What we learned from Hawks media day
The Hawks have officially begun training camp.
The team hosted its annual media day, where players shared offseason updates, and Hawks coach Quin Snyder outlined his outlook and goals for the season ahead.
Here’s what we learned at media day.
New guys already making an impact
The Hawks acquired two key players from the Thunder in the offseason and they’ve already tried to soak up their knowledge.
Their acquisition of Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins to the roster adds depth on the wing. But it also adds deep postseason and championship experience that the Hawks’ young players can benefit from.
“I think first to add players with a championship-level pedigree, that’s something in and of itself is an excellent addition,” Snyder said on Monday. “Usually, when you have that, you do understand fundamentally the importance of defending and defending collectively.”
Plus, the Hawks will benefit from Dort and Wiggins’ experience in close-game situations.
“Having those guys playing in those kinds of games and then winning a championship is going to be key for us as we move forward and push and make deep playoff runs,” Hawks wing Corey Kispert said.
The Hawks also acquired forward Dorian Finney-Smith last week and the veteran will provide vocal leadership on the court.
Ready to show the beefed-up defense
The Hawks’ defense took a step in the right direction with the additions of Dort, Wiggins, Finney-Smith, as well as the rookies Kingston Flemings and Zuby Ejiofor.
The potential lineups of Dort, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker could make for tough nights for opposing offenses. The physicality that Dort brings complements what the Hawks had already deployed on the wing with Daniels and Alexander-Walker.
They’re ready to show up and demonstrate why they could be the best defensive units on the perimeter in the league.
“Yeah, no, I was super excited,” Daniels said. “Obviously, Lu is an elite defender, championship player that’s coming in with experience and can really help us.
“We’d love to call ourselves the best backcourt defensive trio in the game, but we got to show up first. So looking forward to getting out there on the court and compete with the guys.”
Jalen Johnson stepping into his role as a leader
As the Hawks forward steps into his sixth year in the NBA, the team has pushed his growth as a leader.
Johnson had Flemings and Ejiofor at some of his offseason training sessions in California. It allowed them to begin building chemistry and a foundation for some of the things they’ll work on in training camp.
“I think leadership is something that the team wants to see, and one I want to do that just for my teammates,” Johnson said. “I want to be one of those guys that they can call aside from basketball and just have that type of impact with my teammates and have that type of relationship with them.”
Growing and learning from the Knicks series
Johnson has flipped the page on the last season’s first-round exit from the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs. But before he did, he spent the first four to six weeks of his offseason going over the film.
“Because at the end of the day, I want to win championships,” Johnson said. “The playoffs is when you need to be at your best.
“So understand that having the right people around me that help me focus in on what I need to focus in on. You gotta have the mental capacity to be able to want that for yourself and not be complacent.”