When told that his ability to speak English has gotten much better, Edy Tavares reacted with a big smile and fist pump.
A greater grasp of a new language is not the only area of improvement over the past year for the young Hawks player from Cape Verde. The 7-foot-3 center has made strides as a basketball player as well.
It was just a year ago that the Hawks drafted Tavares in the second round, at No. 43 overall, out of Spain’s ACB League last year. Although he had been playing basketball only since the age of 16, Tavares was worth a chance.
Tavares appeared in 11 games last season for the Hawks, averaging 2.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in 6.6 minutes. He spent most of the season making trips back and forth to the NBA Development League for spot games. He played for Austin, Canton and Bakersfield in different assignments. Tavares went to Austin in late February and remained there until the Spurs’ playoff run ended in April. The chance to play was invaluable.
“At first it was difficult, but when you think about it it’s good because you play,” said Tavares, no longer needing an interpreter for a long interview. “Every basketball player likes to play the game. When I go back, I was happy because I played minutes, I met new people, and I learned different things. For me it’s good because I like to play basketball. I got better, and Austin is a nice city, too.”
During his D-League stints, Tavares played 29 games and averaged 9.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks.
Tavares is back with the Hawks for another Las Vegas Summer League. He had seven points, eight rebounds and one block in 23 minutes in the Hawks’ tournament-opening win over the Rockets on Friday. He finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four blocks in a win over the Wizards on Sunday. The Hawks’ goal is to see Tavares improve in the pick-and-roll game, both on offense and defense. They will try to put him in more of those situations as the summer league progresses.
“Definitely progressed,” Hawks assistant and summer league coach Taylor Jenkins said. “He definitely has come a long way in just one year. Getting our hands on him at the beginning of last year and working on his body and getting him up to speed on what the NBA game is all about. I think his running habits have gotten a lot better, his activity on defense for a guy his size and what he is able to do in pick-and-roll, move his feet better, using his hands, changing shots at the rim. There is obviously stuff that he can clean up, but definitely encouraged.”
For his part, Tavares said he is still adjusting to the speed of the NBA game, three-second calls on offense and defense and how to avoid fouls, which he said are called differently in Europe. The message from Hawks coaches is for Tavares to play at 100 percent whenever he is on the floor, even if it is for five minutes.
“I’ve got to get more confidence on offense,” Tavares said. “When I get the ball, be more patient, make good decisions, select the good shots and be more aggressive and intimidate more on defense.”
The Hawks’ fan base remains eager to see Tavares. His potential for rebounds and rim protection at his size is intriguing. Tavares hears them.
“I hear my name when I was at Philips Arena from the fans that want me to come in,” Tavares said. “For me, it’s good. The people like me and want me to play. That motivates me to practice hard and get more confidence to Coach (Mike Budenholzer) to put me in the game. I wait for my time.”
