The Atlanta Hawks have officially signed first-round pick AJ Griffin, the team announced in a press release.
The official figures of the contract haven’t been released, but the former Duke Blue Devil is set to make about $3.5 million during the upcoming season and roughly $17.1 million over the four-year deal.
Here’s some information on his career at Duke, courtesy of the team’s site:
Griffin appeared in 39 games (25 starts) during his freshman season at Duke, averaging 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 24.0 minutes per game, helping to lead the Blue Devils to their 20th ACC regular season title in program history, a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the team’s 17th Final Four appearance (.493 FG%, .447 3FG%, .792 FT%).
More importantly, Griffin is set to have a somewhat significant role as a rookie. He’s not going to garner serious minutes, given Nate McMillan‘s history with playing first-year players, but Griffin should experience an expanded role compared to Jalen Johnson. After trading away Kevin Huerter and shifting to more of a defense-first mindset, the team will need shooters — enter Griffin.
A glimpse at some of AJ Griffin's very impressive shooting stats courtesy of Synergy:
Spot up: 91%tile (65/151)
Off screen: 98%tile (15/24)
All HC jumpers: 97%tile (77/169)
Catch & shoot: 95%tile (48/105)
All J's off dribble: 95%tile (29/64)Great shooting package at 6'6.
— AKelly (@andlankell) June 24, 2022
Griffin needs to develop more on the defensive end of the court, and he certainly has the physical tools to do that. But his shooting stroke is what will get him on the floor. The Hawks might not be done making moves either, and depending on how the rest of the offseason shakes out, Griffin could be in for an even more prominent role.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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