Injuries Deplete Atlanta Hawks Wing Depth
Throughout the summer and well into training camp, General Manager Travis Schlenk made it his mission to stockpile perimeter players. Like a germaphobe with hand sanitizer, Schlenk accrued more than what was required at the time. And much like most hoarders, people wondered aloud what Schlenk had planned for his cache of wings.
Despite Onyeka Okongwu being out until early January and Clint Capela missing time due to his Achilles tendon injury, the Hawks front office opted to keep journeyman Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot instead of former #3 draft pick, Jahlil Okafor, during the preseason. That choice has now been proven correct.
The Hawks frontcourt, led by a Capela resurgence, is solid. On the other hand, the wings are experiencing a near-worst case scenario. De'Andre Hunter (right wrist tendon surgery) is out until at least January, Bogdan Bogdanovic (right ankle sprain) is out for at least two weeks, and Cam Reddish (left wrist sprain) is day-to-day. Those three players account for 33.9 points per game and 78.5 minutes per game (with plenty of overlap).
Luckily the schedule is forgiving for most of December. Over the next three weeks, the Hawks play 7 of their 10 games at home. The only contenders they face are the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets, and Denver Nuggets (all three games are at State Farm Arena).
But the question on everyone's mind is what will the rotation look like, and how will the team compensate for 30% of their offensive production sitting on the bench in street clothes?
Bogdanovic has started in all 20 games he has played this season. Kevin Huerter has already been elevated from the sixth man to starter since Hunter went down on November 12. Reddish had not started any games but had finally found a nice groove in his new role of Jordan Clarkson-lite.
The Hawks bench, now depleted of all firepower, will be forced into more important roles in December. Luwawu-Cabarrot's playing time has rapidly increased from 5 seconds on November 20 to nearly 13 minutes on November 27. Delon Wright has also seen an exponential rise in playing time will play more off the ball. There is no doubt, veteran Solomon Hill gets a lot more burn in December. Additionally, Skylar Mays just got called up from College Park.
All of the aforementioned role players are consummate professionals who will help keep the team afloat. Unfortunately, I'm unable to answer where the team will find its additional offense.
Of course, we all want to see Trae Young go on a punishing revenge tour like Kobe Bryant in 2006. But Young is already averaging slightly more time and a higher usage rate than last season, as well as two additional shot attempts per game.
Coach Nate McMillan and his staff have forgotten more basketball than I know. But it might be time for them to start running more sets for John Collins. Despite being ultra-efficient, and averaging more minutes than last season, Collins' points per game and shot attempts have been on a steady decline since his sophomore season. That doesn't track with a player who is flourishing on the court.
Still, it's going to take more than Young getting tatted, shaving his head, and hoisting 27 shots per game - or Collins pining for his role on the Lloyd Pierce era teams. For the Hawks to overcome this latest obstacle, it will require elevated play from the entire roster. Only time will tell.
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