Atlanta Hawks Summer League Takeaways: Things We Learned from the Young Core

Now that the NBA Summer League has concluded, it's time to start looking forward to training camp and what the teams' final rosters will look like. It's also a good time to look back and reflect on the Summer League. More specifically, what are some final takeaways that we've learned from the Atlanta Hawks Summer League, and what areas of improvement can we look forward to from some of the young players on the roster?

1. Asa Newell has a promising ceiling in the Hawks future

Jun 25, 2025; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Asa Newell stands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the 23rd pick by the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Coming into the Summer League, Newell had some questions about him as the NBA world and Hawks fans knew little about him coming out of the University of Georgia. After playing this summer, it is safe to say that, even more than last month, fans and people around the NBA feel like the Hawks won this trade by a landslide with the Pelicans on draft night. In Summer League, Newell averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and one steal on 54% shooting from the field and 44% shooting from three-point range, helping the Hawks be 4-0 in his four starts and producing highlight plays along the way.

2. Kobe Bufkin is a NBA ready talent but still needs to get better in certain areas

Nov 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Kobe Bufkin (4) dribbles against the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Throughout this Summer League, Bufkin had often shown signs of inconsistency, mainly with his efficiency in scoring basketball. His play has led many Hawks fans to be irate about his inclusion on the roster. Still, if you pay close enough attention, Bufkin has shown some areas of reliability in terms of playmaking, defending, and hustle plays on the boards. He will need to improve on the offensive end of the court in terms of scoring efficiently and taking care of the basketball, as he finished with averages of 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 3.2 turnovers on 34/19/87% shooting splits. His off-the-bench role this season will be a perfect indicator of his future with the Hawks and whether he can finally stay healthy, after being hampered for two seasons by injury.

3. Nikola Durisic has a promising future despite controversy faced in the past year

Jun 28, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks second round draft pick Nikola Djurisic (7) poses for a photo at the Emory Sports Medicine Complex. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Durisic was one of the most consistent starters for this Hawks Summer League roster and was another player on the team who had to overcome adversity as well. After being selected in the draft last season, he played in two Summer League games last summer but ended up fracturing his foot against the San Antonio Spurs, which effectively ended his summer and his season on the Hawks' main roster. This summer, however, ended with Durisic playing in four games and helping the Hawks finish with a 4-0 record (with all starters playing). He played a significant role in several of the team's comebacks and clutch moments, which led to him earning a contract with the Hawks. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on .47/.25/.80% shooting splits.

4. The Hawks bench will be deep and make emphasis on hustle and defense

4-1 for the summer

See y'all soon back in the A ✌️ pic.twitter.com/TAur3IJA0F
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) July 20, 2025

The Hawks finished with a 4-1 record in the Summer League (4-0 with starters playing), based on gritty and hustle plays. They found themselves playing from behind at some point in all four contests and sometimes had to come back from double digits in clutch minutes. Based on some of the players signed to the Hawks' main roster from the Summer League, this could prove helpful in areas where they've been lacking, especially off the bench in terms of defense, scoring, playmaking, and rebounding.

Atlanta Hawks Summer League Takeaways: Things We Learned from the Young Core

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