No backup point guard? Hawks have a plan for that
The Hawks may not have a designated player named as the team’s backup point guard, but they have no concerns about that. They have options when it comes to playmakers on the team.
This season, the Hawks will distribute backup point guard minutes by committee, with a mix of Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and several others.
Daniels took care of some of the Hawks’ ball handling last season when guard Trae Young went to the bench. He averaged a career-best 4.4 assists per game last season, and the Hawks have confidence the 22-year-old can take a step forward as a playmaker.
“He may not have had the ball in his hands as much, but he doesn’t have to be a primary ball handler, either. And sometimes that’s even more efficient and more effective if he’s not a primary ball handler, not that he can’t be,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder said after practice Wednesday.
“So, that willingness to pass and handle, not just for his own offense, but to set guys up. And I think one of the things that jumped out right away was he’s really a good cutter, and he likes to cut, and he likes to pass the cutters.”
Of course, Daniels won’t be alone. People view Alexander-Walker and Kennard, in particular, as shooters. That’s something the Hawks think will work in their favor.
“We’re gonna play Atlanta-style basketball, which is fast,” Daniels said. “So whoever gets it off the rim can push it — outlets, trying to get quick buckets and easy transition points. So in that sense, it’s kind of positionless, because we’ve got a lot of guys that can bring it up, a lot of guys that can trail. We’ve got a lot of guys that can space the floor this year, as well.”
With Kennard, in particular, Snyder highlighted his past as a quarterback at Media Day on Monday, aiding his ability to read the game. But because defenses have to respect Kennard from the 3-point line, the game opens for the 29-year-old in a variety of ways.
“Luke makes the game look easy at times because when you can pass, dribble and shoot, and you’re capable of making reads, he’s able to take advantage of any way that he’s being played,” Snyder said. “And I’m really adamant that I want him to be as aggressive shooting the ball as he can be because I think that actually opens up other things for him, driving and passing and creating.”
Snyder referenced his time as the coach of the Jazz and coaching against Kennard when he was on the Clippers and why the Hawks’ new sharpshooter posed a threat to defenders.
“He was always a really tough cover because if you chase him, you get in the lane, he’s got a midrange game, and if you go under, he’s bumping back and shooting,” Snyder said. “He can play pick-and-roll. So it’s a lot of things that he can do, versatility-wise, on the offensive end (of the floor).”
The ability to expand his role and take on more responsibility intrigued Kennard when he explored free agency.
“It was conversations that it kind of just builds confidence in you,” Kennard said. “I mean, to go somewhere where you’re wanted and you feel valued, not just as a shooter, but just as a basketball player in general, it goes a long way. So the first couple days have been great. We have a lot of guys that can make plays, and it’s, it’s just a lot of fun to play that way.”
The Hawks will get the chance to test out some of the beginnings of their chemistry when they face the Rockets in their first exhibition game Monday.
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