The 8 Best Players on the Atlanta Hawks Right Now
By Chris Guest
3 — John Collins
Now we get into players that will play huge roles in the team’s future and present into next season.
John Collins is coming off a stirring 2017-18 campaign in which he was named to the All-Rookie Second Team (though his stats were good enough for the First Team, really). His natural, fluid athleticism and knack for finishing around the rim – with or without dunking – gained plaudits from many pundits all season long.
Now, Collins comes in as one of the faces of the franchise alongside Trae Young, Taurean Prince and Kevin Huerter – not to mention the various veterans already mentioned in this list.
After a fairly impressive Summer League in which he flashed a confident three-point stroke off the dribble, above the break and anywhere in between as well as some newfound ballhandling skills, Collins is poised to have a breakout year in his sophomore campaign.
We’re rooting for him, as the Hawks haven’t had a dunker as good as him since J-Smoove (or Josh Smith for the initiated) impressed Hawks fans with his jamming exploits.
2 — Taurean Prince
While John Collins has the age advantage, Taurean Prince is further along in terms of development for the Atlanta Hawks, which means he goes into next season as the second-best player on the team – no question.
Prince was an absolute beast down the end of the 2017-18, dominating the ball as the team’s lead ballhandler, operating in the pick-and-roll and shredding defenses with his pull-up three-pointers off the dribble, as well as some stunning, pinpoint passes that caught multiple defenders off-guard.
Not only that, but The Prince That Was Promised proved that he could run an offense competently as well as score in bunches when the need arose.
He also showed a certain swagger that was heretofore unexplored. After he got in a minor scuffle with Suns rookie Josh Jackson, Prince played as a man possessed, finishing off the Suns in that game with an off-balance, leaning three-pointer that neatly swished in – downing the Suns by a point.
If Prince can continue to gain valuable experience and – most importantly – remain consistent throughout the 2018-19 season, he will easily vault into the top spot on this list of the best players on the Atlanta Hawks right now.