Three Takeaways from Hawks' 87-86 Loss to Lakers in Game 3 of NBA Summer League

Once again, the Hawks got close but couldn't hold on in the 4th quarter.

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Keaton Wallace (22) shoots the ball against Washington Wizards forward John Butler Jr. (19) during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

After dropping their third Summer League to the Lakers, 87-86, the Hawks head into their matchup with the Bulls on Friday, July 19 without a win in Las Vegas. Yet, it's hard to look at how this team plays and not feel some level of pride in what they have done.

In all three of their losses, they have lost by a combined ten points. They play an aggressive style of defense, hustle down the court and fight on the boards. Summer League often cannot be graded by the record of the team and I think the 2024 Summer League Hawks are a good reminder of that.

Even in the loss, there are important conclusions that can be drawn about both the team and the individual talents on its roster. Here are three that stood out to me:

This team does not quit easily

On a night where they were already down their best passer in Nikola Đurišić, the Hawks recieved even more bad news on the injury front prior to tip-off. Both Zaccharie Risacher and Dylan Windler were ruled out due to a right quad contusion and right elbow injury respectively. Windler has been the team's best three-point shooter while Risacher bolsters any lineup he is in due to his defense, three-point threat and size inside the paint. Both were incredibly important to the offensive structure of this team. To make matters worse, Mo Gueye had to leave the game after only 16 minutes due to a hip contusion. They effectively played without three starters tonight and it is important to recognize that.

Furthermore, they recovered from a bad first half of offense to hit three straight three-pointers and dominate the third quarter. At the start of the fourth quarter, they had a nine point lead. While they were not able to hold onto it, that type of fight is important to recognize and will only help the players on this roster develop.

In a game short on starters, the Hawks' bench comes up big

Jarkel Joiner has had three straight games of good play and it's hard not to wonder what he could do as a starter. He's undersized at 6'1, but the way he competes on defense is incredibly fun to watch. Yesterday, he was exceptional coming off the bench. They would not have been in this game without Joiner putting up 17 points, five rebounds and four assists while shooting 57% from the field and hitting four of his seven threes.

Prior to Summer League, this is what I said about Joiner:

"Joiner should play a big role on this team in the absence of Kobe Bufkin. The roster is already light on guards and none of them have the playmaking abilities of Joiner. He was the Skyhawks' lead playmaker last season, averaging 4.5 assists across 30 games. His shooting is still a work in progress, but he can put pressure on the rim and hold his own on defense. Showing progress in his shot would be massive in his development and likely keep him in College Park."

So far, I would say he has shown progress in his shot and exceeded my expectations on defense.

Miles Norris's lack of playing time continues to be somewhat of a mystery as he's done well when he has gotten minutes. Against Washington, he recorded 9 points and 4 rebounds to go along with a team-high 3 blocks. His performance against Los Angeles was more of the same - he almost had a double-double with 9 points and 8 rebounds. In addition, he shot well from three and looked very comfortable on defense. He is not much of a ball-handler, but not playing him in the San Antonio game should be a one-off decision considering how he's looked so far.

Jordan Bowden also graded out as a +6 on the game despite missing all of his shots from the field. He did hit all six of his free throws as he was aggressive getting to the rim against an imposing Los Angeles defense. Although EJ Liddell didn't repeat his heroics against San Antonio, he did pull down 7 rebounds and gave the Hawks size in their lineups. He just could not get things going on offense, only connecting on one of his shots.

The Hawks offense seems to be on the upswing.

After consecutive games of shooting under 40% from the field and under 30% from three-point range, the Hawks finally surpassed those thresholds against Los Angeles. Both Keaton Wallace and Joiner were adequate as ball handlers in this game and did a good job of keeping the offense on schedule. I thought it was especially good considering the Hawks did not have a source of easy offense like the Lakers did. Colin Castleton was a player I suspected the Hawks would struggle against and they had problems with the center. He recorded another double-double and his ability to control the paint gave the Lakers a reliable and repeatable offensive strategy.

If one or both of Risacher and Windler are able to make it back, I do think the offense will look better against Chicago. The Bulls have been mediocre on defense throughout Summer League - Atlanta's collection of size and shooting could give them problems. I think the best way to maximize this production would be by making Joiner a starter and giving Norris extended run as a bench wing. Given the injuries on the roster and their own performance, head coach Ronald Nored should not be afraid to mix up the lineups on Friday.