Moderators: dms269, HMFFL, Jamaaliver
Jamaaliver wrote:macd-gm wrote:Right. Why would Philly want a $14 million/year backup PG with potentially a bad attitude.
76ers currently have 6 draft picks in the 2018 draft (only 2 in the top 20) and have attempted to acquire Dennis in the past.
At some point, they have to consolidate some of those selections into a proven veteran if they want to move to the next phase of their rebuild.Spoiler:
macd-gm wrote:Jamaaliver wrote:macd-gm wrote:Right. Why would Philly want a $14 million/year backup PG with potentially a bad attitude.
76ers currently have 6 draft picks in the 2018 draft (only 2 in the top 20) and have attempted to acquire Dennis in the past.
At some point, they have to consolidate some of those selections into a proven veteran if they want to move to the next phase of their rebuild.Spoiler:
Is Simmons going to stay at PG?
But that was 2 years ago before Simmons became rookie of the year as their PG.
MaceCase wrote:Philly is aiming at like LeBron. I don’t know why’d they’d kiss that away for Dennis even if that falls through. In lieu of a superstar they need shooting around their current stars.
macd-gm wrote:But that was 2 years ago before Simmons became rookie of the year as their PG.
Yahoo SportsTrae Young shaking off early Summer League demons to step into franchise star role
Young has entered the NBA at its peak in point-guard play, and some of his current idols in the Bay (Curry) and Oklahoma City (Russell Westbrook) await this upcoming NBA season. The ball will be in his hands early and often, the charge of being a transcendent player at [PG] already on his shoulders as the Hawks’ young core develops around him.
“This Summer League has been a good test for me to stay focused, a good test to make sure that I keep a good mindset. It’s a test and I have to continue to handle it well. I want to be the face of us continuing to grow as a team and rise as a franchise.”
Trae Young looked overmatched in his first two Summer League games. No question.
But Summer League is just the start of the process, a place to benchmark where Young is at.
Young’s game has evolved over the first two weeks of July. Keep that trend up and he will earn that face-of-the-franchise tag Pierce and the Hawks are counting on. But there’s a lot of work between now and then.
Jamaaliver wrote:Rumble, young man, rumble.Yahoo SportsTrae Young shaking off early Summer League demons to step into franchise star role
Young has entered the NBA at its peak in point-guard play, and some of his current idols in the Bay (Curry) and Oklahoma City (Russell Westbrook) await this upcoming NBA season. The ball will be in his hands early and often, the charge of being a transcendent player at [PG] already on his shoulders as the Hawks’ young core develops around him.
“This Summer League has been a good test for me to stay focused, a good test to make sure that I keep a good mindset. It’s a test and I have to continue to handle it well. I want to be the face of us continuing to grow as a team and rise as a franchise.”Trae Young looked overmatched in his first two Summer League games. No question.
But Summer League is just the start of the process, a place to benchmark where Young is at.
Young’s game has evolved over the first two weeks of July. Keep that trend up and he will earn that face-of-the-franchise tag Pierce and the Hawks are counting on. But there’s a lot of work between now and then.
NBC Sports
The AthleticYoung has been more dangerous as a player when he has played off the ball. It’s also why Duke’s R.J. Barrett probably would be a better fit alongside Young, John Collins and Kevin Huerter -- the core of the team’s future -- than would Zion Williamson.
Peachtree HoopsAtlanta’s core trio is operating at a high level when playing together
A good sign by any measure
there is plenty to be excited about with an organization that is well-positioned for the future and, in the present, that means the performance of Atlanta’s young players. There will be plenty of time to look ahead to the other “assets” accumulated by the Hawks, but GM Travis Schlenk quietly assembled an intriguing three-man core over the past two summers.
John Collins was Schlenk’s first draft pick and, in short, the second-year big man has exceeded any rational expectation. There are still questions about Collins’ ultimate upside, centering on the defensive end, but the former Wake Forest star has been obscenely productive (18.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game) and efficient (62.4 percent true shooting, 21.2 PER) this season.
Elsewhere, Atlanta’s front office selected the backcourt duo of Trae Young and Kevin Huerter back in June and the early returns are encouraging. Young is constantly under the microscope by nature of his status as a top-five pick (and, obviously, the draft-day trade with Dallas) but the former Oklahoma standout is already one of the best passers in the NBA and his production (15.4 points, 7.4 assists per game) has been impressive.
As for Huerter, he is one of the best shooters in the rookie class (38.7 percent from three) and, as a two-way entity, the No. 19 pick has already made great strides. Beyond that, Huerter is flashing intriguing ability with the ball in his hands and it isn’t difficult to see the full package coming together in a potentially devastating manner.
it is sometimes difficult to evaluate the progress of Lloyd Pierce’s team but, for the most part, simply gauging the performance of Atlanta’s young trio is a good place to start. With that said, the progress of the Hawks when deploying Collins, Young and Huerter together has been downright heartening.
Over the course of the season, the Collins-Young-Huerter unit has taken the floor for 323 minutes, which is now the most of any three-man group for the Hawks. All things considered, that remains a relatively small sample size but, in recent days, Atlanta has leaned heavily on that trio and that makes all the sense in the world.
During their 323 minutes together (per NBA.com), the Hawks are outscoring opponents by 1.2 points per 100 possessions. While that may not seem like much, that net rating is leaps and bounds better than the overall team sample (-7.7 per 100 possessions) and, without those minutes, Atlanta would be in rougher shape.
In fact, the Collins-Young-Huerter trio produces the best offensive rating (108.6) of any three-man unit for the Hawks and, when drilling down further, Collins and Huerter are both part of all the best three-man units.
The RingerThe Hawks May Have Solved the Hardest Part of Their Rebuild
And it’s not Trae Young. While Atlantans wring their hands over every Luka Doncic highlight, they can find some solace in the fact that the new Hawks regime hit a home run with John Collins, who plays less like a Warrior and more like the next Chris Bosh
The Hawks are in the midst of a total rebuild under GM Travis Schlenk, a former Warriors front office member who wasted no time modeling his new team after his old one.
While most of the attention in Atlanta will be on Young’s ups and downs (and watching Doncic tear up the league for someone else) there’s a future star already on the roster, ironically enough, with no clear Warriors analogy in sight.
To be fair, John Collins wasn’t supposed to be this good already; he might have slipped through the cracks and become the Chris Bosh of his draft class—a productive tweener stuck between being a 4 or a 5, but still a clear building block for a rebuilding team desperately in need of one.
After missing the start of his sophomore season with an ankle injury, Collins’s December was about as good as it can get for a 21-year-old big man: 21.3 points and 12.9 rebounds in 31.9 minutes a night on 57.3 percent shooting. The list of big men to average 18 and 10 in their second season, as Collins is doing so far in 2018-19, is short and littered with Hall of Famers, but no one has ever averaged those numbers in fewer minutes per game than Collins. Of players averaging 18 and 10 in their sophomore seasons, only Shaq shot a higher percentage from the field.
What might be most interesting about projecting out Collins is that his current best skill is creating passing windows in the dunker spot and properly timing his rolls to the rim. Squint hard enough and there are some similarities between Collins and the Raptors version of Bosh; the quick slips in the pick-and-roll, the ability to run the floor, the dexterity in the post.
And the questions Bosh faced will be the same ones Collins will eventually encounter:
- Can he protect the rim well enough to play the 5?
- Can you build a team around him as the top scoring option?
There’s chemistry between Collins and Young in their pick-and-roll dance, even though Atlanta dials that up less than you’d think. Young has to be a building block; Collins just is one of them. The Hawks have an abundance of time, but thanks to the rapid ride of their second-year star, they might not need as much of it as they originally thought.
Bleacher ReportTrae Young-John Collins Tandem Provides Hope for Hawks' Rebuild
The Hawks may be 17 games under .500 at the midway point in the season, but there is reason to be optimistic about the future in Atlanta. Two reasons, in fact: Young and Collins.
The fifth overall pick in last year's draft, Young has had no shortage of buzz around him since he entered the league and is putting up a respectable 15.5 points and 7.3 assists per game this season as a rookie.
Meanwhile, Collins—the No. 19 overall pick in 2017—has emerged as a promising building block in his second year as a pro. The 6'10", 235-pound forward entered Wednesday averaging 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.
The Hawks are 6-6 over their last 12 games. During that span, Young (15.8 points and 7.3 assists) and Collins (19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds) have shown what they can do while helping the team be competitive.
Of note, Collins has 17 double-doubles in his last 21 appearances.
That's not to say either Young or Collins is a finished product. Both have room to improve, with Young's shooting struggles a big storyline in his career. The 6'2", 180-pound guard has, however, shown improved range recently, as he is shooting 47.4 percent from beyond the arc in his last nine games.
...having the duo of Young and Collins gives Hawks fans hope for a successful rebuild.
Bleacher ReportBiggest Need Every NBA Team Must Address at the Trade Deadline
Atlanta Hawks: More Building Blocks
How many keepers do the Hawks have?
We're thinking three, and even that might be generous. John Collins is a no-doubter and a legitimate All-Star candidate already. Kevin Huerter's range has been as advertised (38.1 percent), meaning he'll always have value as a spacer if nothing else.
And yeah, Trae Young probably belongs in this group. The investment in him was massive—Atlanta could be singing Halleluka right now—and his potential remains something close to that as a defense-bending scoring and distributing threat from everywhere. Still, it's tough to label any 40.2 percent shooter (29 percent outside) as a centerpiece.
The Hawks need more high-ceiling lottery tickets, especially when there are several plug-and-play contributors to sell to win-now buyers. Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon and Jeremy Lin are obvious trade candidates, while The Athletic's Shams Charania says Taurean Prince is also up for grabs. Anything bringing back picks and/or prospects is probably the right move for Atlanta.
Jamaaliver wrote:Bleacher ReportTrae Young-John Collins Tandem Provides Hope for Hawks' Rebuild
The Hawks may be 17 games under .500 at the midway point in the season, but there is reason to be optimistic about the future in Atlanta. Two reasons, in fact: Young and Collins.
The fifth overall pick in last year's draft, Young has had no shortage of buzz around him since he entered the league and is putting up a respectable 15.5 points and 7.3 assists per game this season as a rookie.
Meanwhile, Collins—the No. 19 overall pick in 2017—has emerged as a promising building block in his second year as a pro. The 6'10", 235-pound forward entered Wednesday averaging 18.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game this season.
The Hawks are 6-6 over their last 12 games. During that span, Young (15.8 points and 7.3 assists) and Collins (19.3 points and 12.3 rebounds) have shown what they can do while helping the team be competitive.
Of note, Collins has 17 double-doubles in his last 21 appearances.
That's not to say either Young or Collins is a finished product. Both have room to improve, with Young's shooting struggles a big storyline in his career. The 6'2", 180-pound guard has, however, shown improved range recently, as he is shooting 47.4 percent from beyond the arc in his last nine games.
...having the duo of Young and Collins gives Hawks fans hope for a successful rebuild.
Jamaaliver wrote:Bleacher ReportBiggest Need Every NBA Team Must Address at the Trade Deadline
Atlanta Hawks: More Building Blocks
How many keepers do the Hawks have?
We're thinking three, and even that might be generous. John Collins is a no-doubter and a legitimate All-Star candidate already. Kevin Huerter's range has been as advertised (38.1 percent), meaning he'll always have value as a spacer if nothing else.
And yeah, Trae Young probably belongs in this group. The investment in him was massive—Atlanta could be singing Halleluka right now—and his potential remains something close to that as a defense-bending scoring and distributing threat from everywhere. Still, it's tough to label any 40.2 percent shooter (29 percent outside) as a centerpiece.
The Hawks need more high-ceiling lottery tickets, especially when there are several plug-and-play contributors to sell to win-now buyers. Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon and Jeremy Lin are obvious trade candidates, while The Athletic's Shams Charania says Taurean Prince is also up for grabs. Anything bringing back picks and/or prospects is probably the right move for Atlanta.
peoriabird wrote:Jamaaliver wrote:Bleacher ReportBiggest Need Every NBA Team Must Address at the Trade Deadline
Atlanta Hawks: More Building Blocks
How many keepers do the Hawks have?
We're thinking three, and even that might be generous. John Collins is a no-doubter and a legitimate All-Star candidate already. Kevin Huerter's range has been as advertised (38.1 percent), meaning he'll always have value as a spacer if nothing else.
And yeah, Trae Young probably belongs in this group. The investment in him was massive—Atlanta could be singing Halleluka right now—and his potential remains something close to that as a defense-bending scoring and distributing threat from everywhere. Still, it's tough to label any 40.2 percent shooter (29 percent outside) as a centerpiece.
The Hawks need more high-ceiling lottery tickets, especially when there are several plug-and-play contributors to sell to win-now buyers. Kent Bazemore, Dewayne Dedmon and Jeremy Lin are obvious trade candidates, while The Athletic's Shams Charania says Taurean Prince is also up for grabs. Anything bringing back picks and/or prospects is probably the right move for Atlanta.
Passing judgement on a 20 year old point guard midway thru his rookie season I think is a bit harsh! Can we at least wait till the end of the season as he is now developing strong chemistry with Collins and getting use to Pierce's system of playing fast?
Atlanta Hawk Fan wrote:peoriabird wrote:Jamaaliver wrote:Bleacher Report
Passing judgement on a 20 year old point guard midway thru his rookie season I think is a bit harsh! Can we at least wait till the end of the season as he is now developing strong chemistry with Collins and getting use to Pierce's system of playing fast?
That is a plenty large enough sample size. Kobe had a 40.8% FG% at the All-Star break his rookie season and never could become a centerpiece. Same for LeBron James (40.5% FG% / 28.5% 3pt% at ASB); Jason Kidd (34.3% FG%, 22.2% 3pt%), Dirk Nowitzski (40.5% FG%, 20.6% 3pt%), Isiah Thomas (42% FG%, 29% 3pt% [full season]), Chris Paul (43% FG%, 28% 3pt%), AI (40.6% FG%, 32.5% 3pt%), Gary Payton (44% FG%, 9.1% 3pt% [no typo)), James Harden (38.6% FG%), etc.
That was plenty of time to make a conclusive determination that each of these guys could never be a real centerpiece and time has just proven that correct over and over.
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