Who is Cat Barber and why have the Atlanta Hawks signed him?

Thanks to the Atlanta Hawks going through massive issues with players going into the NBA health and safety protocols, we are getting to see players in the big leagues we might not have seen. The Hawks have almost half their team in the NBA protocols.

This led to the Hawks calling up Skylar Mays, Sharife Cooper, and Jalen Johnson from the College Park Skyhawks. They also signed Wes Iwundu, Malcolm Hill, and Lance Stephenson from the G League. However, thanks to Covid-19 decimating the team, there are still opportunities for other players.

This is where the Hawks have signed Cat Barber, who is in his second season with the College Park Skyhawks. He has played 14 games this season, coming off the bench 11 times, and averaging 13.4 points, 5.6 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in just a tick over 26.4 minutes per game.

The Atlanta Hawks are rewarding their own G League players.

During the Philadelphia 76ers game, GM Travis Schlenk came on the broadcast and explained that they were going to reward the Skyhawks players with time in the varsity squad. This was due to the number of players needing to be signed throughout the league but also to show these players that a pathway exists to higher honors.

However, the question must be asked, why is it that the Hawks are promoting Barber when they have players such as DaQuan Jeffries who have NBA experience. The answer is simple, they are rewarding the players who are playing at their best right now.

Barber almost collected a triple-double from the bench in the game where Jalen Johnson led them to victory. Barber’s contribution was huge in order for the Skyhawks to get a win. At 6’2″ he is a decent size to play the backup point behind Delon Wright until the Hawks get their main squad back.