The Atlanta Hawks will have to make a decision on Taurean Waller-Prince as they move closer to contract negotiations.
Where do the Atlanta Hawks sit with third-year forward Taurean Waller-Prince?
Despite the 20-41 record, the Hawks have successfully navigated a down season. Rookies Trae Young and Kevin Huerter have flashed, with Young looking like a superstar. John Collins built upon his strong rookie season with a great sophomore campaign, appearing to be a valuable pick and roll partner with Young.
While there are three solid pillars of the roster, there are also question marks. One of the biggest being the long-term future and rosterfit off third-year forward Taurean Waller-Prince.
Selected 12th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, Waller-Prince was envisioned to be a bridge of some sort.
As DeMarre Carroll joined the Toronto Raptors, Waller-Prince was next in line to take over the position. For the most part, the former Baylor Bear has developed well. This season, Waller-Prince is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
The underlying numbers are moving in a positive direction as well for Waller-Prince. His True Shooting percentage has jumped steadily improved over the last three seasons, the 3-point attempt rate has jumped to 53 percent and his free throw rate has jumped over twenty percent. For someone entering his age-25 season, Waller-Prince’s offensive numbers are moving into the right direction.
But the defensive numbers are lackluster, which could bring his true value into question.
Waller-Prince’s defensive box plus-minus is moving into the wrong direction, currently sporting a -2.3 DBPM at the moment. Atlanta, a poor defensive team, is currently six points better on defense when Waller-Prince is on the bench and two of Atlanta’s four most played lineups that include Waller-Prince have net ratings of -14.2 and -21.5.
Eye test doesn’t suggest he’s that poor of a defender, and you have to consider the teammates he’s playing with — Trae Young is one of, if not the worst defensive point guard in the league — but Waller-Prince doesn’t appear to be a solid piece to a good defense either.
For the incremental offensive improvements, Waller-Prince has been proven to be a bad defender.
While for some players, the defensive value doesn’t matter, Waller-Prince’s defense might have more value than you think for his future value.
If the Atlanta Hawks ascends up the Eastern Conference standings in the future, the team will need to supply good defenders around the likes of Young, Huerter and Collins. You’ll need versatile defenders who can cover their weaknesses as they continue to grow and develop.
Perhaps if Waller-Prince can’t take another step forward as a defender, then his best role might be an offensive reserve who could play both forward positions.
Collins dominates the role as a starter who covers power forward and center, Waller-Prince could offer similar value as a sixth man who can space the floor and punish smaller lineups for stretches at a time.
The Atlanta Hawks find themselves in an intriguing part of their rebuild with Taurean Waller-Prince. Entering the final season of his rookie contract, it’s time to see just how much they like his play and development over the last three seasons.
There’s value in attempting to retain him. Again, over the last three season, Waller-Prince has evolved into a fair offensive player, who could space the floor and get to the line: the two most important shots in basketball. As long as his next contract is manageable, someone will take a chance on him in a potential trade.
On the other hand, he might be intriguing to someone trying to acquire a young forward option. A team looking at Waller-Prince could see someone they could acquire for a cheap over the next five years.
Could Atlanta get a first round pick or another asset back for Waller-Prince? It could be to their benefit to at least see his value before locking him into a new contract.
With another 22 games left on the schedule, the Atlanta Hawks have succeeded with their young players and the correct developmental procedures. The next step is supplying them with solid support players around them, both in the draft and free agency.
Taurean Waller-Prince, concluding his third season in the NBA, has made leaps on the offensive end, but staggered and, possibly, cratered defensively. As he enters year four and extension negotiations, the Hawks will have to decide whether to few him as a future contributor, or an asset who can help their core.