Has Skylar Mays earned some minutes in the Atlanta Hawks rotation?
The Atlanta Hawks have had a torrid time over the start of the season. However, they have had one shining light throughout the Covid crisis that they have just endured with Skylar Mays taking the opportunity presented to him. Now that they have a slew of players coming back, the question needs to be asked, has Mays done enough to carve out some rotation minutes.
Mays has started four of the six games during this period and with the exception of the Orlando Magic game, has performed above expectation. The Magic game was his first back in the NBA and there were so many players who were struggling that this can be forgiven, plus he was only used for nine minutes in that game.
Since that game, Mays has shown that he is more than capable of navigating the difficulties of having younger, less experienced less skilled teammates than he is used to on the squad. In six games, Mays only committed three turnovers and two fouls, showing that he is up to the pace of the NBA.
The Atlanta Hawks need to find some rotation minutes for Skylar Mays
When Mays is on, the Hawks are usually in a good place to garner the victory. He had his first-ever career double-double in the win against the Philadelphia 76ers with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He also collected three assists and a steal in 33 minutes of game time.
However, this was not a flash in the pan performance. In the six games where he has been a key player for the Hawks, he has averaged 9.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 0.8 steals in 22.7 minutes per game. This is not a bad effort for a two-way player.
Mays also has the ability to impact the game on the defensive end. He is never going to be in the upper echelon of the NBA on that end but puts in a tremendous effort. He causes turnovers, contests shots, and switches well as required.
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It is getting to the point where the Hawks do not lose much if Mays is on the floor, no matter who he replaces on the court. The Hawks would be well served if they converted his two-way contract to a regular deal.