Many were surprised the Hawks decided to cut Jarrett Jack just weeks before the start of the season. Jack, who was signed by the Hawks for just the veteran minimum, was coming off knee surgery from the previous season. It seemed he was healthy enough to play, but the Hawks just opted to stick with the young point guard rotation of Dennis Schroder and Malcolm Delaney. While Schroder has begun to excel as the starter, Delaney has been shaky for the majority of the season. Atlanta took a risk by coming into the season with such little depth and experience at the point guard position and it has hurt them this season. Over 30 games into to the season, it is time for the Hawks to start looking for a third point guard.
I was all in favor of the signing of Jarrett Jack this offseason, but obviously the Hawks saw something that made them believe Delaney was fully capable of handling the backup role. The problem has been Delaney just has not really been effective. Occasionally Delaney will knock down a mid-range jump shot, maybe even a three-pointer here or there, but for the most part he has been an inefficient shooter. Delaney is shooting just 37.2% from the field this season and an atrocious 17.4% from behind the arc! He does not turn the ball over much, but he also does not make many plays with his passing. There has nothing Delaney has done yet that really warrants him minutes on a nightly basis.
With Schroder still going through a growing phase as a first year starting point guard, it is important there is solid backup play behind him. Delaney has potential. His stroke is nice, he controls the tempo of the game and protects the ball very well for a rookie. However, he is just a rookie in the NBA, and the Hawks need to find someone with experience to add to their roster. If Jarrett Jack is unable to be an effective option any longer, the Hawks must look elsewhere, but it is time for them to make a move. By season’s end Delaney might be the nightly backup, but the Hawks need certainly need to add another point guard in the near future.