Hawks general manager Danny Ferry and coach Mike Budenholzer were part of a contingent that traveled to Spain to watch draftee Lucas Nogueira play in an ACB League game Wednesday.
Ferry and Budenholzer, along with basketball operations manager Andy Birdsong, were pictured in an article posted by the website planetacb.com (and shared with the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
Here is a link to the website's Q&A with Budenholzer during the game. In a translation of the article, Budenholzer said the Hawks were following Nogueira closely and that he was happy to see him play in person.
Nogueira had two points and four rebounds for Asefa Estudiantes Madrid in a 77-51 loss to the FC Barcelona in the game. He was 1 of 3 from the floor and had two offensive and two defensive rebounds in 17 minutes.
Here is a link to the website's postgame interview with Nogueira. Of note, Nogueira said he was not worried about his future in the NBA or with the Brazilian team for the upcmong FIBA World Cup. He said he was only concerned with taking care of his knees and improving his game.
Nogueira left Estudiantes for two months during the season to receive treatment for tendinitis in his knees in the United States. In the article, Nogueira said his knees were “100 percent.”
Nogueira has appeared in 17 games for Estudiantes (12-21). He is averaging 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 17 minutes.
The Hawks retain the draft rights to Nogueira, selected in the first round (No. 16 overall) last year. He played with the Hawks in the Las Vegas Summer League last July. He is expected to play again this season. Ultimately, Nogueira returned for another season in the ACB League to continue his development and add muscle to his 7-foot, 220 pound frame.
