McCollum, Kispert already making an impact on Hawks
SAN FRANCISCO — The Hawks added veteran CJ McCollum and small forward Corey Kispert on Wednesday. But since the NBA waits for no one to acclimate to a new landing spot once the regular season is underway, McCollum and Kispert made their Hawks debut 48 hours after the ink on the trade agreement dried.
The two joined the Hawks as a part of the deal that sent guard Trae Young, the face of the franchise for the past several years, to the Wizards.
In the Hawks’ 124-111 win Sunday over the Warriors, McCollum and Kispert had to go back to the basics of just playing. The two have only just begun the process of acclimating to the Hawks’ system, led by coach Quin Snyder, and as they do that, the team expected them simply to play.
McCollum scored 12 points, had four assists and one steal in 24 minutes off the bench, while Kispert had two points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal in 14 minutes.
“It’s fun to just be able to hoop,” McCollum told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I’m blessed to be able to play the game and be able to play it at a high level, and I’m thankful for another opportunity to perform and have a chance to compete for something.
“Rhythm is coming along. So it’ll take me a little bit, but I’m excited about the opportunities that I’m going to have. I’m excited about the opportunities the team is going to have. Can’t wait to continue to build on that with them.”
Kispert, who had played the entirety of his five-year career with the Wizards, had to get used the fact that he’d been traded.
“The last 48 hours were crazy,” Kispert told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s the first time I’ve ever been traded. I had no idea what to expect or what to do, so I was just kind of trying to take things one at a time. But as discombobulating as it felt, playing a game makes you feel normal, and I’m just coming off a few injuries. I haven’t played a lot of games in the last month.
“So to get thrown to the fire like this, it definitely felt a little bit out of rhythm and a little funky. But that’s gonna get better with time. And I’m just mainly happy to play and feel normal and start building chemistry with the guys.”
But the numbers do full justice to the energy and immediate impact the two brought to the game.
McCollum made his debut with 6:25 remaining in the first quarter. Less than 30 seconds later, McCollum took a quick pass from Dyson Daniels just inside the key before isolating Warriors’ Gui Santos. McCollum then dribbled to the free-throw line, made a quick jab to create space, then stepped back and drained a midrange jumper.
He continued to do exactly what the Hawks acquired him to do: get buckets. That skill set flashed, especially when the Hawks’ offense ran stagnant and the Warriors went on a 10-0 run at the start of the third quarter.
The Hawks subbed McCollum in with 7:19 to play in the frame. The veteran’s threat as a shooter opened up space and stretched the Warriors’ defense. That gave Hawks wing Luke Kennard just enough room to operate and knock down four 3-point shots in five minutes.
“I think he settled us,” Snyder said. “There’s a level of poise and confidence that he has that when you’re on the court, whether it’s your teammates or even your coach, you see him with the ball and you feel confident in what he’s going to do.”
Kispert’s energy showed up in the hustle plays and trying to get the Hawks extra opportunities. In his first stint, the 26-year-old put his head down to get to the basket for a layup with 11:30 to play in the second quarter.
Though the shot fell short, Kispert kept his eye on the ball and deflected a pass from Warriors’ De’Anthony Melton to force a steal. The Hawks converted on a Kennard second-chance layup.
“That’s the stuff that inserts you into the game,” Kispert said. “Like when you’re trying to find a rhythm, that’s the stuff that gets done when I get my rhythm and shots fall that get me into rhythm.
“But before that happens, you gotta get on the boards. You gotta make some deflections. I knew I wasn’t gonna play very many minutes today, and so that’s the kind of stuff they want to do to make an impact.”
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