Should the Atlanta Hawks help this NBA veteran revive his career
The Atlanta Hawks had Gorgui Dieng as their third-string big man last season. Unfortunately, his game style was a big reason that he was not in the Hawks’ rotations for much of the season. He did perform well against his old team the Minnesota Timberwolves, but he just did not fit what the team needed.
Now, the Hawks’ big-man rotations seem fairly set. They have Clint Capela as their starting center, a player whose defense piqued the interest of the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the offseason. On top of that, they have Onyeka Okongwu as their reserve center who is an amazing pick and roll specialist who is looking to come back with a jump shot.
However, the options get fairly thin after that. John Collins is a tremendous rim protector and help defender. However, his individual defense can be questionable. This means that he should play as little time at the center position as possible.
Should the Atlanta Hawks work out Aron Baynes?
After a year out from the NBA thanks to a freak spinal injury suffered during the Olympics in Japan, Aron Baynes is back at Summer League. He is working out for teams during this time in an effort to make his way back into the NBA per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. So the question needs to be asked, should the Hawks take a look at the Australian big man.
Baynes has developed into a stretch-five which is what Dieng was, but the Australian has some aspects to his game that Dieng did not. The Aussie uses his body and size really effectively inside as a paint protector. When he was with the Detroit Pistons his teammates came out saying that they all walked a little taller knowing that the Aussie big man would always have their backs.
Next. Have the recent trades been enough to keep John Collins. dark
He would not allow any opposition player to bully his teammates which just gives them an edge. On top of that, Baynes’ body style is a space-creator. When he sets a screen, it is really hard to get around him. Imagine what Trae Young and Dejounte Murray could do with some open floor space on the offensive end.