The Atlanta Hawks are not finished filling out their roster for the 2013-2014 NBA season. There is still work to be done, but Hawks fans are starting to see a clearer picture of what their team will look like when training camp opens in October.
This is the first of two posts that will take a look at the free-agents the Hawks have signed this off-season. I’ll tell a bit about each player, try to predict the role each player will fill in the upcoming season, and give you my take on the signing.
Leading off are DeMarre Carroll and Paul Millsap. These are two players who are coming over to Atlanta from the Utah Jazz and two players I think Hawks fans will grow to love.
Demarre Carroll, SF
Whenever Demarre Carroll’s basketball career ends, he will likely have to undergo a liver transplant. Demarre transferred to the University of Missouri in 2006, after a terrific sophomore season at Vanderbilt. Upon arriving at Missouri, Demarre developed a rash on both of his legs. The rash would not go away. Demarree went to see a doctor, assuming he was just allergic to something. Instead, he learned that he was suffering from a rare liver disease. Carroll kept his situation quiet throughout the remainder of his college career. But, when he entered the NBA Draft in 2009, news of his condition leaked. The story was so unique that the New York Times published an Associated Press piece on Demarre’s liver disease, while Demarre was going through pre-draft workouts (link here)
Doctors do not think Demarre’s liver disease will ever impact his basketball career. Nonetheless, Demarre has been forced to show persistence since being drafted 27th by the Memphis Grizzles in the 2009 NBA Draft. According to information obtained from Demarre’s Wikipedia page, in December of his 2nd season with the Grizzles, Demarre was sent to the D-league and was called up roughly a month later. He was then traded to Houston and promptly waived at the end of the season. Carroll next had a short stint with the Denver Nuggets, but was let go only four games into the strike shortened 2011-2012 season. In February of that season, Demaree signed with the Utah Jazz and found a role that would last for a season and a half. Now, he finds himself in Atlanta.
Demarre was given the nickname “Junk Yard Dog” during his playing days at the University of Missouri, as a tribute to his tenacious style of play. The name has stuck. Though not much of an offensive threat, Demarre Carroll will defend and play hard. Last season, coming off the Utah Jazz bench, Demarre was often asked to defend the opponent’s best player.
Demarre Carroll will probably be asked to play a slightly more expanded role than the one he played with the Jazz. As a bench player, Demarre averaged 16.8 minutes a game. Odds are, based on the current Hawks roster, he will receive more floor time this season. Look for the Hawks to count on Demarre Carroll being a defensive presence.
My Take: I love this signing. Demarre Carroll has been given nothing in this league and finally has a chance to assume a regular role with the Hawks. He will rise to the challenge. He will have a great shot, due to his dreadlock look and high energy play, of being a fan favorite at the Highlight Factory this season. Also, if Demarre improves his shooting, we may look back on him as being a surprise steal of this offseason.
Paul Millsap, PF
The Hawks have garnered plenty of national praise for signing Paul Millsap. Not only is Millsap a quality player, but the Hawks signed the savvy power forward to a very affordable contract: $19-million over the 2-years. Entering this offseason, many assumed Millsap would command more money and more guaranteed years from any team looking to acquire his services. ESPN’s Bill Simmons, in a recent podcast, even wondered aloud ”how did the Hawks brainwash Paul Millsap into 2-years, $19-million?!”.
Hawks GM Danny Ferry said during the press conference announcing the signing of Millsap, that the he contacted the 7-year NBA veteran as soon as he possibly could. “We contacted him at 12:01AM, ” Ferry explained, referring to July 1st when teams are first allowed to contact free agents. Millsap will step right into a starting role with the Hawks. Ferry said that the Hawks are looking forward to Millsap’s toughness and night-in, night-out effort.
Many Hawks followers question how Millsap will fit in with star Al Horford. Both players are of similar builds (Millsap: 6’8″, 253 lbs.; Horford: 6’10″, 250 lbs.) and play the same type of game. Millsap and Horford are each natural power forwards who have a post presence and have consistent range from 15-20 feet outside the basket. Entering this offseason, most Hawks observers/fans were hoping the Hawks would sign a starting center, allowing Horford to slide over to his more comfortable 4-spot. This will not happen with the addition of Paul Millsap.
Bleacher Report columnist Michael Brunagin wrote an outstanding piece, detailing how the Hawks will likely operate with both Horford and Millsap on the floor. Brunagin points out that Horford scores at an extremely high rate around the basket, converting 72.6% of his shots around the rim. In contrast, Millsap converted only 37.5% of his shots from 3-9 feet outside the basket. Millsap, however, improves his shooting percentages as he drifts further from the basket, shooting 47.7% from 10-15 feet and converting an impressive 52.4% from the corners. Also, keep in mind that Millsap has the corner 3-point shot in his offensive arsenal as well. According to Brunagin’s column, Millsap shot 60% from the 3-point corner.
The Danny Ferry/Mike Budenholzer era with the Hawks will rely on analytics, attempting to put players in positions where they are most efficient. With that in mind, expect Horford to continue to get a high volume of his shots near the basket, while Millsap is featured more on the perimeter. Both players, however, will depend on Hawks PG’s Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder to distribute the ball in places each player is effective.
My Take: I know there are many Hawks fans who see the addition of Paul Millsap as a huge drop off from former Hawk/current Piston Josh Smith. It isn’t. In fact, I believe Hawks fans will enjoy Paul Millsap much more than they realize. If you’ve seen Millsap play, you know he plays with great intensity and will give a solid, smart effort each night. Can Hawks fans honestly say the same about Josh Smith? Not if they’ve attended as many Hawks games as I have the past nine seasons.
I expect Millsap and Al Horford to quickly gel together. Both are simply too intelligent for the process to take long. Hawk fans should be celebrating that Paul Millsap is a member of their favorite team.
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