The Atlanta Hawks on Friday officially introduced former Golden State Warriors‘ assistant general manager Travis Schlenk as their next general manager.
It didn't take long for Schlenk to address the big elephant in the room concerning Dwight Howard‘s long-term standing with the organization, according to Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Listen, Dwight is one of the best big guys in the league still,” Schlenk told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “He averaged 13 points and 13 rebounds a game. He’s one of the best rebounders in the league. He’s one of the best rim protectors in the league.
“I haven’t had a chance to talk to Dwight personally. We’ve exchanged some text messages. I certainly plan to talk to him soon and get to know him. I’m not going to judge you from what I’ve heard. Let me see you face-to-face.”
Despite Howard airing his frustrations due to his decreasing offensive role in the playoffs, the Hawks are still committed long term to the former All-Star big man. In the six games played in the first-round playoff series against the Washington Wizards, he failed to record double-figures and more than six field goal attempts in all but one game.
Howard had inked a three-year, $70.5 million deal last summer as an unrestricted free agent. He is set to make a team-high $23.5 million for the 2017-18 season.
The 31-year-old saw some continued decline in his offensive production but he still averaged a double-double with 13.5 points on 63.3 percent shooting from the field along with 12.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He finished fifth in the league in rebounding, fourth in field goal percentage, and sixth in double-doubles with 53.
However, things could once again get dicey between the Howard and the Hawks if he continues to receive reduced offensive role next season.
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