Video: Pierce and Collins Discuss Hawks' Youth, Playing Small

The Hawks, losers of eight games in a row, still have a lot to figure out. They only just got their full complement of players back together, and are therefore behind the curve in developing one of the youngest cores of players in the NBA.

Lately, Lloyd Pierce has begun to experiment more with his youth, using games as an opportunity for the young Hawks to gain experience -- namely, he has inserted Bruno Fernando into the starting lineup and used his rookies and second-year players in lineups together more often. In Atlanta's loss to Cleveland, John Collins -- fresh off a 25-game suspension -- played center for much of the second half by necessity after Fernando and Alex Len exited with injuries.

After a two-game road trip and a day off for Christmas, Pierce and John Collins addressed the media on Thursday afternoon to discuss the early returns on the team's new lineup, Collins comfort level in his first game back from suspension, and the challenge Atlanta will face on Friday against Giannis Antetokounmpo and his mighty Milwaukee Bucks.

On playing small against Cleveland

When Len and Fernando went down with ankle and mouth injuries, respectively, Pierce had only Collins and Damian Jones (who had been out of the rotation) to play at center. While Jones got some run to alleviate Collins' load in his first game since late October, it was clear that Pierce's preferred big man was Collins, and the Hawks figure to play small much more often now that they have a viable small-ball center.

"We’re going to use him at the five, you just don’t know how much," Pierce said. "When you play Brooklyn and Utah, and [Bojan] Bogdanović and Taurean Prince are your fours, you can play John at the five. When you play the Lakers and Anthony Davis is your four, I don’t think you can play John at the five and have somebody else guard Anthony Davis."

But few NBA teams still play two traditional big men; the league, on the whole, looks far more like Brooklyn and Utah than L.A. or Philadelphia. That could lead to Atlanta closing games small, even if it doesn't start that way, as a way not only to play a more active, versatile style, but to allow the team's most central pieces of the future to get those reps together.

"I played all center my rookie year and I sort of dabbled in it last year, so I feel like I’m pretty comfortable switching between those two spots [center and power forward]," Collins said. "Obviously a lot of big guys at that five spot, but sometimes you’ve just gotta do what you’ve gotta do."

Milwaukee will present the occasional opportunity to play small, though with Giannis and Brook Lopez starting (and usually closing) up front, Pierce might look to stay big against one of the most fearsome frontcourts in the league.

"Obviously Giannis is a handful," Pierce said. "You see what Philly did and they were able to put a five-man on him, but that five-man’s pretty damn good. So defensively you have to figure out what’s going to slow him down tonight. I don’t expect that Giannis we saw on TV yesterday to show up here in Atlanta. So we’ve got to figure out ways we can guard him, crowd him."

On Fernando's emergence

The Hawks' recent lineup change has largely revolved around Fernando, who moved into the starting five after seldom playing in the previous eight games. The rookie makes plenty of mistakes, but it's clear he has the right intentions. His slip-ups mostly stem from trying to make a play for a teammate -- a pass, a screen, a rotation -- that goes just awry.

Still, these are crucial developmental reps for the rookie center, and Pierce has been encouraged by Fernando's energy and instincts since he became a starter.

"If you watch he film, I really like what he’s doing out there," Pierce said. "He’s never perfect, but I love that he’s really physical, I love that he’s competing, that he’s trying to set screens for our guys. I think he’s doing a really good job, and I think with more experience he’s going to find some nuances."

On Collins' first game since October 31

Collins posted a robust 27 points and 10 rebounds in his first game since Halloween and didn't appear too far out of step with the rest of his team despite not being able to work against NBA competition for so long. He put down a few powerful dunks, spaced the floor with two triples, and held his own against a physical and crafty Cleveland frontcourt. His conditioning and physicality didn't appear to have been affected by his prolonged absence.

"I was in here working damn hard [during the suspension], and I feel like it paid off," Collins said. "First game, my wind felt alright, by body felt great, so solid first game. Obviously I wanted to win, but personally I felt alright."

For the most part, Pierce agreed. Save for a few plays that may seemed to catch the big man off-guard and a couple of defensive nuances he hasn't yet had the chance to perfect, Pierce liked Collins' energy against the Cavaliers.

"I thought his energy, his activity, and his positioning were all great," Pierce said. "I just thought the speed and timing of the game caught him off-guard a couple of times defensively. … I think at the end of the day, still 27 and 10 rebounds. Not bad. It shows you how much we missed that type of activity and production."

Collins will make his return to State Farm Arena on Friday night as the Hawks look to snap an eight-game losing streak against the 27-5 Milwaukee Bucks.