Atlanta Hawks: 5 Observations From Hawks-Spurs

Mar 31, 2015; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) goes to the basket against Detroit Pistons center Joel Anthony (50) during the fourth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Detroit won 105-95. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Thabo Sefolosha is back

Thabo Sefolosha’s leg is healed. The court case is behind him. Now it’s time for basketball. After six months away from the floor, Thabo was back at it last night. He didn’t play much, only 8 minutes, but he looked great. Especially for a guy that was supposed to be shaking off rust.

Sefolosha shot 2-for-4 from the field, scoring 5 points and collecting 3 rebounds. He knocked down a corner three-pointer and played his usual stellar defense. He showed off his uncanny ability to stay in front of ball-handlers and force them where he wants them to go.

That may be Sefolosha’s best attribute as a defender. He forces the driver into areas of the court they don’t want to go. From there they’ll either jack up a bad shot or pass out of the situation they don’t want to be in. It’s something I never noticed from Sefolosha last season, but it’s an impressive skill that most exceptional wing defenders have (paging Kawhi Leonard).

The most important takeaway from Sefolosha’s performance was the fact that he looked healthy. He didn’t seem to be limping or worried about injuring his leg again. The Hawks need 70 to 82 games from him this season to compete for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, so far it looks like he’s on the right track.

Next: Kawhi is Scary