Atlanta Hawks: Will Adreian Payne Play Meaningful Minutes?

By Adam McGee | Oct 23, 2014

Oct 9, 2014; Lithonia, GA, USA; Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer interacts with forward Adreian Payne (33) during their open practice at Miller Grove High School. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

Taken with the 15th pick of this year’s NBA draft, 23-year-old Adreian Payne could have a big future with the Atlanta Hawks. On paper, he looks like a perfect fit for the type of system that the Hawks have implemented under head coach Mike Budenholzer, so now all that remains is for him to play and develop.

The Ohio native had an excellent senior year with Michigan State, but now that he’s in the NBA, that doesn’t stand for much. Instead, Payne will have to emerge from the Hawks’ congested front court rotation if he wants to leave his mark.

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As I already mentioned, Payne’s fit with the Hawks as a team means that that is far from impossible though, even during his rookie season. Payne is incredibly well-rounded as a big man, and will offer multiple threats to the opposition. On the offensive end, not only will he go to work inside, but he’s also proficient at stepping back and stretching the floor, whether with long 2s or 3-pointers.

On the other end of the floor, Payne’s desire makes him a tenacious rebounder, while he’s also a capable shot blocker.

For evidence of his talents, we need look no further than his performance as a senior at Michigan State. The four-year Spartan showed his ability to score both efficiently, and in volume, going for 16.4 points a game with a 50.3 percent mark on field goal attempts.

Add in his 42.3 percent from 3-point range on 3.4 attempts per game, and it’s clear Payne can be a true floor-spacer as well. His 7.3 rebounds per game are not to be forgotten either, as they highlight his skills as a versatile two-way power forward.

So, now we all know that Adreian Payne seems to have a lot of promise, what’s going to stop him from making an instant impact with the Hawks? Well, unlike in past seasons, this year’s Atlanta Hawks have depth, particularly up front. Assuming full health, there is no argument that Paul Millsap and Al Horford will be Atlanta’s starting tandem at power forward and center, but it’s behind them that the share of minutes will really be interesting.

Joining Payne in that battle, there are four players with a mixture of youth and experience between them.

First of all, there’s veteran big man Elton Brand. The 35-year-old re-signed with the Hawks this summer, and if his play last season was anything to judge by, he still has plenty left in the tank. You can expect to see Brand in games offering leadership and defensive presence for the second unit, but at the same time, he’s still more than capable of contributing in the box score.

Next up there’s experienced European Pero Antic, who started for the majority of last season in the absence of Al Horford. The Macedonian brought vast experience to the Hawks from his Euroleague days, and with his 3-point shooting and delicate pump fakes, he caused opponents more than their fair share of problems.

By the time Atlanta’s playoff run had concluded, Mike Scott only seemed to have grown in confidence and stature, topping off a breakout year for him. Scott’s ability to kickstart the offense by scoring in bunches should see his role further increased this season, particularly with the loss of Louis Williams‘ offense from the bench.

Then last but definitely not least, there’s 23-year-old sophomore Mike Muscala. Having come over from Spain towards the end of the season, Muscala had the tough task of trying to adjust to the Hawks’ style mid-season, but still managed gentle progress with every game.

Fast forward to this summer, and Muscala was one of the Hawks’ standouts from Summer League, and will be hungry for more minutes.

So where does Payne fit into all of that?

Realistically, he will definitely start the season behind Scott and Brand in the rotation, with Muscala and Antic’s experience giving them a slight edge also. If Payne wants to make a significant contribution as a rookie, he will need to take advantage of every opportunity to push himself towards the front of that queue.

My guess would be, that come March and April, we’ll be seeing a lot more of Payne than we did at the start of the season.

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