Grading every Atlanta Hawks player on a Two-Way contract this season

The Atlanta Hawks organization prides itself on a genuine connection between the NBA team and the G League team, the College Park Skyhawks. That investment did not begin under head coach Quin Snyder, but his influence is strong in the program, with the Skyhawks running very similar on-court schemes and leaning heavily into development principles that the Hawks believe in at the highest level.

That connection also manifests in the way that the Hawks use Two-Way contracts. Atlanta frequently sends its Two-Way players — and even its other young players like Mo Gueye — back and forth to College Park, striking a balance between depth for the NBA team and valuable on-court development in G League action.

In this space, we'll grade the team's Two-Way players based on the 2024-25 season to date and, in a mild spoiler, Atlanta's Two-Way deals have gone well.

Keaton Wallace: A

The Hawks entered the 2024-25 season with legitimate uncertainty at the backup point guard position. Atlanta tried to sign a few veteran guards, including Tyus Jones, but eventually elected to begin the campaign with second-year guard Kobe Bufkin and Two-Way guard Keaton Wallace behind Trae Young. Bufkin played only 10 games before suffering a season-ending injury and, while the Hawks have navigated a lot of point guard minutes with either Dyson Daniels or Vit Krejci as the nominal point guard, Wallace has enjoyed a bigger opportunity than most Two-Way players.

Wallace, who is the brother of OKC guard Cason Wallace, is technically an NBA rookie in 2024-25 despite it being his age-26 season. In 24 games, he has averaged 5.8 points and 2.3 assists per game, but Wallace has given the Hawks valuable depth, competent defense, and some needed shot creation at times during the campaign.

As with most Two-Way players, Wallace has endured a couple of long stretches in which he was simply living the G League life. However, Wallace has also logged 29 minutes or more in four different games this season, including a pair of wins over the Bulls and Celtics in games in which Trae Young was sidelined with injury.

Wallace is far from a perfect player but, from the perspective of what a team is looking for from a Two-Way contract, he's done an excellent job.

Dom Barlow: A-

Generally, there are two "types" of Two-Way players, at least from the team perspective. One archetype is that of a high-floor player who can step into action, log considerable minutes, and plug a hole when needed. For example, Wallace essentially checks that box for the Hawks. The other archetype is that of a long-term investment with real upside. That isn't to say that the long-term player isn't able to help the team now, but the Two-Way investment is more geared to the future in this case. Barlow leans toward the second archetype, even with the ability to play and help the Hawks now when needed.

For one, Barlow is only 21 years old. That is easy to forget when acknowledging that the former Overtime Elite standout appeared in 61 games over two seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, logging more than 800 total minutes in his age-19 and age-20 campaigns. Candidly, it was a surprise that Barlow was even available this summer, and the Hawks did well to spring into action and sign him to a Two-Way deal.

A good chunk of Barlow's season has been spent in the G League. In 17 games with the College Park Skyhawks, Barlow is averaging 19.6 points on 58.6 percent shooting to go along with 8.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He's played quite well in that setting, and it helps to give a player as young as Barlow some consistent reps in a high-minute environment. With that said, the Hawks have also done a good job keeping Barlow engaged with the big-league club.

Barlow has only been in the rotation on seven occasions this season, making two starts along the way, and much of his time has been spent at the power forward spot in Atlanta. The reality is that Barlow is probably a center on offense, but he remains a work-in-progress defensively on that end. Still, there is a lot to like for the 21-year-old, and he is one of the more talented players on a Two-Way contract in the NBA right now.

Daeqwon Plowden: B

Of note, the Hawks started the season with another player, Seth Lundy, on a Two-Way contract. Lundy, a former second round pick, missed the start of the season with injury and was waived on Dec. 18. The Hawks used that open roster slot on Plowden, who was already with the College Park Skyhawks and signed a Two-Way deal on Dec. 27.

As of the All-Star break, the Hawks have a roster of 17 players, including Two-Way deals, and it is fair to say that Plowden is the 17th man for the team. With that said, Plowden had one shining opportunity and took full advantage of it.

On Jan. 15, the Hawks entered a game against the Bulls without Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, De'Andre Hunter, Larry Nance Jr., and Zaccharie Risacher. That left the team quite shorthanded, especially when accounting for the continued absences of Kobe Bufkin and Cody Zeller, and Plowden was immediately thrust into the spotlight in what was his NBA debut.

On cue, he exploded for 19 points in 25 minutes of action, making seven of his eight shots, including five 3-pointers. Plowden could not possibly sustain that pace, but he does provide the Hawks with insurance as an athletic wing/forward who can step in, defend, and knock down a jump shot if called upon to do so. In 31 games with the Skyhawks, he has averaged 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.