LAS VEGAS — Trae Young tried to rush the court after Sharife Cooper’s game-winning 3-pointer swished at the buzzer, lifting the Hawks to an 84-83 win vs. the Pacers at NBA Summer League on Tuesday.
Young was called back because of COVID-19 rules, but after the game he shared some words with Cooper, a fellow small guard who the Hawks selected at No. 48 in the draft and recently signed to a two-way contract.
“He was like, ‘Good shot, killer,’” Cooper said. “... I just joked around with him like, ‘I got it from you.’ I watched them all season, watched him hit countless big shots. I can’t wait to get in the gym with him.”
For a few seconds, that final possession actually looked like it might fall apart. But, thanks in part to Cooper and Jalen Johnson, the Hawks’ pick at No. 20 who signed a rookie-scale deal, it resulted in a game-winning shot.
The original plan was for Cooper to get downhill, which didn’t go as planned. The backup option was for Skylar Mays to get a shot off, which he missed, and after that, it was a scramble. But, all 6-foot-9 of Johnson fought under the basket to keep the play alive, Cooper dashed to the corner, and teammate Max Heidegger found him open for a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
It’s easy to overreact to Summer League games, which aren’t always an accurate indication of how players will perform in an actual NBA game against vastly more experienced players. But, through the Hawks’ first two outings, Johnson and Cooper certainly have impressed and seem to have established a solid connection, feeding off one another on the court. The Hawks had a loaded young core even before adding Johnson and Young, but could benefit from a dose of Cooper’s playmaking and Johnson’s versatility, and the depth they provide.
“They’re very observant, and they listen,” Matt Hill, a Hawks assistant who is the Summer League head coach, said of the duo. “They want to learn. They want to get better. They’re asking great questions, and that’s all you can ask from a young player. They’re giving us effort out there. A lot is being thrown at them, so we’re not expecting them to be perfect. But the effort’s there, and I just think that their willingness to learn and get better; you can already see that, just from a couple days of Summer League.”
In Tuesday’s win, Johnson had a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and an assist. He had another double-double in Sunday’s 85-83 loss to the Celtics, with 20 points and 10 rebounds, plus two assists, a steal and a block. In 13 games at Duke, Johnson averaged 11.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21.4 minutes per game.
Already, he has flashed tons of potential on both ends of the floor.
“He’s a unique player,” Hill said of Johnson. “He’s good in the open court; he can make reads from the post and elbow, kind of in iso situations. He can get behind the defense as a screener, and he has the ability to stretch (the floor), so I think his variety and versatility gives you a lot of options offensively, but what we haven’t seen a lot of is him actually handling in pick-and-roll, which I hope to see as the week goes on, but he has the ability to do that, too. I just think his patience is something we’re going to continue to preach with him, making the right reads and playing under control.”
The Hawks are high on Johnson’s versatility (he shot 44.4% from 3-point range at Duke and handles the ball well, particularly for a player of his size), and that’s one of the biggest things Johnson takes pride in.
“I want to affect the game in every single way possible,” Johnson said. “Defensively, offensively, just kind of being that player who can really say they do everything on the court.”
Cooper had a team-high 21 points with nine assists in Tuesday’s win, going 5-for-8 from 3-point range, a statistic that stands out considering he shot 22.8% from distance in his 12 games at Auburn. He had 11 points and six assists against the Celtics on Monday. At Auburn, Cooper averaged 20.2 points, 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game.
He’s showing off his ability to drive and blow past defenders.
“Sharife’s got the ability to break people down and get in the paint, as you’ve seen already in the first two games. … I just think his ability to (make plays) for others makes him a special player,” Hill said.
Neither rookie has been perfect, as turnovers have added up: Cooper has 12 across the first two Summer League games, and Johnson has 11. But, the idea of Summer League is to give those guys time to adjust, learn and play through mistakes.
Cooper and Johnson both will be at Hawks training camp in late September. Cooper, on a two-way contract, also will play for the Hawks’ G League affiliate, the College Park Skyhawks. But, he can spend up to 50 games on the Hawks’ active list for NBA games. Johnson may spend some time in College Park as well, general manager Travis Schlenk said Tuesday.
The Hawks’ roster and mindset has shifted from rebuilding mode to win-now mode, so Johnson and Cooper will have to battle for any playing time they get. But, each is off to a promising start.
“I’ve said the night of the draft and a couple times since then, because of the depth of our roster and how we’ve transitioned from a development team to a competitive team, those guys are going to have to earn every minute they get,” Schlenk said.
“So I would anticipate both of them having the opportunity to go to College Park and play. But if they come into camp and earn their minutes, they’ll have the ability to play (with the Hawks) as well.”
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