Atlanta Hawks 2016-2017 Season Review: Ersan Ilyasova
The Bad
There weren’t many things that Ilyasova did poorly with the Hawks.
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The most noticeable thing was his 41.2 percent field-goal percentage with the team. He shot a decent percentage from downtown but was not overly efficient from an overall shooting standpoint. That figure is three percentage points below his career average and with better looks, will likely shoot better than that from the field.
The other critique is that while he is a solid defender, Ilyasova is vulnerable to athletic forwards. He was not nearly as effective in the playoffs and that was a direct result of his trouble with players like Markieff Morris and his ability to guard the pick-and-roll. Ilyasova is a very sound player but making up for large gaps in athleticism is very tough to do.
Ilyasova was exactly what the Hawks expected and wanted from him. He is a rock solid NBA power forward and played his role very well. It is hard to find things to shame him for. His restrictions are those that his body provides. But it is still reasonable to hope for some better shot selection and efficiency moving forward.