In the vast deliciousness that is the Hawks’ figurative peanut butter-and-jelly sandwich, Al Horford is the peanut butter: the essence of the dish and the signature ingredient. Jeff Teague is the jelly, that dash of sweetness off of which the other flavors play. And Paul Millsap is two sturdy slices of bread holding everything together.
All of which leaves Kyle Korver as a cold glass of milk to wash it all down.
Without the milk, the sandwich, while still tasty, gets sticky, occasionally globbing up in the corners of your jaw. With milk, it’s divine.
It works the same way when Korver takes and makes three-point shots. Everything else that the Hawks do in their offense takes on a bolder flavor.
If the metaphor doesn’t suffice, perhaps a few stats will. Korver is the only player ranked in the top 12 of both the NBA’s all-time career leaderboards for three-point shots made (1729, 11th) and three-point accuracy (43.2%, 6th). Last season, the Hawks outscored their opponents by 620 points with Korver on the floor, the best plus-minus mark for any Eastern Conference player.
Thus the most important sight for any Hawks fan this past week has been seeing Korver get his shot closer to optimal rhythm. Over the past three games, he has made 6 of his 12 three-point field goal attempts.
“As much as you want to shoot in practice, they’re different than game shots, but for sure it was good to see a couple go through,” Korver said. “I feel like I still have a little ways to go physically. Everything is not quite connected yet in my shooting. Shooting is all about rhythm and confidence, and sometimes those are the last things that get there.”
While Korver works to perfect his stroke, the 2015 All-Star is still a net positive for the Hawks. His height (6’7″), defensive ability, and the attention he attracts from opposing defenses make him a standout at shooting guard.
Korver works extremely hard, and more than most players, loves a good routine. He has a “to-do” checklist of 20 things he should be doing while before and during a jump shot. His pre-game activities are famously consistent from game to game.
Surgeries to his ankle and elbow disrupted Korver’s version of an ideal offseason routine.
“My wife and I were talking about that the other day,” Korver said. “The offseason felt very different this year for a lot of reasons. Obviously, we were trying to jam in a lot of rehab and it impacted our family’s summer and a lot of things. It does feel like it was a different offseason this year, just being anxious about getting back and being ready to play in training camp.”
Still, Korver takes the long, philosophical point of view, despite the challenges he faced.
“It wasn’t the offseason that I was hoping for,” he said, “but yeah, that’s what life is, you know? You make the best of it. I feel like I’ll be in a good place here pretty soon.”
Then Korver recited one of head coach Mike Budenholzer’s favorites, “Like Bud preaches, ‘Just stick to the daily grind and keep on getting better every day.'”
Story by @KLChouinardTwitter: @KLChouinard
