Hawks’ Quin Snyder: ‘We’ve got depth, and that’s good’

The Hawks spent their first week of camp in Nashville getting acquainted with a deeper roster. Quin Snyder likes what he has seen. He also knows more good players means more decisions about who gets on the floor.

“We’ve got depth, and that’s good, but it also means that there’s always tough decisions that happen throughout the course of the season,” Snyder told reporters Friday, via Jackson Caudell of Hawks on SI⁠.

That’s a problem most coaches would gladly take. The Hawks added Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, along with first-round picks Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor. After running short on depth late last season, Atlanta ought to have more ways to put a lineup together.

A few things stood out from Snyder’s final camp session:

• Chemistry comes first. Snyder said new players are still getting to know the holdovers, and those relationships matter when the inevitable playing-time decisions arrive. “Foundational chemistry is crucial,” he said.
• The rookies are learning. Snyder called Flemings and Ejiofor “sponges,” though he doesn’t want to overload them or rush to judge their first camp. Both will get a chance to show where they fit when preseason play begins Monday against the Grizzlies.
• Dort already has a pupil. Ejiofor said he has been watching the veteran guard’s physical defense and communication. If you’re a rookie trying to earn Snyder’s trust, that’s a pretty good guy to study.