The early reviews are mixed.
The Hawks have used training camp and exhibition games to experiment with a “big” lineup with Tiago Splitter at center, Al Horford at power forward and Paul Millsap at small forward. The oversized frontcourt debuted early in Friday’s exhibition against the Pelicans.
Most agree it’s a work in progress.
“It’s something we are going to give a look and see if we can get comfortable with,” Budenholzer said Monday. “Obviously, we have a lot of good big guys. We are trying to figure out a way to play them together.”
But did that particular grouping play OK?
“Probably OK would be as far as we would go,” Budenholzer said. “Anything takes time to get used to.”
Depending on matchups, Splitter (6-foot-11), Horford (6-10) and Millsap (6-8) could be a formidable group especially as the Hawks have put an emphasis on being a better rebounding team this season. Last season, the Hawks were 28th in the NBA in rebounds with an average of 40.6 per game. Only the Knicks (40.4) and Heat (39.1) were worse.
“It’s different,” Horford said of the lineup. “It’s going to take us a little time to get used to playing like that at times. We felt good. We feel like we are a little better rebounding team that way. It’s a good look to go with every now and then. This is our time to work on different lineups. I feel like coach is going to play around with it.”
The Hawks have averaged 47 rebounds in their two exhibition games, both wins. They grabbed 46, including nine offensive, against the Cavaliers. They had 48 rebounds, including five offensive, against the Pelicans.
“We are still working on it,” Splitter said. “It’s still early. With that lineup, we are very powerful to grab rebounds, to guard, to play in the post.”
Splitter figures to have an immediate impact on the Hawks’ rebounding statistics in his first season in Atlanta. He is comfortable with the Hawks’ system which are nearly the same as he ran in his five seasons with the Spurs. He plays a more traditional center position and won’t space the floor as Pero Antic has the past two seasons. Splitter called rebounding “more of a mindset than a skill” and something that a player should be aware of at all times.
The Hawks’ next game to work on rebounding will come Wednesday against Splitter’s old Spur teammates. It may also be another chance for the three big men to play together.
Splitter appeared in 52 games for the Spurs last season after battling a calf injury. He averaged 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.8 minutes. He scored a season-high 23 points in a game against his new Hawks teammates on March 22 in Atlanta. He had a career-high tying 14 rebounds against the Suns.
“He is very easy to play with,” Horford said of Splitter. “I feel like he understands the game well. It’s just playing off each other. I feel you keep learning how to play with someone even if you’ve been playing with them for a couple years. Like Paul, I’m still figuring out ways we can be better playing together.”
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