Jeremy Lin Can Help the Atlanta Hawks in 3 Key Areas
Roster Depth & Offensive Stability
Trading for Lin provides the Hawks with depth at the point guard position. After the trade of DS17, the point guards on the current roster include Young, Lin and two-way rookie Jaylen Adams.
Even after the Schröder trade, the team will have some on-court flexibility come the regular season. Lin can play both guard positions although you probably want him to stay on the ball. There is no doubt that Young is the future point guard of the future in Atlanta.
The fact that Young won’t be catapulted into the starting lineup benefits him in the long-term. He will have the opportunity to sit and learn. Probably for the first half of the season, the former Oklahoma Sooner will come off the bench.
Atlanta head coach Lloyd Pierce will have some fun this season playing with the lineup. If the Hawks want to play small ball their lineup could feature Lin, Young, Kent Bazemore, Taurean Prince and John Collins.
Now, this may not be something Pierce goes to often but the possibilities are endless. Expect the Hawks to space the floor, play high pick & roll and utilize small ball lineups. A negative about this trade is that the backcourt will struggle on defense.
Next: Players to Watch on 2018-19 Atlanta Hawks
Hopefully, Pierce can help the team develop in that area. Expect an exciting year for the Hawks especially since the dynamic of the Eastern Conference has changed dramatically.