We’re taking a look back at the season that was for each member of the Atlanta Hawks, as well as a sneak peek into what the future might hold.  Today it’s Anthony Tolliver.

The season:  Anthony Tolliver came over from Minnesota last offseason and became a vital role player for the Hawks this year.  He played in all but 20 of the team’s games and started 11 of them.  He was also one of just three reserves Larry Drew used in an attempt to shorten the bench in the playoffs.

Each time Tolliver’s number was called this season, he delivered.  His length allowed him to guard the 2, 3 and 4 positions, and his range stretched defenses.  He also shot a career best 86 percent from the free throw line and hit 34 percent of his three-point attempts.  In the playoffs, Tolliver went 7-11 from downtown.

Tolliver is a guy who never takes a play off, never complains to his teammates coaches or the officials and is willing to play any role that is asked of him.

The future:  Tolliver said in his exit interview the day after the Hawks were eliminated that he enjoyed his time in Atlanta and that he appreciated Drew showing confidence in him during the playoffs.  He also said that he still feels like no one has seen everything he can do.  Other than 2009-2010, when he started 29 games for the Golden State Warriors and scored 12.3 points per game, he hasn’t had the minutes that he (or any NBA player) had hoped for.

Tolliver has bounced around a bit in his career but has always left a good impression wherever he has been.  As an unrestricted free agent this summer, I would imagine he would at least explore the idea of free agency with the hope of picking up a more expanded role somewhere.  If Danny Ferry does re-sign him, he’ll likely play a similar role as this year, coming off the bench for defense, energy and shooting.  Whether Ferry will do that depends a lot on the draft and free agency, as well as what Tolliver wants his role to be.  The one thing I do know though, is that having a guy like him on your team is never a bad thing.  He’s a positive player who works hard and has a variety of skills, and you can never have enough good attitudes in the locker room.

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We’re taking a look back at the season that was for each member of the Atlanta Hawks, as well as a sneak peek into what the future might hold.  Today it’s Jeff Teague.

The season:  Jeff Teague built upon a breakout 2011-2012 lockout-shortened season with another solid campaign in 2012-2013.  The Hawks floor general, who played all 66 regular season games last year, played 80 this season.  He missed just one games due to injury and did not play the final game as coach Larry Drew chose to rest the starters, but Teague once again proved he’s reliable.  In fewer minutes (barely) per game than a year ago, Teague’s points, assists, free throw percentage and three-point percentage all increased.

Perhaps Teague’s biggest achievement this season was his ability to create his own shot off the dribble.  Whether it was getting all the way to the rim or relying on his signature floating jump shot, Teague was asked to do more on the offensive end with Joe Johnson no longer an option.  He responded and helped lead the Hawks back to the playoffs without Johnson or forward Marvin Williams.

The free throw improvement was also drastic.  He shot just over 75 percent last year but bumped that number up to 88.1 percent this year, and that’s with 226 free throw attempts.

The future:  Teague’s downside right now is his size.  He’s only 6’2″ and 181 pounds, but he has indicated that he is working to get stronger.  Specifically, he tweeted just days after the playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers that he was on a bike ride with the goal of adding 10 pounds of muscle before next season.  If he gets stronger, he’ll only get better, particularly at finishing around the rim and bodying up bigger guards.  But the question is, will it be in a Hawks uniform.

Teague is a restricted free agent this summer, meaning other teams can make an offer, but the Hawks have the right to match it.  While he has certainly turned heads over the past two years, Teague isn’t at superstar status yet, so it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which a team would make an offer the Hawks don’t match.  Atlanta wants to keep the spark plug of their offense and can probably do so at a reasonable price, especially with the likelihood of other teams offering more very low.  The only scenario in which the Hawks may not match an offer is if they get an upgrade through a trade or free agency, and there simply aren’t that many upgrades available at point guard this offseason.

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At the end of the day, Indiana was simply too big.

The obvious mismatch in size was a problem the Atlanta Hawks knew they’d have to deal with going into their first-round series with the Indiana Pacers.  Looking back, it was exactly that which lost them the series.

The Pacers dominated the paint from the opening tip of Game 1 to the final buzzer of Game 6.  And while there were stretches in which the Hawks played solid defense, there were longer stretches in which the Pacers played their game – pound the ball inside and either get easy baskets against a smaller team or draw fouls.

Indiana out-rebounded Atlanta by 70 in the series, which is an average of just under 12 per game.  They also shot 172 free throws, never going to the line fewer than 21 times in any of the six games.  As the Pacers put it, it was “bully ball,” and they certainly bullied the short-handed and undersized Hawks.

All that said, the series didn’t go nearly as one-sided as it looked on paper, or as many experts believed it would.  When the Pacers went up 2-0, it appeared as though it was over.  Two double-digit wins against the seemingly punchless Hawks could have sealed the deal, but the Hawks fought back with two relatively easy wins in Atlanta.  All of a sudden it was a series again…until Indiana carried momentum from a Game 5 route back into Atlanta and held on for dear life as the Hawks furiously rallied in the fourth quarter of Game 6, only to fall short.

One thing Indiana did well in all four wins was dominate the start of the third quarter, which I thought really took the life out of Atlanta.  Indiana had leads of eight, nine, seven and seven at halftime of their four wins.  By the six-minute mark of the third quarter in all four games, the lead was stretched to 15.  The sign of a good team is one that can put its foot on the gas when ahead, and Indiana did that beautifully in Games 1, 2 5 and 6.

Another big factor was David West’s resurgence in Games 5 and 6.  West scored 24 and 21 points in Games 5 and 6 after averaging just over 10 through the first four games.  He said after Game 4 that he needed to be more of a factor in the series, and he took it upon himself to be more aggressive at getting to the rim in Games 5 and 6.  That was a big reason Indiana got over the hump.

I’ve talked a lot about the Pacers’ offense so far, but credit their defense as well.  They held Atlanta to 83 and 73 points in Games 5 and 6 after four pretty good offensive games from Atlanta in Games 1-4.  They did it primarily by forcing the Hawks into perimeter shots and taking away the fast break.  A lot of credit goes to Indiana for the adjustments they made after the two Hawks wins in Atlanta.

Who knows how the series would have gone if Zaza Pachulia, who grabbed 28 rebounds in two games against Indiana this season, were healthy.  Nevertheless, you have to consider this season a success for Atlanta when you take into account all of the injuries, expiring contracts and offseason moves.  We’ll see how this year’s offseason goes, but I expect the Hawks to be busy.

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A few thoughts after tonight’s 81-73 loss to the Pacers:

- First of all, congratulations to the Indiana Pacers on a hard-fought and well-deserved series win.  We knew this would be a tough series, and the Pacers certainly made it that.  They were the better team, and they deserve to be moving on.

- This game, particularly the first half, was a display of offensive futility.  The Hawks were getting plenty of offensive looks but couldn’t get anything to fall, topped off by a 6.7 percent shooting second quarter.  Amazingly, the Hawks were only down eight at halftime because Indiana was almost equally as bad.  The second half was a bit better, with the teams tying 44-44.

- A lot of people were writing off the Hawks when they got down 19 late in the third quarter. But as they’ve done all season, Atlanta battled back and made it a game, closing to within three late in the fourth.  If a few more shots fall at any point, we’re probably looking at a game seven.

- Fittingly, the Hawks end the season with five players in double figures but no one scoring 20 points.  That’s how it went during the regular season, and the balanced scoring continued tonight.  Granted, no one was not, so that makes scoring 20+ difficult, but the Hawks grinded as a team to keep it close.

- Larry Drew again went with the big lineup, shifting Johan Petro into the starting lineup.  When that wasn’t working, he tried going with Ivan Johnson in that role.  In the fourth, he went small, shifting Kyle Korver to small forward.  That small lineup did produce some offense, but it just wasn’t enough.

- One last note – Thank you to all of the fans that supported the Hawks this year.  Philips Arena was as loud as it had been all season tonight, and the support was tremendous.  We hope that continues and can’t say enough about how loyal our fans have been.

In a season plagued by injuries, with a new General Manager and a roster full of new players, I’d say the Hawks achieved more than most people thought they would.  They made the playoffs, got the six seed and pushed the three seed further than expected.  This should be a busy offseason for Atlanta.  I’m excited to see what happens.

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Well Hawks fans, here we are.  Game 6 with the Hawks facing elimination and needing one more Indiana loss at Philips Arena to save their season.

The Hawks have played well in the two games at home in this series so far, but this game will have a different feel.  Will the Pacers be able to show their killer instinct?  Will the Hawks be able to live up to the pressure in an elimination game?  All of those questions will be answered Friday night.

The Pacers finally solved the Hawks’ big lineup Wednesday, scoring 106 points on 53 percent shooting while getting to the free throw line 35 times.  Playing at home was a big part of the drastic change in play, but it also appears Indiana has found a formula: pound the ball inside, get the Hawks in foul trouble and exploit the mismatches that result.  In Game 5, the Pacers got both Josh Smith and Ivan Johnson in trouble early, forcing Larry Drew to play Al Horford and Johan Petro extended minutes.  Paul George had a quiet first half until Smith left the game, then started to rack up the points once Smith was forced to the bench.

Here are my keys to Game 6:

- Stay out of foul trouble.  The Hawks have racked up a preposterous 126 fouls through the first five games.  That’s simply unacceptable if you want to win in the playoffs.  Atlanta has a good thing going with the big lineup on the floor, as evidence by Games 3 and 4, and the sharp first quarter in Game 5.  They need to be able to play to Drew’s rotation without it being interrupted by foul trouble.  If they can limit themselves to four or fewer fouls per quarter, not only do the starters stay on the floor, but they keep the Pacers off the free throw line.

- Good shot selection.  When the Pacers have started to make runs in this series, the Hawks have, at times, pressed a bit, forcing up shots in traffic or settling for long jumpers.  Obviously this team is best when they move the ball and everybody is touching it.  They need to make sure they stay within the offense even when the Pacers start to make a few shots.  In the series, particularly in the losses, the shot quality has gotten away from them when things start to go downhill.

- Keep your composure.  I wrote about this after Game 2 as well, and it happened again in Game 5.  Atlanta racked up technicals and silly fouls when the game started to get away from them, which is something you can’t do if you want to win.  With Indiana ready to close things out Friday, they will have their share of runs.  The Hawks will need to stay composed, not worry about the refs and play their game.  If they do that, this game should go the way Games 3 and 4 did.

A final warning to Hawks fans – Do NOT expect Friday’s game to go as smoothly as Games 3 and 4.  Indiana will no doubt come out energized and aggressive knowing they can close things out in our building.  The Hawks are going to have to respond to that energy and match it.  This will be a very close basketball game, and I think it will come down to execution in the fourth quarter.  Hopefully Atlanta keeps its composure with their backs against the wall.

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A few thoughts after tonight’s 106-83 loss to the Pacers:

- Obviously the Hawks wanted to take this game since Game 7′s on the road are almost impossible to win, but the Pacers did their job in protecting home court.  This is the only first-round series in which a home team hasn’t lost, so let’s hope that trend continues on Friday.

- For the second time in the series, the Hawks lost their composure in the second half.  Larry Drew talked about how he wanted to see his team complain less about calls, but instead it looked like they were complaining more.  Josh Smith got a technical after picking up his third foul of the quarter midway through the third, then Jeff Teague had an inexcusable technical minutes later when he elbowed Paul George on his way to the bench, and Ivan Johnson followed with one later in the half after a shove to Tyler Hansbrough.  If this series does get to Game 7, and I think it will, the Hawks are going to have to stay calm on the road if things don’t go their way in stretches.

- The shooting difference (51% for the Pacers, 33% for the Hawks) jumps out on the stat sheet, but to me that was a direct result of shot selection.  Indiana made it a point to pound the ball inside, particularly from the second quarter on, while Atlanta was forced into difficult and contested jump shots.  As I’ve said after all of the Hawks’ losses in this series, making Indiana shoot from the perimeter is the key to beating them.  Atlanta didn’t do a good job of that tonight as David West and Roy Hibbert combined for 42 points.

- Foul trouble doomed the Hawks yet again tonight.  Smith picked up two in the first half, limiting his play, then had to sit for most of the third quarter after getting three more.  I still like the matchup of Smith on George, but George did well when the smaller Devin Harris and Kyle Korver were on him.  Johnson also battled first half foul trouble, which limited Drew’s big man rotation.  If those two can stay composed and in the game on Friday, the Pacers won’t get to the 100 points they got tonight.

- One good thing Atlanta did defensively was force turnovers.  They forced Indiana into 17 while committing only six themselves.  I mentioned the 33% shooting earlier, but that’s only because they took shots on almost every possession having taken care of the ball so well.  Hopefully they’ll protect it like that again Friday.

- The Hawks shot more free throws (37) than the Pacers did (35), which is a great sign.  They were being aggressive, particularly off the dribble, and they were also significantly better, shooting 81%.  That’s something to build off of going into Friday’s game, though Indiana’s 35 attempts needs to be lowered.

Game 5 is over, so let’s forget about it and get ready for Game 6 Hawks fans.  Click here to get tickets.

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A few thoughts after tonight’s 102-91 win over the Pacers:

- Obviously home court means everything in this series.  The Pacers took care of their end by winning games 1 and 2, and now the Hawks have protected their house.  The pressure is back on the Pacers as the series shifts to Indiana for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

- A lot of guys played well tonight, but we have to start the kudos with Josh Smith, who had a playoff career-high 29 points to go with 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals.  My favorite part about his offensive performance tonight was his aggressiveness.  He went to the line 16 times, and while he struggled there, he kept David West and Roy Hibbert in foul trouble, which opened up other opportunities.  Defensively, Smith shut down Paul George in the first half, as the Pacers superstar only scored three points.  While he did finish with 21, a lot of those were when Larry Drew moved Smith to the power forward position in the second half, meaning Devin Harris or Kyle Korver was assigned to George.

- Korver had a masterful offensive game.  Coming off the bench for the second straight game, Korver went 7-11 from the field, including 5-8 from three and scored 19 points.  Every time the Pacers got close, Korver hit a big shot to keep Indiana at arm’s length.

- Al Horford played through foul trouble to score 18 points, several of which were timely buckets and free throws in the fourth quarter.  Horford hasn’t had a truly great offensive game yet in this series, but he’s had four good ones.  Considering the size Indiana can throw at teams, I’d say he’s doing alright.

- Congratulations to Johan Petro and his wife Vanessa on the birth of their son Jacôb this afternoon.  Vanessa gave birth around 2 p.m., then co-owner Bruce Levenson flew him back to Atlanta on a private jet to get him here in time for the 7:30 tip.  Kudos to Bruce, and congrats to Johan!

- One thing you’d like to see the Hawks do a better job of is keeping the Pacers out of the paint.  Indiana had 42 points in the paint, 26 of which came in the second half.  The Pacers also made 20 free throws.  If the Hawks want to win this series, they’ll need to do a better job at forcing the Pacers into perimeter jump shots.

Game 4 wasn’t necessarily pretty, with 53 fouls calls and neither team shooting better than 44 percent.  But the Hawks were able to hold off a second-half charge by the Pacers and grind out a win to even things up.  Game 5 is Wednesday, and the Hawks know they need to win a road game at some point to have a chance.  It would be wise to win this next one, because Game 7′s on the road are almost impossible to win.

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A few thoughts after tonight’s 90-69 win over the Pacers:

- The story of this series has been Atlanta’s inability to stop Indiana.  What a difference home-court advantage makes in changing that.  The Hawks held the Pacers to 27 percent shooting, thanks in large part to finally keeping the Pacers out of the lane.  As I’ve said for the past nine days, forcing Indiana into perimeter jump shots is the key to beating the Pacers, and the Hawks did it tonight, holding them to 30 points in the paint and 69 overall.

- The free-throw disparity has been talked about, with Indiana having shot 30+ more free throws in games 1 and 2 than Atlanta.  Tonight it was even, with both teams shooting 28.  I still think that’s too many to allow the Pacers to shoot, but the calls were going both ways (despite too many foul calls, 54, in my opinion).  The free throw disparity needs to remain even for the Hawks to have a chance.

- Indiana’s 21 made free throws and 30 points in the paint left only 18 points outside the paint.  Again, Indiana struggles to score when you push them away from the lane.

- Al Horford had that possessed look in his eye tonight.  Shifting to power forward to make room for Johan Petro in Larry Drew’s revamped starting lineup, Al had 26 points and 16 rebounds.  Yes, he made some signature 18-footers, but a lot of those points came in the paint.  We need Horford to play like that again in a must-win Game 4.

- The Hawks got a huge boost from the bench tonight, particularly Ivan Johnson.  At one point during Atlanta’s 22-2 first half run, Johnson drew three straight offensive fouls.  He brought a lot of energy and frustrated several Pacers’ bigs.  We’ll need that again on Monday.

It’s only one game, but it was obviously a must-win, and the Hawks came to play.  The crowd was fantastic, and the Hawks responded on the defensive end.  Atlanta can’t afford to go back to Indiana down 3-1, so they’ll need the same type of defensive intensity they brought tonight. Expect Indiana to come back strong.  I think we’ll get a very entertaining game 4.

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With two rough games in Indiana behind them, the Hawks return home hoping familiar grounds equal a reversal of fortunes.

Game 3 is a must-win game to say the least, and the Hawks feel like they’re ready.  Larry Drew says the team remains confident but hinted at Thursday’s practice that there may be some changes to the lineup and rotations on Saturday night.  Those changes will hopefully come in the form of playing bigger.  Through two games, the Pacers have proven that Atlanta can’t play small ball and win.  Indiana, a team that averaged 94 points per game during the regular season (23rd in NBA), is averaging 110 through two playoff games.  The primary reason is they’ve been able to have their way in the paint and at the free throw line.  The Hawks will have to change that if they want to have a chance, and here are a few ways they can:

- Move either Ivan Johnson or Johan Petro into the starting lineup.  Drew was hoping to force the Pacers to switch their lineup first, but that won’t happen after two dominating games by Indiana.  The Hawks will have to move Josh Smith, a more athletic and longer defender than Kyle Korver, over to guard Paul George, who has had his way so far.  If Ivan Johnson starts, he can body up David West while Al Horford can stay on Roy Hibbert.  Hibbert has had a marginal impact on the series so far (31 points on 12-27 shooting), so if Drew thinks he’s been effective enough to warrant a change, then Horford can play the power forward position and guard West while Petro can guard Hibbert, matching height.  Petro has shown he can be a reliable defender against seven-foot centers, holding his own against Kevin Garnett and Brook Lopez earlier this year.  Whether it’s Johnson or Petro, the change would not only give the Hawks a better interior defensive presence while better containing George, but it would also help close the rebounding gap that has plagued Atlanta through the first 96 minutes.  Yes, you lose a little bit of offense without Korver on the floor, but the Pacers have done a good job on him so far.  Having a post-up presence such as Johnson or Petro on the offensive end would be a good way to offset that.  Plus, having Korver as a weapon off the bench isn’t too shabby.

- Go under more screens.  The Pacers have penetrated the lane too easily through the first two games, which has led to lots of points in the paint, foul calls and open jump shots because of double teams.  A lot of that starts with George and George Hill.  Going under Indiana’s high screens might bait the guards into taking more jump shots, which is what you want the Pacers to do.  As I’ve said before, they aren’t a good perimeter-shooting team, so if they win by making jumpers as opposed to pounding the paint and hitting free throws, you live with that.  When Atlanta’s guards try to go over screens with the bigs hedging, it creates problems because of the Pacers’ length.

- Keep your composure.  Three technical fouls led to three Indiana points, and several other frustration fouls away from the basket gave the Pacers unnecessary free throw opportunities.  The Hawks have to play aggressive, yes, but there’s a difference between playing physical and playing out of control.  Every foul and every technical adds up.  The fewer trips to the free throw line Indiana gets, the less dangerous they are.  The Hawks have to make sure they play smart on the defensive end, which means tight, lock-down defense without fouling.  If they foul four or fewer times per quarter, I like their chances to win.

Remember, you can follow the Hawks throughout the playoffs here.  And if you don’t have tickets to Game 3 yet, get them here.

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A few thoughts coming up on the Hawks’ 113-98 loss to the Pacers in Game 2 of their first-round Playoff series:

– First and foremost, let’s remember the old playoff adage: A series isn’t a series until someone wins a game on the other team’s court. It’s a cliche, but it’s true. Neither of the games in Indianapolis will be on a Hawks’ fan’s season-ending top 10 list, but ultimately nothing has happened that shouldn’t have been anticipated. The Pacers are a terrific team that plays great basketball, especially at home.

– That said, the Hawks made it harder on themselves in Game 2 with ill-timed turnovers, misses at the FT line, and other correctable mistakes. It’s hard enough to win in Indy — giving away points just makes it that much tougher.

– The backcourt played pretty well. Jeff Teague and Devin Harris both got to the rim repeatedly finishing with 16 and 17 points respectively. In the first half especially, both guys took advantage of poor Pacers defense to get easy buckets.

– In Game 1 it was Al Horford who found his minutes limited by foul trouble; in Game 2 it was Josh Smith who suffered the consequences of some aggressive whistling. It was particularly hurtful tonight as Smoove scored 16 points and grabbed 6 boards in only 20 minutes of game time.

– The Pacers scored 113 points tonight, but to the naked eye I thought they took a lot of shots the Hawks would be content to have them take. Unfortunately they made them, and some nights that is going to happen.

– Paul George taking a lot of shots is not something the Hawks will be content with, so they’ll have to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to stop the NBA’s Most Improved Player. George led all scorers with 27 points.

Once again, a lot went against the Hawks. Yet once again, I still can’t help but feel like the game was winnable, despite what the final score would tell you. Tighten things up, and get ready, because the series really starts on Saturday night at Philips.