The Atlanta Hawks have one of the most unique rosters I have ever seen in the NBA, and not in a good way. Never before have I laid eyes on any basketball roster with one point guard listed that is actually playing minutes. Sure, Trae Young can carry quite the load, but he can’t play every minute of every game. The only other natural point guard on the Hawks is Brandon Goodwin, who has seen five minutes of action all season.
Let’s not even get into the fact that the Hawks traded the draft rights of Devonte Graham for two second-rounders. Hindsight is 20/20, and you win some and you lose some. Heck, he may not have even been Schlenk’s pick at that spot. But it is utterly ridiculous that the Hawks don’t have a backup point guard, and it has shown. The other night against Miami, Lloyd Pierce benched Trae Young in the final minute of the game with a six-point lead, a big no-no in itself. De’Andre Bembry came in at the point, wasted a possession, and the next thing you know, the Hawks were in overtime.
But that is not Bembry’s fault. The Hawks are asking entirely too much of him and Evan Turner to be the primary backups at the point. And sure, the Hawks are not competing for a championship this season, but shouldn’t it still be necessary to find a backup who can run the offense?
It does not need to be a fancy acquisition, such as trading for a backup like Dennis Schroder. The Hawks simply need to bring on a competent veteran who can give 10-15 minutes a night facilitating the offense. Currently, the free agency market features Raymond Felton and Devin Harris, two guys who, at this point, could be had for the veteran’s minimum. An experienced point guard would also help tutor some of the Hawks youth, while adding a crucial element to the team. Young’s already asked to do too much when he’s on the court; it’s preposterous to expect him to carry that load for 36+ minutes per night.
Reports went around saying that Hawks executives promised Trae Young help “soon”. What “soon” means is up for debate, and it makes little sense for the Hawks to make a splash midseason. But if there is anything this team needs to stay afloat, it is a real point guard. That is an issue that should be relatively easy to resolve, and hopefully, Schlenk is mulling his options as we speak.