2024-25 Atlanta Hawks Roster Preview: Vit Krejci

The guard became a fan favorite down the stretch after honing his game in College Park - can he take another leap this year?

Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) looks to pass against Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci (27) during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Age: 24 (4th season)

Height, Weight: 6'8, 195 lbs

2023-24 Averages: 6.1 points, 0.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists on 49%/41.2%/83.3% splits (22 games)

Career Averages:  4.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists on 43.5%/34.8%/83.3% splits (81 games)

If the Hawks really did find a hidden gem in Krejci last year, he'll get an opportunity to shine in 2024-25.

The 6'8 guard did not even spend the whole year on the Hawks' roster. He was waived by the team in August and then earned a two-way deal in December. However, he never looked back after making his way back onto Atlanta's roster. On his two-way deal, he mostly spent time as a lead facilitator and scrappy defender in College Park. He played a big role in ensuring the team's excellent defense did not falter against its opponents and his play earned him consideration for a roster elevation in March.

From there, he continued to step his game up. He took on difficult defensive assignments, like Jayson Tatum when the Celtics came to Atlanta, and played a massive role in the Hawks' overtime win against Boston. Krejci did not shy away from the challenge of stepping into the defensive void left by the absences of Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey. His presence as a two-way player was massive for Atlanta and undoubtedly played a role in them securing a play-in berth.

He converted that production into a new four-year, $10 million deal to stay in Atlanta. At the time, I thought it was one of Atlanta's best moves of the off-season and my thoughts have not changed since:

"The Hawks might have unearthed a bench shooter with size in Krejci, making his new four-year, $10 million dollar contract a bargain. While he is not a lockdown defender, he has the size and agility to bother wings. For example, he took on the Tatum assignment in both of their wins over the Celtics and did relatively well. It is not hard to envision Krejci taking offensive and defensive strides with more minutes and earning a spot in what looks to be a crowded forward rotation for the Hawks. With Saddiq Bey still unsigned in free agency and AJ Griffin traded to the Houston Rockets after a rough sophomore season, Krejci could become the team's eighth or ninth man next year. At $2.5 million a year, it's well worth it for general manager Landry Fields to find out exactly what Krejci can become."

Expectations of Krejci's 2024-25 role have to start with being a rotation player. It's a small sample size, but he had strong shooting numbers from both the free throw line and from three-point range in 2023-24. That is usually indicative of real shooting upside and I think Atlanta should use him as a catch-and-shoot option in the rotation. There is a real chance that Krejci is the fourth-best shooters on Atlanta's roster (behind Trae, Bogdan Bogdanovic and either Jalen Johnson or DeAndre Hunter). If his shooting normalizes to around 35-36% on four attempts a game across a larger sample of games, that would still be a tremendous success for Krejci.

I also think Krejci fits very well as a defensive piece in the Hawks' retooled perimeter defense. Dyson Daniels, Jalen Johnson and DeAndre Hunter are expected to be solid to elite options on the perimeter, but what about Krejci? He showed he's capable of competing on that end of the floor and can certainly make an impact in the 10-15 minutes he gets during a game. His length is especially tough for opposing guards to deal with since most of them are shorter than Krejci. I think it would be an exaggeration to predict Krejci will be Atlanta's best perimeter defender, but it is certainly possible that he's one of their best three defenders by the end of the season.

Overall, Krejci is a player that thrives around stars. He is unselfish, spaces the floor and competes on defense. At just 24 years old, he is also far from a finished product. The deal he signed this offseason could quickly look like a massive bargain if he becomes a regular part of Atlanta's rotation. Given his growth so far, I would not be betting against him.

Best-Case Scenario: Krejci plays in 50+ games and carves out a role as a strong two-way guard who shoots 36% from three on decent volume. He plays an integral role in propping up Atlanta's bench unit in the minutes without Trae Young.

Worst-Case Scenario: Krejci's shooting numbers regress back to the 23.8% he shot during his 29 games with Atlanta in 2022-23 and he becomes more of a solid defender who can hit the occasional three-pointer.