Summer League regular play is in the books for the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta has players under contracts, players whose draft rights they hold, and former college stars up and down the roster. Let’s look at my takeaways from the 3-game set this far:
Lamar Patterson, our second round pick last season who spent the season in Turkey, showed promise. However, with this being said he was also very inconsistent. The Pitt product had big games against the D-League Select and the Nuggets, but put up a goose egg against the Warriors. Patterson is NBA ready in my opinion, but the Hawks may want him to play one more seasons overseas.
Edy Tavares will be in a Hawks uniform next season, as he recently signed a 3-year deal with the team. Tavares is very big, but very very raw. He’s a huge body at 7’3″, and is very mobile for his size. However, he started playing basketball at just 17 years old, so he’s learning on the fly. I think consistent playing time is what’s best for Edy, something he probably won’t get in year one with Atlanta. Look for him to make D-League assignments and whatnot, but he will add some size to the Hawks’ backcourt. It was clear he was affecting opponents’ shots. Working with the fundamentally sound Tiago Splitter could benefit him greatly. He even put up some mid-range jumpers… Not sure if this was his decision or something Kenny Atkinson worked with him on. He will have to work on avoiding silly fouls.
Many were surprised to see Mike Muscala playing in this year’s Summer League. While certainly overqualified, Moose took this as an opportunity to hone his leadership skills. He asked the coaches to come and try to teach the system. His jumper was off, but his presence was felt and he definitely stuck out. I hope Moose sees an expanded role next season, he did not see many minutes but he was clearly better than Pero Antic last season and had a great player efficiency rating. Having Moose and Splitter opens up a ton of mismatches for Atlanta. They can protect the rim or stretch the floor with different looks. Moose needs to prevent himself from making silly fouls, but I love his potential. He sat out the last game, which was planned.
There’s likely not a spot on the roster for Terran Petteway, but he did stick out to me as a guy who should be on an NBA bench this season. I think he’ll get his chance.
Same goes for Brandon Ashley. I liked his game at Arizona, and I was really surprised nobody drafted him this year. He will certainly get a shot on an NBA roster as well. I actually think he could be a nice fit for the Hawks, he can shoot the 3 and play down low. I just don’t see him beating out Mike Scott or Mike Muscala any time soon.
Glenn Robinson IIIÂ was a late addition to the Summer League roster, but he made up for lost time. He scored in double digits in both games, and had some big time plays, such as his game sealing free throw and his 360 dunk. He has a chance to make the roster, in my opinion. He offers some NBA experience, as well as chemistry with college teammate Tim Hardaway Jr.
Deandre Kane was perhaps my favorite player to watch in the NCAA last season. With that being said, his performance was rather disappointing. He was erratic and didn’t stand out by any means. His biggest knock has always been that he’s small for a shooting guard. I think Kane will have a nice career in Europe.
Greg Smith has made rounds with various NBA teams and he showed some nice post moves. He didn’t play too much, but he should be on an NBA roster next season.