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ATLANTA: Trae Young said it will take some time to adjust to the Atlanta Hawks’ new combination following the additions of veterans like Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Kris Dunn and Rajon Rando.
“It’s not something that happens overnight,” Young said on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila).
“We have added a lot of new guys with different talents who bring a lot of different things to the game. It will be fun to learn and find out where they like the ball the most and things like that. “
There is not much time to find the new mix. The NBA season begins on December 22. The Hawks’ first preseason game is December 11.
Just don’t suggest to Young that it will be an adjustment for him to share the ball with established shooters in Atlanta’s lineup. Young was fourth in the league in scoring and shooting from the field last season, but he quickly realizes he was second in assists as well.
“Approving is nothing new to me,” Young said. “I love involving my teammates and when my teammates are open I will seek them out and put them in the best position to be successful. That is my job as a point guard and as the leader of this team, to help my teammates to be in the best position ”.
The offseason additions of general manager Travis Schlenk make Atlanta a contender to return to the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2017. Bogdanovic, Gallinari and others provide the help needed for an offense that relied too heavily on Young and the forward. John Collins.
Young averaged 29.6 points and 9.3 assists last season. Collins averaged 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds. The returning core also includes former first-round picks De’Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter and Cam Reddish.
Seeking to improve the Hawks’ 3-point shooting, defense and depth, Schlenk also traded for Tony Snell and signed free agent Solomon Hill.
The Hawks had funds available for free agents and found veteran players eager to join the rebuilding effort.
“This is the new destination for free agency,” Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce said Tuesday. “Everybody wants to come to Atlanta and that’s how we want to keep it. … They know we can do something special here and they are excited to be a part of it. “
Another player set for his Atlanta debut is center Clint Capela, who was recovering from injury when he was acquired from Houston last season.
This year’s first-round draft pick, former Southern Cal center Onyeka Okongwu, should add more defense as he is expected to play behind Capela and Collins.
The richness of depth is a new luxury for the Hawks.
“You look at all the positives and your mind starts racing,” Collins said.
Suddenly, there will be more intense competition for starting locations and playing time.
“I think we’re all interested in seeing how they fit together,” Collins said, adding depth. “It also creates competitive advantage and gives guys that mentality that every possession counts and if I’m wrong or whatever, there’s another.” boy on the bench who can take my place. “
The Hawks won just 20 games before the coronavirus pandemic left them in the bottom eight in the NBA and they cut themselves off from the NBA bubble in Orlando. Staying out of the bubble motivated Collins.
“Obviously it hurt me not to be there,” Collins said. “… It gave me more motivation every morning to go exercise.”
The Hawks have missed the playoffs and finished with fewer than 30 wins for three consecutive seasons. The busy offseason created a stir that has not been seen in Atlanta.
“It’s good to have people talking about Atlanta basketball right now,” Young said. “I want it to continue like this. The city deserves it, this organization deserves it. We have many exciting pieces, many exciting players. It’s good that we’re getting attention right now. ”
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