The Atlanta Hawks made a huge trade on Thursday to send away former starting point guard Dennis Schroder to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Carmelo Anthony.
With the move (which we loved), the Atlanta Hawks got significantly younger and have far more upside than they’ve had in years.
Ever since the euphoric highs of the 2014-15 60-win Atlanta Hawks, the franchise has been seemingly stuck in neutral – unable to escape the morass of mediocrity that so many teams find themselves in.
Now, with a unified front of an owner (Tony Ressler), General Manager (Travis Schlenk — or should we say Drax the Destroyer?) and new head coach (Lloyd Pierce) who are all comfortable with losing a lot of games and growing organically through the draft the team finally has an identity built around its young core – with very few holdovers from the Mike Budenholzer era.
With that in mind, let’s explore the 12 Atlanta Hawks players to watch for in the 2018-19 season, starting with…
13. Carmelo Anthony
Just kidding. Thanks for the memories, Melo!
12. Luka Doncic
Also just kidding, but this time with more crying.
11. Antonius Cleveland
Now we get serious. Cleveland is lowest on this list due to playing very few minutes in the 2017-18 season, and being a generally less exciting prospect than many of the other players on this list.
Still though, Cleveland is an athletic and talented young player who looked pretty good through both Summer Leagues for the Hawks.
10. Jaylen Adams
Jaylen Adams was immediately signed to a two-way deal with the Hawks after going undrafted out of St. Bonaventure.
Adams should provide some solid shooting off the dribble from distance for Atlanta, and could step in and play spot minutes should either (or, heaven forbid, both) Trae Young or Jeremy Lin be injured during the 2018-19 campaign.
9. Justin Anderson
One of the less flashy elements of the Schröder/Melo trade was the acquisition of Justin Anderson from the 76ers.
Going into his 4th season in 2018-19, Anderson has shown flashes but little else so far in his NBA career. But one can never have too much wing depth in today’s NBA, so the Hawks made a play for a low-cost flyer on Anderson.
It will be interesting to see just how much he plays in 2018-19.
8. DeAndre’ Bembry
Coming off a completely lost season in 2017-18, Bembry will have a lot to prove – especially since he predates the Ressler/Schlenk/Pierce regime.
If Bembry is unable to live up to his athletic gifts and first-round pedigree, he might not be long for the team. Let’s hope he stays healthy, as he is an extremely likable player who plays a valuable and scarce position at the three.
7. Jeremy Lin
The Hawks’ newest point guard will be 9-year veteran Jeremy Lin.
Though his heyday of Linsanity is behind him, Lin is a fascinating character, who can still contribute in a big way to the Hawks as both a primary ballhandler and veteran leader who has experienced more than almost any player in the league.
We were originally skeptical of the Lin deal, but with Schröd gone, the trade makes more sense.
6. Tyler Dorsey
Dorsey had a strong rookie season though he, of course, was overshadowed by his fellow rookie John Collins.
Still though, if Dorsey can develop his playmaking ability a bit more and know when to choose his spots in terms of getting his fluid jumper off, Dorsey could serve as an important piece for the Hawks going forward.
5. Omari Spellman
Now we get into the Top 5. Spellman was not the most popular choice for the Hawks at #30 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, but he did look pretty darn good in Summer League, despite a clearly raw skill set for the NBA.
Still though, a beefy, three-point shooting center that can absolutely obliterate shots at the rim sounds awesome, so he should make for can’t-miss television in 2018-19.
4. Kevin Huerter
All eyes will be on Huerter, perhaps even more than his fellow rookie first rounders, simply because he had offseason wrist surgery and was unable to play in Summer League.
He was there and cheered on his teammates at every opportunity, but we’re still not sure what to expect from him. That mystery adds even more fuel to his watchability rating, no matter what he does on the court to start the year.
Our guess? A smooth jump shot and solid playmaking ability in a large, redheaded frame.
3. Taurean Prince
Despite an up-and-down start to his 2017-18 season, Taurean Prince erupted down the home stretch of last season. He was jacking up threes, diming up dudes off the dribble with ease and generally looked extremely comfortable as a secondary (and sometimes even primary) playmaker.
How will The Prince That Was Promised react to having the ball taken out of his hands? Some players are simply better with the ball in their hands, and it seems as if TP is in that camp.
With so many potential ball-dominant players on the roster, will TP be able to continue his impressive growth, or will he regress to the way he started the 2017-18 season?
Only time will tell, but it should be fascinating no matter what.
2. John Collins
1. Trae Young
The top two choices here were tough.
Though, of course, human dunk machine John Collins will create multiple highlights in the 2018-19 season, and he should only improve after his surprising All-Rookie Second Team selection.
Still though, all eyes will be on #5 overall selection in the 2018 Draft: Trae Young.
The Hawks unintentionally (or perhaps not) put more pressure on Young by trading down to obtain him after first selecting decorated international prospect Luka Doncic #3 overall.
Even though passing on Doncic is a monster risk, Young has similarly high offensive upside in a smaller frame. The early returns in Summer League were promising, but one thing is certain:
Young will “keep that same energy” throughout the 2018-19 season, and we can’t wait to watch both him and John Collins play and grow together in Atlanta Hawks uniforms.
Next: Hawks Projected Starting Lineup for 18-19 Season
Stay tuned for a far more in-depth discussion of players to watch on the Hawks in 2018-19 broken down by their experience in the league. Otherwise, keep it locked to Soaring Down South for all your Hawks news and rumors.