Who Will Take the Last Shot for the Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks have a team-first system. When the game is on the line, who will take the last shot for the Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks have established an offensive system that brings the most out of all of their players. The free flowing style creates many terrific opportunities for open shots, particularly on the perimeter.

But the elephant in the room is that you still need a great shot creator to get you a bucket when you absolutely have to have it. Particularly when the game is on the line. The Hawks have several terrific players, but none of them are considered “go-to scorers”.

Which begs the question, who will have the ball for the Hawks when the game is on the line?

The Candidates

The candidates are the entire Hawks starting 5.

Dennis Schroder, Kyle Korver, Kent Bazemore, Paul Millsap, and Dwight Howard. All of these men have a case for taking the final shot.

Many would look directly to Millsap, the Hawks’ best player. Yes, Millsap is a legitimate all-around star and has a complete offensive game. But, he is 0-for-10 on his last 10 attempts at go-ahead buckets. While Millsap is a GREAT NBA player, those numbers leave a lot to be desired.

Dwight is, still, an absolute physical beast on the inside. There are not many NBA bigs that he can’t push around. He can score inside for sure, but it might be best to let Howard crash the offensive glass on a potential miss at the end of games, instead of giving him the ball. That would maximize the Hawks’ ability to score with their best offensive rebounder hitting the boards hard.

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Korver remains a lethal weapon on the outside. But has struggled in big games with the Hawks. Korver could absolutely bury a three at the end of the game. But like Dwight, would be better used as a safety valve at the three-point line for a kick-out. Just in case Plan A fails.

Schroder is, maybe, the most interesting player on this list. He has been a bench player for his first three seasons, but certainly has a knack for scoring points. He averaged 19.5 points per 36 minutes last season and will get the opportunity to play significant minutes for the first time.

Bazemore is the X-Factor of this list. He has been a late bloomer in the NBA, but has found his stride with Atlanta and could continue to improve. Yes, he only averaged 11.7 points per game as a starter last season. But he displayed a more consistent outside shot and an improved ability to score inside, and especially in transition. Bazemore’s new contract could motivate him to improve even further, but perhaps to the point of being “the guy” for the Hawks? That seems like a bit of a stretch.

The Verdict

From the brief analysis above, I have narrowed this down to two names: Schroder and Millsap. Present vs. Future. Both are playing well for the Hawks and will be very dangerous offensive players this season.

But if I’m picking a guy to put the ball in his hands in crunch time, it’s Schroder.

His lightning-quick first step makes him a threat against any point guard in the NBA. His knack for getting to the basket is extraordinary, and he can finish with defenders draped all over him.

Schroder’s jump shot is coming along, as well. He has the ability to knock down the mid-range jumper at a good rate and is working hard to continue to improve his perimeter shooting. His three-point shot is not consistent yet, but it’s hard to believe that the Hawks’ coaching staff can’t, at least, make him an average outside shooter.

Yes, I am a believer in the Schroder Experiment at point guard. He brings a much more dynamic threat on both sides of the ball than Jeff Teague did. I believe that with starter minutes, he will average anywhere form 16-20 points per game this season. As well as being a candidate for the Most Improved Player award.

Next: Predicting the Hawks' 15-Man Roster

You heard it here first. When the game is on the line, give the ball to the German dynamo, Dennis Schroder.