Development of young players
Because this year was about winning instead of the development of the rookies, we saw a slow process for Onyeka Okongwu unfold. He wasn’t able to participate in training camp before the start of the season due to his foot injury and, again, because the team was so deep and focused on winning, it meant figuring out when to use Okongwu just wasn’t a priority for Pierce and McMillan.
Schlenk said he had meetings with both coaches to try getting him on the court for short stints in the first half of games. That’s why we saw some games when Okongwu would play three to five minutes in the first half and not play at all in the second half. If Okongwu didn’t play well in those few minutes, then there was no need to put him back out there in the second half, but if he did play well in that short amount of time, he’d play in the second half.
That’s what the team was forced to do to evaluate him because the Hawks didn’t have a G League team play this season, so that little amount of time was the only time they could get a sense of the kind of player he was. Over time, Okongwu ended up getting more comfortable, and we saw him start to carve out a role for himself as the backup five. He’s already shown that he has the potential to be a special player in this league because you can just see his knowledge of what he’s supposed to do on the floor pop in important moments.
“Everyone was calling him a bust at the beginning, but you have to remember that this was a young man who didn’t have a Summer League because of COVID, he didn’t have a training camp because of his foot and we’re playing games that we’re trying to win,” Schlenk said.
“In the long term, he has a really good touch around the basket. I think you’re going to see him become a good shooter. He’s going to be a good foul shooter. I anticipate he’ll be able to make jump shots. I think he has a great feel for the game. When we’re trying to post somebody up and the post is fronted, flash into the high post and go high-low. He has that stuff naturally. Catching the ball on the short roll, looking to the weak side corner. Just little things like that that take players time. He already has that stuff. Defensively, he has great timing and he has great hands. Being able to get steals, strips and being able to protect the rim are what you are going to see out of him.”
It’s not clear what kind of role, if any, Okongwu will have in the playoffs, but what we saw over the past few weeks should be encouraging for his future spot in the rotation moving forward.
https://theathletic.com/2602227/2021/05/20/hawks-gm-travis-schlenk-on-knicks-matchup-nate-mcmillans-future-in-atlanta-cam-reddish-offseason-priorities/
