Corey Kispert could be the secret weapon on Hawks' bench

As much as the Atlanta Hawks added to their roster during the offseason, whether that was through the draft or trades, they also kept most of their core from the season before. That goes a long way toward chemistry and familiarity, and it's only going to make them a stronger team with training camp upon us.

One of the returnees happened to be Corey Kispert, who was traded to the Hawks in the middle of last season as part of the Trae Young deal that sent him to the Washington Wizards. It was the first time that Kispert had been traded in his career, and just like any other person in that position, he had to learn a new system on the fly.

He had some good games, but as the season went on, he didn't see that many minutes on the floor. Coming into this season, it's uncertain what his role could look like, especially with players such as Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins expected to play a big part on the team, coming from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Corey Kispert could be a key role player for the Hawks

In the Hawks' first preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Kispert showed why he deserves minutes this season, as he finished with a game-high 19 points. If Kispert could play at that level throughout the season, he could be a secret weapon for the Hawks coming off the bench. His shooting has always been his calling card, and with a full training camp under his belt, he feels like it's helped him a lot.

"“I came in here ready to go. We’ve played a lot of live stuff in camp. The games that we've had so far in camp before that translated for me tonight. I felt like I was hitting the ground running and I was running downhill, and it felt really good. I'm hoping that kind of carries over the rest of the preseason and into the year.”"

Corey Kispert after the Grizzlies game

Shooting will keep Kispert on the floor, but it's his defense that will give him even more minutes. That may be the reason why his minutes took a dip last season, as the Hawks had better options in that role, and his shooting numbers had fallen as well.

Even if Kispert doesn't get consistent minutes to start the season, the Hawks know that if they need more offense, they can throw him in the game and get a boost.

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