Well, duh. But what are possible solutions?
The Hawks came into the season betting that their collection of largely untested point guards (and arguably none of them pure point guards) could back up three-time All-Star Trae Young.
When you have a great player like Trae Young, you’re going to maximize his minutes on the court, obviously. So, it’s not quite as necessary to invest as many resources towards backing him up as you would a more problematic position.
And yet, that bet just has not cashed out to this point.
I talked earlier about how Trae Young is having a historic point guard season despite not setting the world ablaze in terms of shooting efficiency. I wrote even earlier than that about the huge workload the Hawks were putting on their two key guys (one of whom, Jalen Johnson, now is dealing with a shoulder injury).
With the season-ending injury to Kobe Bufkin, the Hawks have been left to cobble together a solution from within.
Since Bufkin’s injury, the Hawks have utilized the trio of Vit Krejci, Dyson Daniels, and (when with the team) Keaton Wallace in a hybrid point guard role when Trae Young is out of the game.
Unfortunately, the results have been borderline disastrous.
When Trae Young is in the game, the Hawks have an offensive rating of 116.7 per pbpstats. That performance would rank fifth among NBA teams this season per their own numbers.
However, when Young is out of the game, the offensive rating is a paltry 104.2 — dead last when lined up against the same list of teams. There’s always going to be a drop off between the starter and his direct backup, but those figures are falling off a cliff bad.
The biggest sore spot when the various backup guards have control of the offense has been turnovers. When Young is on the floor, the Hawks have committed a turnover on 14.4 of every 100 possessions of offense. When he’s off the floor, that figure jumps to 17.9 per 100 possessions.
Clearly, this has been a problem. To be perfectly frank, both Dyson Daniels and Vit Krejci are wings masquerading as point guards, and Keaton Wallace is a two-way player whose greatest value comes more from defending and shooting rather than ball handling.
So, to me, the remedy will have to be found somewhere beyond the current roster.
Possible solution no. 1: trade for point guard help
Who out there could be had? Back in 2020-21, the Hawks were so unenthusiastic about backup Rajon Rondo that they flipped him at the trade deadline for Atlanta-area legend Lou Williams. Williams repaid the franchise by helping spark a run to the Eastern Conference Finals. My guess is the Hawks will also be active around the trade deadline this time around, but it’s unlikely a trade would materialize until closer to deadline day itself.
I looked at backup veteran point guards on expiring contracts (so as to not jeopardize Bufkin’s future playing time) around the league and came up with a list of players Atlanta might ponder acquiring. Presumably, some combination of the salaries Larry Nance Jr., David Roddy, and Cody Zeller along with draft compensation could grease the wheels if needed.
Key disclaimer: this is not an exhaustive list, nor does it mean the player is actively being pursued or are necessarily available. I am reporting nothing.
The high quality but expensive, injury risk tier
- Lonzo Ball — Bulls
- Malcolm Brogdon — Wizards
The Hawks reunion tier
- Delon Wright — Bucks
- Dennis Schroder — Warriors
- Patty Mills — Jazz
- Aaron Holiday — Rockets
The Jones brothers tier
- Tyus Jones — Suns
- Tre Jones — Spurs
Fourth year players set to enter restricted free agency tier
- Davion Mitchell — Raptors
- Tre Mann — Hornets
- Bones Hyland — Clippers
Others
- Kyle Lowry (has veto power over trades) — 76ers
- Reggie Jackson — 76ers
- Cameron Payne — Knicks
- Vasilije Micic — Hornets
- Cory Joseph — Magic
- Monte Morris — Suns
- Shake Milton — Lakers
- Gary Payton II — Warriors
- Jordan McLaughlin — Kings
- Dalano Banton — Trail Blazers
- Spencer Dinwiddie — Mavericks
Possible solution no. 2: open a roster spot to sign a free agent
The only realistic way for the Hawks to open up a roster spot without going into the trade market would be to work out a buyout with Cody Zeller who has yet to appear with the team in any capacity since being acquired in the Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans transaction.
Per SalarySwish, the Hawks are right up against the luxury tax line within $1.3 million of that threshold (and I have an inkling that they won’t exceed it for any reason), so the hope is that Zeller agrees to a smaller buyout than the $3.5 million he’s owed.
Who is out there ready to hop off the couch and help the Hawks (presumably on a veteran minimum contract)? Two names stick out to me: Dennis Smith Jr. and Markelle Fultz.
Smith Jr. was a backup for the Hornets and Nets in recent years who has turned into a defensive stud after falling out of favor in Dallas. He is, however, less remarkable as a lead ball handler or shooter but would still represent an upgrade to what Atlanta has currently in my opinion.
Fultz is the better ball handler of the pair, and it’s mildly shocking to find the former number one pick out of an NBA job. But his shooting struggles saw him barely even attempt threes last season with the Magic, and his 49% true shooting mark was such an eyesore that it clearly scared off Orlando from bringing him back.
Who is your preferred option? Feel free to discuss below.