The Atlanta Hawks have claimed guard Jose Calderon off waivers, the team announced on Saturday. Calderon, 35, took a buyout from the Los Angeles Lakers and was a member of the Golden State Warriors for two hours before they waived him and signed Matt Barnes to fill in for injured Kevin Durant.
The Hawks started the season knowing that their backcourt could be an issue. They took a risk by promoting Dennis Schroder to starting point guard and going into training camp with Malcolm Delaney and Jarrett Jack competing for the backup spot. Jack was waived because he wasn’t healthy, and Delaney’s shot has been inconsistent all season. When Schröder was suspended for a game after the All-Star break, coach Mike Budenholzer had to use wings Kent Bazemore and Lamar Patterson at point guard.
Despite Delaney’s shortcomings as a shooter, the Hawks have been consistently better with him on the court than on the bench. Calderon can hit open 3s, run an offense without making mistakes and keep the ball moving, but his defensive deficiencies mean he’s no lock to unseat Delaney as Schröder’s primary backup. Atlanta definitely needed more point guard depth, though, and Calderon provides that.
