The Atlanta Hawks have had a slight issue with keeping their big men on the floor. Clint Capela, who is playing his role to perfection lately has been healthy since he came back for the league’s Covid-19 protocols in January.
However, John Collins missed seven games on both sides of the All-Star break. Then Onyeka Okongwu, one of the players stepping up in Collins’ absence was diagnosed with a concussion during the Boston Celtics game.
This led to Gorgui Dieng coming off the bench for the first time for non-junk time minutes in a long time. Unfortunately, he showed us why he has been out of the Hawks rotations since the start of the season. Collins came back against the Washington Wizards and will welcome the two days off to recover before the Detroit Pistons game.
Why the Atlanta Hawks should try Justin Tillman on a 10-day deal.
Justin Tillman announced himself to the G League after coming back from the 10-day contract that he signed when the Hawks were going through their Covid-19 crisis. While he did not play a minute, the time spent on the sidelines for the Hawks re-lit the fire and reminded him that his dreams were so close.
He has been on a tear since coming back to the G League. In fact, he is playing so well that he is leading the G League in rebounding, one of two players from the College Park Skyhawks who are leading the league in different categories. The other player is Cat Barber in assists.
As mentioned in some previous articles, Tillman is an undersized center, standing only 6’8″ but that does not seem to hold Okongwu back. The Atlanta Hawks sophomore has taken on some of the premier big men of the league and either held his own or beaten them.
Tillman is another player who plays on energy and heart as shown by his performance against the Greensboro Swarm where he collected 24 points and 12 rebounds in yet another double-double. This performance helped the very short-handed Skyhawks get the win.
So why should the Hawks give a 10-day contract to Tillman? Well, his play in the G League warrants it for a start. Secondly, with Okongwu out with a concussion, having a similar type of player come off the bench may help the Hawks. With an open roster spot, they have nothing to lose.