SAN FRANCISCO -- At the end of the of a recent Hawks practice, a group of giddy players engaged in a game that was part tip drill, part shooting contest and all laughs.
Coach Larry Drew surveyed the scene, smiled and shook his head
"You ever see that ‘Twilight Zone’ episode, ‘Kick the Can?’” Drew asked reporters. “That’s what this is right here.”
That classic episode of the science fiction TV show involved nursing home residents who become young again by playing the child's game. Drew's point: The Hawks are like a group of big kids.
And Mike Bibby, who was traded to Washington on Wednesday, might have been the biggest kid of them all. If there was one dominant personality in Atlanta's locker room it was probably Bibby's goofiness.
Bibby was the ringleader for that hybrid shooting game. He was the organizer and (often disputed) vote counter for team awards like "Hater of the Year." For weeks Bibby had implored media to do a story on teammate Mo Evans' efforts to grow out his hair.
Bibby was the source of a lot of the laughter in the locker room. Now he's gone to Washington along with Mo Evans and Jordan Crawford in a trade for Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong.
Hinrich will replace Bibby as the starting point guard, but chances are Bibby's absence will alter the team's chemistry.
“This is one of the loosest teams you will find,” Hawks center Al Horford said before the trade. “I think sometimes that can be a good thing for us and sometimes that can be a bad thing.”
It's been good when it comes to the personal relationships and levity that can make it easier to deal with a long season in a tough league. Bibby's silliness helped with that.
It's been bad when it's time for the Hawks to get down to business. The Hawks hope the addition of Hinrich will help with that.
The perception of Hinrich, 30, is that of a serious-minded pro.
"All the intangible you are looking for he brings to the table," Drew said. "He's real tough. He's real heady. He's the kind of player that every coach likes. He plays hard. He can really defend and make shots. It will be a perfect fit for us."
Hinrich and forward Hilton Armstrong, who also was part of the trade, met the Hawks in San Francisco on Thursday night. They were expected to be available when Atlanta plays Golden State on Friday night.
Team chemistry is more than how well teammates get along. It's also about how they mesh on the court, and Bibby's shortcomings as a defender contributed at times to his teammates' frustrations.
With Bibby laboring to slow dribble penetration, his teammates were forced to scramble to help, leading to breakdowns and sagging body language.
"Our guards have got to do a better job of that,” Horford said before the trade. “Obviously we have to be there on the help side, but we need to have that presence to try and keep the ball out of the paint as much as we can.”
Hinrich is expected to shore up that weakness. But there was a sense of personal loss in Atlanta's locker room when the team learned of the trade just before playing the Suns on Wednesday night.
"We let three good guys go who I had become really good friends with," Hawks guard Joe Johnson said. "But at the same time we understand the business aspect and this is the profession we chose knowing that trades happen. You have to deal with it."
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