Hawks Waive David Lighty, Damien Wilkins, Adonis Thomas

Oct 13, 2013; Biloxi, MS, USA; Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Damien Wilkins (2) posts up against New Orleans Pelicans shooting guard Austin Rivers (25)during the second half of their game at the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. The Pelicans won 105-73. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

With the Atlanta Hawks roster still holding a robust 20 players entering Monday morning, it was inevitable that the “hammer” would be dropping on a few guys in the near future. During the midday hours on Monday, that became reality for 3 players:

In fairness, none of these cuts is considered to be a “surprise”. Most (including me) felt that Lighty and Thomas were almost-certain roster casualties, and even in the case of Wilkins, he was considered to be a fringe candidate in a (losing) battle with James Johnson for consideration.

All 3 players play virtually the same position (swingman), and that is the continuing “hole” on this roster. With that, there will be an increased focus on the aforementioned James Johnson, who is now the only remaining question mark on the wing with regard to the opening night roster.

It’s a mild surprise to see that Eric Dawson avoided the first cut, as he and the loser of the Royal Ivey/Shelvin Mack battle at the point guard position would be the obvious candidates when the Hawks cut the roster from 17 down to a maximum of 15 players. In addition, the Hawks are notorious for not wanting to carry the full 15 players, so this also doesn’t necessarily mean any level of “safety” for guys like Johnson.

Keep an eye on the roster, as this is sure to be an important week-plus with the Hawks hosting three preseason games in the next 10 days.