Atlanta Hawks: 5 takeaways from 2017 NBA Summer League

5. Taurean Prince may need more time to deliver consistently

Once the 2017 postseason began, Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer turned to Taurean Prince to deliver a spark against Washington, opting to place him in the starting lineup over defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha.

Prince emerged as a viable option at the small forward position, spending 31.2 minutes on the court in the series, producing 11.2 points on 55.8 percent shooting from the field, along with 5.3 rebounds per game.

While the 23-year-old thrived in his first playoff series, he struggled taking a leadership role for the Hawks in Las Vegas.

Prince may not have dominated as the organization may have expected, but after his rookie season with the Hawks, he is well aware Summer League performances don’t directly correlate to success in the NBA.

https://twitter.com/taureanprince/status/885619563466903552

The 12th overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft struggled to find his shot and often made poor decisions when the ball was placed in his hands. Prince scored 13.3 points per game, the third-highest among Atlanta players, but shot just 34.7 percent from the field and turned the ball over four times a game.

With only two small forwards listed on Atlanta’s roster next season, Prince could easily double the 16.6 minutes he averaged a year ago, but must prove he is ready to perform in an expanded role.