New Hawks center Christian Koloko knows how to adjust on the fly
Newly signed Hawks center Christian Koloko has had quite the welcome to Atlanta.
Five days after the Hawks signed him to a two-way contract, Koloko made his debut against the Grizzlies, a team he signed with for 20 days this season. His familiarity with the Grizzlies helped ease the acclimation to the Hawks in those first minutes when he checked in.
“I think you definitely had,” Koloko said. “I kind of knew what they were doing and then at the same time, I was trying to figure out what we were doing. I think they kind of did (the Hawks), I’m gonna give a big shoutout to them.
“I think they made it easier for me. Just on the court they were talking to me like in transition. If I’m running to this spot and then I’m not (in) the right spot, they gonna tell me, ‘Oh, you need to cut. You need to do this stuff.’ So, I think they made it easy for me during that game.”
In his first game with the Hawks, Koloko scored 5 points and had one steal and one block. Three of those points came on a pivotal jumper midway through the fourth that forced the Grizzlies to call a timeout after it put the Hawks up 108-105. It was the second 3-pointer that Koloko has made in his career.
“It was really good, very good,” Koloko said. “I feel like, I’ve always been somebody I can shoot but never showed it. And then if you look at my percentage, you probably would be like, ‘Oh, he can’t shoot.’ I just feel like most of the 3s I took, they were like, end-of-the-clock 3s, or I wasn’t confident taking them.
“And then since I’ve been here, I’ve seen how the other guys are doing, and they kind of want us to be able to shoot. And if you want me to shoot, if I’m open, I’m gonna shoot.”
It helped that since his arrival, he’s been able to lean on Onyeka Okongwu and Mouhamed Gueye to help with fast-tracking his understanding of the team’s terminology. His new teammates also have encouraged him to shoot those jumpers when he is open.
But, Koloko had a little extra motivation Wednesday when former Grizzlies teammate Scotty Pippen Jr. had a little something to say.
“During the game, I had one 3 I didn’t take, I think it was like four seconds on the clock,” Koloko said. “I went next action to Jalen (Johnson), and then he got a turnover, and Scotty Pippen, he was on the bench. He was like, ‘Oh, you got scared. You don’t want to shoot.’
“And I told him on the next one, ‘I’m shooting just for you.’ That’s why, when I had that opportunity, I didn’t pass it. I just shot it, and it went in. So it’s always, always good to see your first 3 go.”
While Koloko can check his Hawks debut off the to-do list, he will have to add purchasing a winter coat for this weekend’s ice storm. The 6-foot-11 center was drafted by the Raptors in the second round with the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. But after moving around so many times this season, all his winter gear is packed away in storage.
“The cold part I’ve been around it,” Koloko said. “But crazy part is, I don’t have any clothes for the cold right now. Because I was on the road for the last month and a half. So I was just moving around. So I have my two luggages, and I got everything I really needed there, but no jacket, no nothing for the cold. So if you really get that cold, I’m gonna be, yeah, I need, I need to get my stuff.”
Koloko, who began the season with the Lakers before being waived, adds more size to the Hawks’ frontcourt, which has had its fair share of injuries this season. Veteran center Kristaps Porzingis has missed 29 games this season because of lingering symptoms of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, as well as various injuries, including, more recently, left Achilles tendinitis. The Hawks lost backup center N’Faly Dante to an ACL injury. Forward Zaccharie Risacher has missed five consecutive games because of a left knee bone contusion. Two-way forwards Jacob Toppin and Eli Ndiaye each suffered a torn labrum in his shoulders, and the Hawks eventually waived them to make room for other two-way signings.
So Koloko, who is on his fourth team in one season (including the Austin Spurs G League team), is ready to make the most of his minutes here. Plus he understands how much this team likes to get out and run — and is ready to do it.
“Just being here, I can really see, Coach (Quin Snyder), wanted them to play faster,” Koloko said. “So it’s been crazy because I already thought they were playing really fast. But then during film session, during practice, Coach, he wants us to push because he knows he got the guys for it. You know, Jalen is one of the most exciting guys in this league. So we want to use his ability to just run the floor jump and play fast.”
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