Three Things to Watch For in NBA Summer League Finale as Hawks Take On Knicks

What can we expect to see in the Hawks' final game of Summer League?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Jules Bernard (14) attempts to block a shot by Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) during the second half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

The Hawks are playing their last game of Summer League against the New York Knicks in a bid to avoid going winless in the tournament.

On the surface, their 0-4 record suggests the Hawks have one of the worst teams in Las Vegas at the moment. However, things get better when taking into account that all their losses have been by single-digits and they have lost all four games by a combined 14 points. In addition, talented point guard Kobe Bufkin, second-round playmaker Nikola Đurišić and their first-round rookie Zaccharie Risacher have all missed significant time for Atlanta during Summer League. Bufkin did not play in the tournament at all while Risacher and Djurisic only played in two of the games.

Risacher has a chance to return for the Hawks today, but I think the team will be cautious and ultimately decide to hold him out. I think the primary two questions for Risacher to answer in Summer League have been answered. His role with the Hawks in his rookie year is going to be predicated on how well he works off of others and how good his defense is.

His ability as an offensive threat was especially obvious in his debut against the Wizards. He was comfortable finishing at the rim, showed nice footwork in the paint, did not hesistate on his three-point looks and continued to move even without the ball in his hands.

Zaccharie showed off his versatility in his Summer League debut 👏

18 PTS | 5 REB | 3 3PM pic.twitter.com/eyjnNxx7zp

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 13, 2024

Secondly, his defense has been rather solid on the perimeter. He needs to get a bit stronger in the paint so that he can be a better rim protector, but it's unlikely that he will be a defensive liability during the regular season.

Without Risacher and likely Mo Gueye, who did not play in the Hawks' loss to the Bulls yesterday, the Hawks are probably going to be shorthanded like they were on Friday. Here are three things to watch for in their last game of the summer:

Who stakes a claim for the Hawks' last two-way contract?

Currently, the Hawks have Seth Lundy and Keaton Wallace on two-way contracts for the 2024-25 season. They can have a maximum of three, meaning there is one more two-way spot open. At the moment, it is not entirely clear who that player should be.

A compelling argument can be made for Jarkel Joiner. Joiner has been fantastic as both a defender and facilitator for the Hawks. At only 6'1, his on-ball pressure is impressive. Against Chicago, he led the team with eight assists. He has been one of the Hawks' most consistent players throughout Summer League and it's possible he could land a two-way deal to give the Hawks insurance against a Bufkin injury.

Jordan Bowden had a nice game against the Bulls, putting up 18 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals on 58% from the field and 40% from three-point range. After not playing in the first two games and struggling in his first game against the Lakers, Bowden has a chance to build some momentum with a good performance tonight,

Miles Norris put together two good performances before having a quiet game against the Bulls. 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. The Bulls held him in check offensively as he only hit two shots from the field while recording two turnovers. He's a fine defender, but he could make a very compelling case for a two-way contract with a big performance tonight. The injuries on the roster give him a chance to have that performance.

Rob Baker II has been solid as the starting center, but the Hawks already have three centers on the roster. Unless one of them gets moved, I doubt they are going to carry another center on the roster. Dylan Windler could get the nod as he has been on a two-way contract before and been the team's most consistent shooter throughout Summer League.

Can Moses Wood have a breakthrough game against the Knicks?

Wood got the starting nod against the Lakers and Bulls, but it has not been an especially strong start for the former Washington forward. He's been 4-12 from three-point range so far, but his ability as a shooter is his calling card as a player. At Washington, he was one of the better three-point shooters in the nation, shooting 40% on six attempts a game from deep.

If he starts to heat up from three-point range, the Hawks offense could get a massive boost at a moment when they could really use one. He might also make a good case for a two-way contract with a good shooting performance against New York.

What is the Hawks' answer for Tyler Kolek and Dmitry Skapintsev?

The Knicks are currently 3-2 in Summer League and have been a fun team to watch in Las Vegas. Specifically, the duo of Tyler Kolek and Dmitry Skapintsev have garnered a lot of attention.

Kolek, who the Knicks drafted in the second round, made a name for himself in the tournament after getting a clutch and-one versus the Sacramento Kings to win the game. However, his ability as a playmaker is what has been the most exciting to watch.

Tyler Kolek to Washington oh my gosh what a pass pic.twitter.com/uU7AdQBzxr

— Knicks Highlights (@KnicksClipss) July 19, 2024

Between Skapintsev, Duane Washington Jr., Ariel Hukporti and Pacome Diadet, there are plenty of scoring options on this Knicks team. Atlanta's defense is going to have its work cut out for them to keep Kolek from dissecting them with his passing.

Skapintsev was practically unstoppable against Detroit. He put up 17 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, a steal and three blocks against a Detroit team with solid players in Marcus Sasser and first-round rookie Ron Holland II. I'm interested to see how Rob Baker II and Nick Ogenda, who got some run in the Bulls game, fare against him. The Hawks struggled against Colin Castleton and they could have a similar mismatch against Skapintsev.