Paul Millsap

Hawks' challenge lies in choosing Carroll's replacement

Published Sep. 29, 2015 4:12 p.m. ET

Cory McCartney

ATLANTA -- If it's energy that Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer is looking to replicate with DeMarre Carroll having left for free agent riches, Kent Bazemore has a message for him.

"Energy is what I do," the swingman said. "I'd put myself up against anyone if we have a contest of bringing energy. I think that comes pretty natural for me."

Carroll was the emotional center of the Hawks, but that was only part of his impact.

The Junkyard Dog went from journeyman to an elite perimeter defender, ranking third on the team with 2.8 Defensive Win Shares while making 69 starts during Atlanta's run to the Eastern Conference finals.

Those DWS were a career high. As were Carroll's points (12.6), 3-point percentage (39.5) and field-goal percentage (48.7), and he turned that breakout into a four-year, $60 million deal with the Raptors.

Replacing Carroll's worth as a starter and defensive catalyst is arguably the biggest challenge facing the Hawks in the defense of the Southeastern Division crown.

But Budenholzer stresses he doesn't expect one player to fill that role.

"I think there's going to be kind of a team effort to make sure we're bringing the energy and the competitiveness and the edge that a guy like DeMarre Carroll brings," he said. "I don't know that it's going to be any one individual."

However, there are plenty of options, including holdovers Bazemore (5.2 points, 3.0 rebounds over 75 games and 10 starts) and Thabo Sefolosha, (5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg over 52 games with seven starts). Bazemore was Atlanta's highest-rated non-starter in DWS (1.9), just above Sefolosha (1.7).

"You have Thabo and Kent, who have both been here, and I think are elite wing defenders and have proven that in the NBA," Budenholzer said. "It may look and feel a little bit different, but I think their ability to have similar impact is something that gives us a lot of confidence."

The duo will also be challenged by draft night acquisition Tim Hardaway Jr., who averaged 11.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg in 70 games and 30 starts with the Knicks and free-agent signee Justin Holiday (4.3 ppg), 1.2 rpg for the Warriors).

Hardaway had a negative Defensive Plus/Minus last season (minus-4.2), and the lowest DWS (0.0) of any player to play between 1,700 and 1,500 minutes a year ago, but he's been pouring over Hawks film, seeing what he can do to make an impact.

"I know we've got a lot of scorers on the team and I'm just looking at trying to fill out all the little things that I can do to help generate the spark that (Carroll) did," Hardaway said.

Sefolosha, 31, would seem to be the most logical choice, having started all 345 games he played in a Thunder uniform from 2010-14. He was logging more minutes between a return from a March return from a calf injury and an April altercation with New York City police that left him with a broken leg and some ligament damage.

In that six-game span, he played 19.2 minutes per, averaging 8.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists. In the 52 games he appeared in last season, the Hawks were 43-9 and were plus-11.4 points per 100 possessions when he played.

He does have offensive drawbacks, including a field-goal percentage that has been at 41.5 and 41.8 the past two seasons since a career-best 48.1 in 2012-13, but it's defense where his 6-foot-5 wing truly makes his mark.

"That's been my game and that's what I'm known for and I'm going to try and improve in that area," Sefolosha said. "But I definitely think I can bring that, the defensive mindset and the toughness to the group."

Budenholzer was a create of habit last season. The lineup of Carroll, Al Horford, Kyle Korver, Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague played together 57 times, the third-most in the league and that was with Carroll missing 12 games.

But whoever takes over for him, be it Bazemore, Hardaway, Holiday, Sefolosha or an unexpected challenger, the Hawks core isn't looking for them to be everything Carroll was for this team.

"We all have to be intense on defense," Teague said.

Follow Cory McCartney on Twitter @coryjmccartney