| Childress And Smith Make All-Rookie Team Authored by Patrick J. Austin - May 6, 2005 - 12:37 pm
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Many, including myself, believe they should have been on the All-Rookie first team. The only players who earned a definite spot on the first team were Ben Gordon, Emeka Okafor, and Dwight Howard. The other two, Andre Iguoldala and Luol Deng, could have easily been replaced by Chill and Smoove. In fact, if you compare the stats of Childress and Iguoldala, Chill had better season averages.
When comparing Deng and Smith, Deng had better numbers at the beginning of the year but regressed after the all-star break and then missed most the second half due to an injury. Meanwhile, Smith became the reason to watch Hawks games. His acrobatic dunks and surprising defensive intensity (ten blocks in a game) have made him the face of the franchise.
I’m not trying to say Deng and Iggy didn’t deserve to make the team, but it’s obvious they were placed on first string due to their respective clubs making the postseason, not because of their individual performance.
Between Childress and Smith, I believe Childress deserves a little more praise. Virtually everyone criticized the Hawks for taking him so high (sixth pick). At the beginning of the year, the criticism was valid. He didn’t look like that poised, college-experienced wingman we were all expecting. He seemed timid and even lost during periods of a game. Though, right around mid-season, that strange shot of his started to fall and he was routinely scoring in double-digits while pulling down an impressive number of rebounds (for a shooting guard). It’s safe to say he silenced those critics and secured the starting two-guard position for the foreseeable future (that is, if we don’t sign someone like Larry Hughes or Joe Johnson via free agency).
What can I say about Josh Smith that hasn’t already been said? The kid has brought hope to a franchise in desperate need of it. He still has a long way to go in terms of learning the nuances of the game, but you can see a star in the making.
Hawks fans should be excited about these two rooks. They’re a part of our foundation and I expect both to make a major impact on this franchise for many years to come. |
