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Atlanta • Kyle Korver is on fire.
The Hawks guard (who spent three seasons seasons with the Utah Jazz from 2007-10) has opened the new season by shooting a blistering 55 percent from 3-point territory—fifth best in the league among qualified shooters. In total, Korver has knocked down 22 of his 40 attempts coming into tonight's meeting with his old team.
For comparison, a quick look at the Jazz's top long-range shooters thus far:
• Ian Clark, 100 percent (2/2)
• Steve Novak, 60 percent (3/5)
• Trevor Booker, 43 percent (6/14)
• Alec Burks, 36.8 percent (7/19)
Coming into tonight's game against the Jazz (7:30 p.m., ROOT Sports), Korver leads his team in scoring at 16.5 points a game.
At 33, and in his 13th NBA season, Korver's game seems to be getting stronger. The long ball is obviously Korver's best skill, but Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer and Jazz coach Quin Snyder say it's the other things Korver does that help make him so valuable.
"To be with Kyle on a daily basis and see how much [defensive] attention he gets, it's something we feel," Budenholzer said. "Hopefully we can use that to our advantage. Obviously, if we can get Kyle open and get him shots, that's great. But he creates a ton of shots and a ton of space for our other payers to operate and do things. He's a big part of what we do."
Snyder, an assistant in Atlanta last season, said this about Korver: "I think he's got a really open mind, which is an interesting contrast to someone who's able to be so focused in one area. Where a lot of people would be content—'Hey, this is who I am'—I think he has taken it as a challenge. 'Hey, let me figure out how to play in pick-and-roll, even if it's only one dribble. Now I'm going to figure it out with two dribbles. Now I'm going to figure out how to shoot a floater.' So all those little things have allowed … it keeps the game interesting."
The Hawks are less than a tenth of the way through their season, so it's very early. But Korver's 55 percent would be a career best. His previous best was 53.6 percent (59/110), which he shot during the 2009-10 season while with the Jazz.
Korver and Snyder bounced ideas for plays off each other often last season.
Snyder wouldn't take any credit for helping Korver with his shot.
But tonight he'll have to try to cool him off.
— Aaron Falk