Here we are again. This year's summer league will be the epicenter of basketball for ten days as people from all around the world touch down in Las Vegas, Nevada. Only this time, the new Atlanta Hawks have the opportunity to show why they’re one of the most promising young cores in the league.
Hawks will soon face the Spurs and Nets
There will be plenty of adversity to go around for the entire roster, and it all starts with the San Antonio Spurs on July 9th. It’s a rather stacked summer league roster featuring Carter Bryant, Maliq Brown, and Tarris Reed Jr.
All four are promising prospects, and it falls on Kingston Flemings to lead his team to victory.
The Spurs will offer physicality in the post as he drives to the rim, forcing Zuby Ejiofor to step up, similar to his performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder. One of the most encouraging things was the fact that he did this while Flemings was on the floor.
If the both of them can go off simultaneously, we could see them form a devastating tandem in the NBA Summer League. This will be perfect for their matchup against the Spurs, especially since Ejiofor has been shooting threes, creating five-out opportunities and unclogging the paint in the process.
However, this might not be able to help Flemings the following game as they face Mikel Brown Jr. and the Brookyln Nets. This will be featured on ESPN primetime at 8 PM ET.
It’s interesting because the two never faced off in college, increasing the intrigue between the two point guards. Their playstyles can combine for a frenetic back-and-forth.
Although there are great players on both sides, Flemings vs. Brown Jr. will absorb all of the attention. Other than Brown Jr., there’s still promising talent on Brooklyn’s roster like Egor Demin, Drake Powell, and Ben Saraf.
They've got to face the Celtics and Grizzlies once again
The Hawks' next two games won't be any easier. Although it’s not guaranteed that the big names will play, there is always a strong possibility, and the Hawks must prepare for Chris Cenac Jr.’s abilities. He played alongside Flemings in college, and the pair lost in the Elite Eight.
Playing alongside him has given him useful data on his tendencies. The same can be said about Cenac Jr., especially knowing Flemings' basketball IQ.
It’ll be interesting to see which former Cougar takes advantage of the moment. Unfortunately for Cenac Jr., there isn't much big-name talent beyond fellow rookie Dillon Mitchell and sophomore guard Hugo Gonzalez.
Of course, the roster is filled with talent, but Atlanta will feature three first-round picks in Flemings, Ejiofor, and Asa Newell. Not to mention the sharpshooting big man, Henri Veesar.
As of right now, all three aforementioned games appear to be winnable, and it will culminate with their game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Since this game will take place on the 19th, Cameron Boozer could this one out, being the third-overall pick. Although Boozer might not play, the Hawks should prepare for Cedric Coward and Karim Lopez.
Both players are very talented, and other underrated pieces like Zach Cleveland will give Atlanta one final test. The entire experience will be valuable for the roster, whether playing in the game or downloading data from the bench.
The new Hawks have a chance to really shine this summer and show why they’ll help Atlanta push for 50 wins this season. It’ll be a great omen of what's to come as the rest of the core improves throughout the offseason
Add us as a preferred source on Google