is on the team, who is playing, it just feels like there is more opportunity for true genuine competition. I think that is good.

Q. Is that a key on successful teams that you have been a part of in the past? That kind of competition, including the players you brought in on training camp deals with NBA experience?

A. To the last part, I do think between a Ryan Kelly and a Will Bynum, guys who have been in the league and are established, it may be a little out of the norm of who we’ve had or other teams may have in camp. I think they are going to push it. As far as it being a key to being successful, I don’t know because some teams are very set and everybody knows their place and their role. I think some of those teams are wildly successful. Even on those teams, guys push themselves naturally or guys behind them are pushing them and there is more competition for the role spots. I don’t know that it’s a must because I’ve seen it, even us, it feels like there have been established roles in years one to two to three. It usually is a great thing and makes for a great camp. If you have the right kind of guys who are pushing each other and at the same time supporting each other, it’s pretty cool.

Q. As camp is about to begin, can you give me injury updates on Tiago Splitter?

A. With Tiago, everyone is really happy with his progress. With the hip, if you are just talking specifically about the hip, everybody feels like it couldn’t be going much better. Now, it’s getting all the muscles and everything that goes into being ready to play up to speed. We are expecting him to participate in camp, maybe not at 100 percent participation but significant. I think more of the scrimmaging and real basketball stuff to see how he is doing and be contentious that whenever we use him it’s in real live basketball environment.

Q. How about Jarrett Jack?

A. He is doing well. You always are optimistic that (recovery time) is on the shorter end. I’ve told him, and he knows, we are always err on the side of caution. Easing him into camp and easing him into exhibition games. To some degree the next week to 10 days will tell us more. He is going to be, I would say, not a full participant starting in Athens but he will do some things.

Q. There are a couple of major changes to your starting lineup this year with a new point guard and center. First, with Dennis Schröder running the point what is your biggest expectation? Concern?

A. I think the great thing about Dennis is he has been with us for three years. As far as starting, that’s going to be a new experience and a new role. For me, there is a lot of comfort that he knows what we expect of him as a point guard and how we play on both ends of the court. The biggest expectation for Dennis is that he keeps that competitive fire, that competitive spirit, that I would makes him a little bit unique. I would say that makes him special as a competitor. Continuing to grow as a leader and a teammate. I think if he focuses on really being a great defender, making all those competitive type plays with loose balls and rebounds. I think he is naturally gifted offensively. He obviously has the speed to attack and get to the rim and the paint. I think he sees the floor well. I think continuing to improve as a shooter is always going to be an important thing. He has to fight through if things aren’t going his way or the team’s way. That’s really the challenge for all of us. He and I have this great pull and tug about how competitive he is and still be focused on the next play or his next assignment. He gets it. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to be that guy.

Q. Second, with Dwight Howard at center. You said earlier this summer you might be more comfortable with a traditional center. How do you expect the offense to be different? What about the defense?

A. The physicality and the force that Dwight brings to both ends of the court, I think is going to be a welcomed addition. (Translation = Alice was SAWFT! Even Bud is saying it.) If you take his skills, and part of that is his physicality and force, and incorporate that into a lot of the things we’ve done since I got here three years ago, I really think that’s an area where we’ve had success but that’s probably an area (to improve). A lot of people focus on a specific thing, but I think the physicality and the force, you have a player who is going to cover up some of the things, whether it’s rebounding or getting hits or screens and those type of things, it comes naturally to him. It will feel really different for us and our team.

Q. As the Hawks move forward after signing Kent Bazemore to a significant contract, do you see him getting more time at shooting guard? Or do you see him mainly as a small forward?

A. The great thing about making a commitment to Kent is how far he has come is exciting but all of us in the organization, including Kent, feel he still has a lot more room to grow and improve. Even though he doesn’t have a long track record of starting, he is just going to keep getting better. That’s exciting for us to get committed to a guy who is still going to grow and improve. With our wings, it’s a little bit like our bigs with the 4 and the 5, particularly the way we play, being interchangeable. That’s the way we think of it philosophically. If we got Kent to the 2 a little more is something we talk about. The great thing is Kyle (Korver) actually likes the challenge of guarding bigger guys. When you start thinking about the defensive end of the court, there are times when Kyle welcomes the challenge of guarding a post-up player. There is also Thabo (Sefolosha) playing. How much can Taurean Prince grow and evolve? With our bigs it won’t be the same with Dwight but, technically, in our offense you end up in either spot. On the wings it’s the same thing. I would say there is some discussion and some desire to get Kent at the 2 and you will probably be bigger and more athletic. Kyle is Kyle. Whatever number you want to call him and whatever number you want to call Baze, they are both very good. They guard different guys anyway.

Q. Other than Dennis Schröder starting for Jeff Teague and Dwight Howard starting for Al Horford, can I expect any other changes to the starting lineup with Kyle Korver at the 2, Kent Bazemore at the 3 and Paul Millsap at the 4?

A. I think it’s hard to see not going into camp that way but it’s a little bit of how can we figure out the best way to manage a game and the best way to manage a season. It’s hard for me not to see that. Again, I see them more as wings and not 2’s and 3’s. I’m excited to see how we fit together and what works well with Dennis now starting and the addition of Dwight.

Q. Concerning wings, especially with the two draft picks, you are deep and there are plenty of options there. What is the expectation going into camp about how that rotation might work?

A. No. I think that is going to be one of the areas of camp that is going to be great to watch and observe and through October. I will say that Tim Hardaway Jr. had a great summer. He’s been really, really good. I think Thabo is someone that we all appreciate, especially me. As good as we were defensively, the subtleties to Thabo’s game and what he brings. The other young guys, it’s great to see how they are different. They are confident and I think they are going to push. There is going to be great competition with those six wings.

Q. You will have three rookies this season. What are your early impressions on Malcolm Delaney? Taurean Prince? DeAndre Bembry?

A. I’ll start with Malcolm. He is a rookie who has played in the Euroleague final four. He’s played at the highest level in Europe and been one of the top guards over there. It’s almost not fair to call him a rookie. His demeanor and his understanding of the game, we feel really good about his addition. We have so much respect for European basketball. What he has done over there, to add that to our team, we are very hopeful he is somebody who is going to help us.

Taurean, I think he has made a great first impression in the months since we drafted him. To have the kind of size and physicality at the small forward position, is something we are hoping to work with, grow and develop. He can do a little bit of everything. Offensively, we have to continue to grow him and work with him but there is a lot there to work with. Defensively, he gets after it. He kind of fits that there is going to be more of an edge, a physicality, to our team between Dwight, Dennis and Taurean, that’s a big infusion of edge, toughness and physicality.

And DeAndre is similar in a very understated Paul Millsap kind of way. Very, very smart. His basketball mind is beyond his years. There is an athleticism, a pop, to him that is kind of under the radar. He fits us well. He can pass. He has a really high I.Q. I think he’s going to be good.

Q. I’m curious about the defense this year. You have been very good in previous years but now you add to it. Tiago Splitter told me you are going to be even better defensively. Do you see it that way, that you can be even better than where you have been statistically?

A. It’s kind of strange to look at it in a statistical context when you are the second-best defense. There is only one spot to move up. I would love to be the best defensive team in the league. But if you put the stats aside, I do feel like we can be better defensively. I guess that should translate to some statistical metric but I think Dwight’s impact on the game defensively can be unique and special. I think Dennis, as a starting point guard, especially as he is young (defense) is his calling card. You add Taurean to the mix and DeAndre, I definitely feel like there is the potential for this to be one of the best defensive teams in the league. That is what we have prioritized from the very beginning.

[Gray Mule]

And "they" said we would have trouble making the playoffs in the east ?  Well, if that is true,

there must be lots and lots of teams in the east that are, oh, so much better that they were

at the end of last season.

Bud believes in this group of NBA players and we believe in them AND in our coach and his staff.

Great interview !  Thanks....

GO ATL HAWKS !!

[macdaddy]

I think Bud is excited about the Dennis/Bembry/Prince future.   

[Gray Mule]

Millsap to miss early pre season games and Splitter and  J. Jack are not 100%  NBA ready, recovering.

Therefore, we may expect a lot of early playing time for others, which is great!

Our WNBA Dream's season is over and our Hawks season is starting.  Great timing !

 

[benhillboy]

Blah blah we like our system blah great group blah blah 2-way blah working extremely hard blah blah.  Love you, Bud.

[AHF]

Hope the call out to THJr means he is ready to contribute right out of the gate this season.  Would love to a season out of him resembling his hot period last year.

[RedDawg#8]

I expect THJ to have a year 2 boom just like Carroll and Bazemore did. 

Our wings have a lot of complex reads in this offense and have to be ready to knock down open shots or cut to the rim while playing off of our PG and big men who are the main action. Coming from the mess in NY and having to learn a new system took him a while to get acclimated but I am confident he while play more loose and really display his scoring ability and athleticism. We REALLY need a 6th man that can put up points so hopefully it's him

[hazer]

If 3zus is back in normal form, Blaze continues to ascend, Thabo is Thabo, and THJr finally has his year, this is going to be good. Bembry and Prince are luxury 3rd-stringers...

[RedDawg#8]

5 minutes ago, hazer said:

If 3zus is back in normal form, Blaze continues to ascend, Thabo is Thabo, and THJr finally has his year, this is going to be good. Bembry and Prince are luxury 3rd-stringers...

Exactly and if any of the top guys go down or need rest  the rotation should stay just as strong

[AHF]

I am hoping to see one of Bembry and Prince step up as more than a luxury item.  The reason I am particularly glad to see Bud calling THJr's name out is that he cut THJr out of the rotation in the most important games of the season last year despite no good alternatives.  He just didn't trust him to perform.  We need at least 4 wings we can trust come playoff time.

[macdaddy]

15 hours ago, AHF said:

I am hoping to see one of Bembry and Prince step up as more than a luxury item.  The reason I am particularly glad to see Bud calling THJr's name out is that he cut THJr out of the rotation in the most important games of the season last year despite no good alternatives.  He just didn't trust him to perform.  We need at least 4 wings we can trust come playoff time.

Agreed.   I think the offense this year will be a little different than last and it will suit Hardaway better.   He will never be Korver but he has other strengths.   Just having him shoot spot up threes is a losing proposition.  

[Diesel]

On 9/26/2016 at 2:41 PM, RedDawg#8 said:

I expect THJ to have a year 2 boom just like Carroll and Bazemore did. 

Our wings have a lot of complex reads in this offense and have to be ready to knock down open shots or cut to the rim while playing off of our PG and big men who are the main action. Coming from the mess in NY and having to learn a new system took him a while to get acclimated but I am confident he while play more loose and really display his scoring ability and athleticism. We REALLY need a 6th man that can put up points so hopefully it's him

The interesting part about THJ in comparison to Baze and DMC is that THJ has a more complete offensive game than those others at this stage of his career.  IF he makes the same type of jump as they did, THJ may be allstar material.  DMC was near allstar material.  Baze was solid. 

[Diesel]

On 9/26/2016 at 5:21 PM, AHF said:

I am hoping to see one of Bembry and Prince step up as more than a luxury item.  The reason I am particularly glad to see Bud calling THJr's name out is that he cut THJr out of the rotation in the most important games of the season last year despite no good alternatives.  He just didn't trust him to perform.  We need at least 4 wings we can trust come playoff time.

The reality is that they are rookies who were not lottery picks.   We Squawkers get so caught up on players we pick and have great disappointment when  we find out that they are not who we projected them to be.   Bebe.  Payne.  Etc.   Let them go through the Bud School and then let's see what they can contribute. 

 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Diesel said:

The reality is that they are rookies who were not lottery picks.   We Squawkers get so caught up on players we pick and have great disappointment when  we find out that they are not who we projected them to be.   Bebe.  Payne.  Etc.   Let them go through the Bud School and then let's see what they can contribute. 

 

Prince was a lottery pick at #12.

[macdaddy]

46 minutes ago, JayBirdHawk said:

Prince was a lottery pick at #12.

And he has size.   The difference between these 2 picks and past ones is they have an nba skillset, extensive ncaa experience and the good size for their positions.     I don't think you can say that about any of our recent picks except maybe Jenkins but i'd argue he didn't have an nba skillset but just shooting ability.     But the real test for both of these guys is are they quick enough to defend nba wings.     I do agree with Diesel though that we do have too high expectations as to what these guys will do as rookies.   Still it'd be nice for once to have somebody come in and really show.   We had one of those and he was the third pick.    Too bad he sucks now.

[AHF]

Tons of studs show up their rookie seasons regardless of where they were picked.  I want us to have drafted a Tayshaun Prince type guy who learns for a few months and then is a big difference maker by the time the playoffs role around and a key piece of the rotation for years to come.   I'm hoping we don't see two rookies who need to be sheltered in the D-League all season and can't break through to make an impact until their 2nd or 3rd year.  Let's see more Rodney Hood and less James Young.  We have to draft someone who can be a first year impact guy sometime don't we?

 

 

[Guest]

Coach Bud was on Sirius XM NBA ( I can't find the audio  - can someone post if available, thanks)

 

[Guest]

Has Budz spoken specifically on how he expects to use D8?  They've all kinda talked about putting pressure on the rim as a means of making room for shooters.

My assumption has been we're not going to see D8 shooting JSmoove jumpers, but I'm listening to a D8 interview (as part of NBARadio's ATL preview) and he's talking about expanding his offensive game such that the jumpers are no longer strange to see from him.

He also mentions that our team is sorta built like his successful ORL teams.

Both those statements make me cringe a little.  (a) I don't want to see a lot of jimpers and (2) I don't want us to be like those ORL teams since he's not that player anymore.

There was some of it I did like though.  When asked about GS and Durant, he said he hasn't paid much attention to the Warriors to know all about who's on their team, etc.  Said STTE he'll worry about them if we face them in the Finals.  Sorry, but I like that attitude for some reason.  IOW f*ck them dudes.

Also said the staff and team are holding him accountable in all areas.  Hopefully he recognizes that's one thing Ron Jeremy did that actually helped him.

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, kg01 said:

Has Budz spoken specifically on how he expects to use D8?  They've all kinda talked about putting pressure on the rim as a means of making room for shooters.

My assumption has been we're not going to see D8 shooting JSmoove jumpers, but I'm listening to a D8 interview (as part of NBARadio's ATL preview) and he's talking about expanding his offensive game such that the jumpers are no longer strange to see from him.

He also mentions that our team is sorta built like his successful ORL teams.

Both those statements make me cringe a little.  (a) I don't want to see a lot of jimpers and (2) I don't want us to be like those ORL teams since he's not that player anymore.

There was some of it I did like though.  When asked about GS and Durant, he said he hasn't paid much attention to the Warriors to know all about who's on their team, etc.  Said STTE he'll worry about them if we face them in the Finals.  Sorry, but I like that attitude for some reason.  IOW f*ck them dudes.

Also said the staff and team are holding him accountable in all areas.  Hopefully he recognizes that's one thing Ron Jeremy did that actually helped him.

He did make a 12'-0" bank shot that made me go 'huh'?

 

This is what Bud had to say...

Quote

Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said simply expecting opposing defenses to double-team Howard is a simplistic view. He said he expects to use Howard much as the Magic did early in his career.

“I wouldn’t say expecting as far as double-teams who is going to or who is not going to is part of the Dwight factor or Dwight equation,” Budenholzer said. “I think the way he has been probably been used the best is the way Orlando used him, a lot of pick-and-rolls to a post-up and pick-and-rolls to create spacing and create pressure on the rim, and create angles and places where he can catch it in the post and catch it deep and score quickly and a of more traditional post-ups. Hopefully, you’ll see Dwight get a lot of both. If he scores 40 or 50 and we win then we will be happy. If he scores 40 or 50 and the other team wins, I’m sure that other coach will think they did a great job.

I think we'll still have our ball movement which means Dwight has to be also on the move for quick post ups etc.  I think we'll use aspects of Orlando meshed with what we already do?  It won't be Orlando as in get Dwight the ball and everything happens from there, like you said he is no longer Orlando Dwight.

[macdaddy]

On 9/28/2016 at 8:23 AM, JayBirdHawk said:

Just now, JayBirdHawk said:

He did make a 12'-0" bank shot that made me go 'huh'?

 

This is what Bud had to say...

I think we'll still have our ball movement which means Dwight has to be also on the move for quick post ups etc.  I think we'll use aspects of Orlando meshed with what we already do?  It won't be Orlando as in get Dwight the ball and everything happens from there, like you said he is no longer Orlando Dwight.

 

That bank shot was great.   very duncanesque.   Even had a nice jump hook and still showed some good moves in the post.   I think this move is going to look genius.   He may not be as athletic as in Orlando but he's got a lot of experience and probably plays more under control now.   Being on a team without any elite scorers (especially stat padders), we should see his offensive numbers be pretty huge.