Atlanta Hawks: 4 Players Who Could Become Sixth Man in 2018-19

4. Vince Carter

This fall, Carter will be entering his 21st season in the NBA at the age of 41. Last Friday George Henry from the Associated Press reported that the former Sacramento King officially signed with the Hawks. Carter could have signed with a possible contender but decided to sign with a young Atlanta team instead.

As of now, Carter’s role is up in the air and there is a slim possibility that he could land the sixth man role. However, VC’s veteran experience combined with the Hawks youthful roster could play to his advantage. This season will serve as a learning curve for the organization’s young core in Young, Huerter, Taurean Prince and John Collins.

Make no mistake, Prince and Collins will be in the starting lineup but Huerter and Young can learn a lot from Carter, whether they start or come off the bench. The 41-year-old can show the younger players how to be professional, stay in shape and how to play the game at its highest levels.

From 1998 to 2010 the North Carolina product averaged 15 points or more per season. While it’s unlikely that Carter will average these numbers in his age-42 season, he will serve as a capable mentor and guide young wing players on the Hawks current roster.

Another factor to consider is the previous systems that the North Carolina native played in. Carter played for the Memphis Grizzlies from 2014 to 2017 and that system primarily focused on Michael Conley Jr., Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. With Carter featured on a young Atlanta team that will almost certainly not sniff the playoffs, he could see more minutes.

Last year, Vinsanity played for the Kings, who were also going through a rebuilding phase. Wherever the 20-year veteran ends up in the rotation he will be able to help this young team, but experience could place him in position to be the team’s premier sixth man.