DEL.ICIO.USA closer look at Hawks’ depth chart at guard spot
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
For all the comings and goings of a typical NBA offseason, it’s only when training camp begins that a team can actually take stock of itself.
Plenty of summer transactions look good, or bad, on paper.
Joey Ivansco/ jivansco@ajc.com
Mike Bibby (left) and Joe Johnson form a very good Hawks guard trandem.
Since the Hawks don’t start their official training until the end of September, all we have to work with now is what they look like on paper.
And the glaring question remains, are they better now than they were the night they walked off floor in Boston after their Game 7 loss to the Celtics in a first round playoff series?
A closer look at the Hawks’ depth chart in the backcourt heading into training camp, which begins at the end of next month. Next week, we will examine the frontcourt.
POINT GUARD
• The starter: Mike Bibby, 6-1, 190
• 2008-09 outlook: He is the incumbent at the position. The 11-year veteran was the difference between the Hawks making the playoffs and not falling completely apart during the second half of the season. He provided the veteran stewardship on the floor that Hawks coach Mike Woodson craved before the trade that brought Bibby to town. For all the work he did late in the season, nothing can erase the memory of Bibby’s playoff struggles (shot 34 percent from the floor and 29 percent from the 3-point line and was outplayed by Rajon Rondo) against the Celtics. Expect him to play with an edge this season (his last under contract).
• The backup: Acie Law IV, 6-3, 195
• 2008-09 outlook: The Hawks are counting on Law to push Bibby for minutes. And that would be a welcome development after his rookie season got lost in the shuffle as the Hawks were desperate to make the playoffs. A strong showing in summer league play has to translate to the floor this season.
• The wild card: Speedy Claxton, 6-1, 170
• 2008-09 outlook: Only Claxton knows how his left knee will hold up under the pressure of the NBA grind. After playing just 42 games the last two years, he’s in a now-or-never predicament with others eager to snatch his spot.
• The verdict: Better. There’s more depth and Bibby is healthy.
SHOOTING GUARD
• The starter: Joe Johnson, 6-7, 235
• 2008-09 outlook: Few doubt the Hawks made the right move three years ago when they pursued Johnson, who has rewarded the franchise with back-to-back All-Star appearances and the first postseason appearance in nine years. He was at his best during the playoff series against Boston, when most of his teammates ebbed and flowed but Johnson was steady. And he flourished before playing with a point guard of Bibby’s caliber. With most of his supporting cast still intact and a year wiser, Johnson’s poised to move higher the league’s upper echelon of wing players.
• The backup: Mo Evans, 6-5, 200
• 2008-09 outlook: Evans joins the Hawks as the primary replacement for Josh Childress, who will spend this season playing for Greek power Olympiakos. He will be the backup at shooting guard and at small forward in certain situations. A tenacious perimeter defender and solid outside shooter, Evans will spell Johnson on both ends of the floor when need be but can also play alongside him in most situations.
• The wild card(s): Flip Murray, 6-3, 195; Thomas Gardner, 6-5, 220; Jeremy Richardson, 6-7, 195
• 2008-09 outlook: Murray is the only one of the three guaranteed to be on the roster. A six-year veteran with a proven ability to score in bunches, he could also see time at point guard. Gardner and Richardson will fight for roster spots.
• The verdict: Same. Evans and Murray should more than make up for the loss of Childress, but there’s no guarantee.
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