If there is one characteristic that makes the Atlanta Hawks a solid team and one that has a chance to assert itself this season, it is their ability to outscore opponents. They have an excellent offensive team, as they are averaging 123.2 points per game, which is second in the NBA to the Indiana Pacers. There is no doubt that Trae Young is the team’s leader.
In many ways, Young is a poor man’s Stephen Curry. He is averaging 26.8 points and 10.6 assists per game. and while he is shooting 40.4 percent from the field, he is the lynchpin of the Hawks attack.Young appears to be getting over a very slow start. Earlier in the year, his shooting was down to 33.6 percent from the field. While Young was struggling, the Hawks were able to get a lift from Dejounte Murray.
The 7-year veteran is in his second year with the Hawks, and he is a solid fit. The 27-year-old combination guard is averaging 19.8 points and shooting 44.7 percent from the field. Both Young and Murray are teaming nicely and have helped the Hawks reach the .500 mark with a 9-9 record.But if the Hawks are going to build on that start and develop further this season, they need one of their young players to develop into an outstanding contributor who can come through when the game is on the line.Basketball Insiders’ NBA analyst Mat Issa recognized the Hawks as an elite offensive team, and if they are going to rise in the Eastern Conference, their younger players are going to have to come through.Some of the candidates include Jalen Johnson, Saddiq Bey and A.J. Griffin.
The case for Jalen Johnson
Johnson is a 22-year-old small forward who is in his 3rd year with the Hawks after he was the 20th pick in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft.He has already made a solid impression this season as he is averaging 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Johnson has seen his minutes per game basically double from 14.9 per game to 29.9 per game this season.The key for Johnson is ensuring that he can continue to play nearly 30 minutes per game, and play steady offense. He is taking most of his shots reasonably close to the basket and he is connecting on 59.4 percent of his shots from the field.If he can stay close to that level, it seems likely that Hawks head coach Quin Snyder will keep his minutes steady and possibly increase them.Johnson could hit a wall at a certain point and go through a slump, but he appears to be peaking at this point in his career.
The case for Saddiq Bey
Bey has also taken on a key role for the Hawks in his 3rd year with the team. He is also a small forward and is making a serious contribution to to the Hawks effort this season.The 24-year-old from Villanova is averageing 12.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field. The latter is a career high for Bey, and he is averaging 28.8 minutes per night.The combination of Johnson and Bey is strong for the Hawks, and it is clear that Snyder is dependent on both of them.Bey had his most productive season with the Detroit Pistons in 2021-22. He averaged 16.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per night. Bey will have a ways to go before he can match those figures with the Hawks, but his overall efficiency and dependability have improved.
The case for A.J. Griffin
The 20-year-old Griffin is not as fully developed as Johnson or Bey, but the 16th pick in the 2022 draft has the tools to become an excellent small forward and a key contributor.
At this point in the season, the 6-6 Griffin is averaging 2.7 points and shooting 30.3 percent from the field. Snyder can’t afford to give him more than the 9.2 minutes he is averaging until he starts producing more consistently.
That could happen, because Griffin played 19.5 minutes per game as a rookie while averaging 7.4 points per game.
Conclusion
Both Johnson and Bey have been making contributions to the Hawks efforts this season, and both should continue to be in the rotation.
However, Johnson appears to be growing into his position and his development may accelerate. He has been playing 2-plus quarters per game of playing time, and those numbers could further increase as the season progresses.
That would be the best thing for the continued improvement in the Hawks offense.
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