Why the Atlanta Hawks Won't Play Sharife Cooper

The rookie is shining in College Park.

You cannot be blamed if you are not keeping up with the Atlanta Hawks G-League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. But there's something special taking place in College Park. The Skyhawks have won nine straight games, thanks largely to rookie Sharife Cooper.

Last night, Cooper finished the game with a career-high 42 points on 14-19 FG (7-9 3PT), 5 assists, 3 rebounds, and 4 steals. Oh yeah, he also hit the game-winning three. It's safe to say that the former Auburn Tiger deserves a place to play in the NBA. 

But will Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk and head coach Nate McMillan grant Cooper that opportunity? Despite having an open roster spot, the answer is still most-likely no. McMillan has said numerous times that he likes his 9-man rotation. Behind Trae Young at the 1-spot, the Hawks have Delon Wright, Lou Williams, and Skylar Mays.

This is just as frustrating for Hawks fans as I'm sure it is for Cooper. The Hawks have barely used their rookies at all this season. Jalen Johnson has played 111 total minutes while Cooper has logged 35 minutes, which ranks 69th and 85th among rookies. Every other team (including contenders) has prioritized the development of rookies more than the Hawks.

Johnson showed us what he could do in the association on Monday night. The former Duke Blue Devil hit his first four shots in 5 minutes before finishing the game with 12 points (6-8 FG) in 17 minutes. Not bad for a 20-year-old.

I understand that the final stretch of the regular season and the Play-In Tournament are not ideal times to play rookies. But it highlights a missed opportunity by the Hawks to have given these young guys more burn during the regular season. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's AllHawks.com for breaking news, highlights, and analysis.

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