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Atlanta Hawks: Is Thabo Sefolosha A Good Fit?

By Adam McGee

Jan 25, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Thunder defeated the Sixers 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Thunder defeated the Sixers 103-91. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Defense

Feb 20, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 20, 2014; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Miami Heat small forward LeBron James (6) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder shooting guard Thabo Sefolosha (25) during the fourth quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Sefolosha has a reputation around the NBA for being a specialist defender. He’s not a flashy player, or a volume scorer, but there aren’t many players capable of guarding the league’s elite wings like the 30-year-old.

Sefolosha isn’t a frantic, aggressive defender. Although he’s more than capable of picking pockets, his approach is usually much more measured.

Sefolosha’s defensive approach is more about him utilizing his high basketball IQ and his physical attributes. Sefolosha has enough lateral quickness to stick with most two-guards, while at 6″7′, he’s ideally sized to match up with small forwards and even undersized 4s.

His defense dropped off a little bit last season with a defensive rating of 101.0, but the two previous year’s ratings of 97.6 and 93.6 show just how good Sefolosha can be as a lockdown defender.

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