It's been a while since we had guys in so many different events. Hopefully this is a precursor of things to come.
2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Consider this a place to consolidate the many threads on the topic and talk about all the events as they come.
It's been a while since we had guys in so many different events. Hopefully this is a precursor of things to come.
It's been a while since we had guys in so many different events. Hopefully this is a precursor of things to come.
Spoiler:
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
- Jamaaliver
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Clutch PointsHawks’ Kent Bazemore says Trae Young and John Collins should get used to attending All-Star weekend
Trae Young and John Collins are heading off to Charlotte for the Rising Stars game, and this is an experience Atlanta Hawks teammate Kent Bazemore says they should get used to.
He clearly sees the potential in his teammates. The All-Star weekend is usually a fun time for the players, and it seems that Young and Collins might get to experience it pretty frequently. At least, if Bazemore was picking the teams.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
AJC.comYoung has friends who know all about winning Skills Challenge
Time for Trae Young to text Dwyane Wade – again.
The Hawks rookie point guard had forged a relationship with the future Hall of Famer. Young will be competing in the Rising Stars Challenge and the Skills Challenge during the NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Charlotte on Friday and Saturday. He plans to seek out Wade, a two-time winner of the Skills Challenge. Young also considered breaking out some old tires to practice the pass element of the competition after a recent practice. Wade won the competition in back-to-back years in 2006-07.
“I wanted to compete in the Skills Challenge,” Young said. “I’ve dreamed of doing events at All-Star Weekend growing up as kid. Being able to go there and compete as a rookie, is an honor."
Young and teammate John Collins will play for Team USA in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday. After Young competes in the Skills Challenge, Collins will compete in the Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday.
Young is earning his place in the NBA quickly. He and Collins have developed an on-court rapport that have resulted in one successful pick-and-roll exchange after another.
“I’m super excited,” Young said. “The Rising Stars Challenge is going to be loaded with a lot of talent on both teams. I’m looking forward to going out there and having fun. I’m glad John is going to be able to go out there with me and play together some more.”
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Basketball ForeverEverything You Need To Know About The 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend
Rising Stars Challenge: Friday, 9pm ET (TNT)
Give me the spiciest one-on-one matchup
Luka Doncic versus Trae Young will certainly be one to watch.
After being traded for each other on draft night, Doncic and Young’s careers will be forever linked.
This was always going to be more annoying for the less successful of the two, and right now, that’s clearly Young.
So it’s unlikely he’ll be cool with Luka stealing the show during the opening act of the league’s showcase weekend.
Meanwhile, Ben Simmons going up against Donovan Mitchell will never not be fun.
Mitchell was genuinely bothered by his primary rival winning Rookie of the Year last season.
When we caught up with Simmons during the offseason, he downplayed any lingering animosity, while still taking a couple of subtle digs at Mitchell.
‘Beef’ might be a strong word to use here, but individual rivalries like this one rarely die down overnight.
The combined backcourt wizardry of Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons will be something to behold.
Dunk Contest
Who’s competing?
Tell me a little something about each dunker
John Collins – The bookmakers have Collins down as the favourite. But at 6’10, he’ll have to defy the long line of big men who have struggled to impress the judges.
Miles Bridges – Possibly the most explosive dunker of the bunch and will have the Charlotte crowd on his side.
Dennis Smith Jr – The only current contestant to compete last year, DSJ narrowly missed out on making it through to the final round in LA.
Hamidou Diallo – You might not be overly familiar with the rookie second-rounder, but Diallo has some serious bounce. He recorded a 40.5″ vertical at the combine and at last count had far more dunks (22) than jumpers (13) to his name.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
The RingerFive Things to Look Forward to During NBA All-Star Weekend
From a sibling rivalry in the 3-point contest to literally everything LeBron James does, the festivities in Charlotte won’t be lacking in intrigue
3. The Mass Realization That John Collins Exists
The dunk contest provides an opportunity for low-exposure players to get some love. Just look at 2017, when Glenn Robinson III beat Derrick Jones Jr. when the former was averaging 6.1 points for the Pacers and the latter was on a two-way contract. This year, the contestants are Dennis Smith Jr., rookies Miles Bridges and Hamidou Diallo, and John Collins. Except for maybe Smith, those aren’t household names. Collins opened as the favorite to win even though he’s the only big man in the field; a frontcourt player hasn’t won since Blake Griffin jumped over a Kia in 2011. But even if he falls flat, a little name recognition for him is a win. (Last year, Collins played in the Rising Stars challenge, which was the only time he was on national television all season.) The Hawks sophomore has had the benefit of growing up in the shadows, but now that he’s averaging 19.4 points and 9.7 rebounds, it comes with the disadvantage that few people appreciate his development.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
From Bleacher Report
Ranking the Star Potential of Every Player in the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge
The NBA's Rising Stars Challenge features the league's most promising young rookies and sophomores.
There is a ton of upside in this game, which should include future MVP candidates, All-Stars and high-end starters.
We ranked them all based on their long-term potential, which is subjectively determined by taking into account tools and athleticism, skill levels, early production and room for improvement.
If we were starting franchises from scratch, this is the order we're taking these players.
9. Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Age: 20
Ceiling: All-Star reserve
Polarizing out of college, Trae Young still has convincing to do. But he's off to the right start, looking like he belongs as an NBA starter, which is a challenge for any rookie point guard.
He's even helped lead a young Atlanta Hawks team to a handful of solid wins, mostly recently going for 22 points, 14 assists and six rebounds over the Los Angels Lakers.
While skeptics have always pointed to his limited burst and explosion, he's tied for third with Russell Westbrook in drives per game, and he converting them at a 50.7 percent clip, higher than Westbrook's, Donovan Mitchell's and Kemba Walker's percentages.
Young is averaging 16.9 points, and that's in spite of a 31.4 percent mark from three. That number is bound to rise over the years, given his shot-making ability and range.
And if 7.6 assists represent his floor number, Young's playmaking ceiling could take him toward the top of the leaderboard.
Tightening his shot selection and defense will be the priorities over the next few years.
13. John Collins, Atlanta Hawks
Age: 21
Ceiling: All-Star reserve
Averaging 19.4 points and 9.7 rebounds on 57.8 percent shooting, John Collins' productivity and efficiency carried right over from Wake Forest in 2016-17, when he led the country in PER, per RealGM.
His explosiveness routinely translates to easy baskets off rolls, cuts, transition and putback chances. But his skill set has evolved as well in the post and around the perimeter, where he's suddenly a three-point threat (36 makes, 36.6 percent) in his second year.
He's ranked No. 90 out of 91 power forwards in defensive real plus-minus, however. Collins' defense could bring down his value as an NBA big, but his scoring potential remains high enough to eventually result in All-Star votes down the road.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
The future is so bright with these two young men. I'm excited about the present and future because of them.
If they ever bring Atlanta a championship they will forever be remember, streets named after them, statues, and so much more.
Sorry, I got excited..lol
Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app
If they ever bring Atlanta a championship they will forever be remember, streets named after them, statues, and so much more.
Sorry, I got excited..lol
Sent from my SM-N920P using RealGM mobile app
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
I'm not seeing how all star reserve is Trae's ceiling? Seems like anyone who has watched him these frist 4 months should realize that he is already a top PG in the league and will be considered the best passer in the league soon.
Also, why does no one mention that since 12/1 Trae's shooting percentage, TS%, assist % are better than Luka's and their 3p% is about the same? There's still this narrative that Trae's shooting sucks because his first month was horribly bad.
Also, why does no one mention that since 12/1 Trae's shooting percentage, TS%, assist % are better than Luka's and their 3p% is about the same? There's still this narrative that Trae's shooting sucks because his first month was horribly bad.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
I think I can make an educated guess why Trae was distracted during last night's game...
It's unfortunate we had to be one of the last teams playing before the AS break.
It's unfortunate we had to be one of the last teams playing before the AS break.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Can't wait for the festivities. I haven't really cared much the past few years but AS Saturday Night will be must-watch tv for me this year.
SichtingLives wrote:life hack:
When a man heaves a live chainsaw towards you from distance, stand still. No one has good accuracy throwing a chainsaw.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
I'm really surprised to hear Collins is the current favorite in Vegas.
Miles Bridges is a beast and will have home court advantage. That could be big.
Miles Bridges is a beast and will have home court advantage. That could be big.
Spoiler:
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
macd-gm wrote:I'm not seeing how all star reserve is Trae's ceiling? Seems like anyone who has watched him these frist 4 months should realize that he is already a top PG in the league and will be considered the best passer in the league soon.
Also, why does no one mention that since 12/1 Trae's shooting percentage, TS%, assist % are better than Luka's and their 3p% is about the same? There's still this narrative that Trae's shooting sucks because his first month was horribly bad.
Agree that All-Star reserve is Trae's ceiling. All-Star starters are driven as much by popularity as play and he can put up the raw numbers, make the highlight plays and draw the media attention needed to be a starter if he hits his ceiling for sure.
Now saying he already a top PG in the league is overselling it, IMO. He is already a top young PG but he doesn't have the consistency or all-around game to be a top PG overall yet. Hopefully he is coming.
Totally agree on you that Trae's early play colors a lot of the narrative for him this season by making a disastrous early impression as a scorer and depressing his overall numbers. Don't think he will completely overcome that at any point this year. It could be something that results in him being a big "surprise" (but not really a surprise) breakout player next year as people compare his play then to his overall rookie numbers.

Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Well not trying to overstate it. I recoginize that Trae has a ways to go in efficiency and defense but
per48 he's #3 in the league in assists behind Westbrook and Lowry. In fact if you take it a step further, per48 there are only 2 guys in the league >25 pts and >12 assists per game. Russ and Trae.
per48 he's #3 in the league in assists behind Westbrook and Lowry. In fact if you take it a step further, per48 there are only 2 guys in the league >25 pts and >12 assists per game. Russ and Trae.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
macd-gm wrote:Well not trying to overstate it. I recognize that Trae has a ways to go in efficiency and defense but
per48 he's #3 in the league in assists behind Westbrook and Lowry. In fact if you take it a step further, per48 there are only 2 guys in the league >25 pts and >12 assists per game. Russ and Trae.
Hard truths, those numbers are inflated because of the pace at which we play.
Instead of looking at per-36 or per 48, try looking where he ranks per 100 possessions. I'd be interested to see if he's league best via that metric which is more generally accepted league wide.
Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Jamaaliver wrote:macd-gm wrote:Well not trying to overstate it. I recognize that Trae has a ways to go in efficiency and defense but
per48 he's #3 in the league in assists behind Westbrook and Lowry. In fact if you take it a step further, per48 there are only 2 guys in the league >25 pts and >12 assists per game. Russ and Trae.
Hard truths, those numbers are inflated because of the pace at which we play.
Instead of looking at per-36 or per 48, try looking where he ranks per 100 possessions. I'd be interested to see if he's league best via that metric which is more generally accepted league wide.
Ok. Per 100 possessions he's way down at 4th in assists. Westbrook, Lowry, Jokic. Seems like Trae's horrible November shooting month has him still being underrated. I mean these are some massive accomplishments for a 20 year old rookie PG. Just think if we had better shooters.
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Re: 2019 All Star Weekend -- Hawks to be well represented
Is John Collins not playing in the Team USA vs Team World? They didn't even show Collins when mentioning Kuzma, Simmons, and Mitchelle.