Posted 01 February 2012 - 04:48 PM
It is funny, it comes out during our analysis' that a lot of us have players on the team that we like a lot, and dislike as well. Obviously i'm the biggest Zaza advocate here, so every picture I paint of the Hawks is through Zaza-colored lenses. That being said, here is my analysis.
We are a stronger team with Zaza at center, not a better team. He provides a huge body in the paint that (even though he runs into his own players often) is still there. He gets positions on rebounds and changes the way that other teams have to consider driving the lane or rebounding. Horf is a better defender, but gets pushed around often, something that rarely happens to Zaza. Zaza doesn't need plays run for him to get his points, so as a result, this frees up more possessions for Teague, Smith, JJ and Marvin. By having Zaza in the middle, we have MUCH better spacing, allowing more open threes for our guys. If they leave Zaza alone to spread out on all shooters, that is when Zaza gets his dunks. I think that having a 6'11, 282 pound center is definitely an advantage over a 6'9-ish 245 pound one. (Estimate on the weight for Horford?) Spacing and ball movement is a big deal for this team, and we've seen that with the emergence of Marvin's shooting, Zaza's layups, and Teague's penetration. The pick and pop from JT to Horf is nice, but the pick and run under the basket from JT to Zazais more efficient for our team.
Teague has played GREAT, his only problem is inconsistency, 5 games of 20+ and 7 games of seven or less. He has a deadly floater, and has proven his speed. He is a reason we are playing well, but note the sole reason.
Joe Johnson is playing like a true #1 option; and I saw it coming. Maybe not to this extent so soon, but basically, I believed that we have too many offensive weapons on our offense to spread them out evenly enough so that everybody plays to their potential. Marvin RARELY got enough shots to get a rhythm, and that definitely affected his confidence and production when Horford was healthy, because he was the #5 option. The same went for Teague, as he was the #4 option with the 5 of them on the court together. With Zaza not really the center of any possessions, we receive an extra amount of plays to run for these other players. Even if this is just 1 or 2 extra shots a game, it can make a difference. Everyone is taking advantage of them now.
Smith has been good, yet still inconsistent, and I still think it is in his head. Some nights he seems disinterested, while other nights he seems like he is having the time of his life. He definitely needs to improve his free throw percentage and work on shot selection, but that is the same as always.
Marvin knocking down threes and playing solid defense is another reason we are winning. He has confidence in his three point stroke, even if he can't hit the layups yet. i think this can be attributed to an increase in touches (not necessarily shots), and the fact that with Horford out, he sees a little more of clutch minutes since we need our best players on the court.
Throw in Willie Green and T-Mac's effectiveness, and that explains why we're winning. Having a bigger center on the court makes us better at certain things which we are taking advantage of. However, February will show us just how good we are, and whether or not we need another center. What nobody has mentioned yet, is that we have had extremely good fortune (or Zaza has been doing a great job) of NOT getting into foul trouble, and forcing us to play Collins that much. If Zaza gets in foul trouble Vs. the Lakers/Bulls/certain teams, we could easily lose the game in the minutes Collins is on the court. Ivan has been ineffective lately, but maybe he'll show flashes of that T-Wolves game again if needed.
0
Dolfan23, on 01 February 2012 - 12:06 PM, said:
dolfan23b
ngc7
