Starting power forward Josh Smith has been outstanding this season for the Hawks. Smith has played in 71 games (all starts) for the Hawks this season and he is averaging 35.2 minutes, 15.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.1 blocked shots per game. Smith hustles at both ends of the court and that’s why he fills up the stat sheet so well. They will likely need him to help out Al Horford a lot on defense when the Hawks tangle with a big center in the playoffs.

Zaza Pachulia is now in his fifth season with the Atlanta Hawks, and it has been his worst one yet.  The 6-11, 275-pound Pachulia has often been seen as one of the Hawks enforcers, playing physical down low and not afraid of giving a hard foul.  After the 2006-’07 season, where Pachulia averaged 12.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.5 blocks, his role diminished the next couple seasons.  Although he was getting less minutes and was almost always coming off the bench the next two seasons, he was still a productive big man for them.  The past two seasons he only played 17.4 minutes and averaged 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds, while shooting 47% from the field and 70% from the line.  This season he hasn’t been the same physical presence the Hawks were used to seeing on defense and he hasn’t been as strong of a rebounder.  That is why he has been getting even less minutes this year.  He is playing 13.5 minutes per game while averaging just 4.1 points and 3.5 rebounds this season.  He is also only making 44% of his shots and is shooting just 66% from the line.  The Hawks are going to need Pachulia to step it up in the playoffs and play more like he has the past two seasons.

Veteran point guard Mike Bibby is starting to slow down. He has played in 64 games (all starts) for the Hawks this season and he is averaging 27.6 minutes, 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Bibby is only shooting 40.9% from the floor this season and that just won’t get it done. The Hawks were smart to bring in Jamal Crawford last summer just in case Bibby started to show his age, which he has. The Hawks better hope that Bibby has been trying to pace himself because they will need all hands on the deck when the playoffs start next month.

Marvin Williams’ production has dropped this season, but he is getting less minutes and has become more of a role player for the Atlanta Hawks this season.  He has been a solid role player this season, averaging 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 29.7 minutes per game.  All of those averages are his lowest since his 2005-’06 rookie season, including his minutes.  Yet, in the past two games he has put together two of his best games of the season.  He didn’t look like a guy who shoots 44% and only averages 10 points and 5 rebounds.  That’s because on Monday night in a 112-93 win over the Chicago Bulls, he played 32 minutes and went 7-14 for 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal.  He followed that impressive performance up with another one last night in a 112-93 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, where he went 8-12 for 21 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal.  The Hawks are already one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, so if they can get some more games like this out of Marvin Williams it will be a great bonus.

The Hawks shot 50% from the floor and they outrebounded the Sixers 47-32 which helps explain the ease of the win last night at home. Marvin Williams stepped up as he led the way for the Hawks last night with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Jamal Crawford pitched in with 20 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench last night. Joe Johnson had a solid game for the Hawks last night with 18 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists. The Hawks are now 39-21 on the year.