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Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks enter the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 with a talented young squad that is hungry to win and improve. The team is headlined by the Hawks three 2023 draftees in Kobe Bufkin (No. 15 overall), Mouhamed Gueye (No. 39) and Seth Lundy (No. 46). “Young vets” like AJ Griffin, Tyrese Martin and Vit Krejci give this team a mixture of experience and leadership. 

Kobe&nbsp;Bufkin: Despite his slender build at 6’4,&nbsp;195 pounds, the rookie guard&nbsp;is a game changer on both sides of the ball.&nbsp;He combines his natural speed with&nbsp;a high IQ to control the game.&nbsp;Coming off his sophomore season at Michigan averaging 14.0 points,&nbsp;4.5 rebounds&nbsp;and 2.9 assists,&nbsp;Bufkin&nbsp;showcased his ability to play on and off the ball. Using his speed and decisiveness to get to his&nbsp;spots,&nbsp;he knocked&nbsp;down .482% of his shots from the field and .355% from deep. His speed translates on defense as well, allowing him to make plays&nbsp;and get his team out in transition. He averaged 1.3 steals in his sophomore season translating to instant offense for his squad.&nbsp;

Bufkin’s&nbsp;key to success&nbsp;is his mentality. He has a high motor and work ethic to match. He&nbsp;is constantly focused on improvement as seen by the drastic jump&nbsp;between his freshman and sophomore years at Michigan,&nbsp;increasing his&nbsp;point total&nbsp;by&nbsp;+11.0&nbsp;(3.0 to 14.0), rebounds by +3.4 (1.1 to 4.5) and steals by +0.9 (0.4 to 1.3). When asked what his approach to&nbsp;summer&nbsp;league is,&nbsp;the rookie expressed his desire to&nbsp;“soak up that information and apply it.” Look for&nbsp;Bufkin&nbsp;to be a major contributor&nbsp;on both sides of the ball for&nbsp;the Hawks.&nbsp;

Mouhamed Gueye: On first glance,&nbsp;Mouhamed Gueye looks like your classic&nbsp;lanky&nbsp;big man standing at 6’11&nbsp;and weighing only&nbsp;210 pounds, but he is much more than that. A former soccer player, Gueye moves&nbsp;with the fluidity of&nbsp;a guard despite his&nbsp;stature. The Dakar, Senegal native exhibits a sneaky athletic prowess in his offensive game. Coming off his sophomore season at Washington State, Gueye averaged 14.3 points per game on .513% from the field, using a variety of midrange pull ups and post moves.&nbsp;Gueye’s size makes him a consistent double-double threat. He&nbsp;put up&nbsp;a&nbsp;Pac-12 leading 15 double-doubles during his sophomore season.&nbsp;

His defense is an underrated part of his game.&nbsp;His 7 '4 wingspan poses a daunting task for any offensive player that tries to attack the paint or get a shot over him.&nbsp;Gueye plans to “be patient and let the game come to him” in the upcoming Summer League.&nbsp;

Seth Lundy: Lundy&nbsp;has shown&nbsp;elite shooting ability&nbsp;as a collegian&nbsp;as he tallied career highs from the field (.450%) and from deep (.400%) in his senior year at Penn State.&nbsp;After averaging 14.2 points and 6.3 rebounds in his final season, Lundy broke into the all-time ranks.&nbsp;With&nbsp;his next level scoring ability,&nbsp;he left Penn State ranked sixth all-time in&nbsp;made&nbsp;three-pointers (229), ninth in career free throw percentage (.814%)&nbsp;and 20th&nbsp;in career points (1,283).&nbsp;The Paulsboro, New Jersey native is&nbsp;much more than&nbsp;a spot up shooter,&nbsp;though. He&nbsp;can also put the ball on the floor and create his own shot.&nbsp;Along with his shooting, Lundy is sneaky athletic and is known for the occasional slam to remind his opponents of it.&nbsp;

Confidence is everything for the best shooters.&nbsp;Lundy has that in abundance. Describing his confidence&nbsp;“at an all-time high right now,” the second rounder looks to take that confidence and turn it into wins. His toughness and winning mentality were&nbsp;a couple&nbsp;of the things that stuck out the most before the draft&nbsp;to the Hawks front office.&nbsp;

AJ Griffin: Griffin is the most experienced player on the roster as far as games&nbsp;played&nbsp;go,&nbsp;appearing&nbsp;in&nbsp;72 games&nbsp;for the Hawks in the 2022-23 season.&nbsp;The&nbsp;now-sophomore guard&nbsp;averaged 8.9 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 19.5 minutes of action on the season.&nbsp;Griffin&nbsp;left his mark&nbsp;with his consistent shooting from deep, hitting&nbsp;at a .390%&nbsp;clip, second-most among rookies. His craftiness around the&nbsp;basket&nbsp;and three-level scoring ability&nbsp;makes&nbsp;him a problem for any opposing defense. Griffin is no stranger to taking the big shot either as he was responsible for two of the Hawks game winners last season, against the Raptors and&nbsp;Bulls&nbsp;respectively.&nbsp;His 6-foot-6,&nbsp;222-lb&nbsp;frame&nbsp;and&nbsp;his&nbsp;toughness&nbsp;makes&nbsp;him a prominent presence on the defensive end.&nbsp;

Despite only being&nbsp;19 years old&nbsp;and younger than some of his teammates, Griffin brings leadership and experience, and is embracing his role as the “young vet.”&nbsp;When asked what he wants to get out of this&nbsp;summer&nbsp;league experience, Griffin was adamant about “becoming a better overall player and taking on more of a leadership role and being more vocal.&nbsp;The Dallas, Texas native will suit up for his first&nbsp;summer&nbsp;league competition after not playing last year due to injury.&nbsp;

Tyrese Martin: Martin&nbsp;is the definition of a “microwave.” When the second-year guard gets it going, he is a nightmare to stop. In his 30 games with the College Park Skyhawks, the Hawks’&nbsp;G League affiliate, Martin averaged 18.1 points on .502%&nbsp;and .352%&nbsp;three-point&nbsp;shooting splits. He also went off for a team&nbsp;record 46 points against the Grand Rapids Gold, pouring in nine three-pointers (9-14&nbsp;3FG) tying another team record.&nbsp;He is aggressive in transition and has no problem using his athleticism to throw down some thunderous dunks on the break.&nbsp;As one of the best shooters on the team, the Allentown, Pennsylvania native is sure to be someone&nbsp;to watch out for.&nbsp;

Outside of scoring,&nbsp;the 6’6 guard/forward&nbsp;also does the dirty work of fighting for rebounds. Averaging just under nine rebounds per game (8.9), Martin is dedicated to getting involved in the game anyway he can. He recorded 13 double-doubles&nbsp;on&nbsp;the season, including a season-high 15 rebounds to go along with 15 points against the Raptors 905 on 3/17/23. Be on the lookout for the UCONN&nbsp;product&nbsp;to be an&nbsp;effective scorer in the halfcourt and in transition.&nbsp;

Vit Krejci:&nbsp;Krejci is a&nbsp;familiar face for the Hawks after appearing in 29 games for the clubduring the 2022-23 campaign.&nbsp;He&nbsp;was&nbsp;also featured in three games with the Skyhawks,averaging 9.0&nbsp;points&nbsp;and 9.7&nbsp;rebounds&nbsp;in 33.9 minutes on .400 FG% and .333 3FG% shooting. With two years of experience under his belt and his international experience from suiting up for&nbsp;Casademont&nbsp;Zaragoza (Spain), he&nbsp;provides&nbsp;this team another veteran presence.&nbsp;

At 6’7&nbsp;and&nbsp;215&nbsp;pounds,&nbsp;Krejci can put the ball on the floor and occasionally run&nbsp;the&nbsp;offense.&nbsp;In his 30 games&nbsp;with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2021-22 season, he&nbsp;averaged 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a rookie.

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Hawks Gear Up for Summer League: Young Stars Set to Shine

atlarehmann

The young Hawks are ready to take off in Las Vegas, even though one of their leaders himself is just a teenager.

Nineteen-year-old AJ Griffin is, by comparison, the grizzled NBA veteran ready to lead the Hawks' draftees through NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023. The Hawks will face Sacramento, Denver, Minnesota and Philadelphia as Hawks fans get their first chance to see Kobe Bufkin, Mouhamed Gueye, and Seth Lundy in a Hawks uniform.

"They're joking around," Griffin said of the rookies. "They're saying stuff like, 'You're a young vet. You're a young vet!' It's crazy to hear that in your second year, but it's just crazy to see how time is really and truly fast."

Griffin also noted that he wants to get extra repetitions of three things during his time in Vegas: being more vocal, ball-handling, and defense. Ball-handling may be a duty that Bufkin, a 6-foot-4 guard whom the Hawks picked with the 15th overall pick in the 2023 Draft, shares with Griffin on the trip.

"I think I'll be doing a bit of both: on- and off-the-ball," Bufkin said. "We have guys like AJ that can play on the ball, and I'm looking forward to seeing what those guys can do."

Even as Griffin fine-tunes his skills, running the offense should be a new wrinkle for him, as he spent most of his rookie season as a shooting guard. For his part, Bufkin only took over running the University of Michigan's offense midway through his second and final season, but Griffin and Lundy both noted the pace with which he plays when the ball is in his hands.

"Kobe's change-of-pace is incredible," Lundy said. "His versatility, his defense – all of the above."

For the rookies, a number of adaptations await. The rules, and the styles and the level of competition all change when the Hawks hit the floor Friday.

Bufkin is going to get to try out his pace-changing skills with the longer three-point line and more spacing.&nbsp;

"You could feel the spacing in some situations, but obviously the people are bigger on this level, so they cover a little bit more of the space," Bufkin said of the Hawks' practices this week. "But you can definitely tell the difference in some situations."

Lundy, whom the Hawks selected in the second round (46th overall), finished sixth all-time in school history at Penn State with 229 career three-pointers while making 40.0 percent of his attempts as a senior. He will be adjusting to bigger, faster defenders, new terminology and even things like the basketball itself.

"The NBA ball definitely feels lighter, and the newer balls don't have any grip, honestly. They get more grip the older that they get," Lundy said. "As soon as the season ended, I started using the NBA ball to get used to it."

Gueye, the 6-foot-11 forward whom the Hawks acquired by trade after the Boston Celtics chose him with the 39th overall pick, brings a little bit of everything to the court: size, shooting, playmaking, defense, and at the same time, that versatility means that he also has learn a lot of things all at once.

"My position, first of all," Gueye said of the adjustments. "The strength, the level of basketball, and the shooting. In college, I was – and I'm still – a great defender, but here you're required to have your hands up all the time, know your closeouts and know everything. It's a different level, for sure."

Griffin had some strong praise for his rookie teammates.

"They all work hard, so that's perfect for the dynamic of our team, just being able to work hard and come here with that mindset of wanting to get better and do extra stuff."

And even though he is the veteran on this trip, he isn't yet sending out his rookies on quests for things like doughnuts and chicken sandwiches.

"I'm going to wait until the other veterans get here," Griffin quipped with a laugh. "The real vets."

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Taking Flight: The Young Hawks Soar in Las Vegas

Fresh off a convincing win in the Play-In Tournament, the Atlanta Hawks will still enter this week's playoff series against the defending Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics as an underdog. Regardless, Clint Capela does not care about anyone's predictions.

"We&nbsp;are the actors here," he said with a slight emphasis on the pronoun, "so&nbsp;we&nbsp;are making it happen."&nbsp;

He took care to point out that, while the players would be on the court Saturday for Game 1 of the series, the predictors would not be.

"Anybody who is not on the court can say anything, but you would not be right, 100 percent, because you can only guess," Capela said. "We are the actors. When I see people out there saying other stuff, I'm just laughing because they're just guessing actually."

Capela also noted that rosters and health statuses change over time, and that strategies evolve over the course of a longer series with more time to rest and adapt. A quick glance at the Celtics/Hawks matchups this season shows that he has a point. Boston center Robert Williams and Hawks&nbsp;guard Bogdan Bogdanovic played in none of the three Hawks/Celtics games this season, and both figure to weigh prominently in the strategies of both teams.&nbsp;

"It doesn't matter how articulate you are saying it," Capela added. "It doesn't matter which stats you got. It doesn't matter, because every game is different."&nbsp;

At the same time, Capela still holds a healthy amount of respect for a talented Boston roster that includes Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"That's a great shooting team," Capela said. "They have great scorers&nbsp;and experience. They've been on a mission, meaning like they've been doing deep playoff runs since 2016-17."Head Coach Quin Snyder said that the Celtics are just as unique on the defensive end as they are on offense.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"When you move to the defensive end, they are equally unique. They've got (Robert) Williams, so they've got rim protection. They have the ability to switch. They've got Marcus Smart, who to me is an elite player and possibly the best leader in the NBA."&nbsp;

If the Celtics have the edge, shooting-wise, then the Hawks may have a rebounding edge that translates into second-chance points. The Hawks grabbed 22 offensive rebounds in their Play-In win, and since Quin Snyder took the reins as coach, the Hawks have had the best offensive rebounding percentage in the East, grabbing 32.8 percent of their own missed shots.&nbsp;

Saddiq Bey and Jalen Johnson also entered the Hawks' playing rotation right around the same time.

"We definitely have a lot of young, athletic guys," Trae Young said of the team's athleticism. "(Jalen) has been playing really well for us and rebounding. Saddiq has been coming in and doing the same thing&nbsp;and knocking down shots. They have been really good on the glass. Our athleticism has been showing in that way for sure."

Young and Capela also took note that they were excited for players like Saddiq Bey to get the first taste of the NBA Playoffs of their careers.

"I'm so excited for them," Capela said. "I talked to Saddiq and he told me that he used to watch me when he was in high school when I was back with Houston in 2018. Before we played Miami, I told him, 'Man, I want you to see this because the playoffs are really something. Players are in the NBA with careers for 10 years and never get there, you know?' So, yeah, I'm really happy that he is going to be part of this with us."For his part, Bey said that communication was a key point being stressed to the team. 

"We're just making sure we're connected, you know? We're going in like a hostile environment on the road, so we have to come together to get it done."&nbsp;

Snyder said that the Hawks have plenty of work ahead in Boston.

"It is no mystery that we have our work cut out for us. They are that good of a team."&nbsp;

But Capela, who worked the glass to the tune of 21 rebounds Tuesday, appeared ready to relish in that work once again. As he&nbsp;left and got a few steps away from the post-practice media scrum, he clapped his hands and shouted, either to himself or, quite possibly, to everyone in attendance.&nbsp;

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“We Are The Actors”; Clint Capela Remains Unfazed By Predictions

The Hawks are getting lots of solid two-way play from their shot-blockers.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In fact, the Hawks are the only team with three players ranked in the NBA's top-25 leaderboard for blocks per game (through&nbsp;games played Monday). Onyeka Okongwu ranks 14th with 1.29 blocks, Clint Capela sits 16th with 1.25, and John Collins ranks 23rd with 1.08.

"Really?" Collins said with some surprise when informed of the rankings.&nbsp;"That’s big time. That means we’ve got some really good paint defenders on this squad.”

Collins is absolutely&nbsp;right about that fact. Rim protectors have a vital role in adding an extra layer to the defense. The Hawks are fortunate to have two in the starting lineup and another&nbsp;coming off the bench. But perhaps what is just as notable is that the trio is contributing in lots of other ways as well. Both Capela (65.2 percent) and Okongwu (64.1 percent) currently sit ahead of the franchise best mark&nbsp;for field goal percentage&nbsp;held by Dwight Howard's 63.3 percent mark set in the 2016-17 season.

Additionally, both have looked more comfortable working around the rim in&nbsp;Head Coach&nbsp;Quin Snyder's offense. In their past eight games, Capela and Okongwu have combined to make 87 of 110 field-goal attempts – an astounding 79.1 percent clip.&nbsp;

While those two work inside, John Collins, the best outside shooter of the trio, is often tasked with spacing the floor. Over the same span of eight games, his three-point shooting has ticked up to fall more in line with his career average (10 for 28, 35.1 percent) as he has worked with&nbsp;Assistant General Manager&nbsp;Kyle Korver on getting to the best version of his jump shot.

"I call him the zen master for a reason," Collins said of Korver. "I've just enjoyed working with him. We were really just talking about my hand placement on the ball, and a lot of mental tips and just things that I can go to mentally to lock in so that I'm ready to shoot."

One of the delicate dances that the Hawks are trying to figure out under Snyder is how to best approach their transition defense. Fast breaks are perhaps as important as they've ever been in the NBA, with pace up and the new rule to eliminate take fouls in effect. Some aspects of transition defense, such as avoiding live-ball turnovers, are fairly obvious, or at the very least, easy to state.

But others, like how to crash the offensive glass while also having enough defenders getting back in transition, are more subtle. For the Hawks, having two rim protectors in the starting lineup is a luxury. Capela ranks 2nd in the NBA with 4.2 offensive rebounds per game through a well-honed combination of leaping and leverage – and a clever knack of tipping the ball to himself.

Capela also has the benefit of sharing the floor with Collins, who can protect the rim for the team's transition defense while he himself looks for opportunities for offensive rebounds on the other end of the floor.

"I feel like every time I'm on the glass, when I go back on defense, JC is already back," Capela said. "He's always got my back. It works out pretty well."

Snyder doesn't have hard-and-fast rules on when and how Capela and Collins should crash the offensive glass save for one: avoid "purgatory" at all costs. To put it another way, he wants his players to either crash the glass hard or get back to defend with haste – just don't get stuck in the middle where one can't do much of either.&nbsp;

Collins also noted that a key opportunity for him to get offensive rebounds comes when opponents play switching defenses that often end up with smaller defenders guarding him. When those switches happen, he seizes the opportunity to exploit the size matchup.&nbsp;

As the Hawks approach their final seven regular-season games, the overall strong interior play should help them in their chase of play-in and playoff berths. If they are successful, such play will be even more important when the pace of postseason games slows down and the overall level of physicality goes up.&nbsp;

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Hawks Bigs Are up to Something Big

Programs Intended for Youth, Ages 8-15, of All Skill Levels; Registration Now Open at Hawks.com/SummerCamps

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks Basketball Academy today announced their Jr. Hawks Summer Camps presented by adidas will take place for five separate weeks this summer beginning Monday, June 5. The 2023 Jr. Hawks Summer Camps presented by adidas are for kids ages eight to 15 of all skill levels. The five-week summer camp will be a fun, safe and inclusive environment for all young Hawks fans. The Hawks Basketball Academy encourages the growth and development of the game by providing training and on-court experiences for players of every skill level. 

“Jr. Hawks Summer Camps presented by adidas allows us to foster a safe environment to teach the positive benefits attained through the sport of basketball by emphasizing teamwork, sportsmanship, hard work and, most importantly, having fun,” said Hawks’ Vice President of Community Impact and Basketball Programs Jon Babul. “Our goal is to teach lifelong skills and provide a memorable experience to every Jr. Hawks camper.”

Participants&nbsp;will&nbsp;receive professional instruction from Atlanta Hawks Basketball Development Coaches with an emphasis on the development of fundamental skills through group and individual skill instruction&nbsp;as well as&nbsp;five-on-five&nbsp;gameplay.Campers will also have the opportunity&nbsp;to interact&nbsp;and learn from&nbsp;current and former Hawks stars.

The Hawks will&nbsp;visit&nbsp;five different sites in the&nbsp;metro&nbsp;Atlanta area throughout June and July, with one week specifically dedicated to&nbsp;young&nbsp;female athletes&nbsp;(July&nbsp;10-13), which is&nbsp;known as&nbsp;the&nbsp;‘Lady Ballers&nbsp;Summer&nbsp;Hoop Fest presented by Gatorade.’&nbsp;This is the second annual week of camp&nbsp;that is&nbsp;dedicated&nbsp;exclusively&nbsp;to&nbsp;female basketball players&nbsp;as a continuation of its programming&nbsp;for Lady Ballers, which&nbsp;aims to support youth basketball participation and improve the overall youth basketball experience for girls.&nbsp;Last year,&nbsp;the&nbsp;Hawks Basketball Academy welcomed more than 75 female athletes at its inaugural Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest presented by Gatorade.&nbsp;

The location and dates&nbsp;of&nbsp;the Jr. Hawks Summer Camp presented by adidas&nbsp;include:

• June 5-8 at Norcross High School (Norcross, Ga.)• June 12-15 at Sutton Middle School (Atlanta)• June 19-22 at Mays High School (Atlanta)• July 10-13 at Northside Youth Organization (Lady Ballers Summer Hoop Fest presented by Gatorade) (Atlanta)• July 17-20 at Kell High School (Marietta, Ga.)

The weekly camps will take place daily on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Those who attend will receive a Hawks swag bag that includes a full uniform, the opportunity to participate in competitions for prizes. In addition, Hawks’ partner and personal injury attorney Ken Nugent will be providing scholarships for campers through the Score for Scholarships program. Approximately 25% of all Jr. Hawks summer campers will receive scholarship funding courtesy of Score for Scholarships initiative sponsored by Kenneth S. Nugent Attorneys at Law. Since the program began in 2017, Score for Scholarships has provided access-to-play opportunities through Jr. Hawks programs to more than 1,800 Metro Atlanta youth. Since its inception, Ken Nugent has donated $153,735 to the Score for Scholarships initiative. 

“I am happy to be able to contribute to the success of the Jr. Hawks youth basketball&nbsp;camp&nbsp;through my partnership with the Atlanta Hawks and the sponsorship of their Score for Scholarships&nbsp;program. The summer camp program is an integral&nbsp;part of my community outreach,” Ken Nugent explained. “To be able to reach Metro Atlanta youth and teach, by example, the qualities of sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork makes this program especially rewarding.”

The Hawks and adidas&nbsp;began&nbsp;their&nbsp;multi-year partnership in&nbsp;December 2019.&nbsp;In September 2021, the&nbsp;Hawks and adidas joined forces&nbsp;to host the&nbsp;10th&nbsp;annual Jr. Hawks Coaches Clinic presented by adidas, where more than 500 coaches&nbsp;attended&nbsp;the free clinic to&nbsp;learn from Hawks Head Coach Nate McMillan and the entire&nbsp;Hawks&nbsp;coaching staff.&nbsp;Last summer, more than&nbsp;700&nbsp;kids attended the 2022 Jr. Hawks Summer Camp presented by adidas, with&nbsp;480&nbsp;campers&nbsp;receivingvarying&nbsp;scholarship&nbsp;assistance&nbsp;to attend.

To register and learn more about summer camp opportunities and other youth basketball programs with the HawksBasketball Academy, visit Hawks.com/SummerCamps.

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Hawks Announce Dates For 2023 Jr. Hawks Summer Camps Presented by Adidas

K L Chouinard

Trae Young's second clutch assist of the evening came in the locker room when he passed a medallion onto rookie AJ Griffin.

After one of Trae's most efficient games of the season – a 33-point, 12-assist effort in which he made 12 of 21 shots – he took the&nbsp;medallion&nbsp;that Nate McMillan gave him for being the Hawks' best offensive player and handed it over to the rookie after Griffin hit the game-winning alley-oop layup as overtime expired.

Trae's&nbsp;first clutch assist&nbsp;was the bit of passing perfection that set up the layup.&nbsp;

On a play that resembled a hook-and-lateral in football, De'Andre Hunter inbounded the ball with 3.8 seconds left. The Raptors fronted Trae to deny him a catch of that inbound pass, but that meant Trae could steam toward the basket without the ball at top velocity. Hunter passed to Dejounte Murray, Murray tossed a short pass back to a streaking Trae, and his speed propelled him into a 2-on-1 break.

If Trae threw it any earlier, Toronto's OG Anunoby may have backpedaled to break up the lob. If Trae threw it any later, time might have expired. If Trae had put the ball in any other spot, Griffin may have needed more time to shoot, and the clock could have expired with the ball in his hands.

"It's this thing where he looks like he's about to shoot it, but then he just passes it at the last second," Griffin said of&nbsp;the assist. "I just saw the&nbsp;look in his eye. Once I saw that, then I knew it was 'game'."

Trae downplayed the pass and focused on the finish.

"(OG Anunoby) just chose early," Trae said, "and I just threw it over his head – and AJ went and made a play. I was happy for him."

Griffin had 8 points and 2 offensive rebounds in the five minutes of overtime, scoring the session's&nbsp;first basket&nbsp;on a play where he split two defenders by dribbling behind his back and forward once again between his legs. He finished with a&nbsp;tear-dropped floater over a third defender.

Four minutes later, Griffin hit the first game-winner of his NBA career.

"I was in the right spot at the right time," Griffin said. "I had a feeling that they were going to pressure up. I knew it. I saw it developing early, so I was just like, 'Let me sneak up behind them.' "

The Hawks got strong performances from a number of players. John Collins had 11 rebounds and a season-high 4 assists. De'Andre Hunter attempted a career-high 14 free throws. Clint Capela had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks. He anchored the help defense all game long, and when the Hawks began to play a switching defense in the final minutes of regulation, he repeatedly&nbsp;got one-on-one stops&nbsp;on a Raptor ballhandler in space.

But the night belonged to AJ Griffin, and his 17-point performance was made all the sweeter by the fact that he got to do it in front of his father, former NBA player and current Raptors assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

"Even if (AJ) won't say it," Trae said, "it may mean a little more to him because it was against his dad. It's always exciting to see people's success. I'm just happy that AJ got to have a night like tonight."

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Trae Young's Clutch Assists vs Raptors

By the standards of the NBA Draft, Tyrese Martin is not a young man and that may be a good thing for the Hawks.

Acquired via a draft-night trade and signed to a multi-year contract on July 16, Martin turned 23 years old before the NBA Draft, making him the oldest player of the 58 who were chosen. To add some context in terms of players already on the Hawks roster, Martin is about a year younger than five-year NBA veteran John Collins and about a year and a half older than Onyeka Okongwu.&nbsp;

NBA Draft discussion often revolves around potential and future outcomes. Martin cut across the grain and played with a level of maturity in the pre-draft process and in the NBA 2K23 Summer League that demonstrated that he might be able to make the transition from college to the pro game sooner rather than later.

The six-foot-six guard took a circuitous route to the NBA. It began with a postgraduate season at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia after four seasons at William Allen High School in his hometown of Allentown, PA. Then he played two seasons at the University of Rhode Island before transferring for two more at the University of Connecticut.

In between his two collegiate stints, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Martin stayed true to the workmanlike approach that stands to become his calling card.

"I was just staying ready," Martin said. "Growing up, nothing was easy for me, so I've never really known what was next anyway. I just know to live in the moment and work for what you have to get now. That's all I try to think about. When COVID hit during those seasons, you had to go home. I had to find a way to stay active. I couldn't get in the gym. They took the rims outside off (the backboards). My mom lost her job, so I ended up getting a job myself to help provide for my family and keep a roof over our head. It was a lot, but I feel like all that adversity and different challenges that I've been through in those times definitely helped mold who I am today."

For someone trying to keep alive the dream of playing in the NBA in uncertain times, Martin did what he could to improvise.

"At that point where we lived at the time, our neighbors had courts in the back alley where we lived. Every day I was just going out there messing around and trying to stay active with a basketball and a hoop. It had just been so long that you don't want to lose it."

Even if he didn't lose it, Martin did get rusty.

"I do remember that first time where I was able to get to a court and play full-court, and just from not playing for so long, I was terrible", Martin said, before pausing for a beat for&nbsp;emphasis. "I was&nbsp;terrible."

If the layoff did indeed cause any issue, those issues had subsided by the time Martin took the floor at UConn. In his two seasons at UConn, the Huskies made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. During his time at UConn, Martin appeared in 51 games, averaging 12.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 31.2 minutes while shooting 44.6 percent&nbsp;from the field and 39.3 percent from three.

After finishing his college career, Martin still had work to do.

"The pre-draft process for me, I feel it has been a blessing. After my senior year ended, I wasn't on any mock drafts. I wasn't projected to be drafted."

Martin's approach to the summer: Play in everything. If there was an event that he could join, he did.

"I went to go play in the&nbsp;Reese's All-Star Game for the seniors during&nbsp;Final&nbsp;Four Weekend. I played in the 3-on-3 for the seniors for the money. I played in Portsmouth. I played in the G League Camp. I got invited to the NBA Combine. I had my workouts for ten different teams. I feel like I just took advantage of every opportunity with the mindset that there wasn't a better player in these workouts and I want it more than them."

If Martin emphasized the number of events he attended, he also downplayed his achievements.

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reese's All-Star Game: Led East team to a win, scored a game-high 22 points

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dos Equis 3X3U: Led Big East team to a win in the 16-team event for $50K

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: Led his team to the Final where he scored a team-high 24 points

·&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;G League Elite Camp: Finished with a 13-point, 14-rebound double double to earn a nod to the NBA Combine.

Martin capped his summer with a strong performance in the NBA 2K23 Summer League in Las Vegas, where, among other things, Martin showed that he could drive to the rim looking to score. The number of switching defenses that the Hawks faced in Vegas necessitated that the Hawks find ballhanders who could make plays in isolation. With a roster that wasn't overwhelmingly deep in that area, the Hawks called on Martin in that area and he came through. In five games, Martin averaged 13.8 points on 45.6 percent shooting from the field.

Specifically, he demonstrated the savvy ability to read his defender and make the correct play according to what he saw in front of him. If he got half a step on his defender, he&nbsp;pressed through&nbsp;to get&nbsp;an attempt at the rim. However, if the defender committed to backpedaling, Martin also exhibited a knack for decelerating and relying on his core strength to lean back,&nbsp;make space&nbsp;and&nbsp;put up a soft shot. Where does that maturity come into play? He was reading defenders and making the right choice between the two with better frequency than the typical second-round draft pick.

Perhaps the biggest surprise in Martin's Summer League performance was his passing. He finished with&nbsp;the best, if not&nbsp;the two best,&nbsp;passes that the Hawks dished out in Vegas. And they both came with his off hand! After averaging 1.9 assists per game in his senior season at UConn, Martin had 2.2 assists per game in Summer League, but more than that, he just looked comfortable&nbsp;making reads with the increased speed and spacing of the pro level in effect.

Martin also added the rebounding and defense that he was known for in college. He grabbed 7.5 rebounds per game in each of his two seasons at UConn, good enough for a top-10 mark in the Big East both years. If Martin can find a path to real minutes this season, it will likely be a result of his defense. He played solid defense for the Summer Hawks, and while there is room to grow and mesh with his NBA teammates, there is no reason to think he won't be able to develop on that end.

With a combination of maturity and determination, Martin has a recipe to get himself there.&nbsp;