Rating Hawks Players’ Performances vs. Orlando Magic [Game 1]

Atlanta Hawks Players (In alphabetical order):

Hilton Armstrong: Incomplete. Was inactive for the game.

Jason Collins: C+. He got into foul trouble early in the first half (only played 6 minutes in the first half) which caused Dwight Howard to go off for 31 points against Josh Powell, Zaza Pachulia, and Etan Thomas. In the second half, Jason Collins was good. He was playing good post defense and frustrated Dwight Howard at times. He didn’t grab a rebound in his 18 minutes and also fouled out. He played well, just not as well as I thought he would.

Jamal Crawford: B. He played well offensively and provided a spark off the bench. He just made a lot of shots and reminded me of the way he played a season ago, when he was sixth man of the year. Some of the shots were tough looks, but it didn’t matter for Jamal. Everything he seemed to put up (he actually shot 50%), seemed to go in. However, his defense wasn’t that great. When he was asked to guard Jameer Nelson in the third quarter, Jameer went off. Still, if Jamal can give this type of performance offensively, his defensive deficiencies will be (less) ignored.

Kirk Hinrich: A-. He played well offensively and he played well defensively. What more can you ask from him? He only managed to get 3 assists, but I don’t think his role in this offense is to be a playmaker. He’s just asked to run the offense (like Bibby did) and defend the opposing guard. He did both solidly. Hinrich finished with 13 points (6-10), 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in 28 minutes of play.

Al Horford: B+. He hit his jumpshots and Orlando had a tough time guarding him. However, I felt that sometimes he settled for jumpshots. At times, he would have an open lane to the basket but settle for a long two point shot. His defense was good against Anderson and Bass, but when he was asked to guard Dwight, it didn’t look so good. Horford scored 16 points but only grabbed 6 boards.

Joe Johnson: A. Might be too high, but I haven’t seen a game like this from Joe in a long long time. He played the majority of the game and he made an impact whenever he was. He was aggressive early, moving quickly and reacting quickly to the Magic’s defensive scheme. His jumpshots were going in and he even made some tough floaters. Just a good offensive performance by Joe. Joe finished with 25 points (9-16) and 5 assists in 44 minutes of play.

Zaza Pachulia: C+. He didn’t guard Dwight Howard well but he did frustrate him at times, forcing Dwight to even get a technical at one point. He didn’t play much minutes but his presence was felt.

Josh Powell: D-. He just got killed on defense. I’m not going to give him an F because of it because LD asked him to guard Dwight. It’s not Josh Powell’s fault that he was asked to guard Dwight. He would either give a field goal, a dunk, or a foul. Maybe all three in one play. Just not a good game.

Magnum Rolle: Incomplete. Was inactive for the game.

Josh Smith: C+. He was just a mess offensively. He would settle for jumpshots and make bad decisions passing the ball way too often. When he did attack the basket, good results happened. Sure, he had some lucky bounces go his way at times, but it was clear his game should be played in the inside and not the outside. His defense was solid against Turkoglu too.

Pape Sy: Incomplete. Was inactive for the game.

Jeff Teague: C+. He received a DNP, but give him props for not making a scene and complain to LD about playing time. The guy deserves minutes. Simple.

Etan Thomas: D. I thought he would do a lot better when he was asked to guard Dwight. He let Dwight get the ball deep in the post and Dwight would either score easily or get fouled. Etan was just a helpless man on defense. Hopefully he has a better outing next game.

Damien Wilkins: I’ll give him a C. He received a DNP from coach, but you get a C for not affecting the game.

Marvin Williams: C. I don’t even remember him, but yet he played 17 minutes. Marvin is good at being non existent. That being said, since I don’t remember him hurting or helping the team, I’ll give him a C.

The whole team as a whole: I’ll give the a B+. They let Dwight and Jameer go off in the game, but they still won the game. Winning Game 1 was crucial and puts a lot of pressure on Orlando to win Game 2. Good job Hawks!