Onyeka Okongwu and the 24 key minutes for the Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks welcomed back Onyeka Okongwu, at least they assigned him to their G League affiliate the College Park Skyhawks. The impact on the Skyhawks was a positive one as they took thier first win of the season against the Long Island Nets.
Given that Okongwu was not expected back until January, he has managed to get back much sooner than hoped. This means that there is light at the end of the injury tunnel for the Hawks. It would be better for the Hawks if he was a wing, but they will take the defense of Okongwu given that they still have defensive issues when Clint Capela sits.
While Okongwu did not set the world on fire in his first game back, he helped the Skyhawks to their first win of the season. His capable defense, combined with his nose for a rebound helped the Skyhalws no end. He finished with 15 rebounds on the night to go along with ten points and two blocks, assists, and steals in just 24 minutes.
The Atlanta Hawks would have been happy with Onyeka Okongwu’s output.
While Okongwu only played 24 minutes he filled up the box score. Not only that, he showed that he has a great read on the ball by collecting seven offensive rebounds. Obviously he will struggle to get these types of rebounds with the varsity squad, but it is good to see he can still sniff out the boards.
However, Okongwu was not the only story of the night. Jalen Johnson flirted with a triple-double, collecting 23 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists. While the points and rebounds are expected, the assists are where Johnson shows a point of difference from most players his height as he is such a creative offensive talent.
The standout performance of the night went to Sharife Cooper. The Hawks second round draft pick had a tremendous night. He had 33 points to go along with four assists, three rebounds, and two blocks for the night.
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Let’s hope that all these players can back their performances up to get a second win against the Nets. It would also be a benefit if Okongwu could get up closer to 30 minutes of gametime so that he can prove that he is back to a level of fitness required to contribute for the varsity squad.