NBA: 10 Best Frontcourts In the League
By Brad Rowland
6) Atlanta Hawks
Al Horford, Paul Millsap, DeMarre Carroll
It will surprise many NBA fans that the Hawks come in ahead of some teams we’ve previously discussed, but with Al Horford in the mix, this is a monster frontcourt. Horford missed 53 games last season due to a torn pectoral muscle, but before he exited with the injury, Atlanta was sitting pretty as the third seed in the East, and the big man was a huge reason for that surge. By all accounts, the 28-year-old Horford is a top-20 player in the NBA, but because his game is relatively unassuming, many ignore his contributions. Still, the big man averaged more than 17 points and 10 rebounds per game during his last full season, and with high-end defensive acumen, the Hawks are in great shape with him on the floor, even while some contend that he isn’t a “pure” center.
Paul Millsap represented the Hawks as a member of the 2014 NBA All-Star game, and his selection was deserving. Millsap carried the water for Atlanta after Horford’s injury, and for the season, the former Utah power forward averaged 17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while being vastly underpaid on a 2-year, $19 million contract. Millsap is undersized at the power forward spot, but his defense has improved greatly in recent seasons, and he proved capable as a “go-to” option for a quality offense last season.
Lastly, DeMarre Carroll burst onto the scene in a highly unexpected way for the Hawks in 2013-2014, and he was incredibly effective as a super-role player. Carroll was known purely as a defensive specialist with real limitations offensively prior to last season, but under Mike Budenholzer, the 6-foot-8 forward knocked down 36.2% of his three-point attempts (while attempting nearly 4 per game), and Carroll averaged more than 11 points and 5 rebounds despite being the fifth option offensively during the majority of Atlanta’s sets. It is certainly warranted to be skeptical of DeMarre Carroll’s offensive outburst, but at the very least, he is a defensive stopper that won’t murder Atlanta’s offense, and that is perfectly fine when armed with two other All-Stars on the front line.