Atlanta Hawks Should Seek Front-Court Size This Summer
With Wednesday night’s Game Four trouncing at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers behind them, the Eastern Conference’s top-seeded Atlanta Hawks find themselves hanging up their jerseys sooner than many wanted.
While many — if not most — expected Atlanta’s season to end in this series, the unceremonious trampling they suffered at Cleveland’s hands was not widely foreseen.
This series painted a clear picture of the many shortcomings the Hawks simply could not overcome, both against Cleveland and throughout the postseason.
One recurring theme was the front-court’s inability to adequately and consistently combat big and physical fours and fives. While Al Horford and Paul Millsap form what is, in my mind, the most versatile front-court in the NBA, the Hawks could use some additional rebounding and shot-blocking off of the bench.
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If the Hawks really wanted to make a splash, they could renounce Millsap’s bird rights, let Pero Antic walk and pursue a max-level big such as DeAndre Jordan, Marc Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge. A move like this might not be entirely popular, as letting Millsap get away would present a huge risk for the organization: if no one comes, what then?
This high-risk, high-reward scenario seems unlikely to come to fruition at best but should be considered nonetheless.
Jordan would provide an exceptionally high dose of exactly what the Hawks need. A truly dominant rebounder and elite low-block defender, Jordan would provide a much-needed imposing presence for the Hawks. Allowing Al Horford to move to the Power Forward spot could also be of benefit, although an uptick in inside presence and a downgrade on the perimeter of this magnitude would require some serious readjustment on the offensive side of the ball for Mike Budenholzer.
Be careful what you ask for. If you let Paul Millsap leave, there is no guarantee you will get a Superstar
While the offense would undoubtedly take a hit, the defensive potential of a Horford-Jordan pairing would be too high to ignore, as both Horford and Jordan are skilled shot-blockers, plus Horford’s footwork and versatility allows him the ability to close out on faster stretch-fours, as well as body-up more traditional bigs, as he’sd been doing for most of his career.
Gasol would provide a similar presence on the low-block, without taking away from the mid-ranged touch of the Atlanta front-court as much. Paul Millsap is unquestionably a better shooter, though Gasol can shoot from inside the arc with surprising skill.
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Aldridge wouldn’t help tremendously in the rim-protection department, though he would bring a similar skill-set to that of Millsap. Whether or not Horford and Aldridge can coexist would certainly be a concern, but the offensive prowess and potentially dominant rebounding of such a pairing would give Atlanta’s front-office something to think about should Aldridge emerge as a possibility this summer.
Atlanta has a slim-to-none chance at all of the aforementioned. Additionally, the franchise seems intent on re-signing Millsap, as well as retaining DeMarre Carroll. Moreover, a revamp of the front-court is, in no way, necessary. A simple re-tool of the variety of the big-man depth with do just fine.
Some say that a Millsap and Horford front-court is too small and can’t sustain in the playoffs, though I don’t subscribe to that notion, and I don’t think the Hawks’ management does either, meaning a back-up big that can change the look of the floor defensively, while not disrupting the finely tuned engine that is Atlanta’s offense.
Rather, look to guys like Bismack Biyombo, Ed Davis, Kosta Koufos, or Brandan Wright. The Hawks have trended towards offensive-minded bigs in recent years, but a true bruiser down-low might go a long way. The Hawks’ front-court lacks in diversity at the moment. Behind Millsap and Horford sits Mike Scott and Mike Muscala.
Muscala’s potential as a defender seems to be that of Horford: very mobile defender, smart on the pick-and-roll, and a solid shot-blocker. His potential on the boards seems to be similar to Millsap and Horford as well: good but not that good. Another thing to consider is the fact that Muscala’s shot has improved leaps and bounds, drawing him away from more potential offensive rebounds and he steps further out for his shot.
With all of this in mind, pairing either Muscala or Scott with a true defensive-minded big who will move the ball within the system and score off of opportunity could make for a very scary bench next season.