The Atlanta Hawks were dominated on Thursday night. Plain and simple.
Context matters, though. They were without their three most impactful players - Kingston Flemings, Asa Newell and Zuby Ejiofor - while the Memphis Grizzlies, headlined by Cameron Boozer and second-year guard Cedric Coward, went all out for a summer victory.
It would've been a lot of fun to compete for a summer league championship, but at the end of the day, what weight does it truly hold? Atlanta's young weapons are expected to be importantly utilized in their pursuit of a deep postseason run after a successful 2026-27 season; the polar opposite of how those in Memphis are anticipating being used.
After what they'd shown, there was nothing left for them to prove
There is limited value in risking injury for a summer league ring that many around the league perceive as meaningless. Yes, it's good for young players to be exposed to winning at the next level, that early, but it hardly ever translates to immediate, or even long-term, success.
Atlanta knew right after their first-round elimination what they needed to do in the offseason. They needed a floor general. They needed a paint beast. And most importantly, they needed their already-rostered young guys to continue on their impressive trajectory.
Well, if summer league is any indicator, there's a good chance they've addressed all three.
Kingston Flemings was a playmaker's playmaker in his short summer stint. Atlanta's offensive output was significantly better with him on the floor than off. He was generating quality looks for the bulk of the roster and the results were notable.
Zuby Ejiofor - Atlanta's second first-round pick - was one of the summer league's most dominant interior presences. He impressed the Hawks' staff with his ability to attack the offensive glass.
Asa Newell, in his second NBA summer league, showed just enough improvement to warrant him being sat the rest of the way. He's due for a big sophomore season.
Atlanta has a young core that's ready to ascend
When all of the hopes - and expectations, really - are on success in the upcoming regular season, there's much less incentive to have the guys play the duration of their stint in Las Vegas.
Naturally, young cores get better, and more polished, as they develop. No player is a sure thing, and with years of advancements in their game, they can meet their full potential.
For Flemings, Newell and Ejiofor, that's absolutely the case, and them sitting in the back-half of summer league isn't going to change that.
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