Isaia Cordinier wanted the ball.
The Hawks young draft pick was being guarded by the Wizards’ Kelly Oubre Jr. at the top of the key in a Las Vegas Summer League game on Sunday. Cordinier faked right and drove to his left with force down the middle of the lane for a layup attempt. He drew a foul at the rim and crashed to the floor.
No problem.
Cordinier got up and made one of his two free-throw attempts. The play showed one thing about the 19-year-old guard. He plays hard.
“That’s the great thing about him, his competitive nature,” Hawks assistant and summer league coach Taylor Jenkins said after the Hawks’ 88-80 victory. “He’s got to figure some things out, learn the intricacies of being a wing. But he doesn’t shy away from competition. The energy and the effort he brings, he’ll figure it out but we can start with that.”
The Hawks selected the 6-foot-4 Cordinier in the second round (No. 44 overall) of last month’s NBA Draft out of the French Pro B League. He will return to his native France for at least one more season. He knows the Hawks’ plan but that doesn’t mean he can’t continue to raise some eyebrows during his summer league experience.
“I know the plan is draft and stash,” Cordinier said. “I have nothing to lose here because if I play well maybe I can play in the NBA right away. Why not? I know what the plan is but I still play hard. I want to show that I’m ready. I have nothing to lose.”
The Hawks have been watching Cordinier for most last season as he played for AS Denain Voltaire. In 32 games, he averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 23.4 minutes. Cordinier said he knew the Hawks were interested as they made several trips to see him play and collected video from his coach. He knew there was a chance he could be drafted by the Hawks once he declared as an early entry candidate.
“Isaia is a young player who came on the radar very quickly in France, playing in Pro B,” Hawks general manager Wes Wilcox said. “Our group scouted multiple times throughout the year. His competitiveness, energy, athleticism and versatility jumped out. They became very intriguing characteristics for us.”
Cordinier had 13 pre-draft workouts for 12 teams, including the Hawks. He had two sessions with the Pelicans.
In two summer league games, Cordinier has totaled 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting, including 2 of 6 from 3-point range. He also has four rebounds, one blocks and one steal in 43 minutes. He has shown defensive ability.
Cordinier is no stranger to Atlanta. His parents were both professional handball players. His father, Stephane, was a member of the French National team that competed in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Cordinier said he started to play handball but gave up the sport at the age of six for basketball. Just 13 years later, he is an NBA draft pick.
“My first sport was handball but for many reasons I had to stop,” Cordinier said. “My father really liked basketball and he showed me. After that, I fell in love. … Since I started playing basketball, the NBA was my dream.”
The Hawks will continue to monitor the progression of Cordinier (pronounced Ee-SIGH-uh CORE-dean-YEH) in France next season. For now, they are getting an early glimpse of his potential.
