Atlanta Hawks offseason so far W/ Kevin Chouinard Pt.2

Atlanta Hawks offseason so far W/ Kevin Chouinard Pt.2

[Music] Yeah. Yeah. And I I think that’s a fair especially with Larry Nance since he res went back to Cleveland. I think you know they are probably looking for that that one more big. So and you know it’s free agency is one of those things where you know unless you have guys you were really targeting out the gate. It’s going to maybe take a week or two to obviously add some guys. So like the Hawks are not done. They still have some spots they need to get to. So, it’ll be interesting to see who they do bring in for that that that third big, whether it’s a third center. Um, and see what that looks like for them. Um, and I think too, I I’ve heard people also mention just they need another big wing behind Zack. I’ I’ve heard that because after Zach I mean Luke and uh you know Alexander are not Alexander Walker are not they’re not big like they’re not like 67 68 guys they’re like 6’5 guys and so people are like okay well Zach goes down now you’re kind of playing a slightly smaller you know uh group of players in that position even though it can work it’s just you know they’re not bigger u and some people are not sure if if do the Hawks have that type of confidence in Vic Crerache because essentially he would be your backup three I guess as of right now. Um depending again how they play things, rotations, things like that. But on the dev chart it would say Vic Crerache which I think Vic’s came a long way as a shooter obviously he’s really improved that and I’ve always said he’s a ball handler so that’s why he also has values to this team but do you also see that with with that? Do you think they need to also be aiming just to get another big wing or or you think that hey we have some comfortability with Craig? I don’t I don’t think that’s his ideal role. I like he like I V is an NBA player to me but like if you just look on the sheet of paper and it says 68 like he doesn’t play like a 68 player. He’s not that big and he’s not that strong and he can do some really good things defensively. like there was when he was held like this last season I think he had some bumps and bruises and and it didn’t you know he wasn’t necessarily the defender that he was the season before but there was like a month in the 23 24 season where he was like really good on defense but what he was good at was defending on the ball with some smaller players and using his size and length and quickness kind of kind of like Zachary Zachary you Zachary is not the strongest guy, but he’s when you combine quickness with length, that really, you know, can throttle some smaller players. And so, uh, Zachary is just bigger than V, though. Like, V needs to be guarding defending guards. M um the guy that I’m intrigued about in terms of like a small forward thing is like Nicola Urusich uh who played they drafted him before last season and then he just signed a contract to just play in College Park. Not as a two-way player, nothing to do with the NBA, he just signed to play for their G-League team for a season. He’s a very gifted offensive player as a creator. He doesn’t have a great jump shot yet, but like he can make every read when he has the ball in his hands. Like he’s he’s he’s a very creative passer and he knows angles to getting to the rim, which he did pretty well in College Park. Again, that was against G-League defenses, but that team had pretty awful spacing. like they didn’t have a lot of shooting. You know, if if Uric is playing with the Hawks group that has spacing as a guy who is a very good creator, you know, that that intrigues me. And I think that he does have some strength that V doesn’t have. Like he has that same kind of length, but he’s a little bit more of a a a a built stronger defender. And I wouldn’t necessarily want to see him defending in space on quick guys as much. But I think if you have a wing who’s not a superb offensive player, I think Ursuchich can stay with him, box out, get some defensive rebounds, like I think, you know, guarding average threes is something that he can handle. So, you know, maybe he could be kind of the bigger defender, you know, what are we going to do when Trey’s not handling the ball kind of situation. Uh, Vit V certainly has him in terms of uh experience and shooting, but you know, if you need somebody to guard bigger players, I think that might be something that Yurich can do. Yeah. Yeah. and he’s he was an interesting guy when we took him because the people I think it’s one of those things where you see talent and it’s just now developing that talent where then it’s like okay then can he use that talent become a guy who could be in the rotation um and and you know obviously the fact that they essentially stashed him in College Park essentially um just kind of getting him familiar with the system and the players I think that’s also a big part of it too and the guy that they obviously I would think still have expectations for to eventually be a part of this, you know, depending on how things go. Obviously, new CBA changes things. So, you I feel like development is even more important ever to have guys ready to go. So, um, you know, that’s an interesting name for sure. Yeah. And he, to be clear, he was not like when he started that G-League season, first of all, he was he wasn’t healthy to start the season. So, when he came back to action, he I don’t you know, I think it was kind of a work his way up to full speed kind of situation, but he was pretty he was awful. Let’s let’s be clear. He was awful as a defender and he he he worked like he changed that by the time, you know, he got into the meat of the G-League season. They kind of threw him in the fire. They said, “Hey, you know what? Go guard on the ball.” It’s like, “Really? You’re going to have him do that?” And he he kind of figured out some of that stuff. They really coached him hard to to figure out like pick up points, how to use his length against speed. Um, I don’t know that that’s necessarily a role that he’s going to thrive in in the NBA. I think he’s probably going to need to be more of an offball defender. But the fact that they gave him those reps and really took him from a zero to like a 75 on a scale from zero to 100 like like they he he could be like a real option for them. I wouldn’t I wouldn’t be shocked if if he gets a two-way contract and they they like what they see. I I don’t know. We’ll have to see. Yeah. I mean, it’s a possibility. Um, and listen, I I think people, it’s always funny. You always go through off seasonason and play people are like, “Hey, what about this guy? Remember this guy? You sure he can’t play for us this year?” So, I mean, he he’s definitely going to be one of those names I think you’re going to mention. And I would expect to see him on the summer league team, I think. Um, this year as well. So, it’ll be another way just to kind of see how his progression has come along this off season. I would also suspect that he’s going to play for Serbia. I think he’s probably going to make that roster and play in Euro Basket. So that might be another opportunity to see like how far has he come along. Yeah. Especially because you know those those international teams I mean I think those are great experiences. That was the first taste we had of Dyson Daniels last year was he played for Australia and every like this guy might be better than we think. We we got to see what he does and he ended up having a great year for us. So hey I mean all reps are good reps I would say for him. So can’t hate that at all. But so now let’s let’s transition here to I guess the heads of the snake here for the team. And let’s talk about Trey Young. Obviously star of the team, everything. People have tried to ask about the commitment if Trey is going to be here. We’re still wondering if he’s going to sign an extension this off season. Um, but I but I also said with some of the moves they’ve made that I feel like there has been a I don’t want to say like some like here you go message but there’s been a message from the Hawks to Trey like hey trying to build some here. We started it last year with trying to get players that fit you best and are best for you to play with. And now we’ve added some really high like some higher level guys like a Porzingis and Alexander Walker and you know reports people say Trey Young is is is locked in. Wellie said that and that he’s excited about what’s going on. Can you just talk about, you know, Trey from, you know, when he started in the league to now and just, you know, how he’s come along, especially this past year because they asked him to be more of a leader to to take the young guys under their wing and he has showed investment and commitment to this organization through all the rumors, trade rumors. I think we went through like two, three years of that. Oh, is he does he want out? And it feels like all indications feel like he will be here, but we just won’t know till pen is to paper, I guess. But can you just talk about Trey and just how he’s came along? Yeah. I mean, he’s he’s he’s he he’s done a lot as a leader. Like he’s you know, he came into the the league, you know, as a lot of 19year-olds do. You’re you’re just there to play. like you don’t have to direct the team in any sort of way, but this is this is now a very young team. Like there are not a lot of old guys on this team. Alexander Walker is, you know, not that old. Canard’s kind of middle of his career. Porzingis is kind of middle of his career. Like there there’s no old heads like Larry Nance or George Nang on this team. like they they maybe they need that in in some of the back end of the roster spots that they put together, but you know, they they might also just count on Trey for this. Like this is something that that he needs to do now. I think it’s easier for him when he sees the vision of competing. Like Trey Trey has high standards. He has high standards for himself. He has high standards for his team. He has high standards for the executives of the team and and their decision-making. like he he holds himself and everybody else to a high standard. So like he’s that that’s a fair thing to do when when when you do that for yourself. It’s not hard to see you expecting a lot of out of other people. But I think he now sees a path to how to elevate his teammates that maybe he didn’t necessarily have before. And it, you know, last season he got to experience that with some I, you know, bringing Dyson and Zachary was was helpful in so many ways for the Encore product, but I think it was also important for Trey, like those two players were sort of his two uh, you know, that the two players on which he was on sort of a a co-mission with them to elevate them and they did like Zachary came in second in the Rookie of the Young Dyson came, you know, most improved player came out first. Like between those two players, I think he saw that when I invest and and the the organization has brought in the right players uh for me to work with, I can elevate them and we can make this thing work. So, I think he’s ready to do that now with with the additional players that they’ve brought in who are older and more, you know, savvy than Dyson and Zach were. But he Trey still has to be the chemist that makes all the pieces fit together. Yeah. Now on top of that, think about it. I mean, Porzingis is an NBA champion. Alexander Walker has been in deep playoff runs. Um, so some of the guys they brought in, I mean, Canard’s been a part of some playoff playoff runs with Memphis. So, they’ve brought in some guys with some experience in those positions. Um, Entree obviously is, you know, Congo were probably what the last two longest tenur guys and also have also were on the East Conference Finals team. So they they’ve kind of been the ones that I think guys like Dyson, Jaylen, and Zach would rely on in the playoffs almost because like you know playoffs as you’ve seen is such a up and down situation especially for guys who are not the stars quotequote even though stars can’t have bad games but it’s like you just see see a player just like terrible game but come back have a great game and it’s a seven game series so that can happen and you know that you would probably expect that with those three guys like hey Dyson’s going to have a game where it’s not great but you hope he can, you know, bounce back. And same thing for Zack. And I think Trey will be a big part of trying to keep those guys, you know, just composed and and confident when in those situations. And another person who’s a part of that is Quinn Snyder. Um I feel like Quinn, you know, his coming here was obviously, you know, different coming in the middle of a season. You know, you don’t usually see that coach coming from, you know, in vacation saying, “Oh, okay. Yeah, I’ll become the head coach.” Um, and he he’s had to deal with some things. So, the roster construction always has always been the best as you’ve mentioned. You know, having the four position, you’re playing Bay, man. Nang, like you’re playing these guys there. Um, you know, but I always talk about that part of like going into the NBA Cup and like when you saw they were kind of healthy, you kind of saw what this team could be. they were able to win games 106 to 102, which I think is extremely important because you have to be able to win games like that instead of just making it a high-scoring affair, but then obviously injuries and that changed. Um, what what do you think of how Quinn has done as the coach so far as he goes into a year where I feel like this will probably be the first year I guess he’s under pressure to to win some games, especially with the expectations now? Yeah. It’s it’s it’s funny that you brought up in kind of leading into this question, you brought up, you know, like playing Sadi Bay at power forward. Like that was almost like a crutch for Quinn, but it was like, and I think he did it a little bit with like Nang last year where it’s like, okay, things aren’t going great. I gotta ride my shooting power forward. Mhm. And God bless Clint Capella, but you know, he the last two seasons he has not been the player that he was during the Eastern Conference Finals round. And so, you know, Quinn probably felt like I I you know, Clint has to be out there. I got to half halfway space the floor for Trey so that he can, you know, get the get the team into the offense. I need to have my shooting power forward to get the defense, you know, committed enough that Trey’s going to have a little bit of space. But I do feel at times like that has been a losing recipe. And that may be like one sort of fair critique of Quinn, you know, giving all the caveats that he didn’t really have a whole lot of better options. Well, now, you know, he does like they’re they’re blessed with a number of opportunities where they can kind of put two rebounders, two rim protectors out there at the same time. They’re not gonna have the same kind of clog space. You know, in addition to to Clint declining, it was also just not a situation where Clint really fit what Quinn wants to do the way Anako or Larry Nance or somebody did. Like it was just kind of an oddfitting part. And so now it just feels like the personnel all meshes together a lot better than it has in previous years. So, um, it it’s kind of an open book. Like, it I think Quinn has done really everything else right. Like, he’s really changed the offense to a, you know, cutting edge modern NBA offense that doesn’t let defenses focus in on one thing. Like, it it it keeps things moving. It keeps things happening all over the floor in different parts so that defenses can’t hone in on, you know, the one action that they need to hone in on. So it’s like and and so he’s done that well. He’s done the part about getting Trey to commit well. Like Trey has committed to Quinn in a manner unlike he has with any previous coach. Like he was not that bought in with Nate. He was not that bought in with Lloyd Pierce. Like he has bought in on Quinn. He sees the vision. He’s bought in. So Quinn’s done that. Like so Quinn’s done all the big things right and you know it’s kind of an open book on what it’s going to look like when the pressure is on. Pressure really hasn’t been on in these two pre two previous seasons but you know people around the league have taken notice of this roster that the Hawks have put together and the expectations are higher and the pressure is going to be there. Um but you know Quinn Quinn has a reasonably good track record you know from what he did in Utah of taking good teams and making good things happen. But, you know, it remains to be seen how it’s going to play out with this team. Yeah. And I’ll be interesting to kind of see how he adjusts to what they can do because like I said, I think that he has a vision, he has a plan and a formula he wants to do and he feels like now, you know, you get the roster closer to the team. So, I think that can work and everything. So, it’ll be interesting. But, one last question, I’ll let you go, Kevin. Um, uh, obviously the Hawks made that decision to let go Fields earlier this off seasonason. Um, Auntie has came in and like I mentioned, people feel like he’s done a really good job so far. And I said that the way this search has gone, I think has shown confidence in him and how much the likes Hawks have liked him. You know, the fact that you made that decision, you you’ve interviewed people for the president of Asma Operations and said, you know what, let’s just stick with this guy. even though he doesn’t have experience quote unquote, but he’s been a part of the Spurs, the Warriors. Um, you know, obviously it’s been a short time and I know he just talked to the media for the first time a week ago, but uh I guess give give your impressions of Anie, I guess, so far. Yeah, I always kind of thought that Anie was a very likely candidate when they opened up the president of basketball operation. Not that he is the president of basketball operations, but it just seemed like they knew they had a guy that they trusted to sort of run the show in an I think they knew they had that that was like, you know, they didn’t know what the whole poker hand was going to look like, but that they knew they had, you know, one ace to pair with things if they didn’t like what they saw coming down the line. Mhm. I thought it was, you know, they, from what I’ve heard, it was a pretty a pretty broad interview process. Like I think they had a whole slew of candidates. um according to the numbers that I heard. But like at the same time to me, even though you heard leakings of okay, you know, uh so and so interviewed for this, somebody was brought in to to to talk about this job opening in Atlanta. I think a lot of that was sort of the unlikely candidates kind of leaking because hey, if you interview for one job, then maybe somebody else will interview you three months from now, nine months from now. They just want to kind of get their name out there. I always felt that there were very few people that they would actually be interested in. Like Bob Myers was like one like but maybe like if I try to sit down and like write out okay who are all the people that I believe would be under serious consideration to take this and would actually take it. you know, maybe three, four, five names. Like to try to get both halves, have the Hawks be interested and have this other person be interested, like it just didn’t seem like there was that big of a pool of people who would do it. So, combining that with the fact that they knew they had one guy that they believed in, I I kind of suspected it would be on sale all along. And it seems, like I said, so far some good. So, I mean, hey, can’t can’t hate him. Can’t hate him. And I I really like his process. Like Boston Boston’s got to do something. They’re just they don’t want to pay like this multiplier penalty for for being in the second apron for however many years in a row. Okay. Well, see what we can do with Boston. Um Joe Dumar is in love with uh Derek Queen. My vice president that I brought in last week knows exactly what Joe Dumar is thinking because he was in New Orleans until a month ago. They love Dairy Queen. Okay. Well, let’s see how much they love Dairy Queen. They love Dairy Queen a lot. We’re gonna get this. And they they they extracted something there. So, it just seems like they are uh winning the margins. Like they are just, you know, any any chance that they can find to find value, they are finding value. And so, uh being an opportunist is good, I think. Yeah. And I think it works out for the team when you can make those types of moves. And now people are like, “Hey, they end up having not a great season. the Hawks could get a top lottery pick and now they’re getting a player in people consider a very deep draft class next year to add to what they’re doing. So I think that’s obviously I think really exciting. I remember day after the draft they said I still can’t believe the Pelicans did that. So I mean you know and not to like you know rain on the parade of Pelicans but I remember also someone saying with Joe Dumar you entered the Joe Dumar sweep stakes what team will will fleece him this year? Congratulations Atlanta. You were that team. So, it’s it’s it’s a funny thing, man. But, um, you know, we’ll have to continue to see what happens as we continue to move forward and good. See who else they bring in uh as we get uh into the free agency a little bit deeper. But Kevin, I appreciate you, man, for hanging in there with me, man, throughout the show, man. Uh, I appreciate you for show. Let people know where they can find you. Um, I’m on Twitter at KLC Ho N. Um, and you know, hawks.com and an ATL and 29 podcast with uh Glenn and Tyler. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Go definitely go check out all his work. Great work, great pod. Um, everything under the sun, you know, obviously appreciate you coming on, sharing some of your wisdom with me for sure, man. But obviously, guys, if you enjoyed the episode, subscribe, like the video, leave a comment down below. Audio listeners, any audio podcast out there, definitely if you can leave a rating, hopefully five stars. Appreciate you. Um, and follow me on X at Bryce_2K. And that’s my social across all socials as well, guys. But I think that’s about all we have here for Believe in Hawks. That’s Kevin. I’m Bryce. See you next time.

This is part two of my discussion with Kevin Chouinard about the Atlanta Hawks offseason

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