Friday After Next: Will Scott Become "Money Mike"?

[lethalweapon3]

Mike Scott's 2013-14 contract (~$789k) with the Hawks is currently non-guaranteed. But it becomes $100,000 guaranteed if he remains on the roster after August 15, 2013, one week from now.

Do you anticipate Mike Scott will be waived by then?

If not, do you feel he has to prove his worth in preseason in order to be a mainstay on this roster?

After an improved offensive outing this past Summer League (18.6 PPG and 6.2 RPG on 46% shooting), I am most intrigued by his potential to hold it down at the backup SF position, allowing Korver and Carroll to slide over to SG whenever it's advantageous to present a bigger lineup at the wing spots. I also felt he worked out nicely whenever getting extended minutes in tandem with his fellow rookie John Jenkins.

Deployed mostly as a PF in 2012-13, Scott is lighter and not nearly as good defensively as Ivan Johnson was last year. His per36 rebounding (3.7 offensive, 6.8 defensive) was actually better than Ivan's (2.6 offensive, 6.6 defensive), but Scott's minutes were more likely to be mop-up duties against (relative to Ivan's) inferior opponents.

Scott sunk a paltry 32% on all his jumpers last season, but knocked down a passable 40% of his long-range twos, not too shabby for a first-year forward in limited action and equivalent to what Ivan provided percentage-wise from this range. In the preseason, I think Budenholzer will be looking to see if Scott can show some improvement in defensive effectiveness at the SF position, in order to earn a boost in minutes when the season starts.

My hunch is that Scott's a virtual lock to make the opening-day roster, but the virtual part depends on any additional moves Ferry makes, either between now and August 15, or during the preseason. Absent those events, I can't envision a scenario where Ferry's guaranteeing Mike 100 Grand now, and then waiving him before the season starts.

~lw3

[AHF]

I will be shocked if he isn't on the opening roster.

[WakaFlocka]

I will be shocked if he isn't on the opening roster.

Agreed, I'd definitely like to see Mike get more minutes this year.

[macdaddy]

Smallish forwards who can shoot and rebound sounds like a Spurs thing to me.

[Guest]

He's in for sure

[hazer]

3rd string SF.

[Vol4ever]

He will be on the roster

[benhillboy]

He's in. He'll excel when we go small.

[capstone21]

For such a low amount and with him showing his good play in the dleague, summer league and garbage time at the end of the season...I don't see him just being let go. He might have to earn his roster spot though.

[Q45T]

Absolutely no reason why he shouldn't be on the roster.

[Gray Mule]

Yes, I expect him to be on the roster this upcoming season and I expect

him to get playing time. Probably will not start very often but he will be

an important part of our player rotation.

He's not an allstar. We don't expect that. But, I believe that he is a good,

solid player and well worth the $$$ he will be drawing.

[lethalweapon3]

Just so nobody freaks out while checking their Twitter, that's a different Mike Scott (Kent State '08) that recently signed with Pau Orthez in France.

~lw3

[frosgrim]

I'd bet he's on the roster. Ferry isn't going to cut someone that spent a whole year developing and improving with the team at this point in the rebuild.

[DrReality]

You know it's slow when there are multipleThreads about mike Scott

[lethalweapon3]

Good to see this "Money Mike" didn't need pliers to be persuasive. We shall see how the staff deploys him in preseason!

~lw3