The Atlanta Hawks have had a fascinating offseason, and it continued earlier this week with a signing of a new player to a non-guaranteed deal.
The Atlanta Hawks have signed Thomas Robinson, who last played in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2016-17, to a non-guaranteed contract on Monday.
While the non-guaranteed nature of this deal means Robinson might not stick around on the Hawks for long, especially with all roster spots essentially filled, this deal is a tremendous low-cost flyer for the Atlanta Hawks to explore in a season that will be packed with experimentation and rampant rebuilding moves.
Sources: Free agent forward Thomas Robinson is signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Atlanta Hawks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 27, 2018
Robinson was drafted 5th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 2012, but he was never truly able to establish himself in any concrete way – bouncing around between the Kings, Rockets, Blazers, Sixers, Nets and finally the Lakers two seasons ago.
Last season, Robinson was unable to land an NBA contract, so he played overseas with Russian team BC Khimki — where he threw down some exceptional, John Collins-esque dunks:
In the NBA, Robinson’s career numbers of 4.9 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game, 13.4 minutes per game and 47 percent field goal percentage do not breed any confidence in this decision by the Hawks.
Also, because Robinson is already 27 years old, he doesn’t really match the team’s youthful bent, as he is 8 years older than Trae Young and 6 years older than Omari Spellman and Kevin Huerter.
Still though, Robinson showed improvement in his most recent NBA season, logging career-highs in Player Efficiency Rating (17.3) and true shooting percentage (53.5%).
Robinson is also a good athlete with good size, who should be switchable and disruptive on defense. According to an interview he did with Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News, he prides himself on his effort and attitude every night:
“I am an energy and hustle guy. That’s what I do. That’s my niche. That’s what I wake up and go in the gym and work on. That’s me. I am always going to be that player. I’m always going to be the best. I’ll be a star in my role. I don’t want to be the next Kobe, LeBron or prove I can score 30 points. I want to be established in my role and help my other teammates get off on their shots and rebounds and extra plays and things of that sort. That’s my commitment this summer to get my IQ better with the game and to lock in and become an All-Star in what I do and that’s filling the energy player.”
That sounds like the perfect fit for a good who is fighting to play in the NBA alongside likely franchise cornerstones. If Robinson’s presence can instill this mentality in this young, upside-laden Atlanta Hawks team, then Robinson will have done his job.