Atlanta Hawks: Who Will Exceed Expectations In 2016-17?
DeAndre Bembry
Position: Shooting Guard/ Small Forward
2015-16 Statistics (St. Josephs): 17.4 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 4.5 APG
Slash Line: 47.9/26.6/65.7
Like Taurean Prince, DeAndre Bembry brings a mature presence to the Hawks after being drafted with the No. 21 pick in this year’s draft.
He differs from Prince in pure basketball IQ. Bembry is the type of player that could find his niche in any system he is thrown in. Considering the free-flowing offense that Budenholzer implements, it an be assumed that Bembry will do wonders for the Hawks of the bench.
He isn’t quite as athletic as Prince, but he can still be a handful defensively. At 6’6″ 210 pounds, Bembry will likely see the majority of his playing time come at the shooting guard position, but also offers the versatility to play small forward.
I predict that Prince will get more playing time at least in the beginning of the season, but once Bembry gets his chance, it won’t take him long to assert himself as a dependable rotation player.
To bolster his chances of getting playing time quicker, if he can hit the long-ball more efficiently, it’ll make him extremely dangerous along with his knack for making the right pass when the defense closes out hard at him.
The Hawks lucked out with these two rookies, and they have the type of game to be successful NBA players for years to come.