The Atlanta Hawks Summer League squad began practicing on Wednesday, though, they won’t take the court until this Sunday. We still don’t have an official reason why, but when the official roster was announced one Cam Reddish was not among the names listed. It stands out because he was originally mentioned by name as a participant.
Nevertheless, he won’t play so that just lets us give our attention to others trying to make a good impression on the Hawks or some other team.
It means we have to keep the rumors in the back of our minds.
The Atlanta Hawks won’t lack storylines even during Summer League play
Not that a trade should be expected. But given the Summer League absence is reportedly unrelated to an injury, it’s fair speculation. With up to $332 million given out between Trae Young and John Collins this offseason, they will have to start making some tough decisions. This roster is getting expensive fast.
It would still make more sense to move one of their veteran contracts if the books are of concern. For example, Danilo Gallinari has just $5 million in guaranteed money after this season.
It’s not that cut and dry, though. Moving a big contract often means attaching another player or draft capital. Any younger player the Hawks deem expendable could fetch a hefty sum, even De’Andre Hunter who’s coming off of an injury.
Again, we’ve gotten zero indication any of that is about to happen. But that is what happens when you draft well. What matters most is the Hawks have locked in their core and have a really bright future.
That’s just one of the storylines we’ll be watching as Hawks Summer League action tips off on Sunday.
Atlanta Hawks Summer League storyline No. 1: The performance of the rookies will be of great interest
Rookies Jalen Johnson (20th overall) and Sharife Cooper (48th overall) are going to have a lot of eyes on them and how they perform. Johnson was widely viewed as a lottery talent but slid due to questions about how his time in high school and college ended. Still, him falling to the Hawks was a steal.
It will push for the steal of the draft if he’s able to prove he can shoot. He shot better than 53 percent from the floor and 44 percent from deep, but it was on low volume. Worst yet, he was a poor free-throw shooter. Some believe that is an indicator of shooting efficiency at the pro level.
Cooper was viewed as possibly the best pure passer in this class but found himself deep in the second round due to concerns about his size and lack of a consistent jumper.
The 6-foot-1 Cooper managed to average 20.2 points per game while shooting under 40 percent from the floor and just 22.8 percent from deep. He also doled out 8.1 assists per contest. Jumper or no jumper, he was effective.
For Cooper — who shot 82.5 percent from the free-throw line — finding his jumper is second to running the offense.
They aren’t the only names to keep an eye on either.
Skylar Mays is an obvious one having received a qualifying offer from the Hawks. It’s possible they let him run the show (for whatever that’s worth in Summer League) and let Cooper focus on scoring. Mays did show some passing chops in 33 games last season.
Keep an eye on Admiral Schofield too. The former Washington Wizard averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 boards in the G League last season and has good size at 6-foot-5 and 241 pounds.
Atlanta Hawks Summer League storyline No. 2: Fans have two players in mind for the final roster spot
Lou Williams is one of the better free agents still available. The 34-year-old averaged 10 points and 3.4 assists in 24 games with the Hawks this past season. In the playoffs, he averaged just 7.7 points but he stepped up for an injured Young and played more of a traditional point guard role than we’re used to from him.
He was said to be looking for a multi-year deal that could price him out of the Hawks range.
It’s since been reported that he could return on a minimum deal. The consistent piece of information seems to be the interest from other teams, including the champs.
With trade acquisition Delon Wright on the team, Williams could operate as the scoring threat that has won three Sixth Man of the Year awards.
A potential Paul Millsap return has gained steam among the base, with the question even being broached by us. At 36-years-old, Millsap is strictly a complementary (and bench) piece at this point in his career. But he can still be effective in spurts.
He averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 boards on just over 20 minutes of action per night.
That’s about half of what he averaged as a Hawk which is kind of impressive given how reduced his role has been over the last three years.
He’s been linked to the Hawks but is also said to be open to joining the Warriors. Like Williams, Millsap would add some valuable veteran leadership on what’s still a young team. And, as we saw last season, you can never be too deep at any position.
Of course, that’s a notion that also applies to Williams.
Atlanta Hawks Summer League storyline No. 3: Health will play a big part in the team’s success
The Hawks lost the third-most games due to injury last season. This was during a season in which studies showed an increase in injuries, especially among the game’s stars. There was only one issue when applying the logic of a quick turnaround to the Hawks. They didn’t make the postseason or even get invited to the bubble last season.
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Atlanta went stretches without Trae Young, John Collins, De’Andre Hunter, and Cam Reddish; the latter two for the majority of the regular season.
This is where the idea that Reddish’s absence from Summer League is out of precaution as opposed to injury comes in.
We also can’t forget about Bogdan Bogdanovic’s avulsion fracture that had him seeking second opinions or Onyeka Okongwu who will be out until January recovering from shoulder surgery.
They’ll have to deal with players working out on their own as well. We’ve seen videos of Young and others in the gym in preparation for the season.
Part of the reason Johnson left Duke was to rehab a foot injury. The Hawks will have to be extra diligent managing the 6-foot-9 forward.
Luckily, they have been proactive in this regard and made some tweaks to the training staff.
Much of dealing with injuries is just happenstance, completely out of the coaches’ or training staff’s control. Everyone outside of Okongwu is expected to be healthy for the start of the season.
The only difference is they’ll be one of the teams coming off of an extended season. It was the longest season for many of the Hawks players. Hopefully, their youth offsets the added wear and tear.