The current situation surrounding Mike Scott is cloudy at best. He was arrested in late July for two counts of felony drug possession. Scott reportedly could face up to 25 years in prison, but it is unlikely the punishment is nearly that severe. However, Scott will likely not be a factor for the Hawks this season or going forward. The Hawks will have an open roster spot available, and outside of Tiago Splitter and Mike Muscala, Atlanta is thin on big men off the bench. Glen Davis has yet to join an NBA team, and the Hawks may be just the team to make him an offer.
Glen Davis spent last season on a deep Los Angeles Clippers team and got somewhat lost in all of their talent. He played sparingly during the regular season and postseason and did not have a lot of opportunities to put his fingerprint on the games. However, in the season prior, Davis played in 45 games for the Orlando Magic and started in 43 of them. He was no all-star, but Davis averaged a respectable 12.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. In the 2012-2013 season, “Big Baby” Davis started in 33 games for Magic and averaged 15.1 points and 7.2 rebounds.
The LSU star would bring veteran playoff experience to a team that has little of it outside of last year’s playoff run. Davis came up in his rookie year with the Celtics in the 2007-2008 year. The Celtics won the NBA championship, and Davis played a key role as a hustle player for the team. He continued to play a key role of the bench for the Celtics in the following seasons as they battled for NBA championships. Davis would certainly not start on the Hawks, but he is a hustle guy who can bring energy and defense off the bench. He rebounds well and is an all-around great presence in the locker room.
Davis would also allow Coach Bud to tinker his game plan and run small ball lineups. Though just 6’9″, Davis has experience at center in his career. His hustle and rebounding ability could allow the Hawks to go small and play tricks with opposing defenses, especially with the speed of point guards Jeff Teague and Dennis Schröder. The Golden State Warriors showed that playing small ball can be effective, as they played small a lot in the playoffs. He would offer Coach Bud yet another set of mismatches and would be a nice piece of the puzzle for the Hawks.
Davis has been around the league, but very few people have many bad words to say about him. He is an all-around team guy, and the Hawks have seen first hand the kind of impact he can have on games. It is the little things that make big differences when it comes to crunch time, and Davis does all of those little things for his team. On any give night, he will be on the floor multiple times. The Hawks could use a presence like Davis in the locker room, and use his abilities on the basketball court