Though the NBA’s offseason is still bubbling over with rumors and news about where players might end up, the Atlanta Hawks have been quite quiet so far in making moves.
So far, the team has only signed its three first-round picks – Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman – to multi-year deals this offseason, but that doesn’t mean the team won’t make moves as the offseason progresses.
As we wait for those moves to come though, we decided to delve into the Atlanta Hawks depth charts at each position. Next up: Power Forward.
PF Depth Chart:
John Collins
Omari Spellman
Let there be no debate about this: John Collins was one of the five best players taken in the 2018 NBA Draft, and he should’ve been named to First Team All-Rookie. Sadly, NBA writers and journalists overlooked the stunning contributions of JC, and opted to go for the upside of Lauri Markkanen instead — forcing JC onto the Second Team.
John Collins will be the starting power forward for the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018-19 season, and he has already proven himself to be one of the best players who played in Summer League this year with some stellar showings against lesser opponents.
Collins’s athleticism is off the charts, and it will be nice to see him play with a gifted passer such as Trae Young – something JC did not have last year with Dennis Schröder and Kent Bazemore as the team’s primary playmakers.
Not only is Collins a gravitational force on the pick-and-roll by drawing defenders away as a lob threat, he also gets after it on the offensive glass and has the ability to muscle his way up for tough finishes around the rim.
Collins is a stone-cold beast, and he will be rewarded as the team’s best option at the four for the foreseeable future.
Also in the mix at power forward will be Omari Spellman, who looks to be the Draymond Green of the Hawks’ “Warriors of the East” plan.
Spellman has been quite good in Summer League, mixing in a varied offensive skill set with excellent effort plays and a willingness to mix it up with players both bigger and smaller than himself. Though his outside shot has seemingly looked flat, he was partly drafted because of his projectable shooting ability, so he will likely improve on that front.
A frontcourt pairing of Collins and Spellman should make for must-see TV, with either player switching spots with ease and providing match-up nightmares for opposing defenders.
Lastly, Antonius Cleveland would’ve likely been given some minutes at the four (which he had been receiving in Summer League), but the Hawks recently waived him ahead of the Dennis Schröder/Carmelo Anthony trade.
With John Collins on the roster, the Hawks have a clear #1 option at the four position with plenty of upside still to be explored – definitely a boon for a Hawks that lacked young upside in recent seasons.
Next: Hawks Projected Starting Lineup for 18-19 Season
Either way, The 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks are definitely going to be more fun to watch than the 2017-18 rendition.