The first thing a lot of people think of when they talk about Josh Childress (besides the 'fro) is the fact that the Hawks passed up Luol Deng and Andre Iguodala to draft him 6th overall in the 2004 NBA Draft.

I understand this thinking. Both Deng and Iguodala have blossomed into terrific NBA players, and while neither of their teams are doing much damage this season, they are both in line for big paydays over the summer.

Still, when people mention those two, it is always said as a way to disparage Childress and the Hawks' decision to draft him.

The problem with that argument is that while people are salivating over Deng and Iguodala, they are ignoring the fact that Childress has become a very talented NBA player in his own right, and one who is nearly as important to his team (if not equally so). Don't believe me? Take a look at John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ratings, where you'll see Childress (18.10 PER) is ahead of Deng (17.63) and just behind Iguodala (18.70).

I bring this up today because given his performance of late, Chills is long overdue the props he deserves. Just look at his last two games (both Hawks victories): an absurd 19-22 from the field, putting up 23 and 21 points in the process.

Chills is the kind of player every team needs to be successful, because he does all of the little things that help them win. He hits free throws (a career-best 83.5% this season),  rebounds on both ends (something many thought would be an issue for him given his slight stature), and he can play (and defend) multiple positions, including the point.

But the thing I like the most about Chills' game is his understanding of his strengths and weaknesses, and his ability to stick to the things that work and away from ones that don't.

How is that put into practice? I'm glad you asked.

Take a look at this:

This is a chart of all of Childress's shots in the 2007-08 season so far. The results are pretty mind-boggling, if you ask me. Chills has taken 312 shots this year, and of those, 80% have come from the area right around the basket. This is a good thing, since he is shooting 66% (164-249) from there. His shooting percentages from outside that area don't look that great at first glance (he is 17-63 for 27%), but it's such a small sample size it's hard to draw any real conclusions.

I tend to believe Josh is better than a 27% shooter from midrange to the perimeter, but that's besides the point. Chills knows the best way for him to score is to get to the rack, and therefore he devotes almost all his effort on the offensive end towards that purpose - getting out in transition, making cuts, and crashing the offensive glass. As a result, he is a lay-up machine (with a penchant for highlight-reel dunks as well), and he is able to average double-figures in points (12.2 so far this season) without the Hawks ever running a play for him.

Childress may not be an All-Star, but he is definitely capable of taking home some hardware someday. He is the perfect 6th man for the Hawks, and as the team continues to mature and succeed, I don't doubt you'll start to see his name mentioned as a candidate in that category.

Would Deng or Iguodala look good in a Hawks uniform? Sure. But Josh Childress looks just fine, and the Hawks are lucky to have him.