The Atlanta Hawks got a veritable steal with the 16th-overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft in Duke forward AJ Griffin. Projected in some places to be a top-five pick, the reason behind Griffin’s slide stemmed from questions around his foot speed and stopping ability on defense, though, he does have the frame for the latter.
Unfortunately, we did not get to see Griffin in the Hawks’ summer league opener. He is day-to-day with a “right foot discomfort”.
The Hawks lost the game 72-66.
But many faces from the Hawks showed up in support including head coach Nate McMillan who had nice things to say about his new asset. His words even hinted at a potential role for the youngster right away.
AJ Griffin could have a big role for the Atlanta Hawks this season
Griffin represented the second consecutive year the Hawks were able to take advantage of a projected lottery pick falling to them. They snagged another Duke forward, Jalen Johnson, with the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. In both instances, the Hawks bypassed more pressing needs to take the best player available.
The son of a former player and coach, Griffin has a lot of traits that made him attractive to the Hawks.
“Nice size at the 2/3 position. Can shoot the lights out. We want him to be aggressive offensively. And, again, it gives us that size on the wing that should be able to guard these big…2s and 3s that are out on the floor. But, a guy that can space the floor and shoot the basketball.”
Leg injuries have seemed to slow down the 6-foot-6 Griffin, leaving him vulnerable on the perimeter and in switches.
I asked AJ Griffin about what he might be able to bring defensively.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) June 24, 2022
"That's something I've worked on tremendously. To be able to be in an organization that takes pride in that, that's definitely going to be something I look forward to. Defense wins championships."
He still possesses a 6-foot-11 wingspan and shoots very well. Griffin knocked down 44.7% of his triples last season. McMillan made mention of that ability while citing how it could impact Griffin’s role.
“With Trae ’s ability to create offense, he needs guys that can catch and shoot. As I describe Trae, he’s not a pocket-pass quarterback. He’s a running quarterback so he needs that guy to be able to step out there and knock down the shot.”
The only way for Griffin to benefit Young in the way McMillan says he needs is by being out on the floor.
AJ GRIFFIN 📈📈📈📈📈👀 @whoisAG21 pic.twitter.com/nZo5116Ovv
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) December 16, 2021
But, as we have seen from McMillan repeatedly, rookies will not start unless he feels he can trust them. Johnson played in just 22 games last season averaging fewer than six minutes a night.
If Griffin struggles throughout summer league and the preseason, it will be another redshirt season for a Hawks rookie. But, with the reoccurring issues with Bogdan Bogdanovic’s knee and Kevin Huerter now in Sacramento, the Hawks need all the shooting they can muster off of the bench.
Can that be Griffin? Will he be able to earn that opportunity under McMillan? If he does, the Hawks could fast-track their return to contention in the Eastern Conference.