The Hawks Summer League run is over. Here are three takeaways on Kingston Flemings, the rookie big man battle and a surprise breakout performance.
The NBA Summer League is over. Unless you were a fan of one of six teams, you're waiting on the regular season now. The Atlanta Hawks were not one of those teams. Their summer is over. Now, all the team's fans can do is reflect on Atlanta's Summer League performance.
It was certainly eventful. The Hawks played several young players who could be part of their long-term rotation. Their Summer League performances could have implications for the organization's future.
Here are three takeaways from those performances.
1. Kingston Flemings Needs to Find His Offense
Perhaps that's an ungenerous assessment of Flemings.
There was a lot to like about his Summer League play. His ability to make plays on both ends of the floor stood out. In Vegas, he averaged 6.5 assists per game in two games, although his 3.5 turnovers and 0.5 steals per game left something to be desired. He was more impressive in Salt Lake City, where he averaged 7.0 assists to go with 2.5 steals and just 1.0 turnover per contest.
Unfortunately, Flemings struggled to score the ball. In Vegas, he shot 33.0% from the field, and in Salt Lake he hit just 30.8% of his shots. If scoring was that difficult for him at this level, what's he going to do against NBA competition?
Granted, that's a mere four-game sample size. The eighth overall pick has plenty of room to grow into his game, and there's an argument that the playmaking outweighs the shooting for now. But if we're looking at takeaways from Summer League, it has to be said that Flemings will need to improve his ability to score the rock to be a long-term starting point guard in the NBA.
2. The Hawks Drafted a Rotation Big
Nobody can promise that either Zuby Ejiofor or Henri Veesaar will be a long-term fixture in Atlanta. Still, after Summer League, it seems highly likely that at least one of them will be.
In Salt Lake City, Ejiofor made his case. Granted, the No. 23 overall pick out of St. John's also struggled from the field (35.0%) but half of his attempts were threes. The Hawks were experimenting with Ejiofor's role. He was stellar on defense, averaging 13.0 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per contest.
In Vegas, Veesaar got a bit more shine. He shot an impressive 38.9% from deep and dropped 20 points in the win over Boston. Moreover, Veesaar didn't look like the defensive liability he was projected to be heading into the draft, which is notable for a player Atlanta traded up to take at No. 52 after sending the No. 57 pick and cash to the Clippers. It's hard to say which of the pair was more impressive:
Minutes may open up regardless. Mouhamed Gueye's injury thinned an already crowded frontcourt, and between one of them, it seems likely that the Hawks walked away from the 2026 NBA Draft with a rotation big.
3. Kobe Johnson Is Worth a Look
Johnson exploded for 30 points against the Celtics on July 13 in Las Vegas, shooting 11-of-18 with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals, but he was consistent throughout.
For some, this wasn't such a surprise. Johnson is a 6-foot-6 guard/wing who can shoot, plays hard on defense, and is an impressive athlete. He's also the younger brother of Hawks forward Jalen Johnson. Why wouldn't he shine?
Yet, he went undrafted in 2025 and spent last season with Atlanta's G League affiliate in College Park. The Hawks entered the summer with one two-way spot open, and Johnson spent July making the case that it should be his. Johnson may not need much more than an opportunity:
He already made the most of the one he got in Summer League.
