Zach Lowe of Grantland: “The Hawks, even at full strength, always seem to be at least one player away from being truly dangerous. They’re glorious to watch, a whir of precise ball movement and killer shooting, but ultimately nonthreatening against the league’s very best teams. They’ve been especially thin at the wing since Mike Budenholzer took over as coach two years ago. It hasn’t been a fatal weakness. Kyle Korver is fire incarnate, shooting an absurd 57 percent from deep so far this season, and DeMarre Carroll has scrapped along on both ends in a role that is probably too big for him. Kent Bazemore and Thabo Sefolosha haven’t moved the needle yet, and Lou Williams, cast away for nothing1 because he didn’t really fit Budenholzer’s style, is now a Sixth Man of the Year candidate for the Drakes.”
Buddy Gizzard of Hawks Hoop: “The Atlanta Hawks remain difficult to draw conclusions about in the early part of the season. Entering Saturday ranked 25th in defensive efficiency and giving up a bloated 106.6 points per 100 possessions (the Hawks currently rank 21st), and playing a fourth game in five nights, the Hawks were stellar defensively for the second night in a row. After holding the Pelicans to 28 first-half points Friday, the Hawks’ best defensive first half of the season, the team repeated the feat against the Hornets. Much was made (by me) about the Hawks’ playoff defensive performance against the Pacers. After ranking a mediocre 14th in defensive efficiency for the 2013-14 regular season, the Hawks held the Pacers to 101.6 points per 100 posessions and ranked third among 16 playoff teams. Some chalked up the Pacers’ poor offensive showing to internal strife, a theory that is looking good after the Hornets’ implosion since acquiring Lance Stephenson.”
Chris Vivlamore of the AJC: “Hawks rookie Adreian Payne put up another double-double in an NBA Development League game Thursday night. Playing on assignment with Fort Wayne, Payne finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds in a 110-106 loss at Maine. The center started and played 31 minutes. He was 6 of 11 from the field and made all eight free-throw attempts. John Jenkins finished with 17 points. The Hawks 2012 first-round pick came off the bench and played 24 minutes. The shooting guard was 6 of 8 from the field, including 1 of 1 from the 3-point range. He added six rebounds.”
