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Atlanta Hawks: Final Thoughts from Utah Summer League

By Chris Guest

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 3: Omari Spellman #6 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2018 Utah Summer League on July 3, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - JULY 3: Omari Spellman #6 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a dunk against the San Antonio Spurs during the 2018 Utah Summer League on July 3, 2018 at Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 3: Tyler Dorsey (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – JULY 3: Tyler Dorsey (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Both Tyler Dorsey and John Collins looked predictably excellent versus some lower-level talent. Both were named as Standout Players after the Utah league finished, with Dorsey finishing with 16.3 points per game – 5th-highest among all players.

Though Collins did not play in the third and final tilt, he pretty much dominated (as a Second Team All-Rookie member should, and he had a target on his back against the Spurs – a game in which he was severely battered by a seemingly cynical Spurs side.

Another player who had a target on his back was clearly the Hawks #5 overall pick in the 2018 Draft; yup, now we’re going to talk about Trae Young.

While it must be said that Trae had an absolutely terrible Utah Summer League (shooting 23% on 52 shot attempts – the 2nd-highest number among any player in Utah), he did show some promising signs.

His passing was definitely excellent (as advertised), however his assist numbers were relatively low compared to expectations – mostly due to the fact that his teammates were unable to hit wide-open shots with any level of consistency. Even with that caveat, Young finished with 4.3 assists per game, the 5th-highest total among any player at Utah.

Of course, there is still much of his game that needs improvement, and he will have to learn that his excellent feel and basketball IQ will sadly not be enough to solely support in the league. Once he figures that out (as well as how to play off the ball), he could become a dynamic player and scorer for Atlanta.

Finally, Kevin Huerter did not see any Utah Summer League action as he recovers from wrist surgery, Jock Landale showed solid effort on the boards (finishing tied with Omari for 4th overall at 7.7 per game) and Antonius Cleveland and Jaylen Morris both looked good on defense throughout and were effective two-way players in the third and final game.

Next: Ranking the Hawks' 7 Best Young Assets

Keep it locked to Soaring Down South for all of your Hawks offseason news, as well as for more coverage of the team’s Las Vegas Summer League exploits. The NBA never stops!

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