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Last night marked the beginning of the 2021 NBA Summer League, and with a lot of new faces around town, the Hawks are looking to flex their recent draft picks and plethora of young talent. Just a reminder, Summer League does not determine a player’s career. There are plenty of examples of Summer League phenoms who barely even find rotational minutes in the NBA and even more examples of guys vastly underperforming who end up becoming stars (see Trae Young). Here’s who I think you should look out for on this quest for the Summer League Finals.
1. Jalen Johnson SF/PF #1
Well, this is an obvious one. While Jaylen played a few games at Duke, his playing time and statistics were fairly inconsistent. There were games where Jalen would play thirty minutes and games where he would play 15 minutes. Sometimes he would stuff the stat sheet (vs Pitt); other times, he would not. I would look for Jalen to test that great playmaking ability and how he attacks in transition, as well as his ability to perform consistently during Summer League. Depending on how Jalen plays, the Hawks could look for him to become a part of the game-to-game rotation. It will be interesting to see how he performs in a consistent role, where he will be looking to lead the team. He certainly has the talent to produce at a high level in the NBA, but seeing what he can do against similar talent will be intriguing. Jalen should have a dominant debut.
2. Jordan Bell C/PF #24
Bell has had an interesting journey in the NBA. It began with his selection in the second round of the 2017 NBA Draft to the defending champion Golden State Warriors. In his rookie year, Jordan found a steady role on the eventual two-peat Warriors; he even started 13 games for them. However, the following year Bell began to slip out of the rotation, and by his third year in the league, he became a journeyman, eventually ending up on the Warriors again this past year. Watch out for Bell’s electric rim protection, and a couple of high-flying putbacks as well. This may be Jordan Bell’s last chance at an NBA career, and I expect him to perform accordingly.
3. Sharife Cooper PG #2
How Sharife Cooper fell to the Hawk’s 48th pick will remain an otherworldly mystery to me, but the projected first-round pick should still be expected to perform like, well, a first-round pick. Cooper put up video game numbers at Auburn, rivaled only by his current teammate, Trae Young. Like Johnson, Cooper struggled to stay on the court in college; however, this was because of an NCAA investigation. Someone like Cooper was much needed on the 2020-2021 Hawks as injuries decimated both the guard spots. I suspect Cooper will be used as more of an off-ball shot creator and backup playmaker, since that role will likely be given to Skylar Mays. If Cooper can have a good showing in Summer League, perhaps he can earn rotational minutes on an incredibly deep Atlanta team.
4. Skylar Mays PG/SG #4
Mays was able to crack the Hawks guard rotation a couple of times this past season, but with Brandon Goodwin leaving, the Hawks are hoping Mays will help out a little more this season. Mays will be looked at as the primary playmaker on this Summer League team. He should do an excellent job at running the Hawk’s offense. Judging by the fact that Travis Schlenk gave Skylar the qualifying offer, he thinks that Mays has the talent to keep a roster spot on the Hawks this season.
5. Admiral Schofield SG/SF #7
Schofield spent his college days at the University of Tennesee, where he was a stand-out recruit. He played four years in college, and in his senior year, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.1 rebounds, eventually being named to the First Team All-SEC. Schofield was drafted in the second round of the draft and played limited minutes for the Washington Wizards. In the 2020-2021 NBA Season, he was traded to the OKC Thunder, where he was eventually waived. That’s when he ended up being the number one overall pick in the G-League Draft for the Greensboro Swarm. Schofield averaged 10.1 points and 5.8 boards in the G-League, which is very promising. It will be interesting to see what Matt Hill, the Hawk’s Summer League coach, will have Admiral do within the Hawks loaded offense, but I would look for Schofield to show his versatility. Schofield likely would not find a spot on the Hawks, who are stacked at the wing positions, but he could look to join the College Park Skyhawks.
