2024 NBA Summer League: Three Things to Watch For Tonight As The Hawks Take On The Spurs

Can the Hawks get their first win of the Summer League circuit?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward/guard Nikola Durisic (7) controls the ball against Washington Wizards guard Bub Carrington (17) during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Summer League action is back tonight for Atlanta as the Hawks will be taking on the San Antonio Spurs tonight in their second game of Summer League.

Viewing and Betting Information

Tip-off time: 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time

Location: Cox Pavilion and Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, NV

Where to Watch: ESPN2, ESPN+

Atlanta is looking for its first win in Vegas after dropping a close game to the Wizards in their Summer League opener. Despite the 88-94 loss, there were several positives from the game and they'll need to carry those over against a Spurs team looking to go 2-0.

The Spurs are coming off a dominant win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Even though the final score was 83-77, they held the Blazers to 31 points in the first half and preserved the lead until the fourth quarter. San Antonio's offense sputtered down the stretch, allowing the Blazers to come back into the game. Ultimately, it did not change the final result.

Despite that, I think this is a winnable game for Atlanta. Here are the three things Hawks fans should be watching for in tonight's game.

Can the Hawks contain Stephon Castle?

San Antonio took Castle with the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft. In his first game as a Spur, he certainly looked the part as he put up 22 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal. The former UConn guard is a tenacious defender who knows how to use his 6'9 wingspan at the point-of-attack. He gets into passing lanes and frequently rips the ball away from players with a loose handle. The Hawks played a pretty clean game against Washington, only recording 14 turnovers as a team. Castle should match up with Nikola Djurisc for a large portion of the game, so it will be interesting to see if Djurisic is able to generate offense against Castle. He struggled with his shot in the last game and this is a great opportunity to show growth in that area.

Castle's offense is geared towards his finishing. His lack of a credible three-point shot showed up in his draft evaluation, but he hit two threes against Portland. I expect Atlanta to do a better job of containing Castle. Keaton Wallace and Zaccharie Risacher both have the length to bother Castle and the athleticism to keep him in front of them.

How does Djurisic look as a scorer?

After the Wizards game, I wrote about why the Hawks should give Djurisic plenty of minutes in Vegas and I believe the San Antonio matchup is an excellent opportunity to display his growth.

"Djurisic's argument for increased minutes is different because in his Summer League game, he showed off everything that scouts already knew. His playmaking ability is impressive, but he tends to also turn the ball over when trying to do too much. He went 2-6 from the field and 0-2 from three-point range - getting him offensive reps is going to be critical for his development. If he can learn to operate in a confined role on offense and convert some of his shots into points, he could be a bench wing for the Hawks towards the end of the regular season. He is going to need plenty of minutes to make that happen and it would be valuable to the Hawks to give him those minutes."

In Summer League, it is important to remember that the offensive process is as important as the result. For Djurisic, that means making smart decisions with the ball and careful shot selection. As the game went on, he tried to do too much. San Antonio's center, Nathan Mensah, has an imposing 7'4 wingspan and played good defense against Portland. His rim protection could stifle a lot of Djurisic's force as a driver, so he will need to make good passes and show confidence on his open shots in order to find success. It is a tough matchup, but I am excited to see how Djurisic handles it.

In their Summer League opener, the Hawks put up 39 attempts from three-point range.

What does Miles Norris's impact look like?

In his seventeen minutes against Washington, Norris made a substantial impact. He recorded 9 points and 4 rebounds, but totaled a team-high 3 blocks. Norris had a strong season for the Skyhawks last year and before Summer League started, I wrote about how he could be someone to watch in Vegas.

"Norris is practically a lock to make the Skyhawks roster. He spent time on a two-way deal with Atlanta last season before being released from that deal to make room for Krejci. His shooting and defense are the highlights of his game -38.3% on five attempts is legitimate volume and he plays hard on defense. Out of the players who got steady minutes with College Park, he grabbed the third-most rebounds on the Skyhawks last year (5.6)."

Although Atlanta quietly has a pretty deep collection of wings already, I think his shooting could be very helpful in this rotation. Dylan Windler and Risacher carried much of the three-point shooting against Washington and Norris would give them another option from beyond the arc who can also hold up on defense. His play in the last game suggests that he deserves more minutes tonight.