Edy Tavares has been assigned to the D-League and water is wet

In the absence of Tiago Splitter, the Atlanta Hawks have activated center Edy Tavares for each of the past three games. However, that won't keep the organization from sending Tavares to the D-League, as the Hawks announced on Monday that the 7-foot-3 big man will spend a bit more time with the Austin Spurs.

The team has not specified the duration of Tavares' stint, but Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that it will likely be a two-game trip. This is the seventh such move by Atlanta this season, and in a ten-game sample in the D-League, Tavares has been relatively impressive in averaging 9.8 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game in only 21.4 minutes per contest.

While the headline of this particular post makes light of the move, the Hawks have been smart to invest in the D-League in this way, using assignments as a tool to promote the development of Tavares. Much of the fan base (still) looks at this as something of a demotion or a negative reflection on Tavares, but instead, it should be seen as a developmental choice that should provide some future returns for the organization with their promising center.

Stay tuned.