 Mouhamed Gueye is entering his third NBA season with the Hawks (Image via Adam Hagy/NBAE Getty Images)
By: Lucas Kochevar Second round picks have been few and far between in Atlanta. Some of the recent names on that list include Seth Lundy, Skylar Mays, Bruno Fernando and current Hawks’ Nikola Djurisic and Mouhamed Gueye. Tracing back the past 25 years, Mike Muscala and Mike Scott are the biggest success stories from the second round for the Hawks. The next name that Atlanta wants to see on the list of success stories from the second is forward Mo Gueye. Gueye is entering his third season in Atlanta and could find himself as a key piece coming off the bench. The 6-foot-11 forward from Washington State started in 28 games last season after Jalen Johnson went down with a season-ending injury. He averaged six points and four rebounds in about 16 minutes a game. His best game of the season came against Milwaukee when he put up 15 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. The results were a mixed bag for Gueye, but the flashes were there for a guy that hasn’t played a ton at the NBA level. In the end, Gueye doesn’t know exactly how to describe his season, but believes there was improvement. “I think it’s hard for me to rate it. I got better as the team got better,” Gueye said at his end-of-season presser. “I tried to help the team with JJ being out. It’s hard to rate it but I think I got better as the season went on.” A lot of what Gueye learned with the Hawks didn’t show up in the box score. “Knowing my spacing, like where to be on defense and offense,” Gueye said. “The spacing and awareness on the court is where I took my biggest step.” That experience showed as Gueye's confidence grew on the court. He held a 104.7 Defensive Rating, which gave him a +8.8 Net Rating. Gueye was forced into action because of the injuries, but this season there’s a real chance that he could see opening night minutes as a reserve big man. Gueye is likely slotted in as the fourth big man in the rotation behind Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu and Kristaps Porzingis. If the Hawks don’t add another player to the roster, as they have one roster spot left, Gueye should be in front of two-way forward Jacob Toppin, new signee N'Faly Dante and rookie Asa Newell. Gueye is ready for a chance to make his impact on the floor for Atlanta. “I honestly think people don’t really know who I am yet, this is just a little glance of Mo. That’s on me to show the work this summer and show ya'll, but I think they ain’t seen nothing yet. I got a lot left [to show].”
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 Center N'Faly Dante was a March Madness standout for the Oregon Ducks in college (Image via David Becker/AP Photo)
By: Lucas Kochevar The Atlanta Hawks have filled their last roster spot with center depth as they’ve reportedly sign N’Faly Dante to a two-year contract worth $4.5 million. The deal is an offer sheet as Dante is a two-way restricted free agent. This means the Rockets have a chance to match, but due to their finances at this moment, that seems unlikely. Dante was a fixture in the G-League for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as he averaged 15.1 points, 9.8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks. Dante played college ball at Oregon for two seasons. He suffered a torn ACL his freshman year, but returned to form his sophomore year as he put up 8.2 points and 5.8 rebounds on 65.6% shooting. He ended up playing five seasons with the Ducks, using the Covid year for a second senior season. In his final season with the Ducks, he averaged 17 points and 9.2 rebounds on 69.5% shooting. He went undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, but signed the two-way contract with the Rockets afterwards. Dante has only played 51 total minutes at the NBA level, where he’s averaged six points and five rebounds. Dante is a more traditional center as he plays down low on offense and he's a strong defender, but he can't shoot at all, as of right now. Dante likely slots in as the third center, but will have a chance to play due to the uncertainty around the health of the frontcourt. The Hawks frontcourt is clogged with talent, but they needed insurance. Power forward Jalen Johnson hasn’t played a fully healthy season yet and he's coming off a season-ending injury. Center Onyeka Okongwu finally broke through as the starting center last season, but he hasn’t started a full season yet. Kristaps Porzingis was the biggest acquisition for the offseason, but he’s only played over 60 games once over the past six seasons. Although Dante likely won’t have a big role for this season, there will be times he could get run if the guys listed above don’t play. The signing is a low risk, high reward move that could pay dividends down the road if he manages to break out at any point over the next two seasons.  The Hawks open up the schedule for the 2025-26 NBA season with the Raptors coming to town on Oct. 22 (Image via Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE Getty Images)
By: Lucas Kochevar It’s NBA schedule release day and the Hawks open up the season at home as they take on the Toronto Raptors at 7:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena. The Hawks are featured on national television 13 times including four games on Peacock and three games each on NBC, Prime and ESPN. It’s a big jump for a team that was very rarely featured on national TV last season. The Hawks and Magic will play each other on national TV three times as both teams made flashy trades that have them in contention for a high spot in the East. The Hawks will also play the Pistons twice on national TV with Detroit’s return to the national stage with a talented team. Last but not least, the Hawks take on the Knicks twice on a national stage with the Trae Young vs New York rivalry on full display. The other national TV games include matchups with Cooper Flagg and the Mavericks, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies and Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs. Some other notable games for the Hawks include the defending champion Thunder coming to town on Oct. 25. They play the Lakers in Atlanta on Nov. 8 before heading out on their first west coast road trip. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs come to Atlanta on Dec. 19 to kick off a five game homestand for the Hawks, where they’ll welcome Chicago, Miami and New York to town. The Hawks are also fortunate as their second and last west coast trip takes place from Jan. 9 to Jan. 15. After that stretch, the furthest west the Hawks will travel is Dallas on Mar 18. Hawks fans will have the chance to watch their team a lot during the second half of the season as they’ll play 10 out of 11 games during a home stretch in February and March. The NBA slowly started to roll out their schedule release over the past couple of days in preparation for their complete release today. The only game the Hawks were mentioned in prior to today’s full announcement is when they’ll play on MLK Day as they take on the Bucks in Atlanta. The Hawks have been a fixture on MLK Day, but didn’t play in Atlanta last season. The game will be streamed exclusively on Peacock. The Hawks also play the Bucks on ESPN on Mar. 4. The Hawks NBA Cup dates were also released before today. They’ll travel to Indiana on Halloween to take on the Pacers. They play the Raptors at home on Nov. 7. They travel to Washington to take on the Wizards Nov. 25. Then they conclude with the Cavaliers at home on Nov. 28. A reminder that the NBA Cup is a multi-stage tournament that begins with group play and ends with single-elimination knockout rounds. Essentially, Adam Silver created the NBA Cup to draw more interest to NBA regular season matchups that happen in the heart of football season. The Hawks made it to the NBA Cup semi-finals in Las Vegas last season, but lost to Milwaukee. The Hawks haven’t been this prominent in the national spotlight since the season after their 60-win season and their 2021 Eastern Conference Finals run. It’s a spot that should have Hawks fans excited for the upcoming season.  (Image via Jason Getz/AJC)
By: Lucas Kochevar The Hawks drafted Asa Newell with the 23rd overall pick in this year's NBA Draft. The UGA product comes in with a chipper attitude and relentless energy, but does that carry enough for a spot in the rotation? The hometown prospect is ready to come in and help the Hawks immediately, but he has a ways to go before he contributes to winning in Atlanta. Hawks GM Onsi Saleh made it very clear what the first priority is for Newell in his rookie season. “His growth and development, first and foremost. This isn’t a process where we like to rush anything here,” Saleh said in his post-draft press conference. “We got a player that’s a hard worker. He makes winning plays. You can see the freak athlete, he does all these different things on the court, but he’s a winner. He’s a winner and that’s what we’re trying to do here. Bring in guys that want to win and compete and we’re so fortunate to get him.” The Hawks love the player and what he brings, however, they understand that they can’t play someone as raw as Newell in a year they want to compete and win games. There’s a saying that Brad Rowland of ‘Locked On Hawks’ has stated many times that applies in this case: rookies are bad. Rookies that are drafted in the twenties are often bad. The odds are against Newell to be an impact player right away in Atlanta. If Newell plays early for the Hawks, it’s safe to assume that the Hawks suffered some tough injuries early on. This doesn’t mean that Newell is a bust. It doesn’t mean that Newell won’t play at all this season. What it means is that Newell has a ways to go before he is truly NBA ready. The good news for him is that he’s in one of the better situations in the league for development. Three players that are currently on the Hawks roster have played substantial minutes in College Park, home of the Hawks G-League affiliate Skyhawks. Star forward Jalen Johnson, Kobe Bufkin and Mo Gueye have all spent time with the Skyhawks before playing meaningful minutes for the Hawks The results speak for themselves as all three players thrived in the G-League and have a chance to make an impact this season. In his time with the Skyhawks, Jalen Johnson flashed with 22.5 points per game, 11 rebounds per game and 4.6 assists per game in eight games. Kobe Bufkin put up a modest 23.6 points per game, 5.9 assists per game and 5.4 rebounds per game in 14 games played. Lastly, Mo Gueye put up 15 points per game and 10 rebounds per game in ten games played. Johnson has been everything the Hawks could ask for when he plays. Bufkin and Gueye are less proven, but have flashed skills on the court. Playing and improving in the G-League is the path forward for Newell and he knows what else he needs to work on. “I just gotta get stronger, eat more, and just grow into my grown man body. I also want to work on my decision-making, consistency in my three-point shot, and ball-handling skills. Those are my top three priorities.” Newell said at his first presser in the Hawks facility. Growing into his body is a big priority for Newell and the Hawks. With all due respect to Georgia’s training staff, the improvement Newell will see in the training staff alone will be substantial. The guys at the next level are pros for a reason and Newell noted that after his first practice with the summer league guys. “I’m definitely trying to put on size. It’s a grown man’s league so I just have to hold my own,” Newell said with a smile. “I’m in the weight room every single day, getting post practice smoothies, before practice smoothies.” Newell will have to enjoy a lot more smoothies before he’s at the size you need for a guy that’ll play power forward and center in the league. Newell has all the tools and the right attitude to attack his development. Patience will be key for fans that can’t wait to watch the Atlanta native suit up consistently at State Farm Arena.  (Image via Courtside 1891)
Hawks guard Vit Krejci and the Czech Republic took on Spain in a friendly exhibition, where Spain won, 87-73. The Czech Republic led Spain early in the game, 16-7, but Spain went on a 16-2 run through the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second. Spain would go on to keep the lead until halftime, where they had a nine-point advantage, 40-31. The Czech Republic was never able to cut the deficit as Spain pulled away in the fourth quarter. Krejci finished with six points on 2-for-4 from three and a block. As the lone NBA player on the Czech Republic’s team, Krejci was featured heavily in the early action. He opened the game with a made three-pointer from the right corner. Krejci was also utilized as a ball handler on multiple possessions. In the second quarter, Krejci eventually committed a frustration foul after a missed layup and that ended his first half playing time. He didn’t start the third quarter, but eventually came in off the bench for an extended run that lasted until midway through the fourth quarter. During his second stint on the floor, he showcased better activity on both ends, including several impressive passes. Krejci looks to try and crack the Hawks rotation as a combo wing. Krejci is entering his fifth NBA season and fourth with the Hawks. In limited action, Krejci averages 5.4 points per game and 2 assists per game in Atlanta. Krejci’s role is very undefined at this point in time, but he has the ability to run the offense and he’s improved his three-point shooting every season. The next time a Hawks player will be featured in a game is on Friday, August 8. France is holding another friendly match. This time they’ll take on Great Britain. Zaccharrie Risacher looks to be featured prominently again after an up-and-down performance in France’s win over Montenegro.  (Image via Frank Franklin II/AP Photo)
By: Lucas Kochevar Entering his eleventh season, Kristaps Porzingis is moving to his fifth city as a member of the Hawks. He’s seen many different cultures around America since he was drafted in 2015. The bright lights and boos of New York. One of the biggest cities in the Lone Star state. The Wizards. The deep history of Boston and the Celtics. Now, he embarks on the dirty south in Atlanta. “So far everything is super good and super happy. Just arriving here it was like 7 or 8 p.m. and the sun was shining. It was a nice sunset and I caught a good vibe here from the beginning,” Porzingis said about Atlanta when he landed shortly after the trade. “It’s been exciting. A new beginning and new chapter. I’m looking forward to it.” The Latvian big man brings flair on the court with deep three-pointers and shot-blocking, but off the court he’ll have a ways to go to fit in with Atlanta and the culture. It was very noticeable in Porzingis’ tour around Atlanta with his former teammate and Atlanta native Jayeln Brown. Before heading over to Brown’s alma mater, Wheeler high school, Brown decided to take Porzingis to an Atlanta staple, American Deli. As the two walked in, Porzingis joked about American Deli’s location in a strip mall next to a Jiu Jitsu studio. “I could live here, like somewhere close. Come to the deli, got the martial arts spot next to it,” he joked. Little did he know he would end up living in the very same city. Brown ordered 10 lemon pepper hot wings for his teammate. Porzingis wanted to make sure that he had the best experience and asked if he should dip the wings in sauce or not. Brown and other customers’ were surprised by his choice of sauce. “He’s dipping a hot wing in honey mustard,” Brown said with a grin on his face. “You don’t even have any ranch or bleu cheese?” Brown’s friend asked. “This is not a good combo though,” Porzingis made sure to clarify. In a different video with the Hawks social team, Porzingis revealed many other thoughts on Atlanta staples. He noted that he’s never been to a Waffle House. His favorite item from Chick-Fil-A is the spicy sandwich. He struggled to name the wing flavor “Hot Honey” but eventually noted it was his favorite flavor. His favorite rapper is Future. Lastly, he’s heard bad things about Atlanta traffic, but he’ll have to find out for himself how bad it can get on I-285 and I-85. Although he has a lot to learn in Atlanta, Porzingis can bring a lot from his past experiences, namely Boston. Porzingis ended his tenure in Boston on bumpy terms with an undisclosed illness in the playoffs that saw him struggle to make it up and down the court. Although Celtics fans were upset with Porzingis, many fans recognize the impact he had on the 2024 Celtics that won the title. The sharpshooting big man also acknowledges the impact Boston had on his career. “It was a different environment than what I’ve been in,” Porzingis noted on his transition to Celtics and the championship mentality that comes with it, “Definitely a lot you can learn, just being around a winning culture. It helps any player that goes through there. I want to bring that here. I’ve seen how professional and locked in those guys were to the goal and that was winning the championship and so was I.” That championship experience is something the Hawks are thrilled to have on their young team. Porzingis is the oldest player on the team, at this point in time. He is also the only player on the team with NBA Finals experience. With all of this experience and a young, hungry team, Porzingis hopes to be the guy that can unlock the championship potential for the Hawks. “I like the situation we’re in now. This team has kind of been almost there, but can’t really get over the hump to make a deep run,” Porzingis said with a smile. “I think this is a year we can be sneaky good and surprise people and get further than expected. Who knows where we can go? I don’t want to put any ceiling. That’s exciting to me. Bringing some freshness to the team with me coming in can really give us a nice boost.”  (Image via Seth Wenig/AP Photo)
By: Lucas Kochevar Negotiations are about to get really interesting in Atlanta. Now that the draft and free agency are in the past, the Hawks seem to be one of many teams that are going to lay low until training camp opens in a couple months. There are still a few Hawks storylines that’ll be interesting to monitor over the coming weeks. The big one involves the Hawks star player, Trae Young, and negotiations with a potential contract extension. Young is entering the second-to-last year of his deal and is eligible to sign a four-year, $229 million max contract extension. The lack of movement in terms of a deal seems to be a signal that negotiations are on-going and the longer it goes unresolved, the more intriguing it becomes. Especially since Young’s contemporaries are starting to sign their own deals. Luka Doncic and Young will be linked forever due to the draft night trade between the two, but they could be linked in the contract space too as Doncic signed a three-year, $165 million max deal. Doncic signed for three years instead of four to enter free agency again quicker and to up his money in the end. Another intriguing player that signed his max contract extension is De’Aaron Fox for the Spurs. Fox was traded from Sacramento to San Antonio last season, but only played 17 games before he was shut down with an injury. In Fox’s 17 games as a Spur, he averaged 19.7 points and 6.8 assists. The deal is notable locally because it gives Young’s camp a lot more power in negotiating. Young and Fox are easy to compare since they entered the league a year apart from each other. Fox has played in 531 games to Young’s 483. Fox’s career averages sit at 21.5 points per game and 6.1 assists per game. Young’s career averages are at 25.3 points per game and 9.8 assists per game. On top of that statistical difference, Young has four all-star appearances to Fox’s one. Young also has the Eastern Conference Finals appearance from 2021. Both players are supremely talented, but with all due respect, Young has meant a lot more to his team and their production. On the other side of negotiations, the Hawks can tell Young that they can’t just shovel out a massive contract right now. Entering a critical year, the Hawks want to maintain their cap flexibility and utilize their future draft capital in a way that can make the team elite in the long term. If they went ahead and signed Young to the max, the Hawks could be more tied down than they want to be at this point. It also makes other negotiations going on more tricky, mainly Dyson Daniels. If the Hawks could have their way, they’d likely want to sign Young to the deal that Jalen Brunson did with the Knicks. It would appear more team friendly, yet it still guarantees Young a good chunk of change. In the end, Young means a lot to the Hawks and their plans building the team, especially after this last off-season. Young has been a pros’ pro and has done everything you could ask of a superstar, outside of winning a title. A common theme that will be discussed with this team is the constant nuance surrounding them. This situation is no different. The case can be made both ways for signing Trae immediately or letting it play out. Until this contract is agreed to, the noise will be in the air around Young and the Hawks.  (Image via Instagram/Zaccharie Risacher/@_zacch_10, @equipefrancebasket, @armandlenoir)
By: Lucas Kochevar The early taste of Eurobasket started Monday afternoon with France as they took down Montenegro in an exhibition match, 81-75. Zaccharie Risacher started the game for France and contributed two points, four rebounds and one block. Risacher struggled to find his footing in the game, but France was able to hold on and pull away down the stretch. France jumped out to an early lead as they were up by as many as 16-points, but saw that lead dwindle in the third quarter. Montenegro made a run with their hot three-point shooting and outscored France 28-21 in the third. France regained control of the game with an 8-0 run to start the final period. Montenegro survived that blow and went on another run to cut the lead to three with under a minute left. Despite this, they were unable to get a stop and France secured the win. Other notable players in the game included Wizards forward Alex Sarr on France and Bulls center Nikola Vucevic on Montenegro. Both players scored 19 points. France’s roster consists of many new faces as they enter a new era of international play. Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nicolas Batum have been prominent members of France’s team for the better part of the decade. They look to pass it on to guys like Wembanyama, Risacher and Sarr now. The Hawks have multiple players that will be potential participants in Eurobasket 2025, including Kristaps Porzingis for Latvia, Vit Krejci with the Czech Republic and Eli Ndiaye with Spain. Ndiaye might not play as he suffered a wrist injury that kept him out of the Hawks last four Summer League games. There was also talk that Nikola Djurisic would be a member of Serbia, but was excluded this time around. Ndiaye might be in action on Tuesday and Thursday as Spain will play. He could play his fellow teammate, Krejci, as they take on the Czech’s on Thursday. Risacher and France will be back in action on Friday as they take on Great Britain.  (Image via PeachtreeHoops.com)
By: Lucas Kochevar The Hawks have a gaggle of young, talented players that make up the core of the team with each playing a role in the Hawks success moving forward, especially Dyson Daniels. When the Hawks traded Dejounte Murray to the Pelicans, Daniels wasn’t even mentioned in the tweet of the original deal. A year later, Daniels already looks like the most impactful player in that deal as he led the league in steals, made the NBA All-Defensive Team and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Daniels had a breakout season in his third year, but he knows there’s even more room for improvement. “I know there’s so much more development in me and so much more I can do and be better at. I’m excited for where I can get to and it starts with this summer of work,” Daniels noted at his end-of-season presser. Daniels’ improvement on defense will be marginal since he’s already playing at an elite-top tier level. The real area for Daniels to level up his game is on offense and he is well aware of that. The Australian guard will head into his fourth summer as a pro and has been working on multiple aspects of his offensive game. “Working on my game, building my bag a little bit to become a better scorer, working on my handle, working on my finishing, adding in a pull up mid-range step back whatever it may be. I’m excited to see where I can get to and I know that I’m going to put in the work and get the best out of myself.” Daniels' role on offense over his first two seasons was fickle as he could never quite find his footing in the Pelicans offense. A large reason for that could be his lack of three-point shooting as he tallied 31% from three his first two seasons. Daniels was able to bump his percentage up to 34% in his first season in Atlanta, including 36% post all-star break. These numbers aren’t a fluke either, as Daniels shot these on around three attempts a game. Daniels’ increased role and belief from head coach Quin Snyder seemed to make all the difference in his emergence as a willing shooter. “The coaching staff has been huge, where it’s just telling me to be aggressive, shoot the ball, play my game. I think one thing they’ve done that’s really helped me is just let me be free and free-minded,” Daniels noted on his first year in Atlanta. “I think I took a step in the right direction there and this year I’m looking forward to future years to come because I know there’s so much more I can do and be better at.” Although the three-point percentage has increased over the past couple years, it still needs to increase to a league average number if Daniels wants to maximize his talent. Daniels’ shot chart paints an inconsistent shooter from beyond the arc, but the cold zones are from straight away and the left side. Straight away from three he shoots 28% (league avg: 35%), 30% from the left wing (league avg: 36%) and 29% from the left corner (league avg: 38%). It’s clear the left side will be an area of emphasis for Daniels as he trains this offseason for more catch and shoot opportunities. One of the Hawks offensive philosophies is a common sentiment among today’s NBA teams: shoot open threes. Daniels will have plenty of opportunities to do that with Trae Young’s passing and the Hawks overall improvement in three point shooting. More three point shooting equals more chances for others to find open shots. If the Hawks want to win in April, May and June, they’ll need Daniels to grow more into the 3-and-D guy he strives to be in the league. By: Lucas Kochevar The Atlanta Hawks are a passion of mine and now that I’m attempting to find my way as a sports reporter, I figured it’s about time that I take matters into my own hands. I’m combining my love for the Hawks and sports media. I have appointed myself as an Atlanta Hawks Beat Reporter for the upcoming season. With that being said, there might be a question of ‘What does that mean?’ Essentially, I will be diving into everything Hawks and that includes game recaps, previews, transactions and anything else that happens in regards to the Hawks. I look forward to the challenge and will keep Hawks fans and LK Sports fans updated with any developments that happen. |
Lucas Kochevar My journey reflects my ability to never quit at a challenge or speed bump. I started my own sports blog and website with an honest goal in mind and that was to talk about the sports I love. Archives |
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