Jeff Siegel of Hawks Hoop:“The Hawks sent 2014 first-round big man Adreian Payne to the D-League on Thursday. Payne will play with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants this weekend in their two games against the Erie BayHawks. Payne was drafted 15th overall but has yet to play for Atlanta this year, due to injury and the depth the Hawks have at forward and center. He was inactive for the first five games of the season due to plantar fasciitis, an injury that also plagued him at Michigan State. Once healthy, he couldn’t crack the rotation at forward or center, so the D-League should give him the opportunity to test his skills against top competition and prove that his plantar fasciitis has healed.”
Brad Rowland of Peachtree Hoops:“It is always entertaining when Josh Smith and the Detroit Pistons invade Philips Arena. However, the focus is (or rather, should be) more on the Atlanta Hawks in this one, as the team aims to improve its woeful defense from the recent past while looking to halt a two-game losing streak. Atlanta ran into a buzzsaw during Saturday night’s loss on a back-to-back in Cleveland, but the defense was atrocious on Tuesday in an explicable loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at home, and that is the backdrop here. The Hawks have allowed 241 total points in the last eight quarters, and in addition to that, the Cavs (130.0 points per 100) and Lakers (120.4 points per 100) carved things up on that end of the floor. Fortunately, the visiting Pistons are far less of a threat, and it could be time to “get healthy” on defense.”
Mark Medina of Inside SoCal: “ATLANTA — He often stayed up way past his bedtime watching Lakers star Kobe Brant put on a show. Kent Bazemore would then drift off to sleep dreaming someday he would wear the purple and gold uniform while playing alongside his favorite idol. But all those years later, Bazemore discovered that nostalgia would not become as strong as other factors determining his NBA future. So as he mulled his free agency options this summer, Bazemore decided to sign with the Atlanta Hawks instead. The thought process strictly involved dollars and sense, his two-year guaranteed deal worth $6 million marking the first time in four NBA seasons he would have relative stability. Before, Bazemore had journeyman roles with the Golden State Warriors (2012-14) and Lakers (2014) without much security.”
