Atlanta Hawks: 3 takeaways from the second summer league action

Atlanta Hawks summer league Game 2 takeaway No. 3) Don’t tell Sharife Cooper that he can’t do something.

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Well, for the Atlanta Hawks coaching staff, maybe they should tell Sharife Cooper that he can’t do a particular skill. You see, what happens is he goes back to the gym and works on it until he can. The second game of summer league action was a case in point.

The biggest criticism of Cooper during college and the draft process was that he was not very good from the perimeter. Well, Cooper answered that criticism in a big way against the Indiana Pacers. Yes, it was only one game but it showed that Cooper is a very dangerous player.

He went 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and nailed the game-winning 3-ball in a highly pressured situation. That speaks volumes to the character of the player. Cooper takes in the criticism that is leveled at him, works on it in the gym, and shows the world that he can do it.

This bodes extremely well for the Hawks later this season. As the grind wears down the bodies of all the players, Cooper will be able to play some critical minutes for the varsity squad which may make all the difference at the end of the season.