Who will be the Atlanta Hawks’ team leaders in 2016-17?
By Tom Atkinson
Assists Per Game
Leader: Dennis Schroeder- 6.7 apg
Finally granted the reins to this offense, it is not a brave suggestion to say that Dennis Schroeder will be the top playmaker on the Hawks’ roster. He is Roadrunner-fast on the floor and he has a great patience and mindset, something he has carried since his first Summer League and all of those things help him be a strong playmaker. Schroeder has struggled with turnovers in the past but his playmaking vision has always been there. Coach Mike Budenholzer sees that and he made his feelings perfectly clear on the matter when speaking to Zach Lowe of Grantland.
“It sounds counterintuitive, but the way he’s turning over the ball now- it’s a good thing. He’s really trying to get his teammates the ball in the right places,” coach Mike Budenholzer said to Grantland’s Zach Lowe.
Schroeder averaged 4.4 assists off the bench last year and you should expect him to continue to refine and develop his game over the offseason. If he does that, Schroeder’s talents and flashiness (how about ‘dat pass?) can explode. He has proven himself to be a good passer and talented floor general and it would be no surprise to see Schroeder come close to the same numbers as Teague when he is given the extra minutes.
Runner-up: Jarrett Jack- 4.5 assists per game.
Jack enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year, finishing with a career-high 7.4 assists per game as a starter on the Brooklyn Nets. This year, however, Jack will become a back-up to Schroeder and so his minutes, and thus his opportunity to drop dimes, will be reduced. As a result, his assist tally for the upcoming season won’t come close to last year’s but he should be able to hit at around his career average of 4.5 assists per game. Jack was a good addition to the roster. A veteran with 12-years’ experience in the NBA, Jack should offer a great deal of stability behind the young and unpredictable Schroeder. If the German struggles at times, expect Jack to be a steady guiding hand for the team’s offense.
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