Atlanta Hawks Center Depth Chart for 2018-2019 Season
By Chris Guest
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: Center.
C Depth Chart:
Dewayne Dedmon
Alex Len
Miles Plumlee
The number one option for the Hawks at center will likely be Dewayne Dedmon, who, somewhat surprisingly, returned to the Hawks on his $7.2 million player option after signing a deal in the summer of 2017.
Dedmon showcased an interesting and varied skill set and also provided a lot of veteran energy to a team that sometimes seemed to lack that killer instinct in 2017-18. For the first time in his career, Dedmon attempted more than (ahem) one three-pointer, and his stroke actually looked excellent coming out of his hands.
Who knows if Dedmon will remain on the team for the entirety of the 2018-19 season, but to start the year, Dedmon will likely get the nod as the starting five.
Another surprising player opt-in (though slightly less so) was Mike Muscala, who would’ve returned to the Hawks as a fan favorite and a solid option as a backup center. Always a good shooter from distance, Musky had one of his best seasons last year, though he did miss a considerable amount of time due to injury.
Muscala was recently traded to the Philadelphia 76ers as part of the Dennis Schröder/Carmelo Anthony deal, and the Hawks acted quickly to replace him by signing former Phoenix Suns center Alex Len to a two-year/$8.5 deal that represents Atlanta’s Room Exception.
Len had one of his best seasons last year in terms of efficiency, and he provides the Hawks with a more “traditional” approach to the backup center position. A strong rebounder, Len should see a lot of minutes at the five next season for the Hawks.
The last rung on the totem pole of Hawks’ center options is Miles Plumlee, who actually saw a lot of action last season, but hopefully, Plumlee will play far less in 2018-19 than he did last year.
Both John Collins and Omari Spellman will also likely see time at the five, as both look to be more important players in the Hawks’ future than the players currently ahead of them at the center depth chart.
The Hawks are quite clogged up at the center position. With multiple young players who could potentially play more five later in their career, both JC and Spellman might not be quite ready to anchor a defense in the NBA just yet. But give it time — both players are young and could develop the ability to dominate in the post going forward. For now, we’ll see a lot of Dedmon and Len and maybe a smattering of Plumlee.
Next: Hawks Projected Starting Lineup for 18-19 Season
No matter what, The 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks are definitely going to be more fun to watch than the 2017-18 rendition.