The Atlanta Hawks remain undefeated at 3-0 in the 2026 Las Vegas Summer League. Even when they rest top guys like Kingston Flemings, Zuby Ejiofor, and Asa Newell, the team still plays with the same identity. Atlanta, much like the main squad, relies on turning over its opponents and passing the rock, resulting in easy transition points on the end.
The Hawks became one of the best teams in the NBA last season in the final 2.5 months. Their defense fueled this success and led the way to two wins against the New York Knicks in the opening round of the playoffs.
Head Coach Quin Snyder and the rest of his staff have to be excited about the Hawks' young players emulating this success.
The possession game matters even more in summer league
Summer league games can be filled with low-scoring, sometimes chaotic basketball. In fact, no team averages over 99.0 points per game in Las Vegas. However, this style of play falls right into Atlanta's hands. Because many squads consistently struggle to score in the halfcourt, having more possessions becomes crucial.
This is precisely the area in which Atlanta can use its lockdown defense to create more scoring chances off turnovers.
Over three games in Las Vegas, opponents have averaged just 77.3 points per contest against Atlanta. In contrast, it sits inside the top 10 in scoring at 92.7 points per game. Perhaps the biggest reason for this high point differential is the Hawks forcing 19.7 turnovers, while committing only 14.7 themselves. 11.7 of those 19.7 turnovers have resulted in steals for Atlanta.
The Hawks have the speed and athleticism to turn those steals into fastbreak buckets on the end. Flemings and Ejiofor, especially, work well together in transition. Their work in the open court was one of the biggest reasons why Atlanta got a 20-point comeback win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Salt Lake City.
Ejiofor emphasized the team's focus on defense in his postgame interview.
"[We focused on] our physicality, our intensity on the defensive end ... our attention to detail on the defensive end, [and] not making any of their drives easy," said the No. 23 pick this summer.
Summer Hawks emulate the main squad in the assist department
Atlanta led the league in 2025-26 with 30.1 assists per game. It has playmakers all over the floor at multiple positions. The summer league Hawks have a similar style. They rank first in assists in Las Vegas at 23.0 dimes per contest.
All three of Flemings, Ejiofor, and Henri Veesaar have plus playmaking skills for their position. Flemings' ability to make quick reads under pressure without turning the ball over is impressive, especially at 19 years old. Through four games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, Flemings has totaled 27 assists compared to nine turnovers. Six of these miscues came in one game against the Brooklyn Nets.
Veesaar and Ejiofor can pass the rock out of the post or in short-roll situations, hitting baseline cutters or spraying the ball out for an open three-pointer. This takes pressure off Flemings. If defenses trap the guard in the pick-and-roll, he can hit Veesaar or Ejiofor and feel they will make the right decision with the ball.
The Hawks look to continue their summer league success on July 16 when they face the Memphis Grizzlies. A win would automatically give them a spot in the Las Vegas playoffs.
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