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| Jeff Teague with the ball. Photo Credit: Keith Allison |
The Atlanta Hawks are a fabulous ball club. They play as a team, can quickly make something out of nothing on offense and the Atlanta Hawks are deep. Atlanta Hawks basketball (and the whole organization) is modeled after that of the San Antonio Spurs. No wonder it’s so successful.
Playing as a cohesive unit is one of the more underrated aspects in basketball. The Atlanta Hawks not only look to set up teammates, they yearn to put the ball in exactly the right spot. When Kyle Korver comes off of away from the ball screens, guys like Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap put the ball right in Korver’s shooting pocket.
If Kent Bazemore is cutting to the basket, most of the time an Atlanta Hawk will throw a bounce pass that’s right on the money. The whole Atlanta Hawks squad is full of guys who are unselfish and proud of it. As a unit they understand it puts them closer to their goal (of winning a title) if they move the ball around.
Occasionally the Atlanta Hawks offense becomes stagnant. Luckily, the Atlanta Hawks have two starting level point guards at their disposal who are as quick as greyhounds. Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder can make plays swiftly when the Hawks are deep in the shot clock. Time and time again this was on display in the Hawks 98-92 win over Miami.
Teague and Schroder not only set the pace for the Hawks offense, they drive, suck in the defense and create easy opportunities for their teammates (even without a ton of time on the shot clock). Having Schroder come off the bench when he could start elsewhere puts the Atlanta Hawks on a different level.
The Atlanta Hawks sparkle greater than most of the NBA’s stars. So long as they continue to play together, hit jumpers and stay healthy they’ll go far. How far? That’s tough to say this early, but to say the Atlanta Hawks are good is an understatement.