Soaring Down South
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3 Atlanta Hawks who will see decreased roles this season

By Bre'ana Singleton

Mar 11, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) shoots against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and forward Bobby Portis (1) in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2020; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins (20) shoots against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) and forward Bobby Portis (1) in the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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When you’re as active as the Atlanta Hawks were this offseason, you can anticipate decreased roles for some returning players.

All of the buzz surrounding the Atlanta Hawks roster this season has been about the new additions and rightfully so. With a total of nine newbies on the squad, where does that leave some of the guys who were already on the team? The starting lineup is very much still up in the air, but let’s take a look at three Hawks players who will likely see their roles decrease this season.

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Brandon Goodwin – Point Guard

One of the Atlanta Hawks’ most pressing concerns this offseason was finding some help for their franchise point guard Trae Young. They did that by picking up veteran PG and two-time NBA champ Rajon Rondo on a two-year, $15 million deal. Rondo brings experience and leadership to the position that the Hawks haven’t had in a while. Sure Jeff Teague gave Atlanta quality years, but the value of having an NBA champion on the roster of a team looking to build for contention in the next few years can’t be overstated.

So what does this mean for Brandon Goodwin?

The Atlanta native is entering his third year in the league and played in 34 games for the Hawks last season. In almost 13 minutes played per game, Goodwin averaged 6.1 points on .400/.299/.933 shooting splits. He was sprung into the backup point guard role after Even Turner’s tenure with the Hawks failed to produce. He earned the role in a December game against the Magic. Trae Young was out with an injury and Goodwin put up 21 points in the Hawks’ win. Many questioned if Goodwin could step into the backup role full time.

Unfortunately for him, this almost certainly won’t be the case now that Rondo is in town for the next two years. The only way I see Goodwin getting significant minutes this year is if Rajon Rondo disappears in the regular season again like he’s done for the past few years.

Goodwin does have a bright future in the league but time will tell if it’s with the Hawks, as they also drafted LSU guard Skylar Mays, who will probably see significant G-League time.

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