Story by KL ChouinardTwitter: @KLChouinard
In making a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers to acquire forward Ersan Ilyasova, the Hawks think they have found a shooter with an all-around game to add to their frontcourt.
"We're very excited about adding Ersan to our group," Head Coach and Team President Mike Budenholzer said. "For a long time all of the front office and coaches, we have all watched and wanted (Ilyasova) to be a part of our teams. He's a smart player. He is a competitive guy who does a lot of little things."
The Hawks acquired the 29-year old by sending Tiago Splitter to Philadelphia, as well as Miami’s protected 2017 second-round draft pick and the right to swap the lesser of Philadelphia’s 2017 second-round picks with Atlanta’s own 2017 second-round pick.
With the 76ers, Ilyasova averaged 14.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in 53 games played, and he connected on 35.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
"He has an edge to him," Budenholzer added. "Obviously he can shoot. (He's) a high IQ guy. We're excited about him being in our rotation."
In addition to being a excellent shooter, Ilyasova hits the mark on defense too. He leads the NBA is charges drawn as a defender with 25.
"He has guarded me many times," fellow power forward Paul Millsap said. "I know how strong he is. I know what type of defensive player he is. I think he'll fit in well."
One area in which Ilyasova could be particularly helpful for the Hawks is as a corner shooter. When the Hawks use Dwight Howard as the roll man in pick-and-roll plays, he could get extra room with Ilyasova camped in the corner. Helping defenses will have to make a difficult choice between collapsing to bump Howard off his lob pass versus leaving an accurate shooter open in the corner. For the season, Ilyasova has made 29 of 62 three-point attempts from the corners (46.8 percent).
"His ability to shoot 3s and shoot in general is a big thing that makes him valuable to us," Budenholzer said. "I could see him being a significant contributor."
Mike Dunleavy is the one member of the Hawks who has played previously with Ilyasova. The two teamed up together for a pair of seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2011 to 2013 -- the best two shooting seasons of Ilyasova's career.
"I think he'll be a nice addition," Dunleavy said. "He has got a really good skill set as far as shooting the ball and rebounding the ball. He can stretch the floor, and he's a solid team defender."