Breaking Down Atlanta Hawks' Small Forward Position for 2014-15 Season
The Atlanta Hawks whiffed on several big-name small forwards in free agency this summer but still find themselves with solid depth at the position heading into the 2014-15 season.
First of all, incumbent starter DeMarre Carroll is back. Free-agent signees Thabo Sefolosha and Kent Bazemore will give Atlanta more talent at the position, and returning starting shooting guard Kyle Korver can play spot minutes there as well.
So how should the rotation shake out in the upcoming season? What sort of impact will the free agents make? We'll look at these questions and also propose a minute total for each player in the rotation.
But first, let's examine how the Hawks' small forwards performed last year.
Grading the Hawks' Small Forwards in 2013-14
The best way to gauge performance of a position for a team is to simply look at how much it produced compared to its counterpart.
Hawks small forwards put up very similar stats compared to opposing small forwards in 2013-14, as you can see below:
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers | eFG% | PER | |
| Hawks | 16.8 | 7.5 | 3.0 | 1.7 | .549 | 13.9 |
| Opponents | 19.4 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 2.7 | .517 | 14.0 |
None of Atlanta's players at the 3 position put up big stats last year. However, those same players didn't allow big numbers from their counterparts, either.
Carroll was the ringleader of the small forward rotation as the starter last season. The "Junkyard Dog" had a breakout year, starting in all 73 games he played and becoming a serviceable two-way player. He ended the season with 11.1 points and 5.5 rebounds in 32.1 minutes of playing time per game as well as a reputation as a very solid wing defender.
If you haven't heard the 28-year-old Carroll's inspiring story, do yourself a favor and read this article by Bleacher Report's Jared Zwerling.
Korver, who started at shooting guard, actually played the second-most minutes at the 3 position last season, garnering 30 percent of the available minutes there according to 82games.com. Korver wasn't a defensive stopper, but he stretched the floor with his sensational shooting.
After Carroll and Korver, Cartier Martin and Mike Scott played the most minutes at small forward.
Martin had two separate stints with the Hawks last season which sandwiched a 12-game stop in Chicago with the Bulls. Despite the inconsistency in playing time, he still logged 25 percent of Atlanta's minutes at small forward, according to 82games.com. Martin was mediocre overall but provided nice spot-up shooting, with a 38.4 percent success rate from behind the arc.
Scott was mostly a stretch 4 for Atlanta last season but still got four percent of the team's minutes at the 3, per 82games.com, mostly thanks to his three-point shooting ability. That is one part of his game that is fit for the small forward position, as his Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers showed (highlights below).
Hawks small forwards didn't do anything special last year, but they held their own.
Grade: C
How Did the Offseason Change the Small Forward Rotation?
The crop of small forwards in free agency was elite this summer, and the Hawks had tons of cap space, as Peachtree Hoops noted.
There was LeBron James. There was Carmelo Anthony. There was Chandler Parsons. And if those guys weren't enough, Luol Deng, Paul Pierce and Trevor Ariza were all available as upper-level starters.
Unfortunately, Atlanta signed none of them.
The team was close to acquiring Deng, who recently forgave Hawks general manager Danny Ferry for his racist comments, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson (h/t All U Can Heat's Wes Goldberg). But "close" doesn't get the Hawks anywhere.
The Hawks did manage to sign Sefolosha and Bazemore with their cap room. Both players were listed as shooting guards last season, but that could change, especially with respect to Sefolosha.
Martin was the only player from last year's small forward rotation who will not be on the team in 2014-15. The Detroit Pistons signed the free-agent forward in August.
What Will the Small Forward Rotation Look Like in 2014-15?
Should Carroll or Sefolosha start for the Hawks at small forward this season?
There's no clear answer, and according to Mike Budenholzer in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore, that decision may not be set in stone yet:
"I think our rotation on the wing is still to be determined in how we use [Sefolosha and Bazemore], including John [Jenkins]. That is what camp is for and the preseason. I think that everybody felt how important DeMarre was to us last year, especially that defensive mentality, makeup, energy and effort. So to have a couple of guys who have established themselves in the league with similar mindsets and similar makeups, I think we have a lot more depth in that way.
"
I believe Carroll will emerge as the favorite for the starting small forward position thanks to his familiarity with the Hawks and an outside shot that is superior to Sefolosha's.
But the 30-year-old Sefolosha will still get a lot of burn at the 3.
A five-year starter at shooting guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Sefolosha's tight defense and experience will be invaluable for the Hawks. And although he's used to playing 2-guard, his game is better suited to spelling Carroll at the 3 than it is to Korver at the 2.
Sefolosha also defended small forwards better than shooting guards last season. And in case you didn't know, defense is the reason the Hawks signed him:
| Points | Rebounds | Assists | Turnovers | eFG% | PER | |
| SG | 20.6 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 2.6 | 50.3 | 15.0 |
| SF | 18.1 | 6.0 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 46.7 | 10.7 |
Notice how Sefolosha kept opposing small forwards from making lots of plays for teammates (just 2.4 assists per 48 minutes) and from scoring efficiently (.467 effective field-goal percentage).
With Carroll and Sefolosha both getting significant minutes, Atlanta will only have a few minutes available at small forward.
Like last year, Scott will take some of those. Bazemore, who has played mainly shooting guard, may shift to small forward in certain lineups. Even Jenkins, also a natural shooting guard, may nab some playing time at the 3.
But it'll be mainly Carroll and Sefolosha holding down the small forward position for the Hawks.
Conclusion
The Hawks won't have a Dominique Wilkins-type player walking through the door of their practice facility to play small forward for them anytime soon.
But that shouldn't be the end of the world for the Hawks fans.
Atlanta has more-than-capable role players at the small forward position who won't mess with the on-court chemistry of the team. With steady contributions from Carroll, Sefolosha and Korver supporting the team's stars, the Hawks are looking good for the future.
Playing-Time Predictions
DeMarre Carroll: 30 minutes per game (25 at small forward)
Thabo Sefolosha: 24 minutes (18 at SF)
Kyle Korver: 31 minutes (7 at SF)
Kent Bazemore: 22 minutes (3 at SF)
Mike Scott: 18 minutes (1 at SF)
John Jenkins: 12 minutes (1 at SF)
Note: All stats used are from Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise indicated.
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