Lots of good questions this week so we are going to break the mailbag up into two parts. Part 2 will be up later this evening so be sure to check back then if you don't see your question here.
Let's get to it!
Steve Harding is concerned about Hawks rookie Dennis Schröder:
Schroder's played 42 NBA games. Besides looking the part in the layup line, I've seen zero NBA skills. He looks completely lost on offense. He doesn't shoot well. He turns the ball over frequently. He doesn't play the PNR well. He doesn't get in the lane much. He seems most comfortable on offense when he passes the ball early in the shot clock and hopes he doesn't get it back.
And if anything his Defense is worse. He's literally last in the league in Defensive Impact Ratings.
What do the Hawks need to do with Schroder this summer to make sure he's not a complete bust? Give me some hope here.
Thanks for the question Steve. Feels like you are being a bit harsh on Schröder but there is some merit to your statements. His numbers have gotten slightly better in the second half but he has looked much more comfortable to me when on the court than he did during the early part of the season. Granted he has not really had the season that many of us were expecting but we also weren't expecting Shelvin Mack to play nearly as much as he has either.
Schröder's shooting percentages are up in the second half and his turnovers are down. His assists have also dropped slightly but that probably suggests that he isn't taking quite as many chances as he did early on. Defensively he has struggled at times, especially against guards that are stronger. However, it's important to take individual defensive ratings into account. Basketball is played with five players on the floor and if you are on the court with two or three bad defenders then it's going to be hard to produce a good number. I'm not saying that is the case with Schröder but Atlanta's defensive numbers across the board aren't good.
To answer your question, I am not worried about Schröder yet. He earned the backup point guard spot and lost it due to the good play of Mack. The coaching staff has clearly been trying to send him a message about his focus as many of the quick hooks he has received has suggested. I'm looking for another solid summer league this season followed by a good training camp and a bigger role next season.
A bit of irony. Many of the same things you said about Schröder have been said or are still being said about Jeff Teague.
Reggie Mickles on what the future holds for Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague:
What does the future hold for Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague? could you see either player being traded this offseason? Could you see either player being a part of the next contending hawks team in the future?
Tough question Reggie. We all know Danny Ferry plays things close to the vest. I do know that when I have heard team officials speak they always include Paul Millsap and Jeff Teague as part of the team's core. Now with that said. Millsap will be on an expiring contract next season and Teague will have three years left on his deal. Jeff will also no longer have veto power over any trade.
I believe Ferry built this roster so that he could go in a number of directions. I don't think any player is untouchable. I expect there to be a lot of discussion over the summer but I suspect we will hear Teague's name mentioned more than Millsap's.
Nique Fan asks:
Will Lou's shaky play this season (which was somewhat understandable in coming back from the ACL repair) this season ward teams from adding him as an expiring contract in a potential trade, seeing he's due to be paid $5.4M next season?
I suspect Lou's name will come up in trade discussions this summer for a variety of reasons. I think teams may be wary but not necessarily because of his ACL injury. Expiring contracts so far have not had the same value on the trade market under the new CBA.
Even with that said, I expect Lou's name to be out there again this summer. A strong finish would do him well. I would think it would not be appealing to him to return to Atlanta if he wasn't sure of his spot in the rotation. Next season the Hawks will be introducing John Jenkins back into the equation in what is already a small and crowded backcourt picture.
I could be wrong but I don't think it will be easy to move Lou but I do think the Hawks probably tried at the trade deadline and will probably try again this offseason.
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