Terran Petteway is playing like every game could be his last.
That final game might not come anytime soon.
Petteway, an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska, has impressed the Hawks at the Las Vegas Summer League.
In five games, including four starts, for the Hawks’ entry in Las Vegas, Petteway has averaged 10.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists. The guard/forward had his biggest game of the tournament Thursday night in a win over the Nuggets. He finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks.
“Really, I like the way these guys play,” Petteway said earlier this week when asked about his decision to play with the Hawks. “They get up and down the floor. That’s my type of basketball, right there, getting up and down the floor. They play great defense and share the ball.”
The Hawks advanced to the quarterfinals of the tournament with the win. They will play the Mavericks on Saturday at 6 p.m. (ET). The game will be televised by NBA TV.
The 6-foot-6 Petteway said his goal is to get an invitation to training camp. There is an available roster spot should the Hawks choose to carry 15 players. A wing player will certainly be considered.
Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said Petteway was one of three players – including Lamar Patterson and Glenn Robinson III – that have been most impressive during the tournament.
“I just play every game like it’s my last,” Petteway said. “That’s my mindset. After this, I might not be playing basketball anymore. I just try to come out here and be loose but at the same time my intensity is through the roof. I try to come out with a solid game night in and night out.”
Petteway, who started his collegiate career at Texas Tech, averaged 18.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in his final year at Nebraska before declaring for the draft. Petteway worked out for the Hawks during the pre-draft process. He said the team has worked on his player development while in Las Vegas, another of the reasons he chose the Hawks.
“They said they liked my activity on the defensive end and also I can score a little bit,” Petteway said of his pre-draft workout with the Hawks. “That’s why I’m trying to get out here and show them I can be a two-way guard and a solid guy off the bench.”
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