A growth slowdown, albeit brief, is one reason for Mike Muscala’s quality mid-range jump shot.
The Hawks’ second-round draft pick, now 6-foot-11, no longer was the tallest player as a ninth grader in Roseville, Minn. He was positioned at small and power forward and developed an outside game. When he returned to center, after growing three inches in each of his high school years, the shot remained. It served him well through a four-year career at Bucknell and now perhaps in the NBA.
Muscala finished as Bucknell’s all-time leading scorer with 2,036 points. He also was second all-time with 1,093 rebounds and 271 blocks. He and Lehigh’s C.J. McCollum, a first-round draft pick of the Trail Blazers, traded seasons as the Patriot League Player of the Year. Muscala won as a sophomore and senior, when he also was the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Now, at 239 pounds, Muscala needs to get stronger to transition to the NBA and battle in the low post. However, he is wary of doing so at the expense of his other skills. Hawks general manager Danny Ferry calls it functional strength.
“I want to keep my jump shot, my quickness, my speed, being able to run up and down the court,” Muscala said.
Not heavily recruited out of high school, Muscala caught the eye of Bucknell associate head coach Dane Fischer, himself from Minnesota. After a visit to the mid-major school, he was hooked. His career ended with many accolades, including honorable mention All-America by the Associated Press as a senior, when he averaged 18.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.3 assists in 31.7 minutes in 34 games.
After predraft workouts for 14 NBA teams, Muscala felt confident enough to hold a draft-day party with friends, family and old coaches and teammates. The Hawks, as part of a trade with the Mavericks, moved up in the second round to select Muscala with the 47th overall pick.
“It’s always your dream to play in the NBA as a kid,” Muscala said. “It starts out, first you are an overseas player and then the NBA is a possibility. People always told me I could make a lot of money playing in Europe, but the biggest hurdle for me is proving I can be an NBA player and, obviously, I have a lot more work to do, but you have to be confident in yourself if you ever want that to be a possibility.”
In four games at the Las Vegas Summer League, Muscala averaged 7.3 points (on 13-of-31 shooting) and 6.3 rebounds in 22.0 minutes. He left Friday’s game after five minutes with a strained right calf and did not return.
“Mike has really done a nice job for us in summer league,” Ferry said. “He competes on every play and plays with a good toughness and poise.”
With the loss of Zaza Pachulia in free agency, the Hawks need a big-bodied center. Al Horford, at 6-10, and Elton Brand, at 6-9, are on the roster. Muscala could provide the height the team needs in matchups with some of the league’s big men.
“The goal is to play in the NBA and make the roster,” Muscala said. “If I get sent to the (Development League), that is what they think is best for me. I think I’m ready to contribute. I’m really good at adapting. That is the biggest job as a rookie. No one is going to come in and dominate right away. I think I’m going to be able to go in, adapt and do what the team needs from me.”
Hawks end with another loss: The Hawks finished the Las Vegas Summer League with a 1-4 record after losing to the Kings 93-87 on Friday. The Kings previously were the only winless team in the tournament.
Mike Scott led the Hawks with 25 points and 10 rebounds. John Jenkins added 19 points, and first-round draft pick Dennis Schroder had 15 points and five assists.
Draftees Lucas Nogueira and Muscala were limited after suffering minor injuries.
Kings draftee Ben McLemore, who struggled much of the tournament, led all scorers with 27 points.
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