Atlanta Hawks: 6 Players to Watch in Preseason Bout vs. Magic
By Chris Guest
Charlie Brown
Though Charlie Brown is only a Two-Way player with the Atlanta Hawks for the upcoming 2018-19 season, the 22-year-old rookie played the second-most minutes on the team in its first preseason game against the Pels with 24 – only Trae Young played more on the Hawks than Brown and Hunter.
Brown looked fairly NBA-ready during that short stint. He poured in 11 points on 4 of 8 shooting with 5 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block, though he did commit three turnovers against zero assists.
Brown was spry on defense and his good size, length and speed should translate to solid defensive chops immediately. Keep on eye on Brown against the Magic against the wings and guards of Orlando.
Mo Bamba
After a seemingly cursed rookie season (despite a rap anthem named after him by Sheck Wes), Mo Bamba will be looking to bounce back in his second season. The unicorn-esque big man was one of the most tantalizing prospects in the buildup to the 2018 NBA Draft, but his slight frame and injury risks were too much to bear in his rookie year, leading to him only playing 766 minutes across 47 games last year.
With that in mind, Bamba is sure to want to show out in his second season. So far in the preseason, Bamba has looked terrific in only 16 minutes of action, scoring 13 points on 5 of 9 shooting, including 3 of 5 from deep with 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. Nice!