(R) ROOKIE (COLLEGE STATS)∂30 wins ∂Miss the playoffs ∂Trae Young will lead the NBA in assists.StartersAfter putting together a much better
second half as a rookie (24.7 points
per game on 44.2% shooting and
9.2 assists), point guard Trae Young
seems to be a solid building block
for Atlanta. But while his scoring ability and
playmaking aren’t a concern, his defense is. The
Hawks had a 114.8 DEFENSIVE RATING WITH
YOUNG ON THE FLOOR, a mark equivalent to the
second-worst defense in the league.
Not all the defensive struggles can be blamed
on Young, of course, but where improvement
comes from is unclear. At 6' 2" and 181 pounds
Young needs support, and center Alex Len isn’t
known for his rim protection. Atlanta’s best hope
is 6' 7" De’Andre Hunter, the No. 4 pick, who was
known for his lockdown D during Virginia’s national
title run. Rookies need adjustment periods; Lloyd
Pierce can only hope it’s a short one. The Hawks
can’t afford to be one of the league’s worst defenses
whenever their best player is on the floor. —R.N.114.8
TELLING NUMBER
TRAE
YOUNG
19.1 PPG; 8.1 APG;
41.8 FG%; 32.4 3FG%PG
KEVIN
HUERTER
9.7 PPG; 3.3 RPG;
41.9 FG%; 38.5 3FG%SG
DE’ANDRE
HUNTER (R)
15.2 PPG; 5.1 RPG;
52.0 FG%; 43.8 3FG%SFENEMY LINES
A rival scout weighs inEVAN TURNER probably
hurts them. He’s a
name, JABARI PARKER is
a name, but you lose
more when they play.
If you post Jabari up
from 18 feet, it will
stunt JOHN COLLINS’s
development. I don’t
think either of thoseguys help you win....
It’s hard to compete
when you’re playing
young guys, but that’s
the right thing for them
to do. I hope they play
CAM REDDISH down the
stretch rather than
Turner.... Collins and
TRAE YOUNG sure are
talented. Trae can play
pick-and-roll, he can
shoot, he can pass
with both hands, passhigh, pass low. With
Collins improving his
three-point range,
that was one of the
harder pick-and-roll
tandems to guard last
season. Defensively
they’re probably going
to struggle.... They
got rid of all their
role-playing vets and
replaced them with
rookies. DE’ANDRE HUNTER
I really, really like. Ilike his demeanor. I
like his size. I’m sure
the Virginia pedigree
will help him. In the
national championship
game he hit shots....
They’re gonna have
three rookies in their
rotation. I’ve seen
the most talented
rookies in the NBA,
but you don’t win with
them. You don’t want
to play them on aWednesday of a road
trip. They’re gonna
fly around and jack
shots, and if they’re
hitting, they can beat
you.... There’s a lot of
optimism around there.
I call them the Baby
Warriors. You’ve got
KEVIN HUERTER as Klay,
Trae as Steph, Collins
plays the Draymond
role and Hunter has the
Iguodala role.Projected Lineup
ALEX
LEN
11.1 PPG; 5.5 RPG;
0.9 BPG; 49.4 FG%C
JABARI
PARKER*
14.5 PPG; 6.6 RPG;
2.4 APG; 49.3 FG%PF
CAM
REDDISH (R)
13.5 PPG; 3.7 RPG;
35.6 FG%; 33.3 3FG%SFBench
PF
JOHN
COLLINS
19.5 PPG; 9.8 RPG;
56.0 FG%; 34.8 3FG%Crystal Ball: 81
GREG NELSON (YOUNG)
Hawks
ATLANTA
2018 – 19 RECORD 29– 53 5th in Southeast
COACH LLOYD PIERCE 2nd season with HawksTHE
EAST