Atlanta Hawks young guns hitting their stride in the G League

The Atlanta Hawks have found their groove, winning seven of their last eight games while averaging the second-most assists in the NBA during that stretch. Those good vibes have seemed to trickle down to the G League where several young Hawks have started to take leaps.

Hawks second-round draft pick Nikola Djurisic recently dropped a career-high seven assists off the bench in just his fourth game back from a four-month injury layoff. The 20-year-old Serbian hasn’t found his shot yet, but he is already flashing his point-forward potential.

Djurisic has averaged 3.2 assists in just 14.8 minutes per game, which translates to 7.8 assists per 36 minutes. Since his return to action, the draft-and-stash rookie has already received some high praise from his teammates.

Two-way Hawks point guard Keaton Wallace, who has averaged 16.0 points and 8.1 assists in seven games with College Park, spoke to Soaring Down South after a Dec. 2 G League win about Djurisic’s mentality while coming back from injury.

“I like his confidence,” Wallace said. “He came in, he wasn’t shying away … He’s playing really well right now for us, and he’s stepping into the QB position. That’s a tough role to fill, and he’s doing great.”

Skyhawks big man Tony Bradley has had plenty of experience in the big leagues, playing for four different NBA teams from 2017 to 2023. Bradley also talked to Soaring Down South about Djurisic.

“I like his pace, he’s a floor general,” Bradley said. “I think he has a lot of potential … The more he plays, the better he’ll be. Practicing and conditioning and that combination of stuff is just gonna make him better.”

Skyhawks head coach Steve Klei has expressed excitement over Djurisic’s development since the start of the season, and he recently explained to Soaring Down South how comfortable the young talent has already looked running pick-and-roll. Djurisic still has to knock off some of his shooting rust (1/13 from the field over his last two), but the potential is clearly there.

Young Hawks bigs Mouhamed Gueye and Dominick Barlow are on the rise

Mouhamed Gueye has already reached new heights during his sophomore season, recently notching his first career double-double on Dec. 2 against the Maine Celtics. After his breakout performance, Klei praised the 22-year-old big man.

“I loved the shots that he took, and I loved the way he rebounded the ball,” Klei said. “He did some really good things defensively.”

Armed with an insane 7-foot-3 wingspan, Gueye has a versatile skill set and promising instincts that could see him develop into a key piece for the Hawks in the future. Like many current Hawks contributors, Gueye is spending time in the G League to further hone his abilities while on a standard contract with Atlanta.

Wallace talked to Soaring Down South about how nice it has been to see Gueye healthy and competing at a high level.  

“Being able to see him out on the floor is just great,” Wallace said. “Seeing his confidence go up and him being an even better player than he was last year … We’re seeing a lot of work that he put in behind the scenes.”

Like Wallace, Dominick Barlow is one of Atlanta’s three two-way pieces. The former Spur is still just 21 years old, and he has a 7-foot-3 wingspan himself. While he may have the same wingspan as Gueye, Barlow has taken on a more prominent role in College Park’s offense.

Averaging 19.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in 13 G League appearances, Barlow is making a strong case for earning a standard contract with the Hawks. The New Jersey native has made his biggest strides on defense, anchoring College Park’s elite defense with 1.5 blocks per game.

With many of their young prospects enjoying expanded roles on a well-coached Skyhawks team, the Hawks should be confident in the development of players who could contribute to Atlanta’s success down the road. College Park is 8-6 on the season with a top-five defensive rating in the G League.

Between the winning environment and the defensive-minded culture, College Park is a perfect place for younger players to become NBA-ready. Just ask Jalen Johnson, who recently shouted out his rookie-year appearances in the G League at an NBA Cup press conference.

The Skyhawks have always done a great job of developing eventual NBA mainstays. From Johnson to Onyeka Okongwu to Vit Krejci, many current Hawks passed through College Park once upon a time.

With most of the season still remaining, some of Atlanta's young guns could eventually get the opportunity to impact the Hawks away from the G League. Only time will tell just how quickly they continue to develop their games.