The Hawks ended their first week of training camp Friday, and the team has continued to lean into the competition.
As they get ready to head into an off-day, the Hawks looked to make the most of their final practice of training camp. Hawks coach Quin Snyder talked about the continued teaching and learning that has occurred among the team this week and how it will help the coaching staff instill good habits.
Moving forward, Snyder wants to see those habits carry from drills to five-on-five to scrimmages and then eventually to games.
Snyder praised the team for how they’ve remained consistent in how they attacked practices in the first week.
For Bogdan Bogdanovic, the conditioning of his teammates when they arrived at camp has helped them to get the most out of it. Bogdanovic, who is fresh off a second-place finish last month at the FIBA World Cup, noted that his teammates seemed to be in game shape already.
“It’s good to see that the guys were really working hard this summer,” Bogdanovic said. “And I’m just happy with the progress. I can see a lot of improvement with a lot of guys, with a lot of teammates, you know. Of course, DJ (Dejounte Murray) and Trae Young. But Jalen (Johnson), O (Onyeka Okongwu), it’s been surprising really, Clint (Capela) everybody you know really. I’m happy to be here and work with the guys, happy to be back and competing.”
Bogdanovic will give the Hawks plenty of shooting this season, much like he did after the team returned from the All-Star break in February. With Snyder’s approach to offense encouraging plenty of movement off the ball, as well as selfless play to create space, Bogdanovic and the team’s other shooters should have more freedom to take shots.
For sophomore wing AJ Griffin, this training camp has allowed him to continue learning under the tutelage of the veterans on the team. Griffin has been able to observe and pick the brains of Bogdanovic as well as veteran guard Patty Mills throughout this week.
Griffin said that in watching the veterans, particularly Bogdanovic, he has observed how to come off screens, as well as their footwork.
The Hawks still have a few practices to bank before they open exhibition play Tuesday against the Cavaliers. But after a solid week of training camp, they look to make the most of their off-day Saturday before they return to the court Sunday.
“I’m not quite to Tuesday yet,” Snyder said. “I want to have a good off-day tomorrow. I think we need it. Sometimes there’s times when you feel like you need a day. And I think we need a day because we’ve been really focused. The work’s been really good.
“We haven’t forgotten we play Tuesday. You get to Sunday and get back at it and then really as much as anything, everything you’re working on when you get in a kind of competitive environment and obviously against another team, you get a snapshot. You know competition kind of shows you where you are and gives you a chance to recalibrate and focus and continue to work.”
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