Atlanta Hawks: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2018-19

3. Taurean Waller-Prince

Taurean Waller-Prince has the potential to develop into a quintessential 3-and-D player. He has the length to defend multiple positions, knock down 3s (38.5 percent last year), and can occasionally put the ball on the floor — although the Hawks should limit that aspect of his game.

While players like that aren’t necessarily superstars, wings with his skill-set are just as rare. The league is filled with players that can shoot 3s but couldn’t defend a mannequin (i.e. Ryan Anderson) and athletic defenders who couldn’t make 3s on a Fisher-Price basketball rim (i.e. Andre Roberson).

This is why players like Trevor Ariza and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope make tens or millions of dollars on the open market. Two-way sharpshooters are as valuable as stars that can create their own shot in today’s NBA.

Waller-Prince has a chance to add his name to that group this year. He already has the long range shooting in his repertoire. If he improves his defense, he can become a valuable asset for the Hawks.