Every time that a team adds a player there are always going to be ripple effects on the roster. The Atlanta Hawks adding Sharife Cooper with the 48th pick in the 2021 NBA draft is no exception to this rule. The Hawks roster, which had a major overhaul last offseason, is potentially going to have another remodel this offseason.
The position which we are looking at today is the backup point guard slot which the Hawks have struggled to fill since Trae Young was drafted to this team. Plenty of players have been tried but they could not keep the offense running the same way Young did and it ground to a halt.
This is not the fault of players the Hawks have signed. They have been good enough but there is only one Young. In part, it was the fault of the coach as Lloyd Pierce was not able to correctly harness Young’s tremendous play. Nate McMillan on the other hand has a beautiful connection with Young and has him playing the best team basketball of his short career.
What impact will Sharife Cooper have on the Atlanta Hawks rotations?
While it is a bit early to say the full impact that Cooper will have on the rotations as he has not played a minute of basketball for the Hawks. However, all reports are that he loves hard work and will bring this mentality to his pro career.
One thing is certain, Cooper will not displace Young out of the starting lineup. However, depending on how he plays in the summer league and then how he performs in training camp, Cooper may impact who the Hawks re-sign. Let’s look at the competition for the roster spot.
Atlanta Hawks roster impact No. 1) Who do they re-sign – Guard edition
The Hawks guard rotation behind Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic is not set by any stretch of the imagination. The only players they have who play guard minutes under contract are Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, and the newly acquired Delon Wright.
However, they need to pursue Lou Williams in free agency because he fills the backup scoring role like not many others can in the entire league. The three Sixth Man of the Year trophies he has received pay testament to that.
However, the Hawks have two other guards who were on contract last season and need to be seriously considered. Brandon Goodwin has been with this team for two seasons and is a really good long-term prospect for the team. He will have to hope the body of work that he has put in allows him to re-sign.
The guard who will be looking over his shoulder is Skylar Mays. It is unfortunate for Mays that the G-League did not have a full season in 2020-21. The Hawks did not even enter their team in the G-League bubble. Had they played Mays would have had a better opportunity to showcase his skillset.
Atlanta Hawks roster impact No. 1) Who do they re-sign – Forward edition
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Such is the depth and versatility of the Hawks squad, the signing of a point guard can impact the forward rotation. The Hawks need to decide if they pass or pursue on both Tony Snell and Solomon Hill. It seems more likely that they will pursue Hill over Snell.
The Hawks have a plethora of talent who can play multiple positions. When De’Andre Hunter comes back into the lineup he will start within a few games. He is such a key piece for the Hawks at both ends of the floor.
This will free up Kevin Huerter to play a key role in the second unit again as he stood in for Hunter for most of the time he was injured. He will be playing either the point role or either of the wing positions, such is his ability to be a glue guy on this team.
Assuming that Cam Reddish is not traded this offseason he could play the backup role off the bench for both wing positions. At a pinch, he could play the power forward role on the second unit. However, with Cooper playing quality bench minutes at the point, Reddish may find himself on another team by the trade deadline.
However, it is Nathan Knight who is in the most danger of not being re-signed next season. With the addition of Jalen Johnson and the established younger Hawks players returning to their roles, Knight could be pushed back to the G-League to show his potential.