Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring AJ Griffin
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The Hawks made a huge move by trading away John Collins, and it could vault Griffin into an expanded role. This 20-year-old had a solid rookie season in Atlanta, averaging 8.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.6 steals across 20 minutes a night. Most of that production came in the second half of the season, with Griffin making 12 starts from December and on. In those 12 starts, Griffin provided 13.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.8 threes across 29 minutes a night. Many people believe that's what his role will look like this season because there's a void at power forward with Collins being shipped to Utah. De'Andre Hunter is expected to fill that spot, opening up minutes on the wing. We can't count out a blossoming sophomore stepping into his age-20 season and taking a major leap this year. What needs to be considered is that Griffin has a limited ceiling in this offense. Dejounte Murray and Trae Young do everything, and Griffin will have to add more rebounding and defense to his repertoire if he wants to become a fantasy-relevant player. Don't expect Griffin to get drafted, but he's definitely a player we need to keep an eye on.
A one-and-done wing out of Duke, Griffin went to the Hawks with the No. 16 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He made the ACC All-Freshman Team and ACC All-Honorable Mention Team with averages of 10.4 points on 49/45/79 shooting, 3.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.1 combined blocks-plus-steals in 23.9 minutes. His excellent perimeter shooting and savvy offensive bag give him intriguing upside as a secondary playmaker at the NBA level. His size - 6-foot-6, 222 pounds with a seven-foot wingspan - means he has the tools to switch-defend as a pro. However, two things mainly caused him to slip down the draft board. His defense is inconsistent, and he's already dealt with many injuries. Knee and ankle injuries cost him nearly two years of high school basketball. However, at pick 16, it makes sense for Atlanta to take a chance on someone with Griffin's upside. His path to minutes as a rookie is shaky - he'll compete with Bogdan Bogdanovic, Justin Holiday and Maurice Harkless on the wing - but he may see opportunities here and there.