With no Atlanta Hawks basketball until early October we’ve gone through many exercises already. Taking stock of the perception of this team around the league, grading out the different parts of their offseason, and looking forward to potential breakouts from members of the best young core in the league.
But what if you were given carte blanche over not only this roster but those of the other teams in the Southeast Division?
Who would you take?
The Atlanta Hawks division is full of talented players who would benefit this team
That’s what this piece sets out to explore. The Hawks division (a relatively meaningless term for most of the year) is full of talent that could help this team out. Even the teams on the bottom rungs have options that would make for intriguing additions to an Atlanta squad that made its way to the Eastern Conference Finals with a banged-up roster and interim head coach.
Imagine what they could do with some of the top talent from their fellow Southeasterners. If they were looking, that is.
For what it’s worth, they aren’t. Though they do have one free roster spot after Skylar Mays officially signed his two-way contract on Thursday. He and Sharife Cooper might be the most interesting two-way combo of any team.
They could end up going with big man Johnny Hamilton who they signed from overseas. Or maybe they win the Paul Millsap sweepstakes. For our purposes, they will use that spot to sign one of the following players away from a divisional foe.
Atlanta Hawks stolen rival player No. 1: Mo Bamba has never gotten a fair shake in Orlando
The Orlando Magic’s plan for Mo Bamba was unclear from the very beginning. Nikola Vucevic was their best player at the start of his prime and they had a clear and present need for a point guard. They would pass on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would go four picks later, among many other players to take Bamba sixth overall.
He’s started all of six games in his three pro seasons.
Injuries have played a large part in the delayed development of the 7-foot, 231-pound center too.
"“This is not entirely the team’s fault. Bamba played only 47 games in his rookie season because of a stress fracture in his leg and ended up missing the playoff series with the Toronto Raptors, hindering his development after a positive start to his career. After making a return last season, he saw his minutes reduced slightly. But Bamba was solidly the backup center for the team. He showed better understanding and awareness defensively and his per-36 numbers were encouraging for a young center. With the season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bamba caught the virus himself which impacted his conditioning and prevented him from competing inside the bubble. So much so that he had to be sent home early from the Orlando bubble and again missed the postseason.”"
Still, Bamba is very skilled, averaging 2.9 blocks and 1.7 assists to go with 18.2 points and 13.3 rebounds per 36 minutes last season.
He is also a potential perimeter threat, hitting 32.5 percent of his triples in his career.
Atlanta Hawks stolen rival player No. 2: Thomas Bryant is the archetypical stretch big
It was highly tempting to put Daniel Gafford in this spot. His high-flying act would play well in Atlanta catching lobs from Trae Young, blocking shots with authority, and playing with overall infectious energy. But he’s not Washington’s best-kept secret. That designation goes to fellow big man, Thomas Bryant.
Alright, that might be overstating it for a guy that appeared in just 10 games last season thanks to a knee injury. But Bryant is still a dynamic player that fits perfectly with what the NBA is today.
As for his injury history, he’s dealt with hip, knee, and foot issues over the past three seasons.
When healthy, he’s averaged 13.4 points and 7.0 boards over the last two seasons with the Wizards, slashing .593/.411/.729. He is one of three players to average at least 13 points and 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting at least 40 percent from three in that span.
The other two are Kevin Durant and John Collins; impressive company no matter how you slice it.
Interestingly enough Bryant, like Bamba, will be a free agent next offseason. A team like the Hawks could capitalize on a very talented player looking to prove themselves in a winning situation. They could certainly do much worse than either of the big men but, for our money, Bryant is the better investment.
Their health is about a push. But the 6-foot-11 Bryant’s shooting touch is far more developed at this point in his career while he also provides comparable defensive prowess.
Atlanta Hawks stolen rival player No. 3: Kelly Oubre got a worse rap than he deserved in Golden State
Your opinion of Kelly Oubre is *mostly* wrong. After beginning the season averaging just 10.2 points and 5.6 rebounds and shooting an abysmal 13.7 percent from downtown, Oubre put up 16.6/6.1/1.4 and a steal from Jan 12 on. There was even a 24-game stretch in there where he averaged 17.7 points and shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc.
We’ve come to know Oubre more for his fashion sense, high-flying dunks, and questionable shot selection.
In February alone he averaged 20.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while knocking down a whopping 43 percent of his threes. Done across a full season, that would have put him in the top-15 for qualified snipers last season.
Only Durant (he might be kind of good) averaged 20 points and 6.0 boards while shooting 43 percent for the entire season.
Oubre has always been a capable defender, who can guard 1-4 and some small-ball centers.
The talent has always been there with Oubre, the focus on the floor just wasn’t. He showed a lot of growth in that regard as the season wore on and Travis Schlenk and Nate McMillan have fostered an environment of development. Much in the way that it’s done back in Golden State, Schlenk’s old stomping grounds.
That being said, his inconsistency is exactly why the deal Oubre signed with Charlotte this offseason — two years, $26 million — is the right amount of risk.
It’s a hefty sum, sure. But you get a modern, switchy wing for a reasonable price if it works and a nice salary matching chip if it doesn’t.
Atlanta Hawks stolen rival player No. 4: The shine may be off of Tyler Herro but he’s still dangerous
Despite Omer Yurtseven’s very impressive summer league, we’ve avoided rookies to this point. Instead, Tyler Herro makes for an interesting choice. The polarizing player has been relatively consistent on the floor but much of the focus went to his offseason activities after he averaged just 9.3/3.3/1.8 while shooting 31.6 percent from the floor and deep in the playoffs.
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Again, in the regular season, he’s been consistent.
Herro averaged 15.1/5.0/3.4 last season after averaging 13.5/4.1/2.2 as a rookie. Granted he wasn’t as efficient from outside in his second season, canning 36 percent of his tiples compared to 38.9 the year before.
He still shot better from the floor overall. So much for those “bubble” narratives.
He is thought of highly enough that the Heat turned down including him in a trade package for Kyle Lowry.
It ultimately worked out for Miami, they landed Lowry anyway via sign-and-trade this offseason for Goran Dragic and Precious Achiuwa.
The former Kentucky Wildcat was the third-leading scorer on this team, by the way. He has also shown a knack for shot creation and an ability to set up teammates.
Best of all, Herro won’t turn 22 until January.
His ceiling is still sky-high and he’s already gained so much experience. A backcourt of he and Young would be a constant highlight factory, albeit one that would give up its fair share of points on the other end.
The object of the game is still to outscore your opponent and the duo would certainly be capable of that, especially in big moments.