Atlanta Hawks: 4 Players That Need More Minutes
By Chris Guest
Alex Poythress
Two-Way Player Alex Poythress has not played for the Atlanta Hawks since suffering an ankle injury against the Indiana Pacers on November 17th. Poythress’s injury was a shame, as he had been providing the Hawks with serviceable wing minutes and a flurry of dunks (9 in 195 minutes played to be exact).
A burly power forward who can switch across multiple positions on defense, Poythress showcased solid chops on both ends of the floor for the Hawks in the early portion of the season – filling in ably for John Collins and providing a solid facsimile of JC’s amazing athleticism and stunning leaping ability.
While Poythress lacks the otherworldly touch around the basket and highlight-reel-worthy, high-flying dunks that John the Baptist can provide, Poythress is definitely an impressive vertical athlete who got up in the early season for lobs and breakaway slams in transition.
Beyond that, Poythress was shooting quite well from distance – employing the Atlanta Hawks’ modern offensive system to get lots of open corner threes. On the season, Poythress is shooting 35.7 percent from distance on 1.1 triple attempts per game.
Poythress is still listed as day-to-day with his ankle issue, but let’s hope he’s able to come back to the lineup soon, as the Hawks should be looking to see what they have in the 25-year-old, third-year players as they move forward this season.