Peachtree Hoops: No peaks, no valleys: Perspective behind AJ Griffin’s second NBA season

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Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images

449 days ago...

On this date, AJ Griffin scored an impressive 17 points. More impressively, he became the first rookie since 1993-94 to score multiple game winners in the same season. It was only December 22 of 2022, his third month in the NBA.

In his rookie season, Griffin averaged 19.5 minutes per game while appearing in 72 games. That is a good amount of burn for a rookie, but especially notable under head coach Nate McMillan for over half of the season, given his preference for veterans. Griffin finished the season with respectable averages of 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 0.6 steals. He shot 46.5 percent from the field on 7.4 attempts, as well as 39 percent from beyond the arc on 3.6 attempts. What we saw from AJ Griffin all year was a fearless scorer off the bench, always ready to shoot upon entering the game.

We all know what kind of season he had, so I won’t bore you with too much detail. The point is that 449 days ago, or even 146 days ago, we assumed AJ Griffin wouldn't need the G League. He has now played five games in College Park, but it’s far from a step backwards.

It’s no secret that things shifted for Griffin when Quin Snyder took control of the Atlanta Hawks. Averaging 20.4 minutes per game before that point, he played just 16.4 minutes per game under Snyder to finish the season. Notably, he logged a DNP in the play-in game versus the Heat, as well as all six games of the series against the Boston Celtics. It’s true his defense, at just 19 years old, was likely not playoff-ready.

It is a fuzzy situation: Griffin was not seeing the floor to start the season, then missed time due to personal reasons. The Hawks didn’t add real depth anywhere, so there was no explanation. Even when back from his time off, Griffin still found himself in a DNP doghouse. Post-deadline, Landry Fields shared some insight into AJ Griffin’s situation. After mentioning Griffin’s personal issues and making sure he’s okay as a person, Fields dove into the future plan for Griffin as a player.

“At this point you will see him being more in College Park, just as we’re continuously laying out his development pathway to bring it down a little more specifically on the defensive end. That’s a growth area for AJ. Everyone knows he’s an elite shooter, unbelievable shooter for where he’s at, at this stage of his career... we’re going to have to lean into the defensive aspect of his game, and that’s what we’re going to be focusing on now, post deadline.”

This presser was on February 9th. On February 21st, he was assigned to Ryan Schmidt’s College Park Skyhawks. Though yet to be named a starter, AJ Griffin’s strides are evident. In 27.6 minutes per game, he is averaging 15.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game on 43.6 percent from the field and 40 percent from three. There is certainly something to be said for Griffin’s character. After nearly landing on an All-Rookie team, he is now coming off the bench in the G League. That would be tough for any player, but he still seems to play with great joy and great focus. I believe he has improved with the ball in his hands, creating both for himself and his teammates, as seen here.

AJ Griffin gets crafty pic.twitter.com/CQhpL7CGgy

— joe schmidt (@Joe_Schmidt07) March 2, 2024

While his offensive prowess may come as no surprise, Griffin has made a noticeable effort on the defensive end as well. The College Park Skyhawks currently boast the third-best defensive rating in the G League, while the Atlanta Hawks currently boast the second-worst defensive rating in the NBA. It’s easy to argue that Griffin is better off with the Skyhawks rather than the Hawks, to focus on defensive improvement. There’s far more than just this example of Griffin’s defensive effort, though it remains distant from excellent.

Solid defense by AJ Griffin here (#14) pic.twitter.com/COY5AEPCdq

— Wes (@bloghawk) March 2, 2024

He has become quite adept at using slight advantages off screens as he continues to expand his offensive game. In the NBA, he would see far fewer opportunities on-ball, so that is a plus to be considered with the Skyhawks.

Kobe Bufkin’s time in the G League has led him to look extremely comfortable as a rotational player for the Hawks since the absence of Trae Young. It is more than apparent that players do grow in the G League, and specifically with the Skyhawks. Quin Snyder has noted this on multiple occasions, continuously giving credit to head coach Ryan Schmidt.

AJ Griffin is younger than projected first-round picks Kyshawn George of Miami, Dalton Knecht of Tennessee, Kevin McCullar from Kansas, Kyle Filipowski of Duke, Ryan Dunn of Virginia, among others. He is younger than some of this year’s rookie class in Keyonte George, Ausar Thompson, Cason Wallace, Jordan Hawkins, Brandon Miller, among others.

I, alongside many, expected to see him log more minutes with the Hawks this season. In fact, I would still argue that this little playing time with the current roster is not justified. He is not where we thought he would be this season. But, it is possible that he is where he needs to be.

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