The 8 Best Players on the Atlanta Hawks Right Now

The Atlanta Hawks have had an action-packed and fascinating offseason punctuated by multiple trades, free agent signings and draft picks.

While perhaps the most notable transactions the Atlanta Hawks have undertaken this offseason occurred surrounding the draft – such as the #3 for #5 trade and the selection of Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman – there were multiple new players brought in as contributors for the 2018-19 rendition of the team.

Though we’re still roughly 2 months away from any meaningful NBA action (i.e. the regular season), but it’s never too early to look ahead at the team’s roster makeup when it comes to the 2018-19 campaign.

In particular with this piece, I wanted to explore an interesting angle: Who are the best players on the Atlanta Hawks right now – before the season even begins?

8 — Kevin Huerter

This list had to start off with some rookies, and, indeed, Kevin Huerter leads off the list of the best players on the Hawks in the immediate.

While not quite as highly touted as who follows him up on this list, but Huerter turned a lot of heads during the buildup to the NBA draft in the Combine as well as during localized team workouts and interviews.

While he had started the draft process as a fringe first round selection, his ball skills and stunning shooting numbers immediately impressed scouts and GMs all around the league.

With Atlanta Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk’s focus on outside shooting, taking Huerter #19 overall was an easy choice. With it, the Hawks secured a very strong player at a fairly low draft position – similar to the magic Schlenk worked by selecting John the Baptist at #19 last year.

Only time will tell if Huerter can become the Klay Thompson to Ice Trae’s Stephen Curry (in the lofty Warriors of the East scenario), but if he does, watch out NBA!

7 — Trae Young

Even though it is clear that Trae Young will be the most important player going forward for the Atlanta Hawks as a franchise (for richer or poorer), before the season begins, he cannot be ranked above players that have actually contributed in a big way for an NBA team.

Certainly, Ice Trae’s future in the league is brighter than others on this list simply because of his stunning offensive potential and upper-echelon NBA draft pedigree – not to mention the unparalleled collegiate production – Young led the country in both points and assists per game, which is still a shocking statistic.

Trae Young will likely come in as the starting point guard (even though I have a sneaking suspicion that Linsanity will be given a short run as the opening lead guard for the Hawks) and immediately learn on the fly at the highest levels of basketball.

So far, Young has said and done the right things, and he seems genuinely jazzed about joining the Atlanta Hawks franchise.

Let’s see if he can become one of the best players on the Atlanta Hawks in the matter of a single season.

6 — Dewayne Dedmon

While it is abundantly clear that both Trae Young and Kevin Huerter have brighter futures in the NBA given their age and untapped potential and upside, there is absolutely no question that Dewayne Dedmon is a better player right now for the Atlanta Hawks than either of those rookies.

Dedmon is a fearsome competitor and an energetic force at the center position, which he displayed on numerous occasions for the Hawks last year.

Though he is a little slight for the burliest of NBA centers – think Joel Embiid – his gets by just fine for a sinewy seven-footer with an unending motor.

While it’s unclear how long Dedmon will actually be on the Hawks next year in the second year of a full rebuild, he is definitely one of the team’s best players at this current juncture.

5 — Jeremy Lin

An argument could be made that Jeremy Lin should be lower than Dedmon, as Dedmon played in 62 games to Lin’s 1 in 2017-18.

Of course, it was a freak accident that downed Linsanity last season, so we’re giving him the benefit of the doubt.

No matter which way you slice it, the Atlanta Hawks upgraded their backcourt in myriad ways this offseason. Jettisoning Dennis Schröder in favor of a likely offensive upgrade in Trae Young while also upgrading the team’s defense at the one with Jeremy Lin, the Hawks’ point guard situation is vastly improved from one season ago.

Sure, Lin might take a while to round into form coming back from that patellar tendon injury. Even if he does not, he can still be an effective player for the Hawks with his steady ballhandling, solid defense and general veteran leadership on and off the court, making him a Top-5 player on the Atlanta Hawks at this moment.

4 — Vince Carter

Sure, Vince Carter might be the oldest player in the NBA right now (only former Atlanta Hawks great Jason Terry can approach VC in years), and while his high-flying antics of yesteryear might be a distant memory, that doesn’t mean that he isn’t immediately one of the Hawks best player for next year.

The Hawks had no real veteran presence last year on a team that was loaded with rookies, sophomores and two-way flyers.

That all changed when the team signed Carter to a one-year, veteran’s minimum deal (a move that we lauded at the time, and still do). With 20 years of NBA experience, Carter has single-handedly scored 7000 points more than the rest of the Atlanta Hawks players combined.

If that doesn’t qualify him as one of the Atlanta Hawks best players right now, I don’t know what does.

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.

1 — Kent Bazemore

Lastly, the best player on the Atlanta Hawks right now is easily Kent Bazemore.

While many might sardonically snipe at his admittedly massive contract, Bazemore has improved dramatically throughout much of his Hawks career – culminating in his excellent campaign last season, when he truly grew into a defensive terror and offensive initiator who was able to score efficiently and with ease at all three levels on the court.

Bazemore provided multiple clutch performances last season – besting the Pelicans with a game-winner, blocking former teammate Jeff Teague on what would’ve been a game-winning layup and stealing two straight passes against the Magic to seal a late victory.

Effective on both offense and defense, Baze was among the leaders in total steals, steals per game and steal rate before his season was ended prematurely by a bone bruise in his right knee.

Baze did it all last year, but some still managed to jeer his efforts. Real fans, however, realize that he is clearly the best player on the Atlanta Hawks and will be for however long he remains on the team next year.

Even if Taurean Prince makes a leap, Baze is too consistent and too good of a shooter and facilitator to relinquish his crown on the Hawks’ roster.

The only way he would not be the best player on the Atlanta Hawks is if he was traded to another team, which is definitely a distinct possibility.