Atlanta Hawks: 6 Players Facing the Most Pressure in 2018-19

2. DeAndre’ Bembry

After a lost season in 2017-18 and a rookie campaign in which he only played 371 minutes in 38 games, 24-year-old DeAndre’ Bembry has a lot to prove in his third year in the league.

The early returns in the preseason were excellent for Bembry, who led the Atlanta Hawks in scoring with 20 points in the team’s first contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. After that, he scored 10 against the Grizzlies (to go along with an alarming 5 turnovers) and then he continued the downward trend against the Thunder with 6 points, 4 turnovers and 5 fouls in 23 minutes of action.

Despite those less-than-spectacular stat lines, Bembry’s defensive energy and effort as well as his natural fluid athleticism have been fun to watch in the preseason.

However, for Bembry to truly make his case as an important part of the Atlanta Hawks’ future, he will need to be able to come in off the bench and immediately transform the game with his defensive ability and playmaking ability.

The Hawks have been trotting out Bembry as a backup point guard to Trae Young when he’s not on the floor, especially as Jeremy Lin gets shortened minutes as he is brought along slowly after his patellar tendon injury.

Bembry’s lost season in 2017-18 set him back considerably, as he would’ve been a major part of the team’s rotation had he not been mired in injuries for much of the year. Bembry is under a lot of pressure next season, and it will likely be a make-or-break year for Bembry as a future of member of the Atlanta Hawks.

However, there is one player who is coming in with the entire Atlanta Hawks’ fanbases expectations squarely on his shoulders. You know who I’m talking about…