Has Lance Stephenson done enough to stay with the Atlanta Hawks?

The Atlanta Hawks signed Lance Stephenson to a ten-day contract back on the 22nd of December, right back at the start of the current Covid-19 crisis which has decimated the Hawks. Stephenson last played in the NBA in the 2018-19 season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Despite this, he has stayed ready, which fits with his nickname of Born Ready. Stephenson has been playing for the Grand Rapids Gold in the G League and performing quite well. He is averaging 19.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 4.1 assists in 35.0 minutes per game.

While Stephenson has had his off-court issues, the Hawks went looking for an experienced playmaker who could create for himself and others on offense. Stephenson more than fits that bill. He has led the league in triple-doubles for a season once, but that was before Russell Westbrook made them commonplace.

The Atlanta Hawks have not got what they wanted from Lance Stephenson

The Hawks have seen some positive signs from Stephenson. He always has his head on a swivel and looking to advance the ball in every offensive possession. The Hawks have looked good at times on offense when Stephenson has been on the court.

However, Stephenson has not been able to produce enough of an impact on the court or on the box score to place any pressure on Skylar Mays, Sharife Cooper, or even Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. His 1.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 12.8 minutes per game are just not enough.

For Stephenson to force his way onto the roster he needs to show more on the court. During the Chicago Bulls game, Malcolm Hill bought way more energy to the court than Stephenson. This was a big reason why the player in his second game got ten more minutes on the court than the veteran.

So, has the veteran done enough to warrant the Hawks taking a punt on him,? The answer to this has to be a no, some of the other ten-day contract players would be above him and it will be hard for them to get a spot on this team.