Still too-early roster projections

[jayu70]

Current Roster:
PG: Trae Young, Evan Turner
SG: Kevin Huerter, Deandre Bembry, Allen Crabbe
SF: Deandre Hunter, Cam Reddish
PF: John Collins, Jabari Parker, Chandler Parsons
C: Alex Len, Damian Jones, Bruno Fernando

2W - Charlie Brown

1 additional vet signing plus another 2W signing.

[hawks_fan25]

With Turner and Cam being slated as backup ball handlers, I’d like to see us sign one more combo SG/SF like maybe Justin Holiday, Jonathan Simmons, or of course VC. Our SF spot needs experience and a mentor with two rooks filling it right now.

[Ghost999]

Finally....

Read on Twitter

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Thank God! Maybe now we can get a real backup PG.

[CP War Hawks]

If you have any type of po aspirations, Adams can't be your 3rd pg, much less the primary backup. I'd be in favor of Mooney getting the other two way contract.

He looks like a broke man's Deron Williams but he has some size. I'd just stand pat, and wait to see what moves can be made in season.

[Jamaaliver]

Damian Jones looking to show what he can provide

Damian Jones still has a lot to prove in Year 4 in the league. He got his biggest opportunity this past season when he started 22 games at the beginning of the season for the Warriors. Golden State opened the season 10-1, and the Warriors had a 118.0 offensive rating with Jones in the starting lineup. Jones wasn’t the sole reason for the team’s success, but he didn’t look out of place.

The Hawks feel Jones is at his best when he plays alongside an elite pick-and-roll ballhandler, which is what they have in Young. It’s not clear how much Jones, who right now is a backup center, will play with Young, but the Hawks know Jones’ value is rim running and catching lobs on the offensive end while providing rim protection on defense.

“I thought it was going to be a fresh start for me,” Jones said when asked what his initial reaction was to the trade. “I think just moving to Atlanta will bring a lot of fresh things, so it should be good.”

The Athletic

[hawks_fan25]

Damian Jones looking to show what he can provide

Damian Jones still has a lot to prove in Year 4 in the league. He got his biggest opportunity this past season when he started 22 games at the beginning of the season for the Warriors. Golden State opened the season 10-1, and the Warriors had a 118.0 offensive rating with Jones in the starting lineup. Jones wasn’t the sole reason for the team’s success, but he didn’t look out of place.

The Hawks feel Jones is at his best when he plays alongside an elite pick-and-roll ballhandler, which is what they have in Young. It’s not clear how much Jones, who right now is a backup center, will play with Young, but the Hawks know Jones’ value is rim running and catching lobs on the offensive end while providing rim protection on defense.

“I thought it was going to be a fresh start for me,” Jones said when asked what his initial reaction was to the trade. “I think just moving to Atlanta will bring a lot of fresh things, so it should be good.”

The Athletic

I said it earlier, but it would not surprise me if he at least gets a look in the starting lineup. Simply from a fit perspective, he would work on offense with Trae lobbing and Huerter, Hunter, JC being able to help space. On defense he would take some of the pressure off JC and Trae with rim protection. If Huerter continues to defend well and Hunter is a good wing defender then our starting defense would be much improved with Jones at center.

I think there will be a lot of experimentation with lineups as CLP will be figuring out who fits and who goes in next year's free agency bonanza.

[Jamaaliver]

Every NBA Team's Biggest Hole After Free-Agency

Atlanta Hawks: Floor-Spacing Rim Protector



Losing Dewayne Dedmon is a huge deal for the Atlanta Hawks—much bigger than most realize. Floor-spacing rim protectors are hardly a dime a dozen, and he was a stabilizing defensive force in the middle.

Atlanta doesn't have a clear-cut replacement for him. That might speak to the team's plan for John Collins. He's a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at the 5. But the Hawks have yet to tread water with him in the middle. They gave up 120.6 points per 100 possessions when he played center last season.

Extending his time at the 5 would be a big bet on his defensive development, both as a decision-maker and physical presence. That's not an unreasonable gamble given the Hawks' gradual timeline. It is still a risk.

Jabari Parker's arrival doesn't help the cause. Alex Len can. He doesn't have the mobility of Dedmon, but he's a good enough rim protector, and Atlanta gave him the green light last year to shoot threes, which he buried at 36.3 percent clip.

Maintaining that value in a larger role won't be easy. Len has barely cracked 20 minutes per game over the past three seasons. If [Len] can't take on more responsibility and Collins doesn't improve on defense, a heavier-than-expected burden figures to fall upon rookie Bruno Fernando.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Pierce threw out the possibility of Fernando possibly playing some power forward this season, too, with Collins playing center in those lineups. There’s going to be a lot of experimentation around Fernando’s fit. Pierce has been adamant on not cementing a long-term position for Collins just yet but noted how successful he was in Year 2 playing primarily the 4, and they don’t necessarily want to change something that is working well. But the possibility of the two playing positions that they normally aren’t accustomed to is out there.

The Athletic

[Jamaaliver]

Len could be at center of things for young Hawks




Alex Len wasn’t able to become the player he could have been during his five-year tenure with the Phoenix Suns.

However, with the Atlanta Hawks last season, he had a career high in points, while playing the least amount of minutes since his rookie season. I don’t think we have even seen half of his potential unlocked.

Playing with Trae Young did wonders for Len last season and his stats backed that up. In just more than 20 minutes per game (not even two quarters), he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and nearly one block per game. He shot better than 36 percent from three and nearly 50 percent from the floor. However, his numbers look even better when looking at what he did after the All-Star break. He put up 13.4 points per game on 41-percent shooting from three and 51.6-percent shooting from the field. Those kind of numbers for an entire season would be in the Brook Lopez-caliber of a player, and Len put up those numbers in just 22.3 minutes per game.

In fact, in the games he played 30-plus minutes last season, he averaged 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

Makes you wonder.

In Atlanta, Len is now in the perfect situation to thrive and I believe with a starting role, he could be the center of the future for the Hawks.

Amico Hoops

[CP War Hawks]

Len could be at center of things for young Hawks




Alex Len wasn’t able to become the player he could have been during his five-year tenure with the Phoenix Suns.

However, with the Atlanta Hawks last season, he had a career high in points, while playing the least amount of minutes since his rookie season. I don’t think we have even seen half of his potential unlocked.

Playing with Trae Young did wonders for Len last season and his stats backed that up. In just more than 20 minutes per game (not even two quarters), he averaged 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and nearly one block per game. He shot better than 36 percent from three and nearly 50 percent from the floor. However, his numbers look even better when looking at what he did after the All-Star break. He put up 13.4 points per game on 41-percent shooting from three and 51.6-percent shooting from the field. Those kind of numbers for an entire season would be in the Brook Lopez-caliber of a player, and Len put up those numbers in just 22.3 minutes per game.

In fact, in the games he played 30-plus minutes last season, he averaged 20.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game.

Makes you wonder.

In Atlanta, Len is now in the perfect situation to thrive and I believe with a starting role, he could be the center of the future for the Hawks.

Amico Hoops

Len is definitely the key to the season. He's gotten a 2nd chance and very motivated to have his best year yet. Incumbent starters are not plus defenders, and you need Hunter/Redd to stabalize the defense for the group.

[D21]

Every NBA Team's Biggest Hole After Free-Agency

Atlanta Hawks: Floor-Spacing Rim Protector



Losing Dewayne Dedmon is a huge deal for the Atlanta Hawks—much bigger than most realize. Floor-spacing rim protectors are hardly a dime a dozen, and he was a stabilizing defensive force in the middle.

Atlanta doesn't have a clear-cut replacement for him. That might speak to the team's plan for John Collins. He's a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses at the 5. But the Hawks have yet to tread water with him in the middle. They gave up 120.6 points per 100 possessions when he played center last season.

Extending his time at the 5 would be a big bet on his defensive development, both as a decision-maker and physical presence. That's not an unreasonable gamble given the Hawks' gradual timeline. It is still a risk.

Jabari Parker's arrival doesn't help the cause. Alex Len can. He doesn't have the mobility of Dedmon, but he's a good enough rim protector, and Atlanta gave him the green light last year to shoot threes, which he buried at 36.3 percent clip.

Maintaining that value in a larger role won't be easy. Len has barely cracked 20 minutes per game over the past three seasons. If [Len] can't take on more responsibility and Collins doesn't improve on defense, a heavier-than-expected burden figures to fall upon rookie Bruno Fernando.

Bleacher Report

Dedmon had the same impact on defense than Collins, one point lower on defense, but the difference is that offense did not change a lot with or without Dedmon, while it improved a lot with Collins compared to without Collins

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

Can someone post snippets. TY.

[Jamaaliver]

Can someone post snippets. TY.

An abridged version...

What the Hawks’ rotations might look like with new additions and whose minutes might get squeezed



We want fans to have an idea of what they can expect out of the teams’ rotations and how the collective 240 minutes across the five positions would be split up each night. here’s a look at what the depth chart could look like come opening night:



We already know that the main objective for the Hawks this season is much of the same as it was last season — play the young players as much as possible to get an idea of what they might bring to this organization in the future. Eight players enter this season with three years or fewer of experience in the league, and not one of the players currently under contract has played more than 10 years in the league.

Depth at point guard and center could become an issue this season as the only backup for Trae Young right now is Evan Turner...The depth at point guard isn’t an issue right now, but it will be if Young has to miss any period of extended time. The depth at center is also a major question mark after losing Dewayne Dedmon in free agency to Sacramento.


Head coach Lloyd Pierce said he would be cautious with Collins’ minutes at the five because of the success he had at the four this past season.

The amount of positional versatility on the roster should allow Pierce to experiment with a wide variety of different looks though with only Young, Allen Crabbe, Len and Jones truly locked into playing only one position. As for the rookies, Fernando will experiment at the four, Cam Reddish can play one to three, and Hunter can play three to five in certain lineups.

There might not be a more affected player with the team’s offseason additions than DeAndre’ Bembry, who likely will experience the biggest reduction of minutes.

The Athletic

[jayu70]

Can someone post snippets. TY.

An abridged version...

What the Hawks’ rotations might look like with new additions and whose minutes might get squeezed



We want fans to have an idea of what they can expect out of the teams’ rotations and how the collective 240 minutes across the five positions would be split up each night. here’s a look at what the depth chart could look like come opening night:



We already know that the main objective for the Hawks this season is much of the same as it was last season — play the young players as much as possible to get an idea of what they might bring to this organization in the future. Eight players enter this season with three years or fewer of experience in the league, and not one of the players currently under contract has played more than 10 years in the league.

Depth at point guard and center could become an issue this season as the only backup for Trae Young right now is Evan Turner...The depth at point guard isn’t an issue right now, but it will be if Young has to miss any period of extended time. The depth at center is also a major question mark after losing Dewayne Dedmon in free agency to Sacramento.


Head coach Lloyd Pierce said he would be cautious with Collins’ minutes at the five because of the success he had at the four this past season.

The amount of positional versatility on the roster should allow Pierce to experiment with a wide variety of different looks though with only Young, Allen Crabbe, Len and Jones truly locked into playing only one position. As for the rookies, Fernando will experiment at the four, Cam Reddish can play one to three, and Hunter can play three to five in certain lineups.

There might not be a more affected player with the team’s offseason additions than DeAndre’ Bembry, who likely will experience the biggest reduction of minutes.

The Athletic

Cam at SG, Bembry at SF? I guess they are interchangeable.

[Jamaaliver]

Every Rebuilding NBA Team's Biggest Need Right Now

Atlanta Hawks: Center

The Atlanta Hawks are almost ready to take flight. Nearly every position has at least one prospect with good-to-great potential.

Point guard Trae Young seemingly took a superstar turn after the All-Star break, averaging 24.7 points and 9.2 assists. Power forward John Collins is already a near-nightly supplier of 20 points and 10 boards. Shooting guard Kevin Huerter boasts a lethal long-range stroke. The wing spot might have a three-and-D ace in De'Andre Hunter, plus a high-ceiling wild card in Cam Reddish.

It all sounds so enticing until you glance at the center spot.

Alex Len is a 2013 top-five pick who's spent the past six seasons climbing to the level of sorta OK. Damian Jones is a three-year pro with all of 49 games under his belt. Bruno Fernando is a second-round rookie with obvious tools but indeterminate skills.

Last season, Atlanta's centers ranked 26th in NBA.com's player impact estimate. This season, the group might regress since steady veteran Dewayne Dedmon departed in free agency. Unless the Hawks plan to lean heavily on small-ball units, they'll need an upgrade at the 5 to complete their rebuild.

Bleacher Report

Every NBA Team's Biggest L of the Offseason

Atlanta Hawks: Not addressing center position

The Hawks have one of the best foundations in all of basketball, now stocked with young talent and expiring veteran contracts.

Drafting De'Andre Hunter and Cam Reddish helped put weapons around Trae Young and John Collins. Kevin Huerter drilled 38.5 percent of his three-pointers as a rookie. The Hawks' one hole? The center position.

The Hawks lost last year's starter, Dewayne Dedmon, in free agency to the Kings, leaving just Alex Len, Damian Jones and 2019 second-round pick Bruno Fernando at center.

Len is good enough to be a rotation big, but he's not the long-term answer at center. The Hawks may be forced to use Collins more at the 5, though he spent just 18 percent of his court time there last season.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Hawks offer Alex Len a chance to develop, and he’s ready to take advantage



Len finds himself as the likeliest option to be the team’s center at the start of the season. To prove how committed he is to being a starter, Len has spent most of his summer in Atlanta. For five days per week since the season ended, Len has been working out at the Hawks’ facility with the coaching and training staff to continue his improvement.

“Obviously, I would love to start,” Len said. “That’s what I’ve been working the whole summer towards. I’ve been trying to show the coaches and management that I want to be here for the future...In training camp, though, I’m obviously going to fight for the starting job.”

The feedback he has received from the staff has been positive. Did you know that Len led the team in 3-point percentage after the All-Star break? And what’s impressive with Len’s post-All-Star break shooting numbers is that he put up more than four attempts per game, so he was highly efficient while getting significant volume.

Spoiler:

The spacing for the Hawks last season that Dedmon provided at the 5 in the starting lineup was a big contributing factor for why Atlanta was able to score at will. That shouldn’t change with Len in the lineup because he has shown he’s a 3-point threat as he shot 36 percent last season.

But Len is confident in saying that he feels like where he is now should have him in the conversation of possibly being an Eastern Conference All-Star.

“I think everything is possible, because like I told you, the stuff I’ve been doing this summer, I’ve never been able to do before,” Len said. “The stuff I’m doing in pickup games lets me know that I have improved. I’ve expanded my game where I know if guys close out on me, I can drive past them. At the end of the year, some teams were switching 1 through 5. If they put a small on me, I can just take them into a post, and it’s an easy bucket.

The Athletic

[D21]

the problem is that Alex also averaged 55% on the FT line after the All-Star break... End of the story.

Alex would be a great backup C in this team future, but at this moment, if he doesn't improve his FT shooting, there will never have a chance that he can be the starting C of this team the day they can contend

[Jamaaliver]

The 2019-20 Projected Starting Lineup For The Atlanta Hawks


Bench: Evan Turner, Cam Reddish, Allen Crabbe, Vince Carter, Jabari Parker, DeAndre Bembry, Damian Jones

[HMFFL]

The 2019-20 Projected Starting Lineup For The Atlanta Hawks


Bench: Evan Turner, Cam Reddish, Allen Crabbe, Vince Carter, Jabari Parker, DeAndre Bembry, Damian Jones

Looks good!
I'm very ready and excited for the season.

Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app

[steady]

The 2019-20 Projected Starting Lineup For The Atlanta Hawks


Bench: Evan Turner, Cam Reddish, Allen Crabbe, Vince Carter, Jabari Parker, DeAndre Bembry, Damian Jones

Looks good!
I'm very ready and excited for the season.

Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app

There are so many players with potential on this roster. It will be very fun to see what they can do. The three rookies look really interesting. Trae/Huerter/Collins/Len/Bembry will be cool to watch develop further. J Parker and Damian Jones are intriguing, and either could be a nice surprise (like Alex Len was last year).

And of the four vets, the only one I really do not like is C Parsons. Love Vince, and E Turner and Crabbe are both hard workers.

Hawks have handled this so well - they have a year to find some more diamonds in the rough, then next summer they will potentially have over $72 million in cap space.