Dewayne Dedmon’s first year in Atlanta has been great

After signing a 2-year, $14-million deal with the Atlanta Hawks over the summer after a nice year off the bench for the San Antonio Spurs, Dewayne “The Drain” Dedmon has stepped up his game considerably so far in the 2017-18 season.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Dedmon has looked like a terrific investment for the Hawks as his production level makes him a bargain on a relatively cheap contract – one that might look quite tempting for contenders in the upcoming months.

So far, Dedmon has shown that his steady play during last season was no fluke. He has built upon that play from last season and grown into a rock-solid starting center this year.

Across the board, in almost every major category, Dedmon is averaging career-highs. DD is averaging 11.1 points per game, which ranks 6^th on the team. That average is more than double his previous career-high from last year of 5.1.

Dedmon has looked good as a pick-and-roll finisher – he hoofs it through the lane and has nice touch around the rim. He has even posterized a few hapless defenders with some savage, highlight-reel dunks through the first 20 games of the season.

Dedmon has also been smart in the lane with his passing, as he often finds wide-open shooters beyond the arc as he rolls to the rim, a stat displayed by his career-high 1.4 assists per game.

Dedmon is also extraordinarily efficient from the field, as he doesn’t force up any difficult shots and plays within his game all the time. Dedmon is 5^th overall in field goal percentage (.601%) and is tied for 6^th overall in true shooting percentage (.661%), which aggregates 2-point, 3-point and free throw attempts.

Strictly on two-pointers, Dedmon is again 6^th overall in the league in field goal percentage – connecting on .629% of all two-point attempts.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Dedmon’s season has been the three-point range he had heretofore never exhibited. Buoyed by the outside shift the entire NBA has seen over the past few years, Dedmon too has stepped out beyond the three-point line this season to great effect.

Prior to the 2017-18 season, Dedmon had only attempted a single three-pointer, which he missed. This season, Dedmon has 14 of 29 shots from the three-point line – good for an astonishing 48 percent.

Despite Dedmon’s shooting the ball on the way down from his jump, often asterisked as a bad habit, his stroke looks stellar, and he is connecting at a 58 percent on midrange shots – further displaying his jump-shooting improvement.

Dedmon’s other major notable skill is his rebounding. Dedmon is great on the glass, as his 5.8 defensive rebounds per game and 7.8 total rebounds per game are both the highest mark on the Hawks, as well as new career-highs for DD.

In terms of percentage, Dedmon is in the top 20 in both defensive rebound rate (tied for 14^th overall with 27%) and total rebound rate (sitting at 16^th in the league with 17.9%). Dedmon is also second on the Hawks (behind Glass Master John Collins) in offensive rebounds with 2.0 per game – yet another new career-high for Dedmon.

All of these meaty numbers add up to a wonderful season so far for Dedmon, further compounded by yet another big number – Dedmon is currently third on the Hawks in Player Efficiency Rating (PER) at 18.4. Dedmon only lags behind rookie John Collins (19.9 PER) and leading scorer Dennis Schröder (18.7 PER) in that category.

Dedmon is providing some terrific value for the Hawks, and he is a strong starting center who is adept at rim-running and can space the floor with outside shooting when necessary. With a relatively cheap contract on the books (including a player option for next season), Dedmon could be an asset for the Hawks’ rebuild going forward, or a possible trade chip for the team to accrue more draft picks.

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Either way, Dedmon’s early-season contributions should not be ignored, and he is on pace for the best season of his career in Atlanta.

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