CJ McCollum Accepting A Bench Role Is Best For The Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks have decided that bench role is best for guard CJ McCollum this season. The 35-year-old veteran was brought back on a one-year/$21 million contract, with the idea of mentoring rookie Kingston Flemings, drafted eighth overall in the 2026 NBA Draft. McCollum started the season alongside Flemings in the rotation, but head coach Quin Snyder still wanted to rely on his experienced guards.

However, Flemings began to play more frequently and took the lead role. Flemings had a career-high 28 minutes played in a game against the Miami Heat, scoring 23 points on 86.3% true shooting. Despite McCollum's efficient performance with 13 points, he was limited to 20 minutes, playing only four minutes in the second half. McCollum is now averaging a career-low 26.8 minutes per game, despite being the starting point guard for most of the season.

Flemings' increased playing time has now made him the starting guard. McCollum, who transitioned into a point guard role after leaving Portland, does not have the skill set of a lead guard. The Hawks now rank 27th in the NBA in pick-and-roll possessions per game (13.6 possessions) and score just 0.90 points per possession on pick-and-roll actions.

McCollum, averaging 4.6 assists and two turnovers per game since 2022-23, has only scored 0.94 PPP on those actions. McCollum himself suggested the lineup change, and it appears the team believes Flemings is better suited for the starting role.