Soaring Down South
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Atlanta Hawks 2017-18 Season Grades: Tyler Cavanaugh

By Dallin Duffy

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Tyler Cavanaugh #7 of the Atlanta Hawks during warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 7, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 07: Tyler Cavanaugh #7 of the Atlanta Hawks during warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 7, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Robert Laberge/Getty Images) /
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It’s hard to grade Tyler Cavanaugh too harshly this season. Thanks to injuries to most of the big men on the Atlanta Hawks, Cavanaugh quickly found himself on a fast track to the NBA.

After going undrafted out of George Washington University, the power forward signed a training camp deal with the Hawks, which led to him suiting up for the Erie BayHawks. Eventually, the Hawks signed him to a two-way contract and suddenly he was playing against LeBron James in the NBA.

He ended up playing in 39 games for the Hawks this season and 11 for Erie down in the G-League.

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Like I said, it’s hard to cast too harsh of a judgment on a player who was thrust into an opportunity before he was probably ready. That being said, Cavanaugh didn’t exactly blow anyone away in his rookie year, which is not to say he was downright horrible either.

In his 13.3 minutes per game, he averaged 4.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and .7 assists per game. Despite the less-than stellar-numbers, he does have some quality factors, which I’ll touch on first.

He’s undoubtedly a hustle player, and has a nice three point stroke for a big man, both good traits to have in the modern NBA. In fact, his three-point shooting made up for nearly 60% of his total field goal attempts, which was third on the team, and his solid 36% clip was higher than that of veteran big man shooters Ersan Ilyasova and Dewayne Dedmon (whose newfound three-point range was revelatory).

As for his hustle, it’s something that doesn’t show up on the box score, plays like the one below show his ability to keep plays alive and feed off the opponent’s mistakes:

Speaking of, rebounding is something Cavanaugh can improve on. While his no-quit attitude can help him grab a few extra boards, his size held him back from being a truly good rebounder. His 6’9 frame is quite small considering he was often used as the center when he was in the lineup. Still, 8.8 rebounds per-36 minutes is at the very least a respectable number given the aforementioned size discrepancy.

Defensively, Cavanaugh was nothing special, and his defensive net rating of 108.2 ranked 14th on the team.

Tyler was put in a tough position to say the least this season. While he did play well enough, it apparently wasn’t enough as he was waived by the Hawks in May, likely due to the Hawks inevitable desire to focus on younger players with a higher ceiling in the 2018 Draft.

Cavanaugh did play well enough to likely sign a two-way contact with a different team this summer. His hustle and high motor were on full display in Atlanta and when combined  with his perimeter shooting, he should make for an interesting option for many teams.

Next: Dear Hawks, Please Don't Pass on Luka Doncic

As for last season, you can’t blame him for the position he was put in early on, but as he had opportunities to expand his game, he remained somewhat stagnant statistically.

2017-18 Season Grade: C+

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