NBA Free Agency: Could Mike Budenholzer and Dewayne Dedmon reunite in Milwaukee?
By Adam McGee
Strengths
Once presented as an impressive athlete with elite size and good defensive instincts, Dedmon has done a tremendous job of rounding out his game over the past couple of years.
His mobility and athleticism still stand out, as a legitimate seven-footer capable of rim-running offensively and staying in front of smaller opponents defensively boasts immense value.
Beyond that, though, Dedmon has started to smooth out some of the rough edges of his game.
Having been limited to basic finishing around the basket for much of his career, Dedmon expanded his offensive repertoire significantly last season. Following just a single three-point attempt in his first four seasons combined, Dedmon attempted 141 triples with the Hawks last season and knocked down a respectable 35.5 percent of them.
Further improving his offensive value, Dedmon flashed signs of a newly developed passing game with the Hawks as he racked up 90 assists in 2017-18 in comparison to just 71 in his entire pro career prior to that point. That equated to 2.1 assists per 36 minutes for Dedmon, which was a comfortable career-high.
Defensively, Dedmon has all the tools to be a fearsome rim-protector, and has averaged 1.7 blocks per 36 minutes for his career to date. His blocks per game dropped off to an uncharacteristically low 1.2 per game last season, yet that can largely be attributed to him generally playing in two-big lineups alongside either Mike Muscala or John Collins, and doesn’t indicate any less of an impact in generally influencing shots around the rim.