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Hawks Show Promise at Utah Summer League Despite Defeat

Tyler Dorsey earned honors as a Utah Jazz Summer League Standout. Dorsey led the Hawks and finished 5th among players in Utah in points per game (16.3). He made 7 of 20 three-point attempts and went to the free throw line 10 times in one game and 9 in another. In addition, he showed that he could hit the glass with players a half-foot taller than he is; Dorsey collected 5.3 rebounds per game.

John Collins was also named as a Utah Jazz Summer League Standout. Collins averaged 14.0 points per game on 52 percent shooting. He showed the poise and polish that one would expect from a second-year player who played 1785 minutes a season earlier as an NBA rookie. His continued to roll hard to the rim for strong finishes after picks while starting to mix in some pick-and-pops to keep defenses off kilter. 

Trae Young finished 10th in Utah in points per game (12.7), and in the game against the Spurs, he made a number of high-level finishes at the rim. More importantly, Young showed considerable knowledge while running the offense as Lloyd Pierce's right-hand man. 

"I evaluate Trae on (the question), 'Is he creating separation?'" head coach LLoyd Pierce said. "Whether it's using the pick and roll, whether it's orchestrating our offense, is he creating separation to where he's at his biggest strength, which is facilitating. And (he had) 7 assists."

Young averaged 4.3 assists per game, 5th best in Utah, and he could have easily gotten more if the Hawks had gotten warm from the field. 

"The kid is a great shooter," Pierce said. "He will be a great shooter. He is a great passer. He has shown that. And we're going to get every opportunity to keep growing him in that role."

Omari Spellman flashed a high-energy brand of basketball that saw him finish Utah Jazz Summer League tied for third in rebounds per game (7.7), tied for fourth in blocks per game (1.3), and tied for fourth in steals per game (1.7). The 6-foot-9 power forward showed a knack for poking away dribbles from opposing pick-and-roll ball handlers, and when he was stationed closer to the basket, he protected the rim with great skill.

Spellman also hit five threes and showed the ability to drive past closeouts when teams tried to close him out.

Alpha Kaba averaged 1.0 block per game and 1.0 steal per game despite only playing an average of 9 minutes each game. He demonstrated a soft touch when finishing around the rim, and he made some of the subtle things that teams look for in a big man, like this backscreen that freed Antonius Cleveland for an alley oop from Trae Young.

 

Jaylen Morris and Antonius Cleveland both brought intensity and high-level defense to the wing position. In the final game against Utah, Morris made all three of his three-point attempts and Cleveland converted on 7 of 14 field-goal attempts.