Posted 12/03 at 9:26 AM
The Grizzlies will look to erase the memory of their loss to the Thunder on Saturday in Atlanta tonight.
Instead of giving you my take on the Grizzlies-Hawks matchup for the five things to watch, I went straight to Hawks aficionado, Micah Hart, who writes for the Atlanta website to ask him a couple of questions about the current state of the Hawks.
Here’s what he had to say.
Tumbles Rumbles: The Hawks were the talk of the league with their 6-0 start but have come back to earth and are now at 10-6… when Josh Smith comes back and the team is at full strength do you think this team has the capability of securing home court advantage for the playoffs?
Micah Hart: Absolutely. The biggest key to the team’s hot start was their defensive intensity, and part of that effort was the work Josh Smith did around the basket protecting the rim. There is no doubt this team is talented enough to challenge for a division title and home playoff series, but they will have to get back to that level of defensive commitment if they want to achieve those goals.
TR: Joe Johnson is possibly having his best all-around season as a pro and is already a two-time All-Star. He is obviously a star, but does he have the skills to be a superstar and be the guy that leads a team to a championship?
MH: It continues to amaze me how underrated Joe Johnson is outside of the league compared to his stature within it. He is the focus of the opposition’s defensive game plan every night, and yet he continues to put up numbers across the board that help this team win. If you saw his performance in the series against Boston in last year’s playoffs, I’d say any questions about his ability to carry the team on his back were answered.
TR: Its rumored that Josh Smith’s problems with the Hawks organization led to his signing an offer sheet with the Grizzlies this offseason, only to eventually re-up with the Hawks, solidifying himself as part of the core of Atlanta’s future. Was there any truth to those rumors, and if so, has Smith truly moved past all of his issues with the team?
MH: The rumors of Josh’s issues with the Hawks were greatly exaggerated. The whole game of free agency in the NBA is all about leverage, and there are always rumors flying to try to force someone’s hand one way or another. Josh is from Atlanta, and wanted nothing more than to stay here all along. Still, he knows it’s a business, and he knew to get the maximum value for himself he had to go out there and find some other offers. From the Hawks perspective, it made no sense for them to bid against themselves. Once Memphis made Josh an offer (and an incredibly palatable one at that), the Hawks pretty much matched before his signature was dry on the offer-sheet. Either way, all of that is in the past, and seems a distant memory now especially with the team playing as well as it has.
TR: One of the biggest enigmas in the NBA right now is Marvin Williams. He has shown flashes of brilliance that warrants his selection with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, but his numbers have not dispelled the complaints about him being selected ahead of both Deron Williams and Chris Paul. Now in his fourth NBA season, will Williams ever make the jump to an All-Star level, and if so, when?
MH: Marvin has started out playing the best basketball of his career so far this season. The addition of a three-point shot to his offensive arsenal has made him a much more dangerous player, as he is accurate enough to make perimeter jumpers but also quick enough to get to the basket if a defender rushes out at him. He’s been a huge reason the Hawks have been able to withstand the loss of Josh Smith for so long. While he may never play at the level of Chris Paul or Deron Williams, he is certainly showing that his ceiling is still very high and that he continues to improve every year. If he keeps growing at the rate he has, I don’t think an All-Star team is out of reach in his future. Forget about where he was drafted for a second, and then remember that Marvin averaged 14.8 ppg last year as a 21-year old, and you realize he is still progressing quite nicely as a player.
TR: A lot was made of Josh Childress’s departure to play overseas in the offseason. Has his absence affected the team in anyway, and if so, how?
MH: Amazingly, it really hasn’t. With the way the season started, and the level of play we’ve seen so far from both Maurice Evans and Flip Murray (who, it should be noted, signed for less money combined than Childress would have made), it’s been easy to forget the contributions he made in the past. That’s no knock on Chills; I’d still very much like for him to be in a Hawks uniform. But the rumors of the franchise’ demise in his absence have been greatly exaggerated.
Posted 12/03 at 9:26 AM
NBA.COM is part of the Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital Network.
Advertise on NBA.com | Career Opportunities | Help
