Atlanta Hawks: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason

3. NBA Summer League play gives hope to Atlanta’s fans

NBA Summer League play has wrapped up for the Hawks, with notable performances from second-year players John Collins and Tyler Dorsey, as well as some of the rookies. The time spent in Utah and Las Vegas allowed the team to work on their chemistry and within a new system under new head coach Lloyd Pierce.

The team also received a big confidence booster with a come-from-behind victory against the Pacers in the Summer League tournament.

This game helped Tyler Dorsey become the talk of the summer, averaging 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game over five contests. He was a key component to the comeback win over the Pacers and shot 37.5 percent on 3-point attempts during Summer League.

Another encouraging standout in Summer League was the 30th overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Omari Spellman. In the highlights below, we got just a small taste of Spellman’s mastery around the rim on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball.

Spellman averaged 10.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game over the eight games he played in, finishing with double-digit points over his last three games, including 20 against the Blazers in the round of 16.

Of the rookie class, Trae Young had some growing pains but still showed off his shooting range. Kevin Huerter didn’t play at all due to an injury, but overall, this summer should give Hawks fans a lot to be excited about.