Regardless of sport, one of the primary roles of a general manager is to create a roster that has depth. In the NBA, where there are only 12 active roster spots, it's virtually impossible to have success without it.
Through the first 3 weeks of the NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks have shown off their new 10-man rotation like a child with a new toy Christmas morning. Sometimes all it takes is one key off season trade or free agent signing such as Jamal Crawford to change the complexity and depth of a team. Crawford joined the Hawks this summer, in a trade that was more like stealing candy from baby, when General Manager Rick Sund shipped the enigmatic combo of Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to Golden State, for the career 19-point-per-game guard, Crawford. Talk about showing off a new toy...Sund is still grinning ear to ear over this maneuver.
Jamal Crawford enables Hawks' head coach Mike Woodson to have a leader and bonafide scorer on the floor with the team's second unit. Throw 14 year veteran Joe Smith into the mix, along with ZaZa Pachulia, Mo Evans and rookie Jeff Teague, and the Hawks have a steady collection of players off the bench that Woodson has confidence in to give the starters a breather.
Just a few years ago the Hawks bench was more like two chairs, as it consisted of really two guys: the departed Josh Childress and ZaZa Pachulia. These two reserves combined probably couldn't average the 17 points per game Jamal Crawford is currently putting up for the Hawks.
The last two seasons, the Hawks bowed out in the playoffs to opponents who had a deeper bench. To the Hawks credit, they made the appropriate changes this offseason, and if last Friday night's win in Boston was any type of barometer, it looks as though this season's team has the depth and experience to hang with the contenders in the East.
Through the first 3 weeks of the NBA season, the Atlanta Hawks have shown off their new 10-man rotation like a child with a new toy Christmas morning. Sometimes all it takes is one key off season trade or free agent signing such as Jamal Crawford to change the complexity and depth of a team. Crawford joined the Hawks this summer, in a trade that was more like stealing candy from baby, when General Manager Rick Sund shipped the enigmatic combo of Acie Law and Speedy Claxton to Golden State, for the career 19-point-per-game guard, Crawford. Talk about showing off a new toy...Sund is still grinning ear to ear over this maneuver.
Jamal Crawford enables Hawks' head coach Mike Woodson to have a leader and bonafide scorer on the floor with the team's second unit. Throw 14 year veteran Joe Smith into the mix, along with ZaZa Pachulia, Mo Evans and rookie Jeff Teague, and the Hawks have a steady collection of players off the bench that Woodson has confidence in to give the starters a breather.
Just a few years ago the Hawks bench was more like two chairs, as it consisted of really two guys: the departed Josh Childress and ZaZa Pachulia. These two reserves combined probably couldn't average the 17 points per game Jamal Crawford is currently putting up for the Hawks.
The last two seasons, the Hawks bowed out in the playoffs to opponents who had a deeper bench. To the Hawks credit, they made the appropriate changes this offseason, and if last Friday night's win in Boston was any type of barometer, it looks as though this season's team has the depth and experience to hang with the contenders in the East.
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