Now, it’s the rims that are starting to pay a price.
The Hawks’ combination of speedy point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroder and the versatile center Al Horford are wreaking havoc on basketball goals around the NBA with more regularity this season. The alley-oop dunk — the punctuation of a guard to center lob pass — has become another offensive weapon.
Opponents are wary of the ability of Teague and Schroder to drive into the paint. When Horford steps up to screen, he can either pick-and-pop for yet another mid-range jumper or pick-and-roll for a drive to the basket. If a defender lapses, a crowd-pleaser will result.
“We put a lot of pressure on the rim, me and Dennis,” Teague said. “(The defense) steps up. It’s up to Al if he wants to pick-and-pop or pick-and-roll. A lot of times, he picks-and-pops and makes them pay. Occasionally he mixes in that roll and it’s a highlight dunk.”
According to Elias Sports Bureau, Schroder and Horford have connected on 14 alley-oop dunks this season, including one in Thursday’s 116-98 win over the Nuggets on Thursday. Teague and Horford have connect on the jam 11 times.
Teague has played with Horford his entire seven-year career. He called his chemistry between the two a “feel” as he knows where the big man will be. Schroder has played with Horford his entire three-year career. He marvels at Horford’s ability to catch and deliver.
“He reads it well,” Schroder said. “I tell him just roll hard, and I’ll find you when you are open. He does a great job of catching them, too. They are hard ones when everybody is contesting him. He’s still catching it. He’s tremendous catching the ball, especially on the lobs.”
Horford knows he is the beneficiary of the guards and the disadvantages they create for opposing defenses. They present dilemmas. Do they play straight up? Can the big man on Horford afford to help? Do other defenders step in and leave their man open?
“It’s just a read,” Horford said. “(Teague and Schroder) have a lot to think about. They have to look at their defender, look at mine, look at the help side. I mix in pops and rolls. When I’m rolling like that, they just find me. The more you do it, the more comfortable you get.
“The other thing is when we have shooters out there, the (help defense doesn’t) want to leave them. They end up paying. We end up getting those dunks.”
The Schroder-Horford connection has been especially effective recently. The combo converted early in the second quarter that gave the Hawks a 37-30 lead over the Nuggets on Thursday. They just missed earlier in the game when Schroder’s lob was out of reach.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said the pace and unpredictability of the offense has been a factor in the success of the alley-oop option.
“I think it’s just a little thing they’ve been able to connect on lately,” Budenholzer said. “I think Dennis, his energy off the ball and his ability to attack and come from different angles and play different spots, some of those are coming out of that environment. It’s a lot of random type situations that are creating that.”
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