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Atlanta Hawks 2016-17 Season Review: Thabo Sefolosha

By Andrew Snyder

Mar 16, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) defends Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 16, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen (9) defends Atlanta Hawks forward Thabo Sefolosha (25) in the second quarter at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 11, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) passes in the second quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports /

The Good

Sefolosha is rarely going to wow anyone with his offensive ability. He’s capable on that end, but he’s not really a true scorer. Sefolosha finished the season averaging 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game on 44.1 percent shooting and 34.2 percent from three-point range.

It was the highest scoring total and the best three-point percentage of his Hawks career. He also shot 35.1 percent on corner three-pointers, knocking down open looks when Atlanta’s stagnant offense actually produced then.

When Sefolosha is shooting around league average from three-point range he becomes much more dangerous. That balancing act has defined his career. Is his defense good enough to offset his offensive deficiencies? Can he become enough of an offensive threat to play regularly in crunch-time?

Of course, as I’ve stated, Sefolosha’s defense is tremendous. His defense was better than ever in 2016-17, helping the Hawks post the fourth best defensive rating in the NBA.

Sefolosha averaged 1.5 steals per game, his highest total since a 23 game stretch with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2008-2009. His defensive real plus/minus was plus-2.26 this season, ranking seventh best in the league for small forwards.

He posted a defensive rating of 103 this season and compiled 2.7 defensive win shares. His defensive win shares total was fourth most on the Hawks, despite the fact that Sefolosha played seven fewer games than anyone in the top three.

It would be fair to say that Sefolosha is largely a one dimensional player, but that one dimension can be extremely valuable.

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