The Atlanta Hawks signed Kobe Johnson to an Exhibit 10 contract today, per Lauren Williams of Atlanta Journal-Construction. Kobe was a four-year player at USC and UCLA, earning his way into the starting lineup with his game-changing defense.
Because Kobe Johnson is the brother of Jalen, star forward for the Hawks, a cloud of suspected nepotism hangs over his head for some observers until he proves himself. Don't fall victim to this trap - Kobe is a legitimate G League-caliber player at the least and has serious potential if he can develop a consistent three point shot.
With the signing of Kobe, Atlanta has 17 players signed to standard contracts or Exhibit 10 contracts, meaning two players will be cut or moved to the G League. The four players who could realistically be cut or converted to the G League are Kobe, Caleb Houstan, N'Faly Dante, and Charles Bassey, two forwards and two centers.
Kobe will be pitted against Caleb Houstan, a three-year sharpshooter for the Magic, for the final forward position. What makes this signing intriguing is that the two players are polar opposites. Houstan is a wing who shot 40.0% from three last season but holds a questionable defensive record. Kobe could develop into a truly elite wing defender, but has yet to prove he belongs in an NBA offense.
Kobe and Houstan will represent two sides of an ideological battle
While the 15th spot on the roster isn't the sexiest, Atlanta has a concerning lack of forward depth that could make this a key decision in hindsight. Their wing rotation consists of four forward-sized players: Jalen, Zaccharie Risacher, Vit Krejci, and Asa Newell. Beyond that, you're looking at borrowing minutes at other positions: Onyeka Okongwu from the five, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dyson Daniels at the shooting guard position.
On paper, this isn't a weak rotation, but the game isn't played on paper. Injuries, even briefly, could spring Kobe or Houstan into a prominent role. What the Hawks must ask themselves is what type of player they want with this final spot.
Kobe's combination of defense, energy, and shooting potential makes him a serious candidate. While he has no NBA experience to his name, his summer league performance gave reason to believe his defensive dominance can carry over to higher levels of competition. Kobe averaged 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in Las Vegas in 18.6 minutes a night. Like his older brother, he did an excellent job of converting his steals into fastbreak opportunities.
Summer league is obviously a lower level of competition, but the fact that he won the starting job and played impressive defense against fringe NBA-caliber players. While his output will drop, he could still fill a valuable role on this Hawks team as a long defender who can eat minutes in case of emergency.
Johnson also shot above the NBA league average three point percentage for the first time in his career last season. The college line is nine inches shorter than the NBA line, but his 4.9% increase was reason to believe in him as an offensive player.
Houstan, on the other hand, was a former five-star prospect who has a flawless offensive game in a limited role. He rarely shoots, contrary to what his high percentage would suggest, but he makes mistakes less often. Houstan can be limited on defense, but his IQ and effort help alleviate the worst effects of this problem.
With Houstan's NBA experience, Johnson faces a stacked deck in training camp. He will have to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he is better than Houstan to earn the final roster spot. Still, Atlanta has the luxury of choosing between two exciting players for their final roster spot.