When Malcolm Delaney signed a two-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks prior to the 2016-2017 NBA season, there was real excitement, both from player and team, about the possibilities. The Hawks had Dennis Schröder entrenched at the top of the point guard depth chart but, in Delaney, Atlanta was set to add a “veteran” rookie (for a cheap contract price) that could serve as more than a capable backup immediately.
The Hawks did experience success with Delaney on the floor (+2.2 points per 100 possessions) in his first season, including an oft-cited stat that Atlanta was actually better with him at the helm rather than Schröder (-2.