Kingston Flemings has been suspended.
Who would've thought the first suspension of the new NBA season would be to the Hawks' rookie guard? He intentionally elbowed New Orleans' Bryce McGowens in the final minutes of the recent Hawks-Pelicans game, and is now set to miss one game.
When the Hawks travel to take on the Indiana Pacers, they'll be without their rookie guard. Maybe some new faces will be depended on. One of those guys could be RayJ Dennis - Atlanta's two-way guard who could provide them with a sneaky advantage against another talented Eastern Conference group.
It's no guarantee Dennis will see the floor, as Atlanta has many other capable ball-handlers, but the offense simply needs a spark. He could be the player to provide that against his former team.
Dennis' familiarity with Atlanta's next opponent could help them find a spark
In their most recent loss to the Pelicans, the Hawks' offense was impossibly bad.
As a group, they shot under 40% from the field and 20% from deep. They knocked down just eight of 46 attempts from the outside. Not good!
At the very least, Dennis would likely provide an instant boost on the offensive end. Last season with the College Park Skyhawks, he averaged north of 24 points, four rebounds, ten assists and two steals per game, earning All-NBA G League Third Team honors.
He wouldn't provide the same defensive intensity and driving burst as Flemings, but the Hawks can no longer afford to be picky. They must take a boost wherever they can get it. Under .500 through seven games, with an inferior opponent on the horizon, a win would be huge for the team's morale.
Dennis found his NBA footing in Indiana, and if he does indeed suit up against them in Atlanta's next matchup, it could help him carve out a role with the squad in the future.
Having a quality offensive-minded guard behind two others is an enticing situation
Of course, when Flemings returns from suspension, regardless of how Dennis plays in his absence, he'll return to the nightly rotation ahead of him.
The NBA, however, is unpredictable. Any player can go down with an injury at any given moment. Dennis has a golden opportunity to prove himself worthy of rotation priority if either of Atlanta's point guards go down.
Only time will tell which direction the Hawks go with Flemings out for one game, but if they opt for Dennis minutes off the bench, this could be the opportunity he's been patiently waiting for.
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