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Started By
Message
Hawkins value going forward
Posted on 10/28/24 at 4:26 pm
Posted on 10/28/24 at 4:26 pm
Good afternoon! First time posting from obviously Connecticut and I enjoy following the UConn guys that get drafted to the league. I spent a little time reading the board during last season and wanted to get a little more insight on what you guys think the plan is for Hawkins?
I am a little surprised to hear that he has struggled on the defensive end because at UConn you don’t see the floor if you can’t defend. The Pels seem like they are pretty stocked with talent so I was wondering if Hawkins was being looked at as the future SG or replacement for McCollum in a couple years?
Hawk has always shown an exceptional work ethic and is such an assassin on the court I was hoping he gets a fair shot at showing what he can do. Last year I was not extremely impressed with how he was used and thought it was a bit unfair he has no real designated role or consistency in the lineup.
I would appreciate any insight or feedback if anyone has a better understanding on his role going forward. Any good luck with the year ahead. I definitely think that talent is there and am looking forward to seeing Hawk develop!
I am a little surprised to hear that he has struggled on the defensive end because at UConn you don’t see the floor if you can’t defend. The Pels seem like they are pretty stocked with talent so I was wondering if Hawkins was being looked at as the future SG or replacement for McCollum in a couple years?
Hawk has always shown an exceptional work ethic and is such an assassin on the court I was hoping he gets a fair shot at showing what he can do. Last year I was not extremely impressed with how he was used and thought it was a bit unfair he has no real designated role or consistency in the lineup.
I would appreciate any insight or feedback if anyone has a better understanding on his role going forward. Any good luck with the year ahead. I definitely think that talent is there and am looking forward to seeing Hawk develop!
4
Posted on 10/28/24 at 4:55 pm to UConnguy
Hawkins was slight and wasn't strong enough coming into the league so he was always going to struggle on the defensive end as a rookie. Like most rookies, they tend to get lost on defense, have trouble fighting over screens, and hold the point of attack down low especially when he's forced into a switch leading to a mismatch. The Pelicans style of defense requires their wings to play high quality help defense and timing and being in the right spots are crucial to a drop coverage style of defense they played last year. Hawkins did well at UCONN due to the compressed spacing with the size and rim protection UCONN had that covered up some of his flaws.
He has been better this year but he's not quite there yet. Still needs to get stronger still and could use another 10lbs of muscle over time. His effort has been promising and it shows his capacity to grow as a two way player.
Offensively, he was in a numbers game where the coach will lean towards a defensive oriented player most of the time. His defense was the biggest thing that kept him on the bench last year and that kind of ruined his offensive rhythm in the second half of the year.
This year, he's proving he has the capacity to be a core player for this team. I can't say what the future holds for him right now, but if he continues to play the way he has been playing and continues to improve his defense, he'll be here for a long time.
He has been better this year but he's not quite there yet. Still needs to get stronger still and could use another 10lbs of muscle over time. His effort has been promising and it shows his capacity to grow as a two way player.
Offensively, he was in a numbers game where the coach will lean towards a defensive oriented player most of the time. His defense was the biggest thing that kept him on the bench last year and that kind of ruined his offensive rhythm in the second half of the year.
This year, he's proving he has the capacity to be a core player for this team. I can't say what the future holds for him right now, but if he continues to play the way he has been playing and continues to improve his defense, he'll be here for a long time.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 5:02 pm to UConnguy
Looks great so far.
Hoping he proves me wrong, as I assumed he may slowly fall out of the rotation as the season goes. But again, great start and hopefully he will build off of it and continue playing well and improving.
Hoping he proves me wrong, as I assumed he may slowly fall out of the rotation as the season goes. But again, great start and hopefully he will build off of it and continue playing well and improving.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 7:01 pm to shel311
quote:
as I assumed he may slowly fall out of the rotation as the season goes
That's going to be Jose unfortunately.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 7:22 pm to UConnguy
I can't see Hawk losing his spot in the rotation this season, and I did think that we were better off last season playing Dyson and Naji, but:
1) those guys aren't on the team this season, and
2) Hawk is so much better than last year.
His defense was really bad last season, which (as has been mentioned) isn't unusual for a rookie. It's still bad, but it's much better. And he's just so incredibly fluid on offense. Watching him is like watching a ballet -- it's just poetry in motion. And his shot is missing very rarely.
1) those guys aren't on the team this season, and
2) Hawk is so much better than last year.
His defense was really bad last season, which (as has been mentioned) isn't unusual for a rookie. It's still bad, but it's much better. And he's just so incredibly fluid on offense. Watching him is like watching a ballet -- it's just poetry in motion. And his shot is missing very rarely.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 8:19 pm to GOP_Tiger
Him being able to get his shot off the dribble is a must have in this offense. He joins Murray cj and ingram as the only ones that can do it with consistency.
Posted on 10/28/24 at 8:53 pm to whatiknowsofar
I still think his defense is average at best, but it’s much more because he over plays everything. I would say it’s almost too much effort on the defensive side and not under control enough. The guy is super athletic and certainly tries. Biggest difference this year is his shot is falling and I never worried about his shooting ability. That’s a natural shooter if I’ve ever seen one
Posted on 10/29/24 at 6:59 am to PELsu
Nice try Willie. You're the Coach. You figure it out.
Posted on 10/29/24 at 10:22 am to UConnguy
quote:
Hawkins value going forward
Well, Sports Illustrated seems to think Lakers can get Hawk for Jaxson Hayes and a pick…
Yeah, that’s a trade they tried to throw out there
Posted on 10/29/24 at 1:33 pm to Soggymoss
You didnt know? The rest of the league is just farm teams for the Lakers apparently smh.
Posted on 10/29/24 at 8:04 pm to Soggymoss
Just happy he has shown some progression from last year. I had a good feeling that he was going to break out sometime this season and glad to see him in the rotation. Hopefully he continues to impress when the Pels are at full strength. I am also thinking that he will have a few monster games but keep his efficiency and shooting numbers up.
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