Atlanta Hawks: Youth Underneath Roster Full Of Veterans

The Atlanta Hawks have a rotation filled with veteran players, but outside the rotation are young players who could play a big role in the future.

The Atlanta Hawks have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons with three different head coaches.

The roster churned over that time period, but the biggest change came in this offseason when the Hawks traded Jeff Teague to Indiana in a three-team deal and saw Al Horford leave in free agency to sign with Boston.

Atlanta still kept pieces of their successful roster, however. Kent Bazemore returned to Atlanta on a four-year, $70 million contract after flirting with several teams in free agency.

Dwight Howard was (finally) lured home to protect the rim and garner shots at the basket alongside Paul Millsap. Those three will key to Atlanta maintain their defensive success from last season.

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The bigger move, however, was the addition of several younger players in the draft.

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Atlanta has some youth on the roster but in ancillary roles. Bazemore and Dennis Schroeder — 27 and 23 years old respectively — are starters this season for Atlanta.

Tim Hardaway Jr. is the only other projected rotation player younger than 25, while Mike Scott is one of four players in the rotation younger than 30.

Howard and Millsap have been in the league for 12 seasons and 10 seasons respectively. Kyle Korver and Thabo Sefolosha are both in their 30s and while Tiago Splitter has only six seasons of NBA experience under his belt, he’s 31 years old.

Those are five players in Atlanta’s rotation and I didn’t even count 32-year-old Jarrett Jack, who’s expected to assume the role of backup point guard for the Hawks.

However, I liked Atlanta’s use of adding some youth to the back of the roster this season.

It started with the Teague trade, netting them the 12th overall pick. The Hawks used the pick to draft Taurean Prince, a forward from Baylor.

After losing DeMarre Carroll last offseason to Toronto, the Hawks had a hole in the small forward position and Prince, in time, could be an acceptable replacement. Last season, Prince averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 33 starts.

Solid numbers, but when matched with his size, it’s rather impressive. Prince stands 6-foot-8 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan — good for defending several positions on the perimeter. Prince also knocked down 36.1 percent of his threes last season at Baylor.

He’s not the most athletic player coming out of the draft, but the size and skill combination makes Prince an interesting prospect.

With the 21st pick, the Hawks selected DeAndre Bembry. He has everything you want — size, defense, playmaking, offensive and defensive tools and creativity — except shooting. For St. Joseph’s, Bembry averaged 17.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists as a senior.

That stat line — plus his 1.4 steals per game — suggests that Bembry is a player that can affect the game in various ways, including on the defensive side of the ball.

He’s a perfect pick for Atlanta because as Bembry develops his consistency beyond the arc, his other skills will be able to flourish and get him on the floor.

Good high basketball IQ and a good size for Atlanta’s defense — 6-foot-9 wingspan, which should allow him to defend on the perimeter, despite elite athleticism — fits Atlanta’s current wing rotation.

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Both Prince and Bembry will find time on the floor at some point this season, but their third pick opted to stay overseas. Isaia Cordinier, the 44th overall pick in the draft, will be Atlanta’s long-term project.

At 19 years old, Cordinier has good offensive tools, highlighted by his ability to shoot the basketball, knocking down 40 percent of his threes for Denain ASC Voltaire.

The issue, however, is his defense. Cordinier doesn’t have elite defensive tools. He has the athleticism to be a fine defender, but like most 19-year-olds, consistency has been an issue. Another season overseas would bring Cordinier over at his age-20 season.

That’ll allow Atlanta to be patient with him as he figures out his NBA niche and if he can become a league average defender.

The Atlanta Hawks are going to win this season with their veterans this season and most likely next season. However, like any good team, adding youth and getting players who can provide similar value for a lower price.

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The Hawks have succeeded with several veterans at the top of the roster, but as several players turn to the downside of their career, Atlanta has several younger players ready to be groomed to assume larger roles one day.