The Hawks open play in the Utah Jazz Summer League tonight at Vivint Smart Home Arena. Their summer roster features two of their three first-round picks in the draft last month, four players who were Hawks rookies in 2017-18 and 10 players looking to win roster spots.
Here are five things to watch for the Hawks at summer league:
1. The Trae Young era begins
The Hawks acquired point guard Trae Young by trading the No. 3 overall pick in the draft last week. They hope that he will develop into an NBA star, and summer league is the first step in that process.
At summer league, Young will share the court with two young front court players who also project to be part of the Hawks core: second-year pro John Collins and fellow first-round pick Omari Spellman. The roster also features three wing players who were Hawks rookies in 2017-18: Tyler Dorsey, Jaylen Morris and Antonius Cleveland.
“The biggest thing I’m coming to a new team with new teammates, so figuring out how they play: their spots on the court, where they like to shoot the ball, where they like their passes,” Young said. “So far it’s been great. We’ve been doing things off the court as well as on the court.”
Young figures to see a lot of attention from defenders after he starred at Oklahoma last season.
“I know (defenders) are going to put a lot of pressure on him so our job as ‘bigs’ is to get him open so he can get his shot off and get us open shots as well,” Collins said. “Trae is going to be a star. It’s just a matter of him getting used to the NBA speed and style.”
2. Pushing the pace
Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce used a 16-second shot clock during practices at the team’s minicamp last weekend. The idea was to get Hawks rookies accustomed to the NBA’s faster pace.
“They are coming from a 30-second shot clock (in college) to now a 24-second shot clock,” Pierce said. “There isn’t time to reset, reload, call a new play. You’ve got to make quick decisions.”
Said Young: “He wants us to push the pace, push it fast offensively,” Young said. “He knows with the guards we have on this team and me pushing it, we can get the ball up quick. We’ve got really good wings and ‘bigs’ who can run. That’s going to help us.”
Hawks summer league schedule
Utah Jazz Summer League
- Tonight vs. Grizzlies, 7 p.m., NBA TV
- Tuesday vs. Spurs, 7 p.m., NBA TV
- Thursday vs. Jazz, 9 p.m., NBA TV
Las Vegas Summer League
- Sat. vs. Knicks, 5:30 p.m. ESPN
- Sun. vs. Blazers, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
- July 10 vs. Bulls, 6 p.m., NBA TV
- July 11-17 vs. TBD (tournament)
3. Take two for Collins
Collins was the No. 19 overall pick by the Hawks in the 2017 draft out of Wake Forest. He was one of the NBA’s most productive and efficient first-year players while earning second-team All-Rookie honors.
Some second-year players with Collins’ credentials opt not to play in summer league.
“For me, it’s great to have John,” Pierce said. “For a guy that’s already had a pretty good rookie year to come back and feel like he wants to get better and play with young guys and get more experience, I think that says a lot about his character and work ethic.”
Collins likely will be looking to continue developing as a 3-point shooter at summer league after he showed signs of increasing his shooting range late last season. If Collins can become a legitimate 3-point threat it would make him even more effective as a hyper-athletic roll man.
4. Looking for help
The Hawks have 12 players on the roster with guaranteed contracts for next season, and Cleveland and Morris have non-guaranteed deals. That gives general manager Travis Schlenk up to five roster spots to use for adding and subtracting players before the start of next season.
Point guard probably is the pressing positional need for the Hawks after they waived Isaiah Taylor and allowed Malcolm Delaney to become an unrestricted free agent. For now, summer league invitee Jaylen Adams is the third point guard after he signed a two-way contract on Sunday that allows for up to 45 days on the Hawks roster.
Cleveland and Morris will compete for roster spots at the wing positions behind veteran incumbents Kent Bazemore and Taurean Prince. Kevin Hueter, the No. 19 overall pick in the draft last month, will miss summer league because of a hand injury.
5. Pierce’s show
Pierce is a head coach for the first time but he’s a summer league veteran as a long-time NBA assistant. Still, Pierce said he’ll have to adjust to serving in more of a supervisory role.
“The beauty of summer league is when you get your first job as a head coach, that’s the first responsibility is to delegate,” Pierce said. “You’ve kind of got to let go of the rope a little bit. I’ve already done this. This is easy.”
Pierce plans to be with the Hawks through the week at Utah before returning to be with his wife, who is expecting to deliver a baby soon.
“I want to sit back and be able to evaluate the guys and coach from afar but I’m also learning more about my staff,” Pierce said. “Learning where to position those guys, their responsibilities, and let them interact with the players.”
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