ATLANTA - Kyle Korver spent most of his career running around behind the 3-point stripe, a guy whose singular quest was to get open for a long-range shot at the basket. Soccer Jerseys 2020 .Turns out, he was so much more.At age 33, Korver has emerged as one of the key players on the NBAs most surprising team, helping propel the Atlanta Hawks to the best record in the Eastern Conference (35-8) just past the midway point of the season.Even Korver seems a bit amazed by it all.A lot of things have come together, he said. Ive played for some really good coaches, been on some really good teams. I learned a lot. Maybe I didnt play quite as many minutes, but I tried absorb it all and kept on trying to get better.Korver still shoots plenty of 3s, still does it better than anyone. But its the rest of his game thats been valuable to the Hawks.Crushing screens. Banging for rebounds. Crisp passes. Tougher-than-expected defence.Im not sure I understood how much Kyle could help us on both ends, said coach Mike Budenholzer, whose team has tied a franchise record with 14 straight wins and leads the East by a whopping six games.I think hes underrated defensively and just his versatility, his ability to pass, his unselfishness. He sets the most unbelievable screens. You would think people are supposed to be setting screens for him. But he loves to be physical, to get someone else open. He loves to pass. He wants to make sure guys are in the right spots. Hes just an unselfish pro in every way.Korver is having what could be a historic shooting season. He is making nearly 52 per cent from the field, hitting more than 53 per cent of his 3-point attempts, and connecting on 92 per cent of his free throws. Steve Kerr is the only other member of the 50-50-90 club, from the 1995-96 season with the Chicago Bulls, and he wasnt a starter like Korver.Of course, Korver wasnt a starter for most of his career, coming off the bench in 554 of 664 games over his first nine years in the league. Only after he was dealt from Chicago to the Hawks in 2012 — for nothing more than cash and a trade exception — did he land with a team that seemed to appreciate him as more than a role player.When Budenholzer took over as coach the following year, bringing along a San Antonio-style system that stressed teamwork over one or two guys carrying the load, Korver really began to blossom. He got a tryout with the U.S. national team last summer; while he was cut before the world championships, the experience helped to bolster his confidence even more.Now, on a team where all five starters are in double figures but no one is averaging more than 17.2 points a game, Korver is being mentioned as a candidate for the All-Star Game.That really blows him away.A couple of years ago, I dont think people really thought I was a starter in the NBA, he said, chuckling a bit under his breath. But were all benefiting from each other and the system and coach Buds style. It doesnt matter what happens with the All-Star selections. Well be happy for whoever goes.While Korver will tell you he no longer cares about proving people wrong, teammate Elton Brand thinks otherwise.He might not say it, but I think so, Brand said. Hes working hard. Hes not just working on his shot, either. Hes working on his strength, his athleticism, his movement.Hawks forward Paul Millsap said those talents were there all along, but no one gave Korver much of a chance to show them until he got to Atlanta. The two had previously played together for almost three years in Utah, where Korver started just two of 180 games.The teams hes been on, they just relied on him to sit in the corner and shoot the basketball, Millsap said. On this team, hes got a little more freedom to make plays.Even to dunk.After being needled mercilessly by his teammates about his lack of above-the-rim skills, the 6-foot-7 Korver pulled off his first dunk in nearly two years in Atlantas latest win, a 110-91 blowout of Indiana on Wednesday night.Korver felt he got some pretty good air on the play.Later, when he watched a replay at home with his wife, he realized that he barely cleared the rim.I thought I was up kind of high, Korver said. My wife was like, Im really glad youre good at what you actually do.Thats good enough for the Hawks.___Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 MLB Jerseys 2020 .ca. In Sundays Blackhawks-Penguins game, Pittsburgh defenceman Brooks Orpik laid a huge hit on Chicagos Jonathan Toews. Now in my view, Orpik can be clearly seen leaving his feet while delivering a moderately high hit. Authentic MLB Jerseys . Coach Randy Carlyle didnt know the severity of Bozaks injury. Bozak left the bench and went down the tunnel early in the second period, returned to play a handful of shifts and then did play in the third. https://www.cheapmlbjerseysjustwholesale.com/nike-ncaa-jerseys-2020.html . Mickelson shot a 2-under 70 after opening with a 77 -- his worst score of the season -- on TPC San Antonios AT&T Oaks Course. Lefty was 11 strokes behind leader Steven Bowditch, the Australian who had a 67 to reach 8-under 136.NEW YORK -- Jason Collins spent part of his off day on Sunday shopping at Costco. He was wise to stock up, because hell be staying with Brooklyn for at least a little while longer. The Nets plan to sign Collins to a second 10-day contract, a person with knowledge of the situation said Monday. Collins signed his original deal on Feb. 23, becoming the NBAs first openly gay player, and it expires Tuesday. The Nets then will re-sign him for another 10 days on Wednesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the plans havent been made public. After that, the Nets would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they wanted to keep him. Collins played the final 2:41 of the Nets 96-80 victory over Chicago on Monday, receiving a standing ovation from a sellout crowd of 17,732 that included former NBA Commissioner David Stern when he entered. Collins missed his only shot. "It was cool. It was a lot of fun to go into the game," he said. "The most important thing was that we got the win." Collins said before the game that he wasnt aware of any deal, leaving those details up to his agent. Coach Jason Kidd said those discussions were between management and Collins agent, but said his former teammate has been "great, on and off the court." "Twin is a good friend of mine and hes a basketball player, but hes a great person and so thats why we wanted him on this team and we felt he could help us win,&quuot; Kidd said, referring to Collins by the nickname he had during his original stint with the Nets from 2001-08. Nike NBA Jerseys 2020. . The Nets still practice in New Jersey even after moving to Brooklyn before last season, so thats where Collins was Sunday after the Nets got back from their road trip that ended Saturday night in Milwaukee. "Its kind of funny. Yesterday on my day off Im driving around Jersey on Route 17 and bringing back a lot of memories from when I was here before," Collins said. Hes much more famous now after revealing he was gay in a Sports Illustrated article last April. He had been out of the NBA from then until signing with the Nets. Collins said he had plenty of ticket requests from family and friends for Mondays game, and also saw a number of familiar faces from the old days. The pregame press conference and the overall media attention are new, and Collins believes it wont last, but understands that for now his sexuality makes him a big story. "Over time it will go down, but as far as doing interviews and talking about it, Im getting comfortable with the microphone or the camera on me," he said. Hes more comfortable on the court, even in the limited minutes he gets. Finally finished with his lengthy list of pregame obligations, he was looking forward to helping the Nets in whatever way he could. "Now that thats all settled, Ill go out there and just try to focus as much as I can on the game," Collins said. ' ' '