The Hawks love to hoop. So, deep into the NBA season, they find ways to stoke their love for the game.
Following Thursday’s training session at their practice facility in Brookhaven, some of the members of the team struck up a one-on-one game between themselves and some of the player-development coaches. Hawks guard Trae Young and Caris LeVert, as well as center Onyeka Okongwu, took on assistants Ekpe Udoh and Reggis Onwukamuche.
“It was just us talking today in practice, at the end of practice, guys just talking about, let’s play some ones,” Young said. “Ep brought up, ‘who wants to play ones.’ And I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ And a couple of us just got in. So just wanted to do it today. Just have some fun.”
Hawks assistant Tony Lang moderated the game as both sides faced off while Hawks coach Quin Snyder looked on while chatting with some members of the team’s front office.
“I think this time of the year, the NBA season can be long, and if you have kind of a good spirit at this time of the year, it helps guys wanting to be in the gym, and playing one-on-one is always a fun thing, with guys playing against each other or against the coach — and Ekpe can still block some shots,” Snyder said.
In one matchup against Udoh, Young picked him up at the top of the key, hitting him with a few jab steps before blowing by him. He pulled up inside the paint, right outside the restricted area before letting off a runner. The ball hit the front of the rim before rolling into the basket.
On the next player’s possession, Young picked up Onwukamuche at the top of the key. He initiated the play and created space when he stepped back for a 3-point shot. But the shot was long.
“We don’t always get a lot of practice days, especially in the NBA with, how busy schedules are,” Young said. “And early on the season, we had, it felt like a back-to-back every week or every other week. So didn’t really get a lot of practice time. So now having three days that we can recover one day and then two get to practice, I think we’re taking advantage of it and just enjoying it, but also getting better at the same time.”
Onwukamuche then squared off against LeVert, who tried to get him off with a jab step before dribbling into the paint, then crossing over and pulling up for a jumper. It didn’t fall, which signaled Okongwu’s turn to face off against Onwukamuche.
The Hawks center drove to the basket on Onwukamuche, bumped him then pulled up for a midrange jumper. But that too, did not fall.
Young, LeVert and Okongwu played the coaches one-on-one for three series winning only one. They lost to the coaches 10-6 in the first. Then they won the next 10-5. But the coaches took the final game 10-8.
“Basketball is always supposed to be fun,” Okongwu said. “You know, Ep calling out ones during practice. See who wants them. I’m never gonna duck smoke. So me, Trae, Caris, I mean we lost today. I’m not gonna lie (Ekpe) and Reg was, you know, getting stopped. But you know, it’s basketball. The end of the day. We’re having fun, you know, playing ones, being competitive.”
“I didn’t have my ankle braces on,” Young added. “A couple of us were just loose. So tomorrow we’re gonna be, we’re gonna be active. It ain’t gonna be the same answer.”
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