After a disappointing opening night loss, the Atlanta Hawks got their season back on track with a comeback win in Orlando. They were at a disadvantage from the start due to two starters being out, but that did not matter in the long run, as the team's depth came through and helped secure the win.
Not many expected Asa Newell to suit up. Even with Zaccharie Risacher and Kristaps Porzingis missing from the lineup, it was made clear through preseason that Newell was buried behind several bigs in the depth chart.
Head Coach Quin Snyder made a crucial lineup decision that aided the win. Instead of sticking with a traditional 9-man rotation, he made the tough choice to play 11 guys to see which lineups worked.
This probably was not his original plan. In the first two minutes of the game, Hawks' starting center Onyeka Okongwu picked up two personal fouls. This resulted in an early substitution for Mo Gueye, a player who did not see much playing time in the opening night loss.
After those two, Snyder had a choice to make. Both N'Faly Dante and Asa Newell were ready to play. To the surprise of many, he decided to play both. He started with Dante, who did not look great in his 4 minutes. Despite grabbing 3 rebounds, he looked lost on both ends, resulting in another sub.
Asa Newell made his NBA debut and did not waste a single minute
The rookie checked in and made an immediate impact. In just four minutes of action, Newell scored five points and helped Atlanta gain some late momentum. Both of his buckets came from assists by Trae Young. His first points came off a corner three, and the next was off a lob.
This early connection with Atlanta's star point guard could be what earns Newell minutes down the line. Not many rookies can come in to a loaded forward room and develop an elite two-man game with a veteran by the second game of the season.
To fans who have been paying attention to his game for awhile now, this standout play comes as no surprise. In this year's Summer League, Newell averaged 13.5 points and 8.3 rebounds on an outstanding 42.9% from deep.
If he keeps trending this way, Asa Newell will be getting steady minutes in no time, and he should continue to make the most of them.