2021 Las Vegas Summer League

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

Watch on YouTube

[Mike87]

Love what im seeing from Johnson & Cooper. Still cannot believe we got them both where our picks were. Honestly dont know which was a bigger steal.

[shakes0]

Read on Twitter

Watch on YouTube

Cooper put on a show. Maxey just did what any and every second year player should do in a summer league game.

When I look at summer league box scores I only look at the rookies, don't even bother with anyone who isn't a rookie.

[Jamaaliver]

Cade with a big night at summer camp...

[Jamaaliver]

There's a chance the next generation Warriors are gonna be really special, also.

Read on Twitter

[HMFFL]

Jalen Johnson scored 25pts today vs Miami. It's the most points he has scored since high school.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

Jalen Johnson scored 25pts today vs Miami. It's the most points he has scored since high school.

The kid is a lottery-level talent. We're lucky to have gotten him at #20.

He's going to be fighting Cam and JC for playing time by year 2.

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

It's crazy that this kid lasted so late into the draft...

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

[Jamaaliver]

Grading First-Round Standouts at 2021 Las Vegas Summer League

Jalen Johnson (Atlanta Hawks, SF/PF, No. 20 pick)

The No. 7 player on Bleacher Report's big board fell to No. 20, where it looks like the Hawks found a steal. At 19.0 points per game, he is fourth among rookies in scoring and tied for second in rebounding (9.5). Johnson converted some fantastic finishes in transition, but he also looked sharper than advertised as a shooter with five threes in four games. His athleticism, face-up game, passing and improving touch create unique versatility and star potential that too many teams overlooked.



Sharife Cooper (Atlanta Hawks, PG, No. 48 pick)

Cooper has already started to make most of the NBA look silly for betting against his size and shooting. He's third in summer league in assists (7.3), and he made five threes against the Indiana Pacers, including a buzzer-beater winner. Even if the scoring doesn't translate, his passing will.

Bleacher Report

[Jamaaliver]

Has a player only 6'1" or below ever won Defensive PLayer of the Year?

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Sharife Cooper, Jalen Johnson shedding 'risky' labels with dominant summer league showing



The Atlanta Hawks have a lot of momentum heading into next season after making the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2015.

Trae Young signed a five-year, $207 million max contract, and the Hawks had two picks in the 2021 NBA draft, one of the deepest classes in recent memory. Atlanta drafted 6-foot-9 forward Jalen Johnson at No. 20 and point guard Sharife Cooper at No. 48. Both players were considered two of the riskiest players going into the draft.

The upside to both players is huge, but they are two of the biggest high-risk, high-reward players in this draft class. Cooper is a tremendous playmaker, but is undersized at 6-foot and needs to work on his shot selection. Johnson is great in the open court and one of the most versatile players on the floor when he’s healthy and injury-free. No one really knew for certain what kind of players they would be at the NBA level.

After summer league, it looks like the Hawks got the steals of the draft. Cooper looks extremely comfortable on the court, finding teammates and knocking down open shots.

Cooper hit the game-winning shot, a corner 3-pointer, against the Indiana Pacers two weeks ago and finished with 21 points and nine assists. He shot only 23% from deep in his one season at Auburn, but that is a distant memory now after knocking down five 3-pointers in his second summer league game.

Johnson has been just as impressive early on. He pushes the ball up the court after a rebound and is deadly in iso situations when there’s a mismatch. He averaged 19 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while playing multiple positions.

“He’s a versatile player, and we can plug him into multiple positions, which is what makes him special,” Hawks summer league head coach Matt Hill said. “He’s great in the open court, he can make reads from the post and elbow in iso situations. I think his variety and versatility gives us a lot of options offensively.”

Both players are familiar with each other’s games after playing against one another in high school and on the AAU circuit.

“Sharife trusts me, and it’s just a natural connection that we have,” Johnson said. “We’re both playmakers, so it makes it easier for that trust factor. He’s probably one of the best playmakers I’ve ever played with.”

Both Cooper and Johnson are looking like instant impact players who will see solid minutes this upcoming season. The Hawks might have taken a risk drafting both players, but if the summer league games are any indication as to how the regular season will be, it looks like it will pay off in a huge way.

Yahoo Sports