NBA Free Agency: 10 under-the-radar impact players

By Bryce Olin | Aug 15, 2014

May 10, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Shaun Livingston (14) drives against Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the first quarter in game three of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 13, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin (32) looks to pass as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) defends in the first quarter of game five of the second round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Thabo Sefolosha, Atlanta Hawks (3 years, $12 million)

Sefolosha failed in the easiest possible situation for a shooting guard last season. The Thunder counted on him to guard the opponent’s best guard and make a couple 3s every once in a while. That’s it.

Season	Tm	MP	FG%	3P%	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	PTS
2013-14	OKC	26.0	.415	.316	3.6	1.5	1.3	0.3	6.3
Career		23.4	.442	.348	3.7	1.5	1.1	0.5	5.8

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/15/2014.

In the playoffs last season, Sefolosha struggled to do just that. In nine of OKC’s 19 playoff games, Sefolosha either did not score (5 games) or did not play (4 games). It’s safe to say the moment was too big for Sefolosha, and his confidence crumbled.

Sefolosha was a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Hawks this offseason. Last season, the Atlanta Hawks were 15^th in the NBA in points allowed (101.5 points per game). The Hawks become instantly better on defense with Sefolosha in the lineup. Of the Hawks’ guards that played the majority of the time last season (Kyle Korver, Jeff Teague, Shelvin Mack, Lou Williams), none had a defensive rating higher than 108. Sefolosha’s defensive rating was 104 last season, per basketball-reference.

While Sefolosha isn’t going to score 20 points or be a playmaker on offense, the Hawks need hime to guard the opponent’s best player. The Hawks have enough offensive weapons with a healthy Al Horford,Teague, Korver, and Paul Millsap to score points. They need a guy who can guard Dwyane Wade, DeMar DeRozan, Joe Johnson, Lance Stephenson, Bradley Beal, and the other good scoring guards in the East.

Sefolosha needed a fresh start after last season. In Atlanta, he doesn’t have to do too much. The spotlight definitely won’t be as big, and Sefolosha can get back to playing defense in a fairly pressure-free environment.

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